Imphal, March 14, 2010: As part of the State Forest Department's effort to ensure safety of endangered animal species within the Keibul Lamjao national Park, Department personnel today set on fire several traps and nets that were seized from poachers in the past few months.

Nearly 300 nets and traps were among the items destroyed today on the side-line of media sensitisation programme for wildlife conservation held today at the National park office premises.

Keibul Lamjao national park is the only natural home of the endangered Brow Antlered deer locally known as Sangai.

"These nets and traps are meant for poaching Sangai and other animals living in the only floating park in the world," said a forest official.

As per 2003 census report, 180 Sangais are living in the park but these endangered species are still not free from danger even inside the supposedly protected zone as poaching, military operation to flush out rebels or fire from both known and unknown factors take place at an alarming rate.

"We have recovered these traps from different parts of the park including Pabot and Ngakra Kom since the last few months.

Some Sangais and other rare animals like Kharsa (barking deer) found stuck in the traps, were also freed by us," said S Biren Singh, a forest guard.

It is said that altogether 25 employees including two rangers, two regular and 21 casual forest guards are manning the park.

However, one of the rangers contended that the staff strength is inadequate as the there is no fencing network in the sprawling park.

"Nevertheless, we are extending our utmost efforts in protecting and preserving the park with firm dedication with support from the villagers living around it," he said.

Besides Sangai, other faunas living in this park include hog deers, wild boars, common otters, Indian civet cats, turtles, vipers, kraits, cobras and pythons.

Migratory birds like common teals, rudy shelducks, coots, shovellers, gadwalls, wigeons, pintails, ducks, pochards, lesser whistling teaks and cormorants also flock to Loktak lake during their seasonal migration.

Environmentalists namely RK Ranjan, Kh Shamungou and Salam Rajesh and forest Department officials S Dhananjoy, L Joykumar Singh and senior journalist BB Sharma also spoke on varied topics during the workshop, organized by the wildlife wing of state forest department.

Mention may be made that some days back forest authorities dismantled large number of illegal dwelling huts constructed inside the park.

Moreover, in April last year, security forces launched search operation under "Operation Summer storm" at this park covering an area of 40 square kilometres during which at least 12 UGs were slain five hide-outs busted.

There was, however, no official report of killing the threatened Sangai in this counter-insurgency operation.

villagers living round the park had denounced the security forces of depriving their economical rights during the around one month long operation period.

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