Fishing mafia on the rise as Pench is hit by lack of funds - DNA

Mumbai: Security of the Pench Tiger Reserve is at risk. With no funds released in the last nine months, the forest authorities are in a tight situation regarding funds for patrolling logistics and payments of the forest labourers. Meanwhile, the incidents of illegal fishing and attacks on the forest guards have increased.

The authority has 50 guards with no arms and vehicles. "The Centre has not released a single paisa of the Rs1.8 crore annual fund since April 2009. We haven't been able to buy fuel for the patrolling vehicles, which are in a bad condition," said an official.

Meanwhile, the fishing mafia is raising its head again. Madhukar Dhoke (name changed), a forest guard, who was a part of the team which nabbed fishermen involved in illegal fishing a month ago, was forced to leave his house in the civil area for initiating action against the fishing mafia. Those involved in the theft attacked his house, forcing him to shift his family to the quarters in the jungle.

The plight of the security forces does not end here. The retaliation from the fishing mafias is so powerful that the SRP jawans, deployed to help forest guards, discontinued their services a year ago. Nearly 100 forest labourers, appointed on a contract basis to help the guards, have stopped working as their salaries have not been paid.

Sources said that illegal fishing worth Rs50,000 to Rs1 lakh is taking place every day. "The Supreme Court had banned fishing in the reserve in 2004 and abolished the fishing rights of the locals. The families were rehabilitated in the neighbouring villages. However, they keep returning to Totladoh dam for fishing," said an official.

According to Dr Mohan Jha, conservator of forest and in-charge of Pench Reserve, the delay in the release of funds has led to a rise in illegal activities. "The activities had almost stopped after October 2008. But they are rising again as the news of lack of funds and the lax security is spreading," he said.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_fishing-mafia-on-the-rise-as-pench-is-hit-by-lack-of-funds_1326914

Homesick tiger puts MP forest officials in fix - HT

It’s not another Tiger Woods joke. A homesick tiger has kept more than 100 forest officials in the woods for close to a month.

The big cat, brought to Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park from the Pench reserve 400 km away, does not like his new habitat, which includes two relocated tigresses.

And he seems to be heading back home.

Leaving wildlife scientists baffled, the tiger — tracked 24x7 through a radio collar — has crossed hills, fields, human habitations and rivers, and is now moving towards his home at Pench.

Tracking the reluctant migrant, Panna National Park field director R. Sriniwas Murthy has not gone home for four weeks. Also on the tiger’s trail are three veterinarians, five elephants and a truck to move elephants, besides local forest department officials.

The tiger was released in Panna on November 14.

He has been on the move since November 25.

On Monday, after crossing the Ken, Boarma and Sonar rivers, he was reported to be in the Nauradehi Sanctuary with only the Narmada separating him and his original home. On Wednesday, high frequency radio signals located him in Damoh district, midway between Pench and Panna.

Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden R.S. Negi said the phenomenon was difficult to fathom. “One can’t say whether the tiger knows he’s heading towards his original home,” said Negi.

The tiger has to be tranquillised and taken back to Panna but the dense foliage and tough terrain have prevented veterinarians from doing so.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Homesick-tiger-puts-MP-forest-officials-in-fix/H1-Article1-489925.aspx

Maharashtra Release of wildlife funds stuck in red tape

NAGPUR: On first day of winter session, forest minister Dr Patangrao Kadam had promised that funds for three tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the state would be release in 24 hours. But almost 336 hours later, not a single rupee of the Rs 6.76 crore first installment of centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) funds has been released.

Interestingly, the finance department says it released the money on December 17 but wildlife wing says it has not received it. S P Kanade, joint secretary (finance), told TOI Rs 7.90 crore have been released from Mumbai under four schemes. However, until Tuesday night, money had not arrived in budgetdistribution system (BDS), the official channel to distribute funds. It seems even word of senior minister Dr Kadam is not kept.

On Tuesday, when the issue was taken up with Dr Kadam, he expressed surprise. "I'm learning from you that funds have not been released yet. Daily I meet top officials but none has apprised me of it. If they don't tell me about the problem how can I solve it? I will take up the issue with officials concerned on Wednesday," Dr Kadam told TOI.

Conservationists flayed rigid approach of the finance and planning department in releasing money. "Funds are delayed every year for one or the other reason. It has become a chronic problem. At a time when tigers are falling prey to poachers due to lack of protection, not releasing money for wildlife is criminal," they said.

Information sought under the RTI revealed that the wildlife wing had proposed Rs 13.35 crore for three tiger reserves Tadoba, Pench and Melghat & 31 sanctuaries and national parks under the CSS. Of this, Rs 10.80 crore has been sanctioned. The Centre has already released its share of Rs 6.76 crore towards first instalment by September 30. However, state government did not release the money.

Of its share of Rs 2.31 crore, the state released only Rs 1.02 crore on September 30. This amount too was released after much hassles and most of it went towardspayment of wages of forest workers engaged in protection work in parks. The workers were not paid for six months then. Now the situation is back to square one.

It is December and first instalment of CSS funds, which is 60% of the total sanctioned amount, has not been released. The managers of protected areas (PAs) are left with only three months to utilise the money. Unless utilisation certificate of 1st instalment is submitted, Centre does not release second instalment. Officials fear the PAs will go without the second instalment this financial year. It means less money for wildlife, which is already passing through grave crisis.

As there are no funds, number of workers has been curtailed hampering protection. Besides, crucial works like drawing fire lines, road repairs, cutting of grass, waterhole management have come to a grinding halt. In Pench Tiger Reserve, illegal fishing is rampant as patrolling boats are stranded for fuel. Many protection huts are unmanned as there is no money to pay wages.

The sanctioned amount includes Rs 4 crore for three tiger reserves including Rs 1.5 crore for TATR, Rs 1.70 crore for Melghat and Rs 80 lakh for Pench. Besides, Rs 2.75 crore has been sanctioned for sanctuaries and national parks. Forest officials said they had submitted all the information asked for in new format. "We also don't know why funds are held up?" they said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Kadams-assurance-on-wildlife-funds-flouted/articleshow/5368093.cms

Wildlife award for Simlipal saviour

BARIPADA: For 36 years he has been guarding the forests, walking for miles even at night to protect the big cat, and has dared the bullets of marauders.

Prabir Kumar Palei, one of Project Tiger's longest-serving foot soldiers in Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR) received the Wildlife Service Award from Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia magazine in Mumbai recently.

The prestigious award was presented to the forester for his monumental contribution towards theconservation of STR for over three decades. Prabir joined as a field staff in 1974 and worked under the first field director, late Padmashree Saroj Raj Choudhury.

Present field director H S Upadhyaya congratulated Palei for his splendid achievement and said, "Keep it up!" Upadhyaya feels this honour should act as an incentive for juniors to emulate. Prabir, who received a citation and a cash award of Rs 25,000, said he was the first man in his team to defy the warning of security forces and continue to stay overnight in the Upper Barha-Kamuda (UBK) range office.

"I was happy that others in my team gathered courage to wipe out the fear psychosis that was triggered by the first ever offensive by Maoists on March 28, 2009. They have joined me in my efforts to protect the tiger." After the Maoist rampage in Simlipal, foresters were put on foot patrol only during daytime.

The citation presented said, "Prabir Kumar Palei has arrested over 100 people in a lifetime devoted to the protection of the tiger and has been attacked, ambushed and routinely threatened for his pains. But nothing is able to shake his steely resolve to protect the forest he loves. One of Project Tiger's longest-serving foot soldiers, he joined Similipal's frontline team in 1974.

Palei loves the forests and nothing could give away his love more than his rejection of coveted postings. He chose to be a simple foot soldier for 36 years. He had the good fortune to be mentored by Choudhury and literally walked thousands of miles on foot patrols. Palei "knows" Similipal like the back of his hand.

Despite Maoists terror, Palei and his team never buckled. The call of duty kept them ticking. With no roof over their head and only a damaged VHF communication tower to connect them with the rest of the world, he and his men returned to their post in UBK in the core of the forest. When warned by security forces against staying deep inside the forest after dark, he had responded: "Will you look after the forest?"

His mission now is to inspire new recruits who would have the requisite skills and passion to save the tiger. "Palei's name is synonymous with Simlipal. His service is unparalleled," said R N Marandi, another STR forester at Jashipur.

Centre to introduce stricter guidelines for tourist entry into wildlife areas

New Delhi: Tiger reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries will soon become zones with restricted entry as the government plans to impose stringent regulations on tourism activities in these areas.

Concerned at the diminishing number of tigers and destruction of forest reserves due to increased commercial activities, the tourism ministry is planning to limit the number of tourists and hotels operating in and around reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. This means tourists would need to queue up in advance for entry permits or shell out more for a jeep.

India has 38 tiger reserves, 357 wildlife sanctuaries and 96 national parks. Roughly 700-1,000 tourists visit these every day. About 30 diesel-run jeeps and 15 canters also enter each reserve daily. Environmentalists believe increased tourism activities are affecting the ecological balance of these parks and reserves.

To regulate this, the tourism ministry plans to reduce the number of permits for parks and reserves by about 30-40%. It is also contemplating a temporary ban, of 3-4 years, on all tourism-related projects in these areas.

"National parks, hills, coastal areas and islands are eco-fragile zones. If we don't regulate activities there today, we will suffer later. So, we are planning to take stringent measures... Too many hotels and resorts block the corridors of animals," tourism secretary Sudip Banerjee said. Accordingly, the hotel classification guidelines are likely to be amended. All upcoming hotels near reserves on hills and in coastal areas, islands would now need an environmental clearance. There will be restrictions on change of land use, so that forest land or residential areas cannot be used for commercial purpose. Besides, the ministry will sensitise officials, tour operators, tourists and villagers on the importance of protecting environment.

Environmentalists call it a positive step but tour operators fear the regulation would hit jungle tourism. "We agree that animals get disturbed by regular tourism activities but such regulations would impact tourism. The costs are likely to go up for safaris and jungle stays if limited jeeps, canters or hotels are allowed," Ghananand Sharma, manager of India Wildlife Resort, said.

Tiger conservationist Belinda Wright hailed the move."There are very few parks where you can spot tigers. Tourism activities block the movement and corridors of animals," she said

Two tiger cubs found dead in Pench National Park in MP - DNA

Seoni (MP): Two tiger cubs were found dead in Raiyakasa region of Pench National Park here, officials said today.

A patrol party had informed the officials about the cub deaths on December 19 following which a team was sent to the spot to get their carcass, they said.

Officials said that it appears that the four-month old cubs died due to intense cold.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_two-tiger-cubs-found-dead-in-pench-national-park-in-mp_1326336

Now Ranthambore faces destruction due to mining and river bridge

A new road being build over River Banas in Ranthamore park and mining by villagers near Bhadlaw threatens to destroy widlife habitat in the area

Apparently forest guards know about the mining activity and not much has been done to prevent the destruction.

Ranthambore has been one of the few success stories of tiger conservation in India and as with the recent cases of proposed mining around Tadoba and a road project through Pench national park, these activities around a national park create havoc with wildlife habitats.

This piece of info comes courtesy our friend Phil Davis who runs a tiger conservation charity www.tigerawareness.co.uk . in UK.

Tiger carcass found in Corbett

NAINITAL: Forest officials on Sunday recovered the carcass of a 10-year-old male tiger in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand, apparently killed in a turf war.

Corbett's wildlife warden D S Rawat said the tiger might have died two days ago. The carcass was spotted in the Dhikala zone of the forest by a tourist, who immediately informed officials. Two senior veterinary doctors, who inspected the spot where the dead tiger was found, ruled out poaching. The condition of the carcass indicated struggle with another tiger, they said.

The wildlife warden said a post-mortem examination would decide the cause of death. The Dhikala and other zones of the reserve were opened to tourists on November 15. ‘‘We are taking necessary steps to ensure that endangered species are protected,’’ a senior official at the reserve in Dhikala said

‘Female presence’ to lure runaway tiger back to Panna

It’s a first of its kind problem, and it merits a first of its kind solution.

A “healthy, adult male tiger” was chosen after months of deliberation from Pench tiger park to be translocated to the empty Panna tiger reserve, which lost all its big cats to poaching exactly a year ago. Now, the young male has done what was least expected — it has run 200 km away.

After several letters between the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in New Delhi, it has finally been decided that the truant should be sedated and brought back — but only after he is given evidence that there are tigresses in Panna for company.

In an unusual letter to Madhya Pradesh, the NTCA has given the state forest department the permission to sedate the tiger and bring him back to Panna, after littering the enclosure he is brought back in with the scat of tigresses — to establish mate presence and to keep him “in Panna”.

This follows several arguments between the state and Centre, with the satellite signal in the tiger’s collar failing to work, and a debate on the ethical wisdom of sedating the animal for a second time.

“The tiger should be brought back to a soft-release enclosure in Panna, and kept there for at least 10 days so he can be familiarised with Panna. Further we have specifically asked that scat of the two tigresses in Panna be kept around the enclosure that is created for the tiger, so he doesn’t leave the park,” says an NTCA official. This is the first time that such a solution is being mooted in black and white, but the problem also is a first.

After weeks of searching in tiger reserves Bandhavgarh and Kanha, a male tiger had been selected from Pench to be tranquilised and moved to Panna, which had lost all its tigers to poaching. Two tigresses have also been translocated to the reserve since then.

The male tiger, fitted with a satellite-cum-radio collar roughly worth Rs 4 lakh, was brought in in November, and ran away soon after. Walking out of the park, the four-year-old tiger has been on a long march, via Panna to Kishenpur, Rajpura, Bakswaho, Dalpatpur (close to the district border) — crossing at least two districts and 200 kilometres.

A large group from the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, including Panna Field Director Srinivas Murthy, and scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have been on its trail for two weeks.

Some members of the WII team are of the view that the tiger, which was tranquilised when it was first translocated, should not be sedated again. The ethics of sedating tigers to move them has become a burning question after a stray tigress, sedated and caged earlier this year to be taken to the Bhadra tiger reserve in Karnataka, died in the process

Madhya Pradesh meanwhile claims that the NTCA did not respond soon enough. “We had communicated with the NTCA several times for permission to tranquilise the runaway tiger. However, we were not granted permission for several days. Further, the satellite collar stopped working. Even though it is a very expensive device, it has not been giving a signal since November 25. We have barely been able to follow the tiger through radio telemetry signals. The tiger has been moving in ravines and hilly area and tracking it has been very difficult,” says R S Negi, Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh.

“The ethical questions should be considered later. At this moment, it is imperative that the tiger be moved before there is any conflict with human beings. Also, it should not be allowed to cross any state borders,” says former Project Tiger director P K Sen.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/female-presence-to-lure-runaway-tiger-back-to-panna/553871/3

Tiger suspected to be poached near Nagpur- TOI

While the dust is yet to settle on the seizure of two tiger skins at Nagpur railway station, one more case of suspected tiger poaching in Tirodia Forest range in Gondia Distt has come to the fore.

The spot is five kms away from Nagzira wildlifesanctuary and falls in the territorial area.

This is perhaps the 14th tiger death in last one-and-half years since May 2008. Five deaths were that of cubs after their mothers went missing in Adhyalmendha & Mendki villages in Brahmapuri forest division and Chiroli in Sindewahi. Similarly, two tigresses went missing from Junona and Dhaba in Chandrapur district. Eight deaths have been officially recorded by the forest department.

According to sources, the incident took place in compartment No.108 in Govindtola beat of Tiroda. The incident came to light on Thursday when forest staff, acting on a tip-off, found a bullock suspected to be killed by a tiger.

Sources said there was injury on the neck of the bullock and back portion of the carcass was eaten by the carnivore. Close to the bullock there is a nullah and the officials found stomach, heart and pieces of bones of the carnivore kept covered there. They suspect the parts to be of a tiger. They also found bunch of yellow and white hair near the spot and unclear pugmarks on the nullah bed.

Officials involved in panchnama and investigations at the spot suggest that the tiger might have been killed by poisoning. A patch shows the carnivore was dragged from near the bullock to the nullah and skinned. All the vital body parts like skin, paws, nails, teeth of the tiger are missing. The poachers dumped the unwanted parts at the spot and fled.

Sources said till now there are no claimants of the bullock. It is suspected to be a handiwork of local poachers who left evidence to suspect they were not thorough professionals. "If they would have been professionals, no evidence of the carnivore had been left behind," an official said. Senior officials suspect it may also be a case of revenge killing by villagers. They said field staff had record of tiger sightings in the area a couple of times in the past.

Mukesh Ganatra, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Gondia Forest Division, was in a protective mode. He did not respond to the repeated calls made to him. Poaching has increased in Gondia division. During the year there have been many instances of wildlife poaching. A few months ago two sloth bears were poached in the area.

Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) AS Khune said the culprits will be behind the bars in two days. "We have collected at least 10 samples of the carnivore and bullock meat. Those will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, or Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad," Khune said.

"It's 100% a carnivore but it will only be confirmed once we receive the reports. The spot is deep inside the forest and a power line passes through the area," Khune said.

Tigers endangered in half of Indian reserves

By Matthias Williams

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Tigers are in a "very, very precarious" state and could disappear altogether in nearly half of India's tiger reserves, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday.

India is a key player in efforts to conserve the dwindling global tiger population, which has plummeted to just a few thousand. Wildlife experts say tigers could be extinct in 20 years.

Illegal poaching, fueled by a thriving trade in tiger parts, and natural habitat loss drove down numbers in India from about 40,000 a century ago to 1,411 at the last count in 2008.

Ramesh said out of 38 government-monitored tiger reserves, 12 were in good condition and nine were satisfactory.

"Seventeen are in a very, very, very precarious state," he said. He did not specify how many tigers were at risk.

"You could have a Panna or a Sariska in any of these 17 at any point of time," he said, referring to two well-known reserves which lost their tiger populations.

A special panel set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in 2006 thousands of villagers inside India's reserves would have to be relocated to protect tigers from poachers and smugglers.

Poaching is very profitable and poor villagers often help poachers in return for much-needed cash, while villagers also often cut down forests where tigers live to use as farmland.

Although the government has paid compensation to uprooted families, Ramesh said they were sometimes moved to underdeveloped areas where they were not able to make a proper living.

"We have to relocate 100,000 from these 38 reserves if we are to save the tiger," he told reporters.

"Only about 3,000 have been relocated so far. "It is not enough to give them money. We also have to provide livelihood security for them," Ramesh said.

India must also strengthen policing along its borders with Nepal and Myanmar to control the illegal trade in animal parts, Ramesh said. New Delhi also wants China to phase out tiger farms, which it says operate in violation of international agreements and fuel demand in India.

The international police organization Interpol estimates illegal wildlife trade may be worth more than $20 billion a year.

Tiger parts are often used in Chinese medicine, where conservationists say everything from whiskers to eyes and bones are used. Tiger fur is also highly valued.

Ramesh said he had recently rejected a proposed coal mining project in a tiger reserve.

http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINTRE5B81OX20091209?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Ban on mining a boon for tiger reserve

PATNA: Excessive human interference in the forest areas has often been cited as one of the main reason behind the adverse affect on wildlife.

Bihar's Valmiki sanctuary Wildlife Sanctuary, from which the Valmiki Nagar Tiger Reserve has been carved out, has shown how check on human interference can do wonders to wildlife.

This pertains to ban on mining of stones from the bed of the Pandai river, which flows through the sanctuary. Thanks to the Supreme Court directive in the T N Godavarman Thirumalpad vs Union of India case, mining from the river bed was completely banned after 2002.

Since the ban was made effective senev years back, the area along the bank of river Pandai has witnessed many changes. The most notable among them has been re-appearance of green cover.

"Earlier, the whole area used to wear a barren look as hundreds of tractors used to make rounds to carry stoned quarried from the river bed. Moreover, the ban has also resulted in disappearance of stone crushers from the areas nearby," said Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) assistant manager Samir Sinha.

Echoing Sinha's views, a forest department official said, "The ban has proved to a boon for the wildlife."

The return of natural flora has ushered in many positive changes.

It has given the wildlife a broader habitat manifested by movement of prey species in the grassy banks of the river. And availability of prey base along the river banks and undisturbed river bed has given the predators a bigger range to move around in an area spread over about 65 sq km east of Pandai river.

"Earlier, the movement of tigers was restricted to the west of the river. Now they are visible even beyond the eastern bank of the river," Sinha said.

The icing on the cake, of course, is presence of migratory birds in and around the river. Flock of black storks and lesser adjutant now visit the area during winter.

There are, however, two aspects which the forest department is yet to address __ declaring eco-sensitive zone and including the rehabilitated area in core/critical area of the Tiger reserve.

"As soon as the Supreme Court pronounces its stand on the eco-sensitive zone, we'll start the process of notifying areas which should fall under the zone," Bihar chief wildlife warden Bashir Ahmed Khan said.

He said, "The process of delineating the core/critical area of the tiger reserve is underway and it is likely to take another six months to finalise things."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Ban-on-mining-a-boon-for-tiger-reserve/articleshow/5320561.cms

Tiger poacher convicted to 3 years rigorous imprisonment - TOI

NEW DELHI: A court in Khatima, Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand had sentenced notorious tiger poacher Birbal alias Totha Ram. to three years rigorous imprisonment and fine of rupess 10,000 in connection with the seizure of 12ft long tiger skin on August 2004.

The staff of Terai East Forest Division, Uttarakhand with the assistance of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) had arrested bawariya poacher Totha Ram with a tiger skin from Banbasa in 2004. Closed inspection of the skin showed that animal was shot and 16 bullet marks were found on the skin. A case under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was registered at Khatima range.

After close examination of the case Civil Judge, Mr. Kuldeep Sharma had awarded sentence to Totha Ram. Recently he was again caught with antlers, tiger trap and other poaching tools when he was on bail in tiger skin case.

“Conviction rate in wildlife cases are very low, sentencing of a poacher like Totha Ram will make a difference. Uttarakhand Forest Department had done a commendable job” said, Belinda Wright, executive director of WPSI.

Bawariya poaching gangs are active in different parts of the county, recently his sister Dilpo was convicted to five years rigorous imprisonment by a court in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, for a 1992 tiger case. She had earlier been convicted in November 2005, by a court in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, for carrying the skin and bones of a tiger that was killed at Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2005.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Tiger-poacher-convicted-to-3-years-rigorous-imprisonment/articleshow/5319092.cms

Tourism lobby hold up Sariska tiger relocation

JAIPUR: Three translocations later, the ambitious programme that the National TigerConservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Institute of India and the state government had embarked upon to re-populate the Sariska tiger reserve seems to have met a major hurdle.

The relocation of tigers from the Ranthambore reserve to Sariska has so far seen just two females and one male tiger being shifted to the new location. But even that was controversial for it was pointed out that it encouraged inbreeding among tigers.

Issues pertaining to the safety of the cats from poachers were also raised, especially as in Sariska it was alleged that all the cats had earlier killed by poachers. However, after having successfully shrugged off the allegation it has now put a virtual brake on the process with the relocation of a fourth tiger and many more after that seems to be going awry.

Little else explains the delays in the state getting a nod from the apex wildlife body when scientists from WII had already begun groundwork for the shifting of the fourth tiger about a month back.

And with the state forest department and the WII pleading preparedness for the fourth relocation, the onus for the delay rests on the NTCA.

"There were some issues pertaining to the in-breeding of the tigers. There was a group that felt that relocating tigers from Ranthambore to Sariska would result in in-breeding thereby lowering the quality of their breed. However, the WII did an indepth study of the tigers' DNA and identified those which could be relocated. Now we are ready and it should happen any day," said Rajesh Gopal, director of the NTCA.

On its part, the WII also seemed prepared. "We are not the ones to decide on relocation. Our expertise lies in the relocation part of it and we are ready, provided the nod comes from two other bodies,' says PR Singh, director of the WII.

The state too sounded optimistic. "We are ready and awaiting the nod from the Centre," said R N Mehrotra, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

At this juncture, sources reveal it is a section of tiger experts from the country who have not been involved in the process so far. They added there are some from the tourism lobby who are opposed to the relocation which is holding up the process.

"These people were always opposed to relocation and had been citing plenty of reasons. However, after three successful relocations they were silenced but now with Sariska eating off a chunk of tourists from Ranthambore, they seem to have become active again," sources revealed.

"They do not want Ranthambore to lose its tourists as that would harm their ventures, including hotels, and hence, the opposition to Sariska. After the third tiger was relocated to Sariska, the forest had begun to see many tourists and was fast threatening to become the new found tiger reserve of the state," the source added.

"Many hotel operators in Ranthambore are running NGOs too and it is this lobby that has become active over the years with the kind of money they are making there. Now they care little about what happens to conservation and are more concerned that tigers do not move out of Ranthambore so that their money-making machine i.e. Ranthambore remains active," he added.

Rajpal Singh, member of state wildlife board, "A section of the tourism lobby has become so powerful that it may be difficult to save the tiger from their clutches."

Meanwhile, brakes on relocation of tigers from Ranthambore has come as a big jolt for the state forest department that was keen to see the over-populated reserve have some of its tigers shifted.

"Every other day there are tigers that are straying off from the forest for want of space. Even on Tuesday, a tiger strayed off to the Nayapur area of Ranthambore and pawed a woman. Luckily, she escaped with minor injuries. This comes close on the heels of another similar incident 15 days ago," said a forest official.

Amid this deadlock between conservation and petty politics it remains to be seen whether Sariska lives for its mission of nurturing the cats or becomes a victim once again.