Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Dec 4: The wildlife department in Jammu and Kashmir is working to ensure minimum man-animal conflict incident, protection of endangered species besides hunting of birds.
Chief Wildlife Warden Suresh Gupta said that the department is facing several challenges in J&K but the main challenge is man-animal conflict as bear and leopards are moving to residential areas in Kashmir, while snakes are found in houses in Jammu due to urbanization.
Gupta said in Jammu people feed monkeys in residential areas and their number has been increasing which are later damaging crops of the people while ensuring no property loss is also a challenge.
“We have started a campaign to aware people that they should avoid feeding monkeys in residential areas, rather they can provide us what they want to feed them in forest area so that monkeys won’t move towards residential areas,” he said.
He said that poaching incidents have decreased but as migratory birds arrive in Kashmir mostly in winter people start hunting.
“We have devised a strategy with the help of police and forest protection force to stop such incidents,” Gupta said.
“Hangul, Markhor, Snow leopard, Brown Bare, Pangolin are the main endangered animals in J&K and every possible step is being taken for their safety,” he said.
He said that there are just 600 employees to cover 4800 sq km wildlife area which isn’t a tough job but once wild animals move towards residential areas, it becomes a challenge.
He said that department has already referred around 150 posts to JKSSB and process of recruitment will start soon.
“Besides we are planning to establish joint control rooms of wildlife, forest and forest protection force and very soon work on such model will start,” Gupta said.
Gupta said people must follow the wildlife advisories in letter and spirit and instead of panicking, inform police or wildlife control rooms so that humans as well as animals can be saved.
