Tiger Roadkill, NH 212, Bandipur 2003



D Yatish Kumar

Chosen as 'Picture of the Week'

With evidences like this used in a hard-fought battle by conservationists, the High Court of Karnataka (on 9th March 2010), ordered the closure of nighttime traffic in both highways through Bandipur and held that it was extremely important to protect wildlife.

This tiger was killed by a speeding vehicle on the Gundlupet – Sulthan Bathery road (NH 212) in 2003.

Two major National Highways pass through Bandipur Tiger Reserve – NH-67 (Gundlupet – Ooty Road) and NH 212 (Gundlupet – Sultan Batthery Road) – and both experience heavy traffic. The traffic on NH-67 is largely tourists plying from Karnataka to the hill station of Ooty in Tamil Nadu. While on NH 212 there is heavy passenger and truck traffic plying to northern Kerala. Speeding vehicles used to kill many animals annually, mostly chital, and nocturnal animals such as civets, black-naped hare, and mouse deer, as well as countless birds and reptiles. There were also instances of tiger (like this one in 2003), elephant calf, sambhar, rusty-spotted cat and many other animals being killed.

With evidences like this used in a hard-fought battle by conservationists, the High Court of Karnataka (on 9th March 2010), ordered the closure of nighttime traffic in both highways through Bandipur and held that it was extremely important to protect wildlife.

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Sanjay Gubbi is an award-winning conservation scientist whose work has resulted in several important successes.



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