Dudhwa STPF men getting trained in 'Jungle Craft'

The Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) sleuths deployed in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) are learning how to adapt themselves to the

tough forest life.

This training for the STPF men has been named as "Jungle Craft" or the art of surviving amid wild surroundings.

The special training at Dudhwa, aided by the WWF-India, started Thursday, Field Director of DTR Ramesh Pandey said.

"The 90-member STPF has been divided into three groups of 30 jawans each for the training, the final session of which will be held on September 17-18 at the Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary of the DTR," he added.

Inspector J Suresh of the Tamil Nadu Special Task Force (STF), who has won the Tamil Nadu police's gallantry award and the Presidential medal and had played a key-role in eliminating notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, has been assigned the responsibility of the training.

 

Suresh will be assisted by Sarvalingham of the Tamil Nadu STF.

The STPF in UP, comprising Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) men, has been formed to safeguard the national animal -- Royal Bengal tigers -- in the tiger reserves.

A 90-member STPF team has been deployed in the DTR.

Pandey told PTI that the need for such a training was felt as the PAC men deployed in the STPF have so far been trained to handle law-and-order situations in human-populated areas with all the resources available easily.

"However, the situations and challenges are quite different in the forests, which have a number of wild animals as well as forest criminals.

"In wild surroundings, the patrolling staff has to face unforeseen incidents like encounters with ferocious animals, man-animal conflict situations, cat-walk patrolling under a pitch-dark cover, crossing rivers and nullahs or vast spans of vegetation and tall grass," he said.

As such, Pandey said, an intensive training to help the STPF men adapt to their changed nature of duty was the need of the hour.

"Our motive is to help the STPF men identify the wild animals and study their behaviour on the basis of their sounds, learn sign languages and communicate, patrol the forests concealing their presence," he added.

Pandey informed that with WWF-India's assistance, they had requested the Tamil Nadu DGP to send his STF team to Dudhwa for the training.

"The DGP conceded to our request and deputed J Suresh and Sarvalingham to impart training," he said, adding that the drill would boost the capabilities of the STPF, besides strengthening the quality of patrolling and ensuring the safety of wild animals in Dudhwa.