Scores of wild animals and birds that stray into
residential areas in different districts every year never return to
their habitat taking toll on wildlife in the state with the government
just a mute spectator. Despite having nearly 4 per cent forest area,
the state has not even a single rescue centre for the treatment and
rehabilitation of injured animals.
Though the state Forest and Wildlife Department
has no such record of wild animals that die after straying, wildlife
experts claim that over 300-400 wild animals stray into residential
areas annually and only 50 per cent could rejoin their flock in
forests.
The “ill-equipped” wildlife department enables
to capture only 20-25 per cent strayed beasts, but methods used by
officials to catch animals often result to their death.
Experts claim that nearly 125-200 wild animals,
including sambhar, deer, and pangolin, that stray into residential
areas either fell prey to poachers or met with road accidents.
Maximum cases of
deaths are reported in Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr, Ropar and
Mohali. Besides villages along the Indo-Pak border, wild animals also
stray into residential areas in Ferozepur,
Amritsar,
Tarn Taran and parts of Moga and Kapurthala districts.
Former honorary wildlife warden, Hoshiarpur,
Gunraj Singh claimed that during the winter, the animals strayed into
residential areas in want of fodder and water.
“There is not even a single rescue centre for
wild animals that sustain injuries when chased by human beings or
stray dogs in residential areas. The animals released in forests after
being treated by the department often fell prey to predators there,”
claimed Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa, honorary wildlife warden, Hoshiarpur and
Gurdaspur.
Chief wildlife warden, Punjab, RK Luna, admitted
of not having any rescue centre, where the injured wild animals could
be treated. He added that the department had initiated a plan to
maintain records of every animal that stray into residential areas.
