Rampant animal poaching, shrinking of forests due to human interference and wood smuggling are taking toll on the fast depleting wildlife. With the poaching growing thick and fast in the forest habitats, the number of wild animals have gone down drastically.
Finding a Blackbuck, which were seen in hundreds in the forests of Rangampeta, Jaggampeta, Alamur mandals on the bank of the river Godavari, is a rarity now.
The depletion of wildlife is quite evident from the forest department statistics which says the number of tigers was reduced to one from four between 2008 and June 2012.
Similarly, the number of cheetas, which was seven according to the wildlife census conducted in 2008, has been reduced to four. The wild boar population has also been come down to 520 this year from the 770 in 2008.
Apart from poaching, the ever increasing human interference in animal habitat is threatening the animal population as the number of konda gorrelu, bears, foxes, peacocks, deer and others has rapidly declined in the past several years.
The animals are gradually dying out without food and water due to the shrinking forest habitat. The Papikondalu National Park (PNP), spreading over 856 square kilometres-- 80 sq km of thick forest, 636 sq km of middle forest and 111 sq km of open area-- has lost 0.023 sq km of forest area in the last four years.
Comments
0 comment