HYDERABAD: Forest department officials on Saturday stepped up efforts to protect people from potential attacks by tigers, particularly the one that was involved in two incidents on Friday and Saturday in Kagaznagar and Sirpur (T) mandals of KB Asifabad district.
For a start, they began distributing face masks for people to wear on the back of their heads when going to their fields, or grazing cattle. It is believed that this confuses the tiger and prevents attacks.
District forest officer Neeraj Tibrewal said on Saturday more than 350 such masks were distributed of the 1,000 that were ordered. Orders have been placed for 2,000 more such masks for distribution in villages where movement of tigers is being reported from, he said.
Use of such masks has been found to be effective in preventing tigers from launching attacks on people in other parts of the country, especially in the Sunderbans in West Bengal.
In the pipeline are procuring whistles and drums for distribution in villages and these devices are meant to be used by people doing sentry duty at fields or while grazing cattle or sheep. Tibrewal said that villagers are being urged to go in a group of 8 to 10 people and have two people at least posted as sentries to keep a watch for any movement of tigers, or other wild animals near fields.
Drones with cameras are also being employed to track the tiger’s movement, he said, adding that every effort was being made to keep people safe, and to prevent any further human tiger interactions.
Also on Saturday, a district coordination committee meeting chaired by the district collector was held in Kagaznagar where officials from the police, forest, animal husbandry, electricity, revenue and other departments discussed a standard operating protocol to keep people safe from potential conflicts with tigers
SOP for staying safe in tiger land
Avoid forest routes;
Move in groups of 8 to 10 people; two from the group should be deployed as sentries
Wear face masks on the back of the head while out in the field;
Farmers guarding crops must stay on machans in their fields;
Those grazing animals, must stay within a half km radius of their villages; grazing between 10 am, and 4 pm;
Carry a stick with a bell attached to it while going to the field;
Form village protection committees, with a forest beat officer and one police officer to be nominated by the local sub-inspector;
Report any evidence of tiger presence to the committee;
Inform committee while leaving the village, and the route
No one should do any action that can harm tigers, such actions will face action under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
