Safari Resumption Could Risk Bandipur In Summer, Fear Wildlife Activists

BENGALURU: One of the worst things that could happen to forests in summer is a manmade fire. With forest officials decision to resume safari in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves much against the wishes of villagers on the periphery villages lead to wildlife activists fear the decision could lead to increased chances of man made forest blazes especially with the onset of summer, poaching and killing wild animals by way of poisoning by some irate village/villagers.

There was a ban on safari in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves from November 7 after straying tigers killed 3 persons on the periphery of Hediyala sub-divison of Bandipur in 2025. Farmers leaders attributed human killings to safari conduct that drove tigers out of forests.

Upset villagers, the wildlife activist said, often retaliate against vegetative growth in forests by setting them on fire angry over action against them forest officers and such several instances of retaliatory attitude by villagers have been reported in Bandipur in the past particularly the incident of February, 2019.

However, a Forest Range Officer does not rule out retaliation by angry villagers. The RFO said “We have to go with the sentiments of the villagers. Often they hurl abuses at us in case of crop raids or a cattle kill incident and we take it quietly. If we act stricter then things will become difficult especially when summer peaks and an angry villager waits for the onset of summer to retaliate and take his chances in summer.”

“Manmade forest fires are a significant contributing factor,” said a higher official attached to the forest department. In retaliation to forest officers initiating action against villagers over forest offences, a wildlife activist stated anger over cattle kills by straying tigers/leopards, activists stated often annoyed villagers ignite fire on forest borders which could spread causing huge loss for its flora and fauna.

Pointing to the major blaze in Bandipur Tiger Reserve of February, 2019, a wildlife activist told Deccan Chronicle the fire had a devastating effect on the flora and fauna mainly in Gopalaswamy Betta (GS) range of Bandipur. It is estimated about 4, 500 hectares came under fire then. The fire in GS Betta was huge and then Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy went in a chopper to assess the damages caused by the fire.

One of the ways to set a forest on fire is by keeping a lighted incense stick amongst fallen dry leaves. The slow burning incense stick makes dry leaves catch fire and if the fire goes unnoticed it will spread before it requires a huge task to bring it down, said a Range Officer who worked in GS Betta.

If not setting forest on fire, villagers take to poisoning straying tigers or leopards in retaliation to kill off their cattle/livestock in particular on the borders of Omkar range of Bandipur.