Increasing wild animals amid decreasing forest cover contributes to human-animal conflicts: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday that the increase in the population of wild animals like tigers and elephants, amid a decrease in forest cover in the state, is contributing to human-animal conflicts.
The minister was responding to questions raised by MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka in the Assembly.
"The number of animals has increased. In 1972, Bandipur had 12 tigers. Now, there are 175 tigers. Regarding the carrying capacity (at Bandipur), we have formed a team of experts and will be getting a report from them," Khandre said.
He said, "Forest cover is not increasing proportionately with the rise in animal population. In fact, forests have decreased. We are trying to save forests."
Ashoka sought to know from the minister if the government's recent decision to halt safaris had decreased human-animal conflict.
In November 2025, the government stopped safaris at Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves following a spate of tiger attacks that resulted in human deaths. However, in February, the government decided to lift the safari ban.
Explaining the decision to stop safari, Khandre said, "Safari was not stopped all of a sudden. In November and December, human-animal conflict increased. In Bandipur and the surrounding areas, three lives were lost in a span of fifteen days due to tiger attack, while one person became permanently disabled".
"When I visited Chamarajanagara district, several people and organisations, including farmers, had submitted memoranda, as two lives were already lost by then."
"They had alleged that the safari vehicles were operating even during the night and they were not being regulated, more than the permitted number of people were coming for safari, and it should be halted, or else it may lead to the loss of more lives," he said, adding that based on the memorandum, he had asked officials to examine things.
As there was one more tiger attack in a week's time, the minister further said, following this, he immediately ordered to stop the safari. "Yes, lots of tourists come for the safaris..... Livelihoods were also lost. There was a loss of Rs 6-8 crore. But we wanted to save lives," he said.
Noting that Bandipur has a periphery of 314 km, of which 100 km is a maximum conflict zone, Khandre said. "In that region, we have 25 anti-poaching camps and round-the-clock patrols, with all required facilities. We have set up an integrated command centre. Drone cameras and other facilities have been provided there," he said.
He said the decision to reopen the Bandipur safari was made after regulating things, based on the recommendations in the interim report from a committee consisting of a central government representative.
The government is conducting an outreach programme in 70 villages around the periphery of Bandipur forest, where the government will use 35 per cent of the income from safaris on education and livelihood improvement, Khandre said.
Responding to another question by Malavalli Congress MLA P M Narendraswamy, the minister said, elephant attacks are also on the rise day by day.
"There are several reasons for this. The elephant population has increased. The elephant corridor has been fragmented due to various developmental works like expressways, among others," he said.
Stating that the government has taken various measures to stop this, Khandre said, "The government is erecting 116 km of railway barricades at a cost of Rs 201 crore. They are at various stages....we are also taking up other measures like tentacle fencing. We also have an elephant task force and a leopard task force (to tackle leopard attacks), command centres, and use of modern technologies to monitor the movement of wild animals."
The minister accepted the request of Sullya BJP MLA Bhagirathi Murulya to allow the trekking at Kumara Parvatha, considered one of the toughest trails in the Western Ghats, from 5.30 am instead of the current 6 am.
"The Subramanya-Kumara Parvatha is 12 km, up and down it is a 24-km, 2-day trek. Earlier, the trek started at 6 am, and people had to camp at one location that had no basic facilities, coupled with wildlife movement," Khandre said.
Considering all these factors, the time was changed by senior officials in June 2024, he said. "Now, the 14-km Beedahalli-Kumara Parvatha trek takes 7 hours. The 19-km Beedahalli-Kumara Parvatha-Subramaya needs 10-12 hours.
The Subramanya-Shesha Parvatha-Subramanya is 20 km. Those who start at 6 am have to return before 6 pm.....The starting time will be changed to 5.30 am," he said.
Noting that beyond the carrying capacity, about 2,000-3,000 people used to gather there for trekking sometimes, which could cause disaster, the minister said.
"It has been decided to regulate it by allowing only 150 people per day. The trek happens for six months; it cannot be done during the monsoon and when there are chances of wildfire during summer."
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Nepal mountaineers worried amid fake rescue insurance scam
Kathmandu (PTI): Nepal's mountaineering community has expressed serious concern over a USD 20 million insurance scam, even as police on Friday dismissed as "misleading" media reports alleging that some foreign tourists were deliberately given poisonous food to facilitate fraudulent rescue operations.
As the spring climbing season for Mount Everest opened this week, Nepal Police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) said that ongoing investigations have not found any evidence to support allegations of food poisoning being used to facilitate fake rescue operations.
"We would like to state the fact that the investigation so far has not revealed any instance of toxic substances being adulterated in food," said the CIB, which conducted months-long investigation into the fake mountain rescue operations involving helicopter operators, trekking agencies and hospitals.
"Misleading and untrue news has been published in national and international media, as well as on social media platforms, based on unverified content," the Himalayan Times newspaper reported, citing a statement issued by the CIB.
The CIB has charged 32 people over the fake insurance scam. These people were freed after taking bail, said CIB spokesperson Shiva Kumar Shrestha. The CIB had filed a case at the Kathmandu District Court, which slapped fines on the 32 individuals.
However, the magnanimity of the fraud hangs over the country as the spring climbing season starts.
"We are conducting investigation regarding the fake rescue operation allegedly being conducted by some travel operators in the Everest region and if found guilty, action will be taken," said Director General of Nepal's Tourism Department Ramkrishna Lamichhane.
"Also, we are trying our best to make sure such fake rescue operations do not happen in the days to come," Lamichhane said.
The Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) came down heavily on the alleged practice, saying the mountaineering community as a whole does not encourage such activity.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the association said such allegations are "unimaginable" for expedition operators and stakeholders involved in Nepal's mountaineering sector. It stressed that Nepal has long maintained a strong global reputation as a safe and reliable destination for climbers.
The association called on the government to take strict action if any unethical or inhumane practices are proven, while cautioning that unverified reports could harm the country's image at the start of the peak spring climbing season.
“We discourage such fake rescues in the mountains and urge the government to take strong action against those found guilty,” said NMA president Phur Gelje Sherpa.
“No doubt, there may be a few bad persons who are doing these illegal things, but the mountaineering community as a whole doesn't encourage such activity,” he said while demanding that the government adopt a proper policy to prevent such illegal activity.
Dendi Sherpa, a three-time Everest summitter, said, “Because of the bad conduct of a few people, real climbers like us have to suffer.”
“This will very much have a negative impact on our climbing business. The government should be strict in implementing rules and regulations to control such illegal acts,” he told PTI.
Mount Everest, the world's highest peak at 8,848.86 metres, and scores of other Himalayan peaks continue to be a big draw for mountaineers and adventure lovers from the world over, year after year, since its first ascent in 1953.
Mountaineering, especially for Mt Everest, royalty fees and a large mountain community dependent on mountaineering and related tourism in the region, is a good revenue stream for the Himalayan nation.
Till 2025, more than 8,000 Nepalese and foreign climbers have successfully summited Mt Everest.
In January, Nepal police arrested six officials of tour operators and mountain rescue agencies for their involvement in the fake rescue scam that defrauded international insurance companies of nearly USD 20 million.
In some cases, trekkers with minor altitude-related discomfort were allegedly pressured into helicopter evacuations. In others, multiple patients were transported in a single flight but billed separately to different insurance companies at full cost.
According to the CIB investigators, the accused staged medical emergencies to justify costly helicopter evacuations, which were then falsely claimed from international travel insurance providers.
Fake rescues not only generate illegal profits but also damage Nepal's international reputation and could jeopardise insurance facilities in the country, the CIB had asserted then.
The CIB in January said that their investigation showed that Mountain Rescue Service Pvt Ltd conducted 1,248 rescues, of which 171 were allegedly fake, resulting in insurance claims exceeding USD 10.3 million.
Nepal Charter Service Pvt Ltd carried out 471 rescues, including 75 fake cases, claiming USD 8.2 million, while Everest Experience and Assistance Pvt Ltd conducted 601 rescues, with 71 fraudulent cases involving claims of USD 1.15 million.
In total, 317 fake rescues were detected out of 2,320 operations, leading to fraudulent insurance claims of nearly USD 20 million, the bureau said.
