In a major victory for tribals of Lakhimpur Kheri living in 46 villages in and around the Dudhwa forest range, the state government has allowed them to collect forest produce required for their survival.
The swamp deer or Barasingha, the state animal of Uttar Pradesh, has become critically endangered and even figures in the IUCN red alerts but ironically no special efforts are being made for its conservation.
Even officials in the UP Forest department admit that no specific project has been launched to save this species apart from some steps that have been taken as part of the save tiger projec
After three decades of sustained struggle with Forest officials, 340 families of the Tharu tribe of Surma village located in the core tiger habitat area of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve are a happy lot. The state government has asked the Lakhimpur Kheri district administration to convert the village into a revenue one and give Tharus their rightful claims under the Forest Act of 2006.
Lakhimpur: With the Dudhwa National Park here having been inundated with overflowing river waters, its wild animals face threat from the floods even as the Forest Department is maintaining extra vigil to ensure safety of animals from water as well as poachers.
Lucknow: The first-ever elephant census in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has thrown up disappointing results. There are 11 elephants present in only one range of the reserve. The forest staff involved in the census work could not spot more elephants during the two-day census period last week.
Enumeration of tigers through camera trapping method is underway in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
Around 100 sophisticated cameras have been installed at previously selected areas within Dudhwa to count the big cats in the reserve, Deputy field director, DTR, Sanjay Kumar Pathak told PTI.
LUCKNOW: It was the last Sunday morning for Sumit and Jaimala here at Lucknow zoo. The pachyderms left for their new abode bidding goodbye to the city. While Sumit trumpeted loudly before he boarded the truck for his journey to Dudhwa National Park, Jaimala was reluctant to go.
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh government will shortly enact a law to constitute a special tiger protection force with its office based at Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri district.
