Recently introduced vehicle safaris in the previously inaccessible areas of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) could have an impact on nesting vultures and breeding tigers, conservation groups and activists warn.
The safaris, which are being operated using private vehicles in the buffer zone of MTR, are now being allowed to enter previously undisturbed vulture habitats and prime breeding grounds for tigers.
Of the seven “safari” routes, vehicles allowed to operate between Jagalikadavu and the Anaikkal temple from Masinagudi will intrude into the habitat containing one of the highest densities of tigers in India, but also home to the rare four-horned antelope, blackbuck, and the striped hyena, say conservationists.
S Bharathidasan, secretary of Arulagam, an NGO working for conserving the last remaining vulture populations in the Sigur plateau, said the safari route between Masinagudi, Vazhaithottam and Jagalikadavu could spell extreme trouble for the endangered white-rumped vulture.
“Jagalikadavu is where some of the prime nesting sites for vultures in the Sigur plateau are located, and any disturbance could lead to these extremely shy raptors abandoning the site in perpetuity,” said Mr. Bharathidasan. Vultures had already stopped nesting at Siriyur, which was another nesting site at the MTR, due to human disturbance.
“Conservationists are of the opinion that these routes that cut through vulture nesting sites and areas, home to good tiger numbers, should be closed to commercial tourism,” Mr. Bharathidasan told The Hindu.
Impact assessment
Another prominent conservationist, who wished to remain anonymous, said impact assessment studies should have been done before opening up the area for commercial tourism.
“Right now, the Forest Department earns only a few hundred rupees from each safari, while more than 150 private vehicle operators who are allowed to use the roads are the ones that stand to benefit the most,” he added.
The buffer zone of MTR was home to many species of rare wildlife, and that in a certain sense, needed even more protection than the core area of the tiger reserve.
“What is also to be noted is that the Forest Department was cracking down on these drivers for operating illegal safaris just a few years ago, before the Eco-Development Committee was formally inaugurated. Previously, a few vehicle drivers would enter these forests after dark, but now that it’s been regularised, it could mean that there is no limit at all to the number of vehicles entering these critical habitats,” he charged.
‘Aware of concerns’
Conservationists also worry about another route, which is expected to be opened for tourism in a few weeks: the one running via Chadapatty and into the Nelson Estate and into Bokkapuram along the notified elephant corridor where illegally operating resorts were shut down last year. This would also greatly impact wildlife, they say.
When contacted, Field Director of MTR, K. K. Kaushal, said he was aware of the concerns voiced by conservationists in The Nilgiris about the recently opened safari routes. “We will definitely take their concerns into account and rethink our plans,” he said.
