Man-animal conflict: Corbett Park officials seek people’s help

Man-animal conflict: Corbett Park officials seek people’s help

PTI, 9 February 2010, 09:00pm IST

ALIGARH: Faced with mounting public anger over attacks by tigers in areas adjoining the Jim Corbett National Park, authorities have placed a cage inside the forest to trap the man-eaters and sought the help of people in tackling the problem.

A woman was recently killed and three youths were injured in two separate incidents of tiger attacks in the sanctuary area, officials said.

After protesting villagers blocked roads in the past few days demanding adequate safety measures, park authorities sought to mollify them and conceded to their demands by placing a cage inside the forest to trap the man-eaters.

“We have put in place a crisis management plan and two teams of forest rangers are now patrolling roads passing through the park to prevent any further attacks,” Deputy director of the Park, Kabi Dayal, said.

He said morning walkers have been told to exercise caution on the main Ramnagar-Mohan road.

“We will write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for urgent compensation to villagers who became victims of the tiger attacks,” said Madan Joshi, spokesperson of a local wildlife conservation group Bagh Bachao Samiti.

Meanwhile, conservationists have expressed concern over delay in formation of a ‘Specialised Tiger Protection Force’.

There have been four unexplained tiger deaths in the park area and four leopard killings reported. On February 7, villagers allegedly killed a leopard after trapping it.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Man-animal-conflictCorbett-Park-officials-seek-peoples-help/articleshow/5553277.cms

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