Wildlife rules don’t allow people to rear farm animals in areas near nature reserves for fear of spreading diseases among wild animals. Some tribals in Karnataka state’s BRT Sanctuary don’t want to part with their livestock and the authorities want them to.

As reported by The Times of India:

“Tribals living within the BRT Sanctuary are upset with authorities for asking them to sell their livestock. They view it as an effort to move them out of the forest. They say the forest authorities had earlier encouraged rearing livestock and their recent decision would affect the livelihood of hundreds of families.

“Forest officials, however, say the Wildlife Act doesn’t allow tribals living in the core areas of sanctuaries to rear livestock. More and more families are rearing cows, sheep and goats as it benefits them; but this affects the tiger conservation effort adversely.

“Notices have been served to families rearing livestock in their hamlets in the Yelandur wildlife range asking them to sell them within two weeks. Families in eight tribal places surrounding the Biligiriranganatha Swamy temple were given similar advice a week ago.”