TRAFFIC India starts unique initiative to track wildlife products

[Guest guest]

Dear all,

It gives me pleasure to say that TRAFFIC India has undertaken a

novel intiative to train sniffer dogs for tracking wildlife goods. This

appears to be the first scheme of its kind in India. There has been

substantial international interest in this initiative. I had the pleasure of

shooting the entire exercise in Bhopal at the 23rd Battalion when the

handover of dogs officially took place.

Best wishes,

 

Yours sincerely,

Regards

 

Programme Officer

TRAFFIC India

WWF India Secretariat

172-B, Lodi Estate, N.Delhi 110003, India

Tel: +91-11-41504786, Fax: +91-11-43516200

Visit us at " www.traffic.org "

 

TRAFFIC- the wildlife trade monitoring network- is a joint programme of

WWF and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. It works to ensure that trade

in wild plants and animals is not a threat to conservation of nature.

 

*2nd Phase of Sniffer dog training programme started by TRAFFIC **India**.*

 

 

 

The second phase of the Sniffer Dog Training for Wildlife Enforcement was

successfully inaugurated on 3rd November 2009 at the Dog Training Centre,

23rd Battalion of the Special Armed Police, Bhopal. Five German Shepherd

Dogs and 10 Forest Department staff were inducted into the training that

will continue for the next nine months. The Forest Departments of Haryana

and Uttarakhand already have one Sniffer Dog each, fully supported and

funded by TRAFFIC India.

 

Encouraged by the success of the pilot project, this time the dogs have been

made available to the states of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra,

who have sent their staff to be trained as handlers and assistant handlers

and as done earlier, TRAFFIC has sponsored the complete cost of the training

as well as procurement of the dogs. Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand will get

two dogs each whereas Maharashtra will get one fully trained Sniffer Dog for

sniffing out Tiger and Leopard skins and bones.

 

The inaugural function organised at the Dog Training Centre of the 23rd

Battalion was attended by Mr. R.S. Negi, Principal Chief Conservator of

Forests (Wildlife) Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Aseem Srivastava, Conservator of

Forests (Wildlife) Bhopal, Mr. Samir Sinha Head, TRAFFIC India and senior

officials of the 23rd Battalion, M.P. Special Armed Police.