IMPHAL: Assam Rifles personnel seized a large quantity of tiger parts, including 15 kg of bones and skulls from four animal parts' smugglers at Sita track in Manipur's Chandel district bordering Myanmar.
The country's oldest paramilitary force, which is guarding the long porous international borders in the remote tribal-dominated district, has recovered a large quantity of rare animals' parts in the last few years. Wildlife analysts said rare animals' parts are in high demand by cosmetic and drug-manufacturing companies in Southeast Asian countries and smugglers take advantage of the porous borders to siphon off the nation's treasure.
Having discovered the transportation route of banned wildlife parts, 29 AR troops launched an operation in Sita track area on Sunday evening, a statement of the force said. The soldiers then intercepted a jeep carrying four individuals along with the animal parts; the vehicle was headed towards the border town of Moreh. All four are residents of Tengnoupal in the district.
The soldiers seized 15 kg of tiger bones with two skulls and a skin of the rare animal weighing 4.5 kg, the statement added. The apprehended, along with the recovered parts, were handed over to Manipur forest department authorities in Imphal. An FIR has been registered against them in Tengnoupal police station.
In February 2009, two tiger skulls, 16 kg bones and paws of the rare animal were recovered by the Assam Rifles from Bongyang military check-post in the same district. The force also seized 3 kg tiger bones from Moreh town in March this year. Other animal parts like rhino bones, rhino skin, bear glands, pangolin shells and deer horns have also been seized by the paramilitary forces off and on in the last few years in Chandel. To check smuggling of animal parts to Myanmar, a full-fledged branch office of the Centre-run Wildlife Crime Bureau (WCB) is being opened at Moreh town.
Meanwhile, 29 AR personnel also apprehended a Myanmarese national in the same district on Sunday for not possessing valid documents. The troops found a fake Indian driving license, a mobile phone, sim cards and currencies of India, Myanmar and Thailand as well as 11 visiting cards of foreign nationals on the individual, identified as Myintoo (38) of Kyan Tong, Shan.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Assam-Rifles-seizes-15-kg-tiger-bones-skulls/articleshow/8146821.cms
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tiger found in Kovai jungles Radha Venkatesan, TNN
COIMBATORE: For the first time, a picture of a tiger on the prowl in jungles near Coimbatore has been captured on camera set up by the forest department. The first-ever visual evidence of the presence of the big cat in the Sirumugai range of Coimbatore forest division was released by the forest department on Monday.
"We had set up a camera trap in Sirumugai. And, for the first time, the camera caught the picture of a tiger last week," the Coimbatore divisional forest officer (DFO), V Thirunavukkarasu said.
Till now, only pug marks have been spotted in a few areas of the 694 sq km forests girdling Coimbatore. However, on April 17, the camera trap (a camera hidden inside a box and fixed on to a wooden post) captured a tiger lurking behind a tree in an open tract of land in Sirumugai.
The wild life census carried out in Coimbatore forests in March revealed the presence of tigers in Mettupalayam, Karamadai and Sirumugai ranges of Coimbatore forest division. Pug marks of seven tigers were spotted in Coimbatore division. "Three pug marks of tigers were spotted in Sirumugai and two each in Mettupalayam and Karamadai," the DFO said.
Buoyed by pug marks, the forest department set up a camera trap in Sirumugai to ascertain the presence of tigers. Within a week of placing the camera, a tiger was spotted in Sirumugai, adjoining the Bhavani Sagar jungles of the Sathyamangalam forest division.
"It could be a spill-over population of tigers from the Bhavani Sagar range," he said.
Spread over 69,000 hectares of tropical forests, the Coimbatore forest division straddles known tiger habitats of Sathyamangalam and Nilgiris forests in the north and north west. With the tropical vegetation of Coimbatore offering a prey base of spotted deer, mouse deer, sambar and black buck, tigers from the adjoining Sathyamangalam and Nilgiris forests are now stalking Coimbatore jungles.
In Sirumugai, spread over 11,000 hectares, the vegetation is not dense and deers are plenty. Perhaps, that explains why the tiger has been spotted there. Next, the forest department plans to set up a camera trap in the Mettupalayam range.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Tiger-found-in-Kovai-jungles/articleshow/8147551.cms
"We had set up a camera trap in Sirumugai. And, for the first time, the camera caught the picture of a tiger last week," the Coimbatore divisional forest officer (DFO), V Thirunavukkarasu said.
Till now, only pug marks have been spotted in a few areas of the 694 sq km forests girdling Coimbatore. However, on April 17, the camera trap (a camera hidden inside a box and fixed on to a wooden post) captured a tiger lurking behind a tree in an open tract of land in Sirumugai.
The wild life census carried out in Coimbatore forests in March revealed the presence of tigers in Mettupalayam, Karamadai and Sirumugai ranges of Coimbatore forest division. Pug marks of seven tigers were spotted in Coimbatore division. "Three pug marks of tigers were spotted in Sirumugai and two each in Mettupalayam and Karamadai," the DFO said.
Buoyed by pug marks, the forest department set up a camera trap in Sirumugai to ascertain the presence of tigers. Within a week of placing the camera, a tiger was spotted in Sirumugai, adjoining the Bhavani Sagar jungles of the Sathyamangalam forest division.
"It could be a spill-over population of tigers from the Bhavani Sagar range," he said.
Spread over 69,000 hectares of tropical forests, the Coimbatore forest division straddles known tiger habitats of Sathyamangalam and Nilgiris forests in the north and north west. With the tropical vegetation of Coimbatore offering a prey base of spotted deer, mouse deer, sambar and black buck, tigers from the adjoining Sathyamangalam and Nilgiris forests are now stalking Coimbatore jungles.
In Sirumugai, spread over 11,000 hectares, the vegetation is not dense and deers are plenty. Perhaps, that explains why the tiger has been spotted there. Next, the forest department plans to set up a camera trap in the Mettupalayam range.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Tiger-found-in-Kovai-jungles/articleshow/8147551.cms
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)