Equip Forest Guards to Protect Wildlife in India

Dear Patron,

Forests give life and protecting these lands are the ‘unsung’ front-line soldiers - the forest guards. These men and women are critical for conservation and are determined to protect wildlife. However, there has often been a dearth of facilities- equipment, medical care, safety systems – in which they somehow operate. To ensure suitable working conditions for these ‘Guardians of the Wild’, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) has been supplementing their requirements for nearly two decades.

This quarter’s updates are from Kota, a city in the state of Rajasthan. The Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) from the region raised concern about the number of crocodile and snake rescue calls received by the Forest Department in the reporting period. The area from where most rescues have been reported lies between 4 populated districts- Chittorgarh, Baran, Bhundi and Kota. On an average, the department has been receiving 60 cases of snake rescue and 10 cases of crocodile rescue every year. In order to carry out these snake and crocodile rescue operations, he mentioned a requirement for specialised rescue ‘kits’.

To equip the frontline staff in rescue operations, WTI supported the department with 8 snake rescue kits and 4 crocodile rescue kits. So far, 33 snake rescues and 5 crocodile rescues have been conducted with the kits provided. The team is all geared up for the upcoming monsoons as well, when the overflowing rivers result into a spike in such rescue calls.

We at WTI thank you for your continued support, which is crucial to keep our work going on the ground. We will keep sending more such updates on similar initiatives to you. This then, stay safe and take care!

Warm regards,

Team WTI