In view of the frequent leopard sightings on the Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus, it has been decided that an appropriate proposal as per the advice of the chief wildlife warden for erecting complete boundary wall of the FRI campus with barbed wire fencing, flood lighting of all residential areas, lopping of trees and clearance of undergrowth will be prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for allocation of funds.
It has also been decided that all the residents of FRI and visitors to the institute campus should exercise necessary precautions at all times but especially after sunset and with children.The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) director general Dr Ashwani Kumar chaired a meeting with Forest Department officials regarding the leopard menace on campus that has shown an increasing trend with the onset of winter season.
The campus with diversity of trees and bushes provides a suitable habitat for proliferation of high density of herbivores like wild boar, porcupine, hare and pheasants among others. Apart from availability of ample food and water the FRI campus also provides protected environment for survival and breeding of leopards. A child was also injured in chance encounter with a leopard here on December 4.
The need for concentrated efforts by FRI authorities for clearance of undergrowth along roadsides in the campus, provisioning of street lighting in residential areas, setting up of two camera traps for monitoring of leopard movement and also positioning of two cages with bait at strategic locations to trap the stray leopards was discussed in detail. The State chief wildlife warden DVS Khati assured that more camera traps will be installed in FRI campus.
He also assured permission and necessary support for tranquilising and translocating stray leopards of FRI campus with the assistance of Wildlife Institute of India (WII).It was also advised by experts that due to its innate habits leopards tend to be more active between 4-6 AM and 6-8 PM so there should be restrictions for morning and evening walkers during these time periods of the day. WII expert Dr SP Goel, FRI director Dr PP Bhojvaid, FRI Silviculture division head Kunal Satyarthi and Dehradun divisional forest officer Sushant Patnaik were also among those present in the meeting.