CHANDRAPUR: While Chandrapur boasts of being the tiger capital of Central India, little is talked about the loss of 28 tigers from the jungles here in a span of last two years.
While 21 tigers have been either poached, killed in accidents, died natural death or have 'disappeared', seven have been moved from the wild and put into zoos after being rescued since November 2008. The death of two tigers within the span of a week has again raised a question mark over the measures implemented for protection and conservation of tigers in the district.
In November 2008, two cubs were rescued from the forests of Mendki under South Bramhapuri forest range. Their mother had gone missing and was never traced. One of these cubs died during treatment. Year 2009 witnessed deaths, disappearance and poaching of 15 tigers in the district. On January 23, 2009, three cubs from FDCM Junona range were rescued after their mother went missing. On February 21, wildlife activist found tiger bones near Devada village in TATR. Later, a raid was carried out on the residence of one Ragho Kulmethe in Devada on the basis of intelligence given by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and tiger bones were recovered. The DNA testing of bones recovered from Kulmethe and those recovered from the jungle near Devada did not match, suggesting death of two different tigers. Later, on February 26, another tiger from Bhanuskhindi area in TATR was found dead. On March 18, foresters seized 10 tiger nails from poachers near Bhadrawati and investigations revealed that it was poached at the boundary of TATR in the winter of 2008.
Between March 24 and 28, 2009, three tiger cubs were found dead near Adyalmendha under Balapur FDCM. However, official figures say only two cubs had died. Their mother had disappeared and was never traced. On April 6, a tiger cub was found dead near Chiroli village in Mul range. It had died after being allegedly hit by a vehicle. On May 13, the carcass of a tiger was found near Ubha Gota water tank in Palasgaon range. On August 1, a tiger drowned in a well while chasing prey. Between September 17 and 23, three tiger cubs were rescued from the jungles of Dhaba range, after their mother disappeared. On November 5, 2009, CBI sleuths arrested five persons with two tiger skins and 90kg of tiger bones from a train in Nagpur. Subsequent investigations revealed that they had boarded from Ballarpur railway station near here with the skins and bones, and the tigers was poached in jungles of Chandrapur. Also in November 2009, Chandrapur police, again on the basis of intelligence given by WPSI, arrested hard-core tiger poachers involved in this poaching.
On April 2010, a tiger was found dead near Navargaon in Palasgaon range. On May 10, Chimur forest officials arrested an accused with tiger nails and subsequent investigations revealed that it was tigress poached in Hirdi nullah in TATR in June 2009. Its three cubs, which went missing, were never traced.
Later, ailing tigress 'Jharina' of TATR died during treatment on August 18. On November 28, a carcass of a tiger killed in territorial fight was recovered in FDCM Junona range. A semi-adult tiger died in a fight with another tiger was recovered on December 6 in Moharli (territorial) forest range.
Despite rigorous implementation of measures to mitigate man-animal conflict, forest officers seem to have failed to curb the loss of tigers. Failure of relocation of villages located within TATR too has put tremendous poaching pressure in the protected areas.
Central India Director, WPSI, Nitin Desai, said, "These are the reported cases on record. What about the unreported cases of poaching by poaching gangs? The gangs of Baheliya and Bawariyas have been seen till last May in Chandrapur district." He stressed upon strong intelligence-based enforcement in rural areas to control the poaching of tiger and other animals. "Considering the phenomenal pressure of poaching in tiger habitats, only strong intelligence based enforcement at ground level could help in controlling the wildlife related crimes. However, so far forest department had done no monetary provision for raising of intelligence network of its own," said Desai.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tiger death hits Sariska conservation bid
The poisoning to death of a relocated tiger in Rajasthan's Sariska reserve has dealt a body blow to efforts being made to save the endangered animal.
The male tiger poisoned was one of the five shifted to Sariska in 2008. As part of the project, two males and three females had been brought in from Ranthambore.
"Reports have come that it's a case of poisoning through insecticides commonly available and used in agricultural practices. It appears to be a case of revenge killing where somebody's cattle may have been lifted (by tigers)," said Y.K. Sahu, DFO, Sariska reserve.
The reserve also faces problems because of poaching and unavailability of skilled staff. "There's an acute shortage of protection staff. This area is 881 sq km and 210 personnel are involved in its protection," said Sahu.
To reduce man-animal conflict, the government had proposed to relocate the villagers but they are in no mood to leave.
Tigers in Sariska are also under threat from illegal mining. Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about this, copies of which are with Headlines Today. But no action has been taken so far.
The male tiger poisoned was one of the five shifted to Sariska in 2008. As part of the project, two males and three females had been brought in from Ranthambore.
"Reports have come that it's a case of poisoning through insecticides commonly available and used in agricultural practices. It appears to be a case of revenge killing where somebody's cattle may have been lifted (by tigers)," said Y.K. Sahu, DFO, Sariska reserve.
The reserve also faces problems because of poaching and unavailability of skilled staff. "There's an acute shortage of protection staff. This area is 881 sq km and 210 personnel are involved in its protection," said Sahu.
To reduce man-animal conflict, the government had proposed to relocate the villagers but they are in no mood to leave.
Tigers in Sariska are also under threat from illegal mining. Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had written to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot about this, copies of which are with Headlines Today. But no action has been taken so far.
Gir lions lose all central funds to tigers this year
The tigers have got the lion’s share of central government funds this financial year - literally.
Absolutely no funds have been allocated for the conservation of the Asiatic Lions in Gir in the financial year 2010-11. This, according to the Union minister of state, finance, Namo Narain Meena, is because of the paucity of funds under the centrally-sponsored ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ (IDWH) scheme.
Significantly, the Gujarat government has sought Rs262.36 crore for a plethora of conservation initiatives in the past two years.
Though the grant was ‘in principal’ approved more than a year ago, the time and method of actual allocation, as also the release of funds for lions is not happening.
This, combined with the state government’s difference of opinion with the Centre over the translocation of Gir lions to MP, has become a standoff point between the two establishments.
“We are unable to understand why the central government is being so tightfisted with lions when the tigers are being allocated huge amounts regularly. Though the state government has enough allocated funds for now under the Lion Conservation Society of India, several mega projects are on hold,” a senior forest official said requesting anonymity.
While the tiger population is declining steadily, the population of the Asiatic Lions in their last abode in Gir has been steadily increasing. At the last count in May 2010, their population was 411.
In response to a question by Mehsana MP Jayshree Patel in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Meena replied, “Gujarat has submitted a proposal for consolidating long term conservation of Asiatic Lions at the total cost of Rs.262.36 crore for a period of five years, which has been approved ‘in principle’ by the Planning Commission.
However, the planning commission has suggested that financial assistance under the project may be met out of the ongoing scheme of IDWH. Due to paucity of funds in the scheme for the current financial year, no amount has been released so far.”
Sources in the know of developments in New Delhi claim that the highest priority there is to halt the diminishing tiger population in the country and all the funds are being directed into that effort.
“The lions are safe in Gujarat and multiplying. We were impressed by the way Gujarat dealt with the poaching problem. The forest dwellers in Gir are tolerant towards the big cat, while the tiger is being killed in other states. That is a burning problem,” a source said.
Absolutely no funds have been allocated for the conservation of the Asiatic Lions in Gir in the financial year 2010-11. This, according to the Union minister of state, finance, Namo Narain Meena, is because of the paucity of funds under the centrally-sponsored ‘Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats’ (IDWH) scheme.
Significantly, the Gujarat government has sought Rs262.36 crore for a plethora of conservation initiatives in the past two years.
Though the grant was ‘in principal’ approved more than a year ago, the time and method of actual allocation, as also the release of funds for lions is not happening.
This, combined with the state government’s difference of opinion with the Centre over the translocation of Gir lions to MP, has become a standoff point between the two establishments.
“We are unable to understand why the central government is being so tightfisted with lions when the tigers are being allocated huge amounts regularly. Though the state government has enough allocated funds for now under the Lion Conservation Society of India, several mega projects are on hold,” a senior forest official said requesting anonymity.
While the tiger population is declining steadily, the population of the Asiatic Lions in their last abode in Gir has been steadily increasing. At the last count in May 2010, their population was 411.
In response to a question by Mehsana MP Jayshree Patel in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Meena replied, “Gujarat has submitted a proposal for consolidating long term conservation of Asiatic Lions at the total cost of Rs.262.36 crore for a period of five years, which has been approved ‘in principle’ by the Planning Commission.
However, the planning commission has suggested that financial assistance under the project may be met out of the ongoing scheme of IDWH. Due to paucity of funds in the scheme for the current financial year, no amount has been released so far.”
Sources in the know of developments in New Delhi claim that the highest priority there is to halt the diminishing tiger population in the country and all the funds are being directed into that effort.
“The lions are safe in Gujarat and multiplying. We were impressed by the way Gujarat dealt with the poaching problem. The forest dwellers in Gir are tolerant towards the big cat, while the tiger is being killed in other states. That is a burning problem,” a source said.
Chhattisgarh tiger reserves have half the posts vacant
2010-12-08 15:40:00
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Raipur, Dec 8 (IANS) Over 50 percent posts have been lying vacant in the three Project Tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh, Forest Minister Vikram Usendi said Wednesday.
'As many as 219 posts of the total 420 posts sanctioned for Project Tiger reserves - Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi and Achanakmar - are lying vacant till date,' the minister said in a written reply to Bahujan Samaj Party's Saurabh Singh.
Usendi said it was not possible for him to set a deadline by when the vacant posts would be filled up.
The forest officials do not have access to the Indravati tiger reserve in Bijapur district of restive Bastar region as the Maoists do not allow them to enter the reserve. 'The tiger count at the Indravati reserve was not undertaken for several years,' an official said.
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Raipur, Dec 8 (IANS) Over 50 percent posts have been lying vacant in the three Project Tiger reserves in Chhattisgarh, Forest Minister Vikram Usendi said Wednesday.
'As many as 219 posts of the total 420 posts sanctioned for Project Tiger reserves - Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi and Achanakmar - are lying vacant till date,' the minister said in a written reply to Bahujan Samaj Party's Saurabh Singh.
Usendi said it was not possible for him to set a deadline by when the vacant posts would be filled up.
The forest officials do not have access to the Indravati tiger reserve in Bijapur district of restive Bastar region as the Maoists do not allow them to enter the reserve. 'The tiger count at the Indravati reserve was not undertaken for several years,' an official said.
Bengal tigers shrinking in numbers and size
Endangered Bengal tigers are dwindling not only in numbers, but also in stature, according to a recent survey that suggests the famed big cats are getting physically smaller. Experts say the Bengal tigers are losing weight because of "stress" associated with environmental changes impacting their
natural habitat in the Sunderban mangrove swamps on the India-Bangladesh border.
A survey conducted by Indian wildlife officials showed that tigers in the Sunderbans were lighter and their body parts smaller compared to a decade ago.
"We were surprised that animals, which otherwise look healthy, weighed only 98 kilos (215 pounds)," Subrata Mukherjee, director of the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, told AFP on Thursday.
"The average weight of an adult tiger should not be less than 140 kilos," he added.
As well as human encroachment, experts point to rising sea levels which are increasing the salinity of the Sunderban swamp waters surrounding the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal.
This has reduced the number of fresh water ponds which attract the tigers' main prey.
"Spotted deer have become their main source of food, but the deer numbers are going down because of rising sea levels which is causing more flooding in the forest," said Pranabesh Sanyal, a tiger expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
"So the tigers are physically stressed and, being under-fed and malnourished, they are straying into human habitats in search of goats and cows," Sanyal said.
The last census done in Sunderbans in 2001-02 put the tiger numbers in Indian section of the mangrove forest at just 274.
natural habitat in the Sunderban mangrove swamps on the India-Bangladesh border.
A survey conducted by Indian wildlife officials showed that tigers in the Sunderbans were lighter and their body parts smaller compared to a decade ago.
"We were surprised that animals, which otherwise look healthy, weighed only 98 kilos (215 pounds)," Subrata Mukherjee, director of the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, told AFP on Thursday.
"The average weight of an adult tiger should not be less than 140 kilos," he added.
As well as human encroachment, experts point to rising sea levels which are increasing the salinity of the Sunderban swamp waters surrounding the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal.
This has reduced the number of fresh water ponds which attract the tigers' main prey.
"Spotted deer have become their main source of food, but the deer numbers are going down because of rising sea levels which is causing more flooding in the forest," said Pranabesh Sanyal, a tiger expert with the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
"So the tigers are physically stressed and, being under-fed and malnourished, they are straying into human habitats in search of goats and cows," Sanyal said.
The last census done in Sunderbans in 2001-02 put the tiger numbers in Indian section of the mangrove forest at just 274.
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