Friday, February 4, 2011
Tiger to be translocated to Sariska soon: Raj minister
Jaipur, Feb 3 (PTI) A tiger which had strayed into Keoladev National Park from Ranthambore will soon be translocated to Sariska National Park, a Rajasthan minister said today."We have received the permission to translocate the big cat 'T-7' and a team from the Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun, will translocate the tiger very soon," state forest and wildlife minister, Ram Lal Jaat said here.He said that all the efforts will be made for the protection of wildlife animals in a planned way.Chairing a meeting, he also discussed the progress for water arrangement in Keoladev National Park (in Bharatpur district) and monitoring of big cats and directed officials to keep track of tigers and make every possible effort to protect wildlife.Public representatives and senior officials were among those who attended the meeting.Union Environment
Protest against killing, parading tiger carcass
LUCKNOW: A week after foresters killed a man-eater near Corbett National Park, a protest is brewing against the killing and ''the way the animal was paraded''. On Wednesday, wildlife activists and local guides' association wore black ribbons to mark their protest.
''The tiger was was made a man-eater,'' says Narendra Sharma of Bagh Bachao Samiti, Ramnagar. The tiger was shot at on January 11. ''Since it was injured, it became incapable of hunting its natural prey,'' said Sharma. The Samiti along with other wildlife organisations and locals organised a protest at Ramnagar. A memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister was handed over to the authorities.
''The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased at Corbett National Park. Had the forest officials worked as a link between locals and wildlife in the area (for sensitising people), they would not have demanded shooting down of the tiger,'' the memorandum said.
The organizations also protested against the way the dead tiger was paraded atop an elephant. ''There are several tigers present in Garjia area as shown by camera traps,'' Sharma says. The wildlife activists said the authorities have not been able to control man-animal conflict.
The tiger killed on January 27 was about 10 years old. The department has already faced lot of flak for claiming that it was a tigress.
''The tiger was was made a man-eater,'' says Narendra Sharma of Bagh Bachao Samiti, Ramnagar. The tiger was shot at on January 11. ''Since it was injured, it became incapable of hunting its natural prey,'' said Sharma. The Samiti along with other wildlife organisations and locals organised a protest at Ramnagar. A memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister was handed over to the authorities.
''The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased at Corbett National Park. Had the forest officials worked as a link between locals and wildlife in the area (for sensitising people), they would not have demanded shooting down of the tiger,'' the memorandum said.
The organizations also protested against the way the dead tiger was paraded atop an elephant. ''There are several tigers present in Garjia area as shown by camera traps,'' Sharma says. The wildlife activists said the authorities have not been able to control man-animal conflict.
The tiger killed on January 27 was about 10 years old. The department has already faced lot of flak for claiming that it was a tigress.
Tiger strays into Kerwah residential area in Bhopal
Bhopal, Feb 3 (PTI) A tiger from Ratapani sanctuary inMadhya Pradesh''s Raisen district has strayed into the Kerwaharea situated on the outskirts of the state capital, posing athreat to humans, forest officials said today.
Buzz up!
Pugmarks of a more than four-year-old tiger has beenfound in Kerwah area on January 31, Area Forest Range OfficerSudhir Singh told PTI here.
The tiger had killed a cow in Kerwah jungle area onJanuary 31 and added that around 100 forest officials weremonitoring the jungles on the Kerwah-Ratapani tract, he said.
The big cat was sighted on Sunday by an advocate inKerwah area which has human habitation around it. Advocate ASoni, who captured the big cat photo on his cell phone, passedon the information to the forest officials
This is not the first time that a big cat from Ratapanihas entered Kerwah area having human habitation. In 2007, atigress along with her two cubs had strayed in Kerwah andKalisot area, on the outskirts of Bhopal, they said.
Ratapani, spread over an area of 435 sq km is said to behaving around 10 big cats.
Buzz up!
Pugmarks of a more than four-year-old tiger has beenfound in Kerwah area on January 31, Area Forest Range OfficerSudhir Singh told PTI here.
The tiger had killed a cow in Kerwah jungle area onJanuary 31 and added that around 100 forest officials weremonitoring the jungles on the Kerwah-Ratapani tract, he said.
The big cat was sighted on Sunday by an advocate inKerwah area which has human habitation around it. Advocate ASoni, who captured the big cat photo on his cell phone, passedon the information to the forest officials
This is not the first time that a big cat from Ratapanihas entered Kerwah area having human habitation. In 2007, atigress along with her two cubs had strayed in Kerwah andKalisot area, on the outskirts of Bhopal, they said.
Ratapani, spread over an area of 435 sq km is said to behaving around 10 big cats.
'Carrot & stick' policy show results in MTR Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Feb 4, 2011, 12.40am IST
SEMADOH (MELGHAT): From being dubbed as 'poor' in the independent management effectiveness evaluation five years ago, Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Amravati district is now turning around, thanks to series of steps taken to strengthen protection in the past two years.
The 'carrot and stick' policy of the MTR managers is paying off. "In the last two years, we've developed an institution here. If our protection measures sustain, and villages inside MTR are relocated, in the next five years, Melghat holds the promise of becoming India's number one tiger reserve," claims field director A K Mishra.
Mishra says four-pronged strategy about better wildlife monitoring and recording it systematically, joint patrolling, watershed management and capacity building by organising workshops for field staff every month has delivered results.
A visit to over a dozen protection huts in a couple of ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division showed that efforts were being made to give comfort to field staff by providing concrete structures and basic facilities like steel cots and cupboards replacing the bamboo thatches.
"Absenteeism was a bad habit among the field staff. We started conducting surprise checks at protection huts. Those absent were marked leave without pay. There were protests from a section of employees, but they fell in line after learning our intentions. Now the staff is scared of bunking," said P H Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna.
There is direct biotic pressure from 70 villages on the reserve. Of these, 26 villages are inside MTR putting huge grazing and felling pressure. However, action against illicit grazers has reduced cases of unauthorised grazing from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-2010. "We feel this has led to increase in prey base. Cattle kills by carnivores have gone down from 249 to 142 during the same period. This was possible due to good protection and action," Mishra said.
Fire in Melghat was the biggest threat causing habitat destruction. However, Mishra added that by involving people and making them aware, incidents of forest fires had been brought down 50%.
"In 2009, there were 430 fire incidents destroying 14,460 hectares forest, but in 2010, these were brought down to 252 and loss of 7,521 hectares. This was made possible despite the fact that 80% of the staff is above 45 years; 15% staff is new and over 20% of the posts are vacant," says Mishra.
Another reason why MTR is better now is the joint and group patrolling launched in August 2009. A group of eight persons does patrolling twice a week and nine times in a month. "Cases of water poisoning for fish are common. From February 15, a drive will be launched to check all natural and artificial water holes in the reserve with the help of litmus paper. Small water holes with 2-3 litres of water would be closed down to eliminate cases of poisoning," informed S B Dhote, RFO of Chourakund, who has set an example for the entire reserve by mapping each water hole.
His model is being followed elsewhere. Mapping of water holes is also helping to know animal movement, he added. "Last year, due to water hole monitoring we could save 45 peacocks and other animals," Dhote informed.
In Melghat, conflicting demands of tigers and humans results in man-animal and management conflicts. The problems become more complicated when political leaders turn hostile towards animals.
Mishra said such circumstances made it very difficult to perform. Yet, implementation of standard protocol by setting up protection camps (75) and strengthening them, regular training modules to build staff capacity, fire patrol teams, eco-development schemes, frequent meetings with villagers, deployment of SRPF during monsoon, and erection of barriers (39) among host of other measures had helped.
"Even NTCA team that visited Melghat in December to evaluate the tiger reserve was surprised about the number of steps being taken by MTR," officials said.
The 'carrot and stick' policy of the MTR managers is paying off. "In the last two years, we've developed an institution here. If our protection measures sustain, and villages inside MTR are relocated, in the next five years, Melghat holds the promise of becoming India's number one tiger reserve," claims field director A K Mishra.
Mishra says four-pronged strategy about better wildlife monitoring and recording it systematically, joint patrolling, watershed management and capacity building by organising workshops for field staff every month has delivered results.
A visit to over a dozen protection huts in a couple of ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division showed that efforts were being made to give comfort to field staff by providing concrete structures and basic facilities like steel cots and cupboards replacing the bamboo thatches.
"Absenteeism was a bad habit among the field staff. We started conducting surprise checks at protection huts. Those absent were marked leave without pay. There were protests from a section of employees, but they fell in line after learning our intentions. Now the staff is scared of bunking," said P H Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna.
There is direct biotic pressure from 70 villages on the reserve. Of these, 26 villages are inside MTR putting huge grazing and felling pressure. However, action against illicit grazers has reduced cases of unauthorised grazing from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-2010. "We feel this has led to increase in prey base. Cattle kills by carnivores have gone down from 249 to 142 during the same period. This was possible due to good protection and action," Mishra said.
Fire in Melghat was the biggest threat causing habitat destruction. However, Mishra added that by involving people and making them aware, incidents of forest fires had been brought down 50%.
"In 2009, there were 430 fire incidents destroying 14,460 hectares forest, but in 2010, these were brought down to 252 and loss of 7,521 hectares. This was made possible despite the fact that 80% of the staff is above 45 years; 15% staff is new and over 20% of the posts are vacant," says Mishra.
Another reason why MTR is better now is the joint and group patrolling launched in August 2009. A group of eight persons does patrolling twice a week and nine times in a month. "Cases of water poisoning for fish are common. From February 15, a drive will be launched to check all natural and artificial water holes in the reserve with the help of litmus paper. Small water holes with 2-3 litres of water would be closed down to eliminate cases of poisoning," informed S B Dhote, RFO of Chourakund, who has set an example for the entire reserve by mapping each water hole.
His model is being followed elsewhere. Mapping of water holes is also helping to know animal movement, he added. "Last year, due to water hole monitoring we could save 45 peacocks and other animals," Dhote informed.
In Melghat, conflicting demands of tigers and humans results in man-animal and management conflicts. The problems become more complicated when political leaders turn hostile towards animals.
Mishra said such circumstances made it very difficult to perform. Yet, implementation of standard protocol by setting up protection camps (75) and strengthening them, regular training modules to build staff capacity, fire patrol teams, eco-development schemes, frequent meetings with villagers, deployment of SRPF during monsoon, and erection of barriers (39) among host of other measures had helped.
"Even NTCA team that visited Melghat in December to evaluate the tiger reserve was surprised about the number of steps being taken by MTR," officials said.
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