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In the age where it is a compulsive fad, too glam and to too hepp to profuse of tiger conservation... in this very world lives these men scoffing of poachers gun powders, braving forest fire and occasional wild life aggression there is no protagonist hep conservation theory here- just commitment and the livelihood strands that they cling on to for nothing more then mare pittance doled out by the forest department – the arrival of even that pay packs has no fixed date either- waiting for more then three months or even six months before the lay their hands on the pay register. They are the first in line ears eyes and defense in the forest management, toiling beyond their primary duties, life of an Anti Poaching Watcher (APW) is a wrenching tirade and dribbling sweat shop treatments on a normal day they trudge minimum of around 20 km to mind their beats ( forest tracts divided into small areas for easy managements) apart from monitoring the beats they double up as fire watchers, on occasion of fire flares up they have to dig trenches and fire lines to contain the fire from spreading. The APW force is drawn mostly from the indigenous native menfolk who are well versed with the terrain and surroundings more over the department leverages the local knowledge base and intelligence in turn providing them small employment window (mostly on Temporary roles) for these predominant herders and farm hands.
Featured here:
Bhojan crossing the stream near Shanda Mattam Anaikatti ~ a 46 year native Irulan is father of three and belongs the the Segur Division Forest Circle on the Temporary roles for more then 12 years now (finally got inducted). Attacked by Sloth Bear once – escaped with a ripped shoulders bones and broken arm was in the Gudalur Government Hospital for more then three months. Snarled by Tigers, Chased by Elephants umpteen number of times. “He has chased wild Elephants” at least once, as far as I have seen with my own eyes. Believe me. Waiting to see his daughter graduate from the College in Coimbatore.
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