Survey in Bandhavgarh National Park
REPORT ON SURROUNDING VILLAGES OF BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK
Bandhavgarh National Park lies at the geographical centre of India. It is said to be a heaven for Tigers and other wildlife. Declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1993, Bandhavgarh holds the highest density of Tigers in India. Off late there have been some cases of poisoning of Tigers as retaliation by the local villagers but still the King roams freely in and around Bandhavgarh. With a few Tigers left in the wild, every life is precious. The very famous Banbei Tigress of Bandhavgarh, who was successful in raising many cubs to maturity, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The body was decomposed and it was hard to determine which tiger it was. The forest officials after scrutinizing the body declared it was some male tiger. But when the guides and tourist drivers did not find the female for many days, it was clear that the Banbei Tigress was poisoned and the forest officials were just covering for it. This was not all.. A Tigress, in Pataur area was also found dead after eating the carcass of a cattle dragged from a nearby village. The carcass was in turn poisoned and the Tigress died after consuming it. The officials were intimated about the tigress by the locals. The officials and the villagers could see the tigress struggle for life near Bamai Nala, where she lost the battle for life in front of everyone. The only thing that comes out of both the cases is POISONING. And without local hands, it is not possible. The Save the Stripes Team, on 1st November 2009, did a survey in and around the Park, to find out the reasons behind this. The survey was conducted in Pataur, Bhamsa, Ghangaur and Damna. Bhamsa and Ghangaur being small villages have a population of about 6080 people. Damna has about 200 people and about 500 livestock. Bhamsa, Ghangaur and Damna lie in a straight line and are about 20 kms from Manpur, which is the nearest market for the villagers. Manpur is about 25 kms from Tala. After
Bandhavgarh National Park lies at the geographical centre of India. It is said to be a heaven for Tigers and other wildlife. Declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1993, Bandhavgarh holds the highest density of Tigers in India. Off late there have been some cases of poisoning of Tigers as retaliation by the local villagers but still the King roams freely in and around Bandhavgarh. With a few Tigers left in the wild, every life is precious. The very famous Banbei Tigress of Bandhavgarh, who was successful in raising many cubs to maturity, was found dead under mysterious circumstances. The body was decomposed and it was hard to determine which tiger it was. The forest officials after scrutinizing the body declared it was some male tiger. But when the guides and tourist drivers did not find the female for many days, it was clear that the Banbei Tigress was poisoned and the forest officials were just covering for it. This was not all.. A Tigress, in Pataur area was also found dead after eating the carcass of a cattle dragged from a nearby village. The carcass was in turn poisoned and the Tigress died after consuming it. The officials were intimated about the tigress by the locals. The officials and the villagers could see the tigress struggle for life near Bamai Nala, where she lost the battle for life in front of everyone. The only thing that comes out of both the cases is POISONING. And without local hands, it is not possible. The Save the Stripes Team, on 1st November 2009, did a survey in and around the Park, to find out the reasons behind this. The survey was conducted in Pataur, Bhamsa, Ghangaur and Damna. Bhamsa and Ghangaur being small villages have a population of about 6080 people. Damna has about 200 people and about 500 livestock. Bhamsa, Ghangaur and Damna lie in a straight line and are about 20 kms from Manpur, which is the nearest market for the villagers. Manpur is about 25 kms from Tala. After