Another 150 AI cameras to prevent ritual hunt in Similipal Tiger Reserve
BARIPADA: The authorities of Similipal have decided to install another 150 AI cameras in the tiger reserve as part of the protection measures to prevent poaching during ‘Akhand Shikar’, an annual ritualistic hunting practice by tribals which starts on April 14 and continues for a month every year.
Regional chief conservator of forests (RCCF) and field director of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) Prakash Chand Gogineni said though the practice of Akhand Shikar has been stopped in the tiger reserve, small groups of tribals still try to enter the STR for the ritualistic hunting of animals. To prevent such attempts, protection measures have been strengthened in Similipal.
It has been decided to procure 150 more AI cameras which will be installed at strategic locations in the tiger reserve. The Forest department has already installed 100 such cameras in STR which have become a stealth weapon for authorities to ensure that every corner of the tiger reserve remains under surveillance.
