Social media crowds disrupt wildlife rescues, face action

Mysuru: A group of youngsters claiming links to farmer leaders is creating fresh challenges for the forest department during operations to rescue elephants, leopards and tigers, prompting officials to plan stern action against those responsible.Instead of assisting authorities in managing tense situations, many rush to rescue sites, crowd the area to click selfies and shoot videos for social media. Their presence disrupts operations and heightens risks for both people and animals.Foresters alleged that some among them also spread rumours accusing the department of inaction or negligence, fuelling anger among villagers.Farmer neta Kurubur Shanthakumar supported action against those indulging in such wrongdoing, but denied that farmers were involved.This denail notwithstanding, Bandipur Tiger Reserve director S Prabhakaran told TOI that a section of youths claiming to represent farmer organisations routinely hampers rescue efforts. "As forest officers, we have the responsibility to not only rescue animals in conflict with humans, but also to ensure the safety of residents in the surrounding areas. However, some people create trouble at such locations and start clicking photos and videos, just to post them on social media," he said, warning of legal action.Officials said these self-styled activists often manage to reach restricted areas near the Bandipur buffer zone even when prohibitory orders are in place, preventing foresters from carrying out their work.With incidents of human-animal conflict on the rise, such interference is making already sensitive operations more dangerous for the public as well as frontline staff, officials said, stressing that genuine local cooperation is crucial.