This story is from June 30, 2023

Poacher once, Koshy is now tourist guide in Periyar

Poacher once, Koshy is now tourist guide in Periyar
Periyar Tiger Reserve
The more adventurous tourists who embark on the Tiger Trail deep inside Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) are seldom disappointed. Almost always they manage a sighting of the elusive striped quarry, thanks to their guide PJ Koshy. Till not so long ago, Koshy, 60, was a notorious poacher who used to hunt animals like deer and gaur – and even some of the larger animals and predators, though he’s understandably reticent about this.
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But today, he’s PTR’s most sought-after guide. The dishevelled appearance and dusty fatigues aside, the diminutive Koshy knows most of the range’s 700 odd sq km inside out.
Koshy used to wield country-made guns, knives and machetes, and was part of a poachers’ gang involved in illegal wildlife trade till the late eighties. Today, he is at the forefront of a unique conservation program. He dons the role of an informer and tips forest vigilance squads in case of illegal poaching in the 925 sq km tiger reserve in south Kerala.
He first went to the forest at the age of 15 along with other hunters. For the next seven years, he used to peel cinnamon bark off trees and sell them to smugglers. He made his first kill at the age of 22, when he shot a gaur using a country-made gun. “The meat used to fetch ₹50-60 per kg. But cinnamon got us only ₹10-15 per kg,” Koshy says.
A native of Kumily panchayat in Idukki district, Koshy continued poaching till the age of 31, when an injured gaur charged and attacked Koshy’s teammate viciously. This incident haunted Koshy. A few years later, with police on their trail, the gang offered to give up poaching if given jobs for a living. “It was like giving the keys of the house to the thief, but the department agreed to this experiment,” Koshy says.
They initially gave 23 former poachers the job of clearing overgrown bushes in PTR to prevent forest fires. Later, they were entrusted with protecting sandalwood trees, and faced threats from sandalwood smugglers. “We have helped the department file 297 cases against poachers and trespassers,” he says.
As a tourist guide, Koshy takes great care to shepherd visitors to permitted areas without disturbing wild animals. Koshy is also chairman of a eco-development committee (EDC) in Thekkady. “My friends and I could bring a positive difference in our lives. We have learnt that only when forest remains healthy, sustainable livelihood is possible,” he says.
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