The reserve, spanning over 2,750 sq km area in Mayurbhanj district of Orissa, has been in news since 2009 with Maoists overrunning the park and subsequently, when it was found that 14 elephants were killed by poachers through poisoned arrows or gunshots between April and May 2010. A probe by the NTCA has found that field staff burnt and destroyed some carcasses to conceal evidence of poaching.
The deepening rot in the reserve seems to be touching new lows with Deputy Inspector General of NTCA.
S P Yadav in his report to the state government confirming that Similipal has a dark future with the current level of prey base.
“The prey base appears to be alarmingly low in view of recurring problems of akhand shikar (mass hunting ritual conducted between mid-January and mid-April) by tribals and sustenance hunting of ungulates. In-situ build up of prey population at Jenabil and upper Barah Kamuda (core areas of the reserve) is strongly advised," Yadav said in his report while advising Kanha Tiger Reserve model where the in-situ mode of prey base regeneration was adopted. Read the full report here.
Source: Debabrata Mohanty, Indian Express, Bhubaneswar.
