Kumram Bheem Tiger Conservation Reserve: Tough challenge ahead for forest officials

Wildlife experts feel conservation of tigers could be achieved only by involving locals, for which their apprehensions have to be allayed

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: The government’s move to convert the corridor of Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) into Kumram Bheem Tiger Conservation Reserve is being welcomed by Forest officials, but at the same time, wildlife experts feel conservation of tigers could be achieved only by involving locals, for which their apprehensions have to be allayed. And this could be a tough challenge.

The State government recently issued an order notifying the corridor of KTR as the KB Tiger Conservation Reserve encompassing 1,492 square kilometres or 1,49,288 hectares of forest cover in the district on Friday. The KB reserve is spread across 78 forest blocks, in particular Kadamba, Bejjur and Garlapet, which have seen a thriving of tigers in recent years.

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According to the notification, the landscape of the reserve is an important area connecting Kawal with not only Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve, Kanhargaon, and Chaprala wildlife sanctuaries of Maharashtra, Indravati Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh. The presence of resident, breeding tigers and several interstate tiger dispersals over the past decade indicates that it is a crucial link for maintaining tiger connectivity, as mentioned in the order.

“Conversion of the corridor into a tiger reserve is a good move. It is not just a milestone; it is a tribute to every frontline forest officer who toiled tirelessly to protect this landscape, enabling the return of tigers to roam free once again in Kagaznagar and Asifabad divisions,” S Venugopal, a forest range officer specialised in wildlife protection remarked, while commenting on the development.

The forest officials said that the objective of the conservation reserve—efficient protection of tigers—would be realised only if locals owned the landscape and were involved in conservation activities. “The government should draw inspiration from neighbouring Maharashtra, which was successfully taking the cooperation of locals in conservation of tigers in its reserves such as Tadoba and Tippeswar, known for the proliferation of tigers,” a wildlife expert observed, not willing to be quoted.

However, locals expressed concern that the forest officials would impose restrictions on the traffic, citing the protection of tigers once the reserve was formed. “Vehicular movement is curbed in Kawal at night recently, drawing ire of the locals. Similar norms will inevitably be enforced in the reserve, causing inconvenience to dwellers of forest fringe villages,” a leader of a political party pointed out.

Similarly, the locals will not be allowed to depend on the forest for grazing cattle and to gather minor forest products, affecting their livelihood. They would naturally not extend cooperation to the forest officials. Victims of cattle killed by wild animals, nurse grudge against the tigers and poison to eliminate the national animal as witnessed in Darigaon forests of Kagaznagar in 2024.

“It’s a herculean task to win the trust of the locals, who traditionally depend on the forests and to make them a part of the conservation. The forest officials must emulate ways adopted by their counterparts from Maharashtra to achieve the effective conservation of tigers in a coexistence model,” a retired official maintained.