INDIA: Man and Nature Battle It Out In Tiger Reserve

By Neena Bhandari Reprint | | Print |

Neena Bhandari

RANTHAMBORE, INDIA, Oct 14 1995 (IPS) - This internationally renowned tiger reserve, situated in the western Indian state of Rajasthan, is fast turning into one of the major frontlines in the planet- wide battle for survival between man and nature.

Ranthambore, comprising a 27,450 sq km core area called the Ranthambore National Park and a buffer zone comprising three sanctuaries — the Ranthambore Sanctuary (118 sq kms), the Keladevi Sanctuary (674 sq kms) and the Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary (12,760 sq kms) — is an ecological oasis for the rapidly vanishing tiger.

In 1973, there were only 14 tigers in Ranthambore. In the 1980s their number rose to 40. In the past two years, seven cubs have been born here and the number of tigers is estimated to be

To sustain the food chain of the tigers, Ranthambore’s unique ecosystem supports as many as 272 species of birds and several protected species like the leopard, ratel, sloth bear, caracal, desert cat, soft-shell turtle and crocodile, besides the spotted deer, chinkara, sambhar, cheetal and porcupine.

The conical hillocks of the ancient Aravalli ranges are juxtaposed to the flat-topped hills of the Vindhya mountains that are covered with thick forests, to form this reserve. It is also an important catchment area for the Chambal and Banas rivers, with six lakes, three perennial streams, seven springs and 100 water holes.

But this lush forest area has come under tremendous pressure of grazing in the past few years. At least 10,000 cattle come to graze in the sanctuary everyday and nearly 150,000 migratory sheep browse here for eight months in the year.

Most of the inhabitants of the villages around the sanctuary rear buffaloes and depend on milk produce for subsistence.

“As the area is extensively cultivated and hardly any common pastures exist, we have no option but to depend on the forest for grazing of our animals,” says Phulia, one of them, adding, “If we are caught we sometimes have to pay a penalty of Rs 100 (three dollars).”

The villagers often move in organised gangs with their herds, pushing their way to the periphery of the protected area and making the Reserve’s cattleguards’ jobs more difficult. “If we try and stop them, they retaliate by hurling stones,” says Phoolchand, a cattleguard.

The cattle are not inoculated, thus increasing the risk of the foodchain being contaminated by a host of common diseases.