Short Report NNTR 2017-2018
Transcript of Short Report NNTR 2017-2018
ANNUAL REPORT
TIGER AMBASSADORS NAWEGAON–NAGZHIRATIGERRESERVE
SATPUDA LANDSCAPE TIGER PARTNERSHIP 2017-2018
Supported By
SAVE WILD TIGERS
BORN FREE FOUNDATION
TIGER RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION TRUST (TRACT) Tigers beyond Boundaries
Contact: +91 712 6617994; Email : [email protected]; www.tractindia.org Address: Shivneri, Ramdaspeth, Nagpur- 440010 INDIA
Summary:
Aprogramtocreatelocal leadershipwithincommunitiessituatedinfringesofNawegaonNagzhiraTigerReserve,Gondia,tominimizetheattacksbyslothbears,tigersandleopardsonpeople.
Our study done in the adjoining landscape has indicated that most of the attacks andthreatstopeoplearewhentheyareintheforest.Thestressedemploymentsituationisthemaincauseforthepeople’shighdependenceontheforest,andunlessthisisaddressed,ithasbeendifficulttokeepthemfromtheirintrusionintheforesthabitat.
Henceitwasimperativetoaddresstheirvulnerabilitytothesethreatswhileintheforest.Their understanding about this and the code of conductwas addressed in this program.Thiswasdonebycreatingleadershipwithintheircommunitiestocreateawareness.
Thisprogramwascommencedin2014with25villages;theprogramhasbeenexpandedto10morevillages,covering35villagesand245 local leadersbyyear2017-2018.Creatingawarenessandsensitizingtheselocalsaboutthereasonsofconflict,theirroleinreducingtheirvulnerabilitybytheirappropriatecodeofconductforindividualsandthecommunitytoensurethesame.
TheTigerAmbassadorshavealsobeentrainedinhandlingemergencyconflictsituationstoensuresafetyofthecommunityandtheanimal.Theyhavealsobeensensitizedaboutthethreatsofamobtoallstakeholders.Someoftheseindividualshavealsoassistedthelocalforeststaffinpatrolsandcontrollingforestfires.
Methodology:Theprojecthasexpandedfrominvolvementinfifteenvillages(2014)totwenty-five(2015)tonow35in2016.Localleadershiphasbeencreatedineachofthese35villagesbyTRACTteam.7TigerAmbassadorschosenineachofthesevillages,withpresenceofwildlife,havebeen trained over day long workshops conducted repeatedly by the TRACT team tounderstandthethreatsofconflictandmanagementofthesame.The work also documented the various challenges faced in this task of managing co-habitationbetweenpeopleandlargecarnivores.SURVEYFORBENCHMARKONPRESENTCONFLICTAftertheidentificationandmeetingswithvillageauthoritiesofthe35villages,theTRACTTeam conducted the conflict survey. 30 families per village were surveyed with aQuestionnaire.Throughthesurvey,theTRACTteamfacedthewrathofthevillagerswhichwasdirectedtowardstheforeststaff.Thiswasmainlyduetothelackofdialoguebetweenthecommunityandtheforestmanagement.Noinformationwassharedbetweenthetwo,andthemarginalfarmerswereagitatedaboutthecropdamagebythewildherbivores.ThepurposeandthesignificanceofthisprogramwasmadecleartothevillageCommunities.SELECTIONOFPOTENTIALTIGERAMBASSADORSTheprotocolofTeamselectionwas followed.Surveysdone, informaldiscussionwith theseniormembers of the community and the forest staff. Village awarenessmeetings andthen finalization of the Tiger Ambassadors based on their interest in the Program, theiragreeingtotheconcept,keennesstoworkinateam,knowledgeaboutthearea,agreementtowardstheneedforwildlifeconservationandtheirabilitytocommunicatewiththeirownpeople.Responsibilities were discussed, and they were informed about their role in mitigatingconflict.
TIGERAMBASSADORWORKSHOPSThe first round of workshops for each Tiger Ambassador team was conducted in theirrespectivevillageoverhalfaday.Eachparticipantwasgivenwagesfortheday.Thelocalguardand forestofficerparticipated in thesemeetings to commenceadialoguebetweenthemandforaddressingissuesthatinvolvedbothstakeholders.
FINDINGSPRIORTOWORKSHOPS:1.Noinformationaboutpresenceoftigersorleopardsneartheirarea2.Nodialoguebetweenthecommunityandforeststaff3.Werecluelessaboutreasonforconflict4.Slothbearpresencenearvillageveryhigh5.Villagerscouldnotidentifysignsofwildanimalpresence6.Theyhadnoinformationaboutreasonsforconflict7.Wildlife&managementblamedforalllosses,withoutanyownershiptothesame6.Noideaaboutcodeofconduct7.Marginalfarmerswereharassedbyimmensecropdamagebywildherbivores.Theycomplainedabouttheneedforsolutionsandtimelycompensationforthesame.CODEOFCONDUCTDo’s-
• Collectminorforestproduceinagroup• Bealertaboutwildlifepresencenearvillages• Grazersshouldbeonalertaboutcarnivorepresenceinforest.• SharingofinformationaboutcattlekillimmediatelywiththeforestguardandTiger
Ambassadorteamofthevillage.• GiveinformationregardinglargecarnivoremovementtoforestguardandTiger
AmbassadorsDon’ts-
• Don’ttrespassorventurealoneintheforest• Avoidbeingintheforestbeforedawnorafterdark• Avoiddefecatingintheopennearbushes• Don’ttakelivestockforgrazinginsidedenseforestorinareawithcarnivores• Avoidgoingtothewaterbodiesintheforest
CommunityCodes-
• Reducegarbagenearvillageprecinctsthatlureleopards,slothbearsandwildboars• Properdisposalofcarcassoflivestock• Securelivestockandstrayanimals
CONSERVATIONOUTCOME:Awarenesstothecommunity-Awareness to thecommunity through theirownpeople(TigerAmbassadors)hasbeenthemosteffectivewaytotakethisforward.Reduction of conflict between people and large carnivores – Pre-emptive actions,sharingofinformationaboutwildlifepresencetothecommunityhasoftenavertedconflict.Protection: The TRACT team visited each village 7-10 times excluding the surveys,meetings. Thiswas done for gathering information about threats, intelligence gathering,addressingcattlekillandgatherinformationaboutwildlifepresence.Dialogue: Through the meetings and communication with the villagers, the interactionwithforestdepartmentplayedakeyrole
Leadership – The program has created 245 young leaders in the community whounderstandtheconflictandtheirroleinitsmitigation.Duringaconflictsituation,theyareonthesamepageastheforestguardinunderstandingtheneedofthehour.Ownership toMitigation – Participation of locals in conflict mitigation has resulted intheirownershiptotheproblemandthesolution.Wildlifemonitoring – Continuousmonitoring ofwildlife presence in these buffer areaswhich are shared by people, livestock andwildlife is obtained. This helps inmonitoringthreatstobothpeopleandwildanimals.Thelocalshepherdswhoareapartofthisteamoftenhavemaximumknowledgeofwildlifepresencewhichissharedwiththecommunity.Croppredation-Cropdamagebythewildherbivoresandtheissueswithregisteringcasesaboutthesameforclaimingcompensationhasbeenaddressed.TheTRACTteamhasadvocatedtheuseofnaturalfencesandofferedtogetseedsforthesameforthoseinterested.TrainedIndividuals -Thiswouldhelpto institutionalize thesystemandensuretheexitstrategyofthehandholding.Participationofcommunityinconservation-TheTigerAmbassadorshaveparticipatedinvariousotheractivitieswiththeTRACTteam,removalofplasticandcleaningofwatersources in the forest area. Most of the teams have assisted in dousing forest fires,participated in monitoring cattle kills and shared information about threat and wildlifepresence.
Usgaonvillage -2womenwereattackedbyadult leopardintheirhousecompound.Thewomenenteredthebarninthedarktocheckwhentheyheardsomenoises.Aleopardhadenteredthebarntopreyonthegoats.Boththewomenwere injuredbythe leopardwhoescapedsoonafter.TwooftheTigerAmbassadorsofthisvillagereachedthespot,alertedtheforestpersonnelandimmediatelycalledfortheambulanceforthewomen.Boththewomenweretreatedatthegovernmentfacilityandoutofdanger.Asalpanivillage-TheTigerAmbassadorshasraisedtheissueofthedeficitworkdonebythe forest officials to build check dams for thewildlife, leading to increased presence ofwildanimalsnearthevillagewatersources,causingthreatstocropandpeople.CollectionofPlasticfromvillagehasbeendoneregularlybythisteam.Sarpewada village – Frequent patrols by this team to address tiger and sloth bearpresencenearthevillagesandfields
Thatejharivillage-Patrollingaroundtheirrespectiveareasandallinformationaboutthewildlifepresencearoundtheirvillageprecinctsisshared
Jambdhivillage –TheTeamassisted in cagingof a leopard thathadentered thevillageand was hiding in a barn. The leopard was later safely released in the forest by themanagers.
Kanharpaylivillage –This teamhasbeenclearinggarbageandplastic from theirvillagetempleanditsperiphery.
ConflictdataforReportingperiod(2017-2018)1. Cattlekillsin35villages 02. Lossoflivestock-Goat 33. Human–largeCarnivoreconflict-fatal 04. Human–LargeCarnivoreconflict–Injuries/Leopard 25. Cagingoflargecarnivores 06. Injuriestolargecarnivoreforconflict 07. Roadkill(onhighway)-Leopard 2WorkdonebytheTRACTteam:Theteamhasbeenworkingforaddressingotherconservationissuesinthislandscapeaswell.
• Facilitatepatrols• Deploycameratrapstomonitorwildlifepresence• Checkareaforthreatstowildlife• Monitorwatersourcesforpoisoning,wateravailabilityforwildanimals• Shareintelligencewithforestmanagement• Monitorpresenceofwolvesnearthevillages,conflictwithwolvesandlivestock• Conductsurveysinthesevillagesforbenchmarkdataandfollowups• Conductawarenessworkshopsinthevillagesforconservation,hygiene,conflict• Conductworkshopsforschoolchildreninthesevillages• WorkonSarasCraneconservationinthislandscape• MonitorandconserveBlackbuckpopulationinthefringesandfarm
Antipoachingwork
DousingForestfire
Reporttrespassingvehicles
Cattlekillinfo
IllegalTimber/bamboo
extraction
ReportCarnivorepresencenearvillage
Monitoring
presencewith
Guards
Patrols-Days
Rescue-Snakes/Bir
ds
Series1 21 33 38 25 58 136 111 289 25
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WorkbyTigerAmbassadorsin2017-2018
TRACT/01/17-18/TA–Gatheringinformationaboutwildlifepresence
TRACT/02/17-18/TA–ConflictmitigationworkshopforTigerAmbassadors
TRACT/03/17-18/TA–NaturalFencetosecurecrops
TRACT/04/17-18/TA–MonitoringBlackbuckinfringesandfarms
TRACT/05/17-18/TA–MonitoringSarasCraneinFringesandfields
TRACT/06/17-18/TA–TreePlantation