Forest department wants drones to track leopards in Bageshwar

With increasing mananimal conflict in the state, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Bageshwar has written to the forest department seeking drone cameras to track the movement of the big cat in the area.

“We sent an application to the forest department last week seeking drone cameras to keep track of the movement of leopards in this area and accordingly an alert system can be developed for villagers here,” said RK Singh, DFO Bageshwar.

Officials in the department also lack night vision cameras to keep track of leopards during the time they prowl in search of prey. The DFO added that these drones will also help them keep an eye on the movement of cubs from an early stage as it is likely for them to hunt in the same area. Leopard cubs have been spotted by forest guards near Bageshwar.

Permission for drone cameras to track animals are given by the ministry of home affairs if the area falls under a bordering district. Bageshwar being landlocked with other districts of the state will get the approval from the chief wildlife warden. “The request made by the DFO of Bageshwar will be approved after discussion with the finance team of the department. We have to look into the exact request made by the DFO,” said Monish Mullick, chief wildlife warden.

Since January, 2018, five people have died in Bageshwar district due to leopard attack and three leopards have been killed after being declared dangerous to human life.

In November 2017, drones were used by forest officials of Udham Singh Nagar district to locate and ascertain the identity of a big cat which had killed a daily wage worker. Officials in the division have noted high movement of the big cat around tea plantations in the Garur town, Hari Nagari village and near the Bageshwar town. Singh added areas with high migration where bushes have grown near human settlements have witnessed more cases of man-animal conflict. Similar concerns were raised by DFO of Pauri-Garhwal, another district with high rates of human-leopard conflict.

DRONES WILL HELP KEEP AN EYE ON THE MOVEMENT OF CUBS FROM AN EARLY STAGE AS IT IS LIKELY FOR THEM TO HUNT IN THE SAME AREA