Imphal, Jan. 31: Despite tall claims by the Manipur government about its seriousness in protecting the world?s most endangered species of deer ? the brow-antlered deer, locally known as sangai ? from complete extinction, its apathy and indifference have been exposed. Officials of the wildlife wing of the state forest department have shown little interest in bringing two poachers to book.
A hearing on a case involving two poachers, caught red-handed with sangai venison recently, had to be postponed after officials of the wildlife wing failed to turn up in court yesterday. The sangai, one of the world?s most threatened species, is found exclusively in the Keibul Lamjao national park, the only floating sanctuary in the world.
However, thanks to official apathy, conservationists are fighting a losing battle. The park, floating on the state?s sprawling Loktak lake, continues to be a happy hunting ground for poachers.
According to the latest census report released three years back, only 162 sangai deer remain at the sanctuary. No census was conducted in 2001 while the results of the survey carried out last year are yet to be announced. While the sangai population continues to fall drastically at the state zoo as well as at the second home of sangai, both in Imphal, killing of the animal continues unabated in the only remaining natural habitat.
Two weeks ago, two poachers ? identified as N. Joykumar and Salam Tomba ? were caught by members of a local conservationist group, the Environmental Social Reformation and Sangai Protection Forum, with chopped sangai meat.
The two denied killing the rare animal but admitted to extracting the meat from the carcass of a sangai they found inside the sanctuary during a fishing trip.
The duo was handed over to the police and later brought before the Bishnupur district judicial magistrate.
Though the wildlife wing filed a criminal case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the two accused were released on bail after they paid a personal bond of Rs 10,000 each. Though the court fixed the date for further hearing yesterday, not even a single official of the state forest department turned up.
The indifferent attitude of the state government has drawn flak from environmentalists. ?The state forest department has not been serious enough in its efforts to save the sangai from complete extinction. It is due to the government?s apathy that the rare animal continues to fall prey to poachers,? Salam Rajesh, an environmentalist, told The Telegraph.
Though several poachers have been caught red-handed in the past, not one has been booked under the relevant Act.
A leader of the Environmental Social Reformation and Sangai Protection Forum alleged that though firing in and around the Keibul Lamjao national park has been outlawed, sounds of gunshots can still be occasionally heard in the wildlife sanctuary.