Red alert over illegal wildlife trafficking Lakhimpur Kheri

A red alert has been sounded in Uttar Pradesh’s Dudhwa Tiger Reserve after authorities received reports of illegal wildlife trafficking through the porous India-Nepal border, an official said on Sunday. 

Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Sunil Pandey issued similar alerts for all forest divisions in Pilibhit, Bahraich, Gonda, Maharajganj and Balrampur districts which are close to the border. 

Field director of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Ramesh Kumar Pandey said all patrolling teams and field staff in the DTR, including Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), have been put on high alert and patrolling has been intensified. 

“In the DTR, smart patrollingequipped with M-STrIPES was in place which has helped in nabbing 143 wildlife criminals and poachers during the last eight months. 

In 2018 the number was 60 in the same period," he said. "