-- Samir Umarye
The recent jackal attack on two minor boys at Maulinguem in Bicholim taluka seems to have opened a Pandora’s Box, with locals and animal lovers blaming each other for the growing conflict between man and wildlife in Bicholim and Sattari talukas. If a jackal has been tormenting residents at Maulinguem, other animals have been accused of a similar crime: macaques in Nanoda, bison at Keri (Sattari) and wild boars in Bicholim and Sattari talukas. The jackal attack at Maulinguem, which has shocked the village, took place in broad daylight when two boys – a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old – were attacked on their face and buttocks. The forest department immediately swung into action and Keri Range Forest Officer Paresh Porob later suggested that the female jackal may have had puppies with her and had become defensive after the two boys came in her way. While the actual incident is still unclear, what is increasingly clear is the growing man-animal hostility in the taluka. In neighbouring Nanora, the macaques have become such a common problem that families have been suffering heavy losses to their crops. One such aggrieved group, the Phadke family, has complained of prolonged losses since several years. “These macaques are a nuisance to everyone and there are about 30-40 of them in the area. They eat and throw down almost every coconut from the tree and they frequently come to the verandah of our house,” said Govind Phadke from Nanora. “We are helpless as these macaques can sense an air gun and disappear as soon as they spot us with an air gun, only to come back after some time. Even attempts to trap them in a cage have proved futile, as they are intelligent and hardly come close to the cage,” he added. At Keri in Sattari, there seem to be a ‘bigger’ problem in form of bison. Since the last three-four years, the bison and other wild animals have been entering nearby fields and The farmers had demanded solar fencing around Almo Dongor of Ravan and the deputation of forest guards to prevent the entry of wild animals at night. Unhappy over the apathy by authorities concerned to their grievances, residents from Ravan, Kelavade Colony, Ghoteli, Shiroli and surrounding areas staged a peaceful protest outside the panchayat office at Keri. Left with little option, the farmers have now decided to fence their own fields but have demanded a 100 per cent subsidy for the fence. Described as one of the worst predators of crops, wild boars are a common problem in Bicholim and Sattari talukas. “Many of the farmers, not just from my village but from almost every part of Bicholim and Sattari talukas, are suffering huge losses because of the wild boar. They have multiplied manifold and have ended up destroying almost every crop cultivated on the ground,” Vidhyadhar Raut from Mulgao told Herald. Animal lovers have claimed that animal incursions into habitations have largely taken place due to mistakes by humans. “We have not kept any place for these wild animals even in the jungle, so they have no other option but to enter our land,” justifies Animal Rescue Squad chief Amrut Singh. Singh, however, insists that all is not lost and that, humans and animals can still coexist within the same space. “The only way to avoid human-animal clashes is by bringing about an awareness among the people, demarcating boundaries and making everyone know how even these animals are important for the eco-system,” explains Singh.