Forest officials raise issue of unauthorised leopard transportation from Gujarat
On January 19, officials from the Gujarat forest department were found carrying a caged leopard in a boat in the Narmada River near the border area of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra
In an interstate chief conservator of forest (CCF) officer-level meeting, the forest officials from the Nandurbar forest department raised an issue of unauthorised Leopard transportation from Gujarat to Maharashtra. This meeting was held on Saturday at Saputara village located on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Senior officials from both Gujarat and Maharashtra state forest departments were present for the meeting.
On January 19, officials from the Gujarat forest department were found carrying a caged leopard in a boat in the Narmada River near the border area of Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. The residents alleged that the officials were trying to release the leopard illegally to the forest areas of Nandurbar district. Based on these allegations a probe was also launched by the Maharashtra forest department on January 23.
This issue of interstate illegal transport of animals as well as scheduled category plants was raised in the meeting today.
Speaking about this, Laxman Patil, deputy conservator of forest, Nandurbar forest department said, “We raised the issue in the meeting with the officials from Gujarat. However, because the forest officials from the Kevdiya and Narmada districts did not attend the meeting, there was little discussion on this matter. However, senior officials from the Gujarat forest department directed the officers from both forest departments to maintain proper communication with one another and share inputs on the subject. Officials from the Sardar Sarovar project were also instructed not to bring any wild animals through the boat and to notify forest officials if such behaviour is noticed in the future.”
In addition to leopard transit, the meeting also addressed the subject of scheduled classified plant trafficking. Many small gangs are involved in this trafficking from both states, therefore, to combat it, both forest departments decided to share inputs and develop an action plan, according to Patil.
