RAIPUR,

The Kanger Valley National Park, once known for its rich wild flora and fauna, has literally been transformed into Kanger Valley Cattle Park, all thanks to the lack of concern on part of the Forest Department and encroachments inside the park, where villagers let their domestic animals run rampage into the jungles.

Insiders told ‘The Hitavada’ that the National Park had lost its glory long ago. Tourists from across the nation hardly get to see any wild animal nowadays, since the place is swarmed by the herds of cows, buffaloes, goats and stray dogs eating away the undergrowths and killing small wild animals.

The problem aggravated after the Forest Rights Act came into effect and villagers started entering into the previously untouched woods, built small hutments, raising cattle and keeping other domestic animals.

As most of these cattle are not productive enough, people hardly even care for them. They just let these animals free to fend for themselves. In absence of any grassland, the cows and goats straightway attack the wild thickets, which are home to numerous species of birds and other smaller wild animals.

The threat to the wildlife isn’t just from cattle eating away the greenery or dogs hunting down small animals, a much larger peril lurks in the form of diseases such as distemper and rabies which these domesticated animals carry with them. One outbreak and it could wipe out an entire herd of Cheetal or Neelgai (Blue Bull) in a single blow.

Another major concern is the unregulated tourism. There is no upper limit on the number of tourists allowed every day into the park. As the open jeeps with noisy tourists continue driving in and out of the jungle, wild animals prefer to stay away from these routes. Even spotting a bird nearby the tourist route leading to the caves is extremely rare. The so-called eco-tourism has become eco-nuisance for the wildlife.

Cattle population decreases

Kanger Valley National Park Director J Shriram stated the cattle population has decreased significantly in the Park. They are also planning to relocate the villages from inside to outside of the park that will solve a lot of stray cattle issue. At the tourism front, the number of tourists visiting the park every day is actually very less. Tourist rush is seen only on some special days while the remaining time, hardly two or three safari cars enter the park. They are also developing basic amenities like toilets for the tourist on the way to Kutumsar caves.