Forest dept prepares project worth Rs 13 crore to tackle man-animal conflict

BIJNOR: With the backdrop of escalating incidents of man-animal conflict in the Bijnor district, the local forest department has prepared a project worth Rs 13 crore aimed at mitigating these conflicts.

The project, developed under the Disaster Management Plan, will facilitate the procurement of drones, tranquillizing guns, cages and the establishment of a rescue centre.

Over the past six months, the district has witnessed 15 deaths, while 50 others have suffered injuries in leopard attacks. According to sub-divisional forest officer Gyan Singh, Bijnor district is a wildlife and sugarcane area, providing a conducive environment for leopards to thrive. It is estimated that the region has over 300 big cats.

"We initiated a special operation to capture leopards, given the escalating man-animal conflicts. However, the absence of a rescue centre posed challenges," Singh said. "We have successfully captured and relocated 36 big cats to various zoos in Uttar Pradesh. The establishment of a dedicated rescue centre will enable us to keep these caged leopards on-site, facilitating the observation of their behaviour," he added.


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