CANACONA: A day after the cooling operations ended at the Chapora Hills in Canacona, locals and environment lovers have pointed out several incidents of wild cats being seen in the area.
Several of them narrated how local fauna had to suffer along with indigenous species of flora, as they were razed to the ashes, during the 48 hours that engulfed the three hills in the vicinity. Locals said was a clear presence of wild cats in the area, including India’s national animal the Tiger, a black Panther and other majestic creatures from the feline species.
Additionally, residents from the nearby areas lamented that very often, unauthorised felling of trees would take place especially during public holidays and Sundays, when the authorities are caught napping and this led to the wildlife being forced to abandon their homes.
Alex Carpenter, a naturalist who lived in the area for 7 years running an off grid eco-tourism and forest restoration project called the Tribe Goa, said, “Whilst we lived in the forest near Karmal Ghat we had two leopards living alongside us, usually visiting at least a few times a week,” Carpenter said.
Alex Carpenter said, “We lived with eight dogs, had a guesthouse with up to 30 guests and huts that were raised off the ground but open and without doors. We never had an incident in five years and only saw them because we placed cameras to monitor their movements.”
Locals who initially witnessed the fires at Corta Dongar at Chapoli, have also narrated incidents of a sighting of India’s national animal, the majestic tiger, albeit two years ago. But they often hear the cries of the giant, they claim.
According to Sanjay Malgovagonkar, who works in the taxi-tour operating business at Palolem, while returning home at Chapoli late night few months ago, while driving his four-wheeler, claimed to have sighted a tiger just at the main entrance of the Chapoli Dam, although for a few seconds. The Chapoli Dam is a watering hole for several wild animals at night, since it’s the largest water body around the area.
On the other hand, Damodar Vasant Chari , ex panchayat member and Biodiversity Member of the local panchayat, says that that a special team needs to be constituted by the state Forest department to conduct a census or a study that will document the wildlife and the passages used by the big cats at the Karmali Ghat, that are part of the hill ranges.
“In the first week of February, a herd of wild boars barged into the Canacona market area and went berserk as they entered shops and threw over two wheeler riders. We always knew that they were from the forest areas, but never had witnessed such a scene.”
Herald TV is in possession of the CCTV video when the wild boars got confused and entered a shop in the market.
With such incidents being narrated by locals who have had a harrowing experience not just with the fire but also with wildlife sightings, it’s time for the state Wildlife Department to conduct an audit and also access the damage caused to them during recently.
