Wildlife conservation not a project, long-term commitment to landscape

BENGALURU: With 30 years devoted for conservation of forests in Karnataka, electrical engineer-turned-wildlife biologist Sanjay Gubbi needs no introduction. Recently, he was honoured with the prestigious Whitley Award(Green Oscars) for his service in wildlife preservation and expanding the protected areas of Karnataka by 6.5 lakh acres.Fresh from a visit to London where he received the award from Princess Anne, Gubbi, who works with the Mysuru-based Nature Conservation Foundation, attributed his achievements to the collective efforts of stakeholders. Excerpts:

The expansion of protected areas in Karnataka by 37%, in which you were involved, is the largest in India since 1970. Why is expanding forests so important?
It’s like what parents do for their children. They want to secure the future of their children by giving good education, or building a few assets for them. To ensure a better future for wildlife, securing their habitats is vital, and then comes recovery. Systematic enhancing of protected areas has provided connectivity for wild animals, especially wide-ranging species such as tigers and elephants, across 23 sites. This exercise is a matter of concern for humans, as these forests are the most important source of fresh water for us; most of our rivers take birth here.

What are the challenges in the process?
It’s a long-winding process. Our first effort to expand the protected area around Anshi-Dandeli in Uttara Kannada, of about 60,000 acres, started in 2002 and took seven years for the final notification to be issued. The challenge is to build consensus among stakeholders, including communities, bureaucrats and politicians. Starting from a clerk to the chief minister, you need to follow things up till the last mile. Our biggest expansion of 6.5 lakh acres around areas like Bannerghatta National Park, MM Hills, Cauvery and Nagarhole took only two years from 2010. This was possible because of the supportive bureaucracy a responsive political leadership, and individuals like (cricketer) Anil Kumble.

How did you convince the village communities?
Wherever protected areas have been expanded, villages have been notified as enclosures so that the rights of inhabitants are not affected. We explained to them how protected forests would ensure good rains, water for drinking and agriculture etc. The role of local politicians, especially MLAs, is important in spreading the right message among villagers.

You had a close encounter with a leopard that had entered a school campus in Bengaluru last year…
Most of the wounds have healed. However, I’m yet to regain full sensitivity of my right hand.Princess Anne, while handing over the award to me, said, ‘Oh, you are the man with a lot of scars’. As far as I am concerned, I have moved on, and my efforts for conservation of big cats, especially leopards, have continued. I spend more than 60% of my time in the field.