Pugmarks confirm tiger’s presence in Choral forest

Bagish K Jha, TNN | Feb 6, 2012, 01.15AM IST INDORE: A day after confirming the presence of tiger in Choral forest area, the forest department says that the analysis of the pugmark found from the forests indicates that they belong to a tiger. The department will now be initiating a programme to create awareness among the villagers to save tigers and to keep themselves safe from the animal. Chief conservator of forest P C Dubey said, "Experts suggested that the pugmark found on Saturday belonged to a tiger which is likely to be around 10 years old. The pugmark is of five inch by five inch in square shape". Dubey said that local villagers have been talking about the presence of tiger in the region for long, but this is the first time the department has got proof about its presence. They believe the tiger has not migrated from any other forest. "Forest belt of Indore, Dewas, Brwah, Choral and Udainagar is very dense and rich with herbivore population, besides, there is plenty of water resources. All these are ideal habitat for tiger," said Dubey adding that Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradoon has indicated about presence of seven tigers in this area in their recent survey. The forest department has convened a meeting of the Deputy Forest Conservators to monitor the situation. The department has also convened a meeting of DFOs of Indore, Dewas and Barwaha, forest guards and rangers, Van Samitis and villagers at Naniya village where the tiger's pugmark was found on February 4 to brief the forest officials and villagers about the landscape management strategy for the protection of tiger. Department has also alerted the forest officials and Van Samitis to keep an eye on movement of strangers in the forest area. "Villagers have been asked to inform forest official instantly in case they see any stranger in the area," said Dubey adding that conservation and protection of tiger is now priority of the department. Besides, for the conservation of tiger in the area, the department has chalk out multi-prong strategy under landscape management. Wherein Indore, Dewas and Badwani will work together and share information about tiger movement. "It is important to adopt an integrated approach as a tiger moves in area of 1500 square kilometers," said Dubey. To avoid man and animal conflict and engage maximum people in conservation and protection of tiger forest department is also relaxing its compensation rule. The department has instructed its officials to make instant payment and take considerate view in case of any damage to crop and cattle of villagers due to wildlife. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/Pugmarks-confirm-tigers-presence-in-Choral-forest/articleshow/11771353.cms

Villages to be relocated but VIP guesthouse stays

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Feb 6, 2012, 01.14AM IST NAGPUR: The relocation of five villages inside Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) is being expedited because the critical tiger habitats (CTHs) need to be inviolate for tigers. But in sharp contrast to this the huge VIP complex right inside Tadoba's core is being renovated instead of phasing it out. From April 1, 2008, when former PCCF (wildlife) B Majumdar banned entry for tourists and VIPs to complex, it was decided to keep bare minimum structures by phasing out remaining quarters. However, after four years, these structures stay and instead of removing them, suites have been renovated with better facilities for VIPs. At present, there are four suites in the VIP guesthouse, an 18-bedded youth hostel, two holiday homes, forest department's own colony of 15 quarters, a canteen and field director's bungalow. All structures are situated on southern shore of Tadoba lake and are major source of disturbance to wildlife. Conservationists have alleged that shifting of complex is being purposefully delayed as this complex consists support staff of VIP guesthouse that is on a hillock overlooking Tadoba lake and that VIPs and their kin want to continue enjoying exclusive privilege of staying inside a tiger reserve. Interestingly, in 1995, when Tadoba was declared a tiger reserve, basic condition of 'Project Tiger', now National Tiger Conservation Authority was to remove pucca structures. It was also mentioned in management plan of TATR. As it is, as per Wildlife Protection Act 1972 amended in 2006, a reserve has to be inviolate. "Why should the department waste public money on renovation? Officials can make a halt at Moharli. If a field director or wildlife official needs a halt, there are quarters inside. Who knows who's staying in the name of officials? Why a VIP guesthouse needed?" asks Avinash Prabhune, a RTI & consumer rights activist. On the contrary, chief wildlife warden SK Khetarpal says, "There is no proposal to shift VIP guesthouse. It has been converted into a camp office. Only officers will only be allowed to stay there. The guesthouse is not being fully renovated but petty repair works are being done." He adds that field staff stationed in Tadoba means better protection of the area. "Finally, I've left such decisions with respective field directors as they are second line of command and should build confidence," he said. CCF & TATR field director VK Sinha justifies VIP guesthouse and quarters at Tadoba saying, 'We need it for stay of recently appointed researchers. Quarters have been whitewashed as staff needs a better place for living. As per rules, the structures are not being used for tourists." Sinha further said the old canteen has been converted into range office and toilets have been repaired for tourists so that they need not relieve themselves anywhere inside the park. All said and done, demolishing the concrete structures was a long-pending demand of conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts. The decision to stop using VIP guesthouse was raised several times by conservationist Harshawardhan Dhanwatey in state wildlife board (SWB) meetings. The decision was taken accordingly by B Majumdar. Bandu Dhotre of Eco-Pro, NGO working for tiger conservation in Chandrapur says, "The focus in tiger reserves is to increase infrastructure for protection. Till date, increasing protection has been considered equivalent of increasing the infrastructure for protection." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Villages-to-be-relocated-but-VIP-guesthouse-stays/articleshow/11771346.cms

PTR tiger count stalled for want of equipment

TNN Feb 4, 2012, 10.35PM IST DALTONGANJ: The fourth phase of the tiger census in Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) is likely to be delayed. Sources said the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has asked for an estimate of tigers here but for want of infrastructural facilities, the process if likely to be delayed. The PTR does not have digital and trapping cameras in large numbers, global positioning system equipment and range finders. Sources said without these equipment, PTR cannot go for the fourth phase of the count. The tech support is necessary for accuracy of figures. Sources said the number of tigers in PTR has been fudged. In early 1994, there used to be 49 tigers whereas today the PTR struggles to count a little near a dozen big cats. The field director-cum-conservator, S E H Kazmi, conceded, " Right now these equipment are not with the PTR and hence it is difficult to go for any estimation. The fourth phase count is a sophisticated procedure in which all information is to be fed into a software and even a minor inaccuracy will be declared an error." DNA test of scat of tigers is now the main plank of counting its population but there are other things like a range finder. A range finder gives the exact position of wildlife in any tiger reserve. The PTR is segmented into 30 zones and sources said more than half the zones are in highly sensitive areas affected by extremism. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-04/ranchi/31024319_1_palamu-tiger-reserve-tiger-census-ptr

Tell-tale tiger signs excite activists, lovers

Express News Service , The New Indian Express BHUBANESWAR/ROURKELA: As tiger population continues to be a raging controversy in Odisha, pug marks of a Royal Bengal Tigress and two cubs along the borders of Sundargarh and Jharkhand have cheered up wildlife experts and lovers. On Wednesday evening, a tigress reportedly attacked and killed two buffaloes in South Chirubera Forest of Bisra block under Rourkela Forest Division of Sundargarh. DFO Atish Behera confirmed that only the heads of the bovines were found and pug marks of an adult tiger and two cubs, which are not less a year-and-a-half-old, detected. �Between January 16 and 23, a tigress was spotted near SAIL mines at Tensa of the Bonai Forest Division of Sundargarh. Bonai DFO AK Mishra confirmed it to be a tigress and measured the pug marks at 12.5 cm in width and 13.5 cm in length. While the recurrence of the pug marks and the killings of cattle have aroused excitement, Wildlife officials are guarded in their reaction to appearance of the big cats in the region. “We need to ascertain whether the big cat is marking its territory or has strayed into the forests from a contiguous habitat. We will keep a watch,” Chief Wildlife Warden Janardan Dibakar Sharma said. �Although speculations are rife about increasing population of Royal Bengal Tigers (RBTs) in Saranda forest, there have been no visual or DNA evidences yet. The Wildlife Wing now plans to maintain samples of the pug marks, their GPS records and timing to understand if the big cat is indeed marking its territory, Sharma said. �He said Bonai Forest Division is an ideal habitat given its forest density, prey base and herbivore population but there has to be a definite evidence of tiger. �Although tiger population occurred in Saranda, the increased proliferation of Left Wing ultras in the bordering regions of Odisha and Jharkhand has been a major problem for monitoring. Due to Naxal fear, Forest field staff have rarely ventured into the remote pockets in the last several years. �Besides, mining is another cause behind increasing fragmentation of habitats and disturbances for the big cats. The growing clout of the ultras in the region may just have given the tigers a safe haven. Meanwhile, AK Choudhary, Forest Range Officer of Sasangada in Jharkhand, said in August last year a big cat was spotted in Saranda. RBTs, he said, occurred in Saranda which is known as ‘Heaven of Sal’ and ‘Land of 700 hills’ spread over 850 sq km. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/telltale-tiger-signs-excite-activists-lovers/227156-60-117.html

Kawal awaits tiger reserve tag

TNN | Feb 3, 2012, 02.29AM IST HYDERABAD: More than four months have passed since the Centre gave its nod to the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in Adilabad district but the project is still waiting on the 'tiger reserve' tag. And while authorities have long cited the crisis in tribal affairs as the primary reason behind the delay, wildlife experts suggest that the story is something else. According to them it is an uninterested forest department and an equally complacent state government, which is dithering on the proposal that needs to be cleared to give Kawal the distinction of being the 42nd tiger reserve in the country. The wait, experts say, is fast becoming a cause for concern as Kawal has seen a sharp rise in anti-social activities in the last five months. Apart from hundreds of trees being felled everyday by the timber mafia, attacks by poachers, too, is becoming more frequent, according to experts. That apart, there has also been a rise in the tiger population in the area (there have been seven sightings of late), which, according to experts, calls for immediate attention. "This is a very important tiger zone and, if protected well, can open up a continuous corridor with central India, especially Tadoba (100km away), thereby helping in tiger conservation efforts," said Imran Siddiqui, member of the advisory board for Kawal and a local wildlife activist. However, experts maintain that better security for the sanctuary would only be sanctioned after it has bagged the 'tiger reserve' tag. Experts said that that notification will lead to more funds through the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and help Kawal grow as a tiger habitat. "Poaching will come down drastically. Fewer trees felled would mean an improving herbivorous population leading to better tiger breeding. So, it is very important that it be given the tag soon," reiterated Rajeev Mathew, a wildlife expert. While Mathew agrees that there are tribal issues that need to be addressed before the initiation of any such proposal, he believes that it is not something that cannot be resolved in a few months. However, considering how little the progress has been so far in government offices, activists feel that the plan might well hit a dead end. Their fears are perhaps rooted in the indifference amongst senior forest officials who seem least interested in the Kawal story. In fact, when contacted, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF- head of the forest force), Hitesh Malhotra said that branding the wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve would do it little good. He argued that the department was already doing all it could to protect Kawal and that any more it could not do. "We have enough mobile guards and camps in the sanctuary area. Even without it being a tiger reserve, we are giving it maximum protection. The tag will change nothing," Malhotra said, dismissing the hoopla around the tiger reserve notification. The ground reality, though, is very different according to locals. Not only has the area been given only four base camps - as against the 16 promised last year - there is also a good portion of the sanctuary that is lying in neglect. "More than one-third of the core Kawal area falls under Nirmal (also in Adilabad district), which does not have a regular forest officer to monitor it. Once declared a reserve, this will get corrected and the entire area will come under the unified command of a forest conservator," a local said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Kawal-awaits-tiger-reserve-tag/articleshow/11734154.cms

Project Tiger: Bhadra, Kudremukh dropped

Bangalore, Feb 2, 2012, DHNS: The State government has dropped a proposal to expand the Bhadra Tiger Reserve as well as include Kudremukh National Park under Project Tiger after local people opposed it, Law Minister Suresh Kumar told the Assembly on Thursday. Replying to the issue raised by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, the minister said the government shelved the plan in the interest of tribals and other forest dwellers. The State government had proposed to expand the area of Bhadra tiger reserve from the existing 500.16 sq km to 848.62 sq km. Besides, 600 sq km of Kudremukh Park was proposed to be brought under Project Tiger. In the wake of strong protests from people in Chikmagalur district, the decision to drop the proposal has been notified, the minister said. Suresh Kumar said the re-classification of protected areas under Bannerghatta National Park, Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary will continue as planned. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had recently announced that he had written to the Centre to drop expansion plan of Project Tiger in the contiguous Bhadra reserve. The move comes ahead of the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha by-poll as the Bhadra reserve is in the constituency. Earlier, legislators, especially from the Malnad region, cutting across party lines, said there was stiff opposition to the proposal. “There is no public consultation. People are worried about their livelihood”, Sringeri MLA D N Jeevaraj said. Siddaramaiah said people displaced by the Bhadra reservoir had been rehabilitated. “They will be displaced again if Project Tiger is expanded across the region,” he said. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/224187/project-tiger-bhadra-kudremukh-dropped.html

State govts told to ban tourism in key tiger areas

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times Several resorts in and around tiger reserves may cease to exist as the Centre has asked state governments to acquire 800 to 1,000 square kilometers to provide core inviolate (empty) area for tigers and ban tourism there. In new guidelines issued to relocate 6,000 families in 41 tiger reserves in India, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has told the state governments that even private land includes estates should be acquired for creating inviolate space. "The above component has been included under the Project Tiger scheme for providing 100 % central assistance to states to acquire such areas, if necessary, for making the core/critical tiger habitat inviolate," the NTCA guidelines issued last week said. A study by Dehradun based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has shown that this much inviolate area is required for a viable population of 20 breeding tigresses. The NTCA believes that having them in core area will help in sustaining a population of 75-100 tigers in a reserve. "We can have a sustainable tiger population of 3,000," a NTCA official said. In a bid to achieve the goal, the NTCA told the state governments to acquire land and relocate people by paying a compensation of up to Rs 10 lakh from the core area for declaring it inviolate. "A detailed guideline has been issued on how to relocate people in conformation with the Forest Rights Act and rejuvenate the land," the official said. Resorts and guest houses around smaller tiger reserves such as Kanha in Madhya Pradesh and Ranthambore in Uttar Pradesh would get acquired, if the state governments implement the guideline. However, hospitability industry around bigger reserves such as Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand will not be affected. Tourism may further suffer as the guideline asks shifting of tourism from the core tiger areas to the buffer zone so check adverse impact of human interference on animals. The NTCA has blamed excessive unregulated tourism for falling tiger population in many reserves. Vishal Singh of Travel Operators for Tigers, a body of lodge owners around tiger reserves in India said their data showed that tiger population had either increased or stabilised where tourism was allowed and accused NTCA of failing to put its house in order. "Falling tiger population is not because of tourism but other conservation issues which NTCA has failed to address," he said. The NTCA has linked further release of funds for tiger conservation with implementation of these guidelines. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/State-govts-told-to-ban-tourism-in-key-tiger-areas/Article1-805335.aspx

Prowling big cat remains elusive even after a month

TNN | Feb 2, 2012, 05.06AM IST LUCKNOW: A month has finished since the forest officials began efforts to trap the prowling tiger in Kakori. However, no success has come their way yet. The forest officials are still camping in the area. The department is being assisted by a team from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) as well. The WTI team had joined the operation on January 10 to provide technical assistance to the forest department to trap the tiger. However, neither department nor WTI team has been able to locate the tiger. The sources in the department claim that it has cost government a good amount of money already. "And an additional amount has been asked for too," said sources. The last kill made by the tiger, about two days back, was located 2 km away from the CISH campus, where the tiger had taken refuge for the last 20 days or so. It indicated that the feline could have moved away from the spot. On Wednesday, however, the forest department could not find out the current location of the big cat. The department has planned to lay one big net to trap the wandering tiger, as enclosures have proved to be almost futile. The enclosures have been put at the same place where the tiger had killed a blue bull, inside the CISH campus. "We had set up a 'machaan' also but the tiger did not come out of the dense cover. It had instead dragged the kill inside the forest area," said a forest official in Kakori. The tiger is believed to have strayed from south Kheri and covered more than 250 km, to have reached its present location. The operation seems to be heading the same way, as the one in 2009, in which a stray tigress from Pilibhit was shot dead, after forest department failed to trap it safely. Meanwhile, the change of guard at the forest department might give the operation a fresh lease of life. Chief wildlife warden (CWW) B K Patnaik retired on Tuesday. Mohammad Ehsan has taken the charge of CWW now. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Prowling-big-cat-remains-elusive-even-after-a-month/articleshow/11721472.cms

Wildlife Institute team probes death of tiger cubs

TNN | Feb 1, 2012, 11.10PM IST KANPUR: A two-member team from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) visited Kanpur zoo on Wednesday to ascertain why the tiger cubs died of kidney failure. The team had been sent by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), which is probing the matter as to how did the three tiger cubs born to Tigress Trusha died of a similar disease. The cubs were born on May 30 last year but died one after the other. The post-mortem examinations of all the three cubs had one thing in common. The cause of death was renal failure. The team members inspected the enclosures of the tiger cubs. Pradeep K Malik and Pradeep Chandra Tyagi, the two scientists from WII inspected Kanpur zoo and stated the conditions to be satisfactory. Talking to mediapersons on Wednesday evening, the two scientists mentioned that they were satisfied with the condition of the enclosures. There are ample chances of improvement, they added. The WII scientists also saw the IVRI reports which stated that the tiger cubs had died due to kidney failure. It was to be probed how the cubs contracted the disease. "We will talk to scientists in Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) to know why the cubs contracted infection in the kidneys. We will seek a detailed report from them," Malik said. Zoo director K Praveen Rao said that the scientists from WII, Dehradun, saw the enclosure of the tiger cubs and suggested that improvements can be made. The two scientists spoke to the zoo veterinarians and discussed with them how the cubs contracted infection in the kidneys. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Wildlife-Institute-team-probes-death-of-tiger-cubs/articleshow/11718332.cms

Tiger census put off due to elections

TNN | Feb 1, 2012, 01.37AM IST NAGPUR: Owing to multiple reasons, the annual tiger estimation exercise to be taken up in four tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries has been rescheduled. The eight-day exercise, which was to be held from February 2 to 7, will now be held from February 10 to 17. A fresh schedule was issued by the PCCF (wildlife) office on Tuesday. "Officials concerned sought some time to procure essential material like cameras and rangefinders needed to conduct the census exercise. Hence, the date has been rescheduled," said SK Khetarpal, the principal chief conservator of forests for wildlife. Khetarpal added that another problem was about the zilla parishad elections on February 7. Absence of forest staff on poll duty might affect census work. "By postponing the exercise, we might be able to do it in a better way," he added. The NTCA is yet to release funds for the census exercise. "We expect it in a day or two. We also want to sign an MOU with the NTCA. All this will be completed before February 10," said Khetarpal. The PCCF said the fourth phase will help know tiger numbers in each reserve with the help of mark recapture based camera traps. The cameras will be two-sided and placed at 4 sq km each for 45-60 days i.e. 1,000 nights. After the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) adopted the new tiger census methodology in 2006, figures of individual tiger reserves have not been declared. The numbers included estimation of a protected area (PA) and its entire landscape. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-census-put-off-due-to-elections/articleshow/11706058.cms

Tiger traps in G'chiroli trigger alarm bells

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 31, 2012, 01.17AM IST NAGPUR: The two steel traps found in Venkatapetha in Pranhita forest range in Gadchiroli district a few days ago are a wake up call for the state forest department. They are also a refutation of forest officials' claim that there were no tigers in the tribal district. The steel traps were detected by the forest staff on Wednesday in Venkatapetha-Muyaboynapetha forests but the information was kept under wraps. Sources said the matter came to light when field staff found a steel trap in a bag hanging on a tree. Further search of the area led to another trap. Besides, three holes to lay traps were also found. Sources said the traps were similar to the ones made by Baheliyas of Katni in Madhya Pradesh. These traps are laid to poach tiger, leopard and sloth bears. Baheliyas were notorious for poaching and have entered Vidarbha forests in a big way. On December 23, a jackal died after it was caught in a similar trap near Loni village on Amravati-Akola highway near Karanja-Sohol sanctuary. "Baheliyas operate at multiple locations. They carry tools to slaughter an animal and extract useful parts on the spot," an expert said. TSK Reddy, chief conservator of forests (CCF), Gadchiroli, did not respond to calls or SMS. This is not the first instance of poachers targeting Gadchiroli. Honorary wildlife warden of Gadchiroli MS Chouhan said forest officials always try to get away by claiming there are no tigers in Gadchiroli but the traps show poachers know of their presence. Nitin Desai, Central India director of WPSI, says, "This is the hardest evidence of tiger presence in Gadchiroli. The suspected Baheliya gangs have a history of going to this area. Earlier also, there have been cases up to Eturunagram wildlife sanctuary in Warangal." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-traps-in-Gchiroli-trigger-alarm-bells/articleshow/11692156.cms

Tiger reserve to get monitoring system

January 31, 2012 By B. Ravichandran DC Ooty The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) will soon have a tiger monitoring system that will include camera traps in and around its 321sq.km area, throughout the year, for regular updates on the health and population of tigers. The move is in line with the guidelines of the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the deputy director of MTR, A. Ameer Haja, told DC. “Preliminary training for staff in the MTR has been held recently in this regard and a field study was conducted during which 110 sites were selected for fixing double-sided cameras that would automatically photograph the big cats crossing the zone. The process of procuring cameras for the purpose is underway,” Haja said. This scheme paves the way for the intensive and annual monitoring of tigers at the MTR, he said. This is part of the comprehensive tiger conservation strategy designed by the Centre and this type of activity will allow the MTR administration to regularly get the latest updates regarding the population and health of the tigers, Haja said. The field forest staff in the jungles will regularly monitor the camera traps to ascertain whether the big cats visited that area and to get further details about the tigers, cubs, sex ratio and prey base in the zone and the health of the tigers, he said. This will help in getting data about the potential tiger spots inside the jungles, strengthen anti-poaching activities, strengthen the conservation efforts, he said. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/others/tiger-reserve-get-monitoring-system-784

'Insulation, underground cabling to curb wildlife electrocution'

TNN | Jan 31, 2012, 01.47AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) SK Khetrapal on Monday directed forest officials in Chandrapur to take up stringent measures to curb poaching through electrocution. He admitted that staff crunch in FDCM and lack of adequate attention towards wildlife led to the poaching of a tiger in FDCM Jharan range recently. Khetrapal was here to review preventive measures taken up following the tiger poaching incident. "I directed the officials to stress on foot patrolling in the jungle. We are also considering urging the state power company to ensure that no electrocution takes place, before allowing erection of any new transmission line through forests in Chandrapur. Other counter measures such as insulation of electric cables, bunching and underground cabling to prevent electrocution were discussed in the meeting," he said. Khetrapal, however, maintained that underground cabling is a costly affair and costs around Rs25 lakh per km, while overhead transmission line costs around Rs4 lakh per km. "I have also directed officials to keep close watch on unauthorized electric lines in private areas. There are chances of poachers laying electrocution trap on such unauthorized lines for wildlife," he told. Talking about the tiger poaching incident in Jharan range, he agreed that forest staffers of FDCM failed to take up adequate protection measures. "They are running short of almost 50% of the total staff. The beat guard of the particular forest beat where poaching took place holds charge of two beats and additional charge of round officer. I have talked with the managing director of FDCM and asked him to recruit daily wage fire watchers and intensify patrolling in their areas," he said. He claimed that induction of fire watchers starts from February 15 and they will continue their services until the onset of monsoon. Khetrapal also stressed on keeping a close tab on the trip record of electricity supply lines. He said, "We have asked MSEDCL to send an SMS immediately to concerned officers, whenever any incident of supply line tripping takes place." He added that it would help the foresters to check for electrocution if any in the concerned area. I have also directed the officers to intensify the patrolling in the forests, 2-3 days prior to the weekly market villages around. Even sniffer dog would be patrolled around in the weekly markets to detect if any wildlife meat is kept for sale." Officers also discussed the condition of water holes and availability of water in them, monitoring of tiger population and rehabilitation of village Kolsa, Ramdegi and Jamni out of TATR. Officers from Chandrapur circle, FDCM North Chandrapur and TATR were present in the meeting. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Insulation-underground-cabling-to-curb-wildlife-electrocution/articleshow/11692342.cms

Free run for choppers in Satkosia tiger reserve?

TUESDAY, 31 JANUARY 2012 00:00 MOUSHUMI BASU | NEW DELHI HITS: 229 Despite the twin instances of a low-flying chopper carrying a ruling BJD MP in Satkosia Tiger Reserve in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act having triggered a major controversy, the Odisha Government is yet to register a case against either the pilot or the owner of the helicopter. The violations took place in 2009 and 2010 and even forced the then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to intervene. However, with no action being taken so far, the Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO), member organiation of National Board for Wildlife, has recently written to the Director General Civil Aviation and PCCF Wildlife Odisha, for re-investigating the matter. WSO secretary, Biswajit Mohanty, has threatened to take the issue to the court, alleging that a deliberate attempt is being made to shield the sitting Lok Sabha MP Baijayant Panda, who was flying in the helicopter. However, the State Government despite intervention by the then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for a proper investigation into the matter has not taken any cognizance in this regard. In fact, in his letter written to the Principal Secretary, the PCCF Wildlife Odisha has observed, “Since the helicopter has not injured/killed any wild animal nor destroyed/damaged the wildlife habitat hence no offence case has been booked as no violation of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 has occurred.” Mohanty in his letter countered saying that the role of the MP needs to be investigated specifically. “The entire enquiry process was vitiated, partial and without application of mind. As a result, a serious wildlife crime committed inside a Tiger Reserve was not investigated properly and no culpability was fixed as no case was filed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972”, The State Government found no violation of Wildlife Protection Act, but ironically, the DFO Satkosia Wildlife Division, Angul in his earlier letter to RCCF had expressed concern over the two incidents of the low-flying helicopter with a call sign ET1MF on November 2009 and September 2010. He had stated that such “low flying aircrafts could cause disturbance to the ecosystem and wild animals of the tiger reserves.” Ramesh had called for immediate intervention of the Minister of Civil Aviation stating that “such low flights over wildlife habitats amount to hunting under Wildlife Protection Act as it causes disturbance to wild animals”. Pointing to the lapses in the investigation, Mohanty noted that though the identity of the pilot and the aircraft was known, no attempt was made by the enquiring officers to question the owner of the helicopter No action has been taken by your office against the Park management for failing to notice the illegal entry and file a report in this regard. The Park management only acted after the complaint was filed by Mohanty to NTCA/Minister for Environment and Forests, which were later forwarded for action. Even the call sign of the helicopter was wrongly entered. Instead of “ETIMF”, it was actually “VTIMF”, pointed out Mohanty. The Mahanadi River has basking crocodiles and turtles-the elephants regularly drink and bathe in the river. The roar of the low flying helicopter over such areas is immensely disturbing to wild life, he added. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/39016-free-run-for-choppers-in-satkosia-tiger-reserve.html

Poachers took four limbs, two canines of Jharan tiger

TNN | Jan 25, 2012, 03.25AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Now it is official that the dead tiger found in Jharan range of FDCM North Chandrapur on Monday evening was poached by electrocution. Postmortem of the carcass and the circumstantial evidences gathered from the spot on Tuesday have confirmed that tiger had died due to electrocution. While poachers hacked and took away all four limbs and two canine of the beast, they left behind the metal wire used for electrocution. Not much was left of the tiger's carcass as it turned out that beast was killed more than five days back. "It was adult male tiger aged around 6 years. A black injury mark, caused due to contact with electric wire, was found near the neck. Only four nails were recovered near the carcass," said veterinary doctor PD Kadukar, who conducted the postmortem. Earlier FDCM officers had planned to take the carcass to Chandrapur but owing to its deteriorating condition, they finally decided to carry out autopsy at the same spot on Tuesday morn Following the recovery of carcass an extensive search was carried out in compartment No. 122 of Jharan range. The search had revealed several signs which substantiate that the place was a haven for local poachers. Foresters recovered over 300 metre long metal wire from the jungle which was used for electrocution of the tiger. Small ropes were found tied to the lower parts of the trees standing across the forest tracks to hold the electric wire which is laid low just above the ground, so that any wild animal walking along the track comes in the contact with the live wire. Internal sources in forest department claimed that, both 11 KV and 66 KV electric line passes over the place where the carcass was found. "Poachers might have used the 11 KV line for electrocuting the animal, as use of 66 KV line would have destroyed the wire as well as the carcass by its high voltage current," forest officers said. The trip record of the electric supply line summoned form the MSEDCL, too have helped in confirming the time of poaching. As per records, the Aksapur electricity feeder, that regulates the electricity supply in all the villages around had tripped at 3am of January 19, the probable time when the tiger was electrocuted, sources claimedForest officers are confident that it is the work of local poachers who were after a herbivore, but accidentally tiger was killed by the live wire. "The way tiger's claws were hacked, suggests that it was the work of non-professional poachers. They went on to axe the right jaw of the tiger to remove the right upper and lower canine tooth. But, they left four nails behind, failed to remove left upper and lower canine and even did not bother to go after the skin," sources said. Entire circumstantial evidences put together, it is apparent that poachers belong to some nearby villages and were actively poaching the herbivores in the area with electric wire since last few months. Meanwhile, senior forest officers including FDCM MD SK Sood, APCCF Anmol Kumar, regional manager FDCM Sanjay Thakre, CCF Chandrapur circle BSK Reddy, divisional manager, FDCM MA Ghoshal along with PCCF's representative Bandu Dhotre and NTCA's representative Poonam Dhanwatey were present during the postmortem of the tiger. Veterinary doctor Kadukar has removed the available viscera to forward it to forensic lab. The carcass was later burnt at the same spot before the witnesses. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Poachers-took-four-limbs-two-canines-of-Jharan-tiger/articleshow/11622633.cms

Canal will hurt top reserve’s tigers

Jan 25, 2012 - Rashme Sehgal | Age Correspondent | New Delhi The Rajasthan state government’s determination to construct a canal which will slice through the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) is going to take a heavy toll on the tiger population of this high-profile sanctuary. The canal will severe the crucial corridor that links RTR to the Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary. The problem is made more complex because the state government had sought permission for this canal construction from the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW). The NBW turned down the proposal twice. Prerna Bindra, a member of the standing committee of the NBW pointed out, “The channel will sever and finish the corridor between RNP and the Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary. If this linkage is broken, the tigers have a doubtful future. The corridor needs to be protected at all cost.” Ms Bindra added, “Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary has finally after a long period, seen signs of breeding tigers. According to reports, the presence of six adult tigers and four cubs have been recorded in this sanctuary.” The foundation stone for the canal was laid by Namo Narain Meena, Lok Sabha MP from Sawai Madhopur, in April 2011. When National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member P.K. Sen visited the RTR, he found a large number of trees had been cut in order to build this canal. Rajasthan’s former chief wildlife warden R.N. Mehrotra (retired a fortnight ago) explained, “The reason why the canal was being constructed was because major siltation had taken place in the Mansarovar Lake located in RTR. Extra water was required in order to remove the silt.” But water experts point out that an attempt to connect the Kushalipura nalla to the Mansarovar Lake will hardly provide a solution to the siltation problem. The state forest department has now suggested to the ministry of environment and forests that they should go in for underground pipes that can pump water to the lake and are awaiting a green signal from them. http://www.asianage.com/india/canal-will-hurt-top-reserve-s-tigers-797

Census records rise in vulture count in Panna

MAHIM PRATAP SINGH The Hindu The Longbilled vulture. Photo: Special Arrangement The results of the vulture census in the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) will definitely provide wildlife enthusiasts with a reason to cheer. The count in the third annual estimation exercise that concluded on Monday has registered an increase of 39 per cent over the last year's figures. While the maximum vulture population this year stood at 1797 (as against 1340 in 2011), the minimum number was 1054 (814 last year) while the average count recorded was 1510 (1079 last year). Vultures were found in 38 of the 39 sites earmarked for counting, as against 21 of 25 sites last year. The PTR is home to seven vulture species — long-billed, white-backed, Egyptian, red-headed, Eurasian griffon, Himalayan griffon and cinereous. The first four are permanent residents of the park while the last three are migratory. A significant decline was seen in the numbers of the long-billed (502 from 775) and the cinereous vulture (1 from 6) but that could be because of lack of technical expertise on the part of the enumerators, explained park officials. 97 birds not identified “Because of the difficulty in distinguishing between the long-billed vulture and the Himalayan griffon vulture, 97 birds could only be identified as “unknown” by the observers due to lack of technical expertise,” PTR Field Director R.S. Murthy told The Hindu. Based on a public-private partnership model, the enumeration exercise is being carried at PTR for the last three years. This time, 110 participants from 9 States and two Union Territories, including two foreign citizens, had registered for the exercise. Finally 65 people actually participated in the event. While the PTR is evidently a great vulture habitat with ample feeding opportunities for the avian scavengers, some areas of concern have emerged recently. “The use of the banned diclofenac for cattle around the Patori village and the cutting of the Arjun tree, which serves as a good nesting site for the white-backed vulture, are two areas of concerns we have identified as threats to vultures. Efforts are needed to stop such activities,” Mr. Murthy said. http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article2829228.ece

Tiger census from Feb 2 to 7, parks to stay open

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 24, 2012, 06.20AM IST NAGPUR: The mega tiger estimation exercise with the help of scientific transect line method will be carried out from February 2 to 7. The principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), S K Khetarpal, issued official directions in this regard on January 19. Earlier, Khetarpal had declared that the exercise would be held in the first week of February but dates were not declared. The exercise will be taken up in four tiger reserves: Tadoba-Andhari, Pench, Melghat and Sahyadri and their buffer areas. Tiger-bearing sanctuaries like Bor, Nagzira, Navegaon and Mansingdeo will also be included. A K Saxena, APCCF (East), will be in charge of Vidarbha while Sahyadri and other areas will be looked after by A K Nigam, APCCF (West). The parks will not be kept closed for tourists during the exercise. V K Sinha, CCF and field director of TATR, said that the exercise, which will include collection of data on transect lines, can be completed between 6am and 9am. "The entry can be delayed but parks will not remain closed," Sinha told TOI. Similarly, A K Mishra, CCF and field director of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), said, "There is hardly any tourist pressure here and hence there is no need to close the reserve for tourists." Saxena said that as of now, there are no directions to allow individual volunteers or NGOs to participate in the exercise but it has been left to the respective field director of the parks. Mishra said Melghat and its buffer is big. "Only volunteers with wildlife credentials will be allowed to take part," he added. As per two transects in one beat, there will be around 550 transect lines in MTR. Mishra said two camera traps will be deployed in every 5 sq km. "We will need around 600 cameras," he said. Similarly, Sinha said that TATR and its buffer will also require over 600 camera traps. "There will be over 68 transect lines in 625 sq km TATR," he added. The cameras will be two-sided and placed for 45-60 days. Khetarpal has chalked out the entire programme systematically. Training of field staff has already started and will continue till January 25. Between January 27 and January 29, transect lines will be identified while on January 30 and 31, all doubts of field staff will be cleared. On February 1, stationery and other material will be distributed to the staff. The first three days will be for data collection about presence of herbivores while next three days will be for carnivores. The new tiger census methodology will help know figures of individual tiger reserves. Till now, the numbers included estimation of a protected area and its entire landscape. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-census-from-Feb-2-to-7-parks-to-stay-open/articleshow/11610820.cms

Tiger poached in Jharan forest

TNN | Jan 24, 2012, 06.07AM IST CHANDRAPUR: A suspected case of tiger poaching was discovered in compartment No. 121 of Jharan range under FDCM north Chandrapur. Foresters on Monday evening found a partially decomposed carcass of a full grown tiger with several of its body parts including nails and teeth missing. The carcass is around 48 hours old. Forest officers suspect electrocution as cause of death. Confirmed the death regional manager of FDCM north Chandrapur, Sanjay Thakre said, "An electric line passes over the place were the carcass was found, but the exact reason of the death can only be confirmed after the post-mortem," he said. The carcass will be brought to Chandrapur and post-mortem will be carried out at Rambagh Nursery on Tuesday morning. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tiger-poached-in-Jharan-forest/articleshow/11610726.cms

Rantalodhi villagers relent, agree for rehab

TNN | Jan 24, 2012, 06.07AM IST CHANDRAPUR: With the relocation exercise going on in full gear in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Rantalohi village, which so far was most reluctant towards rehabilitation, too has responded positively to the rehabilitation call. Around 100 families from Rantalodhi have expressed their consent for relocation out of the tiger reserve. Out of six villages located inside TATR, Rantalodhi and Kolsa villages were most averse to relocation out of tiger reserve. However, 38 families from the partially relocated Kolsa village recently agreed to move out of the reserve with a cash compensation package of Rs10 lakh each. Five of them have practically moved out of Kolsa. Taking the cue, around 100 families of Rantalohi approached the authorities, expressing willingness for relocation. "There are around 140 families in Rantalodhi. Of these, around 100 have approached the rehabilitation department. While some have asked for cash compensation option under Rs10 lakh rehabilitation package, others have opted for rehabilitation with full residential and civic amenities out of TATR. A few of them have also expressed their willingness to go to Bhagwanpur," said field director and CCF, TATR, Vinaykumar Sinha. He said that the initial relocation site selected for Rantalodhi was near Golabhuj village in Sindewahi forest range. However, now they have refused to move to Golabhuj and seeking new site near village Belgata in the same range. This new site is along the Mul-Sindewahi road. There is, however, a hurdle. "A patch of this site falls in the wildlife corridor, while a big chunk of the site is dense jungle and cannot be made available for rehabilitation. Only 100 hectares of open patch is available at this place. Therefore, this place can be considered for relocation only if the families that want to move here make do with the open patch," Sinha said. With some families seeking cash compensation, while others seeking relocation at Bhagwanpur, there is a possibility of managing the remaining families at new site near Belgata. However, if the number of families increases, then people of Rantalodhi will have to look for some other site for relocation. Bhagwanpur a preferred choice Since the commencement of three lift irrigation schemes to provide irrigation facility to Bhagwanpur, this model rehabilitation site of two TATR villages has become the centre of attraction for villagers seeking rehabilitation out of tiger reserve. Some families from Rantalodhi village have asked for rehabilitation at Bhagwanpur, instead of a new site elsewhere. Similarly, five of the families in Kolsa village too have approached forest authorities, seeking relocation at Bhagwanpur. Strong opponent of rehabilitation at Bhagwanpur, Sudhakar Madavi of Kolsa village, too has expressed his willingness to go to Bhagwanpur, after the launch of irrigation schemes. The work of construction of lift irrigation scheme is underway on war-footing at Bhagwanpur and irrigation department is determined to complete its construction before onset of the next summer. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Rantalodhi-villagers-relent-agree-for-rehab/articleshow/11610724.cms