| A concerned wildlife enthusiast hopes for a middle path that will give both villagers and the tiger a chance for survival. Divya Sridharan reports. |
Man Vs beast A very real concern
En route to Dimbam, it gets picturesque, in a very rugged way. A barking deer suddenly zips past the road. And for miles on end, you hardly come across a fellow traveller. The sound of silence is cathartic. Way past Sathyamangalam road, you drive up the hills that will lead to Mysore – eventually. But, today’s journey ends a little before you reach the Border check-post that demarcates the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Tiger stalking
As we approach Dimbam, wild life enthusiast, Krishna Kumar elaborates upon why this expedition has been made.
“Over the last eight months, 22 kills have been discovered around these parts. The cattle found dead were definitely killed by the tigers that live in these forests”, he says.
“The tiger suffocates its prey while breaking the neck of the animal. It is easy to distinguish this method when compared to, say the leopard or wild dog, for these too stalk this region”, he explains. Krishna Kumar delves into the history of his association with the tigers in Dimbam.
A citizen of Coimbatore, he grew accustomed to Dimbam while spending time in his farm here. A few years ago, a villager from this region approached him with a tiger’s nail, considered auspicious by some.
This was Krishna Kumar’s initial introduction to the possibility that this majestic animal might have made this region its own. He soon learnt that the villagers here had taken to poisoning the carcasses of the livestock, which were preyed upon by the tigers. This was to ensure that when the animal returned to resume its feed, it would be poisoned to death.
“While on one hand, it is a question of the villagers’ primary occupation, what is also at stake is the possible extinction of an animal that we need to protect. Over the past ten years, at least three tigers have been killed in this region”, he reveals.
Research findings
Through meticulous study, Krishna Kumar has ascertained the existence of at least four tigers that presently roam the region that covers at least nine villages.
This is just within the radius of 30 kilometres.
“The WWF has sent inspectors to study this area. They are trying to convert this region into a tiger reserve. But in the meantime, the cattle continue to encroach upon the territory of the tigers. It is my belief that the tiger is endangered in southern India primarily due to the encroachment of its territory by human beings”, Krishna Kumar says.
Compensation
In Mavanetham, a settlement of villagers around these parts, we meet Mohan, whose ox was killed by a tiger recently. “Mr. Krishna Kumar compensated me with Rs. 12,000 for the loss of my cattle. I was then able to buy another ox”, Mohan reveals. Close to Rs. 70,000 has been given by Krishna Kumar to the villagers, in lieu of the loss of their cattle.
Help to the villagers
He has been supported by personal friends, acquaintances and societies such as the Coimbatore Round Table ACME towards meeting this end. In the pipeline is the setting up of a society driven towards compensating the villagers.
Krishna Kumar reveals that the society will seek to bring under its wing the districts of Coimbatore, Nilgiris and Erode. “Ideally, there ought to be no further encroachment of the tigers’ territory by human beings. But, in this situation, this will be more than just difficult. Compensating villagers with money might allow us to arrive upon a middle path”, he says. One hopes that by doing so, and subsequently declaring this region as a tiger reserve, this majestic creature will be given adequate protection.
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