Thimpu, Bhutan , July 15, 2019 : The benefits of having trained and equipped staff on the ground were seen when an Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) whose head was stuck in a kettle was rescued from a monastery in Bhutan last month. Yet another black bear was rescued from a snare laid by an orchard owner, given veterinary treatment for three days and released back to the wild this month. Bhutan teams have been active in rescuing & treating injured deer species i.e. Sambar (Rusa unicolour) and Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) being predated by stray dogs totalling 11 cases in 3 months.
IFAW-WTI has been working with the Nature Conservation Division, Department of Forest Parks and Services (DoFPS), Ministry of Agriculture and Forests (MOAF), Government of Bhutan in training, capacity building and equipping their frontline staff. It is heartening to see the recently handed over Mobile Response Unit (MRU) and field equipment being put to good use in handling animal conflict situations.
Team IFAW-WTI kicked off the year 2019 with a three-day (Training of Trainers) ToT program with Royal Government of Bhutan in Thimphu. Thirteen officials comprising DoFPS and Department of Livestock, MoAF, Royal Government of Bhutan attending the ToT focussed on the theme of “Wildlife Rescue, Handling and Conflict Animal Management”. Dr NVK Ashraf, Chief Veterinarian and Dr Samshul Ali, Veterinarian from IFAW-WTI trained the participants on different aspects such as dynamics of Human-Wildlife Conflict, general principles of Rescue and Rehabilitation, emergency care and first aid of critically injured wildlife, chemical capture etc. These interactive sessions included several case studies from India.
Following the ToT, the trainers conducted field visits to seventeen forest divisions across Bhutan where more than 211 frontline forest staff were trained in theory and practical exercises. Collaboration with our neighbouring country includes a landscape-level approach to saving our natural heritage that includes contiguous forests and their inhabitants who know no borders.
Similar stories can be read here: https://www.wti.org.in/news/training-on-wildlife-rescue-and-handling-to-build-capacity-of-bhutan-wildlife-department-staff/
https://www.wti.org.in/news/bhutan-team-rescue-black-bear/
