Nagzira-Nawegaon (Maharashtra), August 22, 2014: The International Fund for Animal Welfare – Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) recently initiated the wildlife crime prevention training for frontline staff of the Nagzira-Nawegaon Tiger Reserve, under its Van Rakshak (Guardians of the Wild) Project.

Nagzira-Nawegaon TR falls within, and forms a crucial connecting link in the central Indian tiger landscape that harbours 6 % of the world’s wild tiger population.

“These refresher trainings are very useful for our staff to develop on their previously learned skills and to motivate them to discharge their duties more effectively, specially with the recent creation of the Nagzira-Nawegaon Tiger Reserve,” said Chandrasekhar Katore, DFO, Gondia Wildlife Division.

IFAW-WTI has been working to secure this landscape for tigers and other wildlife through various initiatives. Capacity building of frontline staff has been one of its priority; accordingly this year alone, more than a thousand frontline staff have been subjected to IFAW-WTI’s wildlife crime prevention training.

The Nagzira-Nawegaon training will cover around 150 staff of the TR, and is being carried in three batches between August 19th and 24th.

“We have trained frontline staff in Nagzira-Nawegaon earlier too. The first training was held in February 2011 and a refresher was conducted in September 2013,” said Prafulla Bhamburkar, WTI, who is one of the trainers and has assisted Maharashtra government through advocacy to declare a number of protected areas for tigers. “These refresher training help the frontline staff be updated with latest information and also helps motivate them creating a more effective crime prevention force.”

Apart from Bhamburkar, the trainers include Dr Rajendra Prasad Mishra, the Regional Head of Central India for WTI and advocate Yash Kumar Soni who teaches wildlife law components of the training. Soni has been working with IFAW-WTI to help improve the knowledge of frontline staff in following strict regimes in filing and following up on wildlife cases to improve chances of bringing offenders to justice.

“This year, are focusing more on wildlife laws including the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, CrPC Act and Indian Evidence Act,” said trainer Krishnendu Mondal, Lead of the Van Rakshak Project that has till date, trained and equipped over 13000 frontline staff in more than 140 protected areas in India and Bhutan.

Apart from the trainers, the frontline staff also have as mentor Ritesh Bhattacharjee, a retired Conservator of Forests from Assam, during the course of the training.