Human-wildlife conflict awareness programme held at Sedow in Shopian
Shopian, Sep 7, KNT: An awareness programme on human-wildlife conflict mitigation and wildlife management was held at Higher Secondary School Sedow in Shopian on Monday, with the Wildlife Department and Wildlife SOS focusing on preventive measures and community preparedness in areas witnessing interactions with wild animals.
The programme was organised by the Department of Wildlife Protection, J&K, in collaboration with Wildlife SOS under the theme “Promoting Coexistence Through Conservation, Capacity Building and Scientific Wildlife Management.”
The programme was conducted under the chairmanship of Sohail Ahmad Wagay, ACF and Wildlife Warden, Shopian-Pulwama, with guidance from Suneesh Buxy, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests/Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K, and Tawheed Ahmad Deva, IFS, Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir.
Students, faculty members and local residents participated in the programme, which addressed the growing incidence of human-wildlife conflict and focused on practical measures to reduce the risk of encounters with leopards, black bears and snakes.
Resource persons used illustrated awareness material to explain precautions to be taken in areas frequented by wildlife, including measures to avoid encounters and appropriate responses during snake sightings.
The session also covered the role of the Wildlife Department and Wildlife SOS in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conflict mitigation.
Aliya Mir, Head of Wildlife SOS and Member of the UT Wildlife Board, J&K, along with officials and field staff of the Wildlife Department and Wildlife SOS, attended the programme.
The organisers emphasised the importance of community cooperation in reducing conflict incidents, particularly in areas located close to wildlife habitats.
Students and members of the local community also participated in an interactive session and called for such awareness programmes to be conducted more frequently to improve preparedness and awareness among communities living in proximity to wildlife habitats.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, with the organisers reiterating their focus on promoting safer coexistence between local communities and wildlife. [KNT]
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