In view of the constant threat from hunters, who are eying on the wild animals thriving in the fragile islands in Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, wildlife officials have chalked out strategy to intensify vigilance over the grasslands and forest covers in the sanctuary and detect movement of the intruders.
Pasighat Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Tasang Taga said he has directed range officers concerned and other forest guards for camping at every strategic location and guard waterways in order to check poachers’ entry
Taga informed that protection activities in the sanctuary has become a difficult task due to acute shortage of forester staffs.
There are only eight male field staffs besides a few contingency employees are guarding the wildlife sanctuary having three ranges, while the female staff posted therein are incapable to discharge their patrolling duty.
“It is almost impossible to guard long stretch boundary with multiple porous entry points at its southern boundary bordering Assam with limited staffs,” said DFO Taga, while claiming that he is trying his level best to protect wild resources with limited man and machine powers.
The DFO lamented that he had moved the higher ups of State’s Forest Department for posting adequate number forest guards to his division but not yet availed.
“I have written to PCCF in Itanagar seeking adequate staffs for guarding the wildlife sanctuary. It is very difficult task for our limited staffs to guard the wild beast thrive in the fragile sandbars surrounded by open water bodies”, the DFO added.
Reportedly, wildlife officials during a recent visit to Jopong Paatang portion of Daying Ering Sanring noticed sign of poachers’ movement that they tried to hunt hog deer by salt-lick ambush. The foresters also destroyed some temporary huts used by the poachers for their hideout.
The wildlife officials, who are debarred by sufficient man and machinery power has no option other than mobilizing residents of fringe villages for protection of the wild resources. The officials taught the fringe villagers about the need of protection of wildlife sanctuary for ecological balance in the region.
Located at about 15 km south-east from oldest Arunachal town Pasighat, the sanctuary is considered a key factor for restoring ecological balance in the region, besides providing safety to the animals of Poba Reserve Forest in bordering Assam.
The sanctuary is a hub of a number of rare and endangered animals and bird species.
