Wildlife counting in Haryana to begin in May

During the counting operation, special emphasis would be laid on deer, nilgai, monkey, peacock, leopard and other animals, an official spokesman said here. After completion of counting, more effective measures would be taken by the government to conserve the wildlife, he said.

The spokesperson said that a complete layout plan for the counting has been prepared and it has been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, which is the chosen nodal agency for wildlife counting by the Central Government. He said that before commencing counting, training would be imparted to all concerned workers and officials.

Pointing out that the state has a large number of deer with about 1,000 deer and Chinkaras in Sirsa district alone, the spokesman said, special steps were being taken to protect them. Efforts were also on to set up peacock breeding centres in the state, he added.

Meanwhile, in Sirsa district, cases against more than 24 people have been registered under the Wild Life Conservation Act, 1972 for hunting and attacking protected animals for various reasons.