AR-News: India) 'Humans responsible for panther attacks'

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

Mid Day
By: Sayli Udas 
   June 17, 2004 

Areas on the outskirts of forest land have been witness to over 10 panther 
attacks in five months. 

But we have a bit of a dilemma here — who do we really blame — the panther 
that decides to come searching for prey in an urban set up or people, who have 
infiltrated into its space and are disturbing it’s habitat.

Animal activists have one voice on this issue. Bhavin Gathani, of Karuna 
Parivar says that human encroachers are to be blamed for the increasing panther 
attacks.

“These encroachers are both tribal and urbanites. The tribal population that 
has been living in forests for generations is steadily increasing. Moreover, 
they cultivate land, fell trees and hunt. This has disturbed the habitat of 
these animals,” he says.

“But builders who are slowly encroaching into forest land are the real threat,
” he adds.

Shakuntula Majumdar from the Thane Chapter of Society for Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) agrees. 

She says, “We are the real encroachers, and we are spoiling the forest 
habitat. The growing number of societies near Yeoor Hills is not a good sign and it 
will only steadily increase. In fact a number of complexes share their 
compound with the forest.”

Projects such as Vasant Vihar, Hill Crest, Lok Puram, Garden Estate and Happy 
Valley have come up at the foothills of Yeoor forest only in the last 10 
years but these complexes are well within the city planning limits and so are not 
illegal. 

However, residents say they have had to call on forest officials to capture 
panthers that have strayed for prey. 

Explaining why most people buy flats in this area, Mukesh Patel of Neelkanth 
group says, “People find flats in these areas reasonable and builders also 
provide reasonably good amenities.”

The forest department agrees with activists, but blames the town-planning 
department for the growing urbanisation near the forest. 




full story:
http://ww1.mid-day.com/metro/thane/2004/june/85857.htm 







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Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture 
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