For the first time, the ministry of environment and forests and WWF have come together to deploy deep search detectors to locate traps laid for tigers. And the equipment is helping, with several traps in some of the most protected tiger reserves of the country thwarted.

“We got a letter from officials in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve on how the deep search detector has helped them bring down the [poaching] menace. A total of 30 tiger reserves have been given 60 such detectors,” Samir Sinha, head of TRAFFIC, India, said.

He said the idea was to equip forest guards with technology and train them, so that they carry out their responsibilities effectively. “If technology is available, why not use it?”

Sinha is also working on a project to train forest guards in collecting forensic evidence from sites where poachers have killed tigers or other animals.

“There is no difference between investigating a murder and investigating poaching. Crucial forensic evidence, such as finger prints, shoe marks, tracks, is available at poaching sites. We need to arm our forest officials with the right technology for best results,” he said, adding that the government was planning to increase punishment for poachers.

In yet another instance of better use of resources, well-trained sniffer dogs are being widely used against the organised poaching mafia. Such dogs have been already deployed in reserves in five states, with Uttarakhand and Haryana leading the way. “Sniffer dogs are the new weapon against poachers. They can be used for tracking and recovering animal skin,” Sinha said.