Pilibhit: Bahraich forest division has been recognised by the Union environment ministry for its work in managing and mitigating human-wildlife conflict.
The team was selected by a committee constituted by the MoEFCC on Oct 7 and is among eight awardees chosen nationwide for their work in protecting local communities and wildlife. DFO S Sundaresh said, “The three forest personnel covered 90 villages in three forest ranges — Nanpara, Kaisarganj and Mahsi — between Sept 2025 and Sept 2026. In comparison, seven people were killed in wolf attacks in 2024 and 14 in 2025. More than 80% of the victims were children, he added.
The team also launched a drive to put up posters carrying safety advisories and information on preventing conflict with wildlife. The rural belt surrounding the forest division reported two fatalities this year — one in a crocodile attack in July and another in a leopard attack in Aug, Sundaresh said. Stay updated with the latest Bareilly news.
According to an official communication issued by the wildlife division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Bahraich Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Group — comprising frontline personnel Brijesh Verma, Pratap Singh Rana and Zuber Khan — has been selected under the national category of “Frontline Staff – Wildlife Monitoring and Special Skills”. Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Uttar Pradesh , Anuradha Vemuri, told TOI, “The three frontline forest personnel from Bahraich forest division are the only awardees selected from UP. One villager was also killed in a crocodile attack, the DFO said. “With the support of the network of villagers created by the Human-Wildlife Conflict Management Group, the department also trapped six leopards and rescued a stray tiger that had reached the outskirts of Bahraich city,” Sundaresh said.
The remaining selected nominees belong to Telangana, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. They conducted awareness drives in coordination with village heads and local residents. Download the TOI App.