Kargil, Dec 26: Chairman/Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC, Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon today attended a one-day workshop, organized by WWF-India in collaboration with Wildlife Department, Kargil on the conservation strategy for the Himalayan brown bear.
Executive Councillor, Wildlife, Er. Punchok Tashi; Councillors Abdul Wahid, Abdul Samad, Abdul Hadi, and Manzoor ul Hussain; Assistant Director, Tourism, Rehmatullah Bhat; Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, Dr. Gulzar Hussain; DFO Kargil Mohd Ali; Wildlife Warden Raza Ali Abidi; Principal GDC Drass, Amjad Hussain; Landscape Coordinator WWF-India Rohit Rattan; Senior Programme Officer, WWF, Rigzin Dawa and other representatives from JUIAK, Baseej-e-Zaraat, other NGOs and stakeholders attended the workshop.
Addressing the gathering, CEC Dr. Akhoon emphasized the need for preserving the wildlife of Kargil and highlighted the importance of flora and fauna to the region’s ecosystem. He pointed out the challenges posed by human-wildlife conflicts, particularly livestock losses, and called for an increase in compensation for affected individuals.
The CEC instructed the Wildlife Warden to draft a comprehensive plan to address these issues and assured full support from the Hill Council to strengthen conservation efforts. He also expressed gratitude to WWF-India for their continued contributions to wildlife preservation in Ladakh.
Executive Councillor, Er. Punchok Tashi praised WWF-India’s initiatives and stressed the importance of awareness among local communities about the importance of conservation.
He underscored the need for coordinated efforts across departments to protect the region’s ecosystem and encouraged stakeholders to embrace lifelong learning in the field of wildlife conservation.
Wildlife Warden, Raza Ali Abidi gave an overview of the department’s initiatives and outlined the challenges faced in preserving the Himalayan Brown Bear.
WWF-India Landscape Coordinator Rohit Rattan shared insights into the organization’s long-standing conservation work in Ladakh, including efforts on Tso Moriri, black-necked cranes, and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.
Meanwhile, Senior Programme Officer, Rigzin Dawa and Assistant Programme Officer, Mohd Kazim presented a detailed PPT on species conservation projects, collaborative efforts, and human-brown bear interactions in Kargil.
The workshop also facilitated discussions among stakeholders, focusing on threats to the species and identifying both short-term and long-term conservation solutions.
