Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary in the Pir Panjal range of the Western Himalayas is abundant with several species of plants, birds and threatened mammals; the most important one being the Pir Panjal Markhor, a subspecies of the markhor or the wild goat, which is endemic to Kashmir. The sanctuary lies at an altitude of 2500-4500 m and attracts hundreds of migratory herders – mainly the Gujjars and Bakkarwals from Rajouri and Poonch districts. With no permanent settlements inside, around 500 households of migratory herders in 40 odd summer dhoks (grazing pastures) are dispersed in the entire sanctuary. Through the ‘Kashmir Markhor Recovery Project’, the Wildlife Trust of India has been working in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Protection (J&K) to identify the key issues faced by both the herding community as well as the Markhor and find ways to conserve.

As part of the project team that conducted social surveys, I had the opportunity to assess the socio-economics and dependence of migratory herders on natural resources of Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary. We also looked at the changes in traditional herding practices and engaged with the graziers to reduce their dependence and grazing pressure on critical markhor habitats.

Traditionally, these graziers migrate seasonally, spending the summers in the alpine meadows of Kashmir and the winters in the foothills of Rajouri and Poonch. This sustainable practice is called ‘transhumance’ and is unique to this region. The herders had designated pastures to rear their livestock but an alarming trend has developed of late in which 70% of the migratory herders have started subletting their pastures on Tickyana (rent) to unauthorized graziers to earn in cash and kind. Another unpleasant trend has the migratory herders bringing livestock of landlords into the sanctuary for cash, leaving little green pastures for wild ungulates, such as the markhor and musk deer.

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After a lean winter, just when the summer brings long-awaited greenery to the snow-covered mountains, the wild ungulates encounter an uninvited bunch of livestock, guided by herders accompanied by fearsome dogs. While the ungulates watch helplessly from the cliffs, the livestock sweeps through the treasured scanty vegetation. The migratory herders are constantly on the move to search for undisturbed forage that puts an unsustainable grazing pressure on these pastures depriving the markhor and other wild ungulates of first access.

The gujjar and bakkarwal leave for Kashmir from Rajouri in March-April for Hirpora WLS. During their long journey, they stop for brief periods with their livestock at selected sites to rest and refresh themselves. They do this to reach different locations at the right time when the forage is available. It takes the families 15-20 days to reach the pastures in Hirpora WLS, whereas the return journey exceeds 15-30 days. After the opening of the Mughal Road (2010), many migratory herders started hiring trucks for carrying livestock and reach their pastures in a single day, drastically changing the patterns of migration.

Our socio-economic survey of the migratory herders revealed that 90% resort to bribing at check posts they cross enroute to these pastures so that they can have more livestock enter the sanctuary in reality than on paper. Lack of mobile health services and veterinary centres also result in a large number of livestock succumbing to foot and mouth disease. Hirpora sanctuary was notified in 1987 and the grazing rights the herders claim to possess are because they have been occupying the land for a long time. However, this does not credit them with the ownership of the protected area.

Historically any attempt to prevent human incursion in the protected areas by coercion has resulted in a hostile attitude of people towards wildlife and forest staff.  This coercion has often fuelled open conflicts between communities and PA management. With this context, the underlying conservation approach in our project has been to conserve the biodiversity of Hirpora WLS while retaining the traditional herding practices of migratory herders. We must ensure that it is not about demonizing the presence of the herders inside the sanctuary but about managing the ethical, social and political dimensions of this centuries old practice.

Through our approach of positive reinforcement, we are felicitating the herders who support Markhor conservation by not bringing livestock other than their own. Through convergence, the herders who identify the unauthorized herders by bringing such practices to the notice of the Department of Wildlife Protection (J & K) are being linked through various welfare schemes. For example, under ‘Conserving Markhor through Communities’, the migratory herders have also been linked with (PMUY) Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Under this scheme, they would be provided subsidized LPG cylinders to reduce the fuelwood dependency of the herder community in Hirpora wildlife sanctuary.

In some key areas inside the Hirpora sanctuary, livestock-free areas are being created by the Department of Wildlife Protection (J & K). The conservation in the sanctuary is incentivized to strive to maintain or increase herders’ income through better values, namely marketing wildlife-friendly produce, creating an alternative source of fuelwood and fodder and possibly an attractive package of relocation while providing alternative livelihoods.

While the traditional practices of migratory herders are sustainable, gujjar and bakkarwals have been resilient and are adapting to the various socio-economic and geo-political transitions. This has led to a degradation of the delicate balance of the ecosystem in Hirpora WLS. For long term sustenance of transhumance, as well as revival of native wild ungulate populations, reducing livestock numbers seems to be the only viable solution. This could be complemented with innovative multi-pronged incentives for higher returns to the herders. Our team at WTI with the Department of Wildlife Protection Department (J&K) and the Serenity Trust is working tirelessly to evaluate of the impact of transhumance vis-à-vis native wild ungulate populations in Hirpora wildlife sanctuary and the future prospects of the herding practices. Till then the migratory herders and their livestock herds continue to outnumber the wild-ungulates which continue to struggle in this unequal balance. For now, it is clear that the future of the Pir Panjal Markhor lies in developing a community-based conservation practice in a globalized world.

Sameer Khazir, the author of this blog is a sociologist and has been working as a Field Officer with Wildlife Trust of India’s Kashmir Markhor Recovery Project since the last four years.

He is passionate about community conservation and can be reached at sameer@wti.org.in

All pic credits @Sameer Khazir/ WTI