Adventure & Wildlife Magazine - Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 Vol 1|Issue 5-6| Nov 16 - Jan 17 | Page 16

ADVENTURE & WILDLIFE
Poaching Human–wildlife conflict
Despite the best efforts of conservation activists,
poaching remains one of the serious problems
affecting the flora and fauna in the state. Between the years
1997 to 2001, a total of 98 elephants have succumbed to
poaching in Karnataka. Poaching has also affected the
breeding of turtles like olive ridley on the beaches of
Karnataka as well as otters on the river banks. Tigers
are also another species that are threatened to brink of
extinction by poachers. Sandalwood, famed for its
sculptures and its aroma is frequently poached out of
the forests of Karnataka. Teakwood, famed for the
furniture is another species of flora affected by this
problem. Staff-shortage, lack of adequate funds and
unscientific anti-poaching camps are some of the reasons
quoted for continued poaching activities. Travellers runs
in these snake’s forest they have to travel in glass covered
buses so that traveler can escape from snake fall over these
running buses. Due to the loss of habitat, more and more species of
fauna have started to venture into human habitation
causing a conflict between humans and fauna.
Habitat destruction
Some of the activities that are causing a destruction
of habitat of flora and fauna in Karnataka are:
A typical species affected by this is the elephant which
ventures out of the forest into human cultivations
thereby eating or destroying the crops. In some cases, the
elephants have also caused human deaths like an
incident that happened in Hassan district where a
villager was trampled to death. Precautionary measures
(sometimes illegally) taken up by humans to prevent such
mishaps like electric fencing have also led to disastrous
consequences like electrocution of fauna.
Pollution
Release of industrial waste and human effluents into
rivers have caused significant damages to species that
reside in rivers and riverbanks. Air pollution is also a
significant cause of concern in metros like Bangalore
where it has been found that air pollution is discolouring
foliage including those of ornamental plants.
A comparison of the lichen flora of the garden Lal Bagh in
• Construction of dams and reservoirs: Construction Bangalore has revealed that 18 of the 22 species noted in
of dams causes widespread flooding of surrounding 1980 were no longer present in 1997. Pollution in rivers like
areas causing destruction of species that inhabit the area. Kabini, Kaveri and Ghataprabha has caused sharp
They also affect the flow of riverine species like fishes and reduction in populations of bird species, including
beneficial insectivorous birds like drongos, as well as
disrupt their normal habits.
honeybees.
An example is the construction of the Linganamakki
reservoir in Shimoga district that caused the extinction Invasive new species
of the grass, Hubbardia heptaneuron.
Introduction of new species into a habitat has caused
•Destruction of forest land for agriculture and other serious consequences to the existing species of flora
purposes: large tracts of forest land have been cleaned up for and fauna. A typical example is the introduction of the
monoculture plantations like teak, coffee, tea and rubber. African catfish (Clariasgariepinus) in the lakes and rivers
This has led to the destruction of species that were of Karnataka. This is a carnivorous fish and has caused
dependent on the forest. An example of this is loss of serious damage to the indigenous fauna living in those
special habitats in Karnataka such as Myristica swamps lakes and rivers.[19] Weeds like Eupatorium,Lantana
and high altitude grasslands. In the dry zone, they have and Parthenium have invaded large tracts of land causing
adversely affected several species dependent on large tracts destruction. An increase in Eupatorium is attributed as
of scrub such as the wolf and the great Indian bustard. one of the causes for the spread of the deadly Kyasanur
forest disease (which has a morbidity rate of 10%) among
•Mining operations: Mining operations clear out humans since it harbors tick populations that are vectors
large areas of land and cause destruction to the species for this disease.
dependent on them. An example is the Kudremukh Iron
Ore Company Limited which mined iron ore within the Eucalyptus plantations in the Ranibennur blackbuck
boundaries of the protected Kudremukh National Park. sanctuary has seriously harmed the extremely rare great
Indian bustard.
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Vol 1|Issue 5-6|Nov 16 - Jan 17