Domestic tourists posing threat to wildlife in Wayanad

 While the flow of vacation tourists to the district register a tremendous increase, the Forest officials and wildlife enthusiasts fear that the unchecked flow will cause disturbance to the habitat of animals and birds, resulting in the utter destruction of the eco-system. The disturbance to wildlife is high along the Sulthan Bathery-Mysore road which passes through the Muth• anga range of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, according to Forest officials. At many points along the road, during evening, huge crowd could be seen at the crossing points of elephants. Whenever the herd moves closer the road, the crowd would greet them with hysteric sounds. Stone pelting at elephant herd, blocking their way to the ,stream, move' dangerously closer to the elephants to take photographs and hurling liquor bottles at the herd were some of the pranks the visitors indulge in. Though Forest officials conduct recurring patrolling in the region warn¬ing the crowd all end up in stone deaf ears. At many points the bamboo clusters along the Noolppuzha River have been converted into 'boozers' dens'. "Though we had intervened many times, warning the travlillers against stopping by the woods and disturbing animals, we are unable to check them completely," said K G Radhakrishna Lal, Assistant Wildlife Warden, Muthanga. "In some serious cases of violation, we slap huge fines on the law-hreak¬ers who misbehave while passing through the sanctuary," he added.' Meanwhile, 'most of the animallov-ers here feel that the forest-law should have more teeth to deal toughly with the rogue riders on the national highways moving through wildlife habitats. "More than 90 percent of the trouble makers who violate all the sanctity of the jungle were tourists from the state, particularly from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts," says K R Vancheeswaran, a wildlife activist. He feels that the existing law should be more strengthen.ed in tune with the changing times. There' should be provision in the law to regulate the vehicular movement and drunken behaviour of passengers on National Highways moving through the sanctuaries," he pointed out. Vancheeswaran also said that as the Mumbai police did recently in maintaining the law and order, the protection and conservation of forest could be strengthened by forming a voluntary group of citizens which could be put in action whenever necessary.

The New Indian Express, 16th May 2009