MP tiger reserves to get rescue units

TNN | Dec 22, 2011, 05.26AM IST BHOPAL: A year after Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan participated in a campaign to raise funds to save tiger by camping in Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, his efforts have started paying off with rapid rescue units (RRUs) on wheels come to help the striped-animals in distress in the world famous Kanha Tiger Reserve. "The RRUs are being provided to state's tiger reserves from the funds raised by Bachchan in a save tiger campaign, and with the help of Wildlife Trust of India ( WCTI)," officials said. "We have got two well-equipped RRUs on Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) recently," Kanha Tiger Reserve deputy director H S Mohanta told TOI. He said that the RRU was equipped with clothing for all seasons, torches, generators among others gadgets for staffers to rush to the ailing tiger in deep jungle. "The SUV is having ample equipment to rescue striped animal," he said. "We have also got two RRUs and they have been returned for upgradation," Panna Tiger Reserve director RS Murthy said. Satpura Tiger Reserve too has got one RRU. "Right now it has been sent for some up-gradation," reserve director R P Singh said. One RRU each will be pressed into service in Pench and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves shortly, officials said. "I don't have any detailed information about RRUs. I have to check it out with the tiger reserves. Five reserves are going to have these RRUs," additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) T R Sharma said. Bachchan had auctioned his sunglasses for a whopping Rs 40 lakh to his son Abhishek in a telephonic bid under the save tiger campaign in Pench in December, 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/MP-tiger-reserves-to-get-rescue-units/articleshow/11200809.cms

Leopard released into Satpura tiger reserve

TNN | Dec 22, 2011, 05.11AM IST BHOPAL: The wild leopard that strayed into Van Vihar Zoo here two-day back, was on Wednesday transported and released in the wild of Satpura Tiger Reserve in adjoining Hoshangabad district, officials said. The leopard was captured on Tuesday morning in a housing in the Zoo after it forayed into the park and stayed for 15-hour on a tree inside a lion enclosure. "Without tranquilizing the animal, we managed to guide it to a cage after a hard labour of four hours. We placed the cage on wheels just right in-front of the door of the housing where it had been captured, "Zoo assistant director A K Khare said. He said that the animal in the cage, was taken by road and on a boat, and after covering a distance of 4 km on the waters of Tawa river, it was taken to the jungles of Satpura. The leopard had strayed into Van Vihar. It frequently entered into the human habitat areas around the Zoo, officials said. Two days back, it forayed into the zoo and stayed on the tree before it was captured in the housing bait was put on Tuesday morning, officials said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Leopard-released-into-Satpura-tiger-reserve/articleshow/11200690.cms