LUCKNOW: For the first time, drones will be deployed for patrolling the state's only national park in Dudhwa , situated on the porous Indo-Nepal border , to maintain a strict vigil and keeping an eye on poachers As per the last census, Dudhwa reserve has around 85 tigers. Rains, flash floods and inundated areas pose a serious challenge to the protection of wildlife in monsoon and hence a multi-pronged vigil including forest guards on foot, bullock carts, elephants and drones has been initiated.Dudhwa field director Ramesh Pandey said drone patrolling will commence on Tiger Day, July 29, with cooperation from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) while the field staff has already been trained to use them and track their movement.A four-day elephant health care programme was started on Saturday to ensure good health of the pachyderms who play a vital role in surveillance and assist tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. A rhino rehabilitation programme has also started in Dudhwa after three decades and a male rhino and three females have been shifted to Bhadi Tal range.Dudhwa has been a soft target for poachers operating in terai and Nepal. Poachers, who used the porous borders in Katarniaghat and Kishanpur wildlife sanctuaries to sneek in are facing a tough time this year due to joint combing operations by forest guards, Seema Suraksha Bal jawans, and special tiger protection force (STPF).Dudhwa is spread across Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts bordering Nepal. The park also has forests of saal, teak and sheesham which draw timber mafia.During monsoon, the forest staff is burdened with extra surveillance in the inundated and slushy areas of the park and sanctuaries."Dudhwa faces more challenges since Nepal releases water from dams and rivers which lead to flash floods that threaten wildlife," said Pandey while adding that combat teams have been set up and deployed in the core and porous spots to thwart any poaching bids."During monsson we depend on foot patrolling and bullock, buffalo carts and tractors with the help of villagers who are equally concerned about forest conservation and wildlife protection," said Pandey."We are using Monitoring System for Tiger-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status, known as M-STrIPES, launched by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), an easily downloadable app on any android device. M-STrIPES tracks movement during patrolling, maps the routes covered, stores wildlife and crime data and links it to a back-end database."

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