Photo Courtesy: Forest Department Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary On October 15, 2018, a wild leopard became entangled in a snare set on the fringe of the Muggur range of the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka. The State Forest Department was alerted to the situation by Sanctuary's Mud on Boots Project Leader Ashwin Gurusrikar and acted promptly on the tip-off. Ashwin heads the voluntary Vanodaya Wildlife Trust and received information about the ensnared leopard from an informant. At that time, the leopard was still alive.
As the informant had not specified the exact location at which the leopard was trapped, the dispatched forest watchers were initially unable to locate the animal. Later, with the help of Vanodaya volunteers and its network of informants, the leopard was found. Tragically, the young feline was fatally wounded and despite the best efforts of the Forest Department, succumbed to its injuries.
A post mortem was carried out and the leopard was cremated within the Sanctuary limits. The Forest Department also filed an FIR on the incident. Subsequently, the department was informed that a known wildlife offender from the area was absconding and the finger of suspicion was raised against him. The investigation is ongoing.
Snares are a deadly threat to wild animals as they are inconspicuous and can be laid across a large area in a short period of time. "While the protected area is quite secure, the borders and the reserve forests around Cauvery are seeing a lot of hunting activity. We have recorded four incidents of poaching in the recent past and believe that more have gone under the radar.
Vanodaya volunteers will offer all support to the forest department to conduct regular anti-snare operations and address this issue," said Ashwin Gurusrikar. He also applauded the prompt and efficient action taken by the Forest Department on tip-offs and information shared with them.
Ashwin's work in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary is supported by Sanctuary Nature Foundation's Mud on Boots Project. To learn more about this initiative, write to cara@sanctuaryasia.com.Â
