ALIPURDUAR: To put a halt to the traditional tribal hunt ritual that is held before Holi, a red alert notice will be clammed at the Jaldapara National Park from February 15 for ten days, at the time of the scheduled hunt. Forest guards and other staff engaged in protection work are being temporarily reshuffled from one range to the other.
Tribal communities engage in a traditional hunt ritual weeks before the festival of Holi. With stringent wildlife laws, the foresters have been trying to halt this tradition. However, an adventurous few still take part in the hunt. The problem is multiplied by poachers who take advantage of the ritual and encash in this hunt.
Sources state that in prolonged service, the forest protection staff often get close to people residing in the forest. Owing to this, it becomes difficult for them to intervene in such ritualistic activities. Thus, they are transferred to other ranges for a short period. Once the hunt is over, they are brought back to their original area of service.
The 216.51 sq km forest of Jaldapara National Park has diverse flora and fauna. It is surrounded by forest villages. In North Bengal, most tribal communities live in villages that are located on the fringes of the forest. As a result, poachers use these localities to engage in such illegal activities. The one-horned rhinos found in good numbers are also in a highly vulnerable condition.
Deepak M, District/Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jaldapara Forest Division said: “We are not willing to take any chances in connection with the protection of wildlife. A red alert has been issued in the Jaldapara forest ranges. Mock drills have been conducted so that they can deal with poachers efficiently when the need arises,”
Saving wildlife from poachers is one of the biggest challenges for Jaldapara forest officials. Therefore, the forest department does not want to take any chances. There are a total of nine ranges in Jaldapara and rhinos are found in most of them. Jaldapara East, West, North, Kodalbasti, and Chilapata areas boast great numbers of Rhinos. Reports show that the activity of poachers is high in these ranges. In addition, orders have been issued to collect information on the activities of those who were earlier involved in poaching and have returned to the mainstream of society now.