June 24, 2018
Bengal Govt invites applications for second phase of Bonyopran Sathi scheme
The Bengal Government is ready with the second phase of its highly successful scheme, Bonyo22pran Sathi (Honorary Wildlife Volunteer Service Programme), which offers wildlife enthusiasts the opportunity to venture into core areas of forests, especially in north Bengal and the Sundarbans, to get real-life experiences on how to deal with animals and in the process, learn about them through hands-on experience.
Interested participants for this study-cum-adventure programme of the Forest Department have to submit a form, the last date for which is June 30.
Those who will go into the forests will go as conservationists and not merely as tourists, said the Forest Minister while announcing the dates and other details. He said that this is one-of-a-kind scheme in the country.
After the completion of the programme, the enthusiasts will be expected to spread the message of wildlife protection and environmental conservation in their localities.
As part of the programme, visitors will stay with forest guards in camps, which will also give them the experience of keeping guard in a forest. Before a tour starts, the visitors will be provided a day-long training on how to behave if they come close to animals like tigers, elephants, leopards, deer, etc. during their adventure. A team will be accompanied by two Forest Department officials, who will be experts in handling wild animals.
The first phase drew applications from a lot of enthusiasts, and so has the second phase. Applications have already come from a diverse range of people like school teachers, professors, retired Army personnel and businessmen.
There are six national parks and 15 wildlife sanctuaries in Bengal.
Click here to download the form and details about the scheme.
Source: Aajkaal
