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The second factor is of vital importance in the villages adjoining forests and
— with modern means of transport — in all villages and towns within
motoring distance. It cannot be denied that crop protection guns, licences for
which have been issued by thousands in the last two decades, are used for
illicit killing of birds and animals, mainly for obtaining meat. There is no
restriction in the licence about the time and the place for carrying these
weapons; nor the manner in which they may be used. They are carried and
used at all times of the year irrespective of the fact that there is no crop to be
protected. They are entrusted to any person who is able to use them, and are
carried to forests in the neighbourhood. Illicit arms also come out to form a
line with licit guns. Parties of villagers are formed to track down and kill
wild animals, and even a solitary wild boar or sambar cannot escape from
such parties which may chase the animal for hours and days. The common
deer, antelope and birds generally fall a prey to these guns, and there is no
control over them. When the forest staff is off duty or having a holiday, these
guns are brought out and used in forest areas. Most of the havoc caused in
whatever forests remain after extension of tillage, can be ascribed to these
guns. Apart from misuse of guns issued for crop protection, on the dwindling
wild life left in forests, large scale poaching for meat, feathers and skins, is
carried on — broadly by two agencies. The first is the agency of those who
set up traps and nets or attack game at drinking places for private gain; this
includes those who traditionally follow these practices. The increase in
population of the country has been reflected in increased poaching by this
agency, which also threatens game in so-called game reserves or wild life
sanctuaries. The number of village people who live in forest villages or
hamlets or clusters of huts in the heart of forests constitute a serious threat to
wild life ; so do people who enter forests for collection of leaves, dry wood,
minor forest produce, etc. Their number has increased to such an extent that
wild life in forests is seriously disturbed. Such disturbance cannot but affect
adversely breeding and particularly the care and survival of young ones.
Organised trade in skins creates the other agency of poachers. The price of
tiger skins has in the last two decades shot up ten times and though there is a
ban on commercial export of tiger skins, it is not very difficult for visitors to
purchase tiger or panther skins and to take them away as part of their
baggage.
FAUNA 15