About Compensation Scheme
MCT started to realise the impact that large carnivores (Tiger, Leopard & Wild dog) killing livestock was having on their very own survival. The local people losing their livelihoods was creating a tremendous negative emotional response and retaliatory killing of carnivorous animals like wild dogs and big cats, was being carried out in the form of poisoning the cattle kill carcasses, thereby killing.
the culprit who stole their livelihood. In poisoning a carcass, not only will the large carnivore be killed, but all other scavengers who might feed on the same carcass for example the critically endangered vulture and so many other mammals and birds. To stop this carnage, MCT decided to try and compensate people for their losses. The word was put out that we would pay a sum of money to the people in return for their promise that no poisoning would occur. The philosophy of giving in this way, worked and since the inception of our compensation scheme, we have had a 99.9% success rate based on our work with the people on-ground and data collected.
When a cow, sheep or goat is killed, the owner calls up or comes to the MCT office in Mangala Village to inform us. Then, one of our evaluators goes with the owner of the livestock to do what is called a “Marger” a.k.a. “the evaluation” of the remains of the cow, goat or sheep. A thorough look and study of the surroundings of the kill, for example, drag marks, teeth marks, pug marks and claw marks are identified and noted. GPS locations are recorded and sometimes there is a direct sighting of the big cat. This compensation scheme has two benefits. It helps the owner of the livestock financially and emotionally; it is also a deterrent for people to poison as there is now a detailed account of the kill.
Compensated for livestock
What People
Say About Us
The Mariamma Charitable Trust has done really commendable work in protecting tigers and leopards from retaliatory killing, whilst also addressing the economic losses that the rural people face when their cattle are killed by large carnivores.
The Trust’s work in providing free health care and support for education also greatly helps to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor in the local communities
am a veterinarian with the Wildlife Trust of India and we work in close collaboration with the Forest Department of Karnataka. I first met Sunita when I was 14 years old.
She is totally dedicated to wildlife and is passionate about her work. My role is to attend to injured and dying animals and to build bridges between the local people who suffer losses and the Forest Department. Things have been so much easier with Sunita’s input. I feel she has made a great deal of change in the perceptions of the local people and has contributed greatly towards reducing human-animal conflict in this belt.
This area in the tiger reserve is a mosaic of communities, agricultural land and forests. Traditionally the villagers have tolerated the wildlife but as the human wildlife conflict has intensified, antagonism is fast replacing this tolerance.
Sunita and the Mariamma Charitable Trust are working hard to maintain the traditional tolerance through a multi-pronged approach that focuses on enhancing healthcare and compensating farmers who lose live-stock to large carnivores from the park. These steps are important precursors to achieving the larger goal – the co-existence of human communities and wildlife with both benefiting from the other; humans from the economic value that living close to wildlife can bring through tourism and for wildlife, the maintenance of their habitat, giving them optimal access to food and water. The local communities are confident in the Trust and the dynamic and committed team – your financial support will only further the cause of conservation in this outstanding environment.
