Gadchiroli, 21 November 2019: Wildlife Trust of India along with Maharashtra Forest Department conducted a two-day training workshop for the frontline staff in Gadchiroli. The workshop was held at two locations for Round officers and Forest guards of six ranges; forty-seven staff attended the workshop on 13th and 14th November in Sironcha and forty staff attended in Allapalli on 15th and 16th November.

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The workshop was aimed at training the frontline staff in importance of Biodiversity and Forest Management; animal behaviour and monitoring; sign surveys and tracking; camera trap monitoring; use of GPS and mobile applications in monitoring. The workshop also covered basics of Human-Wildlife conflict and how various types of cases can be handled. Aligning training to landscape needs, some sessions on snake rescues and identification and on snares and the importance of anti-snare walks were also taken. WTI’s field biologist Nikhil Dandekar conducted the outdoor and indoor sessions of the workshop. Afternoon sessions were held in the field where the staff was given first-hand experience in use of GPS, sign survey and identification and basics of camera trapping.

The training proved to be a good platform for the frontline staff to discuss their problems in animals tracking and learning camera trapping following the recent movement of tiger after many years in this area.
Keeping in mind that most of the staff will now be a part of Pranhita sanctuary, an understanding of the basics of animal signs, tracking and monitoring is absolutely important. The training was attended by Mr. Shrikant Pawar (Deputy DFO, Aheri, Sironcha Divison), Mr. Suhas Badekar (ACF, Tendu, Sironcha Division), Mr Amrut Dagade, RFO, Pranhita range, Sironcha Division).