WE CONSERVE AND SUSTAINABLE USE RAJASTHAN’S BIODIVERSITY
We are integral to Rajasthan’s forests, gauchar and oran. Our animals have contributed to the ecology
of the region to such an extent that they cannot be separated from the “natural” state of the forests,
gauchar and oran.
As our animals graze, they provide manure to otherwise infertile ground. At the same time, the seeds in
the manure have a higher chance of germination, provide gestation and increase the natural
propagation of local trees. Because our animals consume the foliage on the ground, it helps to keep
termite numbers low. The feeding on ground fall and tall grass has also lowered the incidence of forest
fires.
For generations we, the Raika, have acted as custodians of the forest. We have always fought forest
fires, dealt with invasive species poisonous for animals (such as Angrezi Babul i.e. Prosopis juliflora and
the Rukadi i.e. Lantana camara) and reported illegal logging and poaching. Our customary laws ban
practices that degrade the environment, including the lopping of sacred trees, and heavy punishments
are meted to community members who break the rules.
Our grazing patterns are based on our traditional ecological knowledge and establish a strict rotation
based on the seasons over a five year period. At the same we stimulate tree growth by our practice of
lopping of selected trees, as well as by our camels that eat the twigs and leaves of the upper branches.
Studies on our grazing patterns have shown stronger tree growth in areas where our livestock have
traditionally grazed.
Our livestock has become integral to the animal diversity in forest areas. Predators such as leopards and
wolves have traditionally preyed on our livestock and we consider the resulting loss of livestock as a
natural part of our integral relationship with the ecosystem. Studies in the Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary have
shown how the leopard population in the region has been sustained by our livestock and the negative
impacts caused by the exclusion of livestock from the Sanctuary which include increased encroachment
by leopards into villages leading to dangerous conflicts.
We also provide services to the villages near our grazing lands and migratory routes. We provide
manure to farmers, either by keeping our animals on their land on a temporary basis, or by selling it to
them directly. People from surrounding villages use the forest for a variety of needs, including collecting
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