LUCKNOW: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to re-evaluate the country’s tiger reserves on the basis of their efficiency in management. The move comes amid calls for revamping the Project Tiger with an increase in poaching and decline in big cat population.
‘‘The evaluation would determine whether the reserves need any change in field management,’’ said R L Singh, former Project Tiger director and chairman of one of the five committees set up to evaluate the reserves.
Singh will head a committee to evaluate Cluster-III tiger reserves - Valmiki (Bihar), Indravati, Achanakmar, Udanti-Sitanadi (Chhattisgarh), Similipal, Satkosia (Orissa), Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) and Palamau (Jharkhand). The cluster comprises some reserves in Maoist-affected areas and their management would be evaluated keeping this in mind.
Monday, May 31, 2010
GIS to unravel information on Manas Tiger Reserve
Guwahati, May 30 (IBNS): An unique web-based geographical information software MANTRIS that is expected to help in tiger conservation efforts in western Assam’s Manas National Park, which is covered under Project Tiger, has been unveiled.
The software has been developed by a research team of Aaranyak, a prominent scientific and industrial research organization based here, and is expected to contribute further tiger conservation efforts in protected areas of the country.
By virtue of this new software that has been dedicated to Manas Tiger Reserve, under Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in Assam, detail information about the much celebrated tiger reserve will now be available in a single package called ‘MANTRIS’.
MANTRIS - Manas Tiger Reserve Information System— was formally handed over to the forest department of BTC through the BTC deputy chief, Kampa Borgoyari, in a function held a Kokrajhar a couple of days back, which was attended by field director of Royal Manas National Park (in Bhutan), Tenzing Wangchuk, head of forest department under BTC,G C Basumatary, Manas National Park field director Aninda Swargiary besides a host of dignitaries.
MANTRIS happens to be the first such web-based information soft ware on any of the wildlife protection areas in the North East.
A core group of researchers from Aaranyak has developed the unique information database MANTRIS in collaboration with Forest Department of BTC.
MANTRIS is basically a web-based Geographical Information System (GIS) that unravels information about varied aspects of enchanting Manas Tiger Reserve bordering Bhutan Himalayas at the click of the mouse.
MANTRIS is the first of its kind information software that will be of immense help for park managers and stakeholders besides nature and wildlife enthusiasts.
MANTRIS is designed for the entire Manas Tiger Reserve area that extends from Sankosh river in the west to Dhansiri river in the east long the India-Bhutan border. Manas Tiger Reserve comprises of 18 ranges covering a total area of over 2800 square kilometer.
MANTRIS contains detail information on almost all aspects of the picturesque tiger reserve including administrative centers, forest boundary, land use pattern, drainage, forest villages, NGO locations, roads network , ride line, elephant points, golden langur points, digital elevation model (topographic model) of tiger reserve.
This web-based and extremely user friendly information system has been developed after two years of extensive field work and research carried out by a team of Aaranyak comprising team leader Bibhuti P Lahkar, Pranjit Kr Sarma, Hillojyoti Sinha, Santanu Dey, Bipul Das, Bikram Choudhury, Arup Das, Ananta Bora, T R Marak. Aaranyak Secretary General Bibhab Talukdar guided the team.
The whole project was financially supported by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) that focuses on conservation of bio-diversity hotspots.
The software is now available in digital format with Aaranyak which has plan to make it available in the internet subject approval of Forest Department, BTC. The digital copy of MANTRIS is available for public on request.
MANTRIS can be the basic platform for habitat linkages within Manas Tiger Reserve and other key habitats of Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex as well as North Bank Landscape.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Major fire in Valmiki Nagar tiger reserve, 10 hectares of forest gutted
BAGAHA (Bihar): A major fire broke out in Valmiki Nagar tiger reserve at Madanpur range near Indo-Nepal border, destroying about ten hectares of forest, a forest official said today.
The fire which broke out last evening continued for nearly 12 hours till this morning before forest guards could control it, forest ranger Zunaid Ali said.
He said work had already begun to assess the loss of animals and birds.
The cause of the fire was being ascertained.
The fire which broke out last evening continued for nearly 12 hours till this morning before forest guards could control it, forest ranger Zunaid Ali said.
He said work had already begun to assess the loss of animals and birds.
The cause of the fire was being ascertained.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Aurangabad police nab three for tiger skin poaching
Aurangabad Police nabbed three poachers and seized a prized skin of a tiger from them on Wednesday.
Acting on a tip off, the officials nabbed the three suspects before they could sell the tiger skin.amesh Ghorale, Assistant Commissioner of Police of Aurangabad, said: "These poachers had planned to sell the tiger skin for Rupees 2.2 million dollars.
"We got the skin of a tiger and also seized a Khukri (traditional dagger of Gorkhas of Nepal)...and one car. We also arrested three people...out of them two are from Aurangabad and one is from Jalna," he added.
Further investigation to ascertain the source of this tiger skin and also the proposed destination is in progress. (ANI)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Bandhavgarh “Tigress was killed by Reserve vehicle ”
NEW DELHI: Who killed the Bandhavgarh tigress? While wildlife officials blamed tourist vehicles, tourists and locals are now pointing the finger at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve's officials themselves. Locals and tourists say it was an official vehicle of the Reserve that originally hit the eight-year-old lactating tigress as she was attempting to cross the road and reach her three cubs early on the morning of May 19.
Tourist vehicles spotted the injured tigress and informed the Reserve officials. They say it finally died when she charged a vehicle of the Reserve that was sent out to investigate. Two tourists say they were harassed by officials to put the blame on their own driver.
On May 25, three Reserve officials, including an assistant director and two rangers, were suspended, according to National Tiger Conservation Authority director Rajesh Gopal. He refused to comment on who was responsible for the death, saying an enquiry was on.
Earlier reports from Wildlife Department officials and the Reserve authorities suggested several contradictory reasons for the death, including a territorial fight and a wire snare. Finally, after a post-mortem showed internal injuries caused by the impact of a hard, blunt object, the Reserve's field director said he suspected collision with a tourist vehicle. Rumours also suggested that a relative of a Madhya Pradesh Minister was involved.
Jainandni Rathore and her husband Vikramaditya Singh of Jaipur were among the first tourists at the scene, accompanied by their experienced driver and a guide. When they arrived at the water hole at 6.10 a.m., they found two other tourist vehicles already present. Together, they watched the tigress drooping near the water.
“She looked very angry and distressed…she seemed aggressive and was acting abnormally. So our driver suggested that we back off. Within seconds, she suddenly took off and came charging at us…we rushed away. I was really shook up and just wanted to get out of there, but the driver said we should stop and inform officials at the central point,” she says.
The driver also warned off other tourist vehicles heading towards the site and then informed forest rangers, who closed the route. With permission, Ms. Rathore and her husband then left the park and returned to their hotel. “Less than an hour after we reached the room, we were told two forest officials came to meet us. We thought they may want to pacify us, but they were very aggressive.”
The two officials were assistant director R.P. Pandey and range officer J.N. Shukla — both of whom were suspended — who had come to get a statement.
“They tried to pressure us to say it was our driver's mistake. Why should I tell a lie when he is innocent? In fact, I am only alive because of my driver's quick thinking,” Ms. Rathore says.
“They even threatened my husband and asked if he was driving the jeep. If we had been at fault, why would we take the trouble to come and report the tigress' condition to the authorities?”
Ms. Rathore says the officials repeatedly harassed them and came for their statement three or four times. However, when they went to complain to the director, they found their statement conveniently missing. In fact, a statement copy was only delivered to them the night before they left Bandhavgarh on May 24.
‘Animal was already hit'
Dhruv Singh — a Bandhavgarh resident representing a community organisation called Jan Sabha who was present at the post-mortem and witnessed parts of the investigation — says the tourists' information was only taken into account after a senior Mumbai police officer in one of the other vehicles submitted his statement.
Since the tigress was hit before the tourist vehicles arrived, and since only Reserve vehicles are allowed into the park before 6 a.m., investigations are now focussed around Reserve officials.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/05/27/stories/2010052762991300.htm
2 more tigers in Sariska by June
May 26: Two more tigers are being relocated to Sariska from the Ranthambore tiger reserve in the third week of June. Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority, pointed out that the next round of relocation, which will have a male tiger, should come as a boost to revive the tiger population in this sanctuary.
The earlier relocation had the tiger mate with the tigresses but that did not result in any pregnancy.
A wildlife official pointed out that there was a possibility that the earlier male tiger brought to Sariska may have had a low sperm count. But the relocation process received a boost when a translocated tigress for the first time gave birth to three cubs in Panna reserve.
The earlier relocation had the tiger mate with the tigresses but that did not result in any pregnancy.
A wildlife official pointed out that there was a possibility that the earlier male tiger brought to Sariska may have had a low sperm count. But the relocation process received a boost when a translocated tigress for the first time gave birth to three cubs in Panna reserve.
3 Bandhavgarh Officials Suspended For Cover-Up
Three forest officers have been suspended for allegedly attempting to cover up the killing of a 30-month-old tigress which died in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on May 19.
The tigress was crossing a road in the reserve along with her three cubs on the night of May 18 when a forest department jeep with SDO R.C. Pandey sitting in it allegedly hit it.
Without attending to the injured tigress, the officer scrambled back to his home and reported the matter to range officers Lalit Pandey and J.N. Shukla. The trio allegedly misinformed their boss, reserve field director C.K. Patil, that the tigress had been wounded by a tourist vehicle or else sustained internal injuries in a fight with another tigress over territorial rights.
The injured animal was, however, spotted at 6 am next morning by a group of tourists amongst whom was a senior police official belonging to the Maharashtra cadre who took photographs of the animal.
All the three forest officers tried putting the blame on the tourist jeep for hitting the tigress and may have succeeded in this ploy were it not for the intervention of the tell-tale photographs taken by the police official.
The local Bandhavgarh population, which is heavily dependent on tourism for their livelihood, also pressured Patil to have the forest department vehicles checked by forensic experts.
Environmentalist Dhruv Singh from Bandhavgarh told this reporter on the phone, “Patil agreed to have the vehicles checked and when he realised his own officials were involved in a cover up, he suspended them immediately.”
Mr Pandey has been accused of financial bungling and had been served with a transfer order. Mr Patil has ruled out the possibility of the tigress having been hit by the tourists jeep in the reserve.
Before the feline died, it entered a water body in Tala range, Mr Patil said, adding there was no external injury mark on the tigress’ body.
He said the post-mortem of tigress will be done as per the guidelines.
http://www.asianage.com/india/3-bandhavgarh-officials-suspended-cover-017
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
12 get three yrs RI for poaching tigers
LUCKNOW: In a judgment that will go a long way in wildlife protection in UP, Allahabad additional district judge S N Agnihotri on Tuesday awarded 12 poachers three-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Ten of these poachers, who belong to Katni in Madhya Pradesh, are women.
Two men, Insatt and Sushil, and 10 women, including Mirsana, Sarojini, Sukhchain, Suhana, Rafeli, Meenabai, Juhi Chawla, Kiloran, Rango and Chillo , were arrested in December 2007 in Allahabad along with four traders by a team of police and Special Task Force led by Civil Lines CO Arvind Chaturvedi . The police were assisted by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). All the 12 poachers belonged to the Bahelia caste and three tiger skins and 75 kg of tiger bones were seized from them.
Giving this information, Tito Joseph of WPSI told TOI: ‘‘ The court had separated the cases of Bahelia poachers and traders’’ . ‘‘ All the 12 poachers did not get bail and were lodged in jail since December 2007,’’ added lawyer Ved Prakash Mishra.
Forest department officials believe that Bawaria and Bahelia poachers are major threat to tigers in the region. Kala Sona, Black Mushroom, Kasturi, Chivi, Kumbh Boda and Safeda are just some of the code words that these poachers use to mislead the police.
Two men, Insatt and Sushil, and 10 women, including Mirsana, Sarojini, Sukhchain, Suhana, Rafeli, Meenabai, Juhi Chawla, Kiloran, Rango and Chillo , were arrested in December 2007 in Allahabad along with four traders by a team of police and Special Task Force led by Civil Lines CO Arvind Chaturvedi . The police were assisted by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). All the 12 poachers belonged to the Bahelia caste and three tiger skins and 75 kg of tiger bones were seized from them.
Giving this information, Tito Joseph of WPSI told TOI: ‘‘ The court had separated the cases of Bahelia poachers and traders’’ . ‘‘ All the 12 poachers did not get bail and were lodged in jail since December 2007,’’ added lawyer Ved Prakash Mishra.
Forest department officials believe that Bawaria and Bahelia poachers are major threat to tigers in the region. Kala Sona, Black Mushroom, Kasturi, Chivi, Kumbh Boda and Safeda are just some of the code words that these poachers use to mislead the police.
DNA analysis to nail lie on tiger counts
Exaggerated tiger counts presented by forest officials all across the country can be nailed.
Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, a part of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad has a foolproof method to know not only the number of tigers in a tiger reserve but their genetic diversity and number of male and female tigers.
The lab has developed the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology that allows one to examine even miniscule amounts of DNA present in faecal samples of tigers. It would expose the exaggerated tiger counts presented by forest officials all across the country.
The technology is 99.9 per cent accurate. The forest officials will only have to collect tigers’ faecal from the tiger reserves and send it to the CCMB for DNA analysis. The centre is even willing to send its scientist to tiger reserves to train forest officials how to collect tigers’ faecal.
The PCR technology can also easily differentiate between male and female tigers apart from providing the exact count to the big cats in tiger reserves.
It is also the only scientific method available all across the globe that can also point out if there is any genetic inbreeding of tigers in a particular tiger reserve.
If there is any such problem then the CCMB can ask the state government of that particular tiger reserve to import tigers from other reserves to solve the problem.
Former director of CCMB Dr Lalji Singh and his team members have developed this technology and wants to introduce it in all tiger reserves in the country.
“We have successfully carried out the pilot study with faecal samples of tigers collected from two tiger reserves to estimate tiger population in 2006,” says Dr Singh.
“It is the technology of the future. The pugmark and camera trap methods have inherent drawbacks. For carrying out tiger census the DNA technology can also be used with the pugmark and camera trap methods,” he adds.
So why the forest officials have not adopted the PCR technology to estimate tiger population?
“We are not getting full cooperation. Only some states are cooperating. To save tigers we need cooperation from all states,” says Dr Singh.
“All over Europe and some states in US are using the PCR technology for carrying out census of wild animals,” Dr Singh adds.
We can help the states that are not cooperating. We can send our staff there to collect tigers’ faecal. The states can even send the samples through courier or we can also collect, Dr Singh stated.
Scientist and wildlife experts say the states are shying away from carrying out the tiger census through the DNA analysis because it would expose tall claims about tiger population in their respective states.
“Figures about tiger count in almost all the states including Uttar Pradesh are exaggerated. If actual numbers are quoted then the forest officials will be exposed,” said a senior scientist.
For how long the states would manipulate with tiger count and put into jeopardy the survival of our national animal.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/DNA-analysis-to-nail-lie-on-tiger-counts/Article1-548437.aspx
Rajasthan to dig ponds in water-starved sanctuaries
Rajasthan will construct small dams and ponds in its water-starved wildlife sanctuaries - a move that could also stop animals from straying into nearby villages in search of the precious resource.
“In the first phase we would spend Rs.410 million (Rs.41 crore) on the construction of 85 such waterbodies inside Sariska, Ranthambore and Sawai Mansingh sanctuaries,” a senior forest official told IANS.
“In the next phase, all other sanctuaries and parks would be covered under the scheme. A sum of Rs.3-4 billion (Rs.300-400 crore) is expected to be incurred on this,” he said.
The forest department would identify places where these water bodies are to be constructed and later the water resource department would construct them, the official said.
The water bodies are expected to be constructed by November.
India's desert state boasts of two tiger projects, one bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries. These protected areas offer great eco-tourism opportunities for both domestic and foreign tourists.
With the rise in mercury levels, several small water reservoirs have become parched while others are on the brink of drying up. Though the forest department claims to have put a plan in place for proper water supply through tankers and tube wells, animal rights activists were not fully convinced.
“Some of the wildlife reserves and parks are facing an acute water shortage this summer,” said Babulal Jaju, the state in-charge of the NGO People for Animals (PFA).
He said the measures adopted by the state government have been few. “This plan of constructing anicuts and ponds is good, provided it is taken up seriously by the forest department,” Mr. Jaju said.
The situation is really bad in the Dara Wildlife Sanctuary near Kota in Rajasthan. The anicut and small ponds here have completely dried up, forcing wild animals to search for water in villages.
“This situation is really bad. We are now always in danger as wild animals, including panthers, have started coming to our villages in search of water,” said Nanuram, a resident of Laximipura village close to the Dara Wildlife Sanctuary area.
There has been a rise in cases of panthers straying into villages, he said. Recently a panther was beaten to death in Bhojipura village near here.
Similarly, incidents of bears straying into human habitations in Jalore district, in southwest Rajasthan, have shown an increase in the recent past.
The Keoladeo Bird sanctuary in Bharatpur, not far from Agra, is also facing a water crisis which has already taken its toll on the turnout of the winged migratory visitors.
The sanctuary was a favourite destination for a variety of rare birds from India and abroad. A large part of the water bodies in the sanctuary have turned into dry land. The entire area had been receiving scanty rainfall for the last couple of years.
http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article438198.ece
Acute water shortage in Uttarakhand's Corbett Reserve
Ramnagar (Uttarakhand), May 25 (ANI): The Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand is facing acute water shortage, as natural sources of water have dried up on account of the rising temperature.
"The main purpose of making water holes at regular distance, as the animals are spread along the entire forest area. So, it makes easy for them. There was a pipe for supply of water," said B. L. Bhatt, Range Officer, Corbett Tiger Reserve.
"But nowadays, even the source has dried up, so there is no water. That's why we are using tankers," he added.
Tankers are needed eight to nine times in a day.
"In all, there are 16 water holes. Due to scarcity of water, we come here and provide water through tankers at least eight to nine times a day," said Veer Singh, a forester. (ANI)
The authorities here have made arrangements to meet the water requirements of the wildlife, by bringing water through tankers and putting it in water pits.
"The main purpose of making water holes at regular distance, as the animals are spread along the entire forest area. So, it makes easy for them. There was a pipe for supply of water," said B. L. Bhatt, Range Officer, Corbett Tiger Reserve.
"But nowadays, even the source has dried up, so there is no water. That's why we are using tankers," he added.
Tankers are needed eight to nine times in a day.
"In all, there are 16 water holes. Due to scarcity of water, we come here and provide water through tankers at least eight to nine times a day," said Veer Singh, a forester. (ANI)
Captured Royal Bengal tigers released into forest
Barasat (WB), May 25 (PTI) Two Royal Bengal tigers which strayed into villages near the Sundarbans have been released into deep jungles by the forest department, officials said today.
The Forest department captured a tigress last night after it strayed into a village at Hingalganj, adjacent to the Sunderbans in North 24-Parganas district.
It was released today into the Baghmara forest deep into the Sunderbans, the officials said.
On Thursday, a tiger had entered Shamsernagar village after swimming across the two-km wide Raimangal river. It killed livestock before being trapped by the Forest department staff the next day.
It was released into the deep forests on Saturday, they said.
Forest officials said tigers had been regularly entering human habitations ever since cyclone Aila wrought havoc in the Sunderbans.
The Forest department captured a tigress last night after it strayed into a village at Hingalganj, adjacent to the Sunderbans in North 24-Parganas district.
It was released today into the Baghmara forest deep into the Sunderbans, the officials said.
On Thursday, a tiger had entered Shamsernagar village after swimming across the two-km wide Raimangal river. It killed livestock before being trapped by the Forest department staff the next day.
It was released into the deep forests on Saturday, they said.
Forest officials said tigers had been regularly entering human habitations ever since cyclone Aila wrought havoc in the Sunderbans.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tigress in the death of three officers suspended
Bhopal. Bandhavgarh National Park tigress was killed on Wednesday in the case of three officers have been suspended. Authorities suspended an SDO and includes two Range Officers.
Forest Minister Sartaj Singh, while confirming that the suspension of three officers and Range Officer J. N. Pandey, SDO RP Shukla and Lalit Pande are included. He said the three officers were not around the day of the event. Nor did he cooperate in investigating the incident. That's why they were prima facie guilty of negligence has been suspended.
Here, one of the suspended officials said on condition of anonymity that they were made scapegoats. The purpose of the Department of high - profile individuals have to save, whose name has come up at the event. The day they were Mone incident field, the tigress was he who had the seizure. So to tell them absent from the area are beyond understanding.
Forest Minister Sartaj Singh, while confirming that the suspension of three officers and Range Officer J. N. Pandey, SDO RP Shukla and Lalit Pande are included. He said the three officers were not around the day of the event. Nor did he cooperate in investigating the incident. That's why they were prima facie guilty of negligence has been suspended.
Here, one of the suspended officials said on condition of anonymity that they were made scapegoats. The purpose of the Department of high - profile individuals have to save, whose name has come up at the event. The day they were Mone incident field, the tigress was he who had the seizure. So to tell them absent from the area are beyond understanding.
Tigers attack human habitations
Attacks on human habitations, cattle and domestic animals by tigers of the Sunderbans have seen unprecedented rise since the past few months owing to drastic reduction of forest areas and dwindling numbers of prey for the great cats.
Royal Bengal tigers are often seen invading the villages across the river in both North and South 24 Parganas districts while the residents of Samshernagar village under Hingalganj police station in the North as well as Jemspur and Anpur villages of the South reported attacks of the Royal Bengal tigers, which killed several cattle, including cows, goats and sheep after entering the cattle sheds of a number of houses.
A tiger entered Samshernagar village during two successive nights and killed as many as ten cattle from four cattle sheds on May 22 night. Another tiger entered the village on May 21 night crossing Kundekhali canal of the Jhingakhali range of the Sunderbans and killed four goats, of which one was taken away by the tiger to the forest, locals said.
Incidentally, beat officers of the forest department were in a dilemma in finding a way out to prevent tigers from entering the inhabited areas. They suggested the local Panchayat and the villagers to erect strong fencing. The beat officials also suggested to arrange for night guards in this case.
On the other hand, Jemspur village of South 24 Parganas saw a full grown Royal Bengal tiger killing at least four cattle, including a dog, after entering a cattle shed of a villager during late evening.
As the villagers chased the tiger, it fled from Jemspur to Anpur village, where it also killed a few cattle. The forest officials were also called for help by the villagers. Finally the beast was caught yesterday morning. It was later sedated and brought to the Anpur beat house from where it will be released in the forest after fixing a radio collar as was done for a couple of tigers, which were caught from Chhotomollkhali and Netidhopani villages in South district.
Forest department officials have blamed the man-animal conflict to the degradation of the ecosystem following dwindling of the Sunderban forest area, which was posing a danger to the endangered animals' survival as the number of their prey had reduced considerably.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Huge funds spent, but PTR fails to save even a single tiger
A whopping sum of Rs. 2,774.699 lakh was spent between 2007 and 2009 for tiger conservation in Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), but the big cat population declined and came to a naught in the reserve by 2009.
The tiger population declined to an estimated number of 15 to 32 in 2006 in the reserve. In 2007, the tiger population was 35 in PTR, the document acquired under the RTI Act by Ajay Dubey, secretary of Prayatna Environment Action Group, said.
The tiger census, carried out by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun in 2006, found that there were 15 to 32 tigers in the reserve. WII carried the tiger census with the help of camera trap method, the document said.
Following reports of the Panna being bereft of tiger population in 2009, the WII again carried a camera trap census. Following that, in April 2009, the special investigation team of the Centre declared that there was no tiger in the reserve, the document said.
Before 2006, the tiger census were carried out by pug mark methodology annually and according to it there were 25, 28, 31, 33, 33, 34 and 35 tigers in Panna in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively, the documents said.
Meanwhile, a tigress out of the two translocated tigers has given birth to three cubs in Panna.
After Panna became devoid of big cat population, two tigresses, one from Bandhavgarh and another from Kanha, besides a male tiger from Pench, were shifted to Panna to revive the tiger population.
Jairam softens stand on mining in tiger homes
Minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh has constituted a committee to "examine the proposals of mining, infrastructure development and industries vis-Ã -vis tiger conservation".
Sources said the move was aimed at shifting the onus of hard and difficult decisions on to non-political and technical persons. "Jairam has been criticised for taking technical decisions based on his own impressions. He is also facing the political consequences of these decisions.
When decisions are made based on technical-committee recommendations, nobody can object," a source said.
About 17 mining proposals in the buffer zones of tiger reserves will be studied and approved by the committee, comprising four members of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The team will visit sites and hold consultations with the locals before submitting a report to the Centre within a month, an order issued by the ministry said.
The mining proposals to be studied are in the buffer zones of tiger reserves, including Tadoba-Andhari and Chandoli National Park in Maharashtra, Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh and the Gundla Brameswaram wildlife sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh.
Several of these proposals are for Chindwara, the constituency of roads and highways minister Kamal Nath, whom Jairam had angered by stopping the widening of a highway that passes through the Pench tiger reserve.
Jairam also cancelled permission for coal mining in the buffer zone of Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserve in Maharashtra.
This put him in the crosshairs of civil aviation minister Praful Patel. The proposed mine was to supply coal to a power project in Patel's constituency in Gondia district.
But a Jairam who relished such confrontation appears to have disappeared, especially since he was rapped by his "only friend" in the cabinet, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for criticising India's security measures in China. Also, with his Rajya Sabha term nearing an end, Jairam is said to be working on his conciliatory skills to ensure re-election.
New action plan for Project Tiger in AP
HYDERABAD: The Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) now has a twin. Though developed at different times, it was discovered recently that Gundla Brahmeswara Wildlife Sanctuary (GBMWS), in fact, is a conjoined twin of the famous NSTR. Hence, the government came up with a declaration that GBM should actually be considered the extended core of the NSTR.
Spread over five districts connecting all the three geographical regions of the state, NSTR boasts of roughly 70 tigers. On the other hand, GBMWS, that controls the most dense part of the Nallamalla forest, has about 12 big cats. The two are connected by a wide corridor. The government order, which is in the process of being published as a gazette notification soon, is the result of behind-the-scene developments taking place for the past several years.
Before becoming NSTR in 1983, the place covering the catchment areas of Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam dams was first declared a sanctuary, the Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Wildlife Sanctuary (NSWLS). Later, with the objective of protecting tigers in the area more efficiently, the status of the sanctuary was upgraded to a 'tiger reserve'. This is the only tiger reserve of in the state in which 23 per cent of the total area is forest land.
The birth of GBMWLS took place much later, in 1998. The area under the sanctuary is rich and diverse in flora and fauna. While there are well known species of trees like teak, boswellia and terminalia, bamboo etc. There are numerous plants, shrubs and herbs that await scientific categorization and preservation. The animal world is equally rich there with sloth bear, wild dog, hyena, jungle cat, langur, bonnet monkey, sambar, nilgai, chowsingha, chinkara, mouse deer, monitor lizard, marsh crocodile and python etc. found in abundance. Topping the list are, of course, the tigers and panthers. "The forest is free of human habitation and, at most places, too dense to be accessed even on foot," DFO Tulasi Rao said.
Since the 3,568 square km NSTR came into being, the forest department has been pestered with claims on land in the Nagarjunasagar area of the tiger reserve. Ideally, a tiger reserve should be free from human habitation. But NSTR has considerable number of tribals, especially Lambada population, in the Sagar catchment area.
According to some estimates, the number of Lambadas, Chenchus and others in the area has risen to about 30,000. Many of these people have also been given title books on their claims under the Tribal Act.
Rao said an expert committee set up on the advice of the central government found that the Sagar area has become porous with hardly any tiger population. Therefore, the committee felt 1,000 sq km in Sagar should be delineated from the NSTR. This 1000 sq km would not form part of the CTH, meaning the area is not vital for the survival and growth of tiger population. But at the same time, the area would continue to play a decisive role for the protection of hydrological and other natural heritage. Hence, it would remain within the boundaries of NSTR and considered part of the sanctuary, Chief Wildlife Warden Hitesh Malhotra explained.
He said some six years ago, the forest department had sent a proposal to the Centre to convert the 1196 sq km GBMWLS into a tiger reserve. The government of India suggested that instead of making GBMWLS an independent tiger reserve, it could be connected with NSTR and the entire sanctuary be considered an extended core of tiger habitat. Malhotra summed up the situation by saying that while about 1000 sq km from the NSTR is taken out from CTH, 1196 sq km of GBM has been added. The area of the two sanctuaries together now adds up to 4,763 sq km while within this boundary the CTH for tiger would be 3,763 sq km.
With this new development, the forest department has begun working out a fresh management plan for the core one and core two of the tiger reserve together. The core two or GBMWLS would be brought under the Project Director, Tiger, of NSTR and he would be given more assistant conservators (forests), range officers and other staff to jointly manage the two cores. The objective would be to manage Project Tiger better with improved results, Malhotra said
Spread over five districts connecting all the three geographical regions of the state, NSTR boasts of roughly 70 tigers. On the other hand, GBMWS, that controls the most dense part of the Nallamalla forest, has about 12 big cats. The two are connected by a wide corridor. The government order, which is in the process of being published as a gazette notification soon, is the result of behind-the-scene developments taking place for the past several years.
Before becoming NSTR in 1983, the place covering the catchment areas of Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam dams was first declared a sanctuary, the Nagarjunsagar Srisailam Wildlife Sanctuary (NSWLS). Later, with the objective of protecting tigers in the area more efficiently, the status of the sanctuary was upgraded to a 'tiger reserve'. This is the only tiger reserve of in the state in which 23 per cent of the total area is forest land.
The birth of GBMWLS took place much later, in 1998. The area under the sanctuary is rich and diverse in flora and fauna. While there are well known species of trees like teak, boswellia and terminalia, bamboo etc. There are numerous plants, shrubs and herbs that await scientific categorization and preservation. The animal world is equally rich there with sloth bear, wild dog, hyena, jungle cat, langur, bonnet monkey, sambar, nilgai, chowsingha, chinkara, mouse deer, monitor lizard, marsh crocodile and python etc. found in abundance. Topping the list are, of course, the tigers and panthers. "The forest is free of human habitation and, at most places, too dense to be accessed even on foot," DFO Tulasi Rao said.
Since the 3,568 square km NSTR came into being, the forest department has been pestered with claims on land in the Nagarjunasagar area of the tiger reserve. Ideally, a tiger reserve should be free from human habitation. But NSTR has considerable number of tribals, especially Lambada population, in the Sagar catchment area.
According to some estimates, the number of Lambadas, Chenchus and others in the area has risen to about 30,000. Many of these people have also been given title books on their claims under the Tribal Act.
Rao said an expert committee set up on the advice of the central government found that the Sagar area has become porous with hardly any tiger population. Therefore, the committee felt 1,000 sq km in Sagar should be delineated from the NSTR. This 1000 sq km would not form part of the CTH, meaning the area is not vital for the survival and growth of tiger population. But at the same time, the area would continue to play a decisive role for the protection of hydrological and other natural heritage. Hence, it would remain within the boundaries of NSTR and considered part of the sanctuary, Chief Wildlife Warden Hitesh Malhotra explained.
He said some six years ago, the forest department had sent a proposal to the Centre to convert the 1196 sq km GBMWLS into a tiger reserve. The government of India suggested that instead of making GBMWLS an independent tiger reserve, it could be connected with NSTR and the entire sanctuary be considered an extended core of tiger habitat. Malhotra summed up the situation by saying that while about 1000 sq km from the NSTR is taken out from CTH, 1196 sq km of GBM has been added. The area of the two sanctuaries together now adds up to 4,763 sq km while within this boundary the CTH for tiger would be 3,763 sq km.
With this new development, the forest department has begun working out a fresh management plan for the core one and core two of the tiger reserve together. The core two or GBMWLS would be brought under the Project Director, Tiger, of NSTR and he would be given more assistant conservators (forests), range officers and other staff to jointly manage the two cores. The objective would be to manage Project Tiger better with improved results, Malhotra said
Dead Bandhavgarh tigress hit by tourist jeep?
BHOPAL: A tigress, which died in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve four days ago was possibly hit by a tourist jeep, officials said here on Saturday after autopsy showed that she succumbed to internal injuries.
The feline did not die due a territorial fight as was assumed earlier, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representative A B Shrivastava said.
"It died of a liver rupture following which blood rushed to her abdomen after being hit by some blunt object," he
said. The tigress, which has three cubs, died on Wednesday in the Tala range of the reserve.
"We are of the view that a tourist vehicle had hit the tigress after which she died," Badhavgarh tiger reserve field director C K Patil said, adding the animal was 10 years old. "We are investigating the case."
Patil added that around eight tourist vehicles had entered Tala range on May 19.
The feline did not die due a territorial fight as was assumed earlier, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representative A B Shrivastava said.
"It died of a liver rupture following which blood rushed to her abdomen after being hit by some blunt object," he
said. The tigress, which has three cubs, died on Wednesday in the Tala range of the reserve.
"We are of the view that a tourist vehicle had hit the tigress after which she died," Badhavgarh tiger reserve field director C K Patil said, adding the animal was 10 years old. "We are investigating the case."
Patil added that around eight tourist vehicles had entered Tala range on May 19.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Did Bandhavgarh tiger choke to death?
NAGPUR: Tiger conservation took a hit on Tuesday when one death was reported inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, 475 kms from Nagpur.
This is the 18th tiger death in India since January and comes at a time when census readings are being studied to check if the tally of 1411 from the count four years ago has gone up or down. The new figure will be announced by the Wildlife Institute of India in October this year.
The incident took place at 10am in Zurzura in Tala Range of the reserve. There are conflicting claims not only about the reasons of death but also of the tiger's sex.
Some tourists from Nagpur told TOI that the tiger had died due to suffocation after its neck got entangled in a wire snare which may have been put by villagers to trap herbivores. Others claimed the tiger was hit by a tourist vehicle and died due to injuries.
Forest officials, however, rule out both the possibilities and are giving a completely different view.
CK Patil, field director & conservator of forests at Bandhavgarh, feels that the tiger – a male according to him — could have died in a territorial fight. He denied that it was injured and attacked tourists' vehicles.
Patil was also emphatic that the tiger did not have had wire snares on its neck.
Contradicting his boss' claims, JN Shukla, the Tala range forest officer (RFO), told TOI the dead animal was a three-year-old female and there were no external injury marks on its body. This clearly indicates that the tiger did not die in a territorial fight as is being claimed by Patil.
This is the 18th tiger death in India since January and comes at a time when census readings are being studied to check if the tally of 1411 from the count four years ago has gone up or down. The new figure will be announced by the Wildlife Institute of India in October this year.
The incident took place at 10am in Zurzura in Tala Range of the reserve. There are conflicting claims not only about the reasons of death but also of the tiger's sex.
Some tourists from Nagpur told TOI that the tiger had died due to suffocation after its neck got entangled in a wire snare which may have been put by villagers to trap herbivores. Others claimed the tiger was hit by a tourist vehicle and died due to injuries.
Forest officials, however, rule out both the possibilities and are giving a completely different view.
CK Patil, field director & conservator of forests at Bandhavgarh, feels that the tiger – a male according to him — could have died in a territorial fight. He denied that it was injured and attacked tourists' vehicles.
Patil was also emphatic that the tiger did not have had wire snares on its neck.
Contradicting his boss' claims, JN Shukla, the Tala range forest officer (RFO), told TOI the dead animal was a three-year-old female and there were no external injury marks on its body. This clearly indicates that the tiger did not die in a territorial fight as is being claimed by Patil.
Award Categories (as discussed) # MEDIA CATEGORIES: 1) Best Brand Integration on Radio Use of radio as a medium by any brand in its pl
NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has formed a panel to examine the impact of 17 projects, relating to mining and infrastructure development, on conservation of tiger.
The four-member committee of former National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chief P K Sen and NTCA members Prakash Murlidhar Amte, Samar Singh and Urmila Pingle will submit its report within a month.
“The proposals include mining, infrastructure developments and industries projects falling in the buffer and corridor areas of tiger reserves in Tadoba landscape, Bandhavgarh landscape, Kanha landscape, Kanha-Pench corridor and Satpura-Pench corridor of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh,” said NTCA DIG S P Yadav.
Seven of the projects are in the Chindwara district, which is represented by roads minister Kamal Nath. These projects, which are mostly in the mining sector, came up for environmental clearance in April. The committee is expected to examine the proposals in terms of its impact on tiger conservation and submit its recommendation based on which clearance will be given.
Among the projects that will have to await clearance is the Mandla Underground project of Jaiprakash Associates in Chindwara, four coal mine projects of the Western Coalfields Ltd also in Chindwara. There are two coal-based thermal projects in the Umaria district, a 300 MW coal based project in Chandrapur and a 1980 MW thermal power project in Katni will also be studies by this committee before clearance is given.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has on several occasion made it clear that his ministry would not okay projects that would adversely impact natural reserves and the environment. Mr Ramesh has stressed that his job was to implement the Environment Protection Act, 1986; the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in a “transparent and professional” manner.
The four-member committee of former National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chief P K Sen and NTCA members Prakash Murlidhar Amte, Samar Singh and Urmila Pingle will submit its report within a month.
“The proposals include mining, infrastructure developments and industries projects falling in the buffer and corridor areas of tiger reserves in Tadoba landscape, Bandhavgarh landscape, Kanha landscape, Kanha-Pench corridor and Satpura-Pench corridor of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh,” said NTCA DIG S P Yadav.
Seven of the projects are in the Chindwara district, which is represented by roads minister Kamal Nath. These projects, which are mostly in the mining sector, came up for environmental clearance in April. The committee is expected to examine the proposals in terms of its impact on tiger conservation and submit its recommendation based on which clearance will be given.
Among the projects that will have to await clearance is the Mandla Underground project of Jaiprakash Associates in Chindwara, four coal mine projects of the Western Coalfields Ltd also in Chindwara. There are two coal-based thermal projects in the Umaria district, a 300 MW coal based project in Chandrapur and a 1980 MW thermal power project in Katni will also be studies by this committee before clearance is given.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has on several occasion made it clear that his ministry would not okay projects that would adversely impact natural reserves and the environment. Mr Ramesh has stressed that his job was to implement the Environment Protection Act, 1986; the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in a “transparent and professional” manner.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tiger kills honey collector
Sundarbans (WB), May 19 (PTI) A man, who went to collect honey with fellow villagers, was today killed by a tiger at Pirkhali jungle in Sundarbans mangrove forest.
"Sujan Singh of Kultali died this morning when the tiger attacked him when he alongwith other villagers entered the reserve forest to collect honey," Field Director of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, Subrat Mukherjee told PTI.
He said the body has been recovered from the forest area and sent for post-mortem.
Other members of the group are safe, officials said.
"Sujan Singh of Kultali died this morning when the tiger attacked him when he alongwith other villagers entered the reserve forest to collect honey," Field Director of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, Subrat Mukherjee told PTI.
He said the body has been recovered from the forest area and sent for post-mortem.
Other members of the group are safe, officials said.
Vehicle entry fee likely at Sariska, Ranthambore
JAIPUR: The Sariska and Ranthambore Tiger Conservation Foundation has decided to introduce an entry fee on all the vehicles passing through the tiger reserve to generate income.
The decision came at the first meeting of the governing body of the foundation held on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by forest minister Ramlal Jat.
Presently, devotees coming to the Pandupole temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays are given free entry into the park. However, it was decided that except the local vehicles (registered in Alwar district), all other vehicles would have to pay an entry fee from now onwards.
It was also decided that in order to meet the administrative expenditure of the registration of the tourist vehicles and training of the nature guides, a 5% handling charges would be set apart from the payment of the vehicle owners and nature guides to the foundation.
The meeting also decided that keeping 2008-09 as the base year, the foundation would receive 50% of the extra income generated from the park. Besides, the foundation would be eligible for grant or financial assistance from domestic and foreign organisations. This is apart from the financial grants and assistance from the state and Central governments.
Jat appreciated the work of the boundary wall of the Ranthambore and Sariska carried out under the MNREGS and said permanent roads would also be constructed under the scheme in the area. He said the foundation was constituted to promote eco-tourism and bio- diversity and systematic and planned development.
Jat said the foundation would work for the socio-economic development of the people of the area and would ensure that the local people as the stakeholders. This is an important aspect as so long as the local people are the stake-holders, they would care for the animals. Besides, he said the foundation has to find avenues for generating revenue for the upkeep and development of the area.
The meeting was attended by principal secretaries V S Singh (forest and environment) and Usha Sharma (tourism), who emphasised the need for the preparation of an operation manual, chief wildlife conservator R N Mehrotra, principal conservator of forests Abhijeet Ghosh, foundation member Allauddin Ahmed, MLA, and other officials.
The decision came at the first meeting of the governing body of the foundation held on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by forest minister Ramlal Jat.
Presently, devotees coming to the Pandupole temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays are given free entry into the park. However, it was decided that except the local vehicles (registered in Alwar district), all other vehicles would have to pay an entry fee from now onwards.
It was also decided that in order to meet the administrative expenditure of the registration of the tourist vehicles and training of the nature guides, a 5% handling charges would be set apart from the payment of the vehicle owners and nature guides to the foundation.
The meeting also decided that keeping 2008-09 as the base year, the foundation would receive 50% of the extra income generated from the park. Besides, the foundation would be eligible for grant or financial assistance from domestic and foreign organisations. This is apart from the financial grants and assistance from the state and Central governments.
Jat appreciated the work of the boundary wall of the Ranthambore and Sariska carried out under the MNREGS and said permanent roads would also be constructed under the scheme in the area. He said the foundation was constituted to promote eco-tourism and bio- diversity and systematic and planned development.
Jat said the foundation would work for the socio-economic development of the people of the area and would ensure that the local people as the stakeholders. This is an important aspect as so long as the local people are the stake-holders, they would care for the animals. Besides, he said the foundation has to find avenues for generating revenue for the upkeep and development of the area.
The meeting was attended by principal secretaries V S Singh (forest and environment) and Usha Sharma (tourism), who emphasised the need for the preparation of an operation manual, chief wildlife conservator R N Mehrotra, principal conservator of forests Abhijeet Ghosh, foundation member Allauddin Ahmed, MLA, and other officials.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Ranthambore Villagers who poisoned tiger cubs released as officials fail to file charges
JAIPUR: A local court in Sawai Madhopur has released two villagers, accused of killing two 17-month-old tiger cubs, on bail after forest authorities could not file a chargesheet against them within 60 days.
The two villagers had poisoned the cubs on the outskirts of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve after the big cats killed their goats. Ram Khiladi Gujjar and Mukesh Gujjar of Tadla Khet village, on the outskirts of the reserve, were released by the court last Friday. The two were arrested on March 8, the day the cubs were found dead.
"Forest officials are responsible for not filing the chargesheet even as they had all the details. The forensic lab report had confirmed a case of poisoning; the goats' carcasses were found on the spot; and the shop from where the pesticide was identified," said Fateh Singh, vice-chairman, Tiger Watch, an NGO, in Ranthambore. "This will send a wrong message to the villagers who may take such grievous crimes lightly," added Fateh Singh.
The killing of tiger cubs had sent shock waves across the country and the state forest department acted swiftly by arresting the two accused. "We didn't file the chargesheet as third accused Narsi Gujjar is absconding," explained RS Shekhawat, deputy field director, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
Sources in legal circles point out that killing a tiger is a non-bailable offence. However, as per a Supreme Court verdict, if the chargesheet is not filed in such cases within the stipulated 60 days or 90 days as the case may be, the accused can be released on bail.
"The time period for filing the chargesheet varies from crime to crime. In this case, it was 60 days but the authorities mistook it for 90 days and did not file the chargesheet," said a government counsel.
The two villagers had poisoned the cubs on the outskirts of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve after the big cats killed their goats. Ram Khiladi Gujjar and Mukesh Gujjar of Tadla Khet village, on the outskirts of the reserve, were released by the court last Friday. The two were arrested on March 8, the day the cubs were found dead.
"Forest officials are responsible for not filing the chargesheet even as they had all the details. The forensic lab report had confirmed a case of poisoning; the goats' carcasses were found on the spot; and the shop from where the pesticide was identified," said Fateh Singh, vice-chairman, Tiger Watch, an NGO, in Ranthambore. "This will send a wrong message to the villagers who may take such grievous crimes lightly," added Fateh Singh.
The killing of tiger cubs had sent shock waves across the country and the state forest department acted swiftly by arresting the two accused. "We didn't file the chargesheet as third accused Narsi Gujjar is absconding," explained RS Shekhawat, deputy field director, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
Sources in legal circles point out that killing a tiger is a non-bailable offence. However, as per a Supreme Court verdict, if the chargesheet is not filed in such cases within the stipulated 60 days or 90 days as the case may be, the accused can be released on bail.
"The time period for filing the chargesheet varies from crime to crime. In this case, it was 60 days but the authorities mistook it for 90 days and did not file the chargesheet," said a government counsel.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Highway threat to wildlife on National Highway 6
A drive in the fast lane on Nation Highway 6 is turning out to be a threat for wildlife. Stretches on this highway form a part of crucial wildlife and tiger corridor that connects the Nagzira Sanctuary and the Navegaon National Park in Maharashtra. Stretching it to four lanes has spelt disaster for the animals.
On either side of National Highway 6, are forests that play a crucial role in the tiger's habitat. In fact, the four-laning project of NH-6 has meant a lot of trees have been cut, and in many places it's already a 4-lane highway.
Under the Forest Conservation Act, cutting trees in protected areas requires permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
To date, no sanction has been sought, but work on the highway is continuing at top speed.
And here's why: In a report submitted in 2008, the deputy conservator of forests has claimed that the highway project is beyond the 10 kilometres safe radius around parks and sanctuaries. But the fact is that the Nawegaon National Park's boundary is within two to three kilometres of the highway.
Violations such as these have only made matters worse in an area that is crucial for tiger survival.
"I have seen a sambhar and a cheetal crushed under a truck's tyres. The best way to deal with this problem right now is to build underpasses for wildlife. At least animals will have some space to cross over from one side to another without any trouble," said Mukund Dhurve from the Satpuda Foundation.
"We have always tried to balance wildlife and development needs. We are looking into the possibility of building underpasses for animals," said Brijeshwar Singh, Chairman, National Highway Authority of India.
Despite a report by the chief conservator of forests which demands a solution to the problem, little has been done on the ground. The matter has now gone to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, for the animals, this has become yet another battle for survival.
On either side of National Highway 6, are forests that play a crucial role in the tiger's habitat. In fact, the four-laning project of NH-6 has meant a lot of trees have been cut, and in many places it's already a 4-lane highway.
Under the Forest Conservation Act, cutting trees in protected areas requires permission from the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
To date, no sanction has been sought, but work on the highway is continuing at top speed.
And here's why: In a report submitted in 2008, the deputy conservator of forests has claimed that the highway project is beyond the 10 kilometres safe radius around parks and sanctuaries. But the fact is that the Nawegaon National Park's boundary is within two to three kilometres of the highway.
Violations such as these have only made matters worse in an area that is crucial for tiger survival.
"I have seen a sambhar and a cheetal crushed under a truck's tyres. The best way to deal with this problem right now is to build underpasses for wildlife. At least animals will have some space to cross over from one side to another without any trouble," said Mukund Dhurve from the Satpuda Foundation.
"We have always tried to balance wildlife and development needs. We are looking into the possibility of building underpasses for animals," said Brijeshwar Singh, Chairman, National Highway Authority of India.
Despite a report by the chief conservator of forests which demands a solution to the problem, little has been done on the ground. The matter has now gone to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, for the animals, this has become yet another battle for survival.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Move to revive tiger reserve
Over 1,000 families, predominantly tribals, residing in the core of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserve are likely to be relocated as part of the efforts to revive the sanctuary, considered to be one of the largest in the country.
The Central government, under whose purview the project lies, has initiated negotiations with the families likely to be affected by offering a compensation of Rs. 10 lakh each for their relocation. “We are working with these families. We cannot shift them forcibly,” Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh says. Mr. Jairam Ramesh, who is currently in the tiger reserve on a two-day visit, sees “great potential” for revival of the area.
MONTHLY PAYMENT
Mr. Ramesh said in an innovative measure to protect the dwindling population of tigers, 400 youth hailing from the Chenchu tribes had been recruited and entrusted the task of monitoring the tiger population in tiger reserve. The tribal youth will be offered payment of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 a month for fulfilling their responsibility. “Police and forest guards alone would not be in a position to protect tigers and we have preferred local youth for the purpose,” he said.
Mr. Jairam Ramesh, who held extensive interactions with the ‘new recruits', told The Hindu that these local youth would forthwith be the ‘tiger watchers and protectors'. Though the department had taken up similar initiatives elsewhere, “it is really taking off in Andhra Pradesh.” He said the department was also facing one of the biggest threats to the protection of ecology in the form of grazing. Close to four lakh cattle came to the reserve for grazing and efforts had been initiated to identify lands where fodder could be grown or areas which could be converted into grazing grounds to prevent cattle from entering the reserve. In addition, the location of nine temples in the sanctuary area was creating hindrances in the revival efforts. “We have to first regulate the traffic flow through the forest area and a mechanism is being evolved in this direction.”
He said the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam tiger reserve, spread over 3,600 sq. km, was by far the number one among the 39 notified areas in the country, but suffered destruction over a period of one decade from 1994 to 2004. Efforts to revive the reserve had started yielding results with the current tiger population, pegged at 70, showing “great scope for revival”.
Cat got Goa babus’ tongue!
Any State that discovers the presence of unaccounted tigers would double up with joy. After all, the national animal is an endangered species and a massive countrywide campaign has been launched to revive its dwindling numbers. But strangely, forest authorities in Goa are desperately downplaying the recent discovery of four new tigers during the ongoing State wildlife census.
While the official response is that the authorities would wait for the analysis of the pugmarks and scat before endorsing the discovery, wildlife activists allege that the Forest department was dragging it feet because official confirmation of tigers would directly hit the politically powerful Rs 6,000-crore mining industry that operates in several ‘tiger zones’.
According to the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the tigers — including a tigress with two cubs — had not been accounted for in the 2005-06 tiger estimation survey.
Although, wildlife activists and greens in the State are all upbeat, the Forest department has been lukewarm to the findings.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Shashi Kumar, said it was premature to rejoice. “It would be too early to say. We shall await the results and then break the news.” He added the evidence found — scat and pug marks — would be analysed at the Dehradun-based institute.
“Suspected tiger faeces was found at Surla and Nandran, within the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary at Mollem and pugmarks of a tigress and two cubs along the water’s edge in Anjunem dam near the Goa-Karnataka border,” was all that the reticent Principal Chief Conservator of Forests ventured to say.
Shashi Kumar had earlier caused a furore when he claimed that tigers were not endemic to the State but were ‘migratory’, for which he was debunked by experts.
Wildlife and environmental activists in Goa have long been demanding that Goa’s sanctuaries be notified as tiger reserves. They have accused the Forest department of denying the presence of tigers to appease the politically and economically strong mining lobby.
Goa’s open cast iron ore and bauxite mining industry is digging through most of ‘protected’ forests of Western Ghats that feature in WWF’s 12 topmost biodiversity hotspots of the world.
According to wildlife campaigner Rajendra Kerkar, “It is beyond doubt that these forests are a home for tigers. However, if the State’s handful sanctuaries are notified as tiger reserves, mining — illegal and legal — around these, carried out with the blessings of the politicians and State administration would have to cease”.
Kerkar, also a freelance journalist, recently brought to light the poaching of a tiger in the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary through his articles. Ironically, Kerkar was made abettor in the poaching crime after the former accused the Forest department of sabotaging the probe into the killing of the Schedule 1 animal. The Forest department had to later drop his name after an uproar in the local media.
“Look, many places in Goa are named after tigers. The official census doesn’t show any tigers from Goa when this is a tiger place. The tiger-poaching incident itself reflects that, which means the national count of 1,411 tigers goes up. The Forest department seems to be more concerned with conserving mining in the area than conserving wildlife,” well-known environmentalist Claude Alvares caustically remarked.
While the official response is that the authorities would wait for the analysis of the pugmarks and scat before endorsing the discovery, wildlife activists allege that the Forest department was dragging it feet because official confirmation of tigers would directly hit the politically powerful Rs 6,000-crore mining industry that operates in several ‘tiger zones’.
According to the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the tigers — including a tigress with two cubs — had not been accounted for in the 2005-06 tiger estimation survey.
Although, wildlife activists and greens in the State are all upbeat, the Forest department has been lukewarm to the findings.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Shashi Kumar, said it was premature to rejoice. “It would be too early to say. We shall await the results and then break the news.” He added the evidence found — scat and pug marks — would be analysed at the Dehradun-based institute.
“Suspected tiger faeces was found at Surla and Nandran, within the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary at Mollem and pugmarks of a tigress and two cubs along the water’s edge in Anjunem dam near the Goa-Karnataka border,” was all that the reticent Principal Chief Conservator of Forests ventured to say.
Shashi Kumar had earlier caused a furore when he claimed that tigers were not endemic to the State but were ‘migratory’, for which he was debunked by experts.
Wildlife and environmental activists in Goa have long been demanding that Goa’s sanctuaries be notified as tiger reserves. They have accused the Forest department of denying the presence of tigers to appease the politically and economically strong mining lobby.
Goa’s open cast iron ore and bauxite mining industry is digging through most of ‘protected’ forests of Western Ghats that feature in WWF’s 12 topmost biodiversity hotspots of the world.
According to wildlife campaigner Rajendra Kerkar, “It is beyond doubt that these forests are a home for tigers. However, if the State’s handful sanctuaries are notified as tiger reserves, mining — illegal and legal — around these, carried out with the blessings of the politicians and State administration would have to cease”.
Kerkar, also a freelance journalist, recently brought to light the poaching of a tiger in the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary through his articles. Ironically, Kerkar was made abettor in the poaching crime after the former accused the Forest department of sabotaging the probe into the killing of the Schedule 1 animal. The Forest department had to later drop his name after an uproar in the local media.
“Look, many places in Goa are named after tigers. The official census doesn’t show any tigers from Goa when this is a tiger place. The tiger-poaching incident itself reflects that, which means the national count of 1,411 tigers goes up. The Forest department seems to be more concerned with conserving mining in the area than conserving wildlife,” well-known environmentalist Claude Alvares caustically remarked.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Goa wildlife census shows tiger presence
PANAJI: Evidence of at least three tigers' presence has been found in Goa's wildlife sanctuaries during the ongoing wildlife census in the state by forest department officials.
A forest department official said tiger faeces was found at Surla and Nandran, in the Mollem National Park in the thickly-forested eastern part of Goa, 80 km from here.
"We also found pug marks of a tigress near the Anjunem dam, located near the Goa-Karnataka border," a forest official said, requesting not to be named.
The official said the pug marks found at the Anjunem dam catchment area indicated that a tigress had passed by the water's edge along with two cubs.
The development is a shot in the arm for green activists who have been lobbying for Goa's forest areas being declared as tiger reserves.
However, no forest department official is willing to come on record to acknowledge the development.
According to noted wildlife expert Rajendra Kerkar, there's a reason for the forest department's silence.
"There has always been proof that tigers are there in our forests. But the forest department has been consistently denying the presence of tigers because they are hand-in-glove with the mining lobby," said Kerkar, who recently exposed tiger poaching in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
Kerkar said if the Mhadei, Netravali, Cotigao and the Bhagwan Mahavir sanctuaries were declared tiger reserves, illegal mining near these green havens, secretly endorsed by the several powerful politicians and allowed by the forest department, would have to immediately stop.
Goa's Rs 6,000 crore open cast mining industry rings the state's forests in the north and eastern parts which border with Maharashtra and Karnataka.
According to Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, nearly 20 per cent of the Rs 40 million ore exported from Goa comes from illegal mining.
A forest department official said tiger faeces was found at Surla and Nandran, in the Mollem National Park in the thickly-forested eastern part of Goa, 80 km from here.
"We also found pug marks of a tigress near the Anjunem dam, located near the Goa-Karnataka border," a forest official said, requesting not to be named.
The official said the pug marks found at the Anjunem dam catchment area indicated that a tigress had passed by the water's edge along with two cubs.
The development is a shot in the arm for green activists who have been lobbying for Goa's forest areas being declared as tiger reserves.
However, no forest department official is willing to come on record to acknowledge the development.
According to noted wildlife expert Rajendra Kerkar, there's a reason for the forest department's silence.
"There has always been proof that tigers are there in our forests. But the forest department has been consistently denying the presence of tigers because they are hand-in-glove with the mining lobby," said Kerkar, who recently exposed tiger poaching in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
Kerkar said if the Mhadei, Netravali, Cotigao and the Bhagwan Mahavir sanctuaries were declared tiger reserves, illegal mining near these green havens, secretly endorsed by the several powerful politicians and allowed by the forest department, would have to immediately stop.
Goa's Rs 6,000 crore open cast mining industry rings the state's forests in the north and eastern parts which border with Maharashtra and Karnataka.
According to Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar, nearly 20 per cent of the Rs 40 million ore exported from Goa comes from illegal mining.
Tiger sighted in Valmiki reserve after six months
PATNA: Almost after a gap of six months, a tiger was sighted in Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) on Thursday morning. The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) assistant manager, Samir Sinha, sighted the big cat near the rest house in the Govardhana range of the reserve. Sinha is looking after the camera trap work of the ongoing tiger census work in the reserve.
"Around 5 am, while moving on the Govardhana-Manguraha forest road for collecting certain census-related data, I sighted the tiger," Sinha told TOI, adding: "I have been working in VTR for the last seven years but didn't have the chance to sight a tiger earlier."
VTR director J P Gupta, who was the first one to be informed about the tiger sighting and who had himself sighted a leopard in the Govardhana range itself a few months back, said: "Such things indicate that the efforts put into making the reserve a safe place for the felines are showing good results."
Prior to this, one tiger was sighted by forest guards in the Someshwar block of the reserve in November last year. A tigress with two cubs was sighted in August in the Manpur area located near the eastern boundary of the reserve last year as well.
The news of tiger sighting from Bihar's only tiger reserve must be music to the ears of wildlife lovers, as VTR, in the past two months, witnessed the killing of a tiger and a leopard.
While the tiger was poisoned to death in the Madanpur range of the reserve in March after it killed one buffalo belonging to locals, a leopard was killed by villagers at Shahpur Parsauni village four days ago after it strayed into the village and killed a villager and injured five others.
The Thursday sighting apart, wildlife lovers can also take solace from the fact that the ongoing tiger census has given some very encouraging signs. "Camera trap data collected from Raghia, Manguraha and Govardhana ranges is very encouraging with movement of tigers being trapped in these cameras on a regular basis," Sinha said.
Refusing to draw conclusions about the exact number of tigers on the basis of these findings, he, however, claimed that such things could be done only after comprehensive analysis of data collected in different stages of the census.
"Around 5 am, while moving on the Govardhana-Manguraha forest road for collecting certain census-related data, I sighted the tiger," Sinha told TOI, adding: "I have been working in VTR for the last seven years but didn't have the chance to sight a tiger earlier."
VTR director J P Gupta, who was the first one to be informed about the tiger sighting and who had himself sighted a leopard in the Govardhana range itself a few months back, said: "Such things indicate that the efforts put into making the reserve a safe place for the felines are showing good results."
Prior to this, one tiger was sighted by forest guards in the Someshwar block of the reserve in November last year. A tigress with two cubs was sighted in August in the Manpur area located near the eastern boundary of the reserve last year as well.
The news of tiger sighting from Bihar's only tiger reserve must be music to the ears of wildlife lovers, as VTR, in the past two months, witnessed the killing of a tiger and a leopard.
While the tiger was poisoned to death in the Madanpur range of the reserve in March after it killed one buffalo belonging to locals, a leopard was killed by villagers at Shahpur Parsauni village four days ago after it strayed into the village and killed a villager and injured five others.
The Thursday sighting apart, wildlife lovers can also take solace from the fact that the ongoing tiger census has given some very encouraging signs. "Camera trap data collected from Raghia, Manguraha and Govardhana ranges is very encouraging with movement of tigers being trapped in these cameras on a regular basis," Sinha said.
Refusing to draw conclusions about the exact number of tigers on the basis of these findings, he, however, claimed that such things could be done only after comprehensive analysis of data collected in different stages of the census.
TN to set up Special Tiger Protection Force
Fully funded by the Centre and on the basis of regulations framed, using the recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Tamil Nadu government will set up Special Tiger Protection Force for Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
The Tamil Nadu government will establish a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Minister for Forests N. Selvaraj announced in the Assembly on Thursday.
It would be formed under a scheme fully funded by the Centre and on the basis of regulations framed, using the recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), he said, replying to a debate on the demands for grants to his department.
A senior official of the State Environment and Forests Department said it was planned to rope in tribals who had knowledge about the Reserve.
STIPULATIONS
According to the NTCA's document on security plan for tiger reserves, each tiger reserve must have one or more special strike forces deployed on the field.
The deployment should be at locations where the force would be able to reach a given area within a reasonable amount of time to take charge of any crisis.
In most situations, a strike force is best deployed along the periphery in the Code Red Zone. This will be in response to a threat perception. The Special Tiger Protection Force should be preferably used as a strike force and deployed as such. Strike teams should carry out regular mock drills to test their level of preparedness and their response time. Their visibility will also send out a strong psychological message to poachers, the document states.
Mr. Selvaraj also announced the government's plan to set up a rehabilitation centre at M.R. Palayam in Tiruchi district for elephants, which were orphaned or abandoned by temples and private persons or found in illegal possession of individuals.
Estimated to cost Rs.1.25 crore, it would come up on 19.7 acres.
Of the 737 anti-poaching watchers being employed by the Forest Department on temporary basis, the services of 137 watchers with 10 years' experience would be regularised.
FLYING SQUADS
Minister for Environment T.P. M. Mohideen Khan said three flying squads, headed by Environmental Engineer (Monitoring), would be formed with the headquarters in Erode, Tirupur and Vellore districts, where dyeing and bleaching units and tanneries were located.
They would act against industrial units, which did not comply with environmental laws.
A vigilance and anti-corruption wing would be set up at the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Mr. Khan, who also handles Youth Welfare and Sports Development, said Rs. 3.5 crore would be required to form a world-class synthetic track in Tirunelveli, for which an additional Rs.2.16 crore had been sanctioned.
Last year, allocation of Rs.1.34 crore was made.
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article429442.ece?homepage=true
Thursday, May 13, 2010
High tiger density may indicate habitat loss
Conservationists have welcomed the recent finding that the Kaziranga National Park in Assam has the highest tiger density in the world, but warned that it could be an indicator of destruction of habitats in the vicinity and suggested framing of a tiger habitat management policy.
‘Aaranyak’, an environment watchdog, in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department in a recent survey using the ’camera-trap’ method has found that the forest, famous for housing the one-horned rhinos, has a recorded density of 38 tigers in an area of 100 square kilometres.
Describing such an unusual increase of the animals in a single protected area can be a dangerous indicator of habitat destruction, conservationist Bibhab Talukdar of Aaranyak recommended regular monitoring of tigers and prey population in the forest.
“We like to recommend regular monitoring of tigers and prey population to understand the ecology in such a high density tiger habitat,” Talukdar said.
He said the unusual increase of these animals might be attributed to habitat destruction in the surrounding areas as a result of which animals flocked to Kaziranga.
Due to the high-density, human-tiger conflict in the fringe areas of the park might go up and both short and long term measures were necessary to minimize such conflicts, he felt.
Treating Kaziranga and the adjoining Karbi Anglong hills as a single conservation belt was the need of the hour for the long-term survival of the Park and proper dispersal of tiger population, Talukdar pointed out.
“Unless the tigers had a wider dispersal area, myriad problems like infighting and conflict with humans was likely to intensify,” he added.
The corridors linking Kaziranga with Karbi Anglong forests have suffered extensive degradation due to encroachment, illegal logging, stone mining, growing settlements and tourist movements have severely disrupted wildlife movement, particularly during the flood season, said P.J. Bora of WWF-India.
The man-tiger conflict has increased in recent years with high incidence of cattle lifting reported from the fringe villages of Kaziranga and there have been also confirmed cases of retaliatory poisoning by the affected locals.
To ensure future of the tiger, improved management of tiger habitat, including restoration and management of corridors between core areas through land-uses compatible with tiger conservation was necessary, Bora said.
“Creating additional or expanding existing protected areas to support viable, breeding tiger populations, and linking them with habitat corridors should be of utmost priority for both proper management of the Park and tiger,” Talukdar added.
http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article428769.ece
Another tigress with 3 cubs spotted in Tadoba
CHANDRAPUR: Its virtually raining tiger cubs in the 625 sq km Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve which recently got a boost when the state government notified its buffer area as per government stipulations. The popular reserve is about 150 kms from the Nagpur.
Even as celebrations to mark the birth of four tiger cubs to the Katekasa tigress of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) are yet to sink in, there is more good news for wildlife lovers. The Devdoh tigress too has reportedly given birth to three tiger cubs.
The tigress with three cubs was sighted around 10 days back by a villager. Forest officials are making all efforts to track it and confirm the sighting.
The birth of as many as 11 cubs in a span of just eight months has proved that this oldest national park in the state has a rich wildlife habitat and is a healthy breeding place for tigers.
TOI readers too had sent in photos of a couple of tigers and its cubs. These new cubs will not be taken into account when the findings of the tiger census is announced later this year. Cubs have to be two years old to be counted in the tiger population.
Though the birth of the cubs is good news, it also brings to the fore problems like dwindling territory and incest. Devdoh is a perennial water source located near Khatoda gate, exactly on the boundary of Tadoba and Moharli forest ranges of the TATR.
A resident tigress was pregnant and was expected to deliver this summer. The good news finally came a few days ago.
"We have installed camera traps in the area to officially confirm the finding," said Kiran Dhankute, the RFO in-charge of Tadoba range.
"Though the Devdoh water source is located in Moharli range, the movement of the tigress has been traced more on the Tadoba side."
Even as celebrations to mark the birth of four tiger cubs to the Katekasa tigress of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) are yet to sink in, there is more good news for wildlife lovers. The Devdoh tigress too has reportedly given birth to three tiger cubs.
The tigress with three cubs was sighted around 10 days back by a villager. Forest officials are making all efforts to track it and confirm the sighting.
The birth of as many as 11 cubs in a span of just eight months has proved that this oldest national park in the state has a rich wildlife habitat and is a healthy breeding place for tigers.
TOI readers too had sent in photos of a couple of tigers and its cubs. These new cubs will not be taken into account when the findings of the tiger census is announced later this year. Cubs have to be two years old to be counted in the tiger population.
Though the birth of the cubs is good news, it also brings to the fore problems like dwindling territory and incest. Devdoh is a perennial water source located near Khatoda gate, exactly on the boundary of Tadoba and Moharli forest ranges of the TATR.
A resident tigress was pregnant and was expected to deliver this summer. The good news finally came a few days ago.
"We have installed camera traps in the area to officially confirm the finding," said Kiran Dhankute, the RFO in-charge of Tadoba range.
"Though the Devdoh water source is located in Moharli range, the movement of the tigress has been traced more on the Tadoba side."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)