Forest dept launches anti-snare, anti-electrocution drives in Pilibhit

Pilibhit: Forest & wildlife division in Pilibhit launched anti-snare and anti-electrocution drives on Monday to protect wildlife — particularly leopards, wild boars and deer — following recent cases of leopard trapping in Nagaria Khurd and Ladhpura on Sept 26 and Nov 1, and the recovery of over 70 snares from Naujalha Nakta in early Oct.Divisional forest officer Bharat Kumar DK said the drives will cover all villages identified as sensitive based on wildlife movement and past snaring incidents. "Teams include members of primary response teams, bagh mitras and trained forest personnel. We are using metal detectors to detect traps and snares, and two trained dog squads from Dudhwa National Park and Kalagarh Tiger Reserve will also be deployed," he said.People in all 276 villages within Pilibhit Tiger Reserve's eco-sensitive zone will be encouraged to stop using barbed and razor wires for field fencing, as they can seriously injure wildlife. Initially, awareness will be prioritised, but defiance of the advisory will invite legal action, the DFO said.Village heads have also been urged to cooperate with the drives since wolves, wild boars, leopards and antelope species — especially blackbuck — frequently move into agricultural areas, making them vulnerable to traps.