Kolkata, Nov 28 (PTI) The recent capturing of images of at least four sloth bears in trap cameras in the Kotshila-Jhalda forest in West Bengal's Purulia district has raised hopes of conservation, officials said on Friday.
Only one sloth bear was captured in the trap cameras in the area in 2022.
The camera trap exercise in three forest divisions of Purulia began in January. It was undertaken jointly by the Forest Department and non-governmental organisation Human and Environment Alliance League (HEAL), which works on biodiversity conservation.
"After scanning the images captured on trap cameras, we have arrived at the conclusion that there are at least four sloth bears in the region. We are working on a conservation project to protect the animals," Kotshila Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Anjan Guha told PTI.
"The animals have been spotted visiting a dam for drinking water... We have undertaken an awareness campaign among villages of nearby areas to prevent human-animal conflict," he said.
Chief Wildlife Warden Sandeep Sundriyal, who will soon be visiting Purulia to discuss the findings, said, "I have heard about the spottings. It is heartening to note that the animals keep within their habitats and don't venture into human habitations to avoid any conflict."
"The discovery of wild animals in the forested parts of south Bengal is very good news. There have been recent sightings of Indian striped Hyenas in the scrubland and plateau regions of Paschim Bardhaman district. It is remarkable that they keep away from humans living in localities around the forested stretches. Such unique co-existence is important to retain biodiversity," Sundriyal said.
Officials of the forest department have also spotted pangolin and wolf in Purulia, he added.