Thrilling tales from the wild

Sariska is a huge reserve with lots of dense forest wealth in the form of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees. In entire Rajasthan, it is the only area which holds very dense category of forest and that too to the tune of 14 sq. km. Anogeissus pendula (Dhonk) is the dominant tree species covering over 90 per cent of the reserve’s area. Salar and Gurjan grow in rocky patches. Khair (Kattha), though rare in pure patches, is found commonly in valleys. Bamboo, though spread over the entire reserve, can be seen along springs and moist hills. Some valleys support Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana) trees.

During summer when most of the grasses become dry and non-palatable, the dry leaves of dhonk fall from trees on the forest floor and provide the best possible nutritious food to sambar, spotted deer and blue bull. Capparis spp also play an important role in providing green fodder to animals during peak summer when most other plants dry up.

Fifty-five species of grass enrich the important ground flora of Sariska. These are scattered over the entire reserve and play an important role in the distribution of wildlife. Due to their floral richness, the main Sariska-Kalighati Slopka and Umari-Siliberi valleys deserve special mention. Richness of faunal species in these valleys attribute to this specialty of floral diversity.

On one hand this floral diversity attracts cattle-rearing people and on the other the rich fauna lures hunters/shikaris. This rich natural wealth is the chief cause of settlement of a huge number of villages/cattle camps inside and on the periphery of the reserve.

There are around 300 odd villages located within a radius of 5 km from the reserve boundary (with more than 1.5 lakh people and 2.75 lakh livestock). They depend largely upon the reserve to meet their day-to-day forest-based requirements. This resource dependence has led to largescale deterioration and degradation of the habitat in the peripheral as well as core areas of Sariska.

The reserve administration has adopted several strategies to put a check on illicit grazing, wood cutting by villagers and poaching of wild animals by shikaris for personal consumption or money-making. As a preventive measure, several forest-protection posts have been created in interior jungles by the reserve authorities. On foot and vehicular patrolling is done on a regular basis. This has led to organized jungle crimes by the affected villagers especially in the cases of cattle grazing and wood poaching. In the late 1980s, Siliberi forests were the worst afflicted and witnessed a number of such crimes.

In order to foil such illegal activities, utilizing a shikar hodi built during the reign of the erstwhile rulers, an outpost was created some time back by the reserve authorities at the tail of the precious Umri-Siliberi valley. It is a Red Fort-like stupendous building, standing on the bank of the stream which collects huge water from Pandupole hills to discharge into Baleta dam, passing through Umri-Siliberi valley. A number of small and big villages are located around this huge earthen dam. While those belonging to cattle-rearing communities depend solely upon their cattle for livelihood, many others engaged in farming also rear cattle to enhance their economy. During the rule of the princely state, a total ban was enforced on grazing and wood poaching in the forests of Siliberi area. The villagers abided by these rules for many years even after independence as there was enough fallow land available in their villages for grazing their cattle. But with growing population this fallow land legally or illegally went under plough for raising agricultural crops. Consequently, Siliberi forests fell victim to encroachment for cattle grazing. In 1991, on my joining as the Field Director, the sensitivity of the issue struck me. This Siliberi-Umri and Siliberi-Rotkyala valleys being important tiger areas had to be protected against all kinds of biotic disturbances. Protection measures were strengthened by posting additional field personnel. I too started camping here from time to time. Also, a wall was erected at Siliberi gate to put a complete brake on entry of village cattle into the Siliberi Umri valley. I knew it was a polarizing decision but dutybound as I was, I could not afford keeping people happy at the cost of the reserve. As anticipated, scuffles between the reserve personnel and the mischief mongers increased. Many a times our staff faced wrath of these villagers. Also, people who were fond of wild meat were growing restless as strict patrolling had marred their chances of killing animals for their pot. I was aware of the growing tension and held several meetings with these villagers and advised them to get their charnaut (village grazing lands) vacated from the illegal occupants. I also requested the district collector to evict the encroachers but everybody seemed helpless against these muscle men intoxicated with political power. On the contrary these encroachers instigated the villagers to graze their cattle forcefully in the reserve forest resulting in to our regular scuffles with them. This led a section of these people to approach the court at Alwar. Unfortunately, they succeeded in getting temporary relief also from the court.

(Excerpted with permission from Sunayan Sharma’s ‘Wild Treasures and Adventures’; published by Niyogi Books)