Tiger cubs yet to be traced in Panna sanctuary

Madhya Pradesh's Panna sanctuary has in all likelihood lost its two poster cubs with authorities yet to trace them a month after they went missing.

The state wildlife officials, however, are yet to declare them officially dead.

Panna Field director S R Murthy said that they were keeping a regular tab on the movement of the tigress which is with her two remaining five-month-old cubs.

"We have kept our fingers crossed and it might be possible that the tigress has hidden them (missing cubs) in a safer place. But, to be on the realistic side, we are now "99 per cent certain" that only two live cubs are present with the tigress."

"In case they have died it is nothing strange. It is a a natural phenomenon. Usually, mortality rate is 50 per cent in the big cats in the wild. The cubs might have died and the park employees are looking for physical remains in the area, if any," Murthy said.

Just when the success story of the country's tiger translocation programme was being scripted soon after the litter of four cubs were born on 15/16 April from one of the reintroduced big cat in the sanctuary, the officials got a jolt when they could not spot three of the four-months old with their mother.

The tigress was spotted with a single cub on September 7 after a fight with the solitary male tiger at the park on August 29 and then again on September 5.

Initially, it was felt that the tigress might have hidden the cubs after the two fights with the male tiger.

However, while one cub was retrieved since then, the two others seem to have lost to either disease or the tiger itself might have killed the cubs to get near to the mother.

In all, the park has a tiger and two tigress.

The authorities soon plan to bring yet another male and two females to the Park which had lost all big cats to poachers just a few years ago.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Tiger-cubs-yet-to-be-traced-in-Panna-sanctuary/Article1-608529.aspx

Sleuths trap 4 poachers in Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Oct. 5: In a midnight raid, sleuths of Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) caught four poachers including two habitual hunters from Tamil Nadu. The carcass of a black-naped hare and a few weapons used to hunt the animals were recovered from the gang who were active in the same area for the last few years. Incidentally, three weeks ago, the tiger reserve staff had unearthed over 40 snare traps laid to catch smaller mammals.

Hanumanthappa, deputy conservator of forests, BTR, said the accused Kamala Kannan from Salem, Krishnan from Ooty, Bomma and Manju, who live near Bandipur, were arrested in Boodhikatte forest area of Gopalaswamy Betta Range following a tip-off.

“The gang was caught when they drove inside the tiger reserve in a car (TN 34-K 8103). Two carcasses of black-naped hare, battery, knives and clubs were found with them,” the officer said.

Conservationists say this is a cause for concern as it reveals how poaching continues unabated in our forests. “Hare and many other small mammals act as suitable prey for tigers and other carnivores. Hunting them with traps is taking a toll on their numbers. This could in turn affect the tiger population in BTR,” said a worried conservationist.

Officials from BTR said since most of the snares were recovered from Gunre and Begur ranges night vigilance has been increased in these areas. “Patrolling using elephants has also been started in forest areas which are non-motorable due to the rain. We are also trying to cover the main roads as the absence of vehicle movement at night could help the poachers use the main road,” said an official from the reserve.

Meanwhile, the CID forest cell is planning to restart an inquiry into tiger deaths in the Bandipur forests over the last two years. There have been eight tiger deaths in the last three years, and the post-mortem reports on some of the animals contradicts the crime scene records, CID officer said.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/sleuths-trap-4-poachers-bandipur-tiger-reserve-207

One more tiger dies in Bannerghatta park

Bangalore, Oct 5 (PTI) A four-year-old female tiger succumbed to bacterial infection in Bannerghatta National Park here today, taking the death toll of wildcats in the park to three since last month. Despite all efforts to save Minchu, whose condition turned very critical yesterday, the tigress succumbed to Salmonella bacterial infection this morning, Karnataka Forest Minister C H Vijayashankar said. The condition of the 14 other tigers, also affected by the infection, was "slowly improving", he said. A four-year-old tigress and a three-month old cub died in the park due to the infection last month. "I am distressed by the deaths of tigers... It is an embarrassment to the department and the government," he told reporters on the sidelines of 56th Wildlife Week Celebrations here. The Minister said he would discuss the situation with the forest officials and ask them to take steps to ensure that such incidents did not recur. Vijayashankar assured that action will be taken against those responsible for supplying stale chicken (which has high concentration of salmonella bacteria resulting in the bacterial infection), once he studies the report submitted by the Central Zoo Authority team which was in the city recently to assess the situation at the park. Reacting to the tiger deaths, state Governor H R Bhardwaj said he was "deeply distressed". When queried about stale chicken causing bacterial infection, he took an indirect swipe at the BJP Government's ban on cow slaughter and said "do not enact bad laws. Leave something for wildlife as they do not eat chicken". The Governor has been criticised by BJP for forwarding the Cow Slaughter Ban Bill to the President for assent.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Tiger-cubs-yet-to-be-traced-in-Panna-sanctuary/Article1-608529.aspx

Missing tiger moves to UP-Rajasthan border

LUCKNOW: The tiger, which had attacked four persons at Fatiha village in Mathura on Monday, has now moved to Berri village on the Uttar Pradesh-Rajasthan border. Though the animal was not seen on Tuesday, the Forest officials came to this conclusion after finding pugmarks in Berri, near Fatiha village. The search operation has now shifted to Berri, said R P Bharti, Chief Conservator of Forest of Agra zone. A team from Rajasthan’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, led by director R S Shekhawat, has arrived to help UP forest officials. A team from Bharatpur is already camping there. “There are around 150 forest officials involved in the operation. Now, we have 11 tranquiliser guns,” said Bharti. Officials believe the tiger had strayed out of Ranthambore — about 150 km from Mathura — and lost its way.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Briefly-State/693261/