Tiger Watch: Ranthambore Tiger Conservation Anti-Poaching Efforts and Affected Community Rehabilitation

Tiger Watch: Ranthambore Tiger Conservation Anti-Poaching Efforts and Affected Community Rehabilitation

Tiger Watch: Ranthambore
Tiger Conservation
Anti-Poaching Efforts and Affected
Community Rehabilitation
Background
• At the turn of the 19th century there were 45000 tigers in
India.
• First ever all India census in 1972 showed only ~1800
tigers.
• “Project Tiger” was launched by Indian Govt. in 1973
with the aims of
– Elimination of all forms of human exploitation and biotic
disturbance from the core area and rationalization of activities in
the buffer zone.
– Restricting the habitat management only to repair the damages
done to the eco-system by human and other interferences so as
to facilitate recovery of the eco-system to its natural state.
– Monitoring the faunal and floral changes over time and carrying
out research about wildlife.
Background
• It has achieved some objectives, including some
preservation of habitat.
• However, poaching has pretty much undone all
the habitat conservation efforts.
• The Indian govt. estimates of tiger populations
are bloated, since officials are afraid of losing
their jobs.
• Very well known tiger conservationists, including
Valmik Thapar have called Project Tiger a
failure.
– Poaching has been named one major cause of
failures of the project, among other issues.
Why do we care
• Tigers are at the top of the ecosystem
chain as the top predators.
• The entire ecosystem health is predicated
on the health of the tiger population
• If tigers die out, herbivores will
overpopulate and denude vegetation
leading to cascading detrimental
environmental effects.
Background
• India has 38 tiger reserves, most of which face severe
threats from poaching.
• In the last 4 years, Sariska has lost all its tigers and
Ranthambore has lost about 24 (out of a claim of 47)
• In 2008, two tigers were re-introduced into Sariska to try
and revive the population
• Habitat loss is no longer the #1 problem for tigers: while
habitat loss is being tackled by conservations,
researchers and other institutions, poaching is not being
tackled.
• Two government agencies are assigned to antipoaching: Forest Dept and Police; the police are
overburdened with criminal cases and the Forest Dept is
not trained for anti-poaching.
Ranthambore TP
• Was considered to be the success story of “Project
Tiger” led by Fateh Singh Rathore
• Ranthambore was one of the most popular tourist
destinations in India for both history and wildlife.
• Tiger populations apparently soared until the late 1980’s,
when Rathore was transferred from his position.
• Subsequently, there was a crash in tiger population due
to poaching.
• Also, locals were being affected by the conservation
boundaries and politicians were promising them access
to conserved spaces.
• Realizing the need for an independent non-govt effort,
“Tiger Watch” was instituted as an NGO by Rathore and
other conservationists.
Mogya: Local community around
Ranthambore
• Tribal hunters, traditionally hunting hares,
boars etc for food.
• Today, many of them poach for money and
target tigers and leopards.
• Their only skill – a keen jungle sense –
can’t earn them a decent livelihood.
• The city-based poaching mafia can easily
exploit these poor people to keep the
wildlife trade going.
Mogya
• These people are semi nomads and secretive so
they usually hide their identity.
• For the first time Tiger Watch through its
antipoaching team has collected authentic data.
• Mogya’s are living in 13 villages out of the total
150 villages that encircle Ranthambore and
Sawai Man Singh NP.
• A total of 483 Mogya’s are settled here in 112
families.
Mogya
• Most Mogya families survive below the poverty line. Generally
Mogya men are involved in crimes and are often arrested or are
absconding. In this era of globalization and consumerism, people
are wishing to adopt new lifestyles. These traditional nomads are
also keen on this new way of life. The Mogya youth want to buy
motorcycles and mobile phones.
• But poor economic status and deep attachments to traditional life
style are the basic reasons behind their involvement in this
erroneous business. Poaching big cats and becoming regular
suppliers of bush meat brings in the money for the luxuries in
addition to providing for their basic needs. Mogya’s are rarely
settling in a social group, establishing their hutments sparsely in
remote areas.
• Interestingly this community always makes their house in high
elevation and off the road –so the law enforcement agency cannot
easily approach them. This life style keeps them far off from the
basic amenities like education, health care etc. Generally Mogya’s
men are involving in crimes so they are often arrested or spend their
life as fugitives.
Tiger Watch: Main Objectives
• The main objectives of Tiger Watch include –
– Helping in the protection of the wildlife in Ranthambhore Tiger
Reserve and its adjoining areas.
– Forming an efficient anti-poaching network.
– Helping the Mogya’s find an alternative source of livelihood so
that they can be encouraged to reform.
– Helping the women in the Mogya community become selfsufficient.
– Educating the children of the Mogya community.
– Exploring biodiversity in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve and its
surrounding areas.
– Helping in capacity building of the forest department by providing
them with various resources.
– To continue acting as a pressure group (in alliance with the
media) in the area to ensure long-term efforts in protecting the
tiger.
Tiger Watch: Main activities
Proposals
•
Anti-Poaching Proposal
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Vigilance - To keep a vigilance of any poaching activities
around Ranthambhore.
Documentation - Keep photographic and case documentation
and records of individuals involved in poaching activity
Informers - Select informers and keep them motivated. This is
the most important division of the organization. The antipoaching program works on the basis of the information
coming from its informers. Some of the informers are
members of the Mogya community itself. Since Mogya
community is an impenetrable community such insiders are
very valuable source. The informer usually comes and goes as
per the trend observed.
Coordination with two executive raid agencies that is the
police and the forest department for anti-poaching operations.
Also, motivate and train them for the same.
Anti-Poaching Scheme
Anti-Poaching Work so far
• In 2004, Tiger Watch carried out a research activity in
the Ranthambhore National Park and revealed a startling
discovery of nearly 25 missing tigers around the same
time when Sariska Tiger Reserve was declared zerotigers situation.
• All these pushed the government to set up a “Tiger Task
Force”. The tiger task force confirmed a figure of 26
tigers in Ranthambhore as compared to the overdrawn
figure of 47 tigers.
• After the discovery of the missing tiger situation in 2004,
Tiger Watch conducted an extensive Anti-poaching
campaign. In this, it was revealed that the main culprits
for the missing tigers were the Mogyas. Since its first
operation in 2005, Tiger Watch has managed to get 47
poachers behind bars.
Budget for Anti-poaching Cell
S.No.
Head
Monthly (INR)
Annually
(INR)
1.
Anti-poaching Coordinator
30,000/-
3,60,000/-
2.
Permanent Informers 5
5000/- x 5
3,00,000/-
3.
Information based reward
10,000/-
1,20,000/-
4.
Fuel for four wheel and a
bike
15,000/-
1,80,000/-
5.
Transportation of informers
10,000/-
1,20,000/-
6.
Communication
5,000/-
60,000/-
Total
11,40,000/-
(25000$)
Project Tiger – Indian Govt Website
IX PLAN ACHIEVEMENT OF PROJECT TIGER DIVISION
•During the VIII plan period the budget outlay for Project Tiger Scheme was Rs. 40.00 Crores. During the IX plan the budget
outlay was substantially increased to rs. 75.00 Crores.
•During the IX Plan, Project Allowance to an extant of Rs. 3.95 Crores to field level
staff was funded under this scheme for the first time.
•During this Plan period funds to an extant of Rs. 2.49 Crores has been released for creation of Strike Force to combat the
growing insurgency and extremist situations within the Tiger Reserves.
•During the Plan period four new Tiger Reserves were declared, namely
No.
Tiger Reserve
State
Year of Formation
Area(sq. Kms.)
Funds released
1
Bhadra
Karnataka
1998-99
492
318.459
2
Pench
Maharashtra
1998-99
257
223.421
3
Pakui-Nameri
Arunachal
Pradesh / Assam
1999-2000
1206
93.100
4
Bori-Satpura
Panchmarhi
Madhya Pradesh
1999-2000
1486
75.220
3441
710.200
Websites to check out
• http://projecttiger.nic.in/index.asp
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Tiger
• http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2
009/06/india-tigers/paul-kvinta-text.
• http://www.tigerwatch.net/
Questions : Anti Poaching Project
• Would it be possible for the informers to become forest
officials? This would give them an incentive?
– The informers are of different age groups and different back
grounds, some were criminals and some have had charges,
while the government has a different way to recruit people.
Hence it will be difficult to see them recruited in the forest dept.
• Can AID help in putting pressure on the government to
appoint a good DFO in the area - through petitions or
other action?
– If we avoid going in this field and do the work it would be better
as this has different kind of politics in it and we can get diverted
from the main objectives.
• For how long has the anti-poaching work been ongoing?
– Since february 2005
• Is the anti-poaching co-ordinator a person from Tiger Watch or
from the Mogya community?
– From Tiger Watch, from Mogya community only informers come,
thecoordinator deals with informer, police dept, forest dept and also
court of law. The mogya community people do not have this capacity to
deal with all the levels, hence they are resticted to giving information as
informers.. .
• What is your current relationship with the Forest Dept and
Police? Are they supportive and appreciative of your work?
– Police is efficient and has executed our 70% raids, after which many
have been awarded and the state police has even got the United Nation
award, our relation with the police dept is fantastic.. As for forest, our is
very professional relation, if they work we appreciate them and even
have an award for the guards, but if not working we do come out and
speak hence not all times its good with them but ours is a workable
relation, if we feel that we can inform them about some happenings we
do share and sometimes they do act as well ...
• Is the problem that the forest officials don't care or that they are
strapped for resources or don't know what to do?
– FD has all resources from the private donors to the international
organisations, but there are issues like they do have a developed
network for such work, lack of interest and initiatives….declining age of
dept people and lack of new blood...
Other questions
• Given the confidential nature of the anti-poaching work,
would it be ok if we put up details about this project on
our AID website?
– What kind of details, if you send me some draft so i can tell u better.
• For what period of time would you need commitment for
funding at one stretch? - One year?
– At least 5 years as we get short commitments and we unable to then
keep the programs started rolling due to fund shortage.
• Is there any funding from government programs for tiger
conservation that you have tapped into in the past? Any
plan for this in the future? If not, why?
– We have not taken fund from government, but have sent a proposal to
NTCA in regards to a tiger corridor research project which was
demanded by NTCA themselves.. .
• Do you have any involvement with Thapar's
Ranthambore Foundation?
– Thapar’s foundation was established with the help
of our boss Fateh Singh Rathore also our sister
society Prakritik society was helped a lot by
Thappars foundation but we do not have direct
involvement with them.
• Would it help if we are only able to fund a part of
the budget? We could try to get more than one
AID chapter involved, once we get all questions
answered.
– It depends entirely on you as to how and how
much you support, ultimately it is for a cause and
it is upto you...
Tiger Watch Site Visit
Site visit
• Site visit done by AID Austin volunteers Pragya and Nikhil on March
19, 20th
• They visited the hostel for Mogya kids, Tiger Watch office, met with
an informer and a poacher’s son.
• Their conclusions:
– This project seems to be the only one of its kind in the area. No other
NGOs or government officials addressing poaching by engaging the
Mogyas.
– As far as we could judge, the project is mainly being coordinated by one
individual, Dharmendra. Even though he admits that tigers are not his
main passion, he seems dedicated and motivated enough about this
project to make it work.
– They are heavily dependent on funds, and have asked for a long term
commitment.
– In the absence of any clear criteria to judge progress (apart from
number of poachers caught or weapons seized) sustained support may
be difficult, given AID’s volunteer based approach.
– On the other hand, Tiger Watch seems to be well connected with other
NGOs/funding agencies and with the press to be able to continue their
work.
Mogya boys hostel
• The hostel houses 32 Mogya kids at the moment. They range from 9
years to 14-15 years of age.
• Even some of the poachers that Dharmendra Khandal (DK) has
helped catch send their kids to this hostel.
• The facilities at the hostel are basic but adequate. A couple of rooms
serve as dorms for the kids, another room for volunteers/guests, and
one for the two wardens.
• A couple of women come every day to prepare lunch and dinner.
• The kids seem comfortable and happy being here. Many of them
have siblings and cousins also staying here, and so feel at home.
• Mogyas seem happy to send their kids to school
Tiger Watch Office
• Spent some time at the Tiger Watch (TW)
office speaking to DK about his work, past
and present.
• DK showed some weapons, home-made lead
bullets, foot-traps etc. they had confiscated
during raids. He explained how the weapons
were used.
• He mentioned the failures of the program
– Guggal plantations
– Handicrafts program wasn’t sustainable
– Music performance group lead by an ex-poacher
Visit with informers
Rendezvous point, our jeep in the distance
Informers informing
• DK had an informer on his payroll who had some information to share.
• Picked up the informer and his brother from the highway about 20km
from Sawai Madhopur.
• Drove with them via a dirt-track into protected forest land. This was
sufficiently far away to be able to talk without attracting attention.
Visit with Informers
• The informer and his brother knew about a
man keeping weapons.
• DK didn’t want to pursue guns; it wasn’t
enough to go on.
• It would be much more useful if they could
catch someone keeping skins or other
animal products.
• He then gave suggestions on other things
they could do to get better information.
Informers home visit
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This was just 3-4 ramshackle huts, on encroached forest land, where this
family has been living for the last 20-25 years.
There were no other huts or signs of habitation to be seen anywhere.
These people work as crop watchers/protectors for the farmers who live a
few kilometers away.
They have also hunted animals traditionally.
The informer’s father, a frail old man, even boasted of having killed all the
wolves in the area.
According to the informers, apart from the Mogyas no other tribes were
capable of hunting tigers, and if the Mogyas quit, tiger poaching would stop
in Ranthambore!
Visit with poacher’s son
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Lodhya is a well-known poacher (also mentioned by the informers above),
who has killed at least 4 tigers.
The government is relocating several villages from the Tiger Reserve area
and paying each family member Rs. 10 lakh as compensation. Lodhya’s
village is one of the villages to be relocated.
As soon as TW heard about this compensation package, they informed the
forest guard and the authorities of Lodhya’s past record.
The authorities as a result have held up the payment to Lodhya and his son,
and are asking him to surrender. (More details about this story at
http://ranthambhorediary.blogspot.com/2009/12/to-wanted-poachers-delightlodya-mogya.html)
Lodhya, as many other poachers, knows of TW and DK, and so he sent his
son and some friends to DK to seek help. My father is willing to surrender,
assured the son, but he’s afraid of getting beaten up. DK promised to
convince the authorities, but insisted that Lodhya surrender as soon as
possible.
Lodhya’s representatives were hesitant and unsure of how to proceed, so
DK suggested that Lodhya should meet with him personally somewhere and
they could discuss the process of surrendering.
After much back and forth, and a few calls to Lodhya, they offered to meet
in a few days. Lodhya needed time to think.
Answers of some of the questions
that were posed during the site visit
• Is there government money allotted for tiger
conservation? Have you tapped into that?
• Yes there is government allotted money, but this money is
used for a lot of things within the forest department, including
purchasing uniforms for the guards, tents, material etc.
• The money actually used for conservation is limited and what
is there is not translating into real work on the ground.
• Moreover, the government likes to fund things that it can
measure very easily.
• But how do you regularly measure progress in intelligence
gathering work like we do? How do you judge the worth of an
informer?
• There were instances when TW developed informers for
many months before they got anything useful from them.
Answers of some of the questions
that were posed during the site visit
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Present police and forest office isn’t trained in anti-poaching. Is there
a way to get government to allot money to hire trained mogya men for
anti-poaching?
It’s not an issue of training. There are systemic problems with the forest
department, and the whole department needs to be reformed. In the past 20
years, no new forest guards have been actively recruited. T
he average age of forest guards is 50. How do you expect these people to
run after a poacher?
There is no passion amongst the officers. They need young people who feel
passionate about forests and wildlife.
Moreover, the forest department is handling too many things. They just don’t
have the bandwidth to tackle so many things simultaneously.
The mogya men can be hired by the government for anti-poaching, but they
have to go through a process.
First they have to be made nature guides, then trackers, then slowly
transition into such a role.
They can perhaps then be given small areas of the park to protect, and so
on. It has to be a process. But forest department is not capable of
coordinating all this.
Answers of some of the questions
that were posed during the site visit
• Is it possible to make a live tiger more
valuable to the villagers so they have
an incentive to protect the tiger?
• No, only those benefiting from tourism
have an incentive to keep tigers alive. This
is not the case for the Mogyas.
Answers of some of the questions
that were posed during the site visit
• Can the project be sustainable?
• No, DK doesn’t see how it can be sustainable
on its own.
• The only way that can happen is if it doesn’t
need outside funds and doesn’t depend on
one or two people to run.
• This is not their goal. What they want to do is
create a model which they can hand over to
the government to follow, and hope that it is
replicated in other places as well.
Vote
AID Austin approves Rs. 3,60,000 ($ 8000)
for Tiger Watch Anti-Poaching project for
2010.
Yes: 9
No Participation: 1
The vote is passed