A small but significant boost to tiger numbers has been received with the news of two new born cubs being spotted in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. The two cubs believed to be born to a tigress last year were spotted in Sawai Madhopur district of the National Park.
"Cameras installed in the Indala range shot pictures of the cubs but they are not very clear. We believe they are newborn and we are verifying it further," Principal Chief Wild Life Warden, HM Bhatia said.
Ranthambore National Park has seen a mixture of good and bad tiger news since the past few months. While news of new cubs has been reported often, there has also been news of death of adult tigers, mainly due to internal fights among the big cats.
Ranthambore National Park located close to the capital Jaipur is a popular National Park visited by wildlife enthusiast throughout the year. Tourists in most cases have been fortunate to spot tigers on a safari in the National Park. A new rule enforced at the National Park now makes it compulsory for all tourists to carry their identification card, before being allowed to enter the National Park. Also in a bid to protect the eco sensitive environment of the National Park, the park’s petrol run jeeps which take tourist on the safaris inside the park will be replaced with diesel run vehicles.
The state government has also taken steps to protect the tigers in the National Park. Often tigers stray from the park to the villages situated close on the periphery of the park, which results in killings of cattle by the big cats. The villagers then poison the big cats to revenge their loss. In order to prevent such incidents, the state government has now taken a decision to double the compensation of the villagers for the loss of their cattle, thus sparing the wild and endangered species of the Royal Bengal Tigers a circumstance of an unfortunate death.
Monday, January 24, 2011
24X7 protection for tigers in Karnataka soon
Jan. 23: Tigers roaming in the dense forests of Karnataka will get watchdogs for their protection round-the-clock soon. The much awaited 112-member Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), is likely to take guard in another five months, and become the first full-fledged STPF to be rolled out in India.
The State Forest Department has speeded up the training, after receiving a pat on the back from the Central government, which accorded tiger reserve status to Biligiriranga Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT). With this addition, flora-fauna rich Karnataka, has the highest number of tiger reserves in South India, and is next only to Madhya Pradesh in the country.
The forest department has decided to extend the purview of STPF to BRT. Initially, the plan was to test the STPF in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves, which are one of the sensitive and pristine forest covers in India today, and later extend it to other tiger reserves like Bhadra and Dandeli Anshi.
Ravishankar, DCF (Wildlife), BRT, told the Deccan Chronicle that STPF was currently undergoing training at six forest guard training schools, and would later get three-month special training from the state police department, and central paramilitary forces, based on a syllabus for skill development, to combat poaching, and to enable intelligence-based enforcement in a forest terrain.
He added, “The office of STPF would come up in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar, which is the strategic point to access all three reserves BRT, Bandipur, and Nagarhole”.
Top official sources said that National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would set up its regional office in Bengaluru in about a month, further boosting the conservation efforts of the department.
On the other hand, the 112-member STPF has no one from the region, though the plan was to have a mix of forest guards and local tribes. Sources said that tribals were not interested in the job despite offer of healthy salaries, and the majority were upset with the department over rehabilitation. People from Belgaum, Gulbarga, and Bijapur, who have no familiarity with forest terrain, are in the STPF.
The State Forest Department has speeded up the training, after receiving a pat on the back from the Central government, which accorded tiger reserve status to Biligiriranga Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT). With this addition, flora-fauna rich Karnataka, has the highest number of tiger reserves in South India, and is next only to Madhya Pradesh in the country.
The forest department has decided to extend the purview of STPF to BRT. Initially, the plan was to test the STPF in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves, which are one of the sensitive and pristine forest covers in India today, and later extend it to other tiger reserves like Bhadra and Dandeli Anshi.
Ravishankar, DCF (Wildlife), BRT, told the Deccan Chronicle that STPF was currently undergoing training at six forest guard training schools, and would later get three-month special training from the state police department, and central paramilitary forces, based on a syllabus for skill development, to combat poaching, and to enable intelligence-based enforcement in a forest terrain.
He added, “The office of STPF would come up in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar, which is the strategic point to access all three reserves BRT, Bandipur, and Nagarhole”.
Top official sources said that National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would set up its regional office in Bengaluru in about a month, further boosting the conservation efforts of the department.
On the other hand, the 112-member STPF has no one from the region, though the plan was to have a mix of forest guards and local tribes. Sources said that tribals were not interested in the job despite offer of healthy salaries, and the majority were upset with the department over rehabilitation. People from Belgaum, Gulbarga, and Bijapur, who have no familiarity with forest terrain, are in the STPF.
Park to curb tourist flow - Move in aid of animals to hit kaziranga business
Kaziranga, Jan. 23: Business and wildlife are on a collision course at Kaziranga National Park with park authorities wanting to impose regulations on tourist flow.
The restrictions are likely to hit the tourism industry, including business ventures such as luxury resorts and jeep safaris, hard.
The owners of several luxury resorts near the park have opposed the move, fearing that the restrictions might lead to fewer tourists.
“We make a living off Kaziranga. If restrictions are imposed on tourists, we will be doomed,” an owner of a resort near the park told this correspondent.
Businesses associated with the park make huge profits. The Jeep Safari Association of the park earned a revenue of Rs 10 lakh in November last year. The park remains open for tourists from November to April every year.
Known worldwide as the abode of one-horned rhinos, Kaziranga was declared a tiger reserve in 2006. Since then, there has been pressure from the Centre to impose restrictions on the flow of tourists to the national park.
The Royal Bengal tiger is given top priority in the conservation list at Kaziranga since funds from the Centre come only for protection of the tiger. Earlier, central funds were also released for protection of the rhinos. However, the aid stopped once the rhino population reached a safe zone with the last count pegging it at 2,200.
With Project Tiger came a set of new guidelines that implied restrictions on the flow of tourists. The park authorities have so far failed to the follow the guidelines as it affects businesses.
However, Project Tiger being the only source of funds for the park, the authorities are now forced to implement these guidelines.
Park director Surajeet Dutta said 70 tigers were found in a census carried out by camera-trapping method in half the portion of the national park recently. “We are expecting about 120 tigers in Kaziranga,” he said.
In a separate census conducted by an NGO a couple of years ago, Kaziranga was found to have the highest density of tigers in the world. Dutta said the 430 square km area of the national park would be declared a core area very soon and the flow of tourists would be restricted.
Construction of new hotels and restaurants near the park area has also been banned.
“There has been a tremendous pressure on the animals with a large number of tourists visiting the park regularly. We need to restrict the tourist flow as it has an impact on the animals. Moreover, mushrooming of hotels and resorts has also harmed the animals since most of these are built on areas where animals visit frequently,” Dutta told this correspondent.
“The rhinos at Mihimukh in the Kohora range are almost used to humans. This is not a good sign at all,” he said.
According to norms, not more than 50 vehicles are allowed inside the park on a particular day.
Dutta said the authorities had made other plans for tourists. Jeep and elephant safaris would be introduced in the newly-added areas of the national park to reduce pressure on the core area.
The park has been extended to about 860 square km with new areas being added in recent times. “This year itself, we have opened four entry points for tourists. We are also thinking of starting boat safaris in some areas very soon,” he said.
The restrictions are likely to hit the tourism industry, including business ventures such as luxury resorts and jeep safaris, hard.
The owners of several luxury resorts near the park have opposed the move, fearing that the restrictions might lead to fewer tourists.
“We make a living off Kaziranga. If restrictions are imposed on tourists, we will be doomed,” an owner of a resort near the park told this correspondent.
Businesses associated with the park make huge profits. The Jeep Safari Association of the park earned a revenue of Rs 10 lakh in November last year. The park remains open for tourists from November to April every year.
Known worldwide as the abode of one-horned rhinos, Kaziranga was declared a tiger reserve in 2006. Since then, there has been pressure from the Centre to impose restrictions on the flow of tourists to the national park.
The Royal Bengal tiger is given top priority in the conservation list at Kaziranga since funds from the Centre come only for protection of the tiger. Earlier, central funds were also released for protection of the rhinos. However, the aid stopped once the rhino population reached a safe zone with the last count pegging it at 2,200.
With Project Tiger came a set of new guidelines that implied restrictions on the flow of tourists. The park authorities have so far failed to the follow the guidelines as it affects businesses.
However, Project Tiger being the only source of funds for the park, the authorities are now forced to implement these guidelines.
Park director Surajeet Dutta said 70 tigers were found in a census carried out by camera-trapping method in half the portion of the national park recently. “We are expecting about 120 tigers in Kaziranga,” he said.
In a separate census conducted by an NGO a couple of years ago, Kaziranga was found to have the highest density of tigers in the world. Dutta said the 430 square km area of the national park would be declared a core area very soon and the flow of tourists would be restricted.
Construction of new hotels and restaurants near the park area has also been banned.
“There has been a tremendous pressure on the animals with a large number of tourists visiting the park regularly. We need to restrict the tourist flow as it has an impact on the animals. Moreover, mushrooming of hotels and resorts has also harmed the animals since most of these are built on areas where animals visit frequently,” Dutta told this correspondent.
“The rhinos at Mihimukh in the Kohora range are almost used to humans. This is not a good sign at all,” he said.
According to norms, not more than 50 vehicles are allowed inside the park on a particular day.
Dutta said the authorities had made other plans for tourists. Jeep and elephant safaris would be introduced in the newly-added areas of the national park to reduce pressure on the core area.
The park has been extended to about 860 square km with new areas being added in recent times. “This year itself, we have opened four entry points for tourists. We are also thinking of starting boat safaris in some areas very soon,” he said.
Assam No 2 in tiger mortality
: The tiger doesn't seem to be burning bright anymore in India. The country, once home to 40,000 tigers, is left with just 1,200-1,500 big cats, according to the last census (2008) by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. If that isn't bad enough, Wildlife Protection Society of India's (WPSI) wildlife crime database has even more depressing news for officials. According to the 2010 WPSI study, 58 tigers died under various circumstances and Assam ranks second in tiger mortality index, just behind Madhya Pradesh. Of the 58 deaths, 30 (51%) were poaching and seizure-related.
Assam, which was in the news days ago after the Kaziranga reserve reported the highest tiger density in the world, lost nine tigers last year. "Skeletons of two tigers were seized, one was a confirmed poaching case, four tigers were found dead, one man-eater was shot dead and another tiger died from reported infighting. Of the nine tigers, five were from Kaziranga. The origin of the two tiger skeletons is not known," said WPSI executive director Belinda Wright.
According to Biswajit Roy Chowdhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, Assam is the gateway for smuggling activities towards southeast Asia. "Smugglers reach China via Arunachal and Myanmar from Assam. Tibet is also accessible on this route. That's why poaching is rampant in Assam," he said.
Md Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist with a Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, told TOI: "The tiger density in Kaziranga is too high given its 500 sqkm core area. In terms of prey base, it can support a density of 30 tigers per 100 sqkm, but area-wise it may not be able to sustain the population." According to him, relocation will not be a solution. "Orang is already populated with big cats. Retaliation deaths are being reported from Nameri and Manas."
The WPSI database also shows that of the 58 deaths in 2010, while 15 tigers (25.86%) were found dead, 10 died from reported infighting (17.24%). One tiger was shot by the forest department, while another was killed in a road accident.
Assam, which was in the news days ago after the Kaziranga reserve reported the highest tiger density in the world, lost nine tigers last year. "Skeletons of two tigers were seized, one was a confirmed poaching case, four tigers were found dead, one man-eater was shot dead and another tiger died from reported infighting. Of the nine tigers, five were from Kaziranga. The origin of the two tiger skeletons is not known," said WPSI executive director Belinda Wright.
According to Biswajit Roy Chowdhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, Assam is the gateway for smuggling activities towards southeast Asia. "Smugglers reach China via Arunachal and Myanmar from Assam. Tibet is also accessible on this route. That's why poaching is rampant in Assam," he said.
Md Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist with a Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, told TOI: "The tiger density in Kaziranga is too high given its 500 sqkm core area. In terms of prey base, it can support a density of 30 tigers per 100 sqkm, but area-wise it may not be able to sustain the population." According to him, relocation will not be a solution. "Orang is already populated with big cats. Retaliation deaths are being reported from Nameri and Manas."
The WPSI database also shows that of the 58 deaths in 2010, while 15 tigers (25.86%) were found dead, 10 died from reported infighting (17.24%). One tiger was shot by the forest department, while another was killed in a road accident.
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