Tshering (second from right) and Biswas (extreme right) along with other officials at Holong. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

Holong (Alipurduar), Jan. 23: Efforts are on to replicate the eco-tourism model of north Bengal in Bhutan.

A team of high-level officials from Bhutan, led by Dasho Dawa Tshering, director-general of the department of forest under the ministry of agriculture, government of Bhutan, had been touring the eco-tourism centres in the region over the past one week to study the viability of such a move. The Bhutanese were also on a mission to improve trans-border relations between forest personnel of the two countries.

The team visited Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary.

?At centres like South Khayerbari Nature Park, a large number of local people have been engaged in forest protection work, which will indirectly reduce the pressure on the natural resources of those forests,? said Tshering. ?Protection of wild animals is never possible without the active participation of people living in forest villages.? Tshering was talking to The Telegraph at Holong this afternoon, just before returning to Bhutan.

Tshering said the eco-tourism model has special significance for Bhutan where 72.5 per cent of the 40,077 sq km of landmass is covered by forests and villagers reside even in the core areas of wildlife sanctuaries (26 per cent of the total land area).

Poachers caught in north Bengal almost always point to Bhutan as the final destination of smuggled animal parts. When asked to comment on this, Tshering said Bhutan has stringent anti-poaching laws. The government imposes huge fines on poachers ? specific amounts for different animals ? and in case the forest officials catch the culprit on a tip-off, the full amount goes to the informer.

?So people are generally eager to give us information on the poachers,? Tshering said.

Tshering said his department manages as many as nine animal corridors, covering nine per cent of the total area of the hill kingdom.

Divisional forest officer of Cooch Behar Manindra Chandra Biswas said it was essential to improve trans-border relations for better management of the forests of both countries.