Toll-free number to protect wildlife

20-8-07

Toll-free number to protect wildlife

The Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/20/stories/2007082052502200.htm

New Delhi: In a bid to check poaching and protecting forest wealth, the Ministry of Environment will soon provide a toll-free number on which wildlife lovers can call and report such illegal activities.

The number will be set up by the Ministry’s Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, which was created at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is the head of the National Board for Wildlife.

“The toll-free number will play an important role in encouraging people to report illegal wildlife activities,” a senior wildlife official said here, adding that one of the major causes for rampant poaching was poor monitoring and surveillance.

The pilot project will be first implemented in Delhi on an experimental basis and then extended to other metros depending on the response from the people.

The facility will be available round the clock . — PTI