Chenchus believe the fox ushers in fortune

  1. The Chenchu tribal families have succeeded in domesticating the fox.They believe that the fox ushers in fortune.However,the conservation of fox falls under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act 1972,according to which hunting or domesticating it is an offence.
  2. Chenchus are a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group(PVTGs).They are forest dwellers whose home is the Nallamala forest range.It spreads across four to five districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states.They are also found in the states of Karnataka and Odisha.
  3. Chenchus are an aboriginal tribe whose traditional way of life has been based on hunting and gathering.The Chenchus speak the Chenchu language,a member of the Dravidian language family.
  4. The PVTGs are the marginalized section of the Scheduled tribes of India. They are a section who are relatively isolated,educationally and socio-economically backward,living in a habitat far away from amenities.
  5. PVTG is not a Constitutional category,nor are these constitutionally recognized communities.It is a government of India classification created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with particularly low development.
  6. The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as under (a)pre-agriculture level of technology (b)stagnant or declining population (c)Extremely low literacy and (d)subsistence level of economy.