Mon, July 30 (MExN): Mon Forest Division in collaboration with the Fingerprint and Castle Group conducted a workshop on human-wildlife conflict (HWC) mitigation in Mon with a view to create awareness about the problem.
Y.M Jami, Conservator of Forests (NTC) graced the occasion as chief guest, while DFO Mon Division chaired the program. Khelen Samom IFS, Suman Sivachar IFS, Prabhat Kumar IFS and representatives from the KU, KNSK, District Administration and Village Council members from the affected villages also participated in the workshop, which focused on how to minimize the human-wildlife conflict.
The DFO, Mon Division highlighted the problems related to HWC in the district. He opined that Forest Department, District administration, Agri and allied departments and the villagers should work together to minimize the HWC as there is urgent need to protect the wildlife from any kind of retaliatory killings. There should also be fast compensatory mechanism, he added.
Hongba from Fingerprint presented the various short term and long term effects of decreasing wildlife and also urged the different stakeholders to take necessary steps in this regard. “We celebrate Hornbill Festival every year but it is notable that presently there is only one Great Indian Hornbill left in the state due to indiscriminate killings by people and is almost on the brink of extinction from the state,” he said.
