E-eye to keep a tab on tigers in Corbett

Apr 23, 2012, 10.07PM IST


With poachers posing a massive threat to tigers in India, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has launched a pilot project in Uttarakhand's Corbett National Park for round-the-clock surveillance of the park using high definition cameras.  

The project E-eye (electronic eye) is a software-based system where 10 high resolution thermal and infrared cameras mounted on a tower are spread across the 350 sq km area of the park that falls in a highly sensitive zone bordering Uttar Pradesh. The cameras capture image of objects weighing more than 20 kg and generate alerts if they are crossing the boundary. The alerts are sent to the control room in the park and the NTCA office in Delhi.  

All the cameras have been placed in positions from where they cover the entire 350 sq km of the area and can be controlled by NTCA officials sitting in Delhi.  

According to the NTCA, due to shortage of field staff it was getting difficult to cover the entire 800 sq km of the Corbett area and installation of cameras has brought down the incidence of infiltration in the area drastically.  

The cost of the project is around Rs.3.5 crore.  

"It is for the first time in the world that a surveillance system of this type is being used in any national park. The project was launched some five-six months back to check poaching of tigers in the park," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Forests and joint director of NTCA, S.P. Yadav said.  

The cameras monitor the area 24X7 and send images even during the night.  

"It has helped in checking infiltration, poaching and illegal mining in the area. As soon as the control room receives alerts and images of people or vehicles inside the area, an alert team is sent to the location," he said.   Initially, the cameras have been placed on the Uttar Pradesh border as that was the sensitive area where several incidents of infiltration and poaching were reported in the past.  

The NTCA will monitor the system for a year before replicating the project in other sensitive areas of India's 41 tiger reserves which houses a total of 1,706 tigers.  

Yadav says that there have been incidents where people have been arrested for mining illegally in the area and it has instilled fear among the locals and they have stopped venturing into the protected zone.  

The NTCA was helped in this project by a Pune-based company, Binomial Solutions Private Limited, set up by a group of young engineers and management graduates.  

"It was my love for wild animals that made us come up with a system that can help in monitoring the park even in the night and sitting several kilometres away. It is a fool-proof anti-poaching system that gathers information, does processing, filtering and then sends alerts," Ravikant Singh, CEO of the company, told IANS.  

The cameras can capture the thermal and normal image of the body mass irrespective of forest density and inclement weather conditions.  

The company is also working with the Wildlife Institute of India ( WII) to develop a parallel system for counting of tigers.  

"Besides, we have got the tender for installing a similar system in another tiger reserve and are also doing a case study in Assam's Kaziranga National park," said the 33-year-old techie.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/E-eye-to-keep-a-tab-on-tigers-in-Corbett/articleshow/12841466.cms

New Addition to Ranthambore

JAIPUR, April 22, 2012

Ranthambhore’s tigress T-30 rests with her cubs near the Gilai Sagar locality of the Rathnambore National Park on Saturday. Special Arrangement

Ranthambhore's elusive tigress T-30, who was delivered of beautiful cubs recently, granted a “dekko” to the visiting Rajasthan Minister for Environment & Forests Bina Kak on Saturday.  

The tigress, with its three cubs frolicking around remained at one spot near the Gilai Sagar locality in the Khandar range of the Ranthambhore National Park for well over two hours to the utter delight of the visiting team.  

HEALTHY CUBS  

“The cubs were very playful! They went all over the mother and it was a rare treat to watch them. They looked so healthy!” said Ms. Kak, who promptly sent to The Hindu one of the many exclusive pictures she could click with her personal camera.  

The tigress got her reward too: Ms. Kak named her “Husnara”!

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article3340310.ece?homepage=true

Poachers back to hunt Gujrat pride?

Apr 24, 2012, 05.43AM IST




Have poachers become active near Gir National Park again? Missing claws of a lion that died a year ago and a cub that has been missing for nearly 50 days indicate that all is not well in the lion's abode.

A 10-month-old lion cub in this range has been missing since March 5 and the forest department has no clue about its disappearance. K S Randhawa, deputy conservator of forests, Bhavnagar, denied that a cub has been missing but senior forest officials confirmed to TOI that the cub has indeed been traceless.

Earlier, in April 2011, a lion was electrocuted at Valar village in Mahuva range. When the carcass was found, the claws were missing. Four persons were arrested in the connection but even after a year forest officials have not found the claws.

The area was stalked by poachers about five years back and nearly 50 poachers, led by Sarkaslal from Madhya Pradesh, were arrested for killing eight lions in the span of a few weeks.

The two recent cases not only bring back those memories but also highlight the lack of co-ordination between the departments concerned and the ground staff in the region. The lion's carcass was found 10 days after it died. After killing the lion, the accused had put the carcass on a bullock cart and dumped it on the gauchar land. Marks of the bullock cart wheels in the area had led the forest officials to conclude that the lion may have been killed somewhere else and the body was later dumped in the revenue area.

Randhawa, however, denied involvement of any gang of poachers in lion's killing. "We suspect involvement of local people in the case of missing claws," he said.

According to the last census, there were 411 lions in the sanctuary and of this, 33 were in Bhavnagar district, mostly in Mahuva range.


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-24/ahmedabad/31392309_1_lion-cub-forest-officials-poachers

Man-eating leopard killed in upcountry Shimla

Sunday, April 22, 2012 - 21:00

Villagers of Dhar hunted down a man-eating leopard after a long operation of two months in Nankhari region in inner Shimla, 140 km from here, the capital of the state.   

“There were two man-eating leopards in this Bahali forest range of Rampur Tehsil. I succeeded killing younger one and the other escaped. With the cooperation of the forest department this operation is half-complete. But the entire region in still living under fear of  the other man-eater,”  man-eating leopard  killer, Kailash Thakur told Punjab Newsline.   

The man-eating leopards had killed one 9-year-old child near Nankhari in the second week of January this year. Since then the entire region was living under the terror of these big cats.   

“We had permission to kill one man-eating leopard and with the help of the local villagers we hunted it down. The other big cat escaped and we have to plan to capture or kill it to protect locals from the attacks of this wild animal, said Dhuni Chand, Forest Range Officer, Rampur.   

Man- animal conflict has become a very serious issue in Himachal Pradesh. In the last three years 22 people have been killed in the wildlife attacks. In most of these deaths killers were leopards. Wild animals had made 1242 attacks on human in the state in the last three years and 110 suffered serious injuries..   

Monkey menace is the biggest problem in the state, which has become now a political issue. Each year more than four lakh monkeys destroy framers’ crop worth Rs 500 crore and many farmers are living their field barren fearing these simians.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/man-eating-leopard-killed-upcountry-shimla/43707

Six leopards caught in two districts of Gujarat

PTI | 10:04 PM,Apr 22,2012

Vadodara, Apr 22 (PTI) Atleast six leopards have been caught from two districts of Junagadh and Amreli in Gujarat in the last two days after an increase in the instances of attack by the big cats on humans, a top forest officer said today. 

"Three leopards were caught from Inaj village this morning while another was caged at Kadambri village at Dhari area in Amreli district. The forest department has put up five cages around Inaj and surrounding villages to trap the wild cats creating panic in the area," District Conservator of Forest Aradhana Sahu told PTI from Junagadh. 

The cages were set in the wake of an attack by a leopard on eight-year-old Asmita Bharad and mauling another in Inaj village of Veraval taluka a few days back, Sahu said. Following this attack, which was third in the last two months, we decided to set up five cages around Inaj village and succeeded in catching three big cats early morning, Sahu said. 

In two related incidents, one-year-old Sapna Damor of Madhya Pradesh was killed by a leopard in sugarcane field in Junagadh district, while in another incident, a big cat dragged 12-year-old Nirmla Puwar from Ghantiya village of Sutrapada taluka of Junagadh district and later killed her. 

Sharma further said "a leopard who had killed a 60-years-old woman in Kadambri village two days back has been caught this morning". She also informed that the forest officials also managed to trap a male lion from Nageshwari village under the Gir range today. The lion and a lioness had hunted down a youth two days back. 

The sugarcane fields in which the migrant labourers and their family members stay have turned into the leopards' habitat as they stray there.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/six-leopards-caught-in-two-districts-of-gujarat/989203.html

Leopard ‘evicted' from Mumbai school

00:00 April 23, 2012

More than 20 hours after it strayed into an international school at Mulund in north-east Mumbai, a full-grown leopard was trapped by forest officials early yesterday. 

The wild cat had sneaked into the NES International School located adjacent to the boundary of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) at 8am on Saturday. After prowling around the school premises for a while, it sought out the basement of the school. Since the school is closed for summer vacations, there was no cause for concern. 

Having been alerted by the school management, forest officials from the SGNP arrived at the school at 10.30am. Their initial plan was to track down the leopard and immobilise it using tranquilliser guns when it holed up in the basement. 

The gardener of the school spotted the big cat enter the basement and locked the door. Playing the waiting game, the forest rangers set up a trap with a lavish quantity of chicken as bait. In their bid to draw the animal out of the basement, the forest officials burst crackers at around 8.30pm on Saturday. The leopard did come out of the basement, but avoided the trap.

Long wait 

It was around 4.30am yesterday that the leopard finally walked into the cage. 

The wildlife park officials took the trapped leopard to the neighbouring sanctuary, where it was freed into the jungle. 

They said the leopard might have strayed into the school searching for food. Incidentally, the NES International School is located just 300 metres away from the boundary of the national park. There have been many instances in the past when wild animals from the SGNP strayed into nearby housing complexes, the Film City, the Aarey Milk Colony, Dahisar, Borivli, Kandivli, Malad, Goregaon in the western suburbs, Mulund and Bhandup on the north-eastern side, and also onto the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology at Powai.

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/leopard-evicted-from-mumbai-school-1.1012053

Leopard kills old woman

TNN | Apr 23, 2012, 03.13AM IST

An old woman was killed by a leopard in Karamdadi village of Dhari taluka in Amreli district in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  

Police said that victim Santok Koli, 60, was sleeping in her courtyard when the leopard attacked her at about 4:30 am.  

"The leopard dragged the victim about half-a-kilometre away and ate some of her body parts.  

Her partly-eaten body was recovered on late Sunday morning," said a forester

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Leopard-kills-old-woman/articleshow/12830482.cms

Lions kill two cows in Una village

TNN | Apr 23, 2012, 03.34AM IST


A pride of nine lions wreaked terror in Khilavad village of Una taluka in Junagadh district on Saturday night by attacking cattle and killing two cows.  

According to the forest department officials, villagers of Khilavad said that they locked themselves into their houses after they heard the big cats roaring on Saturday night.  

"The villagers claimed there were nine lions of one pride, which attacked a group of six cows, killing two of them.  

The lions dragged the two cows into the orchard owned by Rasik Patel and feasted on their carcasses till early Sunday morning. Some of the villagers who had witnessed this scene alerted us," said a forester.  

Meanwhile, forest department has started devising strategies to tackle the lion menace in Khilavad village.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Lions-kill-two-cows-in-Una-village/articleshow/12830671.cms

Lion tears apart man near Jafrabad

TNN Apr 18, 2012, 11.17PM IST

An illegal lions show went horribly wrong for the organizer, who was torn apart by the wild beast in Amreli district on Wednesday evening.

Forest officials of Amreli division Rajula-Jafrabad range told TOI that victim Bhura Parmar (35) was organizing a lion show in Dholadari village of Jafrabad taluka for a group of persons who had gone for lion sighting.

The group of villagers reportedly disturbed a lion and lioness. The agitated lion came menacingly close to the group and tried to attack them. While other villagers managed to escape, Bhura could not and the lion dragged him into the bushes. The wild cat tore his body apart, said officials, adding, his skeleton was found at the site.


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-18/rajkot/31360875_1_lion-amreli-villagers

Tiger census begins in Nallamala

TNN | Apr 19, 2012, 01.47AM IST

Amidst growing concerns over the dwindling tiger population in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) and calls for initiating more conservation measures to increase the population of the wild cats, the forest officials have begun the tiger census in the Nallamala forest.   

The exercise was launched at Atmakur in Kurnool and Markapuram in Prakasam district four days ago. Sources said the 45-day exercise would also be taken up at Achampet in Mahbubnagar and Nagarjunasagar in Nalgonda district. Forest officials said 200 digital cameras would be used to photograph the pugmarks, which would be analyzed using computers to identify tigers on various parametres. "But the availability of good quality pugmarks suitable for analysis would be not more than 20 to 25 per cent," a senior forest ranger pointed out.   

The census would be conducted on the basis of digital photographs of the tiger pugmarks and camera tracks which would be evaluated with the help of the latest software. During the exercise, the forest teams would count the pugmarks at water holes in the forest core area spread across 2,527 square km. A retired forest official Tulasi Rao said proliferation of tigers and other wild animals is linked to availability of food, which flourished only when the green cover is improved.   

NSTR, which has been renamed Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, has its tiger numbers grow to 70 with a healthy male-female-cubs ratio in the last census. In fact, the wild cat numbers plummeted to 30 in the last 6-7 years. NSTR, spread over five districts of the Nallamala mountain ranges and encompassing more than 3,500 square km, was the abode for nearly 100 tigers in 1990. There are over 300 leopards in the sanctuary.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Tiger-census-begins-in-Nallamala/articleshow/12723477.cms

Water crisis: Tigers travel miles to quench thirst

Apr 17, 2012, 02.26AM IST

It's not denizens alone who seem to be reeling under a severe water crisis this summer. Even animals in the state's largest tiger belt, the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), are hit by the shortage with only a handful of manually filled 'saucer pits' to quench their thirst. The smaller lakes in the tiger reserve, with a tiger population estimated between 52 and 67, have dried up. Experts note that the tigers usually travel the 25 km distance to reach Krishna river in search of water and could be doing the same now.  

While the shortage of water seems to be most severe this time around, experts note that the NSTR belt has always been a parched region. Tigers in the belt, they say, are often forced to travel to the Krishna to quench their thirst. "This belt, which is a plateau, is known for water crises. The poor monsoon has aggravated the situation this time," said R K Rao, a former forest officer who has worked extensively in this area during his tenure.

The area received just about 70 mm rainfall last monsoon as against the average rainfall of 650 mm it records every year. Adding to the woes of the animals is the rising mercury level that has dried up half a dozen small lakes and streams dotting the reserve forest. Tribals manually fill the handful of 'saucer pits' every alternate day. But that isn't enough considering the large cattle population in the area. "These saucer pits are often emptied by cattle grazing there. Water is barely left for the wild animals," said Farida Tamal, state director of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) that has now joined hands with the AP forest department to set up solar pumps in this belt. The pumps, Tampal explains, will help fill percolation pits within the forest area and thereby restrict the movement of tigers apart from addressing the water shortage. The pumps are expected to be installed over the next few weeks.  

Experts stress on the need to address the problem soon as they fear that the shortage might compel tigers to venture into dangerous terrain, increasing the number of man-animal conflicts. "When there is no water available in the vicinity, animals tend to cross the forest limits to reach water bodies or other sources of water (like a hand pump or borewell) located close to habitations. This is perilous," Tampal said.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-17/hyderabad/31354835_1_tiger-population-water-shortage-water-crisis

Highways through Indian tiger reserves will destroy habitat

Monday, April 16, 2012, 12:04

As India strives hard to protect its big cats, a study in a tiger reserve has found that busy highways and excessive road expansion will destroy wildlife populations and their habitats in the long term, as large mammals avoid such areas.

The study, a copy of which is available with IANS, comes at a time when there are just 1,706 tigers left in the country and a debate is on over according the green nod to construction of highways through various tiger reserves.   

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Centre for Wildlife Studies carried out a preliminary study examining the impact of vehicular traffic on the usage of road edges by large mammals -- elephants, chital (spotted deer), tiger, leopard, gaur (Indian bison) and wild pigs -- along a highway passing through Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.   

The team of experts estimated large mammal encounter rates using remotely triggered camera traps on two consecutive sections -- one closed to vehicular traffic and the other open to vehicles only during daytime -- of the Mysore-Mananthavadi Highway, passing through the tiger reserve.   

"We observed lower encounter rates of chital, gaur and elephants at camera traps in the highway segment with higher vehicular traffic density, suggesting that these species avoided busy highways," said Sanjay Gubbi of WCS-India programme.   In all, a total of 681 animal trails intersected the highway.   

"The density of animal trails along the highway closed to traffic was over 40 percent higher than the one open to vehicular movement, suggesting a greater use of road edges by animals in the nearly vehicle-free segment," said Gubbi.   

For species such as the wild pig, tiger and leopard, the photo-capture rates were zero-inflated and a more sustained monitoring overtime may enable a better assessment of how these species respond to vehicular traffic along highways.   

The study pointed out that while there are legally mandated assessments of the potential ecological impacts of such infrastructure projects prior to implementation, rarely are there post-implementation assessments of their real ecological impacts.   

"Despite the fact that roads could affect numerous endangered wildlife species, there have been virtually no studies assessing their impacts, especially on large-bodied animals. As a result, the impact of roads and vehicular traffic on larger endangered species remains poorly understood in India," the study said.   

Based on our findings, the study emphasises the importance of continued ecological impact assessments of development projects to identify and mitigate unforeseen impacts.   

"Further, an approach to development planning that integrates conservation concerns, especially where development projects coincide with ecologically critical areas, is urgently needed in India," it said.   

The study said sustaining India's growth story is possible only if ecological safeguards, such as environment impact assessment, are not forsaken in the pursuit of economic growth and human development.   

"If India is serious about achieving this balance, there is no escape but to invest in a more holistic process of development planning that includes - rather than ignores - the conservation of its priceless natural heritage," it added.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/highways-through-indian-tiger-reserves-will-destroy-habitat_770181.html

Camera traps discover tigers, elephants in "empty" forest park

April 16, 2012

Male Bengal tiger caught on camera trap in Namdapha Tiger Reserve. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak.

Although it's named Namdapha Tiger Reserve, conservationists had long feared that tigers, along with most other big mammals, were gone from the park in northeast India. However, an extensive camera trap survey has photographed not only Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris), but also Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), which were also thought extirpated from the park. 

Once dubbed an "empty forest" due to poaching, the new survey shows that Namdapha still has massive conservation potential.

"[This] is a clear sign that Namdapha is not a lost cause and that with robust protection the park and its wildlife could be revived," Dr. Joe Smith, Panthera's Tiger Program Director, told mongabay.com. "The team behind this study increased their chances of detecting tigers and other elusive species by covering a large proportion of the park and placing camera traps in a number of very remote locations.

"Wild cat NGO, Panthera, worked with India's National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Arunanchal Pradesh State Forest Department (APFD), the Namdapha National Park Authority (NNPA), and local conservation NGO Aaranyak to conduct the survey.

In all, 80 camera traps photographed over 30 mammals in the park proving that while poaching remains a major problem in the area, rich wildlife still survives. But conservationists stress that scaled-up protection efforts are needed to ensure this good news doesn't turn quickly into bad. Researchers were particularly surprised to find Asian elephants in the park, which they thought had vanished 15 years ago. The camera traps also documented six species of wild cat: tiger, leopard (Panthera pardus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), Asian golden cats (Pardofelis temminckii), and leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis).

Researchers also gathered tiger pug marks (footprints) and scat, but Smith says its too early to estimate how many tigers roam the park.

"Reliable estimates of tiger numbers require a considerable amount of data collected according to specific protocols. We must wait to see what the current data set can tell us and then decide on the best way to proceed with population monitoring in Namdapha.

"The organizations hope that the findings of the camera trap survey will attract more notice for Namdapha.

"This news from Namdapha should certainly encourage the authorities, civil society and all those interested in saving wildlife to put their full support behind Namdapha," Smith said. "The actions of poachers, targeting tigers and their principal prey species, have severely impacted Namdapha in recent years and so proactive protection at ground-level must be an immediate priority now.

"In order to protect the tigers and other species in the park, Smith says it's vital to get more boots on the ground. He recommends immediately filling any wildlife ranger vacancies, improving anti-poaching infrastructure, increasing the area that rangers patrol, and ensuring that there are sufficient staff on duty twenty four hours a day.

"Combined, these actions would quickly increase both the intensity and coverage of the protection measures required to safeguard Namdapha's tigers and other magnificent wildlife," he notes.

Not only did the survey record mammals, but researchers also discovered frog species that may be new to science.

Spanning nearly 200,00 hectares, Namdapha Tiger Reserve is located in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, near the border with Myanmar. Tigers are listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List with the world's total wild population estimated at around 3,000 individuals. Six subspecies survive today with three having gone extinct in the past century.

Asian elephant in Namdapha. The Asian elephant is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

Clouded leopard in Namdapha. The clouded leopard is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

Sun bear (Ursus malayanus) in Namdapha. The sun bear is listed as Vulnerable. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak.

Marbled cat in Namdapha. The marbled cat is listed as Vulnerable. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

Stump-tailed macaque (Macaca arctoides) in Namdapha. The stump-tailed macaque is listed as Vulnerable. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

Asiatic golden cat in Namdapha. The Asiatic golden cat is listed as Near Threatened. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak.

Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) in Namdapha. The Indian crested porcupine is listed as Least Concern. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak.

Leopard cat in Namdapha. The leopard cat is listed as Least Concern. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Namdapha. The wild boar is listed as Least Concern. Photo © Panthera, NTCA, APFD, NNPA, and Aaranyak. 

http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0415-hance_namdapha_cameratraps.html

Lions, cheetahs to share forest land in MP? SC will decide

TNN Apr 17, 2012, 04.01AM IST


Should India implant the Namibian cheetah in Madhya Pradesh or the 'Gujarati' lion? The decision is now to be made by the Supreme Court with wildlife experts and government agencies unable to come to a decision.

The case for taking some lions from Gujarat - home to the last remaining wild population of the grassland big cat -- to Palpur-Kuno in Madhya Pradesh has been hanging fire in the apex court for seven years now. The issue has got muddled further with the Union government deciding to import the cheetah from Namibia and attempt to make the same forest patch a home to the animal that went extinct in India in 1947. Not to forget the tiger already resides in the same forests.

The court's final order could also push the line on how far the judiciary and the Centre can intervene in matters of wildlife conservation with the subject being in the concurrent list of the Constitution.

To compound the matter further, Gujarat has made the lion a matter of pride and does not want to part with even a few animals from the Gir wildlife sanctuary. Gujarat has argued that the lions are doing just fine in Gir, in fact growing in numbers, and Madhya Pradesh has a bad track-record with tigers. It also pointed out that the Union government has decided to introduce the cheetah after importing it from Namibia and this should be done before the lions are taken, if at all.

The MP government has pitched its hat in the ring for both the animals. It claimed the forest patch in MP has a better prey base for the lion which is cramped in the relatively small Gir wildlife sanctuary and it has prepared the grounds for long - including relocating people years ago.

The original move to translocate lions from Gir was begun by the Union environment ministry with worries that the single population could be wiped clean in case an infectious disease spread through the region and a small group should be reared separately in Madhya Pradesh  But now there are wildlife activists advocating for the cheetah as well. The Union environment ministry gave a nod to this wild cat a year back even though there was opposition internally to bringing another carnivore back into India, with its attendant large international funding and high profile and intensive requirements, when its already difficult to manage the existing tiger population.

The internal apprehensions were over-ridden by the then environment minister who supported the wildlife groups promoting the cheetah.


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-17/india/31355023_1_gir-wildlife-sanctuary-translocate-lions-cheetah

Mating lion attacks Maldhari

TNN Apr 17, 2012, 04.33AM IST

After killing a cub, it was the turn of a Maldhari to fall prey to a mating pair in Dhari region in Gir east.  On Monday, Maya Natha, a Maldhari was taking his cattles for grazing when he was attacked by a mating lion. The Maldhari has been admitted to the hospital.

Officials said that Natha along with his brother was heading with his herd of buffalos when accidentally he went close to a mating pair. The lion, sensing trouble, immediately pounced on the Maya Natha and injured him.

The irritated lion then left and sat under a tree. Natha was admitted to the Civil Hospital in Amreli and his condition was said to be stable.

This was the second such attack in the last four days. Earlier, a four-month old cub was killed by a loner lion when it was not allowing it to come close to the lioness. Officials said that according to the information, the Maldhari unaware of the pair went too close to the pair and he was attacked.

Officials said if the lion is with a lioness, he always percieves anyone nearby as a possible threat. It was on Wednesday last week, when a cub was killed as he was too small to face the agitated lion.

Postmortem revealed that the cub had injuries in the skull, neck and even ribs. The nature of the injury suggested that the lion, even after killing the cub, would have flung it several times.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-17/ahmedabad/31354944_1_lion-cub-gir

Lovelorn lion kills cub

TNN Apr 15, 2012, 04.04AM IST

It was a crime of passion in the wild. A lonely lion killed a cub who was not allowing him to get close to the lioness who happened to be his mother.

Forest officials said the cub was too small to face the agitated lion. The cub was about four to five months old, the officials said. The incident came to light on Wednesday morning when the staff found this cub in Dhari taluka of Amreli. There were fresh stains of blood when the cub was recovered.  

Officials said postmortem revealed that the cub had injuries in the skull, neck and even ribs. The nature of the injury suggested that the lion, even after killing the cub, would have flung it several times.

He said the staff, who was in the field, have said that a lioness with two cubs was spotted moving in Dalkhania range. But for the last two days, she was spotted moving with just one cub. The loner lion was also spotted moving in the periphery of the lioness. Officials said the infighting was only for the mating.

The incident took place late in the night, said officials, adding that the two cubs may be coming close to the pair. However, officials further said that it is a surprise as to how the second cub was saved.

"Such incidents are common in the sanctuary, but the fact that the lion attacked the cub even after killing it is something very rare. The cub, when it is newborn, would never leave the mother. This in turn would keep away the lion. This leads to attack," a forest official said.


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-15/ahmedabad/31345009_1_second-cub-lion-dhari

Tadoba locals get share in tourism money

TNN | Apr 16, 2012, 03.41AM IST

 Two years ago, when the buffer zone to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) was to be notified, villagers in the area opposed the move. They thought the decision would put restrictions on them. Instead, tigers are bringing money for these very villages in the buffer zone of TATR.

The TATR has recently released Rs 27 lakh to 53 villages in the periphery of TATR. Besides, Rs 1.30 crore has also been released under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for various developmental works.

"The money was collected by us from tourism receipts in the last two years and deposited in the tiger conservation foundation (TCF)," said V K Sinha, chief conservator of forests (CCF) & field director of TATR. "This is one of the reasons why we increased gate fee to Rs 500," he added.

This is for the first time that buffer villages have got their share in tourism money. The amount was deposited in the bank accounts of eco-development committees (EDCs), joint forest management committees (JFMCs) and forest protection committees (FPCs). Of the 53 villages, 16 have EDCs while others have JFMC and FPCs.

"We have fulfilled our promise made last year to the villagers," said Sinha. It is learnt that business majors BILT and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) have also offered help to villages in buffer.

Notifying buffer zones around tiger reserves has become mandatory under the tiger conservation plan (TCP) after amendments in Section 38V of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) on September 4, 2006. The TCP aims at protection of tiger reserve and providing site specific habitat inputs for a viable population of tigers, co-predators and prey animals.

The villages include Bhagwanpur in Mul where Botezari and part of Kolsa villages inside TATR have been resettled. "There was a demand for solar lights in Bhagwanpur. The amount will be utilised for that," said Sinha.

Most of the amount will be spent on procuring cooking gas as these villages put huge biotic pressure on forests for firewood. These villages are in the process of finalizing their micro plans after which more aid is expected.

An amount of Rs 3.50 lakh has also been granted under the centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) to repair gobar gas units in villages around Tadoba. These units were non-functional for years together for want of spare parts.

"It's not a big amount but symbolic to send a message that buffer zone is bringing money. If not much, Rs 51,000 can help at least 17 villagers procure cooking gas. We've asked the committees not to make any discrimination while preparing list of beneficiaries. More money from other government sources will flow in," Sinha told TOI.  Bandu Dhotre, founder of wildlife protection NGO Eco-Pro, hailed the move.

"It will ensure integrity of TATR and promote co-existence between wildlife and human activity," Dhotre said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tadoba-locals-get-share-in-tourism-money/articleshow/12682262.cms

Andhra Pradesh: Kawal Sanctuary declared as Tiger Reserve

Check the link below

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/kawal-wildlife-sanctuary-declared-as-tiger-reserve/1/184064.html

Treat wild animals as govt property for all purposes: HC

PTI | 01:04 PM,Apr 13,2012

Nagpur, Apr 13 (PTI) In a significant verdict, the Bombay High Court has ruled that wild animals including tiger should be treated as "government property for all purposes" and any damage caused by them should be compensated by the Government.

If a wild animal causes loss to an agriculturist or a citizen, it would be the responsibility of the appropriate Government to make good the loss," a division bench comprising Justices Sharad Bobde and Prasanna Varale ruled, before directing the government to pay damages of Rs 3.84 lakh to a Wardha farmer whose crops were damaged due to presence of tigers in the area.

A farmer from neighbouring Wardha distrct, Baburao Aglawe (65), from Kinhala village of Seloo in (Wardha) contended that four tigers had caused damaged to his banana crop spread over five acres land during the period between April and May in 2010. The tigers sneaked into the banana field and remained there for quite some time, thereby making difficult for him to visit the field. Since it was lush green cover and ample water available the tigers almost made it their abode.

He applied for getting compensation to the tune of Rs 3.84 lakh along with 18 per cent interest which was recommended by Forest Department at Rs 48 per banana plant. However State Finance department rejected it stating that they have no such policy.

The senior citizen contended that when he could get compensation when a tiger killed his cow then why not the same policy applies for the crops.

"Though, the provision declares that the wild animals are government property, in the context of their protection from being hunted, we are of the view that the wild animals should be treated as government property for all purposes," the High Bench observed, adding that it would be open to a citizen to claim compensation for the loss caused by any wild animal, whether specifically referred to in any provision, government resolution (GR) or not.

Endorsing the petitioner's stand, the judges said that they find from the compensation policy framed by the government that it enjoins farmers to protect the nests of vultures from destruction and claim compensation for any loss suffered by them on account of having so protected the nests.

There is no reason why same principle should not have been applied to the case of the petitioner, who protected the tigress who nurtured her cubs in an agricultural land of the petitioner, they said. Earlier, the forest department informed that the crops were not actually damaged by the wild beast but due to presence of a tigress and her three cubs.

The labourers working there failed to water the crops on account of fear that led to their drying. It was also pointed out that though the July 2, 2010 GR doesn't have provision to provide compensation for damage due to tigers, the department had forwarded Aglawe's case to the finance department as a special one.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/treat-wild-animals-as-govt-property-for-all-purposes-hc/985617.html

Carcass of lion cub found in Amreli

TNN | Apr 12, 2012, 11.27PM IST

A lion cub was found dead in Semardi forest area of the Dalkhaniya forest range in Amreli district.

The incident came to light on Wednesday evening and senior forest officials rushed to the spot. Sources estimate the cub's age at around five months. The cub's body was sent for postmortem to ascertain the cause of the death.

Forest officials suspect infighting between lions to be reason for the cub's death. However, only the postmortem report can confirm the cause of death.

Anshuman Sharma, deputy conservator of forests (Dhari range-west), was not available for comment despite repeated attempts.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/Carcass-of-lion-cub-found-in-Amreli/articleshow/12641878.cms

Kak orders authorities to stop construction work at Sariska

TNN | Apr 11, 2012, 04.01AM IST


Waking up to gross violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and orders of the Supreme Court, minister for forest and environment Bina Kak on Monday ordered an immediate halt on the construction of annicuts with the use of earth-moving machinery inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve.

The forest department had embarked on a project of constructing 28 annicuts inside the reserve for providing water to animals there specially during summer. However, what the authorities seem to have missed is clearly laid laws for such work. Not only was heavy machinery deployed for construction work but the work was in complete disregard of the wildlife, specially tigers, inside the reserve.

When the matter was brought to the minister's notice she took it up on an urgent basis and showing her concern for wildlife halted all construction work.

According to Bina Kak, "To provide water to wildlife in Sariska Tiger Reserve the forest department had embarked on a project of 28 water harvesting structures approved at a cost of Rs 1,146.07 lakh. In May, 2009, NABARD sanctioned the project for the construction of 28 water harvesting structures with financial assistance of Rs 1,088.77 lakh and the state's share in it was Rs 57.30 lakh. The construction of water harvesting structures was started by water resource department in June 2010."

She added, "About 22 water harvesting structures are under progress out of which 15 are likely to be completed in April 2012. But after it was brought to my notice I called the officers concerned here. Keeping in view the disturbance it caused to the wildlife we have decided to curtail construction work at Nangalhedi, Thadthadi (Alokenath), Shreedhar, Nala, Chawkiwala Johda, Adhirunjhadi (baghera audhi) and Cheeldi. During construction of ongoing water harvesting structures efforts will be made to cause minimum disturbance to the wildlife."

"Out of 28 sanctioned annicuts 15 are almost complete, seven others are nearing completion and should be ready before the monsoon sets in. Funds have already been utilized and for the rest six we have stopped the work,'' she said.

However, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has also taken a note of the construction work and has shot a letter in this regards to chief secretary C S Mathew. In its letter the CEC has ordered to immediately stop the work that may cause disturbance to wildlife there.

The CEC's intervention came after a representation by Dharmendra Khandal, field biologist, Tiger Watch dated April 9. Khandal in his representation had sought the CEC's intervention into the construction activities inside the Sariska reserve. The CEC in its letter to the chief secretary has asked the state government to conduct a thorough enquiry in the matter and reply to it.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Kak-orders-authorities-to-stop-construction-work-at-Sariska/articleshow/12617077.cms

Extremely Rare Leopards Find Safe Spot in New Park

By Stephanie Pappas | LiveScience.com


A new national park in Russia is an attempt to save the world's rarest cat, the Amur leopard.

The park, announced Tuesday (April 10) by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), encompasses 650,000 acres (262,000 hectares) of Amur leopard breeding area in Russia's Far East. Now called the Land of the Leopard National Park, the park covers about 60 percent of the critically endangered cat's habitat.

Fewer than 40 Amur leopards are believed to exist in the wild, according to the WWF. While most leopards stick to the savannas of Africa, the Amur leopard loves cold and high-elevation habitats, such as that found in the far east of Russia and in northern North Korea.

The new national park will help protect these large cats, which can reach 110 pounds (48 kilograms). The land will also become home to 10 Amur, or Siberian, tigers, another endangered species. Amur tigers were once in as dire a situation as Amur leopards, but their population is rebounding, with an estimated 360 tigers in the wild today.  

The park will welcome eco-tourists. Russia has invested $16.6 million in the park's infrastructure, with a pledge of $1.3 million more for upkeep. The hope is that the protected land will help bolster the struggling Amur leopard population, which has lost massive amounts of habitat to human encroachment.

A six-year-old boy was seriously injured by a Leopard

TOI 09 Apr 2012,15:04 IST

A six-year-old boy was seriously injured after he was attacked by a leopard in Katraniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary,DFO said. The incident took place at Karikot village when the boy had gone to the forest to answer nature's call,DFO wildlife RK Singh said. As the family members and villagers raised an alarm, the animal fled into the forest leaving the boy bleeding, he said, adding that the victim who has suffered injuries on the neck and head has been admitted to a mihinpurwa CHC.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/leopard

Leopard cub beaten to death by villagers

TNN Apr 9, 2012, 11.27PM IST

Yet another leopard was killed by villagers at Khokondoguri Saroh Gaon in Golaghat district on Monday. Barely two days ago an adult leopard was killed at the hands of irate villagers of Bohikhowa Sapori in Dergaon area. However, one person was injured in Monday's leopard attack before it was beaten to death by some villagers.

Forest officials said it was a one-year-old male leopard. It came under attack after it mauled one person of Khokondoguri Saroh gaon, about 10 km from Dergaon town, added one forest officer.

"We got information that a leopard cub was beaten to death by some villagers at Khokondguri area in Dergaon after it mauled a person on Monday morning. A man sustained minor injuries but he is presently out of danger. We lost another big cat within this week only in the same area," said forest range officer, Golaghat, Puspadhar Nath.

On Saturday the villagers killed an adult leopard due to reasons yet to be known and feasted on the animal's flesh, said Nath.

"We have lodged a complaint at the Dergaon police station. We are finding it hard to identify the culprits as about two thousand people from five villages were involved in the wild cat attack," Nath said adding, "police investigation is on and one person has been arrested in this connection."

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-09/guwahati/31312798_1_leopard-cub-male-leopard-leopard-attack

Foresters spot 'mystery cat' in Sunderbans

This is a bit old report but worth sharing.

TNN Mar 

22, 2012, 

08.35AM IST

The deeper you go into the Sunderbans, the more mysterious it is. The camera traps that have snapped 18 Bengal tigers outside the core area of the mangrove forests also captured two photos of a never-before seen cat. It could be another species altogether, a eureka moment for conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts.

Forest officers scanning through a bunch of pictures of the wild stopped in their tracks when they came across a small, black cat with a long tail. Nothing of the sort had been seen in decades of documentation and exploration in the Sunderbans.  

The Sunderbans is the only tiger reserve in India where leopards have never been seen. Its Bangladeshi side reported the last sighting of a leopard in 1931.  

The cat spotted in the camera traps is bigger than a wild cat and smaller than a leopard, say sources. It's not yet known whether it's a new species but forest officials believe it is a melanistic leopard-cat , a rarity in the animal world.  

In leopards, two genes determine whether the animal's colour will be yellow with black spots or completely black. The black panther gets its colour from the black recessive gene.  

"We have never seen any animal like this in the Sunderbans . Apart from the 18 tigers, scores of other cats, including jungle and fishing cats, were found during the exercise, which was done outside the reserve area for the first time. Most of them were expected till we came upon two sightings of a black cat with a long tail," said Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve director Pradeep Vyas.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-22/kolkata/31224282_1_leopard-cat-black-cat-wild-cat

Tibetans get compensated for wild-animal damage

Xnhua, April 10, 2012

Tibetan authorities have compensated local farmers and herders more than 170 million yuan (27 million U.S. dollars) over the past six years for damages by wild animals, local officials said Monday.

Tibetan snow leopard.

Numerous wild animals inhabit the southwestern autonomous area. They are generally viewed as a nuisance as the feral animals can attack people and cause property losses, a spokesman with the Wildlife Protection Department under the Tibet Regional Forest Bureau said.  

The "troublemakers" are mainly brown bears, black bears, wolves, wild yaks, snow leopards and blue sheep, some of which are under state-level protection, the spokesman said.  

To protect the interests of local residents, the regional government promulgated a regulation in 2006 to give financial compensation to residents who suffer damages from wild animals, he said.  

More than 170 million yuan has been given to local residents in this regard from 2006 to 2011, and 110 million alone last year, he said.  

"It also improves the residents' awareness of protecting wild animals," he said.  

http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2012-04/10/content_25102706.htm

Rutland sanctuary offers help for big cats in spot of bother

Tuesday,
April 10, 2012

Big cats really do roam the British countryside – at least they do on a secluded animal sanctuary tucked away in rural Rutland.

Falconry expert Chris Lawton has made a home for rare leopards at the sanctuary he runs on a 42-acre site in Exton, near Rutland Water.



The 66-year-old former engineer took over the Rutland Falconry and Owl Centre, then in neighbouring Greetham, in 1996.

The centre, which moved to its present home in 1999, cares for more than 150 birds of prey and occasionally take in rabbits, foxes and other wildlife.

Since 2005, it has also become a sanctuary to some of the world's rarest big cats.

Chris, who has fostered stricken wild animals for most of his life, said: "We provide a home for big cats who are not wanted in the system for whatever reason – usually because they are ill or can't be used for breeding.

"I've always had a passion for big cats, and in 2005 was in touch with the Snow Leopard Breeding Project.  "At the same time, a problem came up with an Amur leopard in a zoo, which was going to be destroyed because it had no tail and couldn't be used for breeding. It rang alarm bells with me because I felt strongly that such a fantastic creature deserved the chance to live."

Manx, now 11, is the sanctuary's oldest resident. He lives with three fellow Amur leopards – an endangered breed from eastern Russia, of which only 35 remain in the wild.

The Amurs are joined by one Persian leopard and an African leopard and the sanctuary is also expecting a new resident – a three-year-old Persian leopard called Cyrus, who is being moved from Chessington World of Adventures, in Surrey.

The leopard has a genetic heart condition which means he cannot be used for breeding.

John Merrington, Cyrus's keeper at Chessington, said: "He's a beautiful cat and I'm going to miss having him around but I know at Rutland he will be given the opportunity to continue living a long, fulfilling and rewarding life."

The big cats in Rutland can be viewed by a limited number of people six times a year.  Chris said: "We hold the open days to raise funds for the plight of the Amur leopard. Visits are limited because leopards are elusive creatures which prosper the best if they are left alone as much as possible."

Being the owner of six big cats himself, Chris has a unique perspective on the mysterious Rutland panther legend.

He said: "I haven't seen it but there have been some strange happenings with my cats when they've behaved very oddly, as if spooked by another big predator."

www.rutland-falconry.com

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Rutland-sanctuary-offers-help-big-cats-spot/story-15770917-detail/story.html

Panna sets new benchmark in tiger conservation

MONDAY, 09 APRIL 2012 00:52

From no tiger in 2009, Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is now roaring with a dozen cubs and five adult tigers. The success of the big cat reintroduction experiment in the reserve for the past three years by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Forest department has caught international attention with Cambodia and Russia willing to take a leaf from Panna’s conservation book.

In sharp contrast Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, which too began on the same lines as Panna in 2008 with five big cats, has not been able to pace up the conservation ladder as Panna. WII is to take up a comparative study on stress hormone factor of the tigers in the two reserves to investigate the reasons behind Sariska’s failure.

“Panna’s big cat recovery programme has been referred to as the best practices of reintroduction that effectively combines both the technical and managerial strategies simultaneously,” said WII scientist Dr K Ramesh. He is heading the technical team as the Principal Investigator in the Reintroduction and Monitoring programme in Panna.

He confirmed that reintroduction of tiger population was in the pipeline in both Cambodia and Russia on the lines of the much appreciated strategies adopted in Panna. This is expected to be carried out under the Eastern Plain Landscape Programme of the World Wildlife Fund. Ramesh was in Cambodia recently to share his experiences and expertise on the subject.

Field Director Panna R Srinivasa Murthy, one of the key architects of Panna’s success story, felt that intensive monitoring and security were responsible for the positive results. “Our field staff submitted regular reports on the tigers at 8 am everyday — this way we could anticipate the mating behaviour of the big cats,” he said. Tiger monitoring in Panna is done with eight captive elephants.

The managerial interventions have been compounded with the technical strategies leading to Panna’s success. “We have been following an incremental approach in the reintroduction initiatives by gradually introducing the tigers instead of hurrying through their reintroduction,” pointed out K Ramesh.

First, two tigresses T1 and T2 were introduced from Bandhavgarh and Kanha respectively in March 2009. After allowing them to acclimatise for sometime T3 male was brought from Pench Tiger Reserve. Within a year in 2010 both the tigresses delivered their cubs.

However, what really turned heads was opening up of a path breaking chapter in conservation when two orphaned female cubs  — T4 and T5 were introduced in March and November 2011 respectively. They were from the litters of a collared tigress that had got killed in a fight with another in Kanha in May 2005. Both of them had been hand-reared after being rescued at the age of three weeks from Kanha.

But proving all apprehensions and aspersions wrong T4 delivered its first litter in November- December 2011. Now the other “rewilded” tigress T5 has also been seen with the only male tiger of the reserve-T3 and there soon may be chances of more cubs booming.

Panna may be enjoying its first flush of success, but Ramesh cautioned that the need of the hour was to look beyond the Panna boundaries. Nearly six out of the 12 cubs are about two-year-old and have started dispersing to the adjoining buffer and the territorial forest divisions.

“Hence, the areas need to be brought under the ambit of tiger conservation, which is certainly challenging considering the large number of local villages in the vicinity,” he pointed out. For this the local communities had to be involved in the process, he stressed.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online-channel/360-todays-newspaper/56336-panna-sets-new-benchmark-in-tiger-conservation.html

Fire endangers over 25 lions in Amreli grassland

Rajkot,
Mon Apr 09 2012, 05:18 hrs

As many as 28 Asiatic lions, including two one-month-old cubs, are feared to be in danger after a major fire broke out in a grassland in the periphery of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary near Krakach village in Liliya taluka of Amreli district.

The fire reported on Saturday, which is third such incident within a month in the same area, has gutted over 2,000 bigha land overnight. However, no update on the situation of the big cats was available as a field survey began only on Sunday.

“Nothing can be said about the situation of the lions,” said Deputy Forest Officer J K Makwana adding, “Teams have been sent to conduct a survey and their report is awaited.”

Wildlife activists, who reportedly rushed to the spot after the fire broke, have expressed fear.

“We could hear roars (of lions) till early hours of Sunday. The fire was reported on Saturday afternoon and it continued till this morning. While the adult lions might have run away, the cubs are too small to run,” said Manoj Joshi, a resident of Liliya and member of Gir Nature Club — the lone NGO working for protection and preservation of Asiatic lions in the region.

“This is the third fire incident in a month’s time. But this time it is a major one,” said GNC president Bhikhu Jethava.

Most such incidents are reported from grasslands near Krakrach, Tulshishyam, Mitiyana and Ambalia villages with the onset of summer every year. These grasslands are home to over 100 lions.

According to Jethava, frequent incidents of fire would force prides of lions living in Krakrach vidi (grassland) to find shelter elsewhere, which will only take them further away from their natural habitat in GWS.

“Dispersion due to lack of space and food has brought them all the way to Krakrach, and fire incidents will push them further away,” he added.  Makawana, meanwhile, blamed local farmers for the recent incidents. “Farmers often set on fire unwanted grass (in their fields) and this fire spreads to the vidi,” he said.

The official added the department would now launch an awareness drive for the farmers on the issues and how to avoid such incidents.

But farmers point the fingers at the department, which maintains these grasslands. They allege that sometimes department staffers set these grasslands on fire to suppress the figures of sold grass.

Activists, on the other hand, alleged that considering such incidents are reported every year, they had written to the forest department in February to take some preventive measures, but in vain.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/fire-endangers-over-25-lions-in-amreli-grassland/934384/2

Sariska Blasting the Tigers Away

From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 15, Dated 14 April 2012  

Jay Mazoomdaar Independent Journalist

Sariska has refused to learn its lessons from the 2005 wipeout and is blowing its second chance. As Delhi and Jaipur watch, the reserve is losing its stripes

Ravaged An anicut construction site near Kundi inside Sariska

THE NOISE is deafening, breathing not easy and the sight blurred. Earthmovers are gnawing away at the rocky earth and tractors lugging heaps of construction material through the foliage. Jeeps are ferrying overseers and supplies for hundreds of labourers camping inside the tiger reserve. Off and on, dynamite sticks go off in silent blasts, spiking the air with a heady gunpowder stench. Welcome to Sariska. Its heart is ripped open, literally.

Coming up simultaneously are 22 giant anicuts, ostensibly to quench the thirst of animals during summers. NABARD is funding the project worth Rs 11.5 crore and the Sariska management has sought an additional Rs 3 crore for building another six. Never mind that the new structures are coming up a stone’s throw away from old, still-functioning water systems.  

Outside the reserve entrance, angry villagers block the road and refuse to let this reporter through.  “Sit down and listen to our demands. We can’t sell our land. We don’t have roads, electricity, ration card, nothing. This is our forest these corrupt foresters are destroying,” snarl a handful of protesters. The rest of the crowd has taken their agitation to district headquarter Alwar.  

Further down the road, a few forest guards man the reserve gate. One of them believes in plain speaking: “Why go inside? The forest is a construction zone. Forget tiger sighting, we are thankful that the big cats have not yet walked away. And people keep discussing why the tigers are not breeding!”  

The magnitude of disturbance unfolds soon. Hundreds of headloads of firewood is moving freely. There is, in fact, a ranger in charge of collecting “protection money” from these village women.  Cattle are omnipresent. There is an acute shortage of grass for wild herbivores — the prime tiger prey — as weeds such as cassia tora, adhatoda and lantana have proliferated into even the core forests through cattle dung.  

Nobody, it seems, is even interested in managing the mess. Till a recent recruitment and appointment drive, staff strength was critically low. Even today, nine senior (assistant commissioner of forest to assistant foresters) and 12 guard posts are vacant. A divisional forest officer (DFO) is the one who holds the field control in a tiger reserve. Since tigers were reintroduced in 2008, Sariska has seen six DFOs. For five months in 2010, there was nobody in charge.  

Seven years ago, after Sariska had lost all its tigers, the tragedy was dubbed as an opportunity for reforms. The prime minister set up a tiger task force. The state government also appointed its own panel. The remedies offered were simple: minimise disturbance, maximise protection and mobilise local support. Simultaneously, there was a call for professionalism and more transparency.  

The panels also laid down a set of conditions for securing Sariska before reintroducing tigers. These included relocation of villages, closing down the state highway running through the reserve, restricting pilgrims from roaming free inside the forest, a ban on mining, etc. In a hurry to create history, Sariska flew in tigers in 2008 without meeting any of these conditions, pledging that the results would soon be there for everyone to see.  Four years and six tigers later, the ghastly results are there for everyone to see. Consider: The first tiger flown in to Sariska was killed in 2010 when it had preyed on a buffalo and the carcass was poisoned with pesticide. 

Then DFO D Pravin and ACF Mukesh Saini were suspended. Little else changed on the ground.  

Rampant grazing and firewood collection brought down the prey density so alarmingly that Wildlife Institute of India (WII) had to nudge the governments at Delhi and Jaipur last year. But with cattle still the most easily available prey and enough villagers still inside the reserve, the possibility of carcass poisoning merely depends on how frequently a cattle owner has lost his animals to tigers and when his patience runs out.  

The quality of scientific management is also suspect. In 2010, before the tiger was poisoned, nobody had been tracking it for two days. It went unnoticed even after its radio collar started sending the static signal. It did not help that collars, too, were suspects. Thrice since 2009, collars had to be refitted on tigers because of malfunctioning. But the management probably had had enough. So for nearly a year now, tigress ST2, the first female to be reintroduced, is moving without a signal and being monitored only through its pugmarks, when available.  

Few officers want to stick around at Sariska lest they are held accountable if anything goes wrong. Those who do, accept its culture of corruption. In 2010, a number of chowkies were constructed in the western pockets — Banna and Pathakhora, for example — of Sariska. Today, few forest staff dare enter those buildings. Infamous as “standing graveyards”, these two-year-old structures were built so shoddily that they could collapse any moment.  

During the last financial year, Rs 40 lakh was spent, on paper, on repairing a 22 km road from the Sariska gate to Pandupol. Drive down the road and you can tell that the actual work happened only along a 3 km-stretch, between milestones 4 and 7.  After the 2005 wipeout, Sariska chalked out a plan to shift 28 villages from the tiger reserve. Only a small village, Bagani, with 21 families, was relocated before tigers were reintroduced in 2008. Since then, another 400 families have been shifted from Umri, Rothkala, Kiraska, Dabli and Kankwari villages.  

But villagers and even a section of the forest staff allege that many passed the eligibility test for the Rs 10 lakh compensation by “unfair means”, antagonising others who have since turned hostile to the idea of relocation. The number of eligible families in Kiraska, for example, shot up by 60 percent within four years.  

While money changed hands in most cases, there are also allegations of sexual favours, even fathers forcing their daughters to visit the DFO hut, to make it to the compensation list.  

The DFO hut in question, a single-storey structure close to Kalighati inside Sariska, was built in 2008 for housing researchers from the WII. In 2009, the building was renovated for “guests of the management” even though a 2008 National Tiger Conservation Authority guideline barred tourists from staying overnight inside a tiger reserve. Recently, the building has been rechristened as CF (conservator of forest) hut and nobody in Sariska can explain what purpose it serves inside the forest when the CF has his official accommodation only 10 km away.  

To top it all, the high-handed approach of the present management has completely forfeited public support. Villagers proudly recall how the present CF RS Shekhawat was roughed up a few times by the locals. “They (forest staff ) are looting the forest and still have the audacity to show us the rules. They impose restrictions on us so that nobody gets to know the secrets of their jungle raj,” fumes Nanakram Gurjar of Haripura village.  

The agitation was called off on its sixth day after the Alwar administration, including the forest brass, assured the villagers of patchwork on the state highway and a survey to resolve the confusion over the forest boundary.

Bina Kak was torn between a “politician’s commitment to the people” and “the forest minister’s responsibility to protect the tiger”. She explained: “The villagers don’t understand the legalities (Section 20 of the WLPA denies right to sell one’s land within a sanctuary) and the binding nature of Supreme Court directives (on closure of the road). We must engage them in dialogue. Yes, the situation could be handled in a better way before it snowballed. But I was informed late.”  

THE REINTRODUCED tigers, meanwhile, are not breeding. It is a major embarrassment for the state forest department because Panna, the other zero-tiger reserve that was repopulated after Sariaka, has already produced multiple litters. So a number of bizarre theories are doing the rounds. Many, including former Sariska DFO Sunayan Sharma, have blamed, of all things, the radio collars. Others rue the eviction of a holy man from the core area who cursed the forest staff that the “new tigers would never bear fruit”.  

But a survey of the reserve, torn apart by blasts, excavation, heavy vehicle movements, labour camps, cattle and tree fellers, leaves little to the imagination. Mining is thriving all along the peripheral hills from Sili Baori to Majoad, including hotspots such as Jaitpur Brahmin, Riksha, Gopalpur and Mundiyabas. But the state forest administration proudly claims that there is no mining “inside Sariska”.  

Meanwhile, land price has gone up by more than ten times around Thana Gazi and Tehla, along the approach roads to Sariska’s two entries, since the tigers are back. Villagers claim that many “outsiders” have invested through “powerful insiders” who acquired land in time and are making high profit. The list apparently includes the who’s who of the forest establishment. But that is another story.

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main52.asp?filename=Ne140412Blasting.asp

Over 400 Tigers Lost in 10 Years

Jake Richardson
April 9, 2012 2:02 pm



Madhya Pradesh is the second largest state in India by area and has over 70 million human residents. It also is home to many forests and has nine national parks. Within these habitats are a declining number  of wild tigers. From 2001 to 2011 about 453 of them died. A tiger reserve in the state reportedly lost all its tigers.

At one time there were 35-40, but poaching wiped out the whole population. There is speculation poachers in Madya Pradesh have connections with international mafia, who have the capability of illegal animal parts trafficking. Additionally, some of the conservation officials might also be colluding with poachers to take down tigers and then secretly ship them to international buyers.

It would be reasonable to expect a number of arrests and convictions to have been made in conjunction with the losses of many wild tigers. However, in the ten year period only two poacher convictions were handed down. Each conviction resulted in a three year prison sentence and a fine of 10,000 rupees, or about 500 US dollars.

453 tigers were lost, with only two convictions. 453 is almost half of the number of wild tigers lost around the world in the last ten years. So nearly  half of the tiger losses globally for that decade were from one state in India. In about the same period, 1,000 tiger body parts were confiscated by authorities to prevent them from being sold illegally. Superstitious beliefs continue to fuel demand for such body parts to be made into decorations, luck charms and concoctions which some say have medicinal value, though there is no proof. The main demand for illegal animal body parts is coming from Asia.

It is stating the obvious, but if one cares about tigers or other wild animals, purchasing products containing their body parts should never acceptable. Also, refusing to travel to and within countries with poaching problems might begin to apply pressure for positive change.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/over-400-tigers-lost-in-10-years.html

Being contiguous to RMNP, the gewog plays host to, among others, the tiger and leopard

APR 09, 2012

Manas park is estimated to have between 30-50 tigers (Photo courtesy UWICE)

For two nuns of the Thinleygang dratshang in Ngangla gewog, Zhemgang, their prayers were answered.  The nuns, on the way to relieve themselves in the forest, encountered a leopard but no harm was done.  

The incident happened at around five in the morning.  The nuns, carrying only a torch, noticed small stones falling from the boulders near them.  When they shone the torch up, an adult leopard jumped down from the boulder, glanced at them and continued downward.  

“We’d been hearing weird sounds at night for the past few months, which we believe was the leopard,” the lam of the dratshang said. “We have nuns, who are five to 34 years old.”  

The nuns are not the only ones in Ngangla gewog encountering wild cats.  

Last month, in Marangdut village in the same gewog, a farmer lost his cow, only to find its limbs the next day in the forest nearby.  The cow, forest officials confirmed, had been killed by a tiger that had come up from across the border of India’s Manas tiger reserve.  

“This is the second time, the first happened in 2008,” the farmer said, over a telephone interview, adding that he didn’t report it forest officials, since he did not get any compensation or protection for his animals. “For us, our livestock means everything,” he said. “We see tigers roaming nearby our house at night and it’s scary.”  

Several such cases were also reported in other villages under Ngangla gewog that consists of Sonamthang, Thinleygang, Rebati, Marangdut, Pongchaling, Ngangla Trong, Kaktong and Chutoe with 549 households.  

Ngangla falls under the Royal Manas national park, located in the southern foothills of Bhutan, and borders with India’s Manas tiger reserve.  Manas is home to many endangered wildlife species, including leopard and tiger, forest officials said.  

Other animals found are the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, elephant, Asiatic water buffalo, wild dog, golden langur, and critically endangered species like pigmy hog and hispid hare.  Manas is also home to more than 350 species of birds.

Carnivores, other than tigers in Manas, are the common leopard, clouded leopard, jungle cats, Asiatic golden cat, leopard cat, marbled cat, large Indian civets, small Indian civets, Himalayan yellow throated martens, mongooses, otters, ferret badger and binturong.  

“In most cases of human-wildlife conflict, where farmers lost their livestock, are mainly because of the tigers,” a forest official said. “So far this year, we’ve confirmed through camera traps of two tigers that came from across the border,” he said, adding that this is because of the prescribed periodic forest fire carried out in the Indian border areas.  

Prescribed burning is a tool that can be very useful in management of natural areas, particularly native grass areas.  It helps reduce invasive plant species, reduce potential fire hazards from accumulated dead or dry grass, and recycle valuable nutrients back into the soil where it will be used by new vegetation.  

Some plant seeds only germinate after a hot fire, and fire-resistant roots allow them to sprout quickly, while using nutrients released during the fire forest, officials said.  

Study by UWICE in Bumthang conclude that, in most places, tigers are wary of human beings and avoid encounters. The total tiger estimated through 27 camera traps in Royal Manas national park is 30-50 tigers.

http://www.kuenselonline.com/2011/?p=29691

Two clouded leopard skins seized in Assam

Monday, April 09, 2012, 12:29

Two skins of endangered clouded leopards have been seized and two people have been arrested near the famed Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam, an official said.  

Following a tip-off, a team led by Bhuyanpara forest range officer Adhan Oza Saturday raided a shop in Milan Bazar in Baksa district, some 20 km from the reserve, leading to the recovery of the skins, which were six months old.

Two people who had come to sell the illegal items were arrested, Oza said. The accused were produced at the Barpeta district sessions court, and after which they were sent to Barpeta jail.  

Clouded leopards are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wild life Protection Act 1972 - the highest protection accorded to endangered wild animals in India.  

This was the second seizure by Oza and his team last week.

On April 3, a leopard skin was seized and one person was arrested in Bhogpur Ghat on the eastern boundary of the reserve. The arrested person told the investigators that he had been paid Rs.2,000 to transport the skin to another location. He was sent to jail.  

However, one of the two carrying the skin managed to escape on a bicycle.  

Clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa) are smaller in size than the leopards (Panthera pardus), smallest of the four big cats.  

The Manas sanctuary, spread across more than 2,000 sq km on the foothills of the Himalayas, is home to tigers, elephants, wild buffaloes, rhinos, clouded leopards and leopards, among other animals.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/north-east/two-clouded-leopard-skins-seized-in-assam_769104.html