Panaji: Citizens will soon be able to instantly report cases of injured, stranded or distressed wild animals and birds at the tap of a button. The forest department launched Pran Rekha, a mobile application designed to enable citizens to report such instances, ensuring quicker and more coordinated rescue wildlife operations.The app allows users to upload photographs of distressed wildlife along with geo-tagged location details, which are then directly routed to trained wildlife rescue teams operating in the concerned taluka. The application is currently available on the Google Play Store, making it accessible to smartphone users.Although the app is now open for public use, it underwent a one-month trial run after its launch last month, during which it was used primarily by voluntary rescuers. In addition to forest fepartment teams, the platform is being opened up to private and voluntary rescuers. These include snake rescuers, wildlife responders handling road accident cases of leopards, those assisting injured migratory birds, and responders dealing with marine animal strandings.“Once a citizen submits a report with photographs and location details, alerts are automatically sent to the nearest available rescuer. After the rescue operation, responders can upload updates and details of the action taken directly on the app. Over time, this will enable us to have detailed documentation of rescue efforts across Goa,” a forest official said.
