Bhubaneswar: A few days after photos of tourists mounting on tusks of elephants at Similipal circulated on social media, a video showing firing practice inside the core area of Similipal Tiger Project went viral on various social media platforms.
In the video, a youth is seen practicing firing under the guidance of an expert in the presence of Forest Department officials. The incident has invited sharp reactions from wildlife lovers as well as environmentalists.
Sources claimed that the trainer in the video is a former honorary wildlife warden from Mayurbhanj district while the youth undergoing training is his son. “How can somebody practice firing inside the core area of Similipala project? Who provided them the gun? Why did the Forest Department officials not raise an objection to the illegal act,” asked a wildlife expert.
Many social activists, meanwhile, sought action against the former honourary wildlife warden and his son for their illegal act. “The role of a honourary wildlife warden is to help the Forest Department officials to conserve animals. When a former wildlife warden is flouting norms then who will save the animals,” rued a social activist.
Notably, the Forest Department officials at Similipal had not only feigned ignorance about the photos depicting tourists mounting on elephant tusks inside the forest, but also took the incident casually.
“The Forest Department should take the recently circulated video on firing training seriously and launch an impartial probe to identify the guilty. They should also trace the owner of the gun as well as the officials who granted permission for the firing training in the core area of a tiger project,” said a wildlife expert.
PNN
