E-Paper
Red alert in Dudhwa after U’khand shares intel on poaching activities
Forest staff of the two states are now conducting joint operations to nab any poacher/unwanted person in the forest area.
LUCKNOW A red alert has been sounded in the Lakhimpur Kheri-based Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) and patrolling has been intensified within its confines after the Uttarakhand forest department shared inputs about poaching activities along state borders.
“Poachers’ groups are active on the southern end of Corbett Tiger Reserve, particularly areas that we share with Uttar Pradesh. I request the parts of Uttar Pradesh forest close to Corbett Tiger Reserve be also put under surveillance and with joint operation of the two states, we can stop any unwanted element in forest area,” chief wildlife warden Uttarakhand, Dr Samir Sinha, wrote to additional principal chief conservator of forest (APCCF), project tiger, Uttar Pradesh, Sunil Chaudhary.
Following the intel, forest officials in several districts were put on alert -- including Bareilly, Meerut, Moradabad, Saharanpur, Bijnor. Besides, search operations are ongoing and the use of gadgets -- including metal detectors, infrared camera, smart cages, drone camera, camera traps and M-STrIPES -- has been increased.
M-STrIPES uses Global Positioning System (GPS), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), and remote sensing to collect information from the field, and to provide inferences that allow tiger reserve managers to better manage their wildlife resources.
U.P. and Uttarakhand share land boundary in Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareli, and Pilibhit. Forest staff of the two states are now conducting joint operations to nab any poacher/unwanted person in the forest area.
“Since the border areas in forest between the two states are not marked as wild animals move from one place to another and they should not find any hinderance in movement, hence, the border remains porous both for animals and humans,” said a senior forest official.
Search operations are being conducted day and night by different teams. Officials of two states are in conversation to ensure that no unidentified man passes through and no item such as big boxes go unchecked.
A protected area established in 1977, the Dudhwa National Park was declared as a tiger reserve in 1987. The area is found to have a significant population of Bengal tigers. The reserve is habitat to a diverse range of wildlife -- including tigers, leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and over 450 species of birds.
