Tiger cubs relocated to Bor sanctuary |
Showing posts with label Tadoba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tadoba. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Abandoned Tadoba cubs relocated to Bor
With their mother most likely to have been poached, 3 tiger cubs found abandoned in September have been relocated to Bor wildlife sanctuary near Wardha. The cubs have been kept in a large enclosure built seperately for them. It is how ever not clear whether there is a plan to release them in the wild in the future.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tadoba tiger poachings happened under CBI's nose
A follow up report on the recent arrest of poachers from Delhi and Nagpur in Indian Express exposes complete lack of co ordination between the centre agency and local forest officials. While the CBI was on trail of the dreaded poachers, they were busy killing tigers around Tadoba Tiger Sanctuary with local forest officials apparently clueless on either activity. The incident reflects on the sorry state of affairs in and around the park despite tall proclamations made by the state forest department and NTCA. While the CBI had been on the trail of the poachers, NTCA had provided leads to local forest officials. It seems both agencies worked in isolation with neither being able to either capture the poachers or prevent the killings. The criminals even escaped the monitoring mechanism set up by Chandrapur Division called the Train Cell to nab wildlife traders. What is more worrying is that the gun that was used to shoot the tigers has not been recovered indicating that the shooters are still at large and most possibly at work. Given the shoddy job being done by forest department it is no wonder that abandoned cubs are being found aplenty around Tadoba indicating increasing poaching activity.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Poacher arrests expose wide ranging chinks in system
A slew of reports in papers couple of days after poachers were arrested from Nagpur and Delhi expose the wide ranging ramifications of the ring. From international connections in China, Nepal and Tibet to local failure on the part of Maharasthra govt officials, the arrests have laid bare a tale of systemic official failure. A TOI report cites failure on part of forest officials in Maharasthra who have are supposed to monitor illegal wildlife trading using the train route having summarily failed in detecting the smuggling when the CBI caught the poachers in Nagpur. The 'train cell' as it is called is supposed to monitor traffic emanating from in and around Tadoba primarily to detect and curb poaching activities.
The two men arrested in Delhi were both Tibetans who were obviously acting as conduits to smuggle out the skins to China.
The accused were all presented in court and were remanded to custody for a few days. What is important is for the CBI to use these men and leads to expose the entire ring which could go a long way in busting what looks like one of the most significant wildlife trading gang operating in India.
Investigation officials are calling this as the most significant bust up after Sansar Chand the dreaded poacher was caught a few years back. Incidentally Sansar Chand was released on bail in Jaipur a few months back after state govt officials failed to present a robust case for continuation of his custody. One hopes this case doesnt go the same way.
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Saturday, November 7, 2009
More abandoned cubs found in Tadoba as forest workers take govt to court
Indicating loss of another tigress in Tadoba, four cubs were found abandoned by villagers a couple of days back. This is the 4such instance of a big cat going missing which in all likely hood has either been poached or poisoned. With Tadoba loosing tigers at a fast rate and the forest officials not being able to take effective steps to stem the killing the sanctuary is fast becoming favourite hunting ground for poachers. The reserves has also been in news recently for people in the area opposing mining activity and serious issues with relocation of villagers residing inside the park. A few months back the Maharashtra govt had transferred park officials across the state en masse without even appointing a replacement at Tadoba which came in only after a few months. One wonders whether the laxity has lead to this series of damaging losses. In a related development daily workers inside the park have filed a case in the Nagpur high court demanding details how the money received from Centre and NTCA has been spent by park administration. The case filed after the park ran out of money whic left many workers unpaid this despite the centre having released almost 11 Crs for TATR recently. The high court has ordered the state govt to file an affidavit on how the funds have been spent.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Jairam Ramesh proposes complete mining ban in Tadoba
A report in Indian Express quotes MOEF Jairam Ramesh having written to Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan proposing steps against mining and any other ecologically damaging activities being carried out in and around Tadoba Andhari Tiger Sanctuary. Making a significant point, the central minister is quoted as not only advising against mining in the region by Adani Power which was given mining license by the current govt but has also proposed cancelling licenses of all existing mines, a step if taken through could have immense positive impact on the forests in the region. Wildlife enthusiasts and locals concerned over the rapid deterioration of environment around Chandrapur, the district headquater will certainly welcome such a move. Ramesh has voiced his concern also on human dams being proposed in the buffer zone to provide adequate irrigation facilities to villages around the park saying the idea is out of date as it was proposed almost two decades back and the ground situation has changed considerably. The letter to the CM comes after Member secy of NTCA visited Tadoba recently in the wake of many tigers being poisoned by villagers to prevent attacks on humans and preserve their cattle. It is pertinent to note that many tiger cubs have been found abandoned around the sanctuary giving credence to suspicion of their mothers having been either poached or poisoned. Ramesh has also advised the state govt to take steps against curbing movement of poaching gangs into the wildlife sanctuary which borders MP, the home to many tribal poaching gangs.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Adani will have to do impossible for mining around Tadoba
Adani Power will have to recreate Tadoba like forests to compensate for destruction carried out for mining a report in DNA today quotes Maharasthra Forest officials. As is known Adani Power was alloted mining licenses around Tadoba by eager Forest officials only to see a huge protest being launched by local Chandrapur Residents and local NGo's. Given the opposition the project has been stayed for the time being with a case pending in courts to decide the fate of the project.
Coal mining 'impossible' at Tadoba
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tadoba set to get extra security and area
With Maharashtra having signed the tripartite agreement with NTCA and Centre the first step towards increased protection of big cats was approved with the state govt sending a detailed plan to centre for approval reports DNA. The plan includes acquisition of around 1000 sq kms of land outside the buffer zone and hiring another 50 forest guards to protect the sanctuary. It is worth noting that area around Tadoba has been in news for the last few years. Initially for human-animal conflict cases and in recent times for abandoned tiger cubs being found with regularity indicating poaching or killing by poisoning of their mothers.
Security beefed up for wild cats
Friday, October 2, 2009
Tadoba activists decry villagers move as Sonia Gandhi takes note
After villagers around Lohara, the location of Adani mines, came out in support of the project, green activists questioned their stand as per a report on TOI. According to activists the company has managed to lure a handful of people through money power to get them to endorse setting up the plant at the expense of the forest. As pointed out by some NGO activists, the forests are not the property of villagers living in the area but a natural resource that belongs to the country and saving it is of prime importance. It is relevant to note that residents of Chandrapur, the distt headquarters, a few months back had come out strongly against the mines having suffered the ill effects of mines in their area for decades.
In a related development Sonia Gandhi has taken note of a letter written by Rajya Sabha MP Shri Vijay Darda for pointing out adverse effects of the mine. He has also suggested setting up a committee to look into granting of the license. Mr Darda had used his offices to good effect last year when a similar letter by him to Sonia Gandhi against widening of Nagpur-Jabalpur highway cutting thru Pench tiger reserve saw the scrapping of the ecologically disastrous project.
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Thursday, October 1, 2009
Let down by govt, villagers around Tadoba back Adani Mines
The fight going on between environmentalists on one side and Adani corp & state govt on the other, took a new twist on Wednesday when villagers from Lohara, the location of mines addressed a press conference in support of the mines. It is clear that the villagers donot see any future for themselves in preserving the forest and wildlife esp given how other families in and around Tadoba have been shoddily treated on resettlement matters. It is a shocking case of govt failure that locals are willing for their surroundings to be destroyed rather than let tourism drive the economy and become stake holders in development. As pointed out by them during the meet, there are many other mines in the area right on the edge of the park and perhaps they have seen the economic benefits those mines have brought to people in those areas, notwithstanding the damage it has caused to the ecology as a whole. The govt needs to provide alternate employment and means of livelihood if locals have to be made stakeholders in preservation of wildlife and forests. As long as villagers see forest conservation as an urban cause, india's efforts will be doomed. In a related development a bunch of NGOs filed petitions in the high court asking for the govt to stay granting of mining licenses to Adani. The high court has issued notices to the govt asking for status on the project. As no go ahead has been given yet, the court termed the petitions untimely.
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Pleas early, but HC wants status of Adani mines
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Another tiger cub found abandoned in Tadoba
Days after two cubs were caught by wildlife officials apparently after having lost their mother to poachers,wildlife officials trapped another 3rd cub around the same area in Tadoba reports The Indian Express. The story also quotes wildlife officials having seen pugmarks of a big tiger around the area where the 3rd cub was caught indicating the mother's presence there till recently. DNA samples are being sent for examination to verify if the three cubs are siblings. As this blog posted yesterday,NTCa officials have sent a detailed set of guidelines to the park director for immediate action to prevent any further loss of tigers.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Marooned Tadoba cubs force NTCA into action
After reports of two tigers cubs having been found around Tadoba tiger sanctuary NTCa has written to local park authorities suggesting a series of measures to be undertaken to unearth the wildlife killings going on in and around the park, reports The Indian Express. According to the report, this is the 4th such instance of tiger cubs being found in the area this year indicating their mothers have all been killed either by poachers or poisoned by villagers. Two days back CNN IBN published pictures of a wild dog caught in snare inside the sanctuary against pointing to lax security and presence of armed poaching gangs. NTCA has also recommended carrying out a detailed survey of tiger and prey population, marking territories of the big cats, strengthening intelligence set up in and around villages adjoining the park. With Maharashtra having signed the tripartite agreement with centre and NTCA, one hopes measures to tackle poaching will be put in place immediately.
Monday, September 21, 2009
CNN IBN exposes continued poaching inside TATR
A story posted on ibnlive.com shows a wild dog caught in a snare inside Tadoba Tiger Sanctuary. If the picture indeed was taken inside the park it is a sad comment on the govt's criminal negligence towards protecting animals inside designated forest sanctuaries. TATR has been in news recently for suspected cases of tigers being poached. Obviously no hard evidence has come to light so far with the park being left open to poachers after the govt took almost 2 months to appoint a new field director post removing the earlier one. Relocation of villagers, granting mining licenses in teh vicinity,TATR's wildlife is not just battling poaching mafia but also the so called protectors.
Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve hit by poaching
Friday, September 18, 2009
Caputured Tadoba Cub indicates continued disappearance of tigers
In a late night incident reported extgensively in newspapers today, a man in Chandrapur distt battled and overpowered a tiger cub when he went out of his house investigate the sounds emanating from the backyard of his house. The worrisome part of this story is the missing mother of the tiger cub who might have been poached or poisoned. The cub was found to have been starving when officials took it for a medical indicating it was parted from her motherever since and not being able to hunt on its own hadnt eaten. Chandrapur has been in news for the last few years on account of a series of man animal conflict incidents leading to poisoning and killing of big cats. Recently this blog had also highlighted the mismanaged relocation policy in tadoba where villagers were shifted from their original settlements only for them to return since the new area didnt provide them any means of earning their livelihood. With angry villagers surrounding the park and govt apathy taking its toll, Tadoba's tigers are fast getting cornered from all sides with no where to run.
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