SARBHANG

Wildlife crimefighters Security personnel at the NCD/WWF workshop in Gelephu

15 December, 2009 - The nature conservation division is seeking the help of the royal Bhutan army to prevent poaching and help farmers save crops and property from wild animals.

“Armies can apprehend poachers and hand them over to the forest department,” said the division’s forest officer, Sonam Wangdi, to about 60 army and three police personnel, who attended a awareness campaign on poaching and illegal wildlife trade activities in Gelephu on December 14.

He said that, in Gelephu, where elephant rampage is common, armed forces could help forest officials to drive away wild animals while on patrol. “Informing the forest officials of approaching animals will prevent human-wildlife conflict. It’s easier than tackling the conflict.”

One of the major activities under the anti-poaching program phase III funded by WWF Bhutan, the awareness campaign for law enforcement agencies is expected to reduce wildlife crimes, according to NCD officials.

Am army patrolling team apprehended one illegal timber extractor in 2009 and three in 2008 in the royal Manas national park (RMNP).

Armed forces in Gelephu and forest officials of RMNP conduct joint anti-poaching patrols along the border to control illegal activities, such as hunting, logging, and harvesting forest products in the park.

“Poaching of endangered animals, export and import of wildlife material, smuggling by concealing wildlife products, and smuggling prohibited wildlife items to another place, where such restriction don’t exist, constitute wildlife crime,” said NCD’s anti-poaching coordinator, Norbu Wangdi.

Norbu Wangdi explained the penalties for killing and smuggling of endangered species. “If a person kills a tiger, he’ll be penalised with three components of penalties as per forest and nature conservation rules, 2006,” he said. “He’ll have to pay the sale proceed (market value of the item), in compensation, which is equivalent to 100 percent of the sale proceed and penalty for breaching the conservation rule, which can go up to maximum of Nu 50,000.”

A RMNP ranger, Yeshi, said that, since illegal activities had increased this year, it’s most appropriate for the army and forest officials to work together. “It’s unsafe for foresters to travel alone,” he said.

The awareness campaign was educative, according to Gelephu’s wing commander, Rinzin Dorji. “We assure that army will give full support to conserve.”

Manas park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1966, and upgraded to a national park in 1993. The park has a vast diversity of tropical grasslands, temperate moist forests, alpine meadows, and scrublands. Among a variety of species, the park holds about 58 species of mammals, 427 species of birds and 900 species of vascular plants.

By Tashi Dema in Kuensel

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