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Subsequently, Thailand’s Department of National Parks,
Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) inexplicably granted the
Tiger Temple Co. Ltd. a permit for a ‘safari-style’ tiger attraction
that would allow visitors to interact with tigers... basically a
replication of the Tiger Temple misdemeanours.
This now becomes another campaign involving battles to
prevent the ‘zoo’ animals from inhumane treatment — and the
‘leakage’ of tigers and other species into the transnational trade in
endangered wildlife.
Together with several global NGOs, Sanctuary Nature
Foundation continues to urge the Thai authorities to terminate
the licence granted to the Tiger Temple for their off shoot zoo
facility and will renew our campaign to target the Environment
Minister of Thailand to demand that captive tigers be protected
from further abuse.
We believe that united eff orts from across the globe could
aff ect tourism revenues to Thailand. This is probably the most
realistic strategy to prevent profi teers from exploiting tigers,
among the most charismatic animals in the world.
SAVE AAREY
In Mumbai, isolated pockets of wilderness struggle to purify
our air, moderate our climate, protect watersheds and provide
much-needed recreational space to the city-weary. Virtually an
extension of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the Aarey Milk
Colony is a forest of immense worth, with free-ranging leopards
living peaceably within its confi nes.
In recent days, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) seems to have declared war on all open spaces, so vital
to the good health and happiness of citizens. Ignoring the
critical ecological services that Aarey renders, the BMC has
declared its intent to set up multiple projects that involve the
large-scale felling of trees in roughly one-third of the Aarey
Colony. This has caused citizen’s groups to unite in defence
of one of the city’s most vital green spaces, which must be
protected for posterity.
At the time of going to press, environmental organisation
Vanashakti had fi led a Public Interest Litigation in the Mumbai
High Court, which had ordered that all necessary permissions
be obtained before trees are cut for any proposed projects.
In 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed an order
declaring status quo to be maintained in Aarey, which it
pointed out had been notifi ed as an eco-sensitive zone.
Sanctuary, therefore, joined hands with citizen’s groups to
launch the Save Aarey campaign to amplify the voice of the
‘Save Aarey’ Community’.
Protests were held, decision-makers petitioned, the
authorities have been approached routinely, the media was
activated and local communities are up in arms. Despite such
eff orts, the work for a metro car shed within Aarey’s green has
begun. Stalin Dayanand, of Vanashakti, informed Sanctuary that
the metro-car shed issue is being fought in fi ve diff erent cases,
in separate courts. In his words: “The metro shed will cause an
estimated loss of 4,000 trees. The government could easily
save Aarey, but has chosen instead to bulldoze the forest.” The
battle rages and Sanctuary urges its readers to join and support
the determined individuals fi ghting this vital battle.
GIANT REFUGEES
In 2017, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, the
Sanctuary team learned of a herd of wild elephants caught in
a simmering confl ict with humans. The displaced pachyderms
were being routinely harassed and abused as they wandered
rural lands and degraded forests in search of food. The nearby
Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary, the herd’s natal home, is
far too small and degraded to support them. And so, for years
now, they have sought refuge in islanded patches of wilderness
in the Athgarh Forest Division. We were appalled to discover
that mob of frenzied men, for sheer ‘entertainment’ have taken
to chasing, harassing and abusing the elephants, hurling stones
and sundry missiles at the herd, which includes young ones.
The ‘Giant Refugees’ campaign was aimed at bringing the
situation to the attention of the Chief Minister of Odisha
Shri. Naveen Patnaik. Social media was mobilised, several
organisations, activists, school children and celebrities joined
in and wrote letters. The media responded by highlighting
the problem and its solutions. Nothing seems to have moved
the Chief Minister, who has not bothered to respond despite
almost a year of persistent eff ort on the part of citizens.
This kind of condescension has far-reaching impacts on
India’s democracy.
In yet another case of Human-Elephant Confl ict, the
Numaligarh Refi nery Limited (NRL) built a 2.2 km. long wall in
2011 to demarcate its site for a new township in the Deopahar
Proposed Forest Reserve in Assam. Sanctuary discovered
that the company had also cleared trees and fl attened hillocks
to construct a golf course in a declared No Development
Zone. The wall has since caused the death of an estimated 12
elephants as they tried to negotiate the routes they needed
to access food and water. In one tragic instance, a young male
elephant died of severe haemorrhage after repeatedly ramming
its head against the off ending wall.
RTI activist Rohit Choudhury, who has relentlessly pursued
the matter, fi led a case with the NGT against the company
in 2015 and in 2016, the NGT ordered the demolition of the
wall. The order was ignored. In support of Rohit Choudhary’s
initiative, Sanctuary mobilised support for the elephants of
Deopahar and people from across the country took to social
media. Despite increasing pressure, as was the case with the
elephants in Odisha, no relief for the elephants was forthcoming
from the authorities.
In March, 2018, 366 days after the NGT order of 2016,
and endless court proceedings, the district administration was
forced to begin the demolition process. At the time of going to
press, a mere 270-280 m. of the 2.2 km wall has been brought
down. Though this must be regarded as a victory, the truth is
that India ignores the voice of reason at its own risk. History
will hold the likes of Rohit Choudhury in high regard, as we do
the freedom fi ghters of yesteryear. For what is at stake in an
era of climate change and vanishing biodiverse forests, is little
other than a modern-day freedom movement against what
must be described as inter-generational colonisation of young
India’s air, water and land. tTo take action, visit http://www.sanctuaryasia.com