Alipurduar: With the retreat of the monsoon and the onset of the dry season, poaching activities tend to rise in forest-fringe villages. Drawing from past experiences, the Jaldapara Forest Division has stepped up preventive measures to ensure wildlife safety and avoid any untoward incidents.
As part of the initiative, the Forest department has launched continuous checkpoint inspections across forest-adjoining villages and along key state and national highways. Trained forest personnel are carrying out intensive foot patrols from village to village with the assistance of sniffer dogs from the department’s dog squad. Parallel awareness campaigns are also being conducted to reduce human–wildlife conflict and sensitise local communities
During the dry season, the shrinking height of grasslands inside forest areas makes the movement of one-horned rhinoceroses and other wild animals more visible, increasing their vulnerability to poachers. Additionally, food scarcity during this period often forces wild elephant herds to stray into human settlements in search of ripe paddy, exposing them to further risk.
Forest officials said poaching gangs from the northeastern region often set up covert bases in forest-fringe villages, exploiting economically vulnerable locals by offering financial inducements. To prevent any recurrence of such incidents, the department has strengthened intelligence gathering and surveillance.
A special anti-poaching operation has been launched involving continuous naka checking, search operations, and intelligence-based monitoring to curb wildlife crime, prevent trafficking of animal body parts, and minimise human–wildlife conflict. Special vigil has been imposed in Kodalbasti, Chilapata, Mendabari, Shalkumarhat, Mayradanga and Madarihat areas under the Jaldapara Forest Division. Regular checking is also underway at check posts along the Chilapata–Kodalbasti road. Assistant Wildlife
warden Nabikant Jha said a 10-km march was conducted with the dog squad and State Armed Police to alert forest-fringe villages about suspicious outsiders.