The J&K wildlife department on Thursday decided to implement a tightened lockdown in the peripheries of wildlife zones and zoos in the Valley to prevent any transmission of the novel coronavirus from humans to animals, especially the wild cats.
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“People living close to forested and wildlife areas should refrain from moving into these areas to avoid human-wildlife interface to prevent the possibility of transmission of this infection,” Rashid Naqash, Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir, told The Hindu. “The move is made after an increased frequency of COVID-19 cases reported in Jammu and Kashmir, and the report of a tiger housed in Bronx Zoo, New York, contracting the virus,” he added.
Of the 15 major types of big cats, Kashmir is home to a number of species of lion, tiger, and leopard, including the snow leopard. The ongoing nationwide lockdown has already helped in increased movement of these cats to lower areas of the wildlife zones in the Valley.
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“Mammals like leopards, big cats and primates face potential threat of spread of the infection and also transmission from humans to wild animals. People living in the fringes of forest and wildlife areas still venture into these areas for collection of firewood, morels (wild mushrooms) and other minor forest produce,” said Mr. Naqash.
Umar Nazir, Veterinarian, Department of Wildlife Protection, Srinagar, said there was a need for extra precaution because the novel coronavirus mutates fast and it would be difficult to know the trajectory of mutation once it travels from humans to animals and then back from animals to humans.
“Even cats in Belgium contracted the virus,” said Dr. Nazir. “There were many cases of asymptomatic humans transferring the virus to cats. Our focus in Kashmir is large cats. So far, the impact of the virus has been mild on animals, but we cannot take a chance,” he added.
Impacting gucchi business
The tightened lockdown, however, is likely to impact collection of rare morels.
“Kashmir gucchi, wild mushrooms, are delicious mushrooms,” said a local farmer. “It possesses antioxidant property. It’s proven that it helps in preventing diseases like hypertension, hyperglycemia, and cancer,” the farmer added.
Gucchi (Morchella), is considered an exotic species of the mushroom family. It grows in forests located above 2,000 meters from sea level. “Those who collect gucchis trek hundreds of miles through forests to identify them. Only locals could identify the gucchi in a forest,” said the farmer.
The mushrooms sell for ₹4,000 per kilogram. “It will impact our income this year,” said another farmer. Kashmir produces more than ₹5 lakh worth of gucchi annually.
