A group of range officer trainees from the Himachal Pradesh Forest Academy, comprising officers from Nagaland, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, visited the Jaldapara National Park in Alipurduar on Friday as part of their educational tour of the east and northeast India.

The trainees gained hands-on experience and practical knowledge in various aspects of forest and wildlife management, including grassland management, rhino habitat conservation, rescue operations, law enforcement and managing captive elephants.

Jaldapara National Park, known for its high population of one-horned rhinos, rich biodiversity and successful conservation initiatives, provided a unique learning environment for the trainees. The visit is expected to enable them to contribute more effectively to forest and wildlife conservation efforts.

Nabikanta Jha, the assistant wildlife warden of Jaldapara, said, “It was a great experience for the trainee range officers. There were 34 members in the team. We shared our experience. The trainees were very happy as they gained significant practical knowledge at Jaldapara National Park.”

The officials said that the severe floods in October last year had completely damaged the habitat along the Torsha river, forcing many animals to stray outside the forest.

“We are currently making concerted efforts to restore the grasslands at the earliest,” said a forester.

Cleaning drive

The cleanliness drive following the Shivratri celebrations at Jayanti in the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Alipurduar was completed on Saturday.

The foresters and NGOs picked up litter along the Hatipota watchtower route. They collected around 40 bags of garbage, which were disposed of on the same day.

All safari routes were closed for the four-day-long initiative. Officials said that the safaris will resume from Sunday.