Training frontline Forest Department staff in Kanha

Kanha NP (Madhya Pradesh): To further strengthen tiger protection in Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, the state Forest Department and International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI), supported by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began the second phase of the ‘wildlife crime prevention’ training for the frontline Forest Department staff, on Wednesday.

The first phase of the training conducted in May this year saw a participation of 322 frontline staff from Khatia, Kanha, Kisli, Garhi, Phen, Bhaisanghat, Samnapur and Sijhora ranges of Kanha NP. The participants were provided free field kits, following the training. In this phase, over 300 frontline staff will be trained on patrolling techniques, crime detection, intelligence gathering by development of a network of informers, basic understanding of the law, etc. The trainings are being held at Khatia, Garhi and Muki. There are 60 participants in a batch and a total of 5 batches are going to be trained for 2 days each.

One of the strongholds of the tiger in India, according to the last tiger status report Kanha NP has a population of 73-105 tigers.

“Kanha NP is among the better protected areas in India. However, we cannot afford to underestimate threats to tigers anywhere. Poachers strike at any opportunity, and a strong, well-informed and motivated frontline staff is one of the solutions to control this. Regular trainings help them keep abreast with latest knowledge that can be used to effectively minimise wildlife crimes,” said Ashok Kumar, Vice-chairman, WTI.

The training is organised under WTI’s Guardians of the Wild division that works with the Forest Department’s frontline field staff, honing their skills through trainings, boosting their morale through a nationwide insurance scheme, and equipping them, to perform their duties better. Since the inception of the project in 2000, over 100 protected areas and more than 25 other important wildlife areas have been covered.