New Delhi: Man-animal conflicts are not new in India, and it is the common people living close to the forests who have to bear its brunt. In Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor, farmers have been living in fear of leopards. But now, their terror has been compounded by an additional danger, that of tigers after the Big Cats have been sighted in their fields.
For several days in Bijnor, tiger couples have been seen roaming freely. Notably, the place is surrounded by some important wildlife sanctuaries in India: Jim Corbett National Park, Amangarh Tiger Reserve, Rajaji National Park, which is also a tiger reserve, and Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. Due to fear of these animals, farmers are not even able to go to their fields to guard them. The forest department and the administration, upon seeing the situation, have also become alert.
The district administration and forest department have declared 100 villages of the Bijnor district as high-risk areas for leopards and tigers. According to the local people, the district is already a habitat of leopards. More than 70 people have died in the attacks by these leopards in the last three years. More than 250 people have been injured due to the leopard attacks, and the presence of tigers has added a new layer to the horror that the people there are already witnessing. In the last two to three days, tigers have been seen roaming in the fields. This has created a state of fear among the farmers, making it difficult for them to even go out for farming work.
It is being told that the tigers, a couple, have come from the Kalagarh forest range of the Jim Corbett National Park to the fields of Afzalgarh in Bijnor. On Tuesday morning, the tigers were seen roaming in the fields of Bhikhawala village. Seeing them, the farmers and labourers working in the fields ran away. According to wildlife experts, it is extremely hot at this time, and the water sources in the forest are on the verge of drying up. In such a situation, to quench their thirst, wild animals like tigers, bears, deer, leopards, etc. are wandering outside the forest in search of water.
According to the officials of the forest department, hundreds of leopards are roaming in the fields of the district at this time, and tigers are also being seen now. The District Magistrate of Bijnor, Jasjit Kaur, held a meeting with the forest department officials and has asked the officials to take measures to deal with violent wild animals and prepare a DPR for this. For this, he has also asked to start a public awareness campaign. According to the DM, the geographical location of Bijnor is such that due to the abundance of rivers, canals, reserves and social forests, wildlife gets ample nutrition and protection. Due to this, their population is also increasing continuously. At present, 100 villages have been identified and declared as leopard and tiger abundance.
