Minister Vanni Arasu faces flak for pursuing tiger in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve

In a video posted on social media, Minister for Social Justice, Adi Dravidar Welfare and Hill Tribes, Vanni Arasu, is seen running after a tiger.

Conservationists have demanded action against the Minister for Social Justice, Adi Dravidar Welfare and Hill Tribes, Vanni Arasu, after a video showing him pursuing a tiger in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) was posted on social media.

In the video, the Minister and his family are seen on safari vehicles operated by the Forest Department, accompanied by staff and officials of the department. It also shows the Minister running after a tiger.

The Minister is also seen getting close to a wild elephant, but this apparently happened in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

Conservationists have urged the Forest Department to register a case against the Minister under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for disturbing wildlife. “The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has clear rules stating that tourists should not approach wildlife or alight from safari vehicles. Tourists who transgress these rules face stiff penalties. So, it sets a bad precedent if a Minister is allowed to flout the rules,” said a wildlife conservationist from The Nilgiris. He also called for departmental action against the forest staff and officials who accompanied the Minister and failed to prevent him from approaching wildlife.

When contacted, a top Forest Department official, who had accompanied Mr. Vanni Arasu, said the Minister had not entered a reserve forest area, and the tiger was spotted on a plot belonging to a resort in Achakarai where he was staying. The official said the forest staff were accompanying the Minister only to ensure his safety, and the Minister had not alighted from any safari vehicle when the video was filmed.

Conservationists disagreed with the Forest Department’s explanation, contending that private resort owners were also actively discouraged from allowing people to tour their properties on foot or approach wildlife. They said the department should be uniform in implementing its rules, and take appropriate action against the Minister.