Workshop at State Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur. © Ashok Captain.

Wildlife emergencies arising due to Human-Wildlife conflicts are on the rise in India, especially so in states like Uttaranchal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Orissa, Assam etc. In most cases, the species involved in conflict are endangered and are highly protected by the Indian law. The procedures employed in response by the local Forest Department for resolving or managing the conflict varies to a large extent depending upon their experience, expertise and resources available. Most of the times the Forest Department has to rely on Veterinarians with little or no knowledge of wild animals since the present day veterinary curriculum does not emphasize on the wild species, many of whom are endangered.

I hope to initiate the process of standardization of the procedures involved in dealing with Wildlife Emergencies viz. Capture/ rescue considerations, Remote Drug Delivery, Chemical Restraint, post capture management, treatment, Data collection, etc. by training programmes for Veterinarians and Veterinary students (final year) and Forest department personnel in the states with high conflicts.