Forest dept battles theft, vandalism of camera traps across Telangana

The Telangana Forest Department is facing a growing threat from poachers, timber smugglers, and land encroachers who are stealing or vandalising camera traps used to monitor wildlife. Recent incidents in the Kawal and Amrabad Tiger Reserves highlight the scale of the problem.

Hyderabad: The Forest Department is grappling with increasing cases of camera traps, used to track wild animals, being stolen or vandalised across Telangana, often by poachers, encroachers and timber smugglers.

Though no formal records are maintained, officials say an average of at least 10 such incidents are reported every year.

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Camera traps are strategically installed in forests to automatically capture images of tigers, leopards and other wildlife when they pass in front of them. However, individuals involved in illegal activities are removing or damaging the devices to destroy evidence and avoid detection.

Recently, incidents were reported from Khanapur, in the Kawal Tiger Reserve. In May this year, poachers in the Neelvai forest range of Mancherial district stole four camera traps to evade surveillance.

A senior official admitted that poachers often steal or destroy the cameras to prevent staff from tracking their movements. Timber smugglers and land encroachers have also resorted to similar acts, with some attempting to sell the stolen equipment or damage it to falsely claim ownership of the land, he said.

In such cases, the Forest Department lodges complaints with the local police. However, officials say recovery of the stolen devices has rarely been successful.

The department currently has around 1,000 camera traps, procured based on annual budget allocations. On average, 200 new units are bought every year, each costing between Rs. 35,000 and Rs. 50,000.

These devices are primarily deployed in bulk at Amrabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves to monitor the movement of big cats. Wildlife sanctuaries and other forest ranges are allotted cameras based on requirement, with each forest division needing at least 20 units. However, due to budget constraints, officials are forced to manage with limited resources.