Kelzar villagers live under fear of tiger

TNN | Feb 22, 2012, 05.05AM IST WARDHA: The villagers of Kelzar are a harried lot as their cattle are being killed by tigers. On Monday night a tiger killed two cows of Madhukar Sahare. These cows were tied to poles in the cowshed yet the tiger attacked them. Sahare's home is at the end of Kelzar village and just adjacent to the cow shed there is a nullah. In a desperate bid the two cows broke their chain and entered into the farm of Vasantrao Sontakke. However, the tiger overpowered the cows in the farm and during the act Sontakke's farm, wherein wheat and maize was sowed, was destroyed. Villagers said that tigers come to the nullah to drink water as there is shortage of water in nearby jungle. The forest department should make a water holes for the tigers in the forest. Ashish Goswami, the district president of people for animals organization, said that the forest department and villagers should make a committee to conserve the wild life; the earlier committees of the villagers are inactive. The problems can not be solved without the villagers help. Wardha DFO said, "Kelzar is near Bor sanctuary. When the tigers come out of it in search of water and prey they attack the villagers and their cattle." About the water scenario in forest, he said, "We are trying to make water available in the forest area. Recently we created some waterholes and hand pumps were installed. There are quite a few nullahs in the forest and those haven't dried up but still we are trying to fill these artificial waterholes so that the wild animals have plenty of water to drink in summer season." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Kelzar-villagers-live-under-fear-of-tiger/articleshow/11985346.cms