Karnataka sets up first-ever commando force to protect tigers

Mangalore Today / PTI

Bangalore, Jan 14: The Karnataka has set up the first-ever commando force to protect tigers in the state. The state government has trained commandos to fight poachers. With nearly 300 tigers in the state, Karnataka has become the epicenter of tiger conservation especially since it has the largest number of tigers in the country. And that’s why the Special Tiger Protection Force has been deployed in the sensitive forests of Bandipur, Badra and Nagarhole. The commandos are intensively trained in the use of SLRs, small arms and hand to hand combat.

 

 

Vasanth Reddy, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, says, "It’s like a strike force, it will strike when there is a conflict and also it will manage the crowds when there is a man-animal conflict. So it’s very essential and a big advantage to the Bandipur tiger reserve."

The unit is desperately needed, since the National Tiger Conservatory Authority has just put the state forest department on high alert following intelligence reports that teams from the notorious Bahelia and Pardis tribes have moved into the state from Madhya Pradesh. The tribals are infamous for their skill in poaching wild animals and they primarily target tigers.

BK Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka, says "We have received reports about the entry of these tribes but the STPF are well armed and in large numbers so we are in a better position to protect tigers."

Ullas Karanth, Wildlife Conservationist, says, "This is a positive step in tiger conservation, this sends a powerful message to poachers that the government is very serious in tiger conservation."

The introduction of commandos in the Bandipur tiger reserve changes the game completely for both tiger conservation as well as better management of human-animal conflicts.