Waterhole census conducted in State's wildlife sanctuaries

Hyderabad: Forest staff and officers, along with volunteers and members of various NGOs involved in nature and wildlife conservation activities took part in a two-day waterhole census in the State on Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to recording evidence of the visit of wildlife at the waterholes in the form of pug marks, footprints, scats and droppings, volunteers reported direct sighting of animals which include panther, wild dog, sloth bear, spotted deer, nilgai, chousingha and wild pig at Amrabad Tiger Reserve.

In Eturnagaram, volunteers reported sighting of gaur (Indian bison), nilgai, a variety of snakes and birds.

Based on the inputs received from the teams, the Forest Department will take additional measures and precautions to ensure protection of wildlife.

A total of 104 volunteers, who were divided into 43 teams, visited Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Kawal Tiger Reserve and Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary as part of the exercise.

The teams identified 241 water bodies during the two-day exercise and made two trips, once in the morning, and then again late in the evening. Each team was accompanied by a local Forest Department staffer to guide them in the jungle.

The teams spent the night at base camps with Forest officials making arrangements at these locations for them.

The department also made special arrangements for transportation in three buses from Aranya Bhavan carried the designated groups to respective forest locations on May 11 morning.

The volunteers included friends of Snakes Society, WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), Deccan Birders, HyToCoS (Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society), FWPS and individual volunteers.

PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forests) and HoFF (Head of Forest Force) P K Jha appreciated the commitment of volunteers and thanked them for participating in the important exercise.

He also appreciated the efforts put forth by the entire staff of Forest Department for two days despite hot summer season.