IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Singh, A. | |
| The man-eating phenomenon - an ecological crisis | |
| 1989 Book Chapter | |
The Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 in Section 1 Sub-section 11 Clause 1.a defines the procedure of dealing with so called man-eaters as follows: "The Chief Wildlife Warden may, if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule 1 has become dangerous to human life - by order in writing and stating the reasons therefor, permit any person to hunt such an animal, or cause such an animal to be hunted". Hunting is defined in the Act in Section 1 Sub-section 2 Caluse (16) (a) as follows: Capturing, killing, poisoning, snaring, and trapping of any wild animal". The operative discretion lies solely with the Chief Wild Life Warden and in spite of the qualifying safeguard of "Stating the reasons therefor", there is no doubt that he is the final authority, with the arbitrary power of life and death. The framers of the Act doubtless did not envisage the recurrent phenomena of man-eating caused by habitat degradation, human exploitation and encroachment, and the onus which developes on a single bureaucrat, pressurized by political superios, needs to be amended. |
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