Now state-of-the-art cameras will trap the movements of the poachers and wildlife criminals in all the five forest divisions of the western circle of the Kumaon division.
“Though the camera trap method is very much in practice in ourdifferent forest divisions to monitor the movements of the wild animals and all other activities, now efforts are on to equip the sensitive locations of all the five forest divisions of the western circle with the cameras,” said newly appointed Conservator of Forest, western circle Vivek Pandey, while talking to The Pioneer.
“Besides, strengthening the patrolling network will be my top priority to protect the flora and fauna in this terai-landscape,” Pandey said.
It is a matter of fact that only by maintaining physical presence on the ground, can the department create a kind of deterrence to discourage the wildlife crimes in the forests, he maintained.
Therefore, to ensure physical presence of the forest officials on the ground will be the top priority to maintain vigil in different pockets of the forest divisions, Pandey added.
“Apart from that, we have to work hard on intelligence gathering and wireless communication systems,” the Conservator of Forest further said. “Besides, we have also to prepare both long and short term strategies to strengthen our patrolling network,” he said.
In the terai landscape, all the five forest divisions including the Haldwani forest division, the terai-east forest division, the terai-central forest division, the Ramnagar forest division and the terai-west forest divisions of the western circle which are considered rich in terms of flora and fauna, are equally sensitive to the anti-wildlife activities.
Recent incidents of killing of endangered wild animals like tiger in terai-west forest division and recovery of a consignment of ivory pieces from the same division in recent past to name a few incidents only give that impression.
Besides, the long and porous interstate border with UP and the international border with Nepal also seem to have prompted the forest department to review its strategy to take on the poachers in the western circle of the Kumaon division and elsewhere.