Even before the controversy over the recent killing of a tigress in the Bandhavgarh tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh had died down, the shocking incident of burning of a tiger cub’s carcass in Pench tiger reserve has come to light from the State.
Four tiger pads have been recovered and three forest chowkidars with the Chairman of the Eco-development Society (constituted by the Forest department) have been arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The incident has been confirmed by the Chief Conservator of Forests, in-charge of territorial Chindwara circle, G Krishnamurthy.
The sources told The Pioneer that a tigress was seen moving with her three cubs in the reserve for past few months. But, since last month, one cub was found missing. “We had no clue as to what had happened to the six-month-old predator, however it was learnt that the latter had died and the carcass burnt to wipe out any evidence,” they said.
Shockingly, the heinous act was allegedly committed by the very protectors of the reserve — the three chowkidars and the Chairman of the local committee. But before burning the body, they chopped off the pad/feet of the cub. Shockingly, the pads were to be used for performing certain tantrik ritual, which they believed would make them wealthy.
Nitin Desai, Environmentalist and Central India Director of Wild Life Protection Society of India, has expressed shock, saying, “How could the Forest department get hoodwinked like this? The cub dies, its carcass burnt, the pads chopped off and that too by its own men and the authorities do not seem to be aware, when all these were happening?”
Confirming the incident, Krishnamurthy said the department has recovered some bones and part of the tiger skin from the burnt remains. He, however, said that the animal had “died a natural death due to weakness”.
Sources said department officials during their patrolling found the cub near a water body away from its mother. Noting its critical condition, the officials had directed the chowkidars to keep a watch on the animal. However, after two days, they reported that the cub was no longer there and that it had been taken back by its mother.
The officials got wind of the incident after a priest had been called by the chowkidars to their camp to perform a tantrik ritual using cub pads, said the CCF.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Proved: Siblings sent to mate in Sariska
Almost a year after the Hindustan Times expose (Rajasthan govt sent tiger siblings to repopulate Sariska, June 29, 2009), a National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) report has finally admitted that DNA tests conducted by Bangalore-based National Centre of Biological Sciences (NCBS) found the big cats to be siblings.
The HT investigation exposed how, between June 2008 and February 2009, two sisters and their half-brother were picked up arbitrarily from Ranthambore and sent to Sariska. Siblings often find it difficult to breed and when they do, it leads to acute inbreeding depression. In spite of regular mating, the Sariska tigers have so far failed to breed.
This January, the NTCA ordered DNA tests on tigers of Ranthambore and Sariska, to ascertain breeding compatibility before shifting any more of them and commissioned a field study by Aparajita Datta, member, NTCA, and AJT Johnsingh, former professor, Wildlife Institute of India.
Referring to the Hindustan Times investigation in their report submitted earlier this month, Datta and Johnsingh observed: "The media report is correct in saying the genetic analysis should have been conducted prior translocation to assess the relatedness of the animals when establishing a new population."
The report further noted: "From the three scat samples meant to be of the three different individual tigers now in Sariska…male and female have been found to be highly related suggesting that they are…siblings."
Rajasthan forest department has all along claimed that the two Sariska tigresses were half-siblings born to the same mother but the male tiger sent to Sariska was unrelated to them.
Meanwhile, though NCBS received scat sample for DNA tests from Ranthambhore only last week, the NTCA has decided to translocate two big cats that have moved out of the national park to adjoining under-protected forests.
“The scientific studies will continue but we need to urgently shift these two tigers -- a male in Kela Devi sanctuary and a female near Kota. Their future is anyway uncertain in these disturbed forests and they will get a second chance in Sariska," said Dr Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary, NTCA.
However, as Sariska is scheduled to receive its fourth tiger on July 4, after a 15 month moratorium, the state forest officials are again looking to take the easy way out.
"The NTCA plan is commendable. But the field officers have been trying to tranquilize those two tigers for quite some time without success. Wary, now they are seeking to widen their options by randomly targeting easy tigers from inside the national park," said Fateh Singh Rathore, ex-conservator, Ranthambhore.
An agency report on Sunday quoted a senior state forest official as saying that NTCA-appointed experts Datta and Johnsingh had submitted a list of 10 probable tigers in Ranthambore, of which two would be picked for translocation. "As only two tigers have to be shifted, the wide choice of ten tigers would prevent a delay in executing the big cat relocation plan," the official was quoted anonymously.
However, the report submitted by Datta and Johnsingh noted that the state forest officials themselves furnished a list of 9-12 tigers they deemed fit for relocation. The experts explicitly pointed out that they were "unable to comment on the suitability of most of these animals" and that there was "limited scientific information available…to make decisions based on objective scientific criteria".
Their report, therefore, recommended capturing only the two animals outside the national park and warned against selecting any other individual without determining their (genetic) relatedness.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Proved-Siblings-sent-to-mate-in-Sariska/Article1-561269.aspx
Haul raises spectre of tiger poaching in NE
Guwahati, June 21: Forest officials in the Northeast are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the upcoming tiger census will throw up a larger count of the big cats.
The 2005-08 estimate had pegged the tiger population in Assam at 70.
Sources said though there was no confirmed case of poaching of tigers in Assam, the situation in the Northeast’s other tiger reserves was not that too rosy.
Three tiger reserves in the region have been graded as “poor”. These are the ones at Manas in Assam, Dampa in Mizoram and Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh.
Tiger reserves at Kaziranga in Assam and Pakke in Arunachal Pradesh have earned “good” status tag while the one in Nameri in Assam has been graded “satisfactory”.
The grading is done by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The latest haul of tiger bones by the customs has aggravated fear that the tigers are being hunted. Guwahati customs recently seized 10.2kg skulls and bones of full-grown tigers.
“There is some network and support in the protected area but once out, the tigers are at risk,” Rajesh Gopal, a member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, told this correspondent.
“Once they stray out from Kaziranga to Karbi Anglong, all animals face threats,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak, an NGO, said. During floods, many animals seek refuge in the highlands in Karbi Anglong and adjacent reserve forests like Panbari, Bagser and Kukurakata close to the park’s boundary.
Chief wildlife warden, Assam, Suresh Chand, said there had not been any instance of confirmed tiger poaching in the state.
The executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, Belinda Wright, said there was admiration for the authorities of Kaziranga for the protection measures initiated by them, but little could be done when the animals venture out of the safe zones.
“Tiger poaching is done surreptitiously and it is difficult to track the people who are in this trade,” Wright says, adding that one must not forget Sariska and Panna national parks. In a recent incident of straying, a tiger was spotted in Upper Assam after killing two persons. It was later rehabilitated in Manas National Park.
An official of Kaziranga National Park said: “It is not easy for the poachers to target tigers here unlike the rhinos. The thick grasses of the national park are a deterrent.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100622/jsp/northeast/story_12590476.jsp
400 families to be relocated from Corbett tiger reserve
The government has granted Rs. 25 crore for relocating 181 Gujjar families from the core regions of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Over a period of time, a total of 400 families would be relocated to avoid man-animal conflicts in the reserve, a release by the Ministry of Environment and Forests said.
The government also planned to set up an Indira Gandhi Interpretation and Learning Centre near the reserve at a cost of Rs. 5 crore by the end of next year, it said.
Bihar skips save-tiger meet
PATNA: Bihar government, it appears, gives a damn to issues concerning wildlife. Had it not been the case, the government would not have chosen to skip the three-day meeting convened by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to review the tiger protection strategy.
On April 10, NTCA officials discussed the issue with forest officials of northern and north-eastern states. Central region states' forest officials shared their views on April 11 and on the last day on April 12, it was the turn of those coming from the southern states.
The meeting assumes significance for Bihar as its only tiger reserve, the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), has seen a gradual decline in the number of big cats since it came into existence in 1989-90. At the time of its creation, it was home to an estimated 81 tigers. The figure came down to 53 in 1997. According to the latest census conducted in 2006, VTR has between seven to 13 tigers only. A suspected case of poisoning of a tiger was reported from the reserve as early as last month.
"All the other sixteen states, which have one or more tiger reserves, sent their representatives but Bihar didn't," an NTCA official, preferring anonymity, told TOI over phone on Monday. He said the matter would be taken up with the state government.
When contacted, Bihar's environment and forest department principal secretary Jayaram Lal Meena told TOI the chief wildlife warden (CWW) and the director of VTR did seek permission for attending the meeting. "The permission could not be granted due to unavoidable reasons," Meena said and added while the CWW was changed just few days before the meeting, the application of VTR's project director could not be processed in time.
He, however, said the state would be in constant touch with the NTCA to seek guidelines for improving the condition of the reserve.
NTCA too appears to be in a collaborative mood. "We would send the outcome of the deliberations to the state so that it could be used for the Valmiki reserve," he said.
On April 10, NTCA officials discussed the issue with forest officials of northern and north-eastern states. Central region states' forest officials shared their views on April 11 and on the last day on April 12, it was the turn of those coming from the southern states.
The meeting assumes significance for Bihar as its only tiger reserve, the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), has seen a gradual decline in the number of big cats since it came into existence in 1989-90. At the time of its creation, it was home to an estimated 81 tigers. The figure came down to 53 in 1997. According to the latest census conducted in 2006, VTR has between seven to 13 tigers only. A suspected case of poisoning of a tiger was reported from the reserve as early as last month.
"All the other sixteen states, which have one or more tiger reserves, sent their representatives but Bihar didn't," an NTCA official, preferring anonymity, told TOI over phone on Monday. He said the matter would be taken up with the state government.
When contacted, Bihar's environment and forest department principal secretary Jayaram Lal Meena told TOI the chief wildlife warden (CWW) and the director of VTR did seek permission for attending the meeting. "The permission could not be granted due to unavoidable reasons," Meena said and added while the CWW was changed just few days before the meeting, the application of VTR's project director could not be processed in time.
He, however, said the state would be in constant touch with the NTCA to seek guidelines for improving the condition of the reserve.
NTCA too appears to be in a collaborative mood. "We would send the outcome of the deliberations to the state so that it could be used for the Valmiki reserve," he said.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sariska to get two more tigers in July
JAIPUR: The roar of the tiger is all set to get louder at Sariska Tiger Reserve with the Centre finally approving relocation of two more tigers from Ranthambore National Park. The relocation of the big cats — one male and a female — is likely to take place on July 4.
According to forest officials, though the tentative dates for the relocation has been fixed for July 4, attempts for the same will begin from July 1 itself.
Sariska, as of now, has two female and a male tiger which were airlifted from Ranthambore between July 2008 and early 2009. However, further relocation attempts were put on hold after a few wildlife experts expressed fears that relocating the big cats without testing the genes to see if they belong to the same family might prove disastrous.
“An expert team comprising Aparajita Dutta from the National Wildlife Conservation Trust and AJT John Singh, former professor of the Wildlife Trust of India, has been camping at Ranthambore since long. In fact, it is in response to a letter written by Dutta on the rising pressure in Ranthambore due to the increasing population of big cats that the Centre has finally agreed to relocate transient tigers from there to Sariska,” said Ram Lal Jat, forest minister.
Officials of the state forest department said that DNA testing will continue alongside with relocation as it takes a lot of time. “The scats have been collected and sent for DNA testing. In this relocation, our prime objective would be to shift the two tigers which have strayed out of Ranthambore to Kota and Kailadevi. But in case we fail to locate them on that day, we will shift other identified tigers,” said an official.
Two tigers — a female, T-37 and a male, T-47 — had strayed away from the Ranthambore reserve earlier this year and have refused to come back so far. Forest officials have been maintaining a watch on them and trying to bring them back to the reserve. .
“We will try to shift distant animals so as not to affect the gene pool but even if the relocated animals are related in any way, we will try to correct it by relocating tigers from some other zone sometime later. There is, however, no question of incompatibility as the tigers from Ranthambore to be relocated are healthy,” he said. So far, nearly 10 tigers have been identified in the Ranthambore reserve for relocation, of which two will be chosen on that day.
Meanwhile, permissions like that for the use of a helicopter for airlifting the tiger have already been taken and researchers from Wildlife Institute of India and state forest department are camping in Sariska, keeping a track of identified tigers.
According to forest officials, though the tentative dates for the relocation has been fixed for July 4, attempts for the same will begin from July 1 itself.
Sariska, as of now, has two female and a male tiger which were airlifted from Ranthambore between July 2008 and early 2009. However, further relocation attempts were put on hold after a few wildlife experts expressed fears that relocating the big cats without testing the genes to see if they belong to the same family might prove disastrous.
“An expert team comprising Aparajita Dutta from the National Wildlife Conservation Trust and AJT John Singh, former professor of the Wildlife Trust of India, has been camping at Ranthambore since long. In fact, it is in response to a letter written by Dutta on the rising pressure in Ranthambore due to the increasing population of big cats that the Centre has finally agreed to relocate transient tigers from there to Sariska,” said Ram Lal Jat, forest minister.
Officials of the state forest department said that DNA testing will continue alongside with relocation as it takes a lot of time. “The scats have been collected and sent for DNA testing. In this relocation, our prime objective would be to shift the two tigers which have strayed out of Ranthambore to Kota and Kailadevi. But in case we fail to locate them on that day, we will shift other identified tigers,” said an official.
Two tigers — a female, T-37 and a male, T-47 — had strayed away from the Ranthambore reserve earlier this year and have refused to come back so far. Forest officials have been maintaining a watch on them and trying to bring them back to the reserve. .
“We will try to shift distant animals so as not to affect the gene pool but even if the relocated animals are related in any way, we will try to correct it by relocating tigers from some other zone sometime later. There is, however, no question of incompatibility as the tigers from Ranthambore to be relocated are healthy,” he said. So far, nearly 10 tigers have been identified in the Ranthambore reserve for relocation, of which two will be chosen on that day.
Meanwhile, permissions like that for the use of a helicopter for airlifting the tiger have already been taken and researchers from Wildlife Institute of India and state forest department are camping in Sariska, keeping a track of identified tigers.
NTCA, state officials to visit Tiroda
NAGPUR: Finally, Tiroda could see some hectic activities. A six-member joint committee of top state officials and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will visit Tiroda on June 22 to inspect 163.84 hectare forest land proposed to be diverted for Adani Power Maharashtra Limited (APML) for its power plant.
NTCA, a statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), has expressed concern over diversion of the forest land as it forms the corridor between 257 sq km Pench Tiger Reserve in Nagpur and 152 sq km Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in Gondia. The panel will study the impact of land diversion on wildlife, particularly tigers.
NTCA will be represented by wildlife conservationist Kishor Rithe. On the direction of P B Gangopadhyay, additional director general of forests (forest conservation), chief wildlife warden, A K Joshi constituted a committee under him on June 11.
The other members of the panel are chief conservator of forests (CCF) for wildlife, Nandkishore, as member-secretary; CCF for Nagpur territorial circle, Krishna Mohan; deputy conservator of Gondia, Mukesh Ganatra and Prafulla Bhamburkar of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) as members. A meeting will also be held to discuss the issue at Bhandara at 10 am. The visit will follow thereafter.
Two separate offences - one on May 16 and another on June 4 - have already been registered by Tiroda RFO against Adani Power for violating the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 1980 by digging huge trenches in survey number 163 in Mendipur, in the proposed forest land sought by Adani. However, permission has not been granted to divert the land as it forms part of the tiger corridor.
The APML was granted environment clearance for setting up a 1,320 mw (660mw x 2) coal-based thermal power project in Tiroda on May 29, 2008. The proposal was exempted from public hearing as it is located in the MIDC area. However, while according environmental clearance to the project, one of the conditions was to submit a plan for conservation of fauna reported in the study area. This was to be done in consultation with the wildlife department within three months and was to be implemented effectively.
Shockingly, the plan has not been submitted even after the lapse of 15 months. The company agreed to follow the condition only after August 14, 2009, that too because of CCF (Central), Bhopal, A K Rana’s visit to Nagpur.
Documents sought under the RTI Act show that APML had applied for expansion of another 660 mw project for which another 192 hectare land was needed. Of this, 163.84 hectare is forest land. The MoEF on September 10, 2008, prescribed terms of reference (TOR) for preparing the draft EIA report for the expansion project.
The conditions of the TOR include whether the project is within ten kilometre of the sanctuary or falls in the migratory route; details of flora and fauna duly authenticated to be followed by a conservation plan. The company submitted a conservation plan, but CCF (wildlife) has picked up many flaws in it saying it was prepared without studying the impact area. The CCF (territorial), Nagpur, has already submitted the APML expansion project falls within the ten kilometre of the Nagzira sanctuary.
“Since phase I and phase II are located at the same place, the impact of these projects in the study area and subsequent mitigative measures need to be studied taking them together along with the further expansion of the power project. Unless the environmental clearance is accorded to the said project, forest clearance under the FCA should also be kept in abeyance,” the report submitted to chief wildlife warden by the CCF states.
NTCA, a statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), has expressed concern over diversion of the forest land as it forms the corridor between 257 sq km Pench Tiger Reserve in Nagpur and 152 sq km Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in Gondia. The panel will study the impact of land diversion on wildlife, particularly tigers.
NTCA will be represented by wildlife conservationist Kishor Rithe. On the direction of P B Gangopadhyay, additional director general of forests (forest conservation), chief wildlife warden, A K Joshi constituted a committee under him on June 11.
The other members of the panel are chief conservator of forests (CCF) for wildlife, Nandkishore, as member-secretary; CCF for Nagpur territorial circle, Krishna Mohan; deputy conservator of Gondia, Mukesh Ganatra and Prafulla Bhamburkar of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) as members. A meeting will also be held to discuss the issue at Bhandara at 10 am. The visit will follow thereafter.
Two separate offences - one on May 16 and another on June 4 - have already been registered by Tiroda RFO against Adani Power for violating the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) 1980 by digging huge trenches in survey number 163 in Mendipur, in the proposed forest land sought by Adani. However, permission has not been granted to divert the land as it forms part of the tiger corridor.
The APML was granted environment clearance for setting up a 1,320 mw (660mw x 2) coal-based thermal power project in Tiroda on May 29, 2008. The proposal was exempted from public hearing as it is located in the MIDC area. However, while according environmental clearance to the project, one of the conditions was to submit a plan for conservation of fauna reported in the study area. This was to be done in consultation with the wildlife department within three months and was to be implemented effectively.
Shockingly, the plan has not been submitted even after the lapse of 15 months. The company agreed to follow the condition only after August 14, 2009, that too because of CCF (Central), Bhopal, A K Rana’s visit to Nagpur.
Documents sought under the RTI Act show that APML had applied for expansion of another 660 mw project for which another 192 hectare land was needed. Of this, 163.84 hectare is forest land. The MoEF on September 10, 2008, prescribed terms of reference (TOR) for preparing the draft EIA report for the expansion project.
The conditions of the TOR include whether the project is within ten kilometre of the sanctuary or falls in the migratory route; details of flora and fauna duly authenticated to be followed by a conservation plan. The company submitted a conservation plan, but CCF (wildlife) has picked up many flaws in it saying it was prepared without studying the impact area. The CCF (territorial), Nagpur, has already submitted the APML expansion project falls within the ten kilometre of the Nagzira sanctuary.
“Since phase I and phase II are located at the same place, the impact of these projects in the study area and subsequent mitigative measures need to be studied taking them together along with the further expansion of the power project. Unless the environmental clearance is accorded to the said project, forest clearance under the FCA should also be kept in abeyance,” the report submitted to chief wildlife warden by the CCF states.
Tiger bones and pangolin scales seized in Assam
Guwahati, Jun 20 (PTI) Around 10 kg of tiger bones and 500 kg of pangolin scales, worth crores of rupees, were seized from Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here in the past few days, forest officials said today.
Custom department's sleuths seized a consignment of over 300 kg of pangolin scales last night, they said.
On June 17, two bags containing ten kg of tiger bones and nearly 200 kg of pangolin scales were seized from the airport, they said, adding two persons have been arrested in this connection.
Both the consignments were meant to be sent to West Imphal via Dimapur.
The value of pangolin scale is estimated to be around Rs 70,000 per kg, while ten gms of tiger bone fetches about USD 200 in the international market, customs department officials said.
Custom department's sleuths seized a consignment of over 300 kg of pangolin scales last night, they said.
On June 17, two bags containing ten kg of tiger bones and nearly 200 kg of pangolin scales were seized from the airport, they said, adding two persons have been arrested in this connection.
Both the consignments were meant to be sent to West Imphal via Dimapur.
The value of pangolin scale is estimated to be around Rs 70,000 per kg, while ten gms of tiger bone fetches about USD 200 in the international market, customs department officials said.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Full-grown tiger skeletal seized in Guwahati
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 http://sify.com/news/full-grown-tiger-skeletal-seized-in-guwahati-news-national-kgstEehbhjc.html | |||
Thursday, June 17, 2010
No African safari in tiger parks
NEW DELHI: The Union environment and forest ministry has rejected a move by the tourism lobby to turn parts of tiger reserves and reserved forests into exclusive enclaves for high-end tourism.
The environment and forest ministry has decided to nip the proposal in the bud, which emanated from Madhya Pradesh, with the tourism lobby asking that a patch of forest reserve be handed over to them to run as a South Africa-style safari where rich tourists can be catered. While the Madhya Pradesh government forest department had supported the proposal pushed by a group of tour companies — Travel Operators for Tigers — the union ministry has rejected it.
The tourism lobby was keen to go beyond the one case of Madhya Pradesh and wanted a policy change to assist such exclusive enclaves in forest areas all over the country. They had demanded a national experts conference on the issue to promoted their proposal. That too, the union environment and forests ministry has refused to entertain.
Sources in the ministry said that the existing wildlife protection regulations do not provide for such commercial activities in the name of conservation so it had rejected the MP proposal as well as the demand to hold consultations on a policy change.
The pressure from the tourism lobby to open up forests to the lucrative ‘wildlife tourism’ comes even after PM Manmohan Singh, as chair of the National Board for Wildlife, had written to select states asking that the chief ministers intervene to reduce tourism pressure on high profile tiger reserves.
The environment and forest ministry has decided to nip the proposal in the bud, which emanated from Madhya Pradesh, with the tourism lobby asking that a patch of forest reserve be handed over to them to run as a South Africa-style safari where rich tourists can be catered. While the Madhya Pradesh government forest department had supported the proposal pushed by a group of tour companies — Travel Operators for Tigers — the union ministry has rejected it.
The tourism lobby was keen to go beyond the one case of Madhya Pradesh and wanted a policy change to assist such exclusive enclaves in forest areas all over the country. They had demanded a national experts conference on the issue to promoted their proposal. That too, the union environment and forests ministry has refused to entertain.
Sources in the ministry said that the existing wildlife protection regulations do not provide for such commercial activities in the name of conservation so it had rejected the MP proposal as well as the demand to hold consultations on a policy change.
The pressure from the tourism lobby to open up forests to the lucrative ‘wildlife tourism’ comes even after PM Manmohan Singh, as chair of the National Board for Wildlife, had written to select states asking that the chief ministers intervene to reduce tourism pressure on high profile tiger reserves.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
VTR plans awareness tour for villagers
PATNA: Having lost a tiger and a leopard in incidents of man-animal confrontation in the recent past, officials of Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) are working out a plan to make locals aware about the importance of preserving the wild animals.
For this, they have decided to take a group of villagers, to be selected from amongst members of 87 eco development committees functioning in the villages located in the vicinity of VTR, either to the Jim Corbett or Kanha Tiger Reserve.
The villagers, during their visit to either of these two tiger reserves, would be shown that how the forest and wild animals have become a major source of income for locals. Both these tiger reserves attract a large number of tourists every year which leads to pumping of crores of rupees in the local economy.
"We intend to send a group of about two dozen local villagers on the exposure visit so that they could themselves be witness to the fact that how the reserve can be a very good means of livelihood for them and that too without damaging the flora and fauna of the VTR," reserve director J P Gupta told TOI. He added that a proposal in this regard would soon be sent to the state government for approval.
As has been the trend in the past, the locals have been largely dependent on the forest resources for their livelihood. This has been a matter of concern because this dependence has adversely affected the conservation and protection moves in and around the VTR. So much so, that in some extreme cases villagers have even taken recourse to retaliatory measures against the wild animals treating them as a threat to their and their's cattle lives.
"The exposure visit to other tiger reserves where locals are earning healthy sums due to promotion of eco-tourism would certainly help in overcoming such feelings and also help in inculcating a feeling of responsibility among locals towards protecting the forest and wild animals," Gupta said.
The VTR director said a group of reserve's field personnel from the rank of forest guards to range officers would also be sent on such exposure visits.
"Protection measures taken by field personnel of other tiger reserves and their role as facilitators for tourists visiting the reserves are the two main aspects we want our field personnel to learn during the exposure visit," he said.
For this, they have decided to take a group of villagers, to be selected from amongst members of 87 eco development committees functioning in the villages located in the vicinity of VTR, either to the Jim Corbett or Kanha Tiger Reserve.
The villagers, during their visit to either of these two tiger reserves, would be shown that how the forest and wild animals have become a major source of income for locals. Both these tiger reserves attract a large number of tourists every year which leads to pumping of crores of rupees in the local economy.
"We intend to send a group of about two dozen local villagers on the exposure visit so that they could themselves be witness to the fact that how the reserve can be a very good means of livelihood for them and that too without damaging the flora and fauna of the VTR," reserve director J P Gupta told TOI. He added that a proposal in this regard would soon be sent to the state government for approval.
As has been the trend in the past, the locals have been largely dependent on the forest resources for their livelihood. This has been a matter of concern because this dependence has adversely affected the conservation and protection moves in and around the VTR. So much so, that in some extreme cases villagers have even taken recourse to retaliatory measures against the wild animals treating them as a threat to their and their's cattle lives.
"The exposure visit to other tiger reserves where locals are earning healthy sums due to promotion of eco-tourism would certainly help in overcoming such feelings and also help in inculcating a feeling of responsibility among locals towards protecting the forest and wild animals," Gupta said.
The VTR director said a group of reserve's field personnel from the rank of forest guards to range officers would also be sent on such exposure visits.
"Protection measures taken by field personnel of other tiger reserves and their role as facilitators for tourists visiting the reserves are the two main aspects we want our field personnel to learn during the exposure visit," he said.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Judge's securitymen flout forest rules
NAGPUR:In an unprecedented incident, policemen escorting a judge of Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court were imposed a fine of Rs 500 each for going wild in Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in Gondia district on Sunday. Sources said Justice R M Borde and his wife were on a visit to Nagzira on Sunday.
As per norms, Borde was granted security by Gondia and Bhandara district police. Before starting for morning forest safari, Borde had strictly asked securitymen to stay back at ‘Nilay' guest house where he was putting up. After Borde and his wife left in a forest department vehicle, the securitymen defied his orders and went for a safari of their own in their vehicles. Around 9 am, the cops in two Tata Sumo vehicles sighted a male tiger between ‘Nilay' and water hole number one.
The tiger was hardly 60 feet away from the road Eyewitnesses said the cops were so excited by this that some of them got out of their vehicles and headed towards the animal. Some tourists in other vehicles following them asked the cops to get back, but they did not listen. A section of tourists told TOI, some policemen also hurled stones at the tiger. Disturbed, the tiger disappeared from the spot. The 10 policemen included driver of Justice Borde.
Under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972, firearms are strictly prohibited inside the protected area. Authorised guides are compulsory with each vehicle and one cannot get down from vehicles except at designated places. Violation of these rules invites prosecution under the Act. The securitymen were not accompanied by any guide, it is learnt.
As per norms, Borde was granted security by Gondia and Bhandara district police. Before starting for morning forest safari, Borde had strictly asked securitymen to stay back at ‘Nilay' guest house where he was putting up. After Borde and his wife left in a forest department vehicle, the securitymen defied his orders and went for a safari of their own in their vehicles. Around 9 am, the cops in two Tata Sumo vehicles sighted a male tiger between ‘Nilay' and water hole number one.
The tiger was hardly 60 feet away from the road Eyewitnesses said the cops were so excited by this that some of them got out of their vehicles and headed towards the animal. Some tourists in other vehicles following them asked the cops to get back, but they did not listen. A section of tourists told TOI, some policemen also hurled stones at the tiger. Disturbed, the tiger disappeared from the spot. The 10 policemen included driver of Justice Borde.
Under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972, firearms are strictly prohibited inside the protected area. Authorised guides are compulsory with each vehicle and one cannot get down from vehicles except at designated places. Violation of these rules invites prosecution under the Act. The securitymen were not accompanied by any guide, it is learnt.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Spotlight on tigers makes poachers shift to leopards
With the dwindling tiger population, poachers are increasingly on the prowl for the country’s other big cat. And if figures are anything to go by, the leopard will soon beat the tiger in the extinction race.
More than 70 leopards were killed across the country in the first three months of this year. And as many as 290 leopards were killed last year, nearly twice as many as the 157 in 2008 according to records available with the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
But wildlifers said the figure could be higher. Some say that up to 500 leopards are killed yearly in India, which has an estimated population of around 8,000 leopards.
“Poachers have shifted focus to leopards because they are near-perfect substitutes for tigers’s body parts,” said wildlife activist Jaswant Singh Kalair.
In UP, for example, poaching has not been restricted to a single region. Dudhwa National Park and its extended territories are the most affected.
Wildlife activists have demanded a dedicated conservation programme — on the lines of Project Tiger — for leopards. But so far, forest authorities have not taken any initiative.
“Like Project Tiger, a dedicated conservation programme for leopards is a must. Poaching of leopards needs to be checked to ensure they don’t face extinction,” said another activist.
A leopard skin sells for Rs 25,000 in the local black market. In big cities, the price goes up to Rs 50,000 and in the international market, it can fetch Rs 100,000.
Poison deaths
Nearly 30 leopards have died in Maharashtra this year, most of them by drinking water poisoned by villagers to “punish” the cats for wandering into human habitations. The human-animal conflict has dented efforts of authorities working for protection of the species in the state.
Fifteen deaths were reported in Vidarbha, mostly from the forests of Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. Four leopards were killed in Buldhana district in the last two weeks.
With its habitat degraded, the leopard wanders into human settlements and attacks cattle, dogs, goats and sometimes even humans. This results in outraged villagers bludgeoning the animal to death.
Wildlife activists insist on the need to educate villagers. “We are conducting awareness programmes in the forest villages to minimise the conflict,” said A.K. Joshi, state wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife).
Two held with tiger skins in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: Two people were arrested in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur town with tiger skins, police said Thursday.
The arrests Wednesday were made from the Sarkanda police station area, some 110 km from here.
Acting on a tip-off, Jhariram Sahu, 42 and his associate were arrested from two different localities of Bilaspur town.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that the two had poached a tiger in the Mandla forest circle in Madhya Pradesh close to the Chhattisgarh border.
The arrests Wednesday were made from the Sarkanda police station area, some 110 km from here.
Acting on a tip-off, Jhariram Sahu, 42 and his associate were arrested from two different localities of Bilaspur town.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that the two had poached a tiger in the Mandla forest circle in Madhya Pradesh close to the Chhattisgarh border.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tiger kills man in Uttar Pradesh
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Monday, June 7, 2010
Tiger cub found dead from Kanha Tiger Reserve
A female tiger cub was found dead on Sunday in Sondar area of Kanha Tiger Reserve in eastern Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
"After a forest guard experienced a foul smell from the forest area, he searched and found the dead cub, possibly 22 days old in the Kisli range of the Reserve, the Park Officiating Field Director A K Nagar said.
He said that a cut has been found near the stomach of the cub, adding that it appears that some carnivorous might had killed it yesterday.
The carnivorous, possibly a jackal might have attacked the cub when it was alone, Nagar said, adding that tigress often leave cubs while going after its prey, Nagar said.
The post-mortem of the cub had been carried out according to the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, he said, adding that autopsy report was awaited.
"We have collected the viscera of the cub for forensic test," he said.
The mortality rate of the cubs was high and half of its population is lost before attaining adulthood, he said.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Tiger-cub-found-dead-from-Kanha-Tiger-Reserve/Article1-554049.aspx
Plan to link Dudhwa Reserve with other forest areas
For the conservation of tigers, the state Forest department and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) plan to connect the forest area of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve with the adjoining forest areas. At present, a survey is being conducted to assess the possibility of a corridor linking Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Kishanpur Sanctuary and Katerniaghat Wildlife Reserve.
The step is being taken to facilitate easy movement of the big cat from one forest area to another in order to avoid problems of inbreeding among the tiger population. “Though no such case has been reported yet, but we are conducting the survey as our long term goal is to prevent any such problems in the future,” said Harish Guleria, Landscape Coordinator of Terai Arc Landscape (WWF-India).
“We are assessing the feasibility of the creation of the corridors between Dudhwa and its adjoining forest areas. However, the survey work is yet to be completed,” said B K Patnaik, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest of Uttar Pradesh. The corridor area being assessed is the 11-km stretch from Sathiana to Palia range connecting Dudhwa Tiger Reserve to Kishanpur Sanctuary. Similarly, around 14 km of land area along Kaudiyala river in Mohana range — connecting Dudhwa and Katerniaghat Sanctuary — is also being surveyed.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Plan-to-link-Dudhwa-Reserve-with-other-forest-areas/630301
Panicky bike riders scare away Royal Bengal
KOLKATA: A tiger strayed into Kalitala village of the Shamshernagar area in North 24-Parganas on Sunday evening. It was spotted on a village path by three youths on a motorcycle. The petrified youths' scream for help and the headlight of the bike scared the big cat, which dived into the nearby river and swam to the forest.
Rampada Mondal (30) who was driving his bike along the pitched dark road got the shock of his life when the headlight fell on a tiger that was standing barely 7 feet ahead of them. He slammed the brake of his motorcycle. He and his two friends screamed with all their might. To their surprise, the tiger looked at them just once, dropped the dead dog it was carrying in its mouth and jumped into the Jhingakhali river.
According to villagers, the tiger then swam down the river for almost 5 kilometres before reaching the Kalindi and crossed over to the forest across the international border.
Locals in three villages under Kalitala-IV gram panchayat have been noticing pug marks in different areas of the river bank since Wednesday. They had contacted the forest department, which put up halogen lights in the three villages. Dhakis and fire crackers had been kept ready to scare away the animal if it entered any of the villages. Forest officials have been camping in the area with tranquillisers and cages, ready to trap the tiger. It was only on Sunday that the tiger was spotted.
Though the animal did not attack any human, some villagers reported that several cattleheads had been dragged away by the big cat in the past few days. "Two goats went missing from my cattle-shed on Sunday night. Blood spots were also found near the shed, suggesting that the tiger had dragged those away," said Prabash Mondal.
Just around two weeks ago, forest officials had trapped a tiger and left in the Sunderbans later. Another tiger had entered the village in May 2009. That time too, the injured male tiger was trapped by forest officials. It was treated and then left in the Sunderbans tiger reserve area few weeks later.
Rampada Mondal (30) who was driving his bike along the pitched dark road got the shock of his life when the headlight fell on a tiger that was standing barely 7 feet ahead of them. He slammed the brake of his motorcycle. He and his two friends screamed with all their might. To their surprise, the tiger looked at them just once, dropped the dead dog it was carrying in its mouth and jumped into the Jhingakhali river.
According to villagers, the tiger then swam down the river for almost 5 kilometres before reaching the Kalindi and crossed over to the forest across the international border.
Locals in three villages under Kalitala-IV gram panchayat have been noticing pug marks in different areas of the river bank since Wednesday. They had contacted the forest department, which put up halogen lights in the three villages. Dhakis and fire crackers had been kept ready to scare away the animal if it entered any of the villages. Forest officials have been camping in the area with tranquillisers and cages, ready to trap the tiger. It was only on Sunday that the tiger was spotted.
Though the animal did not attack any human, some villagers reported that several cattleheads had been dragged away by the big cat in the past few days. "Two goats went missing from my cattle-shed on Sunday night. Blood spots were also found near the shed, suggesting that the tiger had dragged those away," said Prabash Mondal.
Just around two weeks ago, forest officials had trapped a tiger and left in the Sunderbans later. Another tiger had entered the village in May 2009. That time too, the injured male tiger was trapped by forest officials. It was treated and then left in the Sunderbans tiger reserve area few weeks later.
Leonardo DiCaprio Wants To Save Tigers
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio, has started a new organization for the protection of endangered tigers. The star has joined hands with World Wildlife Fund to launch Save Tigers Now.
To do true justice to the cause, Leonardo is visiting Asia to learn more about the decreasing Tiger population. “Tigers are endangered and critical to some of the world's most important ecosystems. Key conservation efforts can save the tiger species from extinction, protect some of the planet's last wild habitats and help sustain the local communities surrounding them," says Leonardo.
The organization hopes to double the population of tigers by 2022. They are taking every step to make this happen. If this comes true then it would be the biggest achievements.
His organization aims at raising 13 million pounds for the cause. Tigers, the king of forest is fast depleting and thus, proper care, security and steps need to be taken, which costs a certain amount. This is a much talked about issue but not much has been done.
To do true justice to the cause, Leonardo is visiting Asia to learn more about the decreasing Tiger population. “Tigers are endangered and critical to some of the world's most important ecosystems. Key conservation efforts can save the tiger species from extinction, protect some of the planet's last wild habitats and help sustain the local communities surrounding them," says Leonardo.
The organization hopes to double the population of tigers by 2022. They are taking every step to make this happen. If this comes true then it would be the biggest achievements.
Foresters, paramilitary save wildlife in Uttar Pradesh
Lucknow: In a unique and rather ambitious operation, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a paramilitary border-guarding force, has been helping the Uttar Pradesh forest department (UPFD) save tigers and other precious wildlife in sanctuaries and reserve forest areas along the Indo-Nepal border.
UPFD foresters and armed SSB men jointly patrol areas along the Nepal border once a month, and with the desired effect — incidents of poaching or trapping of wild animals are virtually unheard of.
Forest officials say one of the main reasons for undertaking the special operation is that the threat to the big cat has heightened this year as China celebrates the “Year of the Tiger”.
The lucrative trade in China in tiger skins and bones, and hides of other animals, including leopard and deer, sends poachers into the protected forest area.
“It is a joint operation in true sense,” says RK Singh, divisional forest officer (DFO), Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, which is one of the three divisions of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), and one which boasts an impressive tiger tally of over 60.
“Our men are getting arms and ambush training from the SSB while we tell them about wildlife, poaching symptoms and modus operandi of poachers, including how traps are laid and how the dealers in skins and other animal parts operate,” says Singh.
The Katerniaghat sanctuary, which has a rich base of wildlife, falls in east UP’s Bahraich district, which has an open border of about 110 km with Nepal. In Katerniaghat, which shares a 60 km border with Nepal, the SSB has set up 18 border outposts manned by about 700 personnel.
At one time, the area was known for poaching and cross-border smuggling. But now the incident in recent memory is the trapping of a leopard in October last year just outside the sanctuary.
Just last month, two poachers, including a Nepali, were arrested with six deer skins.
The SSB commandant at Katerniaghat Somit Joshi says the joint operation is having a “major deterrent effect” on the miscreants.
“You can well understand the impact of about 200 men, both from UPFD and SSB, patrolling each and every known animal route in this sanctuary… we have tried to make the operation visible so that the message goes out loud and clear that there is zero tolerance for poachers and other criminals,” he says.
That’s easier said than done.
The sanctuary is spread over a sprawling 400 sq km, and the joint operation takes five days of toil, round-the-clock.
Groups of 30 men each in each of Katerniaghat’s six ranges patrol the sanctuary area looking for traps, besides gathering information about poachers’ movements.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_foresters-paramilitary-save-wildlife-in-uttar-pradesh_1392796
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