Department of Wildlife Protection, J&K under the guidance of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests(WL)/Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K Sarvesh Rai, is organizing six days Technical workshop cum training programme on ‘Human Wildlife Conflict for the frontline staff of Kashmir Region consisting of Forest Territorial, Forest Protection Force and Wildlife Department from 29th April, to 4th May, 2024.
The workshop cum training for the frontline staff shall be imparted in three phases for three circles viz; Srinagar, North and South Circle. The inaugural function of the training programme was held today at Nature Interpretation Center of Dachigam National Park here. The programme was inaugurated by Additional Pr. Chief Conservation of Forests, Kashmir Chief T. Rabi Kumar.
Divisional Forest Officers, Deputy Directors of Forest Protection Force, Wildlife Wardens, President, National Society & Water Resources, Wetlands &. Forests, J&K ,Executive Director, WCF, Head. Wildlife SOS, Chairman, SRDE and the Project Head, Wild Life Trust of India besides the special invitees, panel of national experts from Himachal Pradesh dealing with Man Wildlife Conflict headed by Ashish Dasgupta, Ex-Member State Board for Wildlife(HP) and Honorary Wildlife Warden for the State of HP and his team members Rajive Solomon, Rao Talha Farhat and Syed Ali Bin Hadi and trainees from Forest Territorial, Forest Protection Force and Department of Wildlife Protection were present during the event.
In his address, Pr. Chief Conservator of Forests, Kashmir expressed his satisfaction and congratulated the organizers for the programme. He gave an overview of practical strategies to be employed for effective conflict control pertaining to wildlife and stressed on conducting such type of programs in near future as well.
DCF, Regional Wildlife Warden, HQs, J&K, Rashid Yahya Naquash, shared his introductory remarks wherein he summed up with statistical and historical data pertaining to human-wildlife conflicts in the area and the essence and purpose of such trainings.
Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir, Pradeepchandra Wahule, in his inaugural remarks briefed about the importance of trainings in upgrading the technical skills required for the forest and allied staff to monitor and control the leopard, bear and other wildlife issues prevalent in the valley.
On the first day of training programme, Technical sessions and interactive workshop on Mitigation of Human Wildlife Conflict in Kashmir were held with thrust areas like overview of Human Wildlife Conflict in Kashmir Province with specific reference to leopards and bears, overall perspective of man-wildlife conflicts and methodology of resolution, Leopard and Bears- behavioural pattern on prey, mating, food chain etc based on habitat and change of behaviour in areas with high frequency of human exposure and strategies to be adopted for conflict resolution namely trapping, tranquilizing or in exceptional cases requiring liquidation, methodology thereof.
Pertinently, in the second day of training programme, trainees shall undertake trekking of Man Wildlife Conflict- prone areas and shall be educated about various aspects like tracking of Wild animal by direct/indirect evidences by way of identification of pug marks, scats, fur, animal articles, carcass etc; protocols suggested for officers & officials of Wildlife Department & other line Departments; strategies to be adopted for conflict resolution and interaction with villagers of villages prone to man-wildlife conflicts.