STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE TO DEAL WITH TIGER DEPREDATION ON LIVESTOCK
1. Title : Standard Operating Procedure to deal with tiger depredation on livestock
2. Subject
Dealing with situations arising due to tiger depredation on livestock
3. Reference
SOP of National Tiger Conservation Authority/Project Tiger on emergencies arising from straying tigers in human dominated landscapes
4. Purpose
To ensure appropriate action to deal with livestock carcasses being fed upon by tigers, to avoid undue interference with the natural process prevailing in the habitat, while avoiding their casualty/injury, besides safeguarding general public and field staff.
5. Short summary
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) provides the basic, action and precautions required at the field level (tiger reserve or elsewhere) for dealing with livestock carcasses being fed upon by tigers
6. Scope
The SOP applies to all tiger reserves and field formations with tiger presence.
7. Responsibilities
The Field Director would be responsible in the case of tiger reserves. For protected areas (National Park/Wildlife Sanctuary), the concerned protected area manager would be responsible. In the case of other areas (revenue land/conservation reserve/community reserve/village/township) the Wildlife Warden, as per the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, or Divisional Forest Officer/Deputy Conservator of Forests (under whose jurisdiction the area falls), would be responsible. The overall responsibility at the State level would rest with the Chief Wildlife Warden of the concerned State.
8. Causes/reasons/circumstances leading to tigers feeding on livestock
a. Humans let loose their cattle in forest areas for grazing
b. People tend to encroach upon forest land exposing their livestock to predation
c. Tigers disperse into human dominated landscapes when the carrying capacity of a source area is achieved, forcing them to prey on livestock
d. Young, old and weak tigers are pushed to the periphery of optimum habitats by tigers which have greater vigour
e. Tigers may become habituated to feeding on livestock due to the principles of optimal foraging
f. In case corridor connectivity exists, tigers disperse out to other habitats to establish their territory in a meta population.
9. Suggested field actions to deal with tiger depredation on livestock
(a) Reporting of livestock kills
All livestock kills should be reported to the nearest forest management unit for which sensitization campaigns need to be carried out on a regular basis. The concerned forest unit should also develop an intelligence based informer network to detect such kills. Forest units adjoining tiger occupied areas also need to be sensitized to the issue of livestock kills and report these immediately. A mechanism for incentives to the villagers/informers, livestock graziers/charwahas for cattle kill may also be developed.
(b) Constitution of a committee
A committee with the following members may be constituted to oversee the kill and its surrounds;
a. A representative of the local Panchayat
b. Local NGO representative, nominated by the FD/DCF under whose jurisdiction the area falls
c. A veterinarian
d. Deputy Director/Protected Area Manager/DFO I/C–Chairman Non-official members need to be incentivized for adequate co-operation, for which a mechanism needs to be devised in coordination with the District administration and/or nearest Tiger Reserve
(c) Carcass should not be removed
In case of livestock depredation by tiger/leopard, the carcass should not be removed from the site but should be allowed to be eaten in full by the carnivore to prevent recurrence of such depredation in the area.
(d) Payment of compensation
Prompt payment of compensation should be done to the affected people vis-à-vis the citizen’s charter, for which a mechanism needs to be devised in coordination with the concerned District administration and/or nearest Tiger Reserve
(e) Guarding/monitoring of the kill
Ensure unobtrusive guarding/monitoring of the kill to allow feeding of the carcass (if not close to a human settlement) besides safeguarding from poisoning from villagers (for revenge killing). A special team may be formed for this purpose in consultation with the above committee, which too needs to be incentivized.
(f) First 24 hours observation
The first 24 hours, after detection of the carcass, of observation are critical in context of the tiger returning to the kill and finishing feeding. If however, this does not happen, the livestock remains/rejects need to be incinerated completely by burning to prevent spread of infectious diseases to humans and other animals. The area also needs to be sanitized with chemicals/flaming to destroy any disease causing spores.
(g) Camera traps
Set up camera traps near kill site to confirm/establish the ID of the animal.
(h) Establish identity of the tiger
Establish identity of the tiger by comparing camera trap photographs with National Repository of Camera Trap Photographs of Tigers (NRCTPT)/Reserve level photo database and find out the source area of the animal.
(i) Collect recent data
Collect recent cattle/livestock depredation or human injury/fatal encounter data, if any, in the area. If it is an area historically prone to such incidences, detailed research work has to be carried out in order to assess the reasons for the frequent tiger emergencies in the area
(j) Create Pressure Impression Pads (PIPs)
Create Pressure Impression Pads (PIPs) in the area to ascertain the daily movement of the animal, while plotting the same on a map (4” = 1 mile scale or 1 : 50,000 scale).
(k) Involvement of District Authorities
If close to human habitation, proactively involve District Collector/DM and SSP/SP of the area to maintain law and order in the area, besides avoiding crowding by local mobs. Acquaint them with human-tiger conflict issues and guidelines of the NTCA to deal with the situation. If the situation demands, the district authorities need to ensure law and order by imposing section 144 of the Cr.PC.
This is essential to avoid agitation/excited local people surrounding the animal spot which hampers movement of the animal back to the wild as well as capture operation (if required), leading to serious injuries on people and staff.
(l) Alert villages in the vicinity
Take help of the district level officials to alert the villages in the vicinity of the area having the spatial presence of the tiger. Local account of tiger presence can also be disseminated by munadi or other prevalent local systems to avoid visiting in such areas.
(m) Tiger/leopard showing disability or aberrant behaviour
In case of tiger/leopard showing disability due to injury/old age or display in aberrant behaviour by resorting to livestock depredation in a recurring manner, such animals should be dealt with as per the following SOPs issued by this Authority:
a. SOP to deal with emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscapes
b. SOP deal with orphaned/abandoned tiger cubs and old/injured tigers in the wild.
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