From pankajs@VSNL.COM Sat Sep 18 14:10:05 2004
Date: Sun, 12 Sep 2004 12:46:38 +0530
From: Pankaj Sekhsaria 
To: nathistory-india@Princeton.EDU
Subject: Punjab may allow hunting of blue bull, wild boar

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THE TRIBUNE
Aug 20
Punjab may allow hunting of blue bull, wild boar; Claims their population
needs to be culled

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 19
The Punjab Wildlife Department is in the process of finalising a proposal to
permit hunting of blue bulls and wild boars in the state. It claims the
population of the two animals is in excess of the required number and
therefore needs to be culled in the interest of the farming community.
The move is however not backed by a scientific survey as to the number of
these animals. In might thus be unable to scientifically determine the
numbers that need to be culled. "It is a smokescreen for legalizing hunting
in a state where a large number of animal species are already endangered,"
says Dr Sandeep Jain, a wildlife conservationist and head, People for
Animals, Ludhiana.
According to the plan for proposed culling, Punjab is likely to authorise
SDMs to issue permits to hunters identified by panchayats of villages where
the crop is being affected. The Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, when
contacted, said, "We are still considering the proposal of issuing shooting
permits. We may also provide compensation to the farmers. Moreover, Punjab
will not be the first state to allow culling. UP, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan have standing orders on shooting of blue bulls. We will determine
the exact number that needs to be killed. Recently, we had asked our filed
staff to conduct a census. We have found that the blue bulls are in excess
in Mansa, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda districts."
As per the official estimates, there are about 7,000 blue bulls in Punjab.
Their number needs to be culled in the interest of economic activity.
However, conservationists feel that this figure is inflated. Many Wildlife
experts favour compensation schemes for farmers, rather than culling by
shooting. They feel that in the absence of a proper census, it would be
difficult to determine the number of animals to be killed. Also there are
fears that if shooting permits are issued to individuals, it would be
difficult to ascertain that the same is used to kill the animal for which it
has been issued.
Says Lt-Gen Baljit Singh, who has been following this issue for long now,
"When there is no census how will they determine how many need to be killed
? Also, how will they maintain the required male-female ratio ? Issuing
permits to all and sundry would open the floodgates for hunting."
The Chief Wildlife Warden, however, allays these fears, saying that the laws
would be very strict. "The killed animal will be handed over to the Wildlife
Department. Our staff will check that rules are not flouted." Sources in the
Wildlife Department meanwhile say the Department lacks the infrastructure
required to ensure such things. It also does not have enough vehicles.
Hunting was banned by an Act of Parliament in 1991. Only certain animals
could be hunted after a provincial government followed some procedures to
allow the same once they become excess in number and caused damage to crops.
Later, some states allowed shooting of animals to save farmlands.
Punjab is now framing laws to hunt blue bulls and wild boars, but whether
they are followed is difficult to say. As a conservationist puts it, "Once
people have the permit, they can move into the forest and hunt. Let us not
forget our forests have several endangered species like barking deer,
sambhar, hog deer and black buck. Also, the blue bull is native to India. I
don't think killing of blue bulls is needed. There are 12,000 villages in
Punjab and I am sure the number of animals does not exceed that number,
which means there is basically one animal per village

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