Bhopal: Kuno officials rev up cheetah security,information network

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): As the decks are being cleared to release eight Namibian Cheetahs into the wild in February, the officials of Kuno National Park are working day and night on multi-dimensional strategy for the safety of the majestic Cheetahs.

To strengthen security arrangements, Kuno National Park authorities have tried to develop informers in villages situated outside the park. Apart from the villagers, they are also roping in school children as well in this work.

Sources said Kuno officials have interacted with at least 2k school children in different villages and asked them to pass the news related to poaching or hunting of any wild animal. They assured that their names will be kept secret and even they will be rewarded aptly for passing information. Awareness programme has been conducted in at least 80 villages.

Moreover, drone squad, dog squad and a team of 20 ex-servicemen have been deployed in patrolling work. They are moving along the park border to ensure water tight security. A thorough search is also being carried out to check that no hunter is able to place any trap. Notably, two tigers have lost their lives due to the trap laid by hunters to catch herbivore animals. Moreover, a close watch is also being kept on those persons who have a history of hunting wild animals.

District forest officer of Kuno National Park, Prakash Kumar Verma told Free Press, ‘Before the release of cheetahs into the wild, we are trying to cement our information network. Apart from this, awareness programmes are also being conducted in villages.’

Published on: Wednesday, January 11, 2023, 11:11 PM IST