05/05/2026
𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻..𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙚
In response to emerging trends in wildlife crime and increasing pressure on frontline enforcement agencies, field equipment was donated to the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) today.
The donation of 43 CCTV cameras and 10 evidence kits is expected to strengthen the department’s efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade and related environmental offences.
Recent assessments, such as the National Zero Poaching Strategy (DoFPS, 2024), have also indicated that the majority of illegal activities now occur outside protected areas, suggesting that illicit businesses are no longer operating only in remote areas. This has placed additional demands on forest and wildlife officials operating under limited manpower and resource constraints.
Bhutan’s Countering Wildlife Trade project uses a wildlife crime prevention framework, with SMART tools enabling coordinated patrols, data sharing, and improved management. However, despite their role in strengthening anti-poaching, environmental crimes such as illegal harvesting, wildlife trade, and forest fires remain persistent, showing that SMART tools alone are not enough to ensure effective enforcement.
Despite Bhutan’s strong conservation framework and use of SMART patrol systems, enforcement agencies continue to face challenges with limited resources, manpower, tools, and equipment, which are the main reasons for the low detection of illegal wildlife trade and the few interceptions at critical sites such as border crossing points, airports, and poaching hotspots.
Keeping in mind these challenges, handing over such complementary field equipment will enhance ground-level surveillance, improve patrol effectiveness, and support operational needs. These complementary tools and agile field equipment are therefore necessary to improve detection and deterrence.
Providing targeted equipment to DoFPS, WWF-Bhutan supports national efforts to prevent and implement anti-poaching strategies in identified hotspots for poaching, illegal fishing, and forest fires.
This initiative reflects a proactive response to evolving wildlife crimes.
This donation is part of the Countering Wildlife Trade Project supported by the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
