Wildlife activists, rescuers and Forest department officials often upload photos with animals on their social media accounts
Bhubaneswar: With animal rescue operations turning to be a trending topic on social media, many rescuers, wildlife activists and officials are uploading rescue photographs for quick publicity.
Significantly, this has increased the number of amateur rescuers in the state with forest officials turning a blind eye to such freak shows.
Forest officials had earlier taken some efforts through the publication of a notice, (Advertisement No: 08038/0003/1718) inviting the registration of those interested in wildlife rescue, especially snakes.
However, sources claimed that the state is having less than 15 registered rescuers, though a simple search in Facebook shows pictures of several youngsters and amateur rescuers.
In fact, some of them are also performing stunts with King Cobra. Sources confirmed that some of these stunts were performed in front of forest officials who are posing with animals for getting cheap publicity.
For instance, a King Cobra that was rescued from Ranpur Friday got injured in the process. Without giving immediate medical attention to this Schedule II reptile, officials engaged themselves with providing responses to media queries.
What’s more surprising is that the range officer of Ranpur was found to be spending quite a lot of time posing with the injured King Cobra, thus triggering criticism in various quarters as he happened to be on official duty. The predicament he had in store was that the death of the King Cobra later.
However, this didn’t deter the publicity freak show of officials as another photograph of the same range officer with King Cobra was found to be circulating on social media.
It is learnt that lack of proper monitoring of online activities by forest officials is one of the major reasons for this growing trend in the state.
Earlier, Orissa POST had published an article regarding the uploading of rescue photographs in its October 3, 2016 edition. Siddhanta Das, then PCCF, had then taken action against some of the offenders, though the trend continues in the state.
Significantly, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) had also given strict instructions against such activities.
“There have been instances of hunted wild animal/ wild animal trophies /articles being displayed on social media by some individuals……..Such public display of hunted animals/ trophies , may encourage hunting and stimulate wildlife trade : therefore need to be stopped,” says the WCCB letter addressed to Chief Wildlife Wardens of All States dated December 30, 2014. (Reference: File No 12-23/WCCB/2014/No-06/2051)
Experts also raised concerns about this trend. “This must be stopped and the wildlife officials have to do the online monitoring. Strict action has to be taken against the offenders,” said Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Saroj Kumar Patnaik.
When contacted, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Sandeep Tripathy assured necessary action on this issue.
“I will look into the issue and take necessary action in this regard,” Tripathy added.
Jose K Joseph, OP
