The forest departments of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh have chalked out a strategy for undertaking joint efforts and share information to strengthen tiger protection in the Corbett tiger landscape in Uttarakhand and tiger range areas in neighbouring UP.
Various decisions were taken during the meeting of Forest Department officials of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh a few days ago to enhance tiger protection in this Terai region.
According to the Corbett tiger reserve deputy director Saket Badola, at a meet of the forest officials of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, it was decided that there will be coordinated efforts involving Corbett tiger reserve, Terai West forest division in Uttarakhand with Bijnor soil conservation division and Najibabad forest division in neighbouring UP.
“We have decided to strengthen information sharing between the two States and jointly work on a map to identify the sensitive areas in both the States. We will also mark the entry and exit points generally used by poachers on both sides of the inter-State border and this data will be shared to enhance wildlife protection,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that the southern boundary of the Corbett tiger reserve with neighbouring Uttar Pradesh is the area most favoured by poachers and other wildlife criminals to intrude into the protected forests of Uttarakhand.
Earlier in May, the Corbett authorities nabbed notorious tiger poacher Priya Bawaria’s son Satveer and brother Jhalle Ram after being informed about the suspicious movements of some persons trying to enter Corbett from UP.
The Uttarakhand forest department officers and wildlife activists agree that there is need for strengthening security along the southern boundary of Corbett. Officials aver that while wildlife security in Corbett tiger landscape is proper, the lack of proper wildlife security on the UP side makes it convenient for poachers to intrude into Corbett.