Who is to be blamed for the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary not being declared a tiger reserve?

TNN | Dec 12, 2011, 05.42AM IST PANAJI: The Goa government is to be blamed for not taking necessary and timely steps for declaring the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve. The forest department for more than a decade has failed miserably in generating awareness to garner support for transforming this tiger habitat, known for the rich and varied biodiversity, into the Mhadei tiger reserve. The proposed tiger reserve will not only protect the big cat but will help in safeguarding the water resources for posterity in our land. Priyavanda Parab human resources executive, Aravale-Sanquelim It is some one with a mining interest that is trying to stop the department from declaring the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary it as a tiger reserve. They want to convert the place into a mining area. I have been to Vagheri for a trek and have taken photos of tiger pugmarks. Anand Masur associate professor, Margao Obviously, the state government and the forest department must be blamed for the Mhadei sanctuary not being declared as a tiger reserve in Goa. The present politicians are mining tycoons and sick politicians. The known fact is that maximum number of tigers are in Mhadei area and everybody knows it. However its surprising that the government is still unaware about the fact. Swapnil Sabnis engineer, Sanquelim I am all for declaring the Mhadei sanctuary as a tiger reserve. It is our duty to protect the tigers to prevent their extinction. The mining lobby is probably influencing the delay in declaring the sanctuary as a tiger reserve. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Who-is-to-be-blamed-for-the-Mhadei-wildlife-sanctuary-not-being-declared-a-tiger-reserve/articleshow/11076917.cms

Pench's anti-poaching squad defunct since two years

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 12, 2011, 03.30AM IST NAGPUR: The anti-poaching squad attached to the Pench Tiger Reserve seems to have virtually been poached! The squad is allegedly non-functional for the past over two years with its in charge-officer handling dual charges. With the anti-poaching squad becoming defunct, illegal fishing in Totladoh reservoir inside the tiger reserve has increased. On November 29, 13 villagers from Fulzari were arrested for poisoning Pench waters for getting better fish yield. However, A Ashraf, chief conservator of forests (CCF), Pench, denies that the squad has become defunct. As per the Supreme Court orders, fishing in Pench tiger reserve is prohibited. Yet, it continues rampantly. The fishermen, residing on the periphery of Pench reserve, enter the reservoir in the evening and are involved in fishing throughout the night. Huge cache of fish is shifted outside the reserve early morning and despatched to Nagpur in private vehicles. Sporadic action by the officials has failed to deter fishermen, for whom fishing is the only source of easy livelihood. The squad comprises one range forest officer (RFO) and two forest guards. RFO KG Patil, who heads the squad, is in additional charge of East Pench range since April 20, 2009 after S T Londhe was shifted to Kuhi. Since then Patil is holding dual charge of a range as well as the squad. The two guards with the anti-poaching squad sit idle at Nagpur office. Ashraf admits that a squad of three is too meagre to take on many fishermen. "Yet, we do patrolling in the wee hours, a fact which cannot be noticed by the outsiders. You have to see it to believe it. As the RFO concerned stays at Pench, it helps to control fishing," he says. However, the fact remains that there is no action against the culprits by the anti-poaching squad. The patrolling boats at Pench are lying idle and fishing is going on right under the nose of the squad - even near the dam wall where the squad is posted. The fishing activity has caused lot of disturbance in the park affecting wildlife. The issue calls for a proper posting policy. The new incumbent, A D Kulkarni from Beed district, who has been posted to East Pench in August, is left with just 16 months to retire. He is on leave due to family problems but is expected to join on December 18. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Penchs-anti-poaching-squad-defunct-since-two-years/articleshow/11076049.cms

Big cat pawprint growing at Rajaji; calls for ‘tiger park’

MONDAY, 12 DECEMBER 2011 00:19 PARITOSH KIMOTHI | DEHRADUN HITS: 95 The Rajaji National Park should be made a tiger park considering the rising big cat population and the fact that a thriving prey base and healthy environment makes it an ideal habitat for both predators and herbivores. The World Bank programme director for the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), Keshav Varma said this while talking to The Pioneer on the sidelines of the international conference on eco-engineering for connecting wildlife corridors. Though the Corbett National Park is famous for its high density of tiger population, the population of big cats has also been rising in Rajaji which is known for elephants. According to Varma, the tiger population in Rajaji has increased from about 3.2 per 100 sq km to 6 per 100 sq km. In addition to tigers, there are more than 200 leopards in this national park which is due to the rich prey base here. “There are 72 ungulate species per sq km in Rajaji which can sustain a healthy population of predators. The tiger is also a politically important animal in India so it is easier to elicit focus and efforts for tiger conservation, which in turn will benefit all wildlife. The biotic pressure faced here will increase further in the future considering which it is important to make Rajaji a tiger park”, stressed Varma. He further said that the GTI could talk to the National Tiger Conservation Authority in this regard and also assist in facilitation of capacity building and training if the national park is made a tiger park. Focus on this issue will also facilitate the movement of tigers and elephants between Corbett and Rajaji, he added. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/27182-big-cat-pawprint-growing-at-rajaji-calls-for-tiger-park.html

Conference on tiger conservation held Source: DNA | Last Updated 03:17(11/12/11) Bhopal: A conference on tiger conservation and protection was organised in collaboration by Centre for Research in International Law (CRIL), NLIU, NGO Prayatana and ILSA at the regional museum of natural history, Bhopal. The daylong session was attended by luminaries and students and targeted the youth to generate awareness. Addressing the inaugural session, Dr Raka Arya and Capt Ruchi Vijaywargiya from the People's group highlighted the importance of Indian laws on tiger conservation and drew a comparison with USA and the European Union where successfully other programmes of rare species conservation are being carried out. Senior journalist Abhilash Jhandekar spoke on reality of tigers in sanctuaries drawing from his personal experiences. Dr Ramprasad addressed the gathering on the situation of tiger poaching and the ineffectiveness of the present laws. Dr Rajesh Gopal, chief guest from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), spoke about the status and number of tigers left, the areas and states that are threatened in the country. He highlighted the rising tourism in reserves citing that it has become a major problem and even contributed to rising poaching. http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/MP-BHO-conference-on-tiger-conservation-held-2631264.html

'India has habitat to sustain 2200 tigers'

TNN | Dec 11, 2011, 08.47AM IST BHOPAL: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) member secretary Rajesh Gopal said on Saturday that India was having space to sustain around 2200 tigers. "I think that the country is having space to sustain 500 more tigers. Now we are having some 1700 big cats," Gopal said addressing a programme Save Tiger: Challenges and Future here, organized by an NGO. He said that 10 more tiger reserves are coming up in the country but even after it, the country was not having the habitat to sustain 500 more tigers. NTCA member secretary said that the man-animal conflict was on a rise due to the shrinking habitat of the striped animal adding that some instances of the big cats straying into human habitat have come to light. Gopal said that he was of the view that the Sariska and Panna became devoid of the tigers because the two places didn't have buffer zones. He said that buffer zone plays an important role in the protection of big cats. "India is having the largest number of striped animals among the nations having these endangered species," Gopal said. He said that India has taken a slew of measures to protect tiger which was missing in other countries having striped animals. Gopal recalled that after the number of wild cat dwindled drastically, the central government took many measures, including banning tiger hunting in 1970, and enactment of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Tiger Task Force was constituted which was headed by former prime minister late Indira Gandhi in 1973. After this, he said the project tiger was launched first in Jim Corbett National Park on April 1, 1973. NTCA member secretary said that he strongly feels that the tiger won't become extinct in the country adding that in 90s and last decades there were apprehensions that big cat would vanish. "They all were proved wrong," he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/India-has-habitat-to-sustain-2200-tigers/articleshow/11067211.cms