Hyderabad: Working in partnership with Telangana State Forest Academy, Humane Society International/India organized a half-day workshop in which nearly the same number of forest officers were sensitized on Wild Life (Protection) Act,1972 (including the recent amendment in 2022). The workshop set as its goal to equip the forest officers with the knowledge and skills to combat the wildlife related crimes (like illegal trade, hunting and poaching) as well as human-animal conflict.
Sumanth Bindumadhav and Shubhra Sotie from HSI/India’s wildlife team were in charge of training and facilitating the discussions for the forest officials concerning the investigations of wildlife crimes, the application of the most relevant sections in the act, interpreting the act in different situations and the more difficult aspects of human-wildlife conflicts and how to mitigate them.
“Empowering forest officers with comprehensive knowledge of wildlife laws and illegal trade is pivotal in amplifying our efforts to protect wildlife. We aim to foster networking and collaboration among forest officers, enforcement agencies, and conservation organizations to strengthen the animal protection movement in India,” says Mousumi Gupta, director of Government Affairs, at Humane Society International/India.
With HSI/India’s belief in creating a kinder society through cooperation among all stakeholders, including law enforcement, and equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools, this initiative is a part of a larger vision of the organization. Since 2013, HSI/India has been conducting annual training to 1,200 law enforcement officers on the topic of animal laws.
If you see any illegal wildlife activity, please report it to the nearest police station or call 1800 425 5364, which is a toll-free number by Telangana Forest Department.
- Illegal wildlife trade is one of the largest forms of organized transactional crimes.
- Section 9 of the WLPA, 1972 prohibits hunting and is a punishable offense with a fine or imprisonment or both.
- Poaching and trade in several species, particularly star tortoises, monitor lizards and other reptiles is prominent across Telangana.
