Forest officials in collusion with locals set up illegal
'lion shows' at Gujarat's Gir sanctuary for tourists, who shell out
money to get the thrill of watching the big cats from close quarters
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja courted controversy when he
clicked selfies with lions on a safari with his wife and friends at Gir
sanctuary this week. A probe has been ordered, while two range forest
officers who were in one of the photographs now face action. But, what
has continued unnoticed is forest officials joining hands with locals in
Gir to set up illegal 'lion shows' for tourists.
As Khushboo Gujarat Ki spreads far and wide, the number of tourists
visiting Gir sanctuary has touched record highs. The 14th Asiatic Lion
Census 2015, conducted in May 2015, put the lion population at 523 (up
27 per cent from the previous census in 2010). This has peaked tourist
curiosity. They want to be up close with the Asiatic lion. As many as
1.5 lakh tourists have visited Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife
Sanctuary this year. With the monsoon set to hit Gujarat and the
breeding season for lions set to begin, the sanctuary has been closed
from June16 for four months.
Taking advantage of the huge number of tourists, some locals who
are hand-in-glove with the forest officials gather the tourists at a set
location through their guides. Lion trackers then goad the big cat out
of the bushes and herd them to the location where the tourists have
gathered for the 'show'. So, you have lions right in front of you to
click photographs and add to your collection.
On one hand, the Asiatic lion has come into conflict with humans
after its territory expanded to 22,000 sq-km across eight of the nine
districts in Saurashtra, while on the other, illegal lion shows have
become a regular affair inside the sanctuary to lure tourists and make
quick bucks.
With a proper guide, jeep and driver, it gets easier for tourists
to sight lions the way they wish. Three groups of trackers assigned by
the forest department keep an eye on lion movements inside the forest
area. These trackers know where lions are. They inform the guides, who
collect the tourist jeeps at one place. Once the tourists assemble, the
tracker goes into the bushes and, by making noises and using his stick,
forces the lions out. Tourists get to see the king of the jungle from
close quarters and are quick to photograph them.
Current bookings are fully online, but tourists need not worry. If a
tourist misses booking online, he/she can approach a local around Sinh
Sadan, where permits are issued. The local will take the tourist inside
the park, show the lion and charge extra for managing the show.
Mirror had a firsthand experience of the safari last week.
Tourist jeeps were asked to gather at a spot, and then, one of the three
forest officials went inside the forest on his bike. Soon, a lioness
and her cubs were seen coming out from the same direction; they sat next
to the forest road, close to the jeeps.
Local activist Bhikubhai Batawala from Khambha confirmed the
activity."I am aware of this. It may not be forest guards who facilitate
such activities all the time. Like fake police, there are fake forest
guards as well inside the sanctuary at times," he insisted. Principal
chief conservator of forest (wildlife) J A Khan seemed unaware of the
issue. "I will check and take necessary action, if needed," Khan said.
According to environmental activist Vikram Trivedi, "It is not
proper to force the lions out of the bushes with different sounds. It
disturbs them and they get hostile with human beings. Not just the
full-grown lions, even the cubs get hostile. Eventually human-animal
conflict situations occur."
The lion is not an animal that moves from one place to another; it
marks its territory. "When trackers push them from one place to other,
they irritate the entire tribe," said Trivedi.
www.punemirror.in/news/india/Illegal-safari-earns-the-lions-share-of-tourists-at-Gir/articleshow/52812177.cms
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