By SANTOSH MOHANTY
There are no tigers in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Angul district, yet it is known as Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR). Spread over 1000 sqkm spanning Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh districts, the wildlife sanctuary is a home to rare species of flora and fauna with a rich biodiversity. The seven mile long Satkosia Gorge is unique as the largest river of Odisha, Mahanadi, flows through it. In 2007 the wildlife sanctuary was declared as a tiger reserve with 12 tigers, but the census conducted in 2022 clearly mentioned that there was no tiger left in the habitat.
Odisha forest department initiated country's first ever interstate tiger relocation in 2018 to grow the population of the big cats in Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Accordingly, a male tiger from Kanha and a tigress from Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh, were brought to the sanctuary as an experimental step to boost tiger population. However, the programme was derailed due to stiff opposition from villagers living inside the sanctuary as the tigress, which was named as Sundari, turned violent attacking and killing livestock. The male tiger Mahaveer died under mysterious circumstances. The wildlife wing of Angul did not cite any reason how the relocated royal Bengal tiger (RBT) died.
Why Satkoisa Is Tigerless?
Although it is difficult to pinpoint reason, a number of factors including social, ecological and administrative, are believed to have contributed to wiping out of RBTs from Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary. According to environmentalists, the constant loss of biodiversity in Satkosia, leading to decline in the prey base, has more to do with the issue than anything else. They are of the opinion that tigers, mostly RBTs, need vast forest tracts with teeming prey base of deer and wildboars, for their survival. The habitat quality has been constantly declining due to poaching and encroachment of forest territory by the villagers living inside the sanctuary. This has resulted in human-animal conflict. There are reports that booby traps have been used to kill wildboars and deer casting a negative impact on the decline of prey base for tigers.
Administrative Lacunae:
Informed sources said as conservation of RBTs involves a lot of planning and investment, relocation of tigers could not be successful in Satkosia. Planning demands regular patrolling and involvement of local communities for conservation of tigers. Unfortunately, this didn't happen in Satkosia. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has clearly mentioned in its guidelines that the forest dwellers must be taken into confidence before relocation of RBTs actually takes place. But, in the case of Satkosia Tiger Reserve, there was no transperancy of activities taken for relocation of tigers. This enraged the denizens living inside the sanctuary, and at the end, the programmes was unsuccessful. Of course, the wildlife division of Angul has taken initiatiatives to shift villagers from Raiguda,Katrang, Asanbahal and Bhurkundi to make way for relocation of RBTs in the sanctuary. Villagers from Purunakote, Gopalpur, Chhotkei, Majhipada and Tikarpada will be shortly shifted from the sanctuary, but there are allegations that villagers are being forced to leave their home and hearth for RBTs. They have alleged that the compensation is not adequate to purchase land elsewhere and make a decent living. Wildlife organizations in Angul district said community participation should be core for successful implementation of a tiger habitat. The thrust must on the livelihood alternatives of the displaced persons to accommodate tigers in their area.
The wildlife wing of Angul must work on the issue of human-wildlife conflict by involving experts to find out the reason and solution before the actual process of relocation of RBTs takes place. The wildlife staff have to be educated and trained to successfully implement relocation project. Conservation goals are best achieved by the participation of local communities. The wildlife staff must understand this.
