The residents of villages lying on the fringes of Odisha’s Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a home to protected wild animals like cheetal, sambar deer, wild boar, Gaur, bear, and leopard, among other animals, have joined hands with the forest department to save the wildlife from electrocution.
The 2-kilometre zone (1km inside the Sanctuary boundary & 1km outside Sanctuary boundary) has been declared a “shock-free and zero electrocution zone” in a joint initiative by Eco-Development Committees of 68 villages and Debrigarh sanctuary authorities, said Anshu Pragyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Hirakud Wildlife Division.
This zone covers the 100-km continuous boundary of the western part of Debrigarh. The rest boundary is flanked by the Hirakud Reservoir and wetland. This 100 km is flanked by 68 villages with populations ranging from 200 to 1000 in each village, bordering Sanctuary and fully dependent on Debrigarh for day-to-day activities. They have joined hands together to make this critical area shock-free and save the lives of wild animals dying of electrocution, she said.
Several poaching incidents of Schedule 1 species, including Royal Bengal Tiger & Leopards in the last decade, have been reported in this Zone due to electrocution. These villages are predominantly agriculture-oriented. Locals resort to putting in place live wire fencing to save crops from depredation as well as for the poaching of wild boar, Sambar, etc, for meat.
As there is regular to & fro movement of animals from the sanctuary to outside from dawn to dusk, making this Zone Free from Electrocution was essential. Metal detectors and live wire detectors are in regular use by patrolling teams.
Debrigarh boundary (western side) is flanked by villages, and this area is prone to traps, snares, electric hooking for poaching of wild animals, the official concluded.