Pilibhit, 22 September 2019: The upcoming harvest season for sugarcane will see a large number of people working in fields that are also preferred refuges of wild carnivores in the Terai region of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Increasing instances of wildlife caught in conflict in human dominated areas near forests have resulted in casualties on both sides. Working with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, WTI organised a workshop in Pilibhit to sensitise the local community on how to act during a conflict situation.

The Field Director of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) Mr. H. Raja Mohan who was also the chief guest for the event had expressed the need of one such workshop. Addressing the gathering, he said, “forests are shrinking and herbivorous are entering agriculture fields; behind them are the big cats that reach human population, ultimately resulting in conflict”.

[acx_slideshow name=”pilibhit”]

Deputy Director, PTR, Mr. Naveen Khandelwal appealed to the attendees during the workshop to cooperate with the field teams in every which way they can, during conflict situations.

“It’s important to communicate preventive measures to the local communities”, said Mr Prem Chandra Pandey, WTI’s social scientist and the project head working in this region. “Our Rapid Response Team (RRT) addresses conflict and also works with local communities to ensure reduced instances. We invited influencers from 72 villages of the 283 in the vicinity of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve that are most prone to carnivore conflict”, he added.

Representatives from these villages viz. the Gram Pradhans, Gram Panchayat members and other influential people were present in this workshop that also had Range Officers of five forest ranges and SDO of the division with their respective staff.

WTI’s Rapid Response Teams comprising 22 members from five teams have been instrumental in making this program a success, including biologist Mr. Sumit Saha, veterinarian Dr. Daksha Gangwar, social scientist Prem Chandra Pandey and assistants Mr. Karma Singh and Palu. They have been instrumental in dealing with several tiger and leopard conflict situations in the Dudhwa Pilibhit landscape.