Tiger and python skins seized in Erode

TNN | Apr 17, 2012, 06.02AM IST COIMBATORE: Three people were arrested by forest officials at Kanchikovil near Perundurai in Erode district late on Sunday night while trying to smuggle tiger and python skins said to worth about Rs 4 crore. Forest officials began conducting a check of vehicles in the area following information from Chennai that some people were attempting to sell skins of protected wild animals and reptiles, Erode forest conservator D Arun told TOI. A special team comprising assistant conservator of forest D Chandran and range forest officer K Ravichandran checked a vehicle on the Erode-Coimbatore Highway and interrogated those travelling in it. The officials seized tiger and python skins from a bag kept inside the vehicle. The arrested have been identified as L Ashwin (22), a resident of Chennai, and Vincent Babu Raj (47) and Balamurugan(35), both from Tirupur. The arrested were produced on Monday in a Perundurai court which remanded them in judicial custody. The forest department officials have sent the seized skins to a laboratory in Chennai. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Tiger-and-python-skins-seized-in-Erode/articleshow/12698113.cms

Birthday of tiger cubs celebrated in Panna reserve

PTI | 10:04 PM,Apr 16,2012 Panna(MP), Apr 16(PTI)Panna Tiger Reserve celebrated the birthday of four tiger cubs today who were born here two years ago after successfully translocating a tiger and few tigresses from different reserves. A tigress gave birth to four cubs on April 16, 2010 after successful translocation of a tiger and few tigresses from other reserves, an official release said. Since then, their birthday has been celebrated by the reserve management every year on April 16. A male tiger and four tigresses were already translocated to the Panna reserve while one more tiger will be shifted after some time, it said. Of the four tigresses, two are wild while the remaining two are reared in semi-wild conditions. Out of these four tigresses, three successfully gave birth to tiger cubs four times. A total of 14 cubs were born so far in the reserve out of which two died in September 2010, the release said. One of the cubs was recently deserted by the tigress identified as T-1 following which the animal was being kept under the close watch of forest officials in captivity. Remaining cubs are learning the art of hunting with their mothers in wild areas of the reserve. An experiment was also successfully carried out to make two tigresses wild from semi-wild conditions. These two tigresses were identified as T-4 and T-5 and T-4 recently gave birth to two cubs, the release added.

Baby boom in Ranthambore, two new tiger cubs spotted

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times Ranthambore is witnessing a baby boom. Two new tiger cubs were recently sighted in the national park, taking the number of cubs born at the tiger reserve in the last 10 months to 20. The total number of tigers in Ranthambore in southeast Rajasthan has now gone up to 46 - 26 adults (12 male, 14 female) and 20 cubs. Of these, two cubs delivered by tigress T13 have been missing for a while. The new cubs were delivered by tigress T9 in Zone 5, which is close to Padra village. The inhabitants of the village were recently shifted out of the park to allow more space for the big cats. “This is a success of the rehabilitation of villagers from the core tiger habitat. We need to protect the natural habitat so that the big cats survive on their own," said Dharmendra Khandal, conservation biologist at Tiger Watch, an NGO, in Ranthambhore. Another village, Kathuli, will also be shifted out of the park soon. Conservationists believe more areas need to be developed as tiger habitats. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Jaipur/Baby-boom-in-Ranthambore-two-new-tiger-cubs-spotted/Article1-841635.aspx

Water crisis: Tigers travel miles to quench thirst

TNN | Apr 17, 2012, 02.26AM IST HYDERABAD: It's not denizens alone who seem to be reeling under a severe water crisis this summer. Even animals in the state's largest tiger belt, the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), are hit by the shortage with only a handful of manually filled 'saucer pits' to quench their thirst. The smaller lakes in the tiger reserve, with a tiger population estimated between 52 and 67, have dried up. Experts note that the tigers usually travel the 25 km distance to reach Krishna river in search of water and could be doing the same now. While the shortage of water seems to be most severe this time around, experts note that the NSTR belt has always been a parched region. Tigers in the belt, they say, are often forced to travel to the Krishna to quench their thirst. "This belt, which is a plateau, is known for water crises. The poor monsoon has aggravated the situation this time," said R K Rao, a former forest officer who has worked extensively in this area during his tenure. The area received just about 70 mm rainfall last monsoon as against the average rainfall of 650 mm it records every year. Adding to the woes of the animals is the rising mercury level that has dried up half a dozen small lakes and streams dotting the reserve forest. Tribals manually fill the handful of 'saucer pits' every alternate day. But that isn't enough considering the large cattle population in the area. "These saucer pits are often emptied by cattle grazing there. Water is barely left for the wild animals," said Farida Tamal, state director of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India) that has now joined hands with the AP forest department to set up solar pumps in this belt. The pumps, Tampal explains, will help fill percolation pits within the forest area and thereby restrict the movement of tigers apart from addressing the water shortage. The pumps are expected to be installed over the next few weeks. Experts stress on the need to address the problem soon as they fear that the shortage might compel tigers to venture into dangerous terrain, increasing the number of man-animal conflicts. "When there is no water available in the vicinity, animals tend to cross the forest limits to reach water bodies or other sources of water (like a hand pump or borewell) located close to habitations. This is perilous," Tampal said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Water-crisis-Tigers-travel-miles-to-quench-thirst/articleshow/12696573.cms

No evacuations near Kawal Sanctuary

Express News Service HYDERABAD: Even as the tribes living surrounding the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in the Jannaram forests of Adilabad district are up in arms against the proposed development of the sanctuary, the state forest department has made it clear that no rehabilitation package will be provided to the local communities as the proposed project would not affect any individual or community in the area. Many rumours on KWS and evacuation of local communities are doing the rounds. Some political leaders are spreading it for their own benefits. Government would not provide any special package for the local communities, said A Shankaran, deputy conservator of forests. He said there is no truth in the allegations that many tribal families will be shifted out of Tiger Reserve by giving rehabilitation packages. “There is no need to evacuate 45 enclosures in the tiger reserve as livelihood of tribes will not be affected. Moreover, the government has not announced that every family around the KWS would be given `10 lakh as compensation,” Shankaran said. This is only a rumour that the Centre has sanctioned `45 crore for the tiger reserve, he said. The KWS is being contemplated to protect, restore, manage and maintain representative biodiversity of the Deccan Plateau in Sahyadri mountain ranges. The project is also aiming at conservation of ecological processes and wild gene pool with focus on tigers. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-evacuations-near-kawal-sanctuary/249398-60-114.html