Foresters employ fishermen to catch deer at airport

Nagpur: Air passengers and airline operators can expect safe takeoffs and landings at the city airport. Thanks to the Airports Authority of India and forest officials.
In a joint action plan, airport officials and forest department on Wednesday geared to trap wild animals at the airport.
The officials deployed 30 fishermen from Kelwad, around 45 kms from Nagpur, to trap the wild animals with the help of nets. The fishermen, who were taken to the airport in the afternoon, surveyed the area before launching a combing operation.
Sources said, at around 6 pm, three barking deer (bhedkis) were sighted. However, when the fishermen rushed to trap these deer, the animals escaped in different directions. The 30 fishermen will camp at the airport until the wild animals are trapped. A source said, looking at the scat near a water hole, possibility of a chausingha cannot be ruled out at the airport.
The department is making food arrangements for the fishermen. A vehicle has also been kept as standby, which will be used to shift the animal if trapped, to Deer Park at Seminary Hills.
When contacted, N Rambabu, conservator of forests (CF), Nagpur Forest Division, said, “The fishermen have 30 nets, which will be placed at one end while from the other, the group will do ‘hakas’ (divert the animals by shouting) towards the nets. The action will continue from 8 am till evening.”
Now, another trapper has been appointed to trap and relocate the pigs and stray dogs.
04/12/08 Sachin Dravekar & Vijay Pinjarkar/Times of India

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Categories: Airports Dec 2008, Safety Dec 2008