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Friday, September 24, 2010

45 snares laid for tigers and leopards found in Bandipur

Forest officials at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve have stumbled on as many as 45 metal traps to snare tigers and leopards, all laid by poachers following a combing operation on Thursday. The findings have shocked officials and come despite their massive vigilance drive.


Following the poaching incidents in February, April and July this year when two leopards and a wild boar were killed by poachers inside the Bandipur reserve, the forest department had launched a strict vigilance drive across the reserve. But, despite their intense efforts, poachers have managed to lay traps at strategic locations in the the park.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, field director, Project Tiger, B J Hosmath, who led the combing operation said: “Based on a tip-off, our staff launched a combing operation in the ranges of N Begur and Gundre within the reserve and detected as many as 45 snares. After the poaching incidents, especially the one involving the tragic death of a young tiger on April 30 in Gopalaswamybetta region, we had further intensified our operations.”

Senior forest department officials said they were conducting vehicular patrol daily. However, following the spurt in poaching activities using snares, officials were asked patrol the reserve on foot to curb such practices.

“Most of these snares were made of steel cables, but a few were made of telephone cables and natural tree fibres. We suspect this to be the handiwork of poachers from neighbouring villages at the behest of professional poachers. Though snares are used to catch deer and boar for meat, on several instances tigers and leopards were caught and killed on the spot,” an official said.

The department suspects that the notorious poacher Paapa and his associates Nagarajaswamy, Govinda, Shivaraju and Kumaraswamy could have played a major role in setting these snares. The same gang had poached a tiger in February 2010.

Commenting on the trend, Sanjay Gubbi, wildlife conservationist and member of the state wildlife board said, “Snares have become a serious problem. Unlike major poaching equipments, these are difficult to detect. This incident highlights the importance of patrolling on foot.”

Hit by Staff crunch
The acute shortage of ground level staff in the department has marred plans to safeguard the population of big cats. According to officials in the forest department, Bandipur and the adjacent Nagarhole and Mudumali regions have the largest population of tigers – estimated to be about 300 – in the country.

“We have not given up despite the acute shortage of ground level staff,” an official said. “More staff would help us further augment the combing operation,’’ another senior official said.

Karnataka is the only state in the country which has a Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF).

NHAI officials to visit NH-6 today

NAGPUR: Forest officials, wildlife experts and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officers will undertake a site inspection of controversial patches between Sirpur and Lakhni on NH-6 on Friday.

The four-laning of the 80-km patch between Sirpur and Lakhni breaks the tiger corridor between Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary and Navegaon National Park. The corridor has immense importance as it connects nine tiger reserves and many protected areas (PAs).

Chief conservators of forests (CCF) AK Saxena and Nandkishore, wildlife expert Kishor Rithe, assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Kishore Mishrikotkar, NHAI project director Naresh Wadetwar and other officials will be part of the team visiting NH-6.

In the 80-km patch between Sirpur and Lakhni, work in three forest patches - Mohghata, Sasakuran and Maramjob - comprising 10km, has been stopped for want of forest clearance. Rest of the four-laning work has already been completed.

The NHAI had on August 17 submitted a report prepared by two ex-wildlife officials, to mitigate damage to wildlife due to the four-laning. On September 3, a meeting of NHAI and forest officials was held in which forest officials expressed reservations on the report.

The NHAI report doesn't comply with suggestions made by CCF Nandkishore, who was appointed by the Centrally Empowered Committee ( CEC) to inspect the four-laning work. Friday's visit seems to be a way for officials to point out their reservations on the four-laning.

Although NHAI is ready to construct eight underpasses of 10 feet height and 20 feet width in every 2km forest patch in vulnerable areas, sources said there is basic defect in the underpasses. Forest officials feel identical underpasses cannot be a solution on all the patches, they should be site-specific.

The WTI has disapproved of the report, claiming that mitigation measures in such important areas needs a group of wildlife biologists, geologists, engineers, architects, wildlife managers and conservationists to evolve specific and acceptable designs for wildlife crossings
.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/NHAI-officials-to-visit-NH-6-today/articleshow/6617257.cms

Tiger's pelt recovered from man

CHIKMAGALUR: Rural police arrested a person for possessing a tiger's pelt, which they recovered from him, in Lakshmipura of Chikmagalur taluk.

Police sub-inspector Sathyanarayan and his team arrested Anwar when he was wandering suspiciously at Mallenahalli and found the tiger skin on him, which is valued at Rs 1.50 lakh. Police are investigating how and where he got the pelt and if he is working for somebody.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Tigers-pelt-recovered-from-man/articleshow/6615613.cms