For some deer, a few birds and a Himalayan brown bear, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s passion for wildlife means they have to move house. The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister is pressing for a largescale transfer of animals from across the State to his pet project, the Pahalgam Deer Park. In fact, Mufti is said to be keen to inaugurate the park in another two weeks, but it’s not easy as it sounds with wildlife experts questioning the shift. Their concerns: risk faced by the animals due to the acclimatisation factor, and the high cost involved. The CM, though, appears unfazed—he asked the State Forest Department to expedite the shift during a late-April meeting with Forest Minister Ghulam Mohideen Sofi and senior officials. There is that political twist to the transfer too. Sources point out that Mufti is keen to launch the project as soon as posible, as he may contest from Pahalgam in the forthcoming assembly by-polls. Mufti’s daughter and the ruling PDP chief, Mehbooba Mufti, was elected from Pahalgam in the October 2002 assembly elections and again, in the Lok Sabha polls last month. The animals that will be tranferred to Pahalgam include three spotted deers, a goat from the high-altitude Kargil area, birds such as koklas, monal and tragopan, and a male Himalayan brown bear: all from the Dachigam National Park. Four spotted deer have already been shifted from the Manda Park in Jammu, which will also transfer a nilgai and at least two wild cats to Pahalgam, apparently to add to the park’s "attraction value". ‘‘Re-introduction of wildlife and captive breeding are good, but a lot of thinking must be done before putting this idea into practice,’’ a former wildlife officer told The Indian Express. However, according to S D Savtantra, J&K’s Chief Wildlife Warden, the Pahalgam park is build on scientific lines and the shift will actually help the animals. ‘‘It suits animals if they are allowed to breed in two or more places. Assuming disease breaks at one place and wipes out the wildlife there, we have a back-up,’’ he said. But the ex-wildlife officer argues that the very purpose of breeding is defeated if visitors are allowed into the park, as per an official proposal. ‘‘They should come clean on this. whether it is a protected park, a zoo or an amusement park where the animals would be put on show. Tell me, how can a poor animal breed when there will so disturbance?’’ Savtantra, meanwhile, adds that there is a proposal to bring a female brown bear to the Pahalgam park—all the way from Himachal Pradesh. ‘‘We have written to Himachal government on this," he said. According to Savtantra, the State is also considering a swap with the Uttranchal government as part of an animal exchange programme: half a dozen musk deers for hanguls. ‘‘Though we cannot spare the endangered animal (hangul) at this juncture, we will reciprocate as and when their population increases.’’ When asked about the proposed shift of animals, the State Forest Minister had only this to offer: ‘‘The CM wants every project to start without delay.’’
