Tadoba tiger reserve to be partially closed during monsoon Mazhar Ali, TNN

CHANDRAPUR: It's final - the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) will remain partially closed in the monsoon period. From July 15 to September 30, the park will see restricted movement. Tadoba is only tiger reserve in the country that remains open during the monsoon for the tourist. TATR management had forwarded a proposal for closure of the park during monsoon this year and it has been approved with certain conditions. Orders to this effect were received at TATR office on Monday.

The proposal seeking closure of the TATR on lines of other tiger reserves was forwarded by the CCF and field director Vinaykumar Sinha earlier in May this year. However it evoked debate among the greens whether the closure would be in the interest of the park or not. While reasons like breeding and germination season for wildlife and flora respectively, hurdles created by tourist vehicle getting struck in muddy roads etc were given in favour of the closure, concerns were raised about poaching and forest theft if tourism gets closed. Even the higher-ups in forest department pondered deeply over the pros and cons of closure.

Chief wildlife warden SK Khetrapal held a meeting in Nagpur on June 21 to discuss the issue, but the subject remained undecided at that time. Khetrapal sought additional data over vehicular movement on pucca road and carrying capacity on this patch.

After scrutinizing the data provided by the TATR, Khetrapal on Saturday issued orders for partial closure of the tiger reserve from July 15 to September 30. It is for first time in over 15 years of creation of TATR, when specific tourist regulation directives have been issued for monsoon period.

CCF, TATR, Vinaykumar Sinha informed that as per orders the tourist movement on kuccha roads in the park would be completely closed during monsoon. The 19 km long pucca road between Moharli and Tadoba would remain open for tourists, but the private vehicular movement would be greatly restricted. "Only tourist 16 vehicles, i.e. eight vehicles per shift, would be allowed in the park during the day. The tourist vehicles would start from Moharli gate and travel up to Tadoba on pucca road and return through same route. All the gates other than Moharli would remain closed for the tourist during the monsoon period," he said.

At present over 120 tourist vehicles are allowed to enter into the park during a day from four different gates of tiger reserve.

Sinha however maintained that that there would be no restriction of movement of state transport's bus that moves across the tiger reserve during its passenger ferries. Similarly there would be no restriction upon the movement of villagers residing inside the park from any of the gates.

When asked about increasing security during the monsoon season after closure of tourism on internal roads, he said that TATR would observe monsoon patrolling programme devised for rainy season. "Special squads have been constituted in each forest round on the tiger reserve. These squads would move from one protection hut to other carrying out extensive patrolling and would submit daily report to the higher-ups," he said.

Welcoming the decision conservationist Bandu Dhotre, said, "It's a balanced decision and interest of tourist and wildlife and their habitat has been take care of. Restriction of tourism on internal roads would help the wildlife and their habitat to flourish. At the same time allowing the tourists on pucca road would ensure the earnings of stakeholders dependent on tourism."

MONSOON CLOSURE:
* Tourist movement on kuccha roads closed during monsoon
* Only Moharli gate will remain open, all others close
* 19-km stretch between Moharli and Tadoba will remain open
* Private vehicular movement severely restricted
* Only 16 tourist vehicles - 8 per shift - will be allowed during a day
* Special monsoon patrol squads formed
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tadoba-tiger-reserve-to-be-partially-closed-during-monsoon/articleshow/9105123.cms

NTCA committee on orphaned tiger cubs Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN

NAGPUR: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a three-member committee for examining issues relating to abandoned and orphaned tiger cubs from the wild, so as to explore the feasibility of their in-situ rearing and release in low tiger density habitats. The committee members are Prof PC Tyagi, YV Jhala, both scientists with Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and SP Yadav, deputy inspector general (DIG) of NTCA as the member convener.

Yadav said that the terms of reference (ToR) of the committee will include country-wide assessment of the wild caught orphaned and abandoned cubs; identification of low density tiger reserves; to give recommendation for rehabilitation of such cubs vis-à-vis the NTCA guidelines; to prescribe 'minimum standards' for creation of tiger safaris; and to examine feasibility of ex-situ to in-situ linkage in the context of tiger. The committee will submit its report in 60 days, Yadav said.

MoEF meet on tiger reserves: The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has called a meeting of field directors of all tiger reserves at Bandipur in Karnataka. The two-day meet on July 29 and 30, will be inaugurated by union environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh. All chief wildlife wardens of tiger-bearing states have been told to attend the meeting and make presentations on status of tiger reserves in their states.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/NTCA-committee-on-orphaned-tiger-cubs/articleshow/9105095.cms