Sanctuaries entice locals to become protectors instead of violators

RANTHAMBORE: Years ago Babulal would quietly sneak into forest land at the Sawai Madhopur sanctuary with his herd of cattle and graze them till sundown.

But three years back the equation changed. What used to be a forbidden territory is now his domain. The onus today lies on him to chase away the grazers as he guards the vegetation.

The state forest department here has gone on to recruit the local populace and put them on to more profitable ventures by becoming protectors rather than violators.

The change promises returns soon. From a barren patch of land to soon-to-be a critical tiger habitat, the forest department had added almost 300 sq km to the tiger reserve at Ranthambore.

"These used to be barren patches. But now they are some of the best green patches in the area. Prey has rushed in here and the predator will follow suit. Then we would have tigers living in one of the most closest proximity to humans," says director of the park, R S Shekhawat.

And Shekhawat's elation is reflected in the vast number of expecting antelopes that have chosen the new premises to give birth to their young.

"This is the fawning season and the mothers have separated from the males. They will soon give birth to the young ones and that is capital gain for us. For that will form the food for the predator in the years to come," he says

Cruel it may seem at first,but that is the story of conservation. Secially so, at a time when forests are being depleted everywhere the sanctuaries of Sawai Madhopur and Khandhar, near the Ranthambore tiger reserve, reflects a tale of what determination and grit can do.

"Look this is the sign of the where the peacock would have danced. And that, Sir, is where the hyena tread," exclaims Babulal's compatriot Laxman who too changed professions from a grazer to a conservator.

Both Babulal and Laxman spend their time these days in not only guarding the new found reserves of Kundal and Sawai Madhopur but double-up as guides during spare time. And the changes that has come over them are to be seen to be believed.

For no longer do theytalk about violation of the Forest Act but each call in the wild, each mark on the ground now makes sense to them more than before.

"This is where we spotted the tiger just two days ago. I was with a group of tourist and we spotted her here," exclaims Laxman at the site of a water body. The Sawai Madhopur and the Kundal sanctuaries are the only places at Ranthambore that still takes tourists for a safari even as the national park remains on its annual vacation.

"There are about 150 of them that we have recruited in similar way. There are 125 of them at the national park and other in similar ranges who are from the local populace here and are now working for conservation as part of the eco-development committee," says Shekhawat.

The move has not only helped conservation but has also got the locals a deeper purse to dig into.

"In fact, we want to replicate the system for the peripheral areas. And as a lesson for turning the violator into a conservationist it could be replicated elsewhere too," he adds.


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