Mumbai: Rakesh Vasant Bhoir, born and brought up in Thane, is the current Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Mumbai. His love for the environment and wildlife keeps him going irrespective of the everyday challenges which he faces mainly due to human-animal conflicts. Excerpts from Sherine Raj's chat with Bhoir.
What is your work schedule as a forest ranger?
There are no fixed timings for us, whenever there is an emergency call, we rush to the spot. It can be very serious issues like leopard attacks, sightings or trapping of wild animals and reptiles, and sometimes it could also be a call of a house break-in by a monkey. Most of the rescue cases are different from each other, every case requires a plan which has to be devised depending on the situation, type of animal and resources available. All of these operations are only possible under the guidance of seniors and with the support of my team from the forest department.
How is the trapping done after a leopard attack?
For animal attacks on humans, we have to conduct a proper investigation to make sure thatthe attack was done by an animal, after which if the animal is found to be dangerous to society then a decision is taken to set a trap. The traps are laid atthe locations where the animal visits frequently. After trapping it, it will be sent to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) where it lives the rest of its life.
Which was the most challenging case for you?
When I joined as RFO, almost a year ago, there was a notorious leopard attacking humans frequently. Fortunately, nobody was killed but the trapping of the animal had become my top priority. After days of monitoring its location and setting up traps, we were finally able to trap it recently.
How are the leopards identified?
Every leopard has a unique print on its fur which is used for identification and some of them have a chip embedded in their tail which we scan to identify them.
How is the human-leopard relationship in Aarey?
There are a few leopards which live around the Aarey location and have learnt to co-exist with the humans. They hide away from humans and only come out during the night to hunt dogs, cats and other wild animals. There are many leopard sightings in these areas but humans are not their natural prey and their first instinct towards humans is always to stay away from them because they don’t attack animals which are bigger than their size.
When people live in the periphery of a forest, what precautions should they take?
While going into the forest for patrolling in the evening, we have seen people sitting alone and talking on the phone, or children playing alone outside, but the citizens should be mindful of the wild animals and take appropriate safety measures while heading outdoors, especially in the evening time. Children should not be allowed to venture out post dark and people should head out in groups using torches and carrying sticks. If they have domestic animals, then they should be properly caged at night.
Do people follow the instructions?
In most cases, people do listen to our instructions because life is precious to everyone, and we try our best to make people aware of how one must follow the protocols in order to co-exist peacefully with the wild animals. If there are any wildlife emergency situation in your area do call the forest department on 1926.
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