Images Showing Bandipur Fire Killed Animals in Wild Forest: Fact Check

Warning: Disturbing pictures in this article. Viewer discretion advised.

Story:

Bandipur Fire Killed Animals in the Wild Forest

Other Versions

2. Animals Killed in Bandipur Forest Fire

3. Bandipur forest fire killed these wild animals

Fact Check:

Various messages doing rounds on social media sites present some disturbing pictures claiming to show Bandipur fire Killed Animals in the wild. Allegedly, the wild animals died in the massive forest fire that took place in Bandipur National Park of Karnataka, India. It’s a fact the forest fire in Bandipur killed some animals, but the pictures viral on social media are not related to the incident.

Not Pictures Showing Bandipur Fire Killed Animals in Wild

The picture of charred Rabbit is not from the Bandipur forest fire. It comes from a deadly wildfire incident in California, which took place in November 2018. The wildfire tore through at least 90,000 acres of land, destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed at least 42 people. It also had a devastating effect on animals. In the picture is a rabbit suffering from burns, struggling to find safety. The picture of burnt, dead Snake comes from a forest fire which broke out in Necoclí region in Antioquia Department of Colombia. The picture appeared earlier in April 2015.

The third picture shows a dead flock of 500 Sheep burned during a wildfire that raged out of control in Darnius near La Junquera (Girona). The incident took place in July 2012, close to the Spanish-French border. The last picture shows an Orangutan burnt to death in March 2016 in a blaze at Kutai National Park in the Borneo Island. The fire was started illegally to clear land for farming. In fact, three charred bodies of the endangered Bornean orangutans were found in the area, believed to be a mother and her two daughters.

About Bandipur Fire and Wild Animals Killed

On 22nd February 2019, a massive fire broke out in Bandipur National Park. It continued for five days and destroyed hundreds of acres of land. Probable reasons of Bandipur forest fire are unusual warm weather, sudden climate change and rapid growth of dry grass and Lantana. Officials also suspect “miscreants” may have started the fire deliberately to protest forest department’s delay in hiring fire spotters. Dry, windy conditions and lack of local sources of water crippled the dousing of the forest fire. Karnataka sought help from the Indian Air Force to shut down the forest fire. Shown below is short news clip from the Bandipur forest fire.

The National Park also houses India’s most popular Bandipur Tiger Reserve. The massive forest fire could have in fact killed hundreds of wild animals, reptiles and insects. “Forest fires not only destroy habitats and food sources, but they also kill thousands of smaller mammals, ground-nesting birds, insects, slow moving reptiles and other wildlife species. Even young ones of animals such as tigers, leopards, dholes, chital, sambar deer are at times killed by forest fires as the mothers leave them in tree cavities and smaller dens,” said Sanjay Gubbi from Nature Conservation Foundation. On the other hand, forest officials also suggest animals like deer, bison, antelopes, elephants, tiger and leopard would have ran into the core forest area to escape from the scorching heat and the raging fire.

The Bandipur forest fire also spread to the Tiger Reserve and was shut down completely after intensive efforts. As of this writing, officials have not released any pictures showing the Bandipur fire killed animals in the wild.