It lies along the India-Nepal border in the foothills of the Himalayas and the plains of the ‘terai’ in Uttar Pradesh. Even though a non-protected area, it is evidently, one of the richest in Terai — a testimony to its history of protection coupled with the strong connectivity it enjoys. Wildlife protection is not a priority in ‘territorial’ commercially harvested forests such as Pilibhit. Commerc
ial exploitation of forests harms the fragile ecology, besides being a major disturbance to wildlife. Commercial plantations, which form the core of reserve forests, could well be a death knell for grassland dependent species such as the florican and the hispid hare. Reserve forests are also very vulnerable to non-forest uses, and exploitation for development and other purposes. There are other issues — the gravest being that of severe human-wildlife conflict. The Pilibhit forest is abutted by sugarcane fields, into which tigers frequently stray. To the tiger seeking cover, or the tigress looking for a safe spot to give birth to cubs, sugarcane fields are like a natural extension of the grasslands and forests. The tall grasses offer perfect camouflage, excellent cover, prey in the form of wild pig, nilgai and cattle. The crop is hardly disturbed for at least six months — until harvest time in winter. Farmers frequently surprise tigers within the cane, and that is when human-tiger conflict peaks, many a time with fatal consequences. Giving Pilibhit the status of a tiger reserve is essential, not just to protect this vital tigerland for posterity but also to mitigate and address the severe human-wildlife conflict.
