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The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’

  • April 13, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’

Subject: Environment

Section: Env legislation

Context:

  • In India, the increasing frequency of human-wildlife encounters highlights the need for effective management strategies beyond reactive capture and relocation, which often result in unsustainable outcomes or harm to the animals.

“Rescue” vs “Capture”:

  • The distinction between genuine “wildlife rescue” and mere “capture” is complex.
  • True rescues may involve skilled teams and specialized techniques to handle scenarios like leopards in wells or elephants in irrigation tanks.
    • However, not all wildlife encounters in human spaces require intervention, such as when leopards prey on livestock or elephants damage crops.
  • Effective conflict management should aim to resolve these situations without resorting to capturing or relocating the animals, focusing instead on preventive measures and coexistence.

Advice on ‘capture’ that is ignored:

  • Guidelines from the central government in India discourage capturing leopards and elephants merely based on sightings and recommend preventative measures, with capture as a last resort.
  • However, these guidelines are often overlooked in practice. A case in south India involved an elephant being captured under the guise of a rescue from a coffee plantation, only to be released 200 km away in unfamiliar territory, which led to its death after further misguided rescue attempts.
  • Similarly, a leopard in Uttar Pradesh died shortly after being ‘rescued’ from an agricultural field. These incidents highlight the problematic practice of mislabeling captures as rescues.
  • Similarly, high interaction rates with snakes result in frequent, poorly executed removals from their habitats, often followed by relocation to unfamiliar areas and even exploitation for social media.
    • Evidence suggests that relocated snakes have low survival rates and that relocating them does not resolve human-snake conflict but may increase it by creating vacancies that other snakes then fill.

The Karnataka example:

  • In Karnataka, a realistic and ethical approach to human-wildlife conflicts involves assessing the situation carefully, minimizing stressors for the animals, and exhausting proactive measures before intervening.
  • The Karnataka Forest Department is testing strategies such as early warning systems, regular monitoring, fencing, improved lighting, public education, and better waste management to prevent conflicts.
  • These initiatives aim to prepare communities for potential wildlife interactions and promote coexistence.
Environment The blurry lines between wildlife ‘capture’ and ‘rescue’

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