PULWAMA: In pursuance of the directions of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Suneesh Bakhshi, and under the guidance of Regional Wildlife Warden, Kashmir Region, Tawheed Ahmad Deva, the Wildlife Division Shopian today organized a one-day Workshop-cum-Orientation Programme on Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation and Wildlife Management at Conservation Breeding Centre (CBC), Shikargah, Tral, in collaboration with Wildlife SOS, Jammu & Kashmir.
The programme was organized with the primary objective of enhancing the professional skills and operational preparedness of frontline wildlife staff engaged in wildlife rescue, conflict mitigation, tranquilization, monitoring, and scientific wildlife management.
The workshop was attended by Sohail Ahmad Wagay, ACF, Wildlife Warden Shopian; Feroz Nazir, Range Officer, Tral; Mohd. Younis Bhat, Range Officer, Khangund; Dr. Mohsin Gazi, MVSc, Departmental Veterinarian; Aliya Mir, Head, Wildlife SOS J&K and Member, Wildlife Board officers and officials of the Wildlife Protection Department, experts from Wildlife SOS, and frontline field staff of the Wildlife Division Shopian.
Welcoming the participants, Sohail Ahmad Wagay, ACF, highlighted the growing challenges posed by increasing human-wildlife interactions and emphasized the need for continuous capacity building of frontline personnel. He stressed that well-trained staff equipped with modern rescue techniques and scientific knowledge are essential for minimizing response time during wildlife emergencies, ensuring public safety, and safeguarding wild animals during rescue operations.
During the technical sessions, Dr. Mohsin Gazi imparted extensive hands-on training on wildlife tranquilization, chemical immobilization, physical restraint techniques, safe handling protocols, dosage calculations, darting procedures, and post-rescue animal care. The practical demonstrations enabled the participants to familiarize themselves with modern tranquilization equipment and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safely rescuing wild animals.
Addressing the participants, Aliya Mir, Head, Wildlife SOS J&K, deliberated on modern approaches to wildlife conservation, community participation, and effective human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies. She emphasized preventive measures to reduce wildlife encounters, awareness generation among local communities, and the importance of scientific wildlife management in ensuring peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife. During her session, live demonstrations of different snake species commonly found in Jammu & Kashmir were conducted, wherein participants were acquainted with their distinguishing characteristics, methods for identifying venomous and non-venomous snakes, their ecological significance, safety precautions, and appropriate rescue and handling protocols. The participants were also sensitized about snakebite prevention, emergency response measures, and the important ecological role of snakes in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
Experts from Wildlife SOS further demonstrated the operation and field application of modern conservation and monitoring equipment, including GPS devices, camera traps, radio-collaring techniques, rescue equipment, and wildlife monitoring tools. The participants received practical exposure to rescue methodologies, conflict response protocols, wildlife tracking, safe extraction techniques for wild animals straying into human habitations, and the use of modern rescue and immobilization equipment.
As part of the programme, awareness sessions were conducted on conflict-prone wildlife species commonly encountered in Jammu & Kashmir, precautionary measures for local communities, emergency response protocols, and inter-agency coordination during wildlife rescue operations. Demonstrations of rescue equipment and modern field gear further strengthened the practical learning experience of the participants.
On the occasion, ex-gratia relief cheques were distributed among beneficiaries affected by human-wildlife conflict, reaffirming the commitment of the Department of Wildlife Protection towards providing timely financial assistance and support to affected families.
During the interactive feedback session, the frontline wildlife staff expressed their sincere gratitude to the Wildlife Warden Shopian, for organizing the highly informative and practical training programme. The participants also appreciated the efforts of the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir, and Wildlife SOS for conducting such an enriching capacity-building programme and unanimously emphasized that similar workshops should be organized on a regular basis to further enhance the technical skills, operational preparedness, and professional competence of frontline personnel engaged in wildlife rescue, human-wildlife conflict mitigation, and wildlife conservation.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session wherein participants discussed field experiences, operational challenges, and best practices for improving wildlife rescue efficiency and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.
The programme significantly strengthened the technical capabilities of the frontline workforce and reaffirmed the Department’s commitment towards scientific wildlife management, rapid emergency response, capacity building, and promoting harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
