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Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a meeting of the state's wildlife board, in which various aspects relating to environment conservation, human-animal conflict, rescue and rehabilitation of animals were discussed upon. During the meeting, the forest department was instructed to start the preliminary survey to declare the intact forest of 69,668.5 hectares under the Surat Forest Division as a sanctuary.
Also, proposals for works including underground optical fibre cables, mobile towers and roads in seven sanctuaries in the state were presented before the Chief Minister. Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera, Minister of State Mukeshbhai Patel and Chief Secretary Raj Kumar also gave various suggestions in this meeting. Further, in the meeting the long-term protective measures and actions taken by the forest department to curb the incidents of human-leopard conflict in the state were discussed. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Nityanand Srivastava presented a detailed presentation in this regard. It was told that action is being taken to purchase tranquillizer guns in sufficient quantity to tranquillize leopards in case needed. Also, there is a plan to purchase 10 cages per tehsil in South Gujarat, a region with human density, to catch leopards. The department also plans to purchase trap cameras to study the behaviour of leopards and keep an eye on their activities, besides fitting radio collars to the leopards. During the meeting, it was apprised that radio collars have so far been fitted in five leopards. Additionally, it was also informed in the meeting that the process of setting up two new animal rescue centres in Surat and Valsad of South Gujarat is in progress. Rescue centres in Pavagadh and Jambughoda are already in operation. Chief Secretary Raj Kumar suggested the forest department to plan set up a rehabilitation centre as a long-term measure to settle the leopards in a protected place in the forest area, away from human inhabitation. (ANI)
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