CHANDRAPUR: The sleuths of Chimur forest range probing the seizure of tiger nails in Chimur have uncovered a poachers gang inside Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
Investigations have revealed that the tiger was killed near Hirdi Nullah in Kolsa range of TATR. Four more accused were arrested from Kolsa village on Monday evening in connection with the poaching.
Forest officials have also recovered tiger bones and six wire traps from the place where the tiger was killed. Acting on the basis of a tip-off given by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Chimur RFO BS Padve had arrested Mangaldas Madavi with three tiger nails in Chimur on Saturday.
Madavi is a resident of Jamni village, inside TATR, and this rang alarm bells among forest officials. Raids were carried out in Kolsa the same evening and Bhauji Gedam was also arrested. Chimur forest officials presented the accused before the court and obtained their forest custody remand for five days.
Investigators were shocked to learn that the accused duo with their accomplices had poached a tiger, whose nails were seized, in Kolsa range of TATR.
On the basis of information given by Madavi and Gedam, Chimur officials once again raided Kolsa on Monday evening and arrested four more persons.
The arrested accused also identified the place of poaching near Hirdi Nullah in Kolsa range. Forest officials found 20 tiger bones at the spot. Six wire traps were also recovered after the arrested accused revealed their locations.
Each wire trap had 15 nooses. Speaking to TOI, Bramhapuri ACF AN Dhote confirmed that a tiger was poached.
"The accused have confessed to poaching a tiger. They said that they had laid the wire traps to poach smaller animals like deer and sambhar, but accidentally a tiger got caught in it. Later, its body parts were removed by the poachers," said Dhote. He said that around half-a-dozen others who had purchased the tiger parts, are likely to be arrested in the coming days.
The four arrested from Kolsa on Monday are Ganpat Gedam, Sainath Shedmake, Gulab Todase and Khushal Todase. Dhote further said that they are going to seek FCR of the four accused from the court. "Once our interrogation is over, the case will be handed over to authorities of TATR as the poaching has taken place in their territory," said Dhote. Dhote did not say when this tiger was poached. "He poached tiger in question is likely to be the tigress with two cubs in Hirdi Nullah. It used to roam in the territory between Shivanzari, Hirdi Nullah and Kakadghat, but has gone missing about an year ago," sources have said.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Census brings good news on tigers in GOA
PANAJI: Evidence pointing to the presence of at least two tigers is the big news of the ongoing wildlife census, the first phase of which ended on Tuesday.
"Tiger pug marks and scats have been found in at least three to four places," a source said. "So it may even be three tigers, including a couple in one place or a couple of leopards and a tiger." The census teams found tiger pug marks near Anjunem dam and scats in a few other places, including Tambdi Surla in Molem and Valkini near the backwaters of Selaulim dam.
Participants in the exercise also reported an encouraging evidence of leopards, bison and other animals.
Tiger and leopard droppings are different in size.
A tiger's scat is bigger in length and diameter while that of a leopard is smaller and has a hook-like projection at one end. Sources said a leopard's and tiger cub's scats may appear confusing because of their identical size. In the case of claws, the gap between tiger claws is more than that of the leopard.
"Tiger pug marks and scats have been found in at least three to four places," a source said. "So it may even be three tigers, including a couple in one place or a couple of leopards and a tiger." The census teams found tiger pug marks near Anjunem dam and scats in a few other places, including Tambdi Surla in Molem and Valkini near the backwaters of Selaulim dam.
Participants in the exercise also reported an encouraging evidence of leopards, bison and other animals.
Tiger and leopard droppings are different in size.
A tiger's scat is bigger in length and diameter while that of a leopard is smaller and has a hook-like projection at one end. Sources said a leopard's and tiger cub's scats may appear confusing because of their identical size. In the case of claws, the gap between tiger claws is more than that of the leopard.
'Tourists help keep poachers away from tiger reserves' - TOFT
NEW DELHI: Opposing the ban on tourists from core regions of tiger reserves proposed by the environment ministry, Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT) — a campaign spearheaded by international and national travel operators — has said that wildlife tourism, on the contrary, was saving forests and tigers.
The organization added that tourism ensured better security for tigers, and was the best anti-poaching mechanism even as it made forest personnel "highly and often uncomfortably accountable".
TOFT chairman Julian Mathew said the agency would take up the issue with the ministries of tourism and environment to ensure better implementation of rules and regulations, adding that a ban on wildlife tourism was not the answer.
According to recent statistics, tiger numbers have come down from an estimated 3,642 in 2002 to 1,411 in February 2008. Experts say that actual numbers could be even lower. A recent tourism ministry study had shown that nearly 70% of resorts outside Corbett National Park were venues for weddings and parties rather than eco-tourism.
In a statement, TOFT pointed out that despite poor tourism practises being followed in the national park, it continued to be the "most visited" park in India and still had the highest number of tigers. It added that Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve had the heaviest density of tigers in its main Tala tourism zone and received 45,000 visits a year.
"When sub-adults leave this tourist zone seeking their own ranges in buffer zone forests, they get lost, poached or poisoned. Ranthambhore, with its 450 sq km and estimated 35-38 tigers, finds 22-23 (two-thirds) tigers in ranges that fall within the much smaller 130 sq km of the tourism zone. These facts suggest that the best tiger security and habitat exist in tourism zones, and tigers and prey sense it," the statement said.
Highlighting the fact that good tourism practises not only provide a means of legitimate livelihood to people living in and around tiger reserves, TOFT said if it were not for tourism bringing economic value to the forest area, it would be sacrificed for mining, farming or industry.
Emphasizing that the alternative was to ensure implementation of rules and regulations, Mathew gave the instance of Madhya Pradesh's ecosensitive zone regulations that have been stuck in the Supreme Court since 2006. "Tiger tourism is the best anti-poaching unit, operating vehicles watching for eight hours a day, deflecting poachers, loggers and grazers from being there," Mathew said.
The organization added that tourism ensured better security for tigers, and was the best anti-poaching mechanism even as it made forest personnel "highly and often uncomfortably accountable".
TOFT chairman Julian Mathew said the agency would take up the issue with the ministries of tourism and environment to ensure better implementation of rules and regulations, adding that a ban on wildlife tourism was not the answer.
According to recent statistics, tiger numbers have come down from an estimated 3,642 in 2002 to 1,411 in February 2008. Experts say that actual numbers could be even lower. A recent tourism ministry study had shown that nearly 70% of resorts outside Corbett National Park were venues for weddings and parties rather than eco-tourism.
In a statement, TOFT pointed out that despite poor tourism practises being followed in the national park, it continued to be the "most visited" park in India and still had the highest number of tigers. It added that Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve had the heaviest density of tigers in its main Tala tourism zone and received 45,000 visits a year.
"When sub-adults leave this tourist zone seeking their own ranges in buffer zone forests, they get lost, poached or poisoned. Ranthambhore, with its 450 sq km and estimated 35-38 tigers, finds 22-23 (two-thirds) tigers in ranges that fall within the much smaller 130 sq km of the tourism zone. These facts suggest that the best tiger security and habitat exist in tourism zones, and tigers and prey sense it," the statement said.
Highlighting the fact that good tourism practises not only provide a means of legitimate livelihood to people living in and around tiger reserves, TOFT said if it were not for tourism bringing economic value to the forest area, it would be sacrificed for mining, farming or industry.
Emphasizing that the alternative was to ensure implementation of rules and regulations, Mathew gave the instance of Madhya Pradesh's ecosensitive zone regulations that have been stuck in the Supreme Court since 2006. "Tiger tourism is the best anti-poaching unit, operating vehicles watching for eight hours a day, deflecting poachers, loggers and grazers from being there," Mathew said.
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