Camera traps with GPS to track animals

The forest department will use camera traps with GPS (Global positioning system) to track the movements of the forest animals in the district especially Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) as part of Tiger and other forest animals’ census that will begin soon.

The forest officials are using camera traps with GPS systems as most of the forest animals keep on changing their habitations in the reserve. These are quite different from recorded cameras officials clarified, following the reports that poachers are on prowl in KTR and setting up live electric wires targeting the forest animals. 

Forest officials are using these cameras for the first time to assess the accurate number of forest animals including tiger and panthers being claimed by the forest officials. Six teams comprising five members each will conduct census in four forest ranges. The teams will comprise FSO, FBO, ABO, watcher and resource person.

Training was conducted to the total 30 forest staff to be involved in the forest animal’s census at Jannaram recently under the leadership of KTR director Sanjay Guptha.

During the training, Sanjay Guptha asked the forest staff to get the accurate figures of the forest animals by using cameras trap with GPS and they can take effective measure to protect the forest animals if their movements are tracked regularly.

The top officials monitor the movements of the forest animals and also poachers to be recorded from the centralized system. Forest staff is fixing nearly 40 camera taps with GPS in additional to the general camera traps to the trees at various locations in Kawal Tiger Reserve.

Thirsty animals fall prey to poachers

Poaching incidents and forest animals coming out of the forests in search of drinking water are being reported these days as summer is fast approaching in the Adilabad district of Telangana.

Poachers are targeting the forest animals entering into the fringes of the villages in search of water. 

Drinking water sources in the forests are gradually drying up and this resulted in forest animals coming out of the forests in search of drinking water.       

It is common practice for the poachers that they set up live electric wires and also nets near water bodies targeting the animals which were landed up in the traps or were electrocuted or killed by poachers.  

‘Forest officials arrested three persons who killed Sambar in the Dharmaraopet forests in Kasipet mandal on January15. Villagers of the Dharmaraopet chased the Sambar which came out of the nearby forests in search of drinking water and was killed.        

On the other hand, a Bison came out of forests and entered into the agriculture fields in Tandur mandal headquarters two days ago. The villagers informed the forest officials who successfully drove the animal into the forests close to Dwaraka Kasipet.

The lifting of sand from the rivulets and streams located in the forests is also contributing to dipping of the capacity of water recharge of streams and rivulets. 

Cops, Maoists face threat from poachers

Police and Maoists who are playing hide and seek game in the forests for the last one year are facing life threat from unexpected quarters: poachers who put up live electric wires targeting the forest animals, and farmers who put up electric fences to protect their crops in the Adilabad district.

As many as 7 persons, some cattle and forest animals electrocuted at various places in this year when they came into contact with live electric wires put up targeting forest animals or to protect standing crops from the animals by farmers or poachers.

Police and Maoists are facing threat of coming into contact with live electric wires when they move in the forests.

It is learnt that police is taking all precautionary measures while combing in the forests and on the fringes of villages and avoiding combining in the night time.     

Police took the serious note of the poachers putting up live electric wires after they faced difficulties during the combing operations. Police warned the poachers of stern action if they were found setting up live electric wires.

Superintendent of police Dr Tarun Joshi appealed to farmers to adopt methods to protect their crops which will not cause any harm to people and warned of filing cases against the farmers and poachers who put up live electric wires.

‘Farmers will go to their agriculture fields even at night to water their standing crops and the farmers and cattle may face the danger from live electric wires, SP said and adding that setting up live elective wires to protect standing crops was against the law’.

Police intensified combing operations in the forests to flush out the Maoists following their increased movement in the forests and on the fringes of interior villages in the district.

Cameras prove lethal for big cats in Adilabad