District forest officer sets up a committee to study the growing gaur-human conflict
After two recent incidents of human-gaur conflicts in the crowded areas of Pune, third gaur was spotted in Hinjewadi on Saturday. Learning from the past incidents, the forest officials quickly reached the spot and kept a strict vigil on the crowd gathering. In a fortunate result, the gaur returned quietly to the forest area without any rescue plan into action.
But, the continuous sighting of Gaur in the the urban areas of Pune, speculated to be coming from Tamhini Ghat, has raised the questions on unnoticed urban foot prints in the wilde life areas in and around Pune.
In order to back the the constant entrance of wildlife in urban areas, the district forest officer has formed a commitee that will be working on the reason behind the streak of human-gaur conflict events.
On talking with Rahul Patil, the district forest officer, it was obtained that the commitee will be discussing the issue in a meeting that will be held in coming 2 – 3 days. The commitee will also look for “unexplained urbanisation” that is disturbing the habitat of Gaur in the wildlife areas around the district.
He said, “Constant sight of the gaur in the urban parts of Pune is a sign of worry as well as a positive news. The sighting of three different gaurs indicates that the population of the gaurs is increasing, but its entrance in the urban parts needs to be looked at. So, we have formed a commitee that will study the conflict and submit the report of constant sightings.”
Pune Pulse had first reported about the rescue operation of second gaur that was sighted in the Bavdhan area on December 9. It will be crucial for the commitee to study the disturbance to the habitat.
