The Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department jointly conducted workshops on Wildlife Law Enforcement at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on August 16-20, 2022. The workshops were held in two batches for Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACFs) and IFS trainee officers, and for beat guards and foresters. Given that wildlife crime is amongst the top four global smuggling crimes amounting to about USD 23 billion annually, the role of Forest Departments in detecting and prosecuting wildlife crimes is a critical one. Therefore, the Combating Wildlife Crime Programme at WCT focuses on empowering frontline staff with legal knowledge to build watertight cases that have a fighting chance at convicting wildlife offenders.

WCT experts Mridula Vijairagahvan and Sanjay Thakur (front row) with the participating ACFs, IFS trainee officers and foresters in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Photo credit: WCT
WCT experts Mridula Vijairagahvan and Sanjay Thakur (front row) with the participating ACFs, IFS trainee officers and foresters in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. Photo credit: WCT

During the workshop, WCT experts Mridula Vijairaghavan, Environmental Lawyer, and Sanjay Thakur, Wildlife Crime and Law Enforcement expert walked the trainees through the prohibitions, penalties and procedure to book cases under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and to collect evidence from crime scenes. The workshop was conducted through interactive sessions, hands-on activities, games and drafting exercises.

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