Dudhwa Tiger Reserve: A pristine forest lost to neglect, encroachment and lack of political will
Dudhwa National Park has regained its lost grandeur today. Sadly, the restoration of the flora has done nothing to conserve the fauna
“Do not cut down the forest with its tigers and do not banish the tigers from the forest; the tiger perishes without the forest and the forest perishes without its tigers”
— Mahabharata, 400 BCE, Udyogaparva.
Dudhwa — largely a sal and teak forest — is one of the most picturesque jungles of India, covering an area of around 500 sq km in the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh.
The magnificence of the forest is overwhelming and engulfs one's senses the minute one enters this little piece of heaven. While forests close by have been afflicted by the invasive presence of Lantana and weeds like Mexican Devil that threaten the natural ecosystem of the jungles, Dudhwa remains one of the healthiest forests and is yet largely free of these invasive species. Multiple species of trees and plant life thrive here.
I have been fortunate enough to have grown up in and around the forests of Uttarakhand and now travel extensively through the jungles of India in search of wildlife. While I find it difficult to compare forests as I think each forest has its own unique beauty and individuality, Dudhwa is by far one of the most pristine forests in our country.
When one enters the jungles, one is aware of having entered into the home of its wild residents. It is a privilege for us to share this space with them for even a short while — once in the midst of this wilderness, all our senses are alert and alive to the smallest hints of movement, to catch a glimpse of these wild denizens. One expects a forest like Dudhwa to be brimming over with wildlife, or at least showing ample signs of the presence of wildlife.
Even if one doesn't see the animals and birds in a jungle, there are always signs and sounds that assure you of their presence there. The sounds of birds chirping, mating calls of different species of deer, pugmarks of tigers, the droppings of elephants, alarm calls for predators, the sound of shuffling feet in the bush, and many more such indicators.
But Dudhwa — sadly — is bereft of any indications of the presence of wildlife.
Dudhwa shares its boundaries with Nepal on one side — this seems to have taken a huge toll on the tiger population here. While the officials estimate the tiger population at a little over 200 in the region of Dudhwa and the adjoining areas of Kishanpur, Pilibhit and Katarniaghat, the signs in the forest and the movement of animals suggest a much lower number.
There are very few signs indicating wildlife presence once we are actually inside the boundaries of this forest. The close proximity in which villagers are living in and outside the tiger reserve allows for a huge amount of easy poaching of animals such as wild boar and deer, which form the main prey base of the tiger. The only way that the tiger population could thrive in a forest is the presence of a healthy prey base — and no poaching.
Recently, the villagers of Kishanpur sanctuary of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve had crushed a tigress to death with a tractor in a retaliatory attack within hours after the animal had killed a 50-year-old man who had ventured into the reserve. Further, her grave 'crime' was foraying to the fringes of the reserve in search of food — the natural prey base has already been wiped clean by the greed of men.
The culprits who killed her are yet to be brought to book.
When you get to the place yourself, the first shock on entering the beautiful Kishanpur range of Dudhwa is the extensive farming inside the forest area. Nowhere in the forests across the country have I seen such utter disregard for forest rules — and blatant illegal occupation inside the core areas of a tiger reserve. Locals moving freely across the core forest areas of Kishanpur in private vehicles, playing loud blaring music and destroying the sanctity of the forest is a common sight in Dudhwa.
In the very heart of Dudhwa National Park, a railway track cuts right across the forest, leading to countless animals being killed by speeding trains every year. There are villages of the Tharu tribes in the heart of Dudhwa forest, with roads that run to Nepal. Sadly, Nepal is one of the primary hubs of all illegal wildlife part trading in South Asia.
The only way forward to save our forests is through controlled eco-tourism. If a forest is to survive, it needs to become a source of employment for the locals. Only then will there be a sense of ownership amongst them — and consequent efforts to conserve the forest.
Dudhwa is a prominent forest in the Indian subcontinent and known internationally for its beauty and tigers. It is an accessible forest where one could promote eco-tourism.
However, right now, the most basic of necessities, like knowledgeable guides and drivers, are lacking. The first point of contact for a tourist is the guide that accompanies them and in my series of visits there, I could not lay a finger on even one knowledgeable guide who had a spark of enthusiasm or love for the forest.
As a citizen of this country and a wildlife lover, if these issues are so obvious to me, then why is it so difficult for the forest department and the government to take notice and act upon them?
Our forests are the last bastion in the oncoming battle against climate change. If we are to slow down this race towards self-annihilation, then we need to preserve our wildlife and the forests.
Because, as our ancients well knew, without wildlife, there will be no forests.