The Hindu Business Line : `This tiger moment is forever'

For a moment we were distracted by the raucous calls of a racket-tailed drongo, sitting atop a sal tree in the Kanha Tiger Reserve. We were at a spot called Raja Kachhar, ahead of the Chimta Camp and it was about 7.15 a.m. when we sighted Bhola, a full-grown tiger, some 7-8 ft. long, striding casually down the forest track towards our Gypsy. He was in no hurry. He probably knew we would wait and bow to him.

Through the binoculars one watched Bhola's muscles rippling as he padded along. He would turn his head to look around for a second, while making his way even as Kishor Rithe quietly reversed the vehicle at a slow pace. At one point, our Gypsy stopped as there were three vehicles behind us.

Nishibhau Kale and this writer were in the back of our open Gypsy as the mightily splendid and precious creation of Nature passed by us, some two feet away. One stood still, made eye contact with Bhola before the animal passed into a crowd of Gypsy vehicles.

The clattering of cameras did not impress or disturb him. Finding his path a bit messy, Bhola turned away into the forest. We had tracked Bhola for about 30 minutes over half-a-km.

"You could not have had a better look at a tiger. One jump, we would have made up his breakfast," said Nishibhau after Bhola had safely disappeared into the Kanha forest. They say it is easy to spot a tiger in Kanha but not every visitor, in these days of the decline of the forests and tigers, has had the luck.

A pamphlet on Kanha says: "When in Kanha you are in the right place for an unforgettable experience of seeing a tiger in the wild." That's easily written. "Boss, we were plainly lucky. This tiger moment is forever," remarked Giri Venkatesan, Executive Director, Satpuda Foundation.

We (Kishor Rithe, Giri, Nishibhau and this writer) passed by the Kanha meadow where George Schaller had studied tigers and its prey base over a 50-sq. km. area. That study resulted in the book, The Deer and the Tiger. Near to this spot, one spent time watching a lone crested hawk eagle resting on the top edge of a dried up tree. Its crest quivered in the wind as it surveyed the surroundings for a prey.

By 10.30 a.m., near Shravan talav, we came across two jackals, briskly moving round and round the area, with no particular purpose in mind. Kanha is a moist deciduous forest, with sal dominating the forestscape. A sal tree takes as long as 100-120 years to mature and the sal trees are still young in Kanha. The National Park is spread over 940 sq. km with the buffer zone (multiple use area) taking up 1,009 sq. km. It has an annual rainfall of 1,400 mm with temperatures varying between 20 degrees C to minus two degrees C.

One felt the Park was well maintained and confirmation could be had from Khageswar Nayak, Chief Conservator of Forests, Kanha. "Kanha has been rated the best National Park by Project Tiger," Nayak told us though one wondered what it all means.

The latest CAG report, "Conservation and Protection of Tigers in Tiger Reserves," says that the Management Plan for Kanha (2001-11), has "no clear definition of yearly physical and financial targets; no time frame set for achievement of the envisaged objectives; and there was no clear correlation of activities envisaged in the Management Plan to that laid down in the Annual Plans of Operations."

The Project Tiger has rated reserves using 45 parameters and the findings have been endorsed by IUCN.

"We are going to relocate 18 villages on the edges of the Kanha National Park. In the buffer zone, there are 150 villages (a population of a lakh). Except three villages, all the others make the boundary of the Park and these three villages are critical for barasingha and are up for relocation," said Nayak.

Of the 18 villages, six are to be relocated, while 12 villages "will be realigned in the buffer zone," explained Nayak. Does it follow, that the process of "realignment" could be a step to denotification of some areas in the Kanha National Park? One is not sure as Nayak is still working on details.

Talking to Nayak is akin to reading the Tiger Task Force report of Sunita Narain, styled, "Joining the Dots." The official admitted that villagers "are prepared to go" and added they should be offered the best facilities.

At present, there is a comprehensive resettlement plan for tribals unproductively locked in sanctuaries with the Centre giving a grant of Rs 2 lakh per family apart from the State governments offering free land (a minimum of two acres) for every member of a family. But Nayak wants more.

"Even after the package, a dialogue should continue with the resettled villagers. I want my resettlement package to be the best," he says with a faint air of pompous concern. Surprisingly, he admits to tourism putting pressure on the Park.

During holidays, the number of vehicles goes beyond 70 when the carrying capacity is 55 vehicles per day (six to a vehicle). "But then we cannot disappoint visitors to Kanha. We are planning to manage tourism by adding some areas," he indicates and for that a third gate at Bitcha is being opened.

Area allocated to tourism in Kanha is currently put at 227 sq. km and there are two gates at Kisli and Mukki. At the same time, the top official concedes that there is no methodology to calculate the carrying capacity.

In all this, if there is a contradiction, Nayak does not show it. For him, "protection of wildlife and forests" is the first priority and he does not see that conflicting with promoting tourism. Wildlife and human development should go together.

Tourism helps sprouting of hotels (to employ the locals) and given the option, Nayak would like 30 per cent of the profits to be used for tribals in the forests.

Sitting in the lawns of his office inside the Kanha sanctuary, Nayak gives the distinct impression of being lost in a crowd of priorities.

Chat up with people outside the Park and one hears of a one-day strike scheduled for November 25 by forest staff long been treated as "casual workers."

They want to be made permanent and two guides told one that the forest management prefers staff from cities nearby. "We want local people to be given the first chance," they added.

(To be continued)

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