Forest guards and watchers undergo training in wildlife management at Point Calimere sanctuary

43 guards and watchers from Tamil Nadu Forest Department are being trained in wildlife management techniques and assessment of flora and fauna.

As many as 43 guards and watchers of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department from across the State are being trained in wildlife management techniques and assessment of flora and fauna.

The three-day training programme, from January 18 to 20, is being held at Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Nagapattinam with the support of Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation and Greening Project for Climate Change Response (TBGPCCR), a project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency and headed by I. Anwardeen, Additional Principal Conservator of Forests and chief project director of TBGPCCR.

In addition to the forest department staff from districts including Namakkal, Kanniyakumari, Cuddalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Karur, nearly 12 officials from Nagapattinam forest department and three students of AVC College, Mayiladuthurai, are taking part in the programme.

At the inaugural session attended by District Collector Johny Tom Varghese and District Forest Officer Abhishek Tomar, the trainees were briefed about the programme and introduced to various wildlife census methods, assessment of plant community, wildlife management techniques, wildlife diseases, identification of parasites and signs and tracks of animals. 

J. Pandiyan, Assistant Professor at AVC College and coordinator of the training programme, said they were taught the animal census techniques including the method of laying transect in the forest, designing data sheets of wild animal population assessment, data collection, data entry, analysis, interpretation and documentation. 

The guards and watchers also received hands-on training in QGIS software to calculate area of land use and land cover for developing a model for the assessment of landscape ecology,wildlife management and conservation, he added.

The first phase of the programme was completed in August 2023.