Pench's bid to win locals' trust

NAGPUR: The Pench national park and tiger reserve has geared up to win trust of stakeholders in a bid to boost forest and tiger conservation.

On Sunday, the park management and a group of doctors named 'Doctors of Wildlife' organized a health check-up camp at Sillari for nine villages in the periphery of the reserve. Conservator of forest and Pench field director A Ashraf informed that 264 villagers were benefited from the camp. Free medicines were also distributed to the villagers.

"It was a small effort but could go a long way in tiger and forest protection. There are 40 villages in Pench buffer and similar camps will be organized post-monsoon for other villages," said Ashraf.

The camp was inaugurated by AK Saxena, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) for wildlife, East. Dr Ravi Waikar and Dr Anil Pimplapure were also present.