Anti-poaching camps in more forest ranges

The Hindu , Friday, April 22, 2005
Correspondent : Ignatius Pereira
KOLLAM: The successful performance of the anti-poaching camp located deep inside a forest location at Upper Moozhiyar, coming under the Goodrikal Range, has made the Forest Department think on the lines of opening more such camps inside other forest ranges too.

The Goodrikal Range, coming under the Kollam Circle of the Forest Department, comprises an area of 625-square km and is the biggest forest range in the State. It is this vastness of the range which made the department come out with the novel idea of an anti-poaching camp to help counter poaching activities more effectively. The camp which started functioning during mid-2003 was constructed utilising funds allotted under the Project Elephant Scheme.

The anti-poaching camp is no posh out-post inside the forest. It is just a tin-roofed shed highly vulnerable to attacks from poachers and elephants. It calls for grit and integrity to be on duty there. The camp at Upper Moozhiyar is protected by deep trenches on all four sides to keep elephant herds at bay. Manned only by two Forest personnel, a forester and a guard, a posting to the centre is like living inside the forest under challenging situations and virtually cut off from the outside world.

In addition to winning the confidence of tribals and gathering information from them on poaching and other illicit activities, the duo posted to the centre will have to make long trekking into the remote forest areas. They will have to cook their own food. Trekking can sometimes be thrilling when rare wildlife is spotted. But many a time, it turns dangerous following threats posed by poachers and wild animals.

Reinforcements

Countering the illicit activities then and there does not form part of the duty for the camp personnel. They have to pass on the information to the range office and that will take a couple of days, given the situations under which they work. Once the information reaches the range office, reinforcements are rushed to the scene and the illicit activities crushed. The Upper Moozhiyar camp was responsible for busting several illicit activities going on within the forest. If the Goodrikal Range was once known to be a safe haven for ganja cultivators, it is no more now.

Ganja cultivation

The personnel at the camp were able to identify each and every stretch used for ganja cultivation. Based on such information, a major offensive against ganja cultivation was launched by a big team from the range during October 2003. Similarly all forms of poaching and other illicit activities in the range have reportedly come down appreciably.

It is this experience which is now promoting the idea for establishing more camps in more ranges. The Forest Circle Office at Kollam said two such camps would soon be opened at Naduvathumuzhy and Palakuzhi coming under the Mannarapara Range. Two more camps would be opened by the end of this year. One would be at Ponmudi in the Kulathupuzha Range coming under the Agastyamala Biosphere Reserve, and the other which is under the Integrated Forest Protection Scheme at Pachakanam, also under the Goodrikal Range. A camp has been proposed in Sankily Forests under the Kulathupuzha Range.

 
SOURCE : The Hindu, Friday, April 22, 2005
 


Back to pevious page



The NetworkAbout Us  |  Our Partners  |  Concepts   
Resources :  Databases  |  Publications  |  Media Guide  |  Suggested Links
Happenings :  News  |  Events  |  Opinion Polls  |  Case Studies
Contact :  Guest Book  |  FAQs |  Email Us