In a first, the Border Security Force (BSF) has signed a memorandum of understating with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) to check trans-border smuggling of wildlife in the country.
As part of the agreement signed last week, WCS, a Bengaluru-based NGO, will help in capacity building of the troops deployed along the border and help them identify the wildlife that are smuggled.
BSF officials said the NGO will also come up with a 24-hour helpline which the forces can use to get more information about the wildlife seized.
There are also plans for starting a mobile application for identification of wildlife by the personnel.
“The first capacity building programme will be held in Kolkata. We would like to take all the agencies on board like the State police, Wildlife Control Bureau to check wildlife smuggling and get more convictions,” Sandeep Salunkhe, Inspector General, Operations of BSF told The Hindu.
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