Markhor project credited with community-led wildlife protection in J&K: WTI

Srinagar, Jan 22: The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on Wednesday said that it has remained at the forefront of wildlife conservation in Jammu and Kashmir for nearly two decades for protecting endangered species.

In a statement issued here, WTI said that it has been strengthening frontline enforcement and building local stewardship for conservation, officials and conservationists said.

ìWe are active in J&K since 2004 and have worked in close partnership with the Department of Wildlife Protection (DWP), J&K, implementing conservation surveys, species recovery programmes, human-wildlife conflict mitigation measures and wildlife crime prevention initiatives across J&K,î the statement said.

ìThe organisation is currently running over 45 projects nationwide in collaboration with central and state governments,î it said.

The statement said that among the flagship initiatives in J&K is the Markhor recovery project, the longest-running species recovery programme in the region.

ìFor over 20 years, WTI has been monitoring Markhor populations, supporting habitat protection and engaging local communities living in and around critical wildlife landscapes such as Kazinag National Park,î it said. ìCommunity participation has remained a key component of the programme. WTI has consistently recruited and trained local youth as Markhor watchers, field assistants and conservation workers, providing them with technical training in wildlife monitoring, conservation ethics and field patrolling.î The statement said that many of these youth have gone on to build long-term livelihoods linked to conservation.

ìTo reduce pressure on Markhor habitats, WTI has also promoted alternative livelihood options, particularly ecotourism-based activities, aimed at decreasing community dependence on forest resources,î it said.

The organisation has equipped frontline staff with essential field gear, including trekking equipment, camping kits and patrolling vehicles, and has conducted regular capacity-building programmes for wildlife officials, casual labourers, local lawyers and judicial officers to strengthen wildlife protection and prosecution mechanisms, the statement reads.

ìWTI follows a policy of employing local human resources for its projects, and says it has helped nurture a cadre of trained conservation professionals from within J&K in the fields of wildlife ecology, social sciences and conservation governance,î the statement said.

WTI said that the video in question showing removal of Markhor head dates back to February 27, 2022, when a Markhor carcass, predated by a leopard, was found in Kazinag National Park.

ìThe incident was promptly reported by the concerned casual labourers to senior wildlife officials. The removal of the Markhor head was carried out on the clear instructions of wildlife officials for research purposes,î the statement said.