The Environment Ministry has drawn up a draft wildlife conservation plan to reduce man-animal conflicts.
It has suggested identification and documentation of wildlife species that stray regularly into human habitats, causing conflicts.
This comes close on the heels of a leopard entering a school in Bengaluru on Monday where it injured five people before being tranquilised and trapped.
The ongoing conservation action plan was adopted in 2002 and is due to expire this year. The ministry had constituted a 12-member committee, presided by a former Secretary J C Kala, to draft the conservation plan for the period 2017-31. The ministry has invited comments and suggestions on the draft action plan till February 17.
The plan recognises that wildlife-human conflicts are largely a human-induced phenomenon combined with the specific behavioral ecology of animals. It has recommended the government to ensure that the development projects in wildlife areas do not turn out to be drivers of conflict.
It also calls for constitution of a well-trained and equipped workforce in the State Forest Departments to address such situations.
The plan further advocates for drawing up comprehensive, species and region specific, conflict mitigation plans to prevent / reduce escalating conflict situations in the interests of both human and wildlife. These should focus primarily on scientific management of wildlife populations as well as land-use practices that can aid and abet such cases, says the plan.
Simultaneously, it also stresses on several measures for wildlife conservation including rehabilitation of threatened species, strengthening and improving the protected areas, control of poaching and illegal trade. For rehabilitation of threatened species, the committee has suggested carrying out of status survey of data-deficient species and publish reports on their populations, area of extent, causes of threat and status of habitat.
For this, the respective forest departments have been asked to develop a cadre of trained wildlife biologists and botanists. Further, capabilities need to be developed for planned breeding and reintroduction of captive bred populations of identified endangered species in accordance with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) guidelines, the plan said
The draft plan also recommends formation of special investigation units in protected areas and empowering them with weapons and training to control poaching and illegal trade in wildlife. It has suggested for filling up frontline staff vacancies in State Forest Departments, in Tiger Reserves and protected areas.