The Forest staff and officers, right from Base camp watchers and beat officers, up to the level of PCCF, along with volunteers and member of various NGOs involved in nature and wildlife conservation activities, Participated in a two-day waterholes census in the State on May 11 and 12. A total of 104 volunteers, divided into 43 teams, visited Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Kawal TR and Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary. In all, the teams visited 241 water bodies during the two-day exercise and made two trips, once in the morning and then again late evening. Each team was accompanied by a local forest department staffer to guide them in the jungle.
The teams spent the night in base camps with forest department making arrangements in these locations for their sleeping. The department also made arrangements for transportation,
Three buses to three Forest locations with NGOs went from Aranya Bhavan, Hyderabad in the morning of 11th May for the volunteers.
In addition to recording evidence of wildlife at the water holes in the form of pugmarks, foot prints, scats and droppings, volunteers reported direct sighting of animals such as Panther, wild dog, sloth bear, sambar, spotted deer, nilgai, chousingha and wild pig at ATR. Panther pug marks, direct sighting of Indian Bison, nilghai, sambar, chousingha (konda gorre), spotted deer at KTR. They reported sighting of Gaur (Indian Bison), nilgai, a variety of snakes, and birds at Eturnagaram.
That Based on the inputs received from the teams involved in the census, the Forest Department will take any additional measures and precautions, for improving wildlife protection issues.
NGOs who took part in the exercise are Friends of Snakes Society, WWF, Deccan Birders, HYTICOS, FWPS and individual volunteers.
PccF and HoFF (Head of Forest Force) PK Jha appreciated the commitment of NGOs and thanked them for participating in this important exercise; He also appreciated the efforts put forth by the entire staff of forest dept for two days despite the hot summer season.
