The City-dweller and the Tiger: February 2015

Team:

Mukund Dhurve – Conservation Officer

Jivraj Salam - Field assistant

Salimkumar Dhurve – Field assistant

Highlights

· 1 water conservation activity – programme to build check dam in Pongezara area

· 1 programme to clean water hole in the buffer area of Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in compartment no. 112

· Joined Forest Department staff on 3 patrols

· 1 community assistance voluntary work project – programme to clean area next to hand pump at Mangezari

· 1 anti-plastic programme

· 1 nature trail

· Organized 8 education programmes in which 1,585 students participated

· Organized 8 film shows on wildlife and nature conservation which were attended by 1,710 people

· Organized 13 medical camps at which 407 patients got free treatment

Conservation

Our team joined the Forest Department in day and night patrols on the road from Mangezari to Kodebarra, Mangezari to Jindatola, Mangezari to Bagadhban on December 7, 27, 28. Patrolling was intensified in the area after a tiger was spotted on December 6 as officials wanted to monitor the movement of the tiger and ensure that it was safe from poachers.

The area is known to attract poachers as power cables are strung on poles erected by the side of the road. In the past, there have been instances of poaching on this road when poachers used hooks and wires to draw power from the cables and killed animals by electrocution. Sometimes, wires are drawn several hundred meters into the jungle from the cables. At least one gaur and one leopard have been killed over the past year, using this method. Besides our staff, volunteers from a youth club at Mangezari also joined in the patrols. The youth club was set up with our assistance and is mentored by Mukund Dhurve.

Volunteers on patrol between Mangezari and Bagadhband

Volunteers from the Youth Club on patrol in the jungle

On December 24, we also organized a patrol in Compartment 112 during which our team cleaned a water hole in the Compartment. The water body was clogged with organic litter and dust. Our team removed the litter and de-silted the water body.

Nagzira Conpartment 112: waterhole cleared of organic waste

On December 23, Mukund organized a programme to build a check dam on a stream in Compartment no. 112 in the buffer zone of Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. The stream is around 2.5 km from Mangezari and located inside thick jungle.

Leopards, spotted deer, sambar, wild boars and wild dogs are regularly sighted in this area. 6 youths from the village, 20 students from Zilla Parishad Primary School, Mangezari, 1 Forest Guard and 3 temporary workers of the Forest Department joined Mukund, Salim and Jivraj in the programme. Photo of the completed dam below.

On December 20, we organized a programme in which plastic litter collected in the past 6 months was handed over to the Forest Department, which sent it to the nearest urban centre for recycling. Photo below.

Pongezara: younger volunteers collect plastic litter to hand over to the
Forest Department for recycling

The Government of Maharashtra has issued the buffer zone notification for the Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve. Following this, doubts have sprung up in the minds of villagers as to how they will be affected by the notification. Due to the doubts, some villagers have started opposing the notification. To clear these doubts and misgiving, we organized 4 awareness programmes during December. The details are given in the above table.

Education

There were 8 environment education programmes at schools during December.