The life of a forester is a untold story. The forest department is the reason the rich biodiversity of the jungles is maintained. A healthy forest has many benefits for the survival of mankind. Forest bring rain and other resources for humans to sustain. Forest play a major role for favourable climatic conditions. Foresters are the unsung heroes who are involved in maintaining the ecosystem of the forest. They keep a check on deforestation and ensure re plantation for the forest to grow.
Each day is a day of struggle for the forest department. There are field personnel often called as rangers whose responsibility is to patrol the forest to keep a check on poaching of animals and smuggling of wood. The foresters risk their life each day patrolling the jungles for miles. Check the camera traps and analyse the camera trap captured images.
Poachers and smugglers have killed many forest guards and rangers for their greed. Many personnel have either been killed or injured by wild animals during patrolling and rescue operations. Anti poaching camps have been set up in deep jungles to conserve the forest. These camps consist of team of 3 to 5 people who stay in deep jungles. They cook their own food and stay away from their families for many days to protect the jungles. Each morning they wake to patrol the tough and rigid landscape of the jungles.
Greed draws humans to poach animals or cut down the trees inside the forest. The forest department works across the year to ensure the safety of wildlife. The department also ensures safety of humans who stay in close proximity to forest. They monitor the movement of animals and alert the villagers about the recent sightings of animals in the wild. Hence they are instrumental in saving the lives of humans and the animals.
The search for the elusive leopard is in its 22nd day. The forest department has put in all their life to rescue the endangered species. Media and social media trial can easily affect the current operations to trap the leopard alive. The life of the leopard is at stake. Civil society should ensure they stop spreading memes and encourage the forest department in this operation. The operation and the money involved to trap the leopard alive shows how much the department loves wildlife and their intention to conserve it. Let’s come together and support the forest department. Their never give up attitude is praiseworthy. It is not that the forest department is incompetent to catch the leopard but we have to look the other way around. The leopard is evading humans and staying amongst us without getting noticed for months. The leopard of Belgaum city is very smart the inhabitants of Belgaum should act smartly and support the teams involved.
Many people are now labelling the leopard as “pyaara Leopard” .
Article by FB user : Mudassar Ternikar is wildlife conservationist and naturalist