Vol 4 No 2 | July-Sept 2024

Whose Crime is it Anyway?

Story by Aastha Tiku and Amit Masurkar | Art by Mohith O

 

Avni the tigress

Avni, also known as T1, was a female tiger living in the forests of Maharashtra’s Pandharkawada in Yavatmal district. Born in 2010, she came to represent the struggle between wildlife conservation and human livelihood.

Human-animal conflicts are the result of humans encroaching on the natural habitats of wild animals. With construction and deforestation, tigers like Avni are forced to migrate to areas that are foreign to them. Unfortunately, this leads to attacks on livestock and occasionally, even human fatalities.

Despite efforts to mitigate conflicts through relocation and awareness programmes, Avni’s life ended tragically in 2018, amid controversy over her killing by a state sponsored hunter. Her tragic story which gained international attention, highlights the challenges of balancing conservation efforts with human development in sensitive wildlife areas.

 

‘Sherni’, the film

`Sherni’ a film released in 2021, delves into the heart of India’s wilderness regions, illuminating the intricate dynamics between human development and wildlife conservation. Written by Aastha Tiku and directed by Amit Masurkar, the film stars Vidya Balan as a determined forest officer who has to navigate bureaucratic hurdles and societal norms while tracking a tigress declared as a man-eater.

The movie sheds light on the challenges of conservation of natural habitats and wildlife areas amidst development goals. It serves as a powerful reminder of the urgent need for co-existence and empathy towards our natural world. `Sherni’ isn’t just a movie, it’s a call to action, urging viewers to protect our planet’s biodiversity.

 

Trailer of ‘Sherni’:

 

Leopards of Mumbai

Captured on CCTV cameras, these elusive predators have, for years, been navigating the residential areas of Mumbai that surround the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Since leopards are nocturnal animals, they prowl the neighbourhoods while the human residents are asleep. CCTV cameras have caught these wild cats roaming streets, sleeping on park benches and stealing domesticated animals like cats, dogs and chickens.

Unlike tigers, leopards have shown remarkable abilities to adapt to human-dominated landscapes. While their presence does raise safety concerns, it also highlights the importance of conservation efforts and urban planning strategies that need to include safety not only of human residents. but wildlife as well.

 

Wildlife heroes

Jane Goodall is a legend who has dedicated her life to researching the chimpanzees of Tanzania.
https://janegoodall.org/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Rohan Chakravarty is a cartoonist and storyteller who uses art to popularise ecological causes.
https://www.greenhumour.com/?m=1