Bhaderwah, October 17 : The eagerly anticipated four days National Workshop on ‘Techniques for Wildlife Monitoring in Snow Leopard Landscapes’ commenced today at Bhaderwah Campus, bringing together wildlife enthusiasts, conservationists, researchers, and managers from different parts of the nation.
This workshop being organized by Institute of Mountain Environment in collaboration with Department of Wildlife Protection, Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir from October 17 to 20, 2023, is poised to be a focal event for the advancement of wildlife conservation in snow leopard habitats in the region.
It represents a critical milestone in the ongoing effort to bolster conservation initiatives and wildlife monitoring strategies, particularly focusing on the elusive and vulnerable snow leopard and its prey base, said Dr. M.K. Kumar (IFS) Regional Warden, Jammuand Chief Guest of the occasion.
He urged the researchers and students to be the brand ambassadors of conservation as the conservation of one species contributes to the protection of many.
Sh. Dil Mir Choudhary, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bhaderwah lauded the efforts of Institute of Mountain Environment in highlighting the issues of conservation concern of the region.
Concerned about the escalating number of human-wildlife conflicts in the area, he expressed his optimism that this workshop will provide the ideal forum for deliberation and the pursuit of resolutions.
Dr. Neeraj Sharma, Organizing Secretary of the workshop introduced the theme and objectives of the workshop. Later he made a detailed presentation on the Snow leopard population assessment across Jammu and Kashmir.
In addition to summarizing the key findings regarding the snow leopard and its prey base in Jammu and Kashmir, he detailed the approach adopted for field monitoring, data collection, and analysis.
Dr. Pankaj Chandan, Director ND Fopined that conservation gold needs to be community oriented as the snow leopard landscape include diverse peoples and cultures that share and shape its habitat. The involvement of local communities
