PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Ramnagar
The director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Saket Badola said that news related to CTR has an impact not only across the country but also internationally. He said this while addressing a media workshop on Thursday organised by CTR to discuss the role of the media in wildlife conservation and strengthen coordination between the forest department and journalists. Experts and forest officials shared their views on wildlife conservation, human-wildlife conflict, tourism and responsible journalism in the era of rapidly evolving technology.
A wildlife expert and environmental journalist, Prerna Singh Bindra, who served on the Uttarakhand State Board for Wildlife, shared her experiences during the workshop. She said that she had conducted research in Corbett as well as several other tiger reserves across the country and contributed suggestions for wildlife conservation.
Badola further said that given the importance of the news pertaining to CTR, it is important for the media to ensure that the reports are verified, factual and based on ground realities. “The reports published on incidents of human-wildlife conflict might also have a direct impact on tourism,” he added.
The divisional forest officer of the Terai West Forest Division, Puneet Tomar said that journalists should have a proper understanding of the subject and verify facts before reporting any incident. While appreciating the importance of technologies such as artificial intelligence in enhancing the quality of journalism, he warned that its misuse could have negative consequences. “Therefore, technological tools should be used along with proper fact-checking and human discretion,” he added.
Anil Singh of WWF said that Corbett was known not only for its tigers, elephants and leopards, but also for its rich biodiversity. “The reserve is home to a wide variety of butterflies, aquatic species and other wildlife, all of which play an important role in maintaining ecological balance. Discussions on wildlife conservation should not, therefore, remain confined to large mammals but should also focus on the wider biodiversity and ecosystem,” he noted.
The Park warden Binder Pal said that such media workshops provide journalists with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of Corbett and various aspects of wildlife conservation. Better communication and coordination between the two sides could further strengthen wildlife conservation efforts, Pal observed.
