Published: Wednesday, Jan 5, 2011, 11:32 IST
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Satara (Maharashtra) | Agency: DNA
The protest march by villagers against the Sahyadri Tiger Project took an ugly turn on Monday evening when angry villagers pelted stones on the forest department (wildlife) office in Patan in Satara district.
The villagers were agitating against the Sahyadri Tiger Project, which was initiated last year by combining the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park.
The rally, led by Zilla Parishad (ZP) member, Rajabhau Shelar; Patan Panchayat Samiti’s former president, Satyajeetsinh Patankar; ZP’s former deputy president, Vikrambaba Patankar; and Panchayat Samiti president, Pooja Kadam; started from Koynanagar bus stand.
However, when the villagers reached the forest office, they suddenly started pelting stones at the forest office and broke the doors and windows. They also raised slogans like ‘Save man, not tiger’.
Opposing the project, spread over four districts of Satara, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur and Sangli, they submitted a memorandum to tehsildar, Pralhad Hiramani.
There are 90 villages in the buffer zone of the project and 83 villages in the core zone. Though the villagers will not be relocated, the project shall restrict development activities in the hamlets.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tiger mauls teen
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Guwahati, Jan. 4: A 16-year-old boy was mauled by a tiger at Kaziranga National Park this morning when he was tending to his cattle.
A senior park official said Saibur Rahman, a resident of Bhujmari village, was attacked around 10.30am.
“The high density of tigers… is leading to increased tiger-human conflict incidents,” a forest official said.
Experts said given the high density of tigers in the national park, incidents like this will happen.
A camera-trapping study of tigers carried out has reported that there are 32 tigers per 100sqkm of the national park, the highest in the world.
The usual density of tigers varies from 3-12 per 100sqkm in different reserves throughout the country.
The study had said one of the key reasons for the high tiger density in Kaziranga is an abundance of prey, including hog deer, sambar, swamp deer and wild buffalo.
Villagers found Saibur’s body today and cremated him.
The forest official said park employees have been deployed in the area where the tiger has attacked Saibur to monitor the animals.
Guwahati, Jan. 4: A 16-year-old boy was mauled by a tiger at Kaziranga National Park this morning when he was tending to his cattle.
A senior park official said Saibur Rahman, a resident of Bhujmari village, was attacked around 10.30am.
“The high density of tigers… is leading to increased tiger-human conflict incidents,” a forest official said.
Experts said given the high density of tigers in the national park, incidents like this will happen.
A camera-trapping study of tigers carried out has reported that there are 32 tigers per 100sqkm of the national park, the highest in the world.
The usual density of tigers varies from 3-12 per 100sqkm in different reserves throughout the country.
The study had said one of the key reasons for the high tiger density in Kaziranga is an abundance of prey, including hog deer, sambar, swamp deer and wild buffalo.
Villagers found Saibur’s body today and cremated him.
The forest official said park employees have been deployed in the area where the tiger has attacked Saibur to monitor the animals.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Jairam stands between shooter’s gun and Corbett tigress
Will the Sunderkhal tigress at Corbett Tiger Reserve be terminated?
Differences have cropped up between Union Forest & Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and the Uttarakhand Forest Department on a directive issued by the latter to eliminate the big cat following reporters of three human kills.
Chief Wildlife Warden S Chandola confirmed to The Pioneer that the order to terminate the tigress was issued on December 30. At the same time, Ramesh told this correspondent that the tigress would be tranquillised and relocated in the core area.
The tigress has been active in Sundarkhal, Garjia and Dhikuli ranges and has killed three persons during the past one-and-a-half months.
According to Corbett Tiger Reserve field director Ranjan Mishra, the tigress killed two women — Nandi Devi and Devki Devi — in the area on November 12 and December 29, respectively. One Kalpana Devi was killed on November 12, in Chukum area, under Ramnagar Forest Division.
He added, “The nature of killings indicates that her actions had been intentional. In such a situation, the Forest Department has to address grievances of the local population. Hence, the order (to shoot her) has been passed.”
Mishra said the tigress had not been sighted in the past two to three days, though five teams are searching for her. “A team of hunters has been sent to the jungles to kill the big cat,” he noted.
The Corbett field director was of the opinion that it is not possible to tranquillise a moving tiger.
Warden Chandola pointed out that after a tiger is found with human kill, there is no way out but to terminate it. In this case, the tigress was identified through pug impression pads (PIP) made by preparing a layer of fine soil about 2 cm thick on forest paths and animal tracks. Her pugmarks have been discovered near the human kill, according to him.
Experts, however, observed that PIP is an obsolete method of tracking. “Sunderkhal is a very important corridor area, at the periphery of Corbett and connecting Almora and Nainital Forest Divisions. The passage is often used by animals, including carnivores. In such a situation, it is important to identify animals actually responsible for the killings,” said one expert.
The more scientific DNA tests should be adopted in such cases, they opined.
Further, they pointed out that there had been no tiger chart mapping done to identify big cats in their respective territories. With another tiger in the same territory, how can it be said with certainty that the same tigress has made all three kills?
Locals also noted that the affected village — placed as it is in the periphery of the reserve — is an encroachment and the cat’s termination order, politically motivated. “The Forest Department should come out with long term plans to check increasing man-animal conflicts in the region. Merely killing a tigress will not solve the problem,” said an expert.
All may well not be over yet. On the basis of statements made by Ramesh, sources in the Ministry of Environment & Forest gave indications that the tigress would eventually be tranquillised and relocated in the forest. “After all, political pressures in the periphery of the forest have to be pacified… so the termination order was issued,” a source added.
Differences have cropped up between Union Forest & Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and the Uttarakhand Forest Department on a directive issued by the latter to eliminate the big cat following reporters of three human kills.
Chief Wildlife Warden S Chandola confirmed to The Pioneer that the order to terminate the tigress was issued on December 30. At the same time, Ramesh told this correspondent that the tigress would be tranquillised and relocated in the core area.
The tigress has been active in Sundarkhal, Garjia and Dhikuli ranges and has killed three persons during the past one-and-a-half months.
According to Corbett Tiger Reserve field director Ranjan Mishra, the tigress killed two women — Nandi Devi and Devki Devi — in the area on November 12 and December 29, respectively. One Kalpana Devi was killed on November 12, in Chukum area, under Ramnagar Forest Division.
He added, “The nature of killings indicates that her actions had been intentional. In such a situation, the Forest Department has to address grievances of the local population. Hence, the order (to shoot her) has been passed.”
Mishra said the tigress had not been sighted in the past two to three days, though five teams are searching for her. “A team of hunters has been sent to the jungles to kill the big cat,” he noted.
The Corbett field director was of the opinion that it is not possible to tranquillise a moving tiger.
Warden Chandola pointed out that after a tiger is found with human kill, there is no way out but to terminate it. In this case, the tigress was identified through pug impression pads (PIP) made by preparing a layer of fine soil about 2 cm thick on forest paths and animal tracks. Her pugmarks have been discovered near the human kill, according to him.
Experts, however, observed that PIP is an obsolete method of tracking. “Sunderkhal is a very important corridor area, at the periphery of Corbett and connecting Almora and Nainital Forest Divisions. The passage is often used by animals, including carnivores. In such a situation, it is important to identify animals actually responsible for the killings,” said one expert.
The more scientific DNA tests should be adopted in such cases, they opined.
Further, they pointed out that there had been no tiger chart mapping done to identify big cats in their respective territories. With another tiger in the same territory, how can it be said with certainty that the same tigress has made all three kills?
Locals also noted that the affected village — placed as it is in the periphery of the reserve — is an encroachment and the cat’s termination order, politically motivated. “The Forest Department should come out with long term plans to check increasing man-animal conflicts in the region. Merely killing a tigress will not solve the problem,” said an expert.
All may well not be over yet. On the basis of statements made by Ramesh, sources in the Ministry of Environment & Forest gave indications that the tigress would eventually be tranquillised and relocated in the forest. “After all, political pressures in the periphery of the forest have to be pacified… so the termination order was issued,” a source added.
Tiger protection force may be delayed
Jan. 3: The much- awaited Tiger Protection Force (TPF), formed under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which will be deployed at Tiger Reserves in the State, is suffering from a financial crunch. By mid-2011, around 50 members of the TPF will be deployed in Nagarhole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves and in the next few months, the officers recruited under the new Force will be given weapons training.
Senior forest officials say that the Force will swing into action by June this year, provided the Central government releases funds on time. “We are awaiting the Centre’s funds for purchasing weapons for the recruited officers, who will soon be ready to be deployed.
The weapons training will be organized with the help of the Karnataka Police and the officers will be put on the job in the Tiger Reserves,” said a senior officer. According to forest officials, even before the first batch of TPF can complete its nine-month training, 20 guards and four foresters have withdrawn their applications.
At present, 44 guards and 14 foresters are undergoing training. The officials are now hoping for an early release of funds so that the weapons and communication command centre inside the Protected Areas (PAs) can be established.
Senior forest officials say that the Force will swing into action by June this year, provided the Central government releases funds on time. “We are awaiting the Centre’s funds for purchasing weapons for the recruited officers, who will soon be ready to be deployed.
The weapons training will be organized with the help of the Karnataka Police and the officers will be put on the job in the Tiger Reserves,” said a senior officer. According to forest officials, even before the first batch of TPF can complete its nine-month training, 20 guards and four foresters have withdrawn their applications.
At present, 44 guards and 14 foresters are undergoing training. The officials are now hoping for an early release of funds so that the weapons and communication command centre inside the Protected Areas (PAs) can be established.
Forest Gujjars get quota in tiger force
Welcome sign
Lucknow, Jan. 3: Van Gujjars, the mountain gypsies ousted from their camping sites in the Corbett and Rajaji national parks in the mid-nineties, have been granted 30 per cent reservation as forest guards force, while their plains counterparts in Rajasthan are agitating for a state job quota.
Unlike the Gujjars of Rajasthan, who are Hindus, Van Gujjars are Muslims.
The forest dwellers, who are vegetarians, will get 30 per cent reservation in a new tiger protection force being set up to check poaching in the Corbett reserve.
The Van Gujjars, numbering over 25,000 according to estimates by NGOs, resided in the Shivalik mountain range near the Jim Corbett National Park for over a century. Their caravans moving from the Doon Valley to the higher areas of the Himalayas in search of forest patches with their cattle in summer made for a curious sight to the people of Dehra Dun. Their food was mostly honey and fruits collected from the forests and the milk from their cattle.
But in the mid-nineties, the Van Gujjars were given government land near Hardwar and told to give up their forest life on suspicion that they were colluding with poachers to kill tigers.
However, when the central government last year approved the setting up of the Corbett tiger force, it asked forest officials to use the Van Gujjars’ knowledge of the forests effectively as they are familiar with the 520 sqkm Corbett park which now has 112 tigers.
The Uttarakhand cabinet okayed the proposal last week to make provision for the quota.
The tiger force will have a similar role like police with power under Section 197 of the criminal procedure code to register a case after a magisterial inquiry in cases of poaching.
Three platoons will be raised for Corbett, each with 30 personnel. Each platoon will be headed by a ranger, said M.H. Khan, secretary, forests and wildlife, in Dehra Dun today.
Khan said 27 posts would be reserved for the Van Gujjars. The force will employ more Gujjars when Rajaji National Park is included.
The forest and environment ministry has sanctioned a budget of Rs 4 crore a year for the force.
“Immediately, the project will be employed for the security of the Corbett Park but it may later be extended to other forest areas,” said another state forest official.
“This decision will help the Gujjars regain their self-respect after being branded poachers by government officials,” said A. Kaushal of the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, an NGO that was fighting for the rights of the Van Gujjars to dwell in the forests.
The Van Gujjars are traditionally vegetarians and they should not have been targeted for the poaching in Corbett, said Shiva Tyagi, another rights activist.
In Rajasthan, the Gujjars, who are farmers, have been agitating for nearly 14 days now over the job quota demand.
Lucknow, Jan. 3: Van Gujjars, the mountain gypsies ousted from their camping sites in the Corbett and Rajaji national parks in the mid-nineties, have been granted 30 per cent reservation as forest guards force, while their plains counterparts in Rajasthan are agitating for a state job quota.
Unlike the Gujjars of Rajasthan, who are Hindus, Van Gujjars are Muslims.
The forest dwellers, who are vegetarians, will get 30 per cent reservation in a new tiger protection force being set up to check poaching in the Corbett reserve.
The Van Gujjars, numbering over 25,000 according to estimates by NGOs, resided in the Shivalik mountain range near the Jim Corbett National Park for over a century. Their caravans moving from the Doon Valley to the higher areas of the Himalayas in search of forest patches with their cattle in summer made for a curious sight to the people of Dehra Dun. Their food was mostly honey and fruits collected from the forests and the milk from their cattle.
But in the mid-nineties, the Van Gujjars were given government land near Hardwar and told to give up their forest life on suspicion that they were colluding with poachers to kill tigers.
However, when the central government last year approved the setting up of the Corbett tiger force, it asked forest officials to use the Van Gujjars’ knowledge of the forests effectively as they are familiar with the 520 sqkm Corbett park which now has 112 tigers.
The Uttarakhand cabinet okayed the proposal last week to make provision for the quota.
The tiger force will have a similar role like police with power under Section 197 of the criminal procedure code to register a case after a magisterial inquiry in cases of poaching.
Three platoons will be raised for Corbett, each with 30 personnel. Each platoon will be headed by a ranger, said M.H. Khan, secretary, forests and wildlife, in Dehra Dun today.
Khan said 27 posts would be reserved for the Van Gujjars. The force will employ more Gujjars when Rajaji National Park is included.
The forest and environment ministry has sanctioned a budget of Rs 4 crore a year for the force.
“Immediately, the project will be employed for the security of the Corbett Park but it may later be extended to other forest areas,” said another state forest official.
“This decision will help the Gujjars regain their self-respect after being branded poachers by government officials,” said A. Kaushal of the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, an NGO that was fighting for the rights of the Van Gujjars to dwell in the forests.
The Van Gujjars are traditionally vegetarians and they should not have been targeted for the poaching in Corbett, said Shiva Tyagi, another rights activist.
In Rajasthan, the Gujjars, who are farmers, have been agitating for nearly 14 days now over the job quota demand.
MANAS reserve SHOWS SIGNS OF RECOVERY
A tiger in Manas National Park (Courtesy: T Ganesh)
A decade ago, Manas National Park in Assam, a natural world heritage site (WHS), was reeling from political turmoil which damaged habitat and wildlife. In 1992, UNESCO declared the park a heritage site in danger; seven years after it was inscribed in the WHS list.
The decline in violence following the 2003 agreement between the Indian government and Bodo leaders has benefited Manas. UNESCO has shown interest in removing it from the endangered list. But lack of reliable scientific data on the major wildlife populations has proved to be a hurdle. In the absence of such data, it was difficult to prepare heritage site management plan.
Our study conducted between 2006 and 2008 provided baseline information about the major wildlife populations. Using scientific techniques of population estimation, we found the presence of tigers in low abundance. But interestingly there was a marked improvement in signs that indicated tigers’ presence, like pugmarks. In the absence of previous estimates of the carnivore and prey base, we tried comparing tiger and prey densities of Manas with that of other tiger reserves.
After analysis, we found that while Manas still has the lowest abundance of both tiger and prey compared to other four tiger reserves, it has a fairly good prey population that can potentially sustain more tigers. The study was carried out in one range of the National Park; the park has three ranges.
Several organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFIndia program), Aaranyak and ATREE/UNESCO are collaborating to provide technical support to government efforts at estimating wildlife population in Manas.
T GANESH
Senior fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Researc
A decade ago, Manas National Park in Assam, a natural world heritage site (WHS), was reeling from political turmoil which damaged habitat and wildlife. In 1992, UNESCO declared the park a heritage site in danger; seven years after it was inscribed in the WHS list.
The decline in violence following the 2003 agreement between the Indian government and Bodo leaders has benefited Manas. UNESCO has shown interest in removing it from the endangered list. But lack of reliable scientific data on the major wildlife populations has proved to be a hurdle. In the absence of such data, it was difficult to prepare heritage site management plan.
Our study conducted between 2006 and 2008 provided baseline information about the major wildlife populations. Using scientific techniques of population estimation, we found the presence of tigers in low abundance. But interestingly there was a marked improvement in signs that indicated tigers’ presence, like pugmarks. In the absence of previous estimates of the carnivore and prey base, we tried comparing tiger and prey densities of Manas with that of other tiger reserves.
After analysis, we found that while Manas still has the lowest abundance of both tiger and prey compared to other four tiger reserves, it has a fairly good prey population that can potentially sustain more tigers. The study was carried out in one range of the National Park; the park has three ranges.
Several organisations including the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFIndia program), Aaranyak and ATREE/UNESCO are collaborating to provide technical support to government efforts at estimating wildlife population in Manas.
T GANESH
Senior fellow, Suri Sehgal Centre for Conservation Science Ashoka Trust for Researc
Finally, officials call meet to discuss Mansinghdeo
NAGPUR: A meeting to discuss modalities and various issues related to the newly created Mansinghdeo Wildlife Sanctuary adjoining Pench Tiger Reserve will be held on January 5.
Even though the sanctuary notification was issued on November 2, the government did not make any efforts as to who would take over the management of the sanctuary. TOI, on Monday, reported that handing over of Mansinghdeo is being delayed. On Monday, A K Saxena, chief conservator of forests (CCF) for Nagpur Wildlife Circle, and Krishna Mohan, CCF for Nagpur Territorial Circle held discussions and decided to call a meeting.
The meeting will be attended by regional manager of Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), conservator of forests for Nagpur Division and the two circle heads.
Sources said officials will discuss legal process to hand over the sanctuary to Pench Tiger Reserve. The other issues include existing staff strength, area, boundaries, and rights among a host of other things.
This is the first meeting after two months the notification has been issued. It's an indication that official process to give shape to the 183 sq km Mansinghdeo sanctuary has started.
Even though the sanctuary notification was issued on November 2, the government did not make any efforts as to who would take over the management of the sanctuary. TOI, on Monday, reported that handing over of Mansinghdeo is being delayed. On Monday, A K Saxena, chief conservator of forests (CCF) for Nagpur Wildlife Circle, and Krishna Mohan, CCF for Nagpur Territorial Circle held discussions and decided to call a meeting.
The meeting will be attended by regional manager of Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), conservator of forests for Nagpur Division and the two circle heads.
Sources said officials will discuss legal process to hand over the sanctuary to Pench Tiger Reserve. The other issues include existing staff strength, area, boundaries, and rights among a host of other things.
This is the first meeting after two months the notification has been issued. It's an indication that official process to give shape to the 183 sq km Mansinghdeo sanctuary has started.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tigress caught and released in Sunderbans
KOLKATA: The tigress that had strayed into a village at Mathurakhanda in the Sunderbans' Bally island on Wednesday was trapped and released on Friday afternoon. The six-year-old female had sneaked into the village and entered a house where it killed a goat. The big cat, however, couldn't be traced after that. Terrified villagers spent a sleepless night.
Pugmarks were detected near the forest at the edge of the village on Thursday afternoon. A forest department team put up a nylon net cordon and laid a trap-cage with a bait to catch the tigress.
Early on Friday morning, the tigress walked into it.
"The animal is healthy and it has been released at the Chamta 6 section of the forest, at least 110 km away from the Mathurakhanda village. It's unlikely that the tigress would stray again in the near future," said Anjan Guha, assistant field director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve.
The area where the straying happened falls within the core area of the forest. "We had to act promptly after the tiger became untraceable. It could have ben hiding in some village cowshed and attacked people. Fortunately, it went back into the neighbouring forest making it easy for us to trap it," added Guha.
Pugmarks were detected near the forest at the edge of the village on Thursday afternoon. A forest department team put up a nylon net cordon and laid a trap-cage with a bait to catch the tigress.
Early on Friday morning, the tigress walked into it.
"The animal is healthy and it has been released at the Chamta 6 section of the forest, at least 110 km away from the Mathurakhanda village. It's unlikely that the tigress would stray again in the near future," said Anjan Guha, assistant field director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve.
The area where the straying happened falls within the core area of the forest. "We had to act promptly after the tiger became untraceable. It could have ben hiding in some village cowshed and attacked people. Fortunately, it went back into the neighbouring forest making it easy for us to trap it," added Guha.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Order issued to shoot man-eating tiger in Corbett reserve
The Uttarakhand forest department today issued an order to shoot a tiger which has killed three women in the past month and a half in the Corbett Tiger Reserve area.
Chief wildlife warden Srikant Chandola said the order to shoot the 'man-eater', which is active in Sundarkhal, Garjia and Dhikuli ranges of the tiger reserve, have been issued.
A team of hunters has been sent to the jungles to kill the big cat.
Meanwhile, three forest teams have been pressed into service to look for the remains of a woman who was devoured by the tiger in the Garjia area when she was returning after fetching fodder for her cattle last evening, he said.
On November 12 and 18, the tiger killed two other women in the area in separate incidents.
Chief wildlife warden Srikant Chandola said the order to shoot the 'man-eater', which is active in Sundarkhal, Garjia and Dhikuli ranges of the tiger reserve, have been issued.
A team of hunters has been sent to the jungles to kill the big cat.
Meanwhile, three forest teams have been pressed into service to look for the remains of a woman who was devoured by the tiger in the Garjia area when she was returning after fetching fodder for her cattle last evening, he said.
On November 12 and 18, the tiger killed two other women in the area in separate incidents.
Tiger strays into village
KOLKATA: A tiger strayed into Mathurakhanda village on Bali island, Gosaba, in South 24-Parganas on Thursday evening.
The tiger had killed a goat and after finding its pugmark in the village, residents alarmed forest officials. The forest department sent a team to trap the tiger, but till late night, they had failed to spot the big cat. Forest officials said they would tranquilize the tiger, for which the team, equipped with tranquilizing guns and trap cages, was searching the village island.
This year, there have been more than 10 cases of tigers straying into Sunderbans villages, which are located close to the forests. This has triggered a major problem for villagers dwelling close to the woods as tigers often attack cattle and even them.
The tiger had killed a goat and after finding its pugmark in the village, residents alarmed forest officials. The forest department sent a team to trap the tiger, but till late night, they had failed to spot the big cat. Forest officials said they would tranquilize the tiger, for which the team, equipped with tranquilizing guns and trap cages, was searching the village island.
This year, there have been more than 10 cases of tigers straying into Sunderbans villages, which are located close to the forests. This has triggered a major problem for villagers dwelling close to the woods as tigers often attack cattle and even them.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tiger census by February: Ramesh
New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) The results of the tiger census now under way will be released by February 2011, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said Wednesday.
'We can expect the tiger census results by February, and it is for the first time that Sunderbans (in West Bengal) has been included in the census,' Ramesh told IANS.
Ramesh said this time the tiger census was being conducted in a more scientific manner. It was based on pugmarks earlier.
The ministry was earlier supposed to release the census results by November end.
The last census in 2005-06 showed a sharp fall in tiger numbers, showing India had only 1,411 tigers in the wild.
India was home to about 3,000 tigers around two decades ago.
'We can expect the tiger census results by February, and it is for the first time that Sunderbans (in West Bengal) has been included in the census,' Ramesh told IANS.
Ramesh said this time the tiger census was being conducted in a more scientific manner. It was based on pugmarks earlier.
The ministry was earlier supposed to release the census results by November end.
The last census in 2005-06 showed a sharp fall in tiger numbers, showing India had only 1,411 tigers in the wild.
India was home to about 3,000 tigers around two decades ago.
Panel to set tourism norms around tiger reserves
The environment ministry has formed a committee to lay down guidelines for regulating forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the country, especially around tiger reserves, officials said on Wednesday. The seven-member committee set up under the chairmanship of Sujit Banerjee, former secretary with the tourism ministry, will submit its final report within 45 days.
"The committee will make an appraisal of ecological issues, tourist visitation and suggest measures for carrying capacity of the reserves, and give recommendations for regulating tourism in ecologically sensitive non-forest areas in and around tiger reserves," said an official of the environment ministry.
It will firm up the guidelines for forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the context of advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act.
The committee will also see the studies conducted by the tourism ministry on lodges and resorts around the tiger reserves.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh recently expressed concern over dangers posed by mushrooming tourist lodges around tiger reserves, especially the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
The ministry is working on guidelines for promoting eco-tourism - tourism that is ecologically sustainable and is in line with the carrying capacity of tourists in a particular reserve.
"The committee will make an appraisal of ecological issues, tourist visitation and suggest measures for carrying capacity of the reserves, and give recommendations for regulating tourism in ecologically sensitive non-forest areas in and around tiger reserves," said an official of the environment ministry.
It will firm up the guidelines for forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the context of advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act.
The committee will also see the studies conducted by the tourism ministry on lodges and resorts around the tiger reserves.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh recently expressed concern over dangers posed by mushrooming tourist lodges around tiger reserves, especially the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
The ministry is working on guidelines for promoting eco-tourism - tourism that is ecologically sustainable and is in line with the carrying capacity of tourists in a particular reserve.
Two women arrested in Punjab for smuggling tiger skins
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Forest rangers have arrested two women for their alleged role in smuggling skins and other body parts of two tigers.
Apart from tigers, some body parts and teeth of deer were also recovered from them.
Sewa Singh, the Divisional Forest Officer, Amritsar Range said the women did not reveal anything apart from their identity.
The samples of tiger's skin are being sent to the Wildlife Institute at Dehradun for further investigations, he said.
"The two arrested women have been identified as Geeta and Taka who are residents of Karnataka. But during interrogation, the women said they are not residing in any particular place and they have not revealed much information about this smuggling," said Singh.
"They told us that these skins are fake and probably they are making stories about it. But our investigation is underway for which we would send the samples of these skins to Wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun," he added.
Singh further said the accused women would get tough punishment, if proven guilty.
"Under the Wildlife Protection 1972 Act, the women will be punished for smuggling tigers body parts. The women will get imprisonment of minimum three years and maximum seven years and would be imposed a fine of minimum ten thousand rupees," said Singh.
He also informed that the recovered skins were of a tiger and a cub that would have fetched the smugglers in the international market, at least rupees 65000 and 35000 respectively. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)
Forest rangers have arrested two women for their alleged role in smuggling skins and other body parts of two tigers.
Apart from tigers, some body parts and teeth of deer were also recovered from them.
Sewa Singh, the Divisional Forest Officer, Amritsar Range said the women did not reveal anything apart from their identity.
The samples of tiger's skin are being sent to the Wildlife Institute at Dehradun for further investigations, he said.
"The two arrested women have been identified as Geeta and Taka who are residents of Karnataka. But during interrogation, the women said they are not residing in any particular place and they have not revealed much information about this smuggling," said Singh.
"They told us that these skins are fake and probably they are making stories about it. But our investigation is underway for which we would send the samples of these skins to Wildlife Institute of India at Dehradun," he added.
Singh further said the accused women would get tough punishment, if proven guilty.
"Under the Wildlife Protection 1972 Act, the women will be punished for smuggling tigers body parts. The women will get imprisonment of minimum three years and maximum seven years and would be imposed a fine of minimum ten thousand rupees," said Singh.
He also informed that the recovered skins were of a tiger and a cub that would have fetched the smugglers in the international market, at least rupees 65000 and 35000 respectively. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)
Over 70% Sariska bookings cancelled
ALWAR: The ongoing Gujjar agitation has hit the tourist arrivals at the Sariska tiger reserve.
The efforts to revive the tiger population at Sariska, and the recent visit of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had brightened its prospects of attracting higher number of tourists this year. However, the road and rail blockade by the Gujjars has dealt a blow to the sanctuary's plans to cash in on the year-end festivities, with over 70% cancellations being reported in the past few days.
Hundreds of tourists have been left stranded and majority are not ready to take any chances. "Over 70% bookings have already been cancelled at my property," says Dinesh Durrani, owner of Sariska Tiger Heaven Hotel.
The hotel had put in a lot of effort and money to spruce up the property before the new year but the owner now fears it would be difficult to recover the investment.
Another hotel owner in Alwar Nagesh Kumar said as long as the New Delhi-Jaipur highway was not blocked, there were no major cancellations but after the Gujjar leaders decided to oppose new year celebrations, many bookings have been cancelled. "In today's age, people have access to information regarding remotest of areas. Tourists start for a trip only after taking all precautions," said Kumar.
Andy Crooks, a tourist from Australia who was at Sariska on Wednesday had to cut short his extensive Rajasthan trip due to the Gujjar agitation. "We had to face several difficulties as buses and trains were diverted," said Crooks.
Records show that the number of tourists coming to Sariska during the last week of December has decreased drastically this season. Last year, 25,501 tourists had come to Sariska on December 25. In comparison, this year only 229 tourists came to Sariska for Christmas. From December 26-29, over 2,100 tourists visited Sariska in 2009 but only about 900 tourists made it to the wildlife sanctuary this year.
"The road blockade at Nathni ka bara village on Alwar-Jaipur route on Wednesday has scared the tourists and several of them were stranded for hours. There is a possibility that tourists could stop coming to Sariska after Wednesday's blockade," chief forest officer at Sariska R S Shekhawat told TOI.
The efforts to revive the tiger population at Sariska, and the recent visit of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had brightened its prospects of attracting higher number of tourists this year. However, the road and rail blockade by the Gujjars has dealt a blow to the sanctuary's plans to cash in on the year-end festivities, with over 70% cancellations being reported in the past few days.
Hundreds of tourists have been left stranded and majority are not ready to take any chances. "Over 70% bookings have already been cancelled at my property," says Dinesh Durrani, owner of Sariska Tiger Heaven Hotel.
The hotel had put in a lot of effort and money to spruce up the property before the new year but the owner now fears it would be difficult to recover the investment.
Another hotel owner in Alwar Nagesh Kumar said as long as the New Delhi-Jaipur highway was not blocked, there were no major cancellations but after the Gujjar leaders decided to oppose new year celebrations, many bookings have been cancelled. "In today's age, people have access to information regarding remotest of areas. Tourists start for a trip only after taking all precautions," said Kumar.
Andy Crooks, a tourist from Australia who was at Sariska on Wednesday had to cut short his extensive Rajasthan trip due to the Gujjar agitation. "We had to face several difficulties as buses and trains were diverted," said Crooks.
Records show that the number of tourists coming to Sariska during the last week of December has decreased drastically this season. Last year, 25,501 tourists had come to Sariska on December 25. In comparison, this year only 229 tourists came to Sariska for Christmas. From December 26-29, over 2,100 tourists visited Sariska in 2009 but only about 900 tourists made it to the wildlife sanctuary this year.
"The road blockade at Nathni ka bara village on Alwar-Jaipur route on Wednesday has scared the tourists and several of them were stranded for hours. There is a possibility that tourists could stop coming to Sariska after Wednesday's blockade," chief forest officer at Sariska R S Shekhawat told TOI.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
No rise in tiger population in Palamu
DALTONGANJ: In the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), the number of elephants has increased 10 times since 1974 whereas the number of tigers has gone down.
In 1974, when the PTR was set up here, there were as many as 32 elephants and 22 tigers. With the passage of time, the number of elephants went up to as many as 225 while tiger count came down to six only.
Wildlife experts opine that the tigers are more exposed to poisoning and poaching than elephants. Field director (Project Tiger) P Updahaya recently said that there were still many zones in the PTR where the tigers have not been counted and there could be a possibility of finding more tigers in the reserve.
However, according to the steering committee member of Project Elephant, D S Srivastava, "PTR is now more or less home to elephants without tusks basically female though some male elephants also do not have tusks.
Elephants in PTR are also exposed to life hazards like train tracks, over-head high-tension electric wires.
However, contrary to popular belief, elephants of the reserve never move out and go on rampage in Garhwa and other neighbouring areas. Srivastava said, "PTR's elephants do not move out but herds from Chhatisgarh stray into parts of Garhwa district. PTR's elephants do only intra-migration that is within the ambit of the reserve."
Explaining the intra-migration of the elephants, he said, "Elephants of Betla National Park move out from here to their summer resort Baresar and Kujrum within the reserve where there are perennial water bodies."
In 1974, when the PTR was set up here, there were as many as 32 elephants and 22 tigers. With the passage of time, the number of elephants went up to as many as 225 while tiger count came down to six only.
Wildlife experts opine that the tigers are more exposed to poisoning and poaching than elephants. Field director (Project Tiger) P Updahaya recently said that there were still many zones in the PTR where the tigers have not been counted and there could be a possibility of finding more tigers in the reserve.
However, according to the steering committee member of Project Elephant, D S Srivastava, "PTR is now more or less home to elephants without tusks basically female though some male elephants also do not have tusks.
Elephants in PTR are also exposed to life hazards like train tracks, over-head high-tension electric wires.
However, contrary to popular belief, elephants of the reserve never move out and go on rampage in Garhwa and other neighbouring areas. Srivastava said, "PTR's elephants do not move out but herds from Chhatisgarh stray into parts of Garhwa district. PTR's elephants do only intra-migration that is within the ambit of the reserve."
Explaining the intra-migration of the elephants, he said, "Elephants of Betla National Park move out from here to their summer resort Baresar and Kujrum within the reserve where there are perennial water bodies."
Leopard-human conflict: M'rashtra handles it better
SURAT: The neighbouring state of Maharashtra through a scientific approach and the help of a non-government organisation has been able to bring down the incidents of leopard-human conflict there. The leopard mortality was an issue of concern even for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) though the subject was not in its domain. In contrast, for the past six years south Gujarat has been witnessing recurrent incidents of human and leopard conflict, but the state's forest department is yet to come out with a concrete plan to arrest the trend. It is still caught up in the age-old techniques either of caging or shooting the leopard.
About 15 people lost their lives since 2005 in leopard attacks in Maharashtra while six have died in the attacks by the big cats in Gujarat's Surat and Tapi districts in the past 40 days alone. Between January to December 2010, 35 leopards were killed in conflict with humans or became victims of poachers in Maharashtra which in the previous year had reported deaths of 48 leopards.
"The decrease in the number of conflicts and in the tally of deaths of leopards is due to the drive carried out by Maharashtra's forest department and our NGO. We requested the forest department to change the pattern to tackle the issue," said Vidya Athrey of Project Waghoba.
She said the need is to understand the big cat instead of just caging it randomly and then releasing it in the wild. Before 2008 about 40 leopards were caught and released in the wild every year in Maharashtra but now this number has come down to 10.
"Caging leopards and then releasing them in the wild make them dangerous for the humans. We have tried to provide a safe environment to the animal in the area where it lives and also worked to change human behaviour slightly," Athrey explained.
"Like in Maharashtra, leopards make their home in the sugarcane farms in Gujarat too. On being caught they come into direct conflict with humans. We are trying to convince Gujarat Government to look at our work in Maharashtra and hope to be involved in Gujarat in controlling the situation," she added. Ends
About 15 people lost their lives since 2005 in leopard attacks in Maharashtra while six have died in the attacks by the big cats in Gujarat's Surat and Tapi districts in the past 40 days alone. Between January to December 2010, 35 leopards were killed in conflict with humans or became victims of poachers in Maharashtra which in the previous year had reported deaths of 48 leopards.
"The decrease in the number of conflicts and in the tally of deaths of leopards is due to the drive carried out by Maharashtra's forest department and our NGO. We requested the forest department to change the pattern to tackle the issue," said Vidya Athrey of Project Waghoba.
She said the need is to understand the big cat instead of just caging it randomly and then releasing it in the wild. Before 2008 about 40 leopards were caught and released in the wild every year in Maharashtra but now this number has come down to 10.
"Caging leopards and then releasing them in the wild make them dangerous for the humans. We have tried to provide a safe environment to the animal in the area where it lives and also worked to change human behaviour slightly," Athrey explained.
"Like in Maharashtra, leopards make their home in the sugarcane farms in Gujarat too. On being caught they come into direct conflict with humans. We are trying to convince Gujarat Government to look at our work in Maharashtra and hope to be involved in Gujarat in controlling the situation," she added. Ends
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Poison stink in tiger death
Jorhat, Dec. 27: An alert has been sounded in Assam’s Orang National Park following the recovery of a Royal Bengal tiger carcass yesterday.
The post-mortem report indicates the tiger may have died of poisoning.
The viscera has been sent to the forensic laboratory in Guwahati for confirmation.
Park director S.K. Daila said the carcass of the five-year-old female tiger was recovered from a dense forest area near the Pachnoi river by forest guards.
“The carcass bore no injury marks and there was nothing unusual noticed at the location from where it was found,” he said.
The recovery of the carcass comes amid speculation that villagers residing near the periphery of the national park might have tried to poison the big cats in retaliation to the increasing tiger attacks on cattle.
Villages near Orang National Park have seen a rise in conflicts between Royal Bengal tigers and humans, with the big cats frequently straying out of the park and attacking cattle.
Tigers have killed more than 20 cattle heads in the past few months.
Daila said there has been an increase in tiger population at Orang and, therefore, big cats were frequently straying out of the park.
“The actual figure will be known only after a census but we have spotted two tiger cubs born a few months back,” he said.
The park official said, a week back, two tigers strayed out of the park and entered a human habitat and the forest staff had to fire in the air to chase the two tigers back inside the park.
The park authorities signed an MoU with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recently to minimise the increasing incidents of conflicts between tigers and humans.
According to the MoU, to gain the confidence of the villagers, the WWF would pay interim relief to owners of cattle killed by tigers.
“We have also organised joint patrolling by villagers and forest guards in areas where there are frequent incidents of tigers killing cattle,” Daila said.
The post-mortem report indicates the tiger may have died of poisoning.
The viscera has been sent to the forensic laboratory in Guwahati for confirmation.
Park director S.K. Daila said the carcass of the five-year-old female tiger was recovered from a dense forest area near the Pachnoi river by forest guards.
“The carcass bore no injury marks and there was nothing unusual noticed at the location from where it was found,” he said.
The recovery of the carcass comes amid speculation that villagers residing near the periphery of the national park might have tried to poison the big cats in retaliation to the increasing tiger attacks on cattle.
Villages near Orang National Park have seen a rise in conflicts between Royal Bengal tigers and humans, with the big cats frequently straying out of the park and attacking cattle.
Tigers have killed more than 20 cattle heads in the past few months.
Daila said there has been an increase in tiger population at Orang and, therefore, big cats were frequently straying out of the park.
“The actual figure will be known only after a census but we have spotted two tiger cubs born a few months back,” he said.
The park official said, a week back, two tigers strayed out of the park and entered a human habitat and the forest staff had to fire in the air to chase the two tigers back inside the park.
The park authorities signed an MoU with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) recently to minimise the increasing incidents of conflicts between tigers and humans.
According to the MoU, to gain the confidence of the villagers, the WWF would pay interim relief to owners of cattle killed by tigers.
“We have also organised joint patrolling by villagers and forest guards in areas where there are frequent incidents of tigers killing cattle,” Daila said.
Leopard''s carcass found; poaching attempt suspected
Lakhimpur, Dec 27 (PTI) In a suspected case of poaching, the carcass of a young leopard was recovered from Kishunpur sanctuary in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, a forest department official said here today.
The carcass of a four-year-old young male leopard was recovered late last evening in Ambargarh beat of the sanctuary, field director Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Shailesh Prasad said.
As the carcass was found entangled in dense shrubs and there were creepers all over it, initially it was presumed that the big cat died after getting caught in the shrubs.
However, the recovery of a metal wire from inside the creepers made the park authorities suspicious, Prasad said.
After the recovery of metal wires, which could not be sensed with metal detectors, the authorities are carrying out a probe from all angles, Prasad said after visiting the spot.
Deputy director of the park Sanjay Kumar Pathak said all vital organs of the body such as skin, jaw, paws, nails, etc.
were found intact and the carcass has been sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, for an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Authorities fear that the leopard died due to a poaching attempt, as on July 31 poachers had attempted to kill a leopard with an iron trap.
However, the patrolling staff managed to prevent the endangered animal from being killed though it sustained some injuries in its foreleg, Pathak said.
He said some persons have been apprehended and raids were being carried on to nab the culprits.
The field staff in entire Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has been alerted to keep a close vigil on the movements of protected animals, Pathak said.
The carcass of a four-year-old young male leopard was recovered late last evening in Ambargarh beat of the sanctuary, field director Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Shailesh Prasad said.
As the carcass was found entangled in dense shrubs and there were creepers all over it, initially it was presumed that the big cat died after getting caught in the shrubs.
However, the recovery of a metal wire from inside the creepers made the park authorities suspicious, Prasad said.
After the recovery of metal wires, which could not be sensed with metal detectors, the authorities are carrying out a probe from all angles, Prasad said after visiting the spot.
Deputy director of the park Sanjay Kumar Pathak said all vital organs of the body such as skin, jaw, paws, nails, etc.
were found intact and the carcass has been sent to Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, for an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Authorities fear that the leopard died due to a poaching attempt, as on July 31 poachers had attempted to kill a leopard with an iron trap.
However, the patrolling staff managed to prevent the endangered animal from being killed though it sustained some injuries in its foreleg, Pathak said.
He said some persons have been apprehended and raids were being carried on to nab the culprits.
The field staff in entire Dudhwa Tiger Reserve has been alerted to keep a close vigil on the movements of protected animals, Pathak said.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Three held with tiger skin in Tamil Nadu
Three persons were arrested on charges of possessing tiger skin near the Sathyamangalam forest area by officials of the Special Task Force (STF), police said today. STF personnel arrested them after noticing that the three were carrying a gunny bag with the skin during a routine patrol along the Bannari-Dhimbam ghat road on Saturday.
Palamu graded poor' by tiger watch body
DALTONGANJ: It's official. Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) has been categorized "poor" by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) responsible for categorizing tiger reserves under Project Tiger. Set up in 1974, PTA is battling hard for its existence and survival.
According to a member of the Management Effective Evaluation (EM) of NOTCH, D S Srivastava, the conclusion was reached after two evaluations of the tiger reserve. Consequently, a report was sent to NTCA in Delhi for placement before the Prime Minister. NTCA was set up in 2005 on the recommendations of Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister.
Srivastava elaborated, "A preliminary evaluation was done by a team of experts, including Sameer Sinha of Wildlife Trust of India, Rashin Burman of Assam, Rajinder Mishra of Chhatisgarh and R K Singh of Delhi. Another evaluation was done this November by Prerna Bhendra and R L Singh among other wildlife experts."
A total of 120 parameters decide on the grade. "PTR scored the lowest in all from funding, its usage, habitat management, grassland management, anti-fire measures and anti-poaching measures," he said.
But he added that there are reasons why Palamu has fared so poorly. He felt that for starters, the government should fill up all vacant posts of ground staff. "There are only 39 forest guards in PTR as against the sanctioned strength of 179," he revealed.
The other task before the government is to prioritize wildlife management. "It is not on the agenda of the government it appears. No government fund has come to PTA since nine months," he rued.
The challenge, he said, is to revive and restore its glory. In 1974, there were 22 tigers and 32 elephants. Today the number of tigers has dwindled whereas the number of elephants has shot up to 225. "The other task is to strike a balance between human and wildlife population as the man-animal conflict has taken a toll on PTA," he said.
Srivastava favoured people's participation in the management of wildlife. There should be smaller monitoring units entrusted with the maintenance of PTR.
When asked if it is possible for PTR to regain its old position, he said, "First, people living in and outside PTR must feel that every tiger, every elephant is theirs and that protecting them is their responsibility. Only then will the situation improve in PTR."
According to a member of the Management Effective Evaluation (EM) of NOTCH, D S Srivastava, the conclusion was reached after two evaluations of the tiger reserve. Consequently, a report was sent to NTCA in Delhi for placement before the Prime Minister. NTCA was set up in 2005 on the recommendations of Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister.
Srivastava elaborated, "A preliminary evaluation was done by a team of experts, including Sameer Sinha of Wildlife Trust of India, Rashin Burman of Assam, Rajinder Mishra of Chhatisgarh and R K Singh of Delhi. Another evaluation was done this November by Prerna Bhendra and R L Singh among other wildlife experts."
A total of 120 parameters decide on the grade. "PTR scored the lowest in all from funding, its usage, habitat management, grassland management, anti-fire measures and anti-poaching measures," he said.
But he added that there are reasons why Palamu has fared so poorly. He felt that for starters, the government should fill up all vacant posts of ground staff. "There are only 39 forest guards in PTR as against the sanctioned strength of 179," he revealed.
The other task before the government is to prioritize wildlife management. "It is not on the agenda of the government it appears. No government fund has come to PTA since nine months," he rued.
The challenge, he said, is to revive and restore its glory. In 1974, there were 22 tigers and 32 elephants. Today the number of tigers has dwindled whereas the number of elephants has shot up to 225. "The other task is to strike a balance between human and wildlife population as the man-animal conflict has taken a toll on PTA," he said.
Srivastava favoured people's participation in the management of wildlife. There should be smaller monitoring units entrusted with the maintenance of PTR.
When asked if it is possible for PTR to regain its old position, he said, "First, people living in and outside PTR must feel that every tiger, every elephant is theirs and that protecting them is their responsibility. Only then will the situation improve in PTR."
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