JAIPUR: In a major boost to tiger conservation, chief minister Ashok Gehlot announced developing the area connecting Ranthambore National Park to Mukundra sanctuary as a corridor. The area is frequently used by straying tigers of Ranthambore and developing it would give the big cats a safer passage.
Even the Mukundra sanctuary, which already got an in-principle nod from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as a tiger reserve during the recent visit of director Rajesh Gopal, will be developed during this year. The government will shortly be preparing a project report for the same.
"The United Nations is observing year 2011 as International Year of Forests and we are duty bound to follow the footsteps. Throughout the year, various projects will be undertaken for developing sanctuaries besides addressing issues of global warming," Gehlot said.
He also announced using grants to the tune of Rs 1,153 crore from the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) for implementing the Rajasthan Forestry and Bio-diversity Project (RFBP) in select areas of the state over a period of eight years between 2011 and 2019. The areas include 10 districts that have deserts in them, five districts without deserts and seven wildlife reserves.
Under the project, afforestation and bio-diversity conservation and soil and water conservation work will be done. Besides, poverty elimination and livelihood schemes will also be undertaken in 650 villages in these areas. Sundamata in Jhalore and Gura-Bishnoi in Jodhpur will also be developed as eco-tourism centres under the project.
Four treatment and rehabilitation centres for wild animals would also be established in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Nagaur. The centres will be developed using Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds.
After the recent incident at Ranthambore where tourism minister Bina Kak had to intervene to save tiger T-5 which had a deep wound on its body, the need for a mobile rescue van for the forest was being felt. Addressing the issue, Gehlot has made provisions in his budget for a mobile rescue van and two veterinarians in the park in case of any eventualities.
Besides, the state will also be giving Rs 1,000 to each of the 5,000 families staying inside the Ranthambore reserve for an LPG connection. The move is aimed at keeping away these families from felling trees for fire wood.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Ranthambore-Mukundra-corridor-in-the-offing/articleshow/7667203.cms
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Panel's Ranthambore directive silences roar of machines
Moushumi Basu | New Delhi
Construction activities have been temporarily stopped at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan following intervention by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
For several months now, the whine of excavators and pneumatic drills and the rumble of explosives had drowned out the roar of tigers at the reserve. With construction on the boom even in the core area, the chaos was a major source of stress for the wild cat.
The State irrigation department recently approved construction of 20 large dams, each costing in the range of Rs 35 lakh to Rs 75 lakh. Nearly 100 small anicuts and 20 telais (ponds) were constructed in the reserve in the past.
However, after the CEC’s directive to the State Chief Secretary, work has been stopped at the site. On being approached by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) for intervention, the CEC pointed out that such non-forestry activities within protected areas were in violation of a Supreme Court order.
According to sources, the Chief Secretary is to set up an expert committee to decide on the issue. Till then, work in the protected area would stay stalled.
Ranthambore field director Anand Mohan, however, contended that this construction was part of a long-term water management plan and its ecological impact had been assessed by an expert panel. It is being carried out by the irrigation and forest departments, with MNREGA and Nabard funding.
A work order of Rs 40 crore has been earmarked jointly for Sariska and Ranthambore, Mohan said, of which Rs 2 crore has already been sanctioned by the irrigation department. “The very objective of this project is to improve availability of water within the park for wild animals,” he emphasised.
However, tiger expert and WPSI executive director Belinda Wright pointed to the gravity of the situation, saying the eco-system of Ranthambore was very fragile and any manipulation could cause irreversible damage. She felt there were many perennial natural waterholes in critical areas and that artificial cemented anicuts and uncalled-for human intervention could be destructive.
The proposed anicut, for instance, is at Adi Dagar, beyond Lakardah, on a nullah that runs from Lakardah to Bakola. The area has waterholes that are full during the critical summer months too. This was where tigress T-16 spent the summer of 2010, making kills around a waterhole.
It is feared that the proposed anicut may flood this natural waterhole, submerging the surrounding rock walls, which are home to a host of wildlife, including monitor lizards, mongooses and owls.
The construction of cement anicuts and earth dams around Galai Sagar, on the other hand, can affect the water-holding of this lake in an area where there are a number of resident big cats, including a tigress with cubs.
Many such rampant constructions close to natural water points will eventually lead to silting, which could choke water flow. Sooner or later, the natural water body would be finished, feel experts.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/323377/Panels-Ranthambore-directive-silences-roar-of-machines.html
Construction activities have been temporarily stopped at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan following intervention by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
For several months now, the whine of excavators and pneumatic drills and the rumble of explosives had drowned out the roar of tigers at the reserve. With construction on the boom even in the core area, the chaos was a major source of stress for the wild cat.
The State irrigation department recently approved construction of 20 large dams, each costing in the range of Rs 35 lakh to Rs 75 lakh. Nearly 100 small anicuts and 20 telais (ponds) were constructed in the reserve in the past.
However, after the CEC’s directive to the State Chief Secretary, work has been stopped at the site. On being approached by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) for intervention, the CEC pointed out that such non-forestry activities within protected areas were in violation of a Supreme Court order.
According to sources, the Chief Secretary is to set up an expert committee to decide on the issue. Till then, work in the protected area would stay stalled.
Ranthambore field director Anand Mohan, however, contended that this construction was part of a long-term water management plan and its ecological impact had been assessed by an expert panel. It is being carried out by the irrigation and forest departments, with MNREGA and Nabard funding.
A work order of Rs 40 crore has been earmarked jointly for Sariska and Ranthambore, Mohan said, of which Rs 2 crore has already been sanctioned by the irrigation department. “The very objective of this project is to improve availability of water within the park for wild animals,” he emphasised.
However, tiger expert and WPSI executive director Belinda Wright pointed to the gravity of the situation, saying the eco-system of Ranthambore was very fragile and any manipulation could cause irreversible damage. She felt there were many perennial natural waterholes in critical areas and that artificial cemented anicuts and uncalled-for human intervention could be destructive.
The proposed anicut, for instance, is at Adi Dagar, beyond Lakardah, on a nullah that runs from Lakardah to Bakola. The area has waterholes that are full during the critical summer months too. This was where tigress T-16 spent the summer of 2010, making kills around a waterhole.
It is feared that the proposed anicut may flood this natural waterhole, submerging the surrounding rock walls, which are home to a host of wildlife, including monitor lizards, mongooses and owls.
The construction of cement anicuts and earth dams around Galai Sagar, on the other hand, can affect the water-holding of this lake in an area where there are a number of resident big cats, including a tigress with cubs.
Many such rampant constructions close to natural water points will eventually lead to silting, which could choke water flow. Sooner or later, the natural water body would be finished, feel experts.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/323377/Panels-Ranthambore-directive-silences-roar-of-machines.html
Ramesh expects ''good news'' in tiger census
PTI | 08:03 PM,Mar 09,2011
New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Tiger census will be out this month end amidst expectations that there will be "good news", government said today."We are releasing our latest tiger census on 28th of this month. We hope that we will have good news. I haven't seen the report yet," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters here. The census was carried out by installing cameras at strategic points, like water bodies in the forests, as also in the respective territories of the big cats and a computer analysis was done to collate the data. The 2007 census had shown a sharp fall in the number of tigers in 'protected areas'--reserves, national parks and widelife sanctuaries-in 19 states across the country.According to it, India had only 1,411 wild cats left in its forests.
New Delhi, Mar 9 (PTI) Tiger census will be out this month end amidst expectations that there will be "good news", government said today."We are releasing our latest tiger census on 28th of this month. We hope that we will have good news. I haven't seen the report yet," Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told reporters here. The census was carried out by installing cameras at strategic points, like water bodies in the forests, as also in the respective territories of the big cats and a computer analysis was done to collate the data. The 2007 census had shown a sharp fall in the number of tigers in 'protected areas'--reserves, national parks and widelife sanctuaries-in 19 states across the country.According to it, India had only 1,411 wild cats left in its forests.
Bad news for tiger conservation Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN
Nagpur: In a setback to process of creating inviolate spaces for highly endangered tigers, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has withdrawn the revised guidelines for determination of critical wildlife habitats (CWHs) thus stalling the entire process.
The MoEF on February 7 had circulated the revised guidelines about determination of CWH. However, members of some NGOs made representations to the ministry against some of the points in it. The organizations were of the view that the relocation of people from CWH needed to be fine-tuned to be compliant with provisions of Forest Rights Act 2006. Taking note of the concerns at a meeting held in Delhi on March 4, the guidelines were withdrawn. "Process to issue fresh guidelines has been initiated," NTCA officials said.
CWH are areas of national parks and sanctuaries that are required to be kept inviolate for the purposes of wildlife conservation as determined and notified by the MoEF, after open process of consultations by an expert committee. After notifying critical tiger habitats (CTHs) three years ago, the state initiated process to declare CWHs. A minimum inviolate space of 800-1000 sq km should be maintained to support a viable population of tigers in tiger landscapes, based on tiger parameters, territory sizes and populations viability analysis.
In Maharashtra, a state-level committee headed by chief wildlife warden has already given a go-ahead to 19 national parks and sanctuaries to complete consultations with stakeholders. In August last, to speed up the process of relocation of villages in CWHs, subcommittees with respective chief conservators (CCFs) and deputy conservators (DyCFs) were also constituted. These officials had initiated consultation process and even completed them in Navegaon National Park and Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
V K Mohan, chief conservator of forests (CCF) for wildlife administration, said the process would now be stalled until fresh guidelines were issued. Dilip Gode of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society (VNCS), who was part of the MoEF meeting on March 4, said: "We want the consultations to be held properly with involvement of all stakeholders. Entire process should be video recorded and there should be scope for scientific avenues. Not all CWH are needed to be declared inviolate."
Conservationists decried move. Already, there are many villages in tiger reserves that are needed to be relocated. Villagers living in parks and reserves are also keen to move out. The delay will further escalate cost of relocation and tigers, that are crying for space, will also have to wait, they said.
BOX
CWH process stalled?
* The first guidelines for CWH were issued on October 25, 2007. On February 7, 2011, MoEF issued revised ones. These too have been withdrawn on March 4, 2011
* CWHs can be declared only with voluntary consent of affected people. It involves secure livelihoods to persons to be relocated
* A state-level committee has given go-ahead to 19 national parks and sanctuaries in Maharashtra to complete consultations with stakeholders for CWH. Consultations in Navegaon and Tipeshwar have been completed. Of the remaining 17 parks, most of them are in second stage of consultation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Bad-news-for-tiger-conservation/articleshow/7666523.cms
The MoEF on February 7 had circulated the revised guidelines about determination of CWH. However, members of some NGOs made representations to the ministry against some of the points in it. The organizations were of the view that the relocation of people from CWH needed to be fine-tuned to be compliant with provisions of Forest Rights Act 2006. Taking note of the concerns at a meeting held in Delhi on March 4, the guidelines were withdrawn. "Process to issue fresh guidelines has been initiated," NTCA officials said.
CWH are areas of national parks and sanctuaries that are required to be kept inviolate for the purposes of wildlife conservation as determined and notified by the MoEF, after open process of consultations by an expert committee. After notifying critical tiger habitats (CTHs) three years ago, the state initiated process to declare CWHs. A minimum inviolate space of 800-1000 sq km should be maintained to support a viable population of tigers in tiger landscapes, based on tiger parameters, territory sizes and populations viability analysis.
In Maharashtra, a state-level committee headed by chief wildlife warden has already given a go-ahead to 19 national parks and sanctuaries to complete consultations with stakeholders. In August last, to speed up the process of relocation of villages in CWHs, subcommittees with respective chief conservators (CCFs) and deputy conservators (DyCFs) were also constituted. These officials had initiated consultation process and even completed them in Navegaon National Park and Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.
V K Mohan, chief conservator of forests (CCF) for wildlife administration, said the process would now be stalled until fresh guidelines were issued. Dilip Gode of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society (VNCS), who was part of the MoEF meeting on March 4, said: "We want the consultations to be held properly with involvement of all stakeholders. Entire process should be video recorded and there should be scope for scientific avenues. Not all CWH are needed to be declared inviolate."
Conservationists decried move. Already, there are many villages in tiger reserves that are needed to be relocated. Villagers living in parks and reserves are also keen to move out. The delay will further escalate cost of relocation and tigers, that are crying for space, will also have to wait, they said.
BOX
CWH process stalled?
* The first guidelines for CWH were issued on October 25, 2007. On February 7, 2011, MoEF issued revised ones. These too have been withdrawn on March 4, 2011
* CWHs can be declared only with voluntary consent of affected people. It involves secure livelihoods to persons to be relocated
* A state-level committee has given go-ahead to 19 national parks and sanctuaries in Maharashtra to complete consultations with stakeholders for CWH. Consultations in Navegaon and Tipeshwar have been completed. Of the remaining 17 parks, most of them are in second stage of consultation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Bad-news-for-tiger-conservation/articleshow/7666523.cms
Two more watch towers at Mudumalai reserve TNN
UDHAGAMANDALAM: In a bid to improve vigilance inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris, two more watch towers are being erected in the area.
"Works for the two new watch towers are nearing completion. One is being erected near a water body at Mavanallah and the other at Nir Hallah, adjacent to Karnataka border," Rajiv K Srivastava, Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, told TOI.
The watch tower at Mavanallah will also serve the purpose of watching migratory birds which visit the dam near Mavanallah during season, according to Srivastava. Another tower near the Karnataka border will be used to observe the migration of carnivores and other animals.
Already, there are 5 towers inside the reserve. "Together, the towers will help keep vigil over a larger area and help detect the movements of wild animals," said the official.
According to the official the new towers, built at the cost of `10 lakh, will be completed by end of March.
The 312 sq km Mudumalai tiger reserve is home to at least 40 tigers and nearly 900 Asian elephants besides a wide variety of wild life and vegetation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Two-more-watch-towers-at-Mudumalai-reserve/articleshow/7668190.cms
"Works for the two new watch towers are nearing completion. One is being erected near a water body at Mavanallah and the other at Nir Hallah, adjacent to Karnataka border," Rajiv K Srivastava, Field Director, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, told TOI.
The watch tower at Mavanallah will also serve the purpose of watching migratory birds which visit the dam near Mavanallah during season, according to Srivastava. Another tower near the Karnataka border will be used to observe the migration of carnivores and other animals.
Already, there are 5 towers inside the reserve. "Together, the towers will help keep vigil over a larger area and help detect the movements of wild animals," said the official.
According to the official the new towers, built at the cost of `10 lakh, will be completed by end of March.
The 312 sq km Mudumalai tiger reserve is home to at least 40 tigers and nearly 900 Asian elephants besides a wide variety of wild life and vegetation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Two-more-watch-towers-at-Mudumalai-reserve/articleshow/7668190.cms
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Crucial meeting on tiger conservation begins today
A crucial meeting of tiger conservation experts is slated to begin here from Wednesday to chalk out a plan for conservation of the elusive wildcat, officials said.
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh is also expected to participate in the three-day meeting that is being organised by Uttarakhand forest department and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at Ramnagar near Jim Corbett National park, Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) R.K. Mishra said.
Some experts from United States will also participate in the meeting, he added.
The participants of the meeting would first study the different aspects related to Corbett Park and later give their recommendations for the conservation of tiger, he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article1519787.ece
Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, Jairam Ramesh is also expected to participate in the three-day meeting that is being organised by Uttarakhand forest department and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) at Ramnagar near Jim Corbett National park, Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) R.K. Mishra said.
Some experts from United States will also participate in the meeting, he added.
The participants of the meeting would first study the different aspects related to Corbett Park and later give their recommendations for the conservation of tiger, he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article1519787.ece
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tigress killed, eaten by another in MP
BHOPAL: A tigress was killed and eaten by another tigress after a territorial fight in Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, officials said.
The carcass of 9-year-old tigress Laxmi, who also had two cubs, was recovered from Salatekari area at Tala Range of the Reserve, in Umaria district on Saturday, a top forest official said.
Laxmi was killed and eaten by another tigress named Kankati (4), after a possible fight over territory, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve's Field Director C K Patil said, adding, Kankati had sustained an eye injury.
Forest guards on Saturday saw Kankati eating the slain tigress, he said, adding, Laxmi and Kankati had fought in the past too.
This was probably the first instance of a tiger killing and eating someone of its own species in Bandhavgarh, spread over an area of 700 sq km in eastern Madhya Pradesh.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tigress-killed-eaten-by-another-in-MP/articleshow/7643713.cms
The carcass of 9-year-old tigress Laxmi, who also had two cubs, was recovered from Salatekari area at Tala Range of the Reserve, in Umaria district on Saturday, a top forest official said.
Laxmi was killed and eaten by another tigress named Kankati (4), after a possible fight over territory, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve's Field Director C K Patil said, adding, Kankati had sustained an eye injury.
Forest guards on Saturday saw Kankati eating the slain tigress, he said, adding, Laxmi and Kankati had fought in the past too.
This was probably the first instance of a tiger killing and eating someone of its own species in Bandhavgarh, spread over an area of 700 sq km in eastern Madhya Pradesh.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tigress-killed-eaten-by-another-in-MP/articleshow/7643713.cms
Tiger experts meet today
A meeting of top global experts on tiger is being held in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the “new way forward” in tiger conservation efforts. Those participating in the meeting include George Shaller, Alan Rabinowitz and Joe Smith from Panthera, an American non-profit organisation, Belinda Wright, Bittu Sahgal and Valmik Thapar from India. Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh will chair the meet.
Ahead of the meeting a brainstorming session was held on Sunday.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Tiger-experts-meet-today/758666/
Ahead of the meeting a brainstorming session was held on Sunday.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Tiger-experts-meet-today/758666/
Tiger reserves ignoring local communities Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN
NAGPUR: Improving protected areas (PAs) management by involving communities with eco-development as one of its components is the best tiger conservation strategy but the tiger reserves in Vidarbha do not appear to believe in it. Disturbingly, all three tiger reserves in Vidarbha - Tadoba-Andhari, Melghat and Pench - have fared badly on community development work in recent evaluation of tiger reserves conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The administration of three tiger reserves seems to have only now woken up to this aspect. The reserves, while giving emphasis on resettlement of villages from the core, also focused on protection but failed to concentrate on eco-development works in the villages in buffer zones. "Village eco-development was aimed at reducing negative impacts of locals on parks. This asks for participatory micro-planning of activities at the village level to help the forest department and villages decide on set reciprocal promises," says wildlife conservationist Prafulla Bhamburkar.
"It is sad yet true that our tiger reserves have not focused on systematic community development works," admits Kishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL). To ensure tiger reserves in Vidarbha get funds from NTCA for community development work under Eco-development Programme (EDP) and villagers employment through conservation works, on December 15, 2007, Rithe's Satpuda Foundation had submitted a proposal to the chief wildlife warden for preparing village micro plans around Melghat, TATR and Pench. However, nothing happened. The Foundation again submitted the proposal on January 2011, to the present chief wildlife warden who responded positively but no action resulted.
"We are doing a lot of community-based conservation work on our own around the tiger reserves but it does not get any place in official records and hence the parks could not fetch points allotted on this count," lamented Satpuda Foundation executive director Giri Venkatesan.
TATR field director V K Sinha admitted there was need to set up eco-development committees (EDCs) on the lines of joint forest management committees (JFMs). There is an administration order on EDCs but there is no formal government resolution (GR), on providing benefits to stakeholders. Conservationists say the tiger reserves should take the remark of NTCA evaluation committee seriously and learn lessons.
Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA), which has developed a good community-based conservation model in buffer zone of MTR, stated that field directors really needed to count communities living in the buffer areas. "Earlier, field directors used to participate in the community meetings organized by NCSA and resolve many issues. However, the practice has stopped now," said Nishikant Kale, ex-president of NCSA. Officials have even started ignoring health initiatives started by NCSA exclusively for buffer villages since 2005, Kale added.
Kale said wildlife wing officials needed to learn from tiger reserves like Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Tamil Nadu where park administration was working with the communities and reducing biotic pressure on reserves. The NTCA evaluation of tiger reserves in Maharashtra put MTR at the eighth spot, ahead of high-profile tiger reserves like Corbett and Ranthambore and Tadoba and Pench at 14th and 15th spot.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-reserves-ignoring-local-communities/articleshow/7643363.cms
The administration of three tiger reserves seems to have only now woken up to this aspect. The reserves, while giving emphasis on resettlement of villages from the core, also focused on protection but failed to concentrate on eco-development works in the villages in buffer zones. "Village eco-development was aimed at reducing negative impacts of locals on parks. This asks for participatory micro-planning of activities at the village level to help the forest department and villages decide on set reciprocal promises," says wildlife conservationist Prafulla Bhamburkar.
"It is sad yet true that our tiger reserves have not focused on systematic community development works," admits Kishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL). To ensure tiger reserves in Vidarbha get funds from NTCA for community development work under Eco-development Programme (EDP) and villagers employment through conservation works, on December 15, 2007, Rithe's Satpuda Foundation had submitted a proposal to the chief wildlife warden for preparing village micro plans around Melghat, TATR and Pench. However, nothing happened. The Foundation again submitted the proposal on January 2011, to the present chief wildlife warden who responded positively but no action resulted.
"We are doing a lot of community-based conservation work on our own around the tiger reserves but it does not get any place in official records and hence the parks could not fetch points allotted on this count," lamented Satpuda Foundation executive director Giri Venkatesan.
TATR field director V K Sinha admitted there was need to set up eco-development committees (EDCs) on the lines of joint forest management committees (JFMs). There is an administration order on EDCs but there is no formal government resolution (GR), on providing benefits to stakeholders. Conservationists say the tiger reserves should take the remark of NTCA evaluation committee seriously and learn lessons.
Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA), which has developed a good community-based conservation model in buffer zone of MTR, stated that field directors really needed to count communities living in the buffer areas. "Earlier, field directors used to participate in the community meetings organized by NCSA and resolve many issues. However, the practice has stopped now," said Nishikant Kale, ex-president of NCSA. Officials have even started ignoring health initiatives started by NCSA exclusively for buffer villages since 2005, Kale added.
Kale said wildlife wing officials needed to learn from tiger reserves like Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Tamil Nadu where park administration was working with the communities and reducing biotic pressure on reserves. The NTCA evaluation of tiger reserves in Maharashtra put MTR at the eighth spot, ahead of high-profile tiger reserves like Corbett and Ranthambore and Tadoba and Pench at 14th and 15th spot.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-reserves-ignoring-local-communities/articleshow/7643363.cms
To appease VIP tourists, officials flout norms in Ranthambore Anindo Dey, TNN
JAIPUR: For Ranthambore National Park, VIP tourists and flouting of norms seem to go hand in hand. Recently a park official, while escorting a VIP tourist, chose to meander off the safari track on hot trail of a tiger, much to the amazement of others. The official, a ranger, choose to enter no-go areas in zone number 4 in Lakarda to please his tourist friends, said a witness.
"The patrol vehicle the ranger was in, along with his friends, spotted a tiger and started following it. The vehicle then went off the safari tracks into the grass much to the amazement of other tourists who were in the same area then," he said.
"Seeing the vehicle follow the tiger, an American tourist who was close by also wanted his guides to go in the same direction. But the guides explained it was against the rules. The American enquired as to why the other jeep had gone that way and he had to be told that there was an official in it and so he was free' to do what he wanted," he said.
The tourist then clicked a picture of the jeep and intimated wildlife activists. "How do you propose to impose laws and rules to such places where the rulers themselves are unruly? If officials of the department flout rules of conservation, then what do you expect from ordinary people?" asked an activist.
In August last year, even when the park remained on its annual closure, 40 tourists aboard luxury train Palace on Wheels were allowed to go inside the park for tiger-sighting.
In October last year, during the wedding of British comedian Russell Brand and US pop singer Katy Perry, complaints of noise pollution and the couple entering the park premises with commodities which are strictly banned were reported.
"Not just this, officials often choose to take their guests to prime zones even if they do not get it by default. According to the rules, the zones are allotted on a rotational basis. But rules just apply to commoners and not the VIPs or officials," said a source.
However, officials of the department denied the allegations. "All rules are strictly adhered to by one and all. In the event someone has done something wrong, we will look into it and act suitably," said an official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/To-appease-VIP-tourists-officials-flout-norms-in-Ranthambore/articleshow/7643023.cms
"The patrol vehicle the ranger was in, along with his friends, spotted a tiger and started following it. The vehicle then went off the safari tracks into the grass much to the amazement of other tourists who were in the same area then," he said.
"Seeing the vehicle follow the tiger, an American tourist who was close by also wanted his guides to go in the same direction. But the guides explained it was against the rules. The American enquired as to why the other jeep had gone that way and he had to be told that there was an official in it and so he was free' to do what he wanted," he said.
The tourist then clicked a picture of the jeep and intimated wildlife activists. "How do you propose to impose laws and rules to such places where the rulers themselves are unruly? If officials of the department flout rules of conservation, then what do you expect from ordinary people?" asked an activist.
In August last year, even when the park remained on its annual closure, 40 tourists aboard luxury train Palace on Wheels were allowed to go inside the park for tiger-sighting.
In October last year, during the wedding of British comedian Russell Brand and US pop singer Katy Perry, complaints of noise pollution and the couple entering the park premises with commodities which are strictly banned were reported.
"Not just this, officials often choose to take their guests to prime zones even if they do not get it by default. According to the rules, the zones are allotted on a rotational basis. But rules just apply to commoners and not the VIPs or officials," said a source.
However, officials of the department denied the allegations. "All rules are strictly adhered to by one and all. In the event someone has done something wrong, we will look into it and act suitably," said an official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/To-appease-VIP-tourists-officials-flout-norms-in-Ranthambore/articleshow/7643023.cms
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Rajasthan mulls national park in Kumbhalgarh
JAIPUR: Rajasthan's forest department plans to develop a national park in Kumbhalgarh , Raoli and Tatgarh areas of the state, an official said on Saturday.
The park, covering an area of 525 sq km, will be Rajasthan's third one after Ranthambore and Keoladeo national parks in Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur districts, respectively.
It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them.
The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Ajmer districts, a senior forest department official told IANS.
"We have prepared the proposal on the basis of our vast research of the area. We found that it has all the potential to be developed as a national park," said the official.
He added that combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears, deer and rabbits.
"There is no dearth of prey if the tigers are shifted here," he said.
If implemented, the project is likely to give a major boost to the tourism industry in the state.
"The state government, after giving its nod, will issue a notification announcing the area as national park. After that, work to shift some of the villages will begin," he said.
The desert state is one of the few states that can boast of two tiger projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/rajasthan-mulls-national-park-in-kumbhalgarh/articleshow/7636760.cms
The park, covering an area of 525 sq km, will be Rajasthan's third one after Ranthambore and Keoladeo national parks in Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur districts, respectively.
It is being planned to accommodate the growing population of tigers in Ranthambore National Park and prevent territorial fights among them.
The park will be developed after clubbing together sanctuary areas of Kumbhalgarh, Raoli and Tatgarh falling in Pali, Rajsamand, Udaipur and Ajmer districts, a senior forest department official told IANS.
"We have prepared the proposal on the basis of our vast research of the area. We found that it has all the potential to be developed as a national park," said the official.
He added that combination of rocky terrains and dense forests was suitable for a variety of animals, including panthers, leopards, bears, deer and rabbits.
"There is no dearth of prey if the tigers are shifted here," he said.
If implemented, the project is likely to give a major boost to the tourism industry in the state.
"The state government, after giving its nod, will issue a notification announcing the area as national park. After that, work to shift some of the villages will begin," he said.
The desert state is one of the few states that can boast of two tiger projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/rajasthan-mulls-national-park-in-kumbhalgarh/articleshow/7636760.cms
Place of worship hits tiger conservation TNN
DALTONGANJ: A huge place of worship right in the middle of Palamu tiger reserve has hindered progress of conserving the big cats.
The pucca building at Labher on way from Betla to Garu has become a troubled zone also as a ranger had been beaten up by local villagers some years back.
National Tiger Conservation Authority member of east and northeast effective management evaluation Srivastava said the ranger had objected to the construction of the place of worship at Labher.
The Supreme Court has asked the state governments to ensure a relocation of all places of worship, which are in a way causing inconvenience to public.
Palamu Project Tiger field director Paritosh Upadhaya said: "First of all, this place of worship has not come up during the period I have been here but has drawn devotees over the last 50 years."
The Palamu directorate of Project Tiger has clearly and strictly asked the people of this place of worship not to raise, construct or expand any more.
He agreed that the issue is "sensitive" while corroborating manhandling of the then field ranger over the coming up of this pucca place of worship at Labher.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/TNN05tigerdocclearedSP/-193Place-of-worship-hits/articleshow/7636697.cms
The pucca building at Labher on way from Betla to Garu has become a troubled zone also as a ranger had been beaten up by local villagers some years back.
National Tiger Conservation Authority member of east and northeast effective management evaluation Srivastava said the ranger had objected to the construction of the place of worship at Labher.
The Supreme Court has asked the state governments to ensure a relocation of all places of worship, which are in a way causing inconvenience to public.
Palamu Project Tiger field director Paritosh Upadhaya said: "First of all, this place of worship has not come up during the period I have been here but has drawn devotees over the last 50 years."
The Palamu directorate of Project Tiger has clearly and strictly asked the people of this place of worship not to raise, construct or expand any more.
He agreed that the issue is "sensitive" while corroborating manhandling of the then field ranger over the coming up of this pucca place of worship at Labher.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/TNN05tigerdocclearedSP/-193Place-of-worship-hits/articleshow/7636697.cms
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Rajasthan to deploy special police to protect forests
Jaipur, March 4 (IANS) The Rajasthan government plans to deploy battalions of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) to protect forest areas in the state, an official said Friday.
Rajasthan boasts of two tiger projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.
'The tiger reserves, existing ones and those proposed, will be given priority in the deployment of RAC battalions,' a senior home department officer told IANS.
Acting on a proposal sent by the forest department to the state's chief secretary, the home department has asked the director general of police (DGP) to make necessary arrangements in this regard.
The DGP is supposed to make a detailed report on the deployment and send it to the home department before the scheme is implemented.
He added RAC battalions will be deployed at forest areas in Alwar, Sawaimadhopur, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Nagaur, Kota, Jaipur, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Jalore and some other districts.
National Tiger Conservation Authority of India is considering some other dense forest areas in the state to develop them as tiger reserve besides Ranthambore in Sawaimdhopur district and Sariska in Alwar, due to growing population of big cats here, the officer said.
With this, there is a need to put a check on incidents of illegal grazing in the protected forest areas, illegal mining, poaching of wild life animals and attacks on foresters, he added.
'Recently there had been many incidents of tigers and leopards straying into the villages around forests areas following which the animals were attacked, even killed in some cases.
'While trying to rescue these wild animals, the foresters were also attacked. Stepped up security in these areas will hopefully help tackle such situation,' the official added.
http://www.sify.com/news/rajasthan-to-deploy-special-police-to-protect-forests-news-national-lderkmeighi.html
Rajasthan boasts of two tiger projects, a bird sanctuary and 25 wildlife sanctuaries.
'The tiger reserves, existing ones and those proposed, will be given priority in the deployment of RAC battalions,' a senior home department officer told IANS.
Acting on a proposal sent by the forest department to the state's chief secretary, the home department has asked the director general of police (DGP) to make necessary arrangements in this regard.
The DGP is supposed to make a detailed report on the deployment and send it to the home department before the scheme is implemented.
He added RAC battalions will be deployed at forest areas in Alwar, Sawaimadhopur, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Nagaur, Kota, Jaipur, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Jalore and some other districts.
National Tiger Conservation Authority of India is considering some other dense forest areas in the state to develop them as tiger reserve besides Ranthambore in Sawaimdhopur district and Sariska in Alwar, due to growing population of big cats here, the officer said.
With this, there is a need to put a check on incidents of illegal grazing in the protected forest areas, illegal mining, poaching of wild life animals and attacks on foresters, he added.
'Recently there had been many incidents of tigers and leopards straying into the villages around forests areas following which the animals were attacked, even killed in some cases.
'While trying to rescue these wild animals, the foresters were also attacked. Stepped up security in these areas will hopefully help tackle such situation,' the official added.
http://www.sify.com/news/rajasthan-to-deploy-special-police-to-protect-forests-news-national-lderkmeighi.html
Friday, March 4, 2011
Nine held for possession of tiger, panther skins
Erode (TN), Mar 3 (PTI) Nine persons, including a woman, were arrested in Pollachi in nearby Coimbatore district for possession of tiger and panther skins, Erode District Forest Conservator said. According to Erode District Conservator of Forests, Arun, a team of Forest Department personnel in plainclothes travelled to Dharapuram in nearby Tirupur district yesterday following a tip-off. One of the officers, posing as a civilian, met Jailani, one of the accused, to purchase tiger skin, he said. Jailani demanded Rs five crore for the skin and took the undercover officer to Pollachi yesterday night, where he was shown the skins of a tiger, four panthers and a black panther, he said. He added that when the wildlife skin traders ultimately agreed to sell all the skins for a combined Rs one crore, the officer said he had to consult his friends before paying the sum, following which he informed the other officials waiting nearby. The accused persons, including Parameswari, in whose house the incident took place, were promptly rounded up and the wildlife skin were seized. The accused were booked under section nine of the Wildlife Protection Act, he said.
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/nine-held-for-possession-of-tiger-panther-skins/596495.html
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/nine-held-for-possession-of-tiger-panther-skins/596495.html
Migration hits counting of big cats - TNN
DALTONGANJ: The tigers of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) are not as lucky as the tigers of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar s West Champaran! The tiger reserve of India is in close proximity to the Royal Chitwan Tiger Reserve in Nepal. In summer the tigers of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve slip into the Royal Chitwan Tiger Reserve in Nepal which is their summer resort and they go in and come out as they please.
According to D S Srivastava, member of the Effective Evaluation Management East and North East of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Delhi, tigers of Valmiki Reserve move towards the Royal Chitwan Tiger Reserve in Nepal to beat the heat.
However, he lamented that such a luxury is not available to the tigers of the Palamu Reserve, where they remain within the precincts of the PTR. India is perhaps the only country where this highly endangered species travels across the border. When asked whether the migration affects counting of the big cat he replied in the affirmative.
The PTR is spread over 1,026 square kilometers. This wildlife activist was aghast to see flock of sheep passing through the core zone of the PTR as he said sheep carries high risk infection and where ever the flock of sheep drinks water at the water hole that water is bound to be contaminated and not fit for the tigers and other wildlife. He said he came across the flock of sheep numbering 50 to 60 10 km away from Betla on Wednesday.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Migration-hits-counting-of-big-cats/articleshow/7622553.cms
According to D S Srivastava, member of the Effective Evaluation Management East and North East of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Delhi, tigers of Valmiki Reserve move towards the Royal Chitwan Tiger Reserve in Nepal to beat the heat.
However, he lamented that such a luxury is not available to the tigers of the Palamu Reserve, where they remain within the precincts of the PTR. India is perhaps the only country where this highly endangered species travels across the border. When asked whether the migration affects counting of the big cat he replied in the affirmative.
The PTR is spread over 1,026 square kilometers. This wildlife activist was aghast to see flock of sheep passing through the core zone of the PTR as he said sheep carries high risk infection and where ever the flock of sheep drinks water at the water hole that water is bound to be contaminated and not fit for the tigers and other wildlife. He said he came across the flock of sheep numbering 50 to 60 10 km away from Betla on Wednesday.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Migration-hits-counting-of-big-cats/articleshow/7622553.cms
Rough weather in four reserves on Forest Rights Act rollout - TNN
In the recent meeting of the apex National Tiger Conservation Authority, members pointed out seven specific instances where Forest Rights Act has been violated in an attempt to hastily declare an area free of people. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said he would investigate each claim and allegation of violation of FRA. TOI highlights four such reserves. Will he now send a fact finding team to these sites?
BRT Tiger reserve, Karnataka
The establishment of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary in 1974 displaced the Soliga tribals from their shifting cultivation sites to settled colonies. The collection of NTFP (non-timber forest products ) was banned in 2005, affecting their livelihood. Under FRA, 787 Soligas families have received land titles and 400 are awaiting them. Soligas are also in the process of receiving formal community rights shortly. But the state government has declared it a tiger reserve without discussing the proposal with the Soligas. Wildlife scientists have suggested that BRT not be turned into a tiger reserve but could be the first experiment of community management. The state government has paid no heed.
Sunabeda sanctuary, Orissa
There are 64 villages within this sanctuary in Nuapara district of Orissa. Of these, 42 are revenue villages and the rest are termed "encroached villages" by the forest department . These are actually villages that haven't been surveyed and for which no revenue settlement has been done to date. The sanctuary consists of 22,000 people and 87% comprises tribes such as the Gonds and Bhunjia . The forest department has claimed that gram sabhas have agreed to declaring it a tiger reserve and to be relocated. Through RTI, it was found that no village had agreed. The villages have now passed resolutions against the move. Meanwhile, Maoists have moved in and NTCA has given "in-principle" approval for declaring it as tiger reserve.
Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai was declared as a critical tiger habitat in December, 2007 without any scientific study or evidence. Numerous protests by the local communities from 2009 and on December 30 that year, more than one lakh people held a demonstration. Relocation attempts have been made but no family has actually moved. FRA has not been implemented to date. Tamil Nadu says only 271 claims have been received from the entire Niligiri district and none has been decided yet (as of May last year, whereas relocation funds were allocated in 2009). No consent of gram sabha has been taken for relocation.
Melghat, Maharashtra
The declaration of the critical tiger habitat was done without the inclusion or knowledge of the local communities. They got to know of the changed status only when forest officials told them they would have to move out. Five villages are being relocated in the first phase, consent for which has been obtained on an individual basis and not from gram sabhas. The Korku tribe did not want to move out while other tribes and pastoralists took the offer.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Rough-weather-in-four-reserves-on-Forest-Rights-Act-rollout/articleshow/7624593.cms
BRT Tiger reserve, Karnataka
The establishment of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple wildlife sanctuary in 1974 displaced the Soliga tribals from their shifting cultivation sites to settled colonies. The collection of NTFP (non-timber forest products ) was banned in 2005, affecting their livelihood. Under FRA, 787 Soligas families have received land titles and 400 are awaiting them. Soligas are also in the process of receiving formal community rights shortly. But the state government has declared it a tiger reserve without discussing the proposal with the Soligas. Wildlife scientists have suggested that BRT not be turned into a tiger reserve but could be the first experiment of community management. The state government has paid no heed.
Sunabeda sanctuary, Orissa
There are 64 villages within this sanctuary in Nuapara district of Orissa. Of these, 42 are revenue villages and the rest are termed "encroached villages" by the forest department . These are actually villages that haven't been surveyed and for which no revenue settlement has been done to date. The sanctuary consists of 22,000 people and 87% comprises tribes such as the Gonds and Bhunjia . The forest department has claimed that gram sabhas have agreed to declaring it a tiger reserve and to be relocated. Through RTI, it was found that no village had agreed. The villages have now passed resolutions against the move. Meanwhile, Maoists have moved in and NTCA has given "in-principle" approval for declaring it as tiger reserve.
Mudumalai, Tamil Nadu
Mudumalai was declared as a critical tiger habitat in December, 2007 without any scientific study or evidence. Numerous protests by the local communities from 2009 and on December 30 that year, more than one lakh people held a demonstration. Relocation attempts have been made but no family has actually moved. FRA has not been implemented to date. Tamil Nadu says only 271 claims have been received from the entire Niligiri district and none has been decided yet (as of May last year, whereas relocation funds were allocated in 2009). No consent of gram sabha has been taken for relocation.
Melghat, Maharashtra
The declaration of the critical tiger habitat was done without the inclusion or knowledge of the local communities. They got to know of the changed status only when forest officials told them they would have to move out. Five villages are being relocated in the first phase, consent for which has been obtained on an individual basis and not from gram sabhas. The Korku tribe did not want to move out while other tribes and pastoralists took the offer.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Rough-weather-in-four-reserves-on-Forest-Rights-Act-rollout/articleshow/7624593.cms
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
'Tiger man' Fateh Singh Rathore passes away TNN
JAIPUR: India's best known tiger conservationist Fateh Singh Rathore, whose name became synonymous with Project Tiger, died of cancer at his home in Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday at age 72. A former field director of Ranthambore National Park, Rathore's cancer of the lung had spread to his ribs and the end came around 10:45am.
''Doctors found his cancer had spread in January. Since then we've been treating him at various hospitals. About a week back, realising that he won't survive, Fatehji said he wanted to spend his last days among the hills and forests in Ranthambore. So he was brought here,'' said an associate in Sawai Madhopur.
Fateh Singh is survived by his wife, son Goverdhan Singh Rathore and two daughters — Padmini and Jaya. After retiring from the forest department, Rathore was heading an NGO 'Tiger Watch' in Sawai Madhopur. His death was mourned by activists and commoners alike and thousands came to his home in grief. ''He will be cremated in his farm house on Wednesday,'' said Dharmendra Khandal, a conservation biologist and Fateh's co-worker at Tiger Watch.
''It's a great loss for me; the umbrella under which I was growing up for the past seven years is no longer with me. We were planning some celebration this year as this was his 51st year in conservation. But now the plans will have to be changed,'' added Khandal.
Rathore made his last public appearance in Jaipur in February when he received World Wildlife Fund's Lifetime Achievement Award. He then went into his beloved Ranthambore for the last time on February 11 with his son, grandson and conservationist Belinda Wright.
Known to anyone who has ever been to Ranthambore, Fateh Singh joined the Indian Forest Service in 1960 and was part of the first Project Tiger team. Widely acknowledged as ''tiger guru'' for his legendary knowledge of the big cat, he had the uncanny ability to predict a tiger's whereabouts. His single-minded drive to protect Ranthambore National Park made him an enemy of poachers who once robbed him. In 1983, Fateh Singh got the International Valour Award for bravery in conservation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tiger-man-Fateh-Singh-Rathore-passes-away/articleshow/7606695.cms
''Doctors found his cancer had spread in January. Since then we've been treating him at various hospitals. About a week back, realising that he won't survive, Fatehji said he wanted to spend his last days among the hills and forests in Ranthambore. So he was brought here,'' said an associate in Sawai Madhopur.
Fateh Singh is survived by his wife, son Goverdhan Singh Rathore and two daughters — Padmini and Jaya. After retiring from the forest department, Rathore was heading an NGO 'Tiger Watch' in Sawai Madhopur. His death was mourned by activists and commoners alike and thousands came to his home in grief. ''He will be cremated in his farm house on Wednesday,'' said Dharmendra Khandal, a conservation biologist and Fateh's co-worker at Tiger Watch.
''It's a great loss for me; the umbrella under which I was growing up for the past seven years is no longer with me. We were planning some celebration this year as this was his 51st year in conservation. But now the plans will have to be changed,'' added Khandal.
Rathore made his last public appearance in Jaipur in February when he received World Wildlife Fund's Lifetime Achievement Award. He then went into his beloved Ranthambore for the last time on February 11 with his son, grandson and conservationist Belinda Wright.
Known to anyone who has ever been to Ranthambore, Fateh Singh joined the Indian Forest Service in 1960 and was part of the first Project Tiger team. Widely acknowledged as ''tiger guru'' for his legendary knowledge of the big cat, he had the uncanny ability to predict a tiger's whereabouts. His single-minded drive to protect Ranthambore National Park made him an enemy of poachers who once robbed him. In 1983, Fateh Singh got the International Valour Award for bravery in conservation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Tiger-man-Fateh-Singh-Rathore-passes-away/articleshow/7606695.cms
14 tigers died in two months in India
New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) As many as 14 tigers have died in the country till February this year alone, including two due to poaching, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh told Lok Sabha Tuesday.
Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Ramesh said 161 tigers - 51 due to poaching -- have died since 2008.
'About 14 tigers have died, 12 due to natural and other causes and two due to poaching, till Feb 22 this year,' Ramesh told the upper house.
From projections done on the basis of the last tiger census done in 2008, there are less than 1400 tigers left in India.
http://www.sify.com/news/14-tigers-died-in-two-months-in-india-news-national-ldbsEqacffj.html
Replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, Ramesh said 161 tigers - 51 due to poaching -- have died since 2008.
'About 14 tigers have died, 12 due to natural and other causes and two due to poaching, till Feb 22 this year,' Ramesh told the upper house.
From projections done on the basis of the last tiger census done in 2008, there are less than 1400 tigers left in India.
http://www.sify.com/news/14-tigers-died-in-two-months-in-india-news-national-ldbsEqacffj.html
CID preparing data bank to tackle wildlife crime in Karnataka - DNA
With the arrest of notorious poacher Durru, who set a jaw trap to capture a three-legged tiger — Maasti — in Maastigudi in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, the CID Forest Cell has confirmed the prevalence of inter-state wildlife crime since 1982. They have now decided to maintain a DNA profile of all the seizures.
The measure would help them bust cases in a better way and maintain a scientific data bank. Additional-director general of police (forests), KSN Chikkerur, said that samples in all cases, irrespective of what was seized, would be sent to the head office in Bangalore, from where they would be sent to National Centre for Biological Sciences for DNA profiling. “To begin with, we are doing DNA profiling of tiger, leopard and other skins. As the next step, we will start with ivory,” he said.
Chikkerur said that DNA profiling had been done for the 23 leopards, 43 small claw-less and smooth-coated other pelts and a tiger skin, seized from the house and guest house of Prabhakar Keshav Gajakosh in Haliyal and Hubli, a wildlife product dealer, in 2007.
The biggest seizure by the CID Forest Cell sleuths established that Durra, an associate of poacher Sansar Chand who is in Tihar jail, was supplying pelts to Prabhakar. The sleuths arrested Prabhakar and 10 others, including Sansar Chand’s brothers Rajkumar and Narayan, in July in 2009.
Durru, alias Kanka Lal, 38, who has been sent to Bhavnagar in Gujarat to appear in a trial, would be brought back to Bangalore on March 17. Durru is the son of Hariprasad Lasakchand, another notorious poacher and a resident of Birahuli village in Madhya Pradesh.
Durru has been booked in three cases — two for seizures in Hubli and Haliyal in 2007 and for escaping from judicial custody in 2009.
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_cid-preparing-data-bank-to-tackle-wildlife-crime-in-karnataka_1514376
The measure would help them bust cases in a better way and maintain a scientific data bank. Additional-director general of police (forests), KSN Chikkerur, said that samples in all cases, irrespective of what was seized, would be sent to the head office in Bangalore, from where they would be sent to National Centre for Biological Sciences for DNA profiling. “To begin with, we are doing DNA profiling of tiger, leopard and other skins. As the next step, we will start with ivory,” he said.
Chikkerur said that DNA profiling had been done for the 23 leopards, 43 small claw-less and smooth-coated other pelts and a tiger skin, seized from the house and guest house of Prabhakar Keshav Gajakosh in Haliyal and Hubli, a wildlife product dealer, in 2007.
The biggest seizure by the CID Forest Cell sleuths established that Durra, an associate of poacher Sansar Chand who is in Tihar jail, was supplying pelts to Prabhakar. The sleuths arrested Prabhakar and 10 others, including Sansar Chand’s brothers Rajkumar and Narayan, in July in 2009.
Durru, alias Kanka Lal, 38, who has been sent to Bhavnagar in Gujarat to appear in a trial, would be brought back to Bangalore on March 17. Durru is the son of Hariprasad Lasakchand, another notorious poacher and a resident of Birahuli village in Madhya Pradesh.
Durru has been booked in three cases — two for seizures in Hubli and Haliyal in 2007 and for escaping from judicial custody in 2009.
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_cid-preparing-data-bank-to-tackle-wildlife-crime-in-karnataka_1514376
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tiger carcass found in Sunderbans, TNN
SAJNEKHALI: Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) officials discovered the carcass of a tiger at Pirkhali Jungle near Sajnekhali in the Sunderbans on Monday afternoon. There are indications that the animal died of old age.
Forest officials said the STR team stumbled upon the carcass around 2.30pm while on a regular patrol. A four-member medical team, three NGO members, forest officials and a videographer have started out for the spot for a detailed inquiry. Primary probe indicated the tiger had died 15 days ago. "No injury mark was found on its body, though we are investigating if it was poisoned or shot," said Subrat Mukherjee, STR director.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Tiger-carcass-found-in-Sunderbans/articleshow/7598064.cms
Forest officials said the STR team stumbled upon the carcass around 2.30pm while on a regular patrol. A four-member medical team, three NGO members, forest officials and a videographer have started out for the spot for a detailed inquiry. Primary probe indicated the tiger had died 15 days ago. "No injury mark was found on its body, though we are investigating if it was poisoned or shot," said Subrat Mukherjee, STR director.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Tiger-carcass-found-in-Sunderbans/articleshow/7598064.cms
Tiger mauls two troopers in Bihar
Patna, Feb 28 (IANS) A tiger injured two paramilitary troopers in Valmiki National Park in West Champaran district of Bihar Monday, police said.
The injured troopers of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were admitted in a hospital in district headquarters Bettiah, a police officer said.
Valmiki National Park, Bihar's only tiger project, is over 250 km from here.
The incident has created panic among the security personnel who move about freely in the national park despite warnings by forest officials.
A few years ago, a SSB trooper was killed by a tiger in the park.
The tiger population in the Valmiki National Park has been decreasing at an alarming rate, according reports.
There were 56 tigers in the park in 2002, but their number came down to 10-12 in 2010, the reports said.
http://www.sify.com/news/tiger-mauls-two-troopers-in-bihar-news-national-lc2uOpdjihc.html
The injured troopers of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) were admitted in a hospital in district headquarters Bettiah, a police officer said.
Valmiki National Park, Bihar's only tiger project, is over 250 km from here.
The incident has created panic among the security personnel who move about freely in the national park despite warnings by forest officials.
A few years ago, a SSB trooper was killed by a tiger in the park.
The tiger population in the Valmiki National Park has been decreasing at an alarming rate, according reports.
There were 56 tigers in the park in 2002, but their number came down to 10-12 in 2010, the reports said.
http://www.sify.com/news/tiger-mauls-two-troopers-in-bihar-news-national-lc2uOpdjihc.html
Mating of tigers affects pilgrimage, Deccan Chronicle
Feb. 28: What can mating of tigers have to do with a religious pilgrimage? A lot it seem as devotees from north Karnataka and south Maharastra may have to tip-toe through the forests of Kadali and Nallamala, which support one of the largest tiger reserves in the country, on their way to the Srisailam temples in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh this year to allow the big cats to procreate in peace.
Not only may the entry of pilgrims into the Nallamala forests be banned after 6 pm but they may also not to be allowed make noise during the day while travelling through the forests on foot. The authorities may permit the singing of bhajans but not the playing of musical instruments.
Afraid that the tigresses which mated in November and December, will find it difficult to give birth if they are disturbed this time of the year, Atmakur forest officials have shot off letters to the Union and state governments not to allow devotees to enter these forests from April onwards. If the governments give their go ahead the devotees may prefer to travel to Srisailam via Dornala from Atmakur for the Ugadi celebrations and give the forests a miss altogether considering the restrictions imposed.
More than three lakh pilgrims from north Karnataka and neighbouring Maharashtra visit the Srishaila temples during Ugadi.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/mating-tigers-affects-pilgrimage-687
Not only may the entry of pilgrims into the Nallamala forests be banned after 6 pm but they may also not to be allowed make noise during the day while travelling through the forests on foot. The authorities may permit the singing of bhajans but not the playing of musical instruments.
Afraid that the tigresses which mated in November and December, will find it difficult to give birth if they are disturbed this time of the year, Atmakur forest officials have shot off letters to the Union and state governments not to allow devotees to enter these forests from April onwards. If the governments give their go ahead the devotees may prefer to travel to Srisailam via Dornala from Atmakur for the Ugadi celebrations and give the forests a miss altogether considering the restrictions imposed.
More than three lakh pilgrims from north Karnataka and neighbouring Maharashtra visit the Srishaila temples during Ugadi.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/mating-tigers-affects-pilgrimage-687
Monday, February 28, 2011
Central Govt releases Rs 5.73 Crore for Tiger reserves in Assam: Tiger of Assam : Luit Chaliha,
The Central Govt has released the first instalment of conservation funds sanctioned for three tiger reserves in Assam with the rider that they utilise it according to the agreement signed with it and Dispur last year. The Central Govt has released Rs. 573.08 lakh for the current fiscal, of which Rs 272.72 lakh will go to Kaziranga, Rs 237.50 lakh will go to Manash and Rs 63.58
http://www.timesofassam.com/headlines/central-govt-releases-rs-5-73-crore-for-tiger-reserves-in-assam
http://www.timesofassam.com/headlines/central-govt-releases-rs-5-73-crore-for-tiger-reserves-in-assam
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Project Tiger gets more area in Anashi forest: TNN
KARWAR: The 850 sq km area that covers Project Tiger in Anashi forest in Uttara Kannada district will be extended by adding another 270 sq. km buffer area, according to the forest department.
The conservator of forest has already issued the notification in this regard. Project Tiger has gained importance in the country of late and about 7,748 hectares in Kadra range and 16,333 hectares in Diggi forest range was added to the existing project area. And this 270 sq. km area is already handed over to the wild life division of the forest department, according to Sunil Panwar, deputy conservator of forest.
The villages Kadra, Balemane and Birkol-Sulageri on the left bank of Kali River were added to Project Tiger. According to G K Shet, the range forest officer of Balni in Karwar taluk, he saw a tiger on the road of Balni village during mid-night recently. The importance of the Balni forest is enhanced by the presence of the tigers in the region, he said. For last two years no poaching incidence was reported from the forest. Tigers, panthers, black panthers and bison are being spotted in the Balemane-Sulageri forest, Shet said.
Meanwhile, the forest department with the help of NGOs has taken up a novel programme of creating awareness among the students about wild life protection. About 1,400 students of 52 villages that fall under the Anashi-Dandeli protected forest were made to participate in the nature camp. These students are creating awareness among their family members and this has considerably reduced poaching in the area, Panwar said. At their homes these students were successful in stopping the preparation of food using the meat of the wild animals. Now local people have almost stopped poaching, he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Project-Tiger-gets-more-area-in-Anashi-forest/articleshow/7582859.cms
The conservator of forest has already issued the notification in this regard. Project Tiger has gained importance in the country of late and about 7,748 hectares in Kadra range and 16,333 hectares in Diggi forest range was added to the existing project area. And this 270 sq. km area is already handed over to the wild life division of the forest department, according to Sunil Panwar, deputy conservator of forest.
The villages Kadra, Balemane and Birkol-Sulageri on the left bank of Kali River were added to Project Tiger. According to G K Shet, the range forest officer of Balni in Karwar taluk, he saw a tiger on the road of Balni village during mid-night recently. The importance of the Balni forest is enhanced by the presence of the tigers in the region, he said. For last two years no poaching incidence was reported from the forest. Tigers, panthers, black panthers and bison are being spotted in the Balemane-Sulageri forest, Shet said.
Meanwhile, the forest department with the help of NGOs has taken up a novel programme of creating awareness among the students about wild life protection. About 1,400 students of 52 villages that fall under the Anashi-Dandeli protected forest were made to participate in the nature camp. These students are creating awareness among their family members and this has considerably reduced poaching in the area, Panwar said. At their homes these students were successful in stopping the preparation of food using the meat of the wild animals. Now local people have almost stopped poaching, he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Project-Tiger-gets-more-area-in-Anashi-forest/articleshow/7582859.cms
Illegal villas in critical wilderness, Subhash Chandra N S, DHNS
The wolf is at Bandipur’s door. Already plagued by immense tourist pressure, the Bandipur National Park — a critical tiger reserve — is now faced with a new threat: Allegedly violating all norms, a gated community resort / villa project is all ready to come up barely 700 meters from the Park.
The project, called “NSB Wild Hunt Resort”, is being developed near Mangala village along the Bandipur-Mudhumalai road, on a patch of 19.13 acres in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). The project potentially interrupts the movement of large mammals (including elephant, tigers and other animals).
The project, which will house over 50 villas and 200 cottages once complete, is allegedly in violation of Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act 1986.
Wildlife experts say the project is right on the path used by animals as a corridor to migrate. Such building constructions require the permission of the State Board for Wildlife, National Board for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests. Construction work has been initiated without any of the mandatory permits by the Pune-based promoters.
Besides being in the ESZ, the project location comes under the notified buffer zone of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve where construction activities are clearly regulated. Resorts and other properties have been threatening the wildlife habitat in this region for some time now. Some of these resorts are built near natural water bodies and act as barriers for animals when they want to use water, especially during the dry summer months.
The guidelines for ESZs mandate that change of land use from green (orchards, horticulture, etc) to non-green uses need clearance from the Environment Ministry.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B K Singh confirmed that the proposed villa is in the buffer zone where there is tiger and elephant movement. “This is the place known for human-animal conflicts,” he said.
The project, called “NSB Wild Hunt Resort”, is being developed near Mangala village along the Bandipur-Mudhumalai road, on a patch of 19.13 acres in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). The project potentially interrupts the movement of large mammals (including elephant, tigers and other animals).
The project, which will house over 50 villas and 200 cottages once complete, is allegedly in violation of Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act 1986.
Wildlife experts say the project is right on the path used by animals as a corridor to migrate. Such building constructions require the permission of the State Board for Wildlife, National Board for Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests. Construction work has been initiated without any of the mandatory permits by the Pune-based promoters.
Besides being in the ESZ, the project location comes under the notified buffer zone of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve where construction activities are clearly regulated. Resorts and other properties have been threatening the wildlife habitat in this region for some time now. Some of these resorts are built near natural water bodies and act as barriers for animals when they want to use water, especially during the dry summer months.
The guidelines for ESZs mandate that change of land use from green (orchards, horticulture, etc) to non-green uses need clearance from the Environment Ministry.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B K Singh confirmed that the proposed villa is in the buffer zone where there is tiger and elephant movement. “This is the place known for human-animal conflicts,” he said.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Workshop calls for beefing up protection in Tadoba, Mazhar Ali, TNN
CHANDRAPUR: As many as 28 tiger cubs were born in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in 2010. But since many tigers also move out of TATR, protection in core area as well as corridors in imperative. This was one of the main issues highlighted at a workshop 'Vision Tadoba' to mark the 16th foundation day of TATR on Wednesday.
During the workshop, wildlife activists expressed concern over protection of tigers and constriction of corridors in Tadoba landscape, and gave valuable suggestions over sustainable development of buffer area of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
The state forest department, under the banner of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Conservation Foundation, had organised the workshop with the objective of seeking, suggesting and roping in the support of NGOs in chalking out the development plan for 79 villages in buffer area and its implementation in coming days, said CF and field director, TATR, Vinaykumar Sinha. Regional manager, North FDCM, SH Patil, who is former field director of TATR, pointed out issues hindering better management of wildlife in Tadoba landscape.
Key issues like steps needed for protection of ecology, regulation for conservation and protection of wildlife, and socioeconomic measures for development of TATR and its buffer area were discussed during the programme.
NGO activist Yogesh Doodhpachare strongly opposed the move of tourism ministry to open three more entrance gates in TATR, while Sachin Wazalwar demanded regular updating of checklist of flora and fauna and satellite mapping of landscape and maintaining standard records to analyse the shifting perception of landscape.
Ex-wildlife warden (honorary) Uday Patel voiced concern over constricting tiger corridors and pressed for active involvement of NGOs in protection and conservation of wildlife. He also stressed for effective control of forest fires and prohibition of illegal plucking of tendu leaves and bamboo felling to prevent habitat degradation.
"As many as 28 tiger cubs were born in TATR during 2010, but the spill over rate of tiger from TATR too is high. Around 8-10 tigers move out of core area into buffer and forest ahead. Hence, conservation of speedily degrading corridors is necessary," said Patel.
Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre expressed concern over the blockage passages out of tiger reserve for wildlife due to mushrooming tourist resorts and demanded shifting all resorts out of buffer area. He gave suggestions for economical development of villagers living in buffer area.
Around 50 wildlife activists connected to different NGOs along with the representative of tourist resorts, tourist vehicle operators and guides took part in the workshop. CF, Chandrapur circle, GRK Rao, DCF Madan Kulkarni, DCF Ravi Govekar along with senior NGOs activists like Sanjay Karkare, Harshawardhan Dhanwatey and others guided the attendees.
Forest authorities assured to document the valuable suggestions of NGO activists given in the workshop and forward it to higher authorities and government for consideration.
The forest officials assured to consider demands such as Promotion of village oriented ecotourism, checking of mushrooming of tourist resorts around TATR and better residential facility and additional incentive for staff.
However, forest officers responded in negative to some suggestions such as shifting core area of TATR to minimise human pressure on forestand building boundary wall to prevent movement of wildlife in non-forest areas from TATR.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Workshop-calls-for-beefing-up-protection-in-Tadoba/articleshow/7565906.cms
During the workshop, wildlife activists expressed concern over protection of tigers and constriction of corridors in Tadoba landscape, and gave valuable suggestions over sustainable development of buffer area of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
The state forest department, under the banner of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Conservation Foundation, had organised the workshop with the objective of seeking, suggesting and roping in the support of NGOs in chalking out the development plan for 79 villages in buffer area and its implementation in coming days, said CF and field director, TATR, Vinaykumar Sinha. Regional manager, North FDCM, SH Patil, who is former field director of TATR, pointed out issues hindering better management of wildlife in Tadoba landscape.
Key issues like steps needed for protection of ecology, regulation for conservation and protection of wildlife, and socioeconomic measures for development of TATR and its buffer area were discussed during the programme.
NGO activist Yogesh Doodhpachare strongly opposed the move of tourism ministry to open three more entrance gates in TATR, while Sachin Wazalwar demanded regular updating of checklist of flora and fauna and satellite mapping of landscape and maintaining standard records to analyse the shifting perception of landscape.
Ex-wildlife warden (honorary) Uday Patel voiced concern over constricting tiger corridors and pressed for active involvement of NGOs in protection and conservation of wildlife. He also stressed for effective control of forest fires and prohibition of illegal plucking of tendu leaves and bamboo felling to prevent habitat degradation.
"As many as 28 tiger cubs were born in TATR during 2010, but the spill over rate of tiger from TATR too is high. Around 8-10 tigers move out of core area into buffer and forest ahead. Hence, conservation of speedily degrading corridors is necessary," said Patel.
Wildlife activist Bandu Dhotre expressed concern over the blockage passages out of tiger reserve for wildlife due to mushrooming tourist resorts and demanded shifting all resorts out of buffer area. He gave suggestions for economical development of villagers living in buffer area.
Around 50 wildlife activists connected to different NGOs along with the representative of tourist resorts, tourist vehicle operators and guides took part in the workshop. CF, Chandrapur circle, GRK Rao, DCF Madan Kulkarni, DCF Ravi Govekar along with senior NGOs activists like Sanjay Karkare, Harshawardhan Dhanwatey and others guided the attendees.
Forest authorities assured to document the valuable suggestions of NGO activists given in the workshop and forward it to higher authorities and government for consideration.
The forest officials assured to consider demands such as Promotion of village oriented ecotourism, checking of mushrooming of tourist resorts around TATR and better residential facility and additional incentive for staff.
However, forest officers responded in negative to some suggestions such as shifting core area of TATR to minimise human pressure on forestand building boundary wall to prevent movement of wildlife in non-forest areas from TATR.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Workshop-calls-for-beefing-up-protection-in-Tadoba/articleshow/7565906.cms
Friday, February 25, 2011
Chinese national arrested in Nepal with tiger skin
Kathmandu, Feb 24 (PTI) Nepalese authorities have arrested a Chinese national and seized four pieces of tiger skin from his possession.
Gama Tumeng was arrested from the Tribhuvan International Airport here yesterday as he landed from a Thai Airline flight carrying four pieces of tiger skin, police said today.
Nepal has been used by international illegal wildlife traders as transit country for smuggling parts of endangered wildlife species including tigers brought from India and other third countries into Chinese market, they said.
Tiger parts have high demand in China''s black market as it is used for manufacturing traditional Chinese medicine.
Gama Tumeng was arrested from the Tribhuvan International Airport here yesterday as he landed from a Thai Airline flight carrying four pieces of tiger skin, police said today.
Nepal has been used by international illegal wildlife traders as transit country for smuggling parts of endangered wildlife species including tigers brought from India and other third countries into Chinese market, they said.
Tiger parts have high demand in China''s black market as it is used for manufacturing traditional Chinese medicine.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Tiger translocated to Sariska
Alwar, Feb 23 (PTI) A tiger was translocated to Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district from Bharatpur''s Keoladev area tonight.
"The big cat T-7, who was shifted to Bharatpur range from Sawaimadhopur''s Ranthambore national park, was tranquillised and brought to Alwar in a canter by road under the supervision of teams of experts and was shifted to the park," Sariska Field Director R S Shekhawat said.
This is the sixth big cat translocated to Sariska but one of the tiger was poisoned to death in November last year.
Now there are two tigers and three tigress in the Sariska sanctuary.
"The big cat T-7, who was shifted to Bharatpur range from Sawaimadhopur''s Ranthambore national park, was tranquillised and brought to Alwar in a canter by road under the supervision of teams of experts and was shifted to the park," Sariska Field Director R S Shekhawat said.
This is the sixth big cat translocated to Sariska but one of the tiger was poisoned to death in November last year.
Now there are two tigers and three tigress in the Sariska sanctuary.
Tiger cub, elephant calf born at National Park
A tiger cub and a baby elephant were born at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) yesterday. The cub was born to nine-year-old tigress Menaka. According to BBP officials, the cub is healthy and the mother is taking good care of it.
Meanwhile, Veda, a 12-year-old elephant, gave birth to the calf around 5.30 pm in the forest outside the park limits. The forest guards informed the BBP officers, who are expected to bring back the mother and calf to the BBP today.
However, there was a bit of bad news too. The condition of Guru, a 15-year-old lion suffering from renal failure since January 1, is said to be critical. The lion has not been eating for the past week and is being given a liquid diet.
Meanwhile, Veda, a 12-year-old elephant, gave birth to the calf around 5.30 pm in the forest outside the park limits. The forest guards informed the BBP officers, who are expected to bring back the mother and calf to the BBP today.
However, there was a bit of bad news too. The condition of Guru, a 15-year-old lion suffering from renal failure since January 1, is said to be critical. The lion has not been eating for the past week and is being given a liquid diet.
Curious case of 40 ‘missing’ Simlipal tigers
A controversy rages over the count of big cats in Simlipal Tiger Reserve. At its entrance gate at Tulsiboni, the reserve flaunts the number of “Royal Bengal Tigers” as 101. But the claim of the State forest department is disputed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
In the backdrop of such disputes, uncertainty prevails over the outcome of the ongoing nation-wide census, whose results are expected next month. The first phase of the census work has been so far completed in the reserve. The WII has so far not landed there to conduct its part of the exercise so far.
However amidst these confusions, members of the Simlipal Tiger Protection Force (STPF) — founded by wildlife activist Bhanoo Mitra Acharya — are ground-tracking the predators in the reserve. The STPF comprises local youths who are passionate of forest and wildlife.
According to PCCF PN Padhi, “The data collected from first phase of our survey work was sent to WII last year.” This was based on various signages, including direct and indirect evidence of predators as pug marks, scratches on ground, scrapes on trees, scat, calls, etc, he said.
In addition, prey density with dung pellet count and vegetation survey of the habitat of herbivores, etc, have been analysed and forwarded to WII, he said.
Padhi would like to keep his fingers crossed over the census in the reserve wondering how the WII would be able to complete its job, which involves using camera traps and other elaborate methods. “They were supposed to come in October,” he said.
Member Secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Rajesh Gopal, however, told The Pioneer that the March report of the tiger census would have the figures from across the country, including Simlipal.
Confusions started over the number of tigers in the reserve when the State Forest department, in its 2004 census report, claimed presence of 101 tigers citing pug mark method.
These included 94 in the core area and seven others in the buffer and its immediate periphery.
However, these figures were not accepted by the WII when it conducted a census by using the camera trap method in 2008. The WII put the total number of big cats in Orissa STR at 20. Upset over the dismal figure reported by the WII, it conducted a repeat survey in Simlipal in 2009 and came out with the figures of 61, using the same old pugmark method.
“What happened to the missing 40 big cats in the STR remains unanswered till date,” quipped Sanjukta Basa, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Mayurbhanj. “Were the earlier figures of 101 tigers furnished by the State fudged or is it that 40 tigers disappeared from Simlipal during 2004 and 2009?
Padhi avoided joining the issue about the “missing tigers”, but quipped, “WII census in 2009 had covered a very small area, it certainly did not reflect the total tiger population of the reserve spread over 2,750 sqkm.”
Despite Padhi’s claims, tigers have become illusive for the local villagers. Village elder Rohidas Giri from Lulong in the reserve claimed, “I have not seen a tiger for the past 10-12 years.” He further said that far from tigers even leopards are spotted rarely these days.
“The situation could have been better had the forest department accorded more importance to the STPF and worked with better coordination,” said environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty, one of the members of NTCA team on Simlipal. The plight of STPF, their erratic and poor service conditions find a prominent mention in the report.
While there is vacancy in the various cadre of the reserve, a large number of personnel are above the age of 50, so these local youths of STPF are the “ears and eyes” of the reserve today, bringing out incidents of poaching and killing of animals here, he added.
There is certainly a trust deficit and lack of coordination between the STPF and forest department which need to be rectified for the betterment of the park, said Bhanoo Mitra Acharya.
The members are terminated, their salaries deducted without any reason, especially when they unearth instances of poaching and killing of animals in the reserve, Acharya charged.
STPF member Sonaram Saiyan from Naona range echoed his views. “Instead of being engaged in wildlife protection work, I am being given casual work as trench cutting, digging, etc. This is not for which I have been deputed,” Sonaram said.
In the backdrop of such disputes, uncertainty prevails over the outcome of the ongoing nation-wide census, whose results are expected next month. The first phase of the census work has been so far completed in the reserve. The WII has so far not landed there to conduct its part of the exercise so far.
However amidst these confusions, members of the Simlipal Tiger Protection Force (STPF) — founded by wildlife activist Bhanoo Mitra Acharya — are ground-tracking the predators in the reserve. The STPF comprises local youths who are passionate of forest and wildlife.
According to PCCF PN Padhi, “The data collected from first phase of our survey work was sent to WII last year.” This was based on various signages, including direct and indirect evidence of predators as pug marks, scratches on ground, scrapes on trees, scat, calls, etc, he said.
In addition, prey density with dung pellet count and vegetation survey of the habitat of herbivores, etc, have been analysed and forwarded to WII, he said.
Padhi would like to keep his fingers crossed over the census in the reserve wondering how the WII would be able to complete its job, which involves using camera traps and other elaborate methods. “They were supposed to come in October,” he said.
Member Secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Rajesh Gopal, however, told The Pioneer that the March report of the tiger census would have the figures from across the country, including Simlipal.
Confusions started over the number of tigers in the reserve when the State Forest department, in its 2004 census report, claimed presence of 101 tigers citing pug mark method.
These included 94 in the core area and seven others in the buffer and its immediate periphery.
However, these figures were not accepted by the WII when it conducted a census by using the camera trap method in 2008. The WII put the total number of big cats in Orissa STR at 20. Upset over the dismal figure reported by the WII, it conducted a repeat survey in Simlipal in 2009 and came out with the figures of 61, using the same old pugmark method.
“What happened to the missing 40 big cats in the STR remains unanswered till date,” quipped Sanjukta Basa, Honorary Wildlife Warden, Mayurbhanj. “Were the earlier figures of 101 tigers furnished by the State fudged or is it that 40 tigers disappeared from Simlipal during 2004 and 2009?
Padhi avoided joining the issue about the “missing tigers”, but quipped, “WII census in 2009 had covered a very small area, it certainly did not reflect the total tiger population of the reserve spread over 2,750 sqkm.”
Despite Padhi’s claims, tigers have become illusive for the local villagers. Village elder Rohidas Giri from Lulong in the reserve claimed, “I have not seen a tiger for the past 10-12 years.” He further said that far from tigers even leopards are spotted rarely these days.
“The situation could have been better had the forest department accorded more importance to the STPF and worked with better coordination,” said environmentalist Biswajit Mohanty, one of the members of NTCA team on Simlipal. The plight of STPF, their erratic and poor service conditions find a prominent mention in the report.
While there is vacancy in the various cadre of the reserve, a large number of personnel are above the age of 50, so these local youths of STPF are the “ears and eyes” of the reserve today, bringing out incidents of poaching and killing of animals here, he added.
There is certainly a trust deficit and lack of coordination between the STPF and forest department which need to be rectified for the betterment of the park, said Bhanoo Mitra Acharya.
The members are terminated, their salaries deducted without any reason, especially when they unearth instances of poaching and killing of animals in the reserve, Acharya charged.
STPF member Sonaram Saiyan from Naona range echoed his views. “Instead of being engaged in wildlife protection work, I am being given casual work as trench cutting, digging, etc. This is not for which I have been deputed,” Sonaram said.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
15 tiger deaths in less than two months Neha Shukla
LUCKNOW: All is certainly not well with the big cats, as 15 tigers have died in less than two months this year. According to Project Tiger officials, the number of deaths is much higher as compared to the previous year. Most of the deaths have been termed as natural.
In 2010, 55 tiger deaths were reported (38 mortalities and 17 seizures) from across the country.
The consolation for Uttar Pradesh is that of the 15 deaths, none have been reported from the state.
Out of the 17 tiger states, deaths have been reported from nine. According to the MoEF, Uttarakhand has topped the chart with four tiger deaths reported between January 5 and February 19 this year. Three deaths took place in Corbett Tiger Reserve and one in West Terai Forest Division.
Kerala, Maharashtra and TN have reported two tiger deaths each, while one tiger died in Orissa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and West Bengal did not report any tiger death.
As per the data of tiger mortalities and seizures in 2011 obtained from the ministry of environment and forest, seven deaths were reported each in January and February, a tiger skin was also seized from Chandrapur in Maharashtra in January.
When contacted, SP Yadav, deputy IG, Project Tiger, said, "Most of the deaths are natural. But, this does not mean that crime against the big cats has gone down. The average age of tigers in the wild is anywhere close to 10 years and it is natural that they die after a certain age,'' he said.
Wildlife experts, however, said it was difficult to say how many deaths are natural. Even if a tiger is poisoned it is difficult to establish it. If the carcass is found after a gap of few days poisoning is mostly not established in autopsy report.
It is only within few hours of the death that poisoning as a cause of death can be established in the report. For this reason, in many cases the exact cause of death could not be established. Even the post-mortem reports could be inconclusive.
As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), an agency which works with the state forest departments and enforcement agencies, out of the 15 tiger deaths in 2011, there has been one case of seizure, two suspected cases of poisoning, four cases of natural deaths and one case of shooting down of a tiger by the forest department.
In addition to this, four cases of infighting, one case of leopard-tiger clash in which both died, a case of a tiger being killed by an elephant and one case of tiger carcass being recovered (reason of death not known), were cited by the WPSI.
"We collect information through our own workers, from forest and police officers,'' said Tito Joseph, programme manager, WPSI. MoEF's database is recent but WPSI has been compiling data for several years.
In 2010, 55 tiger deaths were reported (38 mortalities and 17 seizures) from across the country.
The consolation for Uttar Pradesh is that of the 15 deaths, none have been reported from the state.
Out of the 17 tiger states, deaths have been reported from nine. According to the MoEF, Uttarakhand has topped the chart with four tiger deaths reported between January 5 and February 19 this year. Three deaths took place in Corbett Tiger Reserve and one in West Terai Forest Division.
Kerala, Maharashtra and TN have reported two tiger deaths each, while one tiger died in Orissa, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Assam. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and West Bengal did not report any tiger death.
As per the data of tiger mortalities and seizures in 2011 obtained from the ministry of environment and forest, seven deaths were reported each in January and February, a tiger skin was also seized from Chandrapur in Maharashtra in January.
When contacted, SP Yadav, deputy IG, Project Tiger, said, "Most of the deaths are natural. But, this does not mean that crime against the big cats has gone down. The average age of tigers in the wild is anywhere close to 10 years and it is natural that they die after a certain age,'' he said.
Wildlife experts, however, said it was difficult to say how many deaths are natural. Even if a tiger is poisoned it is difficult to establish it. If the carcass is found after a gap of few days poisoning is mostly not established in autopsy report.
It is only within few hours of the death that poisoning as a cause of death can be established in the report. For this reason, in many cases the exact cause of death could not be established. Even the post-mortem reports could be inconclusive.
As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), an agency which works with the state forest departments and enforcement agencies, out of the 15 tiger deaths in 2011, there has been one case of seizure, two suspected cases of poisoning, four cases of natural deaths and one case of shooting down of a tiger by the forest department.
In addition to this, four cases of infighting, one case of leopard-tiger clash in which both died, a case of a tiger being killed by an elephant and one case of tiger carcass being recovered (reason of death not known), were cited by the WPSI.
"We collect information through our own workers, from forest and police officers,'' said Tito Joseph, programme manager, WPSI. MoEF's database is recent but WPSI has been compiling data for several years.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tiger census report to be out next month
The tiger census report will be released by prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on March 27 or 28.
This was decided at a meeting held by officials under Project Tiger, recently. While tabulating the tiger census data, the Centre has asked the state governments to strengthen steps to protect wildlife.
Scientists from Wildlife Institute of India, YV Jhala, said the mapping and tabulation of data, based on region and state, is being completed. To ensure accuracy in findings, GIS formatting has been used.
All states have been covered except north eastern states where the terrain is different and difficult. Most areas there cannot be accessed by road and scientists have to walk for miles together. So the tiger census there, except Assam where it was conducted, will be done from March to July and the report will be released later.
According to the initial plan, the census report was to be released by July. But the National Tiger Conservation Authority and ministry of environment and forests wanted the report to be ready by the end of May. The report is finally being released in March.
The three-day census was conducted in January 2009 by forest department officials along with two NGOs, Centre for Wildlife Studies and Nature Conservation Foundation, using field survey and camera trapping.
All eyes are on the census results since the World Bank has appreciated the conservation measures taken by the state where 20% of India’s tiger population live in 5% of its forest areas. The rise in tiger population is adding to the burden of the state in protecting them.
According to the previous survey report, Karnataka houses 290 tigers after Madhya Pradesh with 300 tigers. On an average, India has 1,411 tigers.
Forest cover in Karnataka is put at 40,236 sq km. Tigers occupy 18,715 sq km in three tiger constituted areas. Nagarhole-Madhumalai-Wynad patch of forest spread across 10,800 sq km is estimated to house 190 tigers.
Kudremukh-Bhadra forest patch occupying 7,054 sq km houses 58 tigers. Sharavathi Valley-Dandeli- Khanapur belt spread across 7,309 sq km has an average of 33 tigers.
This was decided at a meeting held by officials under Project Tiger, recently. While tabulating the tiger census data, the Centre has asked the state governments to strengthen steps to protect wildlife.
Scientists from Wildlife Institute of India, YV Jhala, said the mapping and tabulation of data, based on region and state, is being completed. To ensure accuracy in findings, GIS formatting has been used.
All states have been covered except north eastern states where the terrain is different and difficult. Most areas there cannot be accessed by road and scientists have to walk for miles together. So the tiger census there, except Assam where it was conducted, will be done from March to July and the report will be released later.
According to the initial plan, the census report was to be released by July. But the National Tiger Conservation Authority and ministry of environment and forests wanted the report to be ready by the end of May. The report is finally being released in March.
The three-day census was conducted in January 2009 by forest department officials along with two NGOs, Centre for Wildlife Studies and Nature Conservation Foundation, using field survey and camera trapping.
All eyes are on the census results since the World Bank has appreciated the conservation measures taken by the state where 20% of India’s tiger population live in 5% of its forest areas. The rise in tiger population is adding to the burden of the state in protecting them.
According to the previous survey report, Karnataka houses 290 tigers after Madhya Pradesh with 300 tigers. On an average, India has 1,411 tigers.
Forest cover in Karnataka is put at 40,236 sq km. Tigers occupy 18,715 sq km in three tiger constituted areas. Nagarhole-Madhumalai-Wynad patch of forest spread across 10,800 sq km is estimated to house 190 tigers.
Kudremukh-Bhadra forest patch occupying 7,054 sq km houses 58 tigers. Sharavathi Valley-Dandeli- Khanapur belt spread across 7,309 sq km has an average of 33 tigers.
Monday, February 21, 2011
With tiger protection, poachers eye leopards
With the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) working overtime to protect the tiger population, poachers have now shifted their attention to killing leopards and selling their body parts as tiger parts.
The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are the epicentre of this illicit trade and the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) confirms that over 291 leopard deaths were reported in India in 2010. Another 235 and 201 leopards were killed in 2009 and 2008 respectively.
Conservationists conclude that for every tiger killed, there are 10 leopard deaths. The scale of the killing can be estimated from the fact that recently the skins of over 1,200 dead leopard were captured in Ghaziabad.
A senior researcher in WPSI believes this is just the tip of the iceberg and with the illicit international demand for big cat skins and body parts on the rise, the leopard could soon be extinct like the cheetah.
He expressed surprise that while the government has been pursuing a tiger census with great seriousness, while no effort has been made to conduct a leopard census to arrive at the exact number existing within and outside protected areas.
Figures released by the MoEF in 2008 show that there are not more than 11,000 leopards left in the country.
“Leopards live on the periphery of the forests and that makes them more vulnerable,” a senior forest official in the MoEF pointed out. With a declining prey base, leopards are being forced to move to places of high human density where they feed on domestic animals and dogs.
When it attacks livestock, it faces a backlash with communities in and around forest areas supporting poaching and the poisoning of leopards.
The states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are the epicentre of this illicit trade and the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) confirms that over 291 leopard deaths were reported in India in 2010. Another 235 and 201 leopards were killed in 2009 and 2008 respectively.
Conservationists conclude that for every tiger killed, there are 10 leopard deaths. The scale of the killing can be estimated from the fact that recently the skins of over 1,200 dead leopard were captured in Ghaziabad.
A senior researcher in WPSI believes this is just the tip of the iceberg and with the illicit international demand for big cat skins and body parts on the rise, the leopard could soon be extinct like the cheetah.
He expressed surprise that while the government has been pursuing a tiger census with great seriousness, while no effort has been made to conduct a leopard census to arrive at the exact number existing within and outside protected areas.
Figures released by the MoEF in 2008 show that there are not more than 11,000 leopards left in the country.
“Leopards live on the periphery of the forests and that makes them more vulnerable,” a senior forest official in the MoEF pointed out. With a declining prey base, leopards are being forced to move to places of high human density where they feed on domestic animals and dogs.
When it attacks livestock, it faces a backlash with communities in and around forest areas supporting poaching and the poisoning of leopards.
Sunderbans big cats shrink as mangroves swell? Prithvijit Mitra, TNN,
KOLKATA: Is the Sunderbans turning denser than ever before, making it difficult for tigers to hunt? A yearlong study by researchers indicates that the mangroves have indeed turned thicker due to the proliferation of species which are dense, making it difficult for animals to penetrate them easily. It might be a reason why tigers in the forest are losing weight and could even have contributed to their leaner look, according to the study done by a team from Jadavpur University's School of Oceanography.
While studying the salinity of water in the rivers of the mangrove forest, researchers found that the mangroves in the core area appeared denser. A scrutiny revealed that two species which are particularly dense avicennia marina and avicennia alba have multiplied in areas like Satjelia in the south and the entire western side of the forest from Namkhana to Kalas. These are within the core area where tiger population is believed to be among the highest in the forest and have recorded frequent straying over the last two years. About 15-cm long and 5-cm wide, the dark green leaves of these shrubs grow very close and make movement through very them difficult. "These are about 20% thicker than the other major mangrove variety. It's difficult to spot prey animals and hunt them down through these shrubs. This could be one of the major reasons why tigers have been finding it difficult to procure food easily in the forest. But this is an assumption since we haven't yet done enough study on tigers to conclude that their physical appearance has changed due to geographical factors," said Pranabesh Sanyal, member of the research team and former director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR).
Studies are, however, on to co-relate the weight and size of Sunderbans tigers to alteration in the nature of mangroves. While the average weight of an adult male should be around 180 kg, straying Sunderbans tigers have been found to weigh only around 100 kg. A minimum of six tigers need to be observed and studied to draw a definite conclusion. So far, five have been studied.
"We are on the verge of what could be a significant finding. Whatever be the other reasons, geographical factors are indeed responsible for tigers straying so frequently. And perhaps, even for their shrinking size," said a member.
There are others who feel that thicker mangroves could have just a marginal impact on tigers in terms of either hunting or their physical appearance. "It's physical stress due to food shortage that could be a bigger cause. And an inadequate prey base seems to be a more logical reason. A lower body weight is more likely to be the fallout of hunger than anything else. Size can't shrink in 20-30 years. This is the period when the forest has got reduced in size and prey animals have been dwindling," said Gautam Sen, oceanographer.
While dense mangroves could be a cause of worry, there was also good news for the fragile ecological system. Fiddler crabs have been found to be acting as a fertiliser, enriching the soil composition.
While studying the salinity of water in the rivers of the mangrove forest, researchers found that the mangroves in the core area appeared denser. A scrutiny revealed that two species which are particularly dense avicennia marina and avicennia alba have multiplied in areas like Satjelia in the south and the entire western side of the forest from Namkhana to Kalas. These are within the core area where tiger population is believed to be among the highest in the forest and have recorded frequent straying over the last two years. About 15-cm long and 5-cm wide, the dark green leaves of these shrubs grow very close and make movement through very them difficult. "These are about 20% thicker than the other major mangrove variety. It's difficult to spot prey animals and hunt them down through these shrubs. This could be one of the major reasons why tigers have been finding it difficult to procure food easily in the forest. But this is an assumption since we haven't yet done enough study on tigers to conclude that their physical appearance has changed due to geographical factors," said Pranabesh Sanyal, member of the research team and former director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR).
Studies are, however, on to co-relate the weight and size of Sunderbans tigers to alteration in the nature of mangroves. While the average weight of an adult male should be around 180 kg, straying Sunderbans tigers have been found to weigh only around 100 kg. A minimum of six tigers need to be observed and studied to draw a definite conclusion. So far, five have been studied.
"We are on the verge of what could be a significant finding. Whatever be the other reasons, geographical factors are indeed responsible for tigers straying so frequently. And perhaps, even for their shrinking size," said a member.
There are others who feel that thicker mangroves could have just a marginal impact on tigers in terms of either hunting or their physical appearance. "It's physical stress due to food shortage that could be a bigger cause. And an inadequate prey base seems to be a more logical reason. A lower body weight is more likely to be the fallout of hunger than anything else. Size can't shrink in 20-30 years. This is the period when the forest has got reduced in size and prey animals have been dwindling," said Gautam Sen, oceanographer.
While dense mangroves could be a cause of worry, there was also good news for the fragile ecological system. Fiddler crabs have been found to be acting as a fertiliser, enriching the soil composition.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tiger, elephant carcasses recovered from Corbett
DEHRADUN: Panic gripped Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on Saturday as forest guards recovered carcasses of a tusker and a tiger from different locations of the CTR area .
Wildlife warden Umesh Tiwari said the six-year-old tiger was apparently killed during a fight over mating with another tiger in the Kalagarh forest division . Sources, however, said poachers could have been involved in the killing. A gang of poachers has been active in the CTR and adjoining areas for some weeks, sources said.
Tiwari said the exact cause of death will be known after a postmortem, which will be conducted by veterinary surgeon, R K Singh.
Wildlife warden Umesh Tiwari said the six-year-old tiger was apparently killed during a fight over mating with another tiger in the Kalagarh forest division . Sources, however, said poachers could have been involved in the killing. A gang of poachers has been active in the CTR and adjoining areas for some weeks, sources said.
Tiwari said the exact cause of death will be known after a postmortem, which will be conducted by veterinary surgeon, R K Singh.
'Dire need to save Goa's tiger woods' Rajendra P Kerkar, TNN
KERI: Once considered an essential part of the food chain, as it kept herbivores out of locals' fields and plantations, the tiger, since the last decade, is not faring too well in Goa, say wildlife enthusiasts.
"Deforestation and even poaching are on the rise. The forest department too is not sincere or serious about protecting the tiger's habitat," says wildlife activist Ramesh Zarmekar. Hailing from Surla in Sattari taluka, his village lies at the highest point of Goa, in the lap of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
In 1993, the forest department's wildlife census recorded the presence of three tigers in Goa. This grew to five in 1997. By 2002, there were four big cats in the wildlife division and one in the north division. The census report for 2010 is yet to be declared.
KERI: Once considered an essential part of the food chain, as it kept herbivores out of locals' fields and plantations, the tiger, since the last decade, is not faring too well in Goa, say wildlife enthusiasts.
"Deforestation and even poaching are on the rise. The forest department too is not sincere or serious about protecting the tiger's habitat," says wildlife activist Ramesh Zarmekar. Hailing from Surla in Sattari taluka, his village lies at the highest point of Goa, in the lap of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
In 1993, the forest department's wildlife census recorded the presence of three tigers in Goa. This grew to five in 1997. By 2002, there were four big cats in the wildlife division and one in the north division. The census report for 2010 is yet to be declared.
Deputy conservator of forests Debendra Dalai says, "The wildlife census of 2005 recorded the presence of five tigers in Goa's forests."
A forest official from Sattari, on condition of anonymity, adds, "The presence of three tigers has been confirmed in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary."
Vagheri,the third highest mountain peak in Goa at 3,500 ft was once known as the best habitat for the tiger. Etymologically, Vagheri means 'abode of the tiger'.
"However, deforestation and poaching have today threatened this tiger habitat," says wildlife enthusiast Pankaj Laad. He has been working in this area for the last decade. "The plantation of exotic species a quarter of a century ago by the social forestry division and cashew plantations belonging to the locals of Zarme and Thane villages have also proved to be dangerous for the tiger," he adds.
Tulsidas Velip of Velipwada-Cavrem in Quepem taluka had informed the forest department through a memorandum in 2009 that the forests of deva panndongar and zori dongar have tigers and he had personally seen a tiger attack a grazing cow, while a bison had also been killed by a tiger in the area.
"Increasing mining activities in Cavrem and Maina villages should be curtailed immediately and the tiger habitat in the area should be protected," says Velip.
Between Verle and Salgini villages inside the Netravali wildlife sanctuary lies a hill named vagh dongar, literally tiger hill.
Netorlim-Sanguem resident Puti Gaonkar, 57, says, "Villagers of Verle and Salgini have seen tigers at vagh dongar and have even lost their grazing cattle to the big cat." Salgini panch Narayan Gaonkar adds, "Our villagers have seen tigers on many occasions. We respect the presence of the big cat in the jungle and try to protect it."
Range forest officer at the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary Vishwas Chodankar says, "We are aware about tiger movement in this area and have already planned a strategy to protect it and its habitat."
Deputy conservator of forests, South Goa division, M K Shambu says, "Our staff and officials are vigilant and are coordinating efforts to protect tigers in the wild"
Places like Vagh-Colamb in Mandrem, Vaghure in Pissurlem of Sattari taluka, Vaghurme in Savoi Verem of Ponda are etymologically linked to the tiger.
Similarly, Dongurli, Shirsode and Ugem in Sanguem taluka; Gaondongari in Canacona; Mauxii in Sattari; and Auchitwada in Bicholim have shrines dedicated to the tiger god.
Bittu Sahgal of Save Tiger campaign says, "There is need to constitute a tiger team which should include forest officers, community leaders and non-government organizations, which will work together to save the tiger from extinction."
Renowned conservationist Valmiki Thapar says, "The Bhagwan Mahaveer wildlife sanctuary and Molem national park cover a total area of 240 sq km of moist deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen forests, and boast of a rich diversity of fauna including the tiger."
"The Netravali sanctuary which has been notified will adjoin this area on one side covering an area of 200 sq km and the Mhadei sanctuary on the other, covering an equal area. If this happens, Goa will be one of the few states in India to cover its entire stretch of forests in the Western Ghats as a protected area," he adds.
Also connected through a forest patch is the tiny Bondla wildlife sanctuary. At the far end of Goa's forests, Cotigao sanctuary hugs the border with Karnataka and even a part of Dandeli sanctuary of Karnataka touches Goa. "This provides a vital corridor for tigers-from Maharashtra to Goa to Karnataka. But for how long?" asks Thappar.
In Mhadei wildlife sanctuary near the Anjunem dam's reservoir, assistant conservator of forests Subhash Henriques recently noticed pugmarks of a tigress and a cub. Speaking to reporters after the incident, he said efforts would be made to protect the tiger habitat.
However, no step has been taken by the forest department in this direction yet.
"There is no doubt that Goa is the land of the tiger. But mining activities have threatened the habitat of the tiger. We have recently submitted a proposal to the western ghats panel headed by noted Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil to consider areas of Mhadei sanctuary as Mhadei tiger reserve," says NGO Goa Foundation's Claude Alvares.
He adds, "The wildlife sanctuaries of Sattari and Sanguem are the only corridors for tigers to move from Karnataka into the reserve forests of Dodamarg in Maharashtra."
Pune-based tiger conservationist Anant Zanjale, on a recent visit to Charavane in Sattari where a tiger killed two buffaloes, said, "An adult tiger requires about 80 deers in a year as food. In comparison to the tough to catch deer, a solitary buffalo is an easy target. The Mhadei sanctuary is the apt habitat for tigers and needs to be protected on a priority."
"Deforestation and even poaching are on the rise. The forest department too is not sincere or serious about protecting the tiger's habitat," says wildlife activist Ramesh Zarmekar. Hailing from Surla in Sattari taluka, his village lies at the highest point of Goa, in the lap of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
In 1993, the forest department's wildlife census recorded the presence of three tigers in Goa. This grew to five in 1997. By 2002, there were four big cats in the wildlife division and one in the north division. The census report for 2010 is yet to be declared.
KERI: Once considered an essential part of the food chain, as it kept herbivores out of locals' fields and plantations, the tiger, since the last decade, is not faring too well in Goa, say wildlife enthusiasts.
"Deforestation and even poaching are on the rise. The forest department too is not sincere or serious about protecting the tiger's habitat," says wildlife activist Ramesh Zarmekar. Hailing from Surla in Sattari taluka, his village lies at the highest point of Goa, in the lap of the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
In 1993, the forest department's wildlife census recorded the presence of three tigers in Goa. This grew to five in 1997. By 2002, there were four big cats in the wildlife division and one in the north division. The census report for 2010 is yet to be declared.
Deputy conservator of forests Debendra Dalai says, "The wildlife census of 2005 recorded the presence of five tigers in Goa's forests."
A forest official from Sattari, on condition of anonymity, adds, "The presence of three tigers has been confirmed in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary."
Vagheri,the third highest mountain peak in Goa at 3,500 ft was once known as the best habitat for the tiger. Etymologically, Vagheri means 'abode of the tiger'.
"However, deforestation and poaching have today threatened this tiger habitat," says wildlife enthusiast Pankaj Laad. He has been working in this area for the last decade. "The plantation of exotic species a quarter of a century ago by the social forestry division and cashew plantations belonging to the locals of Zarme and Thane villages have also proved to be dangerous for the tiger," he adds.
Tulsidas Velip of Velipwada-Cavrem in Quepem taluka had informed the forest department through a memorandum in 2009 that the forests of deva panndongar and zori dongar have tigers and he had personally seen a tiger attack a grazing cow, while a bison had also been killed by a tiger in the area.
"Increasing mining activities in Cavrem and Maina villages should be curtailed immediately and the tiger habitat in the area should be protected," says Velip.
Between Verle and Salgini villages inside the Netravali wildlife sanctuary lies a hill named vagh dongar, literally tiger hill.
Netorlim-Sanguem resident Puti Gaonkar, 57, says, "Villagers of Verle and Salgini have seen tigers at vagh dongar and have even lost their grazing cattle to the big cat." Salgini panch Narayan Gaonkar adds, "Our villagers have seen tigers on many occasions. We respect the presence of the big cat in the jungle and try to protect it."
Range forest officer at the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary Vishwas Chodankar says, "We are aware about tiger movement in this area and have already planned a strategy to protect it and its habitat."
Deputy conservator of forests, South Goa division, M K Shambu says, "Our staff and officials are vigilant and are coordinating efforts to protect tigers in the wild"
Places like Vagh-Colamb in Mandrem, Vaghure in Pissurlem of Sattari taluka, Vaghurme in Savoi Verem of Ponda are etymologically linked to the tiger.
Similarly, Dongurli, Shirsode and Ugem in Sanguem taluka; Gaondongari in Canacona; Mauxii in Sattari; and Auchitwada in Bicholim have shrines dedicated to the tiger god.
Bittu Sahgal of Save Tiger campaign says, "There is need to constitute a tiger team which should include forest officers, community leaders and non-government organizations, which will work together to save the tiger from extinction."
Renowned conservationist Valmiki Thapar says, "The Bhagwan Mahaveer wildlife sanctuary and Molem national park cover a total area of 240 sq km of moist deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen forests, and boast of a rich diversity of fauna including the tiger."
"The Netravali sanctuary which has been notified will adjoin this area on one side covering an area of 200 sq km and the Mhadei sanctuary on the other, covering an equal area. If this happens, Goa will be one of the few states in India to cover its entire stretch of forests in the Western Ghats as a protected area," he adds.
Also connected through a forest patch is the tiny Bondla wildlife sanctuary. At the far end of Goa's forests, Cotigao sanctuary hugs the border with Karnataka and even a part of Dandeli sanctuary of Karnataka touches Goa. "This provides a vital corridor for tigers-from Maharashtra to Goa to Karnataka. But for how long?" asks Thappar.
In Mhadei wildlife sanctuary near the Anjunem dam's reservoir, assistant conservator of forests Subhash Henriques recently noticed pugmarks of a tigress and a cub. Speaking to reporters after the incident, he said efforts would be made to protect the tiger habitat.
However, no step has been taken by the forest department in this direction yet.
"There is no doubt that Goa is the land of the tiger. But mining activities have threatened the habitat of the tiger. We have recently submitted a proposal to the western ghats panel headed by noted Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil to consider areas of Mhadei sanctuary as Mhadei tiger reserve," says NGO Goa Foundation's Claude Alvares.
He adds, "The wildlife sanctuaries of Sattari and Sanguem are the only corridors for tigers to move from Karnataka into the reserve forests of Dodamarg in Maharashtra."
Pune-based tiger conservationist Anant Zanjale, on a recent visit to Charavane in Sattari where a tiger killed two buffaloes, said, "An adult tiger requires about 80 deers in a year as food. In comparison to the tough to catch deer, a solitary buffalo is an easy target. The Mhadei sanctuary is the apt habitat for tigers and needs to be protected on a priority."
Indo-Bangla forum to save Sunderbans TNN
KOLKATA: With 40% of the Sundarbans in India and the remaining area of the sprawling mangrove forest in Bangladesh, it requires joint initiatives, overlooking border and political issues, to conserve this very unique ecology of the world. Keeping this in mind, Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh is likely to visit the neighbouring country to formally launch the Indo-Bangla Sundarbans Ecological Forum that will take up joint management programmes for better preservation.
"The forum will look into a lot of issues like census, research and guarding. For instance, on either side of Sundarbans, there is an element of doubt in ascertaining tiger population. The excuse is that big cats often cross borders. The only way to ascertain their population is to carry out tiger census programmes simultaneously across the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh," said a state forest department officer.
In Kolkata last year, Ramesh and his Bangladesh counterpart, Dr Hasan Mahmud, had pledged to put up a joint effort to protect and preserve the Sunderbans. "Such steps will help deal with issues such as mangrove management, tiger conservation and livelihood protection," said an official of the Union forest ministry.
"When Ramesh had gone to the Sunderbans, the first thing that struck him was that one country alone could do nothing as the forest covered both countries. So, there has to be a joint initiative... However, a new vista will open up if we exchange our experiences and learn from each other before taking up joint projects like tiger census, which will never be complete without taking Bangladesh into account," said a senior ministry official.
Describing the Sunderbans as unique, Mahmud told TOI on the phone, "The mangrove forest has saved the huge hinterland from calamities such as Aila and Sidr in both countries. But over the past few decades, there have been a lot of human interference in the Surderbans on either side of the border. We must protect it together otherwise our children will never forgive us."
Mahmud also appealed to the people of India to vote for the Sunderbans and make it one of the seven ecological wonders of the world. "If India pitches in, the Sunderbans has no reason to worry about its place among the seven wonders. Only the Amazon rainforest can match its stature," he added.
Ramesh couldn't have agreed more when he said that in the global context of eco-sensitivity, the Sunderbans would always top the agenda.
"The forum will look into a lot of issues like census, research and guarding. For instance, on either side of Sundarbans, there is an element of doubt in ascertaining tiger population. The excuse is that big cats often cross borders. The only way to ascertain their population is to carry out tiger census programmes simultaneously across the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh," said a state forest department officer.
In Kolkata last year, Ramesh and his Bangladesh counterpart, Dr Hasan Mahmud, had pledged to put up a joint effort to protect and preserve the Sunderbans. "Such steps will help deal with issues such as mangrove management, tiger conservation and livelihood protection," said an official of the Union forest ministry.
"When Ramesh had gone to the Sunderbans, the first thing that struck him was that one country alone could do nothing as the forest covered both countries. So, there has to be a joint initiative... However, a new vista will open up if we exchange our experiences and learn from each other before taking up joint projects like tiger census, which will never be complete without taking Bangladesh into account," said a senior ministry official.
Describing the Sunderbans as unique, Mahmud told TOI on the phone, "The mangrove forest has saved the huge hinterland from calamities such as Aila and Sidr in both countries. But over the past few decades, there have been a lot of human interference in the Surderbans on either side of the border. We must protect it together otherwise our children will never forgive us."
Mahmud also appealed to the people of India to vote for the Sunderbans and make it one of the seven ecological wonders of the world. "If India pitches in, the Sunderbans has no reason to worry about its place among the seven wonders. Only the Amazon rainforest can match its stature," he added.
Ramesh couldn't have agreed more when he said that in the global context of eco-sensitivity, the Sunderbans would always top the agenda.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Melghat, not Tadoba, is the best tiger reserve Vijay Pinjarkar /, TNN
NAGPUR: If you thought Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is among the best tiger reserves in the state then your are wrong. In the latest evaluation by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) of 39 reserves Melghat has topped in the state.
The 2,000 sq km Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati district has scored 230 marks out of 300. It comes to over 76%, which is a 'very good' ranking as per the NTCA norms. The 625 sq km TATR and 257 sq km Pench (Maharashtra) scored 190 marks (63%) to be ranked 13th and 14{+t}{+h}, respectively.
During the last evaluation done in 2006, Melghat was rated as poor and, TATR and Pench satisfactory. However, now, Melghat has retained its 8th position in India and surprisingly has left high-profile tiger reserves like Ranthambore in Rajasthan and Corbett in Uttranchal behind.
The presentations of the reserves was done at the India International Centre, Delhi, on Thursday. Interestingly, all the five parks in Madhya Pradesh are among the top five. Pench (MP) has overtaken Kanha and is ranked the best in the country.
The WII-NTCA team led by wildlife expert PC Kotwal and three others had evaluated TATR and Pench in November and MTR in December. What is more interesting is that the same team had evaluated Ranthambore and Corbett but Melghat came out better in their eyes.
"It's the result of strong wildlife and forest management and protection strategy by the field staff and officers," said AK Mishra, field director of MTR.
There were 30 parameters of evaluation with each bearing 10 marks. The parameters were set by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global NGO.
Sources said Melghat, Pench and TATR could have done better but all the factors for which marks were cut relate to the state government's failure in filling up posts, allocating budget and not posting wildlife trained staff besides slow relocation of villages inside the tiger reserves.
"Tiger reserves in MP could top the chart as the government itself supports all the initiatives taken by the officials," state foresters said.
The MTR has 26 villages inside its territory, TATR five and Pench 1. All these reserves scored 2 out of 10 on this count. In MTR there are over 50 tigers, TATR 43 and Pench 12.
A Ashraf, field director of Pench, was not available for comments. VK Sinha, field director of TATR, said, "It is a preliminary assessment. We expect our marks to go up and it will be too premature to comment."
The 2,000 sq km Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in Amravati district has scored 230 marks out of 300. It comes to over 76%, which is a 'very good' ranking as per the NTCA norms. The 625 sq km TATR and 257 sq km Pench (Maharashtra) scored 190 marks (63%) to be ranked 13th and 14{+t}{+h}, respectively.
During the last evaluation done in 2006, Melghat was rated as poor and, TATR and Pench satisfactory. However, now, Melghat has retained its 8th position in India and surprisingly has left high-profile tiger reserves like Ranthambore in Rajasthan and Corbett in Uttranchal behind.
The presentations of the reserves was done at the India International Centre, Delhi, on Thursday. Interestingly, all the five parks in Madhya Pradesh are among the top five. Pench (MP) has overtaken Kanha and is ranked the best in the country.
The WII-NTCA team led by wildlife expert PC Kotwal and three others had evaluated TATR and Pench in November and MTR in December. What is more interesting is that the same team had evaluated Ranthambore and Corbett but Melghat came out better in their eyes.
"It's the result of strong wildlife and forest management and protection strategy by the field staff and officers," said AK Mishra, field director of MTR.
There were 30 parameters of evaluation with each bearing 10 marks. The parameters were set by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global NGO.
Sources said Melghat, Pench and TATR could have done better but all the factors for which marks were cut relate to the state government's failure in filling up posts, allocating budget and not posting wildlife trained staff besides slow relocation of villages inside the tiger reserves.
"Tiger reserves in MP could top the chart as the government itself supports all the initiatives taken by the officials," state foresters said.
The MTR has 26 villages inside its territory, TATR five and Pench 1. All these reserves scored 2 out of 10 on this count. In MTR there are over 50 tigers, TATR 43 and Pench 12.
A Ashraf, field director of Pench, was not available for comments. VK Sinha, field director of TATR, said, "It is a preliminary assessment. We expect our marks to go up and it will be too premature to comment."
Katlabodi explored Vijay Pinjarkar /, TNN
NAGPUR: The one most delighted with the rescue and release of the Katlabodi tigress is hunter-turned tiger conservationist Chandrakant Deshmukh, an ex-malgujar (landlord) of Bandhara and Ghorpad in Kalmeshwar tehsil.
Bandhara, 40km from Nagpur, is a place surrounded by thick forests. The tigress fell into a 35-feet-deep dry well on February 7 and was released after eight days in its natural habitat but at location being kept secret by the forest officials.
NAGPUR: The one most delighted with the rescue and release of the Katlabodi tigress is hunter-turned tiger conservationist Chandrakant Deshmukh, an ex-malgujar (landlord) of Bandhara and Ghorpad in Kalmeshwar tehsil.
Bandhara, 40km from Nagpur, is a place surrounded by thick forests. The tigress fell into a 35-feet-deep dry well on February 7 and was released after eight days in its natural habitat but at location being kept secret by the forest officials.
The tragedy left wild lovers flaggerbasted but Deshmukh knew that it was an accident waiting to happen ever since he heard about the presence of wildcats in the Katlabodi region. He had even warned the forest officials. Seven days before the incident, Deshmukh saw the animal near Murli village.
As a child, the 62-year-old Deshmukh has seen a number of tigers in Bandhara-Katlabodi. The last he saw in the area was in 1978. He is now delighted that they have returned to an old habitat. Villagers told TOI that currently there are four wildcats in the area. Apart from the tigress and its mate, there are two sub-adult cubs (more than two years) too.
"Now, I am going around and appealing to villagers to protect the tigers," says Deshmukh. Since he is a respected man, Deshmukh is more heard than the forest officials.
Nothing could have been a better experience on Thursday to have a tiger and jungle trail with Deshmukh in the 150 sq km Bandhara-Katlabodi forest encompassing a dozen sensitive villages in Kondhali and Kalmeshwar forest ranges under the Nagpur Division.
A 50-km trail with Deshmukh around Gumthala, Lonara, Shirpur, Bhuyari, Ladai, Ghorpad, Murli and Satnavri forests - all within a shouting distance from the city - is so mystifying that there is no doubt why tigers couldn't claim the territory. The self-styled wildlife guru knows the area, which is a mix of narrow tarred and bullock-cart roads, like the back of his palm.
The trail started from Selu, but good quality forest can be seen on the outskirts of Lonara, where we also saw a gang of eight Pardhis on three bikes with weapons and bamboo cages returning after a hunt.
PD Dhangar, a villager who knew them, said the Pardhis from Gondkhairi village are regulars and foresters are aware of their illegal activities. "They don't target big carnivores now," he said.
Dhangar also showed a small hillock where he had sighted a male tiger when he was returning from his farm in the evening. This was on February 9, just two days after the tigress was rescued from the well.
The forest landscape amid green farms and surrounding villages is mesmerizing. It has all the ingredients of a tiger habitat like caves on hills, grass, water, prey base, including cattle for the tigers, to stay on. The area is so beautiful that forest and abandoned farms combine to make it look like a dense jungle.
Although there is huge biotic pressure on the forests for fuel wood, grazing and minor forest produce (MFP) extraction, the area here has an immense potential for tigers. "The need of the hour is to put some stringent wildlife management in place," says Deshmukh.
"Tigers had been coexisting in the area before they were hunted out in 1978. Bazargaon was a shooting block during the British era and had a record of 8-10 tigers. I don't see why tigers and humans can't coexist here again. It's possible if people are taken into confidence," says Deshmukh.
Villagers of Katlabodi and Ladai echoed the same feelings when they said that cattle kill and crop damage compensation are not settled early. "Half of the crop is consumed by wild animals. Officials take too long to pay damages. Yet, we have been good to the forest department by not harming wildlife and forests," says Ramdas Salam of Ladai village.
Although the forest has shrunk due to expansion of villages and growing population, at many places it remains intact. "There is some truth in what Salam says. Else, why would tigers return here," asked Deshmukh who feels that the tigers must have crossed over from Bor Sanctuary in Wardha district.
Going by the age of the cubs, Deshmukh says the family of four would have travelled together and must have even managed to cross the busy NH6 (Nagpur-Amravati road). "It's quite possible as there are thick forests on the opposite side of Katlabodi too," he said.
Another hidden quality Deshmukh mentioned about the Katlabodi forests was calcium. "The grass here is rich in calcium and, hence, sambars and chitals here are healthy and strong. If you see their horns, they are symmetrical," he said.
To prove his point, Deshmukh also showed a scenic spot called Pandhrapani near Ghorpad. "Do you know why this place is called so," he asked. He revealed when water flows into the nullah, it has a white layer (calcium) on it. The area once was a tiger hot spot.
Some patches in the forests are such that even rays of the sun fail to penetrate the canopy. At one of these spots, a big male deer was sighted and it stood there for a long time. Two more chitals in the forests indicated good prey base.
Learning fast from the Katlabodi tragedy, the foresters have swung into action. Forester GG Khode was seen marking his territory on a big tree in Satnavri forest. "We have launched a similar exercise in the range," he said. The presence of the tigers have also forced the staff to move into the forest for protection.
"We are trying to trace out pugmarks and any kill made by the released tigress," Khode said. Till Thursday afternoon, although the forest staff said there was no trace of the tigress, Kisna Bhalavi of Katlabodi quoted one Anil Kalokar saying he had sighted a tiger at 7.30am on the village outskirts.
Katlabodi sarpanch Prabhakar Sathe claimed it must be the same tigress that had been rescued from the well. "We learnt from the field staff that the tigress was released here," Sathe said.
Deshmukh appealed to the people to save tigers. "Poaching is not the issue here, but poisoning is," he fears. The forest officials will have to settle early claims. He also felt that the area should be declared as a community conservation reserve where wildlife protection will be the joint responsibility of the people and the department.
Bandhara, 40km from Nagpur, is a place surrounded by thick forests. The tigress fell into a 35-feet-deep dry well on February 7 and was released after eight days in its natural habitat but at location being kept secret by the forest officials.
NAGPUR: The one most delighted with the rescue and release of the Katlabodi tigress is hunter-turned tiger conservationist Chandrakant Deshmukh, an ex-malgujar (landlord) of Bandhara and Ghorpad in Kalmeshwar tehsil.
Bandhara, 40km from Nagpur, is a place surrounded by thick forests. The tigress fell into a 35-feet-deep dry well on February 7 and was released after eight days in its natural habitat but at location being kept secret by the forest officials.
The tragedy left wild lovers flaggerbasted but Deshmukh knew that it was an accident waiting to happen ever since he heard about the presence of wildcats in the Katlabodi region. He had even warned the forest officials. Seven days before the incident, Deshmukh saw the animal near Murli village.
As a child, the 62-year-old Deshmukh has seen a number of tigers in Bandhara-Katlabodi. The last he saw in the area was in 1978. He is now delighted that they have returned to an old habitat. Villagers told TOI that currently there are four wildcats in the area. Apart from the tigress and its mate, there are two sub-adult cubs (more than two years) too.
"Now, I am going around and appealing to villagers to protect the tigers," says Deshmukh. Since he is a respected man, Deshmukh is more heard than the forest officials.
Nothing could have been a better experience on Thursday to have a tiger and jungle trail with Deshmukh in the 150 sq km Bandhara-Katlabodi forest encompassing a dozen sensitive villages in Kondhali and Kalmeshwar forest ranges under the Nagpur Division.
A 50-km trail with Deshmukh around Gumthala, Lonara, Shirpur, Bhuyari, Ladai, Ghorpad, Murli and Satnavri forests - all within a shouting distance from the city - is so mystifying that there is no doubt why tigers couldn't claim the territory. The self-styled wildlife guru knows the area, which is a mix of narrow tarred and bullock-cart roads, like the back of his palm.
The trail started from Selu, but good quality forest can be seen on the outskirts of Lonara, where we also saw a gang of eight Pardhis on three bikes with weapons and bamboo cages returning after a hunt.
PD Dhangar, a villager who knew them, said the Pardhis from Gondkhairi village are regulars and foresters are aware of their illegal activities. "They don't target big carnivores now," he said.
Dhangar also showed a small hillock where he had sighted a male tiger when he was returning from his farm in the evening. This was on February 9, just two days after the tigress was rescued from the well.
The forest landscape amid green farms and surrounding villages is mesmerizing. It has all the ingredients of a tiger habitat like caves on hills, grass, water, prey base, including cattle for the tigers, to stay on. The area is so beautiful that forest and abandoned farms combine to make it look like a dense jungle.
Although there is huge biotic pressure on the forests for fuel wood, grazing and minor forest produce (MFP) extraction, the area here has an immense potential for tigers. "The need of the hour is to put some stringent wildlife management in place," says Deshmukh.
"Tigers had been coexisting in the area before they were hunted out in 1978. Bazargaon was a shooting block during the British era and had a record of 8-10 tigers. I don't see why tigers and humans can't coexist here again. It's possible if people are taken into confidence," says Deshmukh.
Villagers of Katlabodi and Ladai echoed the same feelings when they said that cattle kill and crop damage compensation are not settled early. "Half of the crop is consumed by wild animals. Officials take too long to pay damages. Yet, we have been good to the forest department by not harming wildlife and forests," says Ramdas Salam of Ladai village.
Although the forest has shrunk due to expansion of villages and growing population, at many places it remains intact. "There is some truth in what Salam says. Else, why would tigers return here," asked Deshmukh who feels that the tigers must have crossed over from Bor Sanctuary in Wardha district.
Going by the age of the cubs, Deshmukh says the family of four would have travelled together and must have even managed to cross the busy NH6 (Nagpur-Amravati road). "It's quite possible as there are thick forests on the opposite side of Katlabodi too," he said.
Another hidden quality Deshmukh mentioned about the Katlabodi forests was calcium. "The grass here is rich in calcium and, hence, sambars and chitals here are healthy and strong. If you see their horns, they are symmetrical," he said.
To prove his point, Deshmukh also showed a scenic spot called Pandhrapani near Ghorpad. "Do you know why this place is called so," he asked. He revealed when water flows into the nullah, it has a white layer (calcium) on it. The area once was a tiger hot spot.
Some patches in the forests are such that even rays of the sun fail to penetrate the canopy. At one of these spots, a big male deer was sighted and it stood there for a long time. Two more chitals in the forests indicated good prey base.
Learning fast from the Katlabodi tragedy, the foresters have swung into action. Forester GG Khode was seen marking his territory on a big tree in Satnavri forest. "We have launched a similar exercise in the range," he said. The presence of the tigers have also forced the staff to move into the forest for protection.
"We are trying to trace out pugmarks and any kill made by the released tigress," Khode said. Till Thursday afternoon, although the forest staff said there was no trace of the tigress, Kisna Bhalavi of Katlabodi quoted one Anil Kalokar saying he had sighted a tiger at 7.30am on the village outskirts.
Katlabodi sarpanch Prabhakar Sathe claimed it must be the same tigress that had been rescued from the well. "We learnt from the field staff that the tigress was released here," Sathe said.
Deshmukh appealed to the people to save tigers. "Poaching is not the issue here, but poisoning is," he fears. The forest officials will have to settle early claims. He also felt that the area should be declared as a community conservation reserve where wildlife protection will be the joint responsibility of the people and the department.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Relocation may go on hold as Budget bites the tiger
NEW DELHI: The new tiger census will be out soon. But bad news for the tigers has come with numbers of a different kind. With the UPA government deciding to keep a tight fiscal lid on the budget this year, funds for tiger conservation have been cut by 25%.
With resources from the Centre drying up, plans for relocation of villagers from tiger reserves could be put on hold. The National Tiger Conservation Authority had worked out a need for Rs 5,000 crore to relocate and resettle almost 50,000 families over a period. It had got the earmarked Rs 700 crore from the Planning Commission for the coming five years for the relocation and other works.
But this year, the fiscal constraints that other ministries are bound to face as well, has hit the tiger reserves as well. A mere Rs 150 crore has been allocated for the 39 tiger reserves for the next financial year, down from the Rs 196 crore it had been provided for this fiscal year.
Sources said environment minister Jairam Ramesh has been engaging with the Planning Commission and the finance ministry to see if he can up the budget but all hints are that the ministry itself will not see any substantial gains in its resources in the coming fiscal.
The NTCA had increased the budget for relocation and provided a package of Rs 10 lakh per displaced family as part of its renewed attempts to create inviolate tiger reserves as required under the Wildlife Conservation Act. The relocation plans would need to be shelved at least for the next year if the final outlay is not a tad bigger.
With resources from the Centre drying up, plans for relocation of villagers from tiger reserves could be put on hold. The National Tiger Conservation Authority had worked out a need for Rs 5,000 crore to relocate and resettle almost 50,000 families over a period. It had got the earmarked Rs 700 crore from the Planning Commission for the coming five years for the relocation and other works.
But this year, the fiscal constraints that other ministries are bound to face as well, has hit the tiger reserves as well. A mere Rs 150 crore has been allocated for the 39 tiger reserves for the next financial year, down from the Rs 196 crore it had been provided for this fiscal year.
Sources said environment minister Jairam Ramesh has been engaging with the Planning Commission and the finance ministry to see if he can up the budget but all hints are that the ministry itself will not see any substantial gains in its resources in the coming fiscal.
The NTCA had increased the budget for relocation and provided a package of Rs 10 lakh per displaced family as part of its renewed attempts to create inviolate tiger reserves as required under the Wildlife Conservation Act. The relocation plans would need to be shelved at least for the next year if the final outlay is not a tad bigger.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Six poachers arrested from Jim Corbett National Park in Rampur
: A joint operation by the Forest Rangers and the Uttarakhand Police resulted in the arrest of six poachers from the Jim Corbett National Park located in the Kumaon region of Nainital.
The poachers were arrested on Tuesday from their hideout inside the tiger sanctuary.
"Six of them came here with the intention of poaching. Our combined team of police and forest rangers raided their hideouts and arrested them. We have seized leopard skins, skull and gadgets of animal capturing trap from them," said R S Meena, Inspector General of Police, Kumaon Range.
"They have been arrested under the Wild Life Act and Forest Act and will be produced before the court. We would take information about their other partners and buyers," he added.
According to the Corbett National Park Rangers, the arrest of the six poachers is a big achievement in the path of keeping a check on the smugglers.
As Jim Corbett National Park is tiger conservation centre, it is always under the threat of the poachers who are always trying to catch hold of the striped feline beauty, which is also the majestic national animal.
The national park has a tiger population of around 160, which makes it as the last and the most important bastion of this endangered species in India.(ANI)
The poachers were arrested on Tuesday from their hideout inside the tiger sanctuary.
"Six of them came here with the intention of poaching. Our combined team of police and forest rangers raided their hideouts and arrested them. We have seized leopard skins, skull and gadgets of animal capturing trap from them," said R S Meena, Inspector General of Police, Kumaon Range.
"They have been arrested under the Wild Life Act and Forest Act and will be produced before the court. We would take information about their other partners and buyers," he added.
According to the Corbett National Park Rangers, the arrest of the six poachers is a big achievement in the path of keeping a check on the smugglers.
As Jim Corbett National Park is tiger conservation centre, it is always under the threat of the poachers who are always trying to catch hold of the striped feline beauty, which is also the majestic national animal.
The national park has a tiger population of around 160, which makes it as the last and the most important bastion of this endangered species in India.(ANI)
Project Tiger under threat in Kaziranga
After 1985 no fresh proposal for inclusion of land in the fringe areas of KNP has been taken and major portion of the six additions (measuring about 6.47 sq. km) to the park was handed over by the Revenue department only recently. The Kaziranga National Park is one of the best protected parks in the world and the people living in the vicinity and engaged in tourism sector need not worry about losing their land or job to the Project Tiger, he added. The Jeep Safari Association had also alleged that some wildlife NGOs were involved in creating problems for the local people by forcing the government to create a tiger reserve in the park to further their own interests. Aaranyak's secretary-general Bibhab Kumar Talukdar said his organization has always been supportive of eco-friendly tourism and believes that its benefits should reach most of the villages around the park and tourism activities promoted uniformly in all its five ranges including the north bank range. Talukdar said the visitors to the sprawling and resourceful national park should be encouraged to enjoy all corners of the park within the designated tourist areas. ''Flourishing tourism activities have provided livelihood opportunities to fringe villagers in Kaziranga Park and sustainable tourism shall inculcate deep-rooted commitment in the minds of tourists and general public towards conservation of flora and fauna in Kaziranga'', he said. The ongoing census of tigers using camera traps in Kaziranga National Park was initiated in 2009 by Aaranyak in collaboration with the authority in the park after it had been declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. '' The objective of the research was to bring out information on number of tigers using modern scientific techniques and the initial findings has already put the Kaziranga in the global focus in respect of successful conservation of habitats that supports tigers along with one-horned rhinos and other species'', he said. During the ongoing census of tigers, the park authorities had given all possible logistic support to the team and there is no financial collaboration between the two institutions as alleged by some people, Talukdar asserted. KNP is the only park of its kind with a viable low land grassland ecosystem in south Asia and for its long-term sustainable development all stakeholders such as the government, non-governmental organizations, service providers, local people and the tourists should work together, Dutta felt.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tiger attacks forest guard in Ranthambore TNN
JAIPUR: A forest guard at the Ranthambore National Park was admitted to a local hospital after a tiger pounced upon him on Tuesday. The guard is said to be out of danger.
According to a forest department official, "Around two days ago, a tiger had killed a buffalo owned by a local on the eastern fringes of the park near the Banas river. On Tuesday, cattle guard Roop Chand Meena visited the area to check the animal's carcass before processing claims for the compensation to be paid to the owner."
However, Meena ventured too close to the kill, unaware that the tiger was still present in the area. "The tiger attacked the villager out of fear. The guard sustained injuries on his leg, but is out of danger," said chief wildlife warden H M Bhatia.
"The guard has received at least 20 stitches on four or five different areas of his leg, but is out of danger. Camera traps have been put in the area to ascertain which tiger was involved in the attack though it is suspected that it could be the male tiger T-6," a source said.
The Ranthambore National Park has recently witnessed frequent attacks on human beings by the big cats. On February 6, one Ghanshyam Bairwa was attacked by a tiger while he was working in his field in the Mukundpura village. The tiger emerged from the nearby mustard crops, attacked Bairwa and fled. Bairwa fell unconscious and was taken to a hospital only after he raised an alarm when he regained consciousness.
The last big attack was on assistant conservator of forests Daulat Singh Shaktawat, who had to undergo a major surgery. Shaktawat is now back to work.
According to a forest department official, "Around two days ago, a tiger had killed a buffalo owned by a local on the eastern fringes of the park near the Banas river. On Tuesday, cattle guard Roop Chand Meena visited the area to check the animal's carcass before processing claims for the compensation to be paid to the owner."
However, Meena ventured too close to the kill, unaware that the tiger was still present in the area. "The tiger attacked the villager out of fear. The guard sustained injuries on his leg, but is out of danger," said chief wildlife warden H M Bhatia.
"The guard has received at least 20 stitches on four or five different areas of his leg, but is out of danger. Camera traps have been put in the area to ascertain which tiger was involved in the attack though it is suspected that it could be the male tiger T-6," a source said.
The Ranthambore National Park has recently witnessed frequent attacks on human beings by the big cats. On February 6, one Ghanshyam Bairwa was attacked by a tiger while he was working in his field in the Mukundpura village. The tiger emerged from the nearby mustard crops, attacked Bairwa and fled. Bairwa fell unconscious and was taken to a hospital only after he raised an alarm when he regained consciousness.
The last big attack was on assistant conservator of forests Daulat Singh Shaktawat, who had to undergo a major surgery. Shaktawat is now back to work.
Death of tiger: Forest dept officials deny foul play TNN
MYSORE: Forest department officials denied any foul play in the death of a tiger, the carcass of which was recovered from Sollepura forest range in Heggadadevanakote taluk on Monday.
An official press release said it could be a natural death. However, a doctors' team conducted the post-mortem. Senior forest officials PCCF (wildlife) B K Singh and CCF (wildlife) B J Hosmath visited the spot. The highly decomposed body of the tiger was found in the Sollepura forest range of Nagarhole National Park on Monday afternoon.
An official press release said it could be a natural death. However, a doctors' team conducted the post-mortem. Senior forest officials PCCF (wildlife) B K Singh and CCF (wildlife) B J Hosmath visited the spot. The highly decomposed body of the tiger was found in the Sollepura forest range of Nagarhole National Park on Monday afternoon.
Wildlife experts concerned over recent tiger deaths in Rajasthan
: Wildlife experts have expressed concern over the increasing number of tiger deaths in Ranthambore and Sariska tiger sanctuaries in Rajasthan.
Manish Saxena, a wildlife expert, on Tuesday said fighting, poisoning by villagers and poaching are the main reasons for the recent deaths of the tigers.
He added that the forest area is too small, which is why the tigers engage in fights, leading to casualties and deaths.
"Four tigers have been killed due to fight amongst themselves in which they got injured and died. Other four tigers including two cubs were killed due to poisoning. The villagers mixed poison in their food to avenge the killing of their pets by the tigers. This was the reason behind the deaths", said Saxena.
Meanwhile, R.S, Bhandari, a wildlife analyst, said that to control the situation more vigilance on the part of the forest department is required.
"More vigilance is required as the forest is so big and when a theft can happen in a city then why not in forest. However, near Sariska, poaching is quite impossible. As far as poisoning is concerned, it can be controlled by making the nearby villagers aware and keeping a check in the areas where a tiger has been killed," he added.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has an interim relief programme, wherein villagers are paid Rs. 3,000 or less for every cow killed by a tiger or leopard. This plan has helped in reducing tiger mortality.
According to reports, almost eight tigers including cubs have been killed in Ranthambore and Sariska sanctuaries in the last four years.(ANI)
Manish Saxena, a wildlife expert, on Tuesday said fighting, poisoning by villagers and poaching are the main reasons for the recent deaths of the tigers.
He added that the forest area is too small, which is why the tigers engage in fights, leading to casualties and deaths.
"Four tigers have been killed due to fight amongst themselves in which they got injured and died. Other four tigers including two cubs were killed due to poisoning. The villagers mixed poison in their food to avenge the killing of their pets by the tigers. This was the reason behind the deaths", said Saxena.
Meanwhile, R.S, Bhandari, a wildlife analyst, said that to control the situation more vigilance on the part of the forest department is required.
"More vigilance is required as the forest is so big and when a theft can happen in a city then why not in forest. However, near Sariska, poaching is quite impossible. As far as poisoning is concerned, it can be controlled by making the nearby villagers aware and keeping a check in the areas where a tiger has been killed," he added.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has an interim relief programme, wherein villagers are paid Rs. 3,000 or less for every cow killed by a tiger or leopard. This plan has helped in reducing tiger mortality.
According to reports, almost eight tigers including cubs have been killed in Ranthambore and Sariska sanctuaries in the last four years.(ANI)
And, expert’s reason for dipping tiger count: vanishing prey
“There are less than 3,500 tigers remaining in the world,” says K Ullas Karanth, with a curiously positive twang,” but the world has the potential to house around 45,000 tigers.”
Karanth, a senior conservation scientist at the NewYork-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and director, WCS India Program, Bangalore, was speaking at the 5th Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film festival in the city on Tuesday.
The optimism in his voice came as a surprise at a time when discussions revolving the big cat are full of dismal figures and shoddy affairs. "I think if we work in the right direction from now, we can effectively save this species," says Karanth, who has worked in the interiors of states like Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"The save tiger story, is not about individual incidents that are so glorified today. We shout on television sets, write critically about how a tiger died, but we collectively don't think of the larger picture," said Karanth. So what exactly is the big picture? "Conservation, is not like business. There is no closure here. A tigress replaces herself 15 times in her lifetime. Meaning to say that mortality and reproductive cycles of tigers are quite fast. I don't mean to say that poaching should not be our concern. But our concerns should rise from individual stories. The biggest threat to tigers in India is depletion of their chief prey like deer, wild pigs and wild cattle. As a result, although around 300,000 square kilometres of tiger habitat still remains, much of it is empty of tigers since there is not enough food for them to survive and breed successfully."
Karanth, a senior conservation scientist at the NewYork-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and director, WCS India Program, Bangalore, was speaking at the 5th Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film festival in the city on Tuesday.
The optimism in his voice came as a surprise at a time when discussions revolving the big cat are full of dismal figures and shoddy affairs. "I think if we work in the right direction from now, we can effectively save this species," says Karanth, who has worked in the interiors of states like Karnataka and Maharashtra.
"The save tiger story, is not about individual incidents that are so glorified today. We shout on television sets, write critically about how a tiger died, but we collectively don't think of the larger picture," said Karanth. So what exactly is the big picture? "Conservation, is not like business. There is no closure here. A tigress replaces herself 15 times in her lifetime. Meaning to say that mortality and reproductive cycles of tigers are quite fast. I don't mean to say that poaching should not be our concern. But our concerns should rise from individual stories. The biggest threat to tigers in India is depletion of their chief prey like deer, wild pigs and wild cattle. As a result, although around 300,000 square kilometres of tiger habitat still remains, much of it is empty of tigers since there is not enough food for them to survive and breed successfully."
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Death report of tiger ST-1 submitted to govt TNN
JAIPUR/ALWAR: The special report on the death of male tiger ST-1 at the Sariska tiger reserve was submitted to the state government on Monday. The report comes on the 90-day mark, failing which the suspension of the two officers in the death of tiger would had been revoked.
According to M L Meena, special officer appointed by the state government to probe in the killing of ST-1, "I have submitted my report today. Now, it is on the state government to act on it." He, however, refused to divulge any details in the report.
Two officers of the forest department DFO B Praveen and ACF Mukesh Saini had been suspended after the recovery of the body of ST-1 on November 15. The officers were suspended on allegations of negligence and misinformation in tracking the animal.
However, looking into the seriousness of the crime the state government had immediately announced setting up a special probe panel into it and had appointed ML Meena to look into it. ST-1, the first male tiger to be relocated to Sariska, had been poisoned to death.
The state government had asked Meena to submit the report in seven days. However, Meena missed the mark and could submit it only on the 89th day. Meena's failure to submit the report in 90 days could have meant revoking the suspension of the two officers as under the law it is mandatory to give the reason for suspension of any officer in 90 days.
In fact, Meena had been issued a show cause notice by the state government for failure to submit the report. Many even accused Meena of a deliberate move for delaying the report in a bid to shield the two officers.
"I had to do many field visits, interview a host of people and do a lot of investigation. The delay was a fall out of all this," Meena said.
According to M L Meena, special officer appointed by the state government to probe in the killing of ST-1, "I have submitted my report today. Now, it is on the state government to act on it." He, however, refused to divulge any details in the report.
Two officers of the forest department DFO B Praveen and ACF Mukesh Saini had been suspended after the recovery of the body of ST-1 on November 15. The officers were suspended on allegations of negligence and misinformation in tracking the animal.
However, looking into the seriousness of the crime the state government had immediately announced setting up a special probe panel into it and had appointed ML Meena to look into it. ST-1, the first male tiger to be relocated to Sariska, had been poisoned to death.
The state government had asked Meena to submit the report in seven days. However, Meena missed the mark and could submit it only on the 89th day. Meena's failure to submit the report in 90 days could have meant revoking the suspension of the two officers as under the law it is mandatory to give the reason for suspension of any officer in 90 days.
In fact, Meena had been issued a show cause notice by the state government for failure to submit the report. Many even accused Meena of a deliberate move for delaying the report in a bid to shield the two officers.
"I had to do many field visits, interview a host of people and do a lot of investigation. The delay was a fall out of all this," Meena said.
Will tigress be collared before being released? Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Feb 15, 2011
NAGPUR: Heard of radio-collaring a tiger in Maharashtra? No? For the first time, the forest department is contemplating to collar the Katlabodi tigress which they had successfully rescued from a 35-feet-deep well, 40 kms from Nagpur on February 7.
"We are preparing for the post-monitoring of the tigress and exploring all the available methods," said N Rambabu, conservator of forests (Nagpur Division).
The forest department is making 'preliminary inquiries about getting a radio-collar'. "If we don't get it easily and early, we won't waste time as the tigress is fit to be released back into the wild. We are also in touch with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) officials," Rambabu added.
Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary of the NTCA, did not respond to calls made by TOI and neither did he reply to a text message.
If all goes well, the Katlabodi tigress will be the first case of cat collaring in the state. This will also be the first success story of a rescued tigress being released to back where it belongs. Earlier, the wildlife wing had fixed chips in leopards that had strayed into the Ordnance Factory in Chandrapur.
"I see no reason why we should not keep track of the tigress. Thousands of animals are being studied and followed through radio collar or marking," said Asad Rahmani, director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Rahmani added that the forest department is quite capable of executing their plan. They can put a radio-collar that can fall off after the battery is worn out or even before that.
"These days we get tailor-made radio-collars for a particular study for a particular animal and even for a particular sex with a set programme to provide required information. Radio-collaring, satellite tracking, ringing and banding are well-known techniques to study animals and also to follow the movement of the released animals," said Rahmani, who is also a member of the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL).
Another NBWL member Kishor Rithe said, "I don't see any problem. It's a good opportunity that has come walking to the forest officials. Collaring will help in knowing the source population. If not a collar, they should at least fit a transmission chip. The chief wildlife warden needs to take a call."
Nitin Desai, director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Central India, suggested a satellite collar, which may cost somewhere between Rs 2-2.5 lakh.
Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said that collaring the tigress is necessary as the officials will not only know its movement but also help infuse many inputs towards conservation of tiger corridors.
"Till today we don't know the exact status of tigers, the group they belong to or the place from where they have come. The WTI will support monitoring of the tigress," Bhamburkar said.
After the Sariska debacle in which the entire tiger population was poached, the Tiger Task Force (TTF) had in August 2005 recommended that all efforts should be made to encourage and facilitate intensive research and monitoring of tigers by using a variety of tools like photo-identification and monitoring, camera traps, radiotelemetry and DNA-based genetic studies in different landscape units.
Although radio-collaring is a good system to monitor animals, an intelligence report submitted to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) in July 2009 had blamed 'radio-collaring' for the tiger deaths in the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
However, experts disagreed. They said Panna tigers died due to human interference and added that it's very convenient to blame scientists and methods. They say section 28(1) of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) has provision for scientific research, investigation and study of wildlife.
In a court matter (October 2010), the Karnataka government and the forest department differed on radio-collaring tigers. While the Karnataka government said that there is nothing wrong with radio-collaring, the forest department rejected a proposal by wildlife researcher K Ullas Karanth to continue research on tigers by adopting radio-collaring.
Former PCCF of Madhya Pradesh, P M Lad was of the view that collaring is a secondary thing. The primary issue is that since the staff doesn't move around in the forest, it doesn't have adequate knowledge about straying tigers. "Officials should first know where the tigress came from and then go for the experiment. Radio collaring has both advantages and disadvantages," he added.
"We are preparing for the post-monitoring of the tigress and exploring all the available methods," said N Rambabu, conservator of forests (Nagpur Division).
The forest department is making 'preliminary inquiries about getting a radio-collar'. "If we don't get it easily and early, we won't waste time as the tigress is fit to be released back into the wild. We are also in touch with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) officials," Rambabu added.
Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary of the NTCA, did not respond to calls made by TOI and neither did he reply to a text message.
If all goes well, the Katlabodi tigress will be the first case of cat collaring in the state. This will also be the first success story of a rescued tigress being released to back where it belongs. Earlier, the wildlife wing had fixed chips in leopards that had strayed into the Ordnance Factory in Chandrapur.
"I see no reason why we should not keep track of the tigress. Thousands of animals are being studied and followed through radio collar or marking," said Asad Rahmani, director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Rahmani added that the forest department is quite capable of executing their plan. They can put a radio-collar that can fall off after the battery is worn out or even before that.
"These days we get tailor-made radio-collars for a particular study for a particular animal and even for a particular sex with a set programme to provide required information. Radio-collaring, satellite tracking, ringing and banding are well-known techniques to study animals and also to follow the movement of the released animals," said Rahmani, who is also a member of the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL).
Another NBWL member Kishor Rithe said, "I don't see any problem. It's a good opportunity that has come walking to the forest officials. Collaring will help in knowing the source population. If not a collar, they should at least fit a transmission chip. The chief wildlife warden needs to take a call."
Nitin Desai, director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Central India, suggested a satellite collar, which may cost somewhere between Rs 2-2.5 lakh.
Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said that collaring the tigress is necessary as the officials will not only know its movement but also help infuse many inputs towards conservation of tiger corridors.
"Till today we don't know the exact status of tigers, the group they belong to or the place from where they have come. The WTI will support monitoring of the tigress," Bhamburkar said.
After the Sariska debacle in which the entire tiger population was poached, the Tiger Task Force (TTF) had in August 2005 recommended that all efforts should be made to encourage and facilitate intensive research and monitoring of tigers by using a variety of tools like photo-identification and monitoring, camera traps, radiotelemetry and DNA-based genetic studies in different landscape units.
Although radio-collaring is a good system to monitor animals, an intelligence report submitted to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) in July 2009 had blamed 'radio-collaring' for the tiger deaths in the Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
However, experts disagreed. They said Panna tigers died due to human interference and added that it's very convenient to blame scientists and methods. They say section 28(1) of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) has provision for scientific research, investigation and study of wildlife.
In a court matter (October 2010), the Karnataka government and the forest department differed on radio-collaring tigers. While the Karnataka government said that there is nothing wrong with radio-collaring, the forest department rejected a proposal by wildlife researcher K Ullas Karanth to continue research on tigers by adopting radio-collaring.
Former PCCF of Madhya Pradesh, P M Lad was of the view that collaring is a secondary thing. The primary issue is that since the staff doesn't move around in the forest, it doesn't have adequate knowledge about straying tigers. "Officials should first know where the tigress came from and then go for the experiment. Radio collaring has both advantages and disadvantages," he added.
Mixed views over Panna tigers' radio-collaring TNN
In 2009, a wildlife intelligence report had blamed 'radio collaring' for tiger deaths in Panna. It said that radio collaring compromised the overall security of the reserve. The report found that around 80% of tigers killed in Panna met their fate at the hands of poachers after they were radio collared.
The report said that radio collars restricted the movement of the animal for hunting its prey and free movement in the wild.
The radio-collar resulted in infections on the neck which later become fatal for the animal.
However, this may be because the standard operating procedures for radio-collaring were not followed. There are reasons to suggest that poachers may have also brought radio frequency catching devices to first locate the tiger and subsequently poach it.
Radio-collaring of tigers in Panna started in 1998. The wildcats were first tranquillized to tag collars. There were about 27 tigers till 2007 but later it was revealed that the reserve had no tigers left. The BNHS had slammed the report.
BNHS director Asad Rahmani told TOI that radio-collaring of big cats and other animals is an efficient method which is being used since 40 years. "Scientists have used radio-collaring and telemetry to study the ecology and behaviour of big cats. The results have been good," he said.
Radio-collaring never leads to poaching. There are several tiger sanctuaries in India where big cats have gone extinct even without the use of radio-collaring.
The report said that radio collars restricted the movement of the animal for hunting its prey and free movement in the wild.
The radio-collar resulted in infections on the neck which later become fatal for the animal.
However, this may be because the standard operating procedures for radio-collaring were not followed. There are reasons to suggest that poachers may have also brought radio frequency catching devices to first locate the tiger and subsequently poach it.
Radio-collaring of tigers in Panna started in 1998. The wildcats were first tranquillized to tag collars. There were about 27 tigers till 2007 but later it was revealed that the reserve had no tigers left. The BNHS had slammed the report.
BNHS director Asad Rahmani told TOI that radio-collaring of big cats and other animals is an efficient method which is being used since 40 years. "Scientists have used radio-collaring and telemetry to study the ecology and behaviour of big cats. The results have been good," he said.
Radio-collaring never leads to poaching. There are several tiger sanctuaries in India where big cats have gone extinct even without the use of radio-collaring.
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