The conventional steel cages which were hitherto being used to capture wild animals will be replaced with reinforced fibre glass. Designed and made at Salem exclusively for the Forest Department, one of the cages was displayed at the Cairn Hill reserved forest near here on Sunday.
Stating that the objective was to familiarise forest officials with different features of the cages, District Forest Officer, The Nilgiris South, M. Badhrasami, told The Hindu that to begin with The Nilgiris South division, The Nilgiris North division and Gudalur would get one each. Unlike the old cages, which need about 30 or 40 persons to carry, the new ones can be transported and put together by just six persons. A part of the cage can also double up as a stretcher. The cages would be equipped with sensors and as soon as an animal is trapped, officials would be alerted and they would even come to know what kind of animal was in the cage.