Govt projects may put endangered wildlife at stake

New Delhi: The year 2010 maybe the international year of biodiversity but India's biodiversity hotspots are facing an unprecedented onslaught. The Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife, under the Chairmanship of Minister Jairam Ramesh has recently cleared roads, dams and mining projects through national parks and sanctuaries – the last vestiges for endangered wildlife.

Minister of Environment, Jairam Ramesh who has cleared no less than 15 road, dam and mining projects inside India's National Parks and sanctuaries, may have sounded the death knell for India's most endangered wildlife. These include:

• A Limestone Mining Plant on the boundary ofRajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, one of the finest habitats for the Tiger.

• 65 Hectares of forest land to be chopped for 3 roads passing through Gangotri National Park, home to snow leopard, blue sheep and black bear

• Submergence of 1000 hectares of forest for a dam at Narasimha Wild Life Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, home to the critically endangered Jerdon Courser bird.

.

• Diversion of 240 hectares of forest land for a 400 KV Transmission line and 21 hectares for an underground oil pipeline both at the Gujarat Wild Ass Sanctuary, only home to the Indian Wild Ass.

• Diversion of forest land for a high-power transmission line by Power Grid Corporation in Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary, home to elephants, barking deer, sloth bears and leopards

• Diversion of forest land for road-widening by the Border Roads Organization in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Uttaranchal, home to the highly endangered musk deer.

•

Such Projects lead not only to more fatalities, they also damage long term survival and breeding patterns of wild animals.

Wild expert Belinda Wright said, “We have such few areas of prime forest land that are within our protect area network. And we just cannot afford to lose even an inch of them.”

However, Minister Jairam Ramesh disagrees.

Jairam said, “You are being unfair, you are being very selective. There are number of projects that have been put on hold or rejected. The job of my Ministry is not to say no all the time. My job is to find a balance between environment and development.”

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries form less than 4 per cent of India's land surface. In the International Year of biodiversity a complete halt on deforestation in these areas maybe the last hope of survival for India's endangered animals.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/govt-projects-may-put-endangered-wildlife-at-stake/108372-3.html?from=tn

India's tiger count to take a beating

Mumbai: What is the population of tigers in India? 2010 is expected to throw up a realistic answer. The year will see forest departments across the country conduct an intense field data-collection exercise, which would be a departure from the usual tiger census. It will be the first time that forest machinery across the country, with guidance from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), will follow the WII manual to count tigers and their co-predators

“The new method is scientific and has less chance of fudging the outcome,” conversationalists said. According to them, the tiger population estimates might take a beating when the figures are released later this year.

Maharashtra will finish the data-collection process, which is called ‘Monitoring Tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitats’, in three-phases before the February first week deadline. “We have already started the process of training officers and beat guards and are making the ground preparation,” AK Saxena, chief conservator of forest (wildlife), said. Ten middle rank officers from the wildlife wing were trained for two days in Ranthambore in October, 2009, and they in turn trained the forest guards and their supervisors for the data-collection process, Saxena added.

More than 4,600 beat guards from 11 wildlife and four territorial circles, who will be manning an area of 5 square kilometres each, will trudge the state’s forests in a ten-day exercise later this month in the first phase of data-collection. The guards will use GPS devices to collect data and lay what is known as transects - a virtual 2-4 km line in beat area along which to look for the samples.

“Beat guards will sample for tigers and co-predators, ungulates, vegetation and human disturbance in the ten days,” Saxena said.
In the second phase, the WII experts will extrapolate the data that is received from all over the country. Then comes the third phase, in which the state forest departments would collect more evidence with camera traps, to help the WII and NTCA synthesise the analysis and draw an inference.

The WII and NTCA’s inference would depend on the authenticity and accuracy with which the beat guards report the data. “The chances of fudging the figures are less,” Nitin Desai, tiger conservationist from the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said. “The final figures are expected to be low.”

The exercise holds importance, conservationists said, because of the wide difference in the figures quoted by the WII and the forest departments of the respective states. In 2007, the WII said there were 1,411 tigers in the country when the combined total of the state forest departments stood at 3,000.

“The annual census focused on direct and quantitative evidence; this one also brings in qualitative data - such as the nature of habitat, the kind of trees, the human interference and other such factors that are important for policy formulations,” a forest official said.

Also, the state hasn’t held the tiger census for the last two years, for the precise reason that the WII rejected the existing method of conducting the tiger census. More than 80 tigers have been killed in one year - a fact expected to reflect in the outcome of this project. The three phases of data-collection, according to NTCA and WII, would be completed by March 2010.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_india-s-tiger-count-to-take-a-beating_1332212

Karnataka tigers to get special guards

BANGALORE: Karnataka will soon have a Special Tiger Protection Force (STP), in line with the forest paramilitary force, the state government’s action taken report on elephant conservation which was submitted in the High Court recently, states.

The government proposal for a special force to protect tigers has been approved by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Tribal people and villagers inhabiting within national park premises will also be part of the proposed STP. It will include one representative from the Central Police Force and other from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the state government says in its action taken report.

As per the report, 90 posts will be filled with special tiger guards selected by direct recruitment, out of which 27 posts will be open to local tribals and villagers inhabiting inside the Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves. The 112-personnel force will also comprise one assistant of a Conservator of Forests, three Range Forest Officers and 18 Foresters. The Additional Director General of Police (Recruitment and Training), Bangalore, has agreed that the police department will be in a position to undertake training of these Special Tiger Guards at their Yelahanka training unit, the report indicates.

Recently, the government has given its go-ahead to recruit 37 elephant kawadies.

Forty-eight kawadies are already working as assistants to the mahouts.

Also, the government has started the recruitment process of 125 Range Forest Officers, 200 Foresters and 800 Forest Guards.

Compensation raised The government has enhanced the compensation amount payable for human injury from Rs 5,800 to Rs 45,000, depending on the case, and the crop damage compensation has been increased from Rs 25,000 to Rs 35,000. In cases of injuries, the government has decided to reimburse medical expenditure.

(This is the second part of the series that started on Jan 7, with “Jumbos to be hemmed in for conservation”)

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=State’s+tigers+to+get+special+guards&artid=H11E6CJEfFM=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&SEO=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==

One held for tiger death in Kheri, cops hunt for 3 others

One person was arrested in connection with the death of a tiger in Kheri district late on Wednesday night.

An inquiry is on to find out the role played by Uttam (40) — a resident of Paraspur village — in the incident. “While Uttam was arrested, his accomplices managed to flee,” said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) North Kheri, K K Singh.

The carcass of an eight-year-old male tiger was found in Paraspur area of north Kheri forest division on late Tuesday night. An iron trap, a mobile phone and electric wires were found near the spot.

The Forest department suspects the involvement of an organised gang of poachers in the incident. “We are interrogating Uttam’s links in Nepal and Bahraich area. Three others are suspected to be involved and we are trying to trace them,” said a senior Forest department official.

Representatives from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) visited the incident site on Thursday to assess the cause of the death. “The organs of the tiger, including kidneys, were found in a highly decomposed state. Samples of livers and lungs have been taken and we will take another couple of days to ascertain the cause of the death,” said a senior NTCA official.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/One-held-for-tiger-death-in-Kheri--cops-hunt-for-3-others/564931/

Govt refuses World Bank help for tiger conservation

NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has again said that it would not seek loans and financial support from World Bank to protect the tiger.

The ministry had, coinciding with the recent visit of World Bank president Robert B Zoellick to India, begun to rethink its year-old position on the offer from the Bank to fund activities under the National Tiger Conservation Authority. But on Wednesday, with most of tiger conservationists in the country protesting the move, minister Jairam Ramesh decided to shelve the proposal yet again.

In June 2008, World Bank launched a global Tiger Conservation Initiative. It had approached the Indian government at that point asking it to join in. After deliberations within the government, in which the PMO too was involved, it was decided that the government did not require either technical assistance or funds of the Bank.

The government had considered World Bank’s chequered history with tiger conservation and relocation and decided that it would not be advisable to take up the Bank on its offer. The Bank, on the other hand, was viewed within the government as more than eager to get India on board, as it would look odd if the country with the largest wild tiger population in the world did not join the initiative.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Govt-refuses-World-Bank-help-for-tiger-conservation/articleshow/5422078.cms

Fishing mafia on the rise as Pench is hit by lack of funds - DNA

Mumbai: Security of the Pench Tiger Reserve is at risk. With no funds released in the last nine months, the forest authorities are in a tight situation regarding funds for patrolling logistics and payments of the forest labourers. Meanwhile, the incidents of illegal fishing and attacks on the forest guards have increased.

The authority has 50 guards with no arms and vehicles. "The Centre has not released a single paisa of the Rs1.8 crore annual fund since April 2009. We haven't been able to buy fuel for the patrolling vehicles, which are in a bad condition," said an official.

Meanwhile, the fishing mafia is raising its head again. Madhukar Dhoke (name changed), a forest guard, who was a part of the team which nabbed fishermen involved in illegal fishing a month ago, was forced to leave his house in the civil area for initiating action against the fishing mafia. Those involved in the theft attacked his house, forcing him to shift his family to the quarters in the jungle.

The plight of the security forces does not end here. The retaliation from the fishing mafias is so powerful that the SRP jawans, deployed to help forest guards, discontinued their services a year ago. Nearly 100 forest labourers, appointed on a contract basis to help the guards, have stopped working as their salaries have not been paid.

Sources said that illegal fishing worth Rs50,000 to Rs1 lakh is taking place every day. "The Supreme Court had banned fishing in the reserve in 2004 and abolished the fishing rights of the locals. The families were rehabilitated in the neighbouring villages. However, they keep returning to Totladoh dam for fishing," said an official.

According to Dr Mohan Jha, conservator of forest and in-charge of Pench Reserve, the delay in the release of funds has led to a rise in illegal activities. "The activities had almost stopped after October 2008. But they are rising again as the news of lack of funds and the lax security is spreading," he said.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_fishing-mafia-on-the-rise-as-pench-is-hit-by-lack-of-funds_1326914

Homesick tiger puts MP forest officials in fix - HT

It’s not another Tiger Woods joke. A homesick tiger has kept more than 100 forest officials in the woods for close to a month.

The big cat, brought to Madhya Pradesh’s Panna National Park from the Pench reserve 400 km away, does not like his new habitat, which includes two relocated tigresses.

And he seems to be heading back home.

Leaving wildlife scientists baffled, the tiger — tracked 24x7 through a radio collar — has crossed hills, fields, human habitations and rivers, and is now moving towards his home at Pench.

Tracking the reluctant migrant, Panna National Park field director R. Sriniwas Murthy has not gone home for four weeks. Also on the tiger’s trail are three veterinarians, five elephants and a truck to move elephants, besides local forest department officials.

The tiger was released in Panna on November 14.

He has been on the move since November 25.

On Monday, after crossing the Ken, Boarma and Sonar rivers, he was reported to be in the Nauradehi Sanctuary with only the Narmada separating him and his original home. On Wednesday, high frequency radio signals located him in Damoh district, midway between Pench and Panna.

Madhya Pradesh’s chief wildlife warden R.S. Negi said the phenomenon was difficult to fathom. “One can’t say whether the tiger knows he’s heading towards his original home,” said Negi.

The tiger has to be tranquillised and taken back to Panna but the dense foliage and tough terrain have prevented veterinarians from doing so.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Homesick-tiger-puts-MP-forest-officials-in-fix/H1-Article1-489925.aspx

Maharashtra Release of wildlife funds stuck in red tape

NAGPUR: On first day of winter session, forest minister Dr Patangrao Kadam had promised that funds for three tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in the state would be release in 24 hours. But almost 336 hours later, not a single rupee of the Rs 6.76 crore first installment of centrally sponsored scheme (CSS) funds has been released.

Interestingly, the finance department says it released the money on December 17 but wildlife wing says it has not received it. S P Kanade, joint secretary (finance), told TOI Rs 7.90 crore have been released from Mumbai under four schemes. However, until Tuesday night, money had not arrived in budgetdistribution system (BDS), the official channel to distribute funds. It seems even word of senior minister Dr Kadam is not kept.

On Tuesday, when the issue was taken up with Dr Kadam, he expressed surprise. "I'm learning from you that funds have not been released yet. Daily I meet top officials but none has apprised me of it. If they don't tell me about the problem how can I solve it? I will take up the issue with officials concerned on Wednesday," Dr Kadam told TOI.

Conservationists flayed rigid approach of the finance and planning department in releasing money. "Funds are delayed every year for one or the other reason. It has become a chronic problem. At a time when tigers are falling prey to poachers due to lack of protection, not releasing money for wildlife is criminal," they said.

Information sought under the RTI revealed that the wildlife wing had proposed Rs 13.35 crore for three tiger reserves Tadoba, Pench and Melghat & 31 sanctuaries and national parks under the CSS. Of this, Rs 10.80 crore has been sanctioned. The Centre has already released its share of Rs 6.76 crore towards first instalment by September 30. However, state government did not release the money.

Of its share of Rs 2.31 crore, the state released only Rs 1.02 crore on September 30. This amount too was released after much hassles and most of it went towardspayment of wages of forest workers engaged in protection work in parks. The workers were not paid for six months then. Now the situation is back to square one.

It is December and first instalment of CSS funds, which is 60% of the total sanctioned amount, has not been released. The managers of protected areas (PAs) are left with only three months to utilise the money. Unless utilisation certificate of 1st instalment is submitted, Centre does not release second instalment. Officials fear the PAs will go without the second instalment this financial year. It means less money for wildlife, which is already passing through grave crisis.

As there are no funds, number of workers has been curtailed hampering protection. Besides, crucial works like drawing fire lines, road repairs, cutting of grass, waterhole management have come to a grinding halt. In Pench Tiger Reserve, illegal fishing is rampant as patrolling boats are stranded for fuel. Many protection huts are unmanned as there is no money to pay wages.

The sanctioned amount includes Rs 4 crore for three tiger reserves including Rs 1.5 crore for TATR, Rs 1.70 crore for Melghat and Rs 80 lakh for Pench. Besides, Rs 2.75 crore has been sanctioned for sanctuaries and national parks. Forest officials said they had submitted all the information asked for in new format. "We also don't know why funds are held up?" they said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Kadams-assurance-on-wildlife-funds-flouted/articleshow/5368093.cms

Wildlife award for Simlipal saviour

BARIPADA: For 36 years he has been guarding the forests, walking for miles even at night to protect the big cat, and has dared the bullets of marauders.

Prabir Kumar Palei, one of Project Tiger's longest-serving foot soldiers in Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR) received the Wildlife Service Award from Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia magazine in Mumbai recently.

The prestigious award was presented to the forester for his monumental contribution towards theconservation of STR for over three decades. Prabir joined as a field staff in 1974 and worked under the first field director, late Padmashree Saroj Raj Choudhury.

Present field director H S Upadhyaya congratulated Palei for his splendid achievement and said, "Keep it up!" Upadhyaya feels this honour should act as an incentive for juniors to emulate. Prabir, who received a citation and a cash award of Rs 25,000, said he was the first man in his team to defy the warning of security forces and continue to stay overnight in the Upper Barha-Kamuda (UBK) range office.

"I was happy that others in my team gathered courage to wipe out the fear psychosis that was triggered by the first ever offensive by Maoists on March 28, 2009. They have joined me in my efforts to protect the tiger." After the Maoist rampage in Simlipal, foresters were put on foot patrol only during daytime.

The citation presented said, "Prabir Kumar Palei has arrested over 100 people in a lifetime devoted to the protection of the tiger and has been attacked, ambushed and routinely threatened for his pains. But nothing is able to shake his steely resolve to protect the forest he loves. One of Project Tiger's longest-serving foot soldiers, he joined Similipal's frontline team in 1974.

Palei loves the forests and nothing could give away his love more than his rejection of coveted postings. He chose to be a simple foot soldier for 36 years. He had the good fortune to be mentored by Choudhury and literally walked thousands of miles on foot patrols. Palei "knows" Similipal like the back of his hand.

Despite Maoists terror, Palei and his team never buckled. The call of duty kept them ticking. With no roof over their head and only a damaged VHF communication tower to connect them with the rest of the world, he and his men returned to their post in UBK in the core of the forest. When warned by security forces against staying deep inside the forest after dark, he had responded: "Will you look after the forest?"

His mission now is to inspire new recruits who would have the requisite skills and passion to save the tiger. "Palei's name is synonymous with Simlipal. His service is unparalleled," said R N Marandi, another STR forester at Jashipur.

Centre to introduce stricter guidelines for tourist entry into wildlife areas

New Delhi: Tiger reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries will soon become zones with restricted entry as the government plans to impose stringent regulations on tourism activities in these areas.

Concerned at the diminishing number of tigers and destruction of forest reserves due to increased commercial activities, the tourism ministry is planning to limit the number of tourists and hotels operating in and around reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. This means tourists would need to queue up in advance for entry permits or shell out more for a jeep.

India has 38 tiger reserves, 357 wildlife sanctuaries and 96 national parks. Roughly 700-1,000 tourists visit these every day. About 30 diesel-run jeeps and 15 canters also enter each reserve daily. Environmentalists believe increased tourism activities are affecting the ecological balance of these parks and reserves.

To regulate this, the tourism ministry plans to reduce the number of permits for parks and reserves by about 30-40%. It is also contemplating a temporary ban, of 3-4 years, on all tourism-related projects in these areas.

"National parks, hills, coastal areas and islands are eco-fragile zones. If we don't regulate activities there today, we will suffer later. So, we are planning to take stringent measures... Too many hotels and resorts block the corridors of animals," tourism secretary Sudip Banerjee said. Accordingly, the hotel classification guidelines are likely to be amended. All upcoming hotels near reserves on hills and in coastal areas, islands would now need an environmental clearance. There will be restrictions on change of land use, so that forest land or residential areas cannot be used for commercial purpose. Besides, the ministry will sensitise officials, tour operators, tourists and villagers on the importance of protecting environment.

Environmentalists call it a positive step but tour operators fear the regulation would hit jungle tourism. "We agree that animals get disturbed by regular tourism activities but such regulations would impact tourism. The costs are likely to go up for safaris and jungle stays if limited jeeps, canters or hotels are allowed," Ghananand Sharma, manager of India Wildlife Resort, said.

Tiger conservationist Belinda Wright hailed the move."There are very few parks where you can spot tigers. Tourism activities block the movement and corridors of animals," she said

Two tiger cubs found dead in Pench National Park in MP - DNA

Seoni (MP): Two tiger cubs were found dead in Raiyakasa region of Pench National Park here, officials said today.

A patrol party had informed the officials about the cub deaths on December 19 following which a team was sent to the spot to get their carcass, they said.

Officials said that it appears that the four-month old cubs died due to intense cold.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_two-tiger-cubs-found-dead-in-pench-national-park-in-mp_1326336

Now Ranthambore faces destruction due to mining and river bridge

A new road being build over River Banas in Ranthamore park and mining by villagers near Bhadlaw threatens to destroy widlife habitat in the area

Apparently forest guards know about the mining activity and not much has been done to prevent the destruction.

Ranthambore has been one of the few success stories of tiger conservation in India and as with the recent cases of proposed mining around Tadoba and a road project through Pench national park, these activities around a national park create havoc with wildlife habitats.

This piece of info comes courtesy our friend Phil Davis who runs a tiger conservation charity www.tigerawareness.co.uk . in UK.

Tiger carcass found in Corbett

NAINITAL: Forest officials on Sunday recovered the carcass of a 10-year-old male tiger in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand, apparently killed in a turf war.

Corbett's wildlife warden D S Rawat said the tiger might have died two days ago. The carcass was spotted in the Dhikala zone of the forest by a tourist, who immediately informed officials. Two senior veterinary doctors, who inspected the spot where the dead tiger was found, ruled out poaching. The condition of the carcass indicated struggle with another tiger, they said.

The wildlife warden said a post-mortem examination would decide the cause of death. The Dhikala and other zones of the reserve were opened to tourists on November 15. ‘‘We are taking necessary steps to ensure that endangered species are protected,’’ a senior official at the reserve in Dhikala said

‘Female presence’ to lure runaway tiger back to Panna

It’s a first of its kind problem, and it merits a first of its kind solution.

A “healthy, adult male tiger” was chosen after months of deliberation from Pench tiger park to be translocated to the empty Panna tiger reserve, which lost all its big cats to poaching exactly a year ago. Now, the young male has done what was least expected — it has run 200 km away.

After several letters between the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in New Delhi, it has finally been decided that the truant should be sedated and brought back — but only after he is given evidence that there are tigresses in Panna for company.

In an unusual letter to Madhya Pradesh, the NTCA has given the state forest department the permission to sedate the tiger and bring him back to Panna, after littering the enclosure he is brought back in with the scat of tigresses — to establish mate presence and to keep him “in Panna”.

This follows several arguments between the state and Centre, with the satellite signal in the tiger’s collar failing to work, and a debate on the ethical wisdom of sedating the animal for a second time.

“The tiger should be brought back to a soft-release enclosure in Panna, and kept there for at least 10 days so he can be familiarised with Panna. Further we have specifically asked that scat of the two tigresses in Panna be kept around the enclosure that is created for the tiger, so he doesn’t leave the park,” says an NTCA official. This is the first time that such a solution is being mooted in black and white, but the problem also is a first.

After weeks of searching in tiger reserves Bandhavgarh and Kanha, a male tiger had been selected from Pench to be tranquilised and moved to Panna, which had lost all its tigers to poaching. Two tigresses have also been translocated to the reserve since then.

The male tiger, fitted with a satellite-cum-radio collar roughly worth Rs 4 lakh, was brought in in November, and ran away soon after. Walking out of the park, the four-year-old tiger has been on a long march, via Panna to Kishenpur, Rajpura, Bakswaho, Dalpatpur (close to the district border) — crossing at least two districts and 200 kilometres.

A large group from the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, including Panna Field Director Srinivas Murthy, and scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have been on its trail for two weeks.

Some members of the WII team are of the view that the tiger, which was tranquilised when it was first translocated, should not be sedated again. The ethics of sedating tigers to move them has become a burning question after a stray tigress, sedated and caged earlier this year to be taken to the Bhadra tiger reserve in Karnataka, died in the process

Madhya Pradesh meanwhile claims that the NTCA did not respond soon enough. “We had communicated with the NTCA several times for permission to tranquilise the runaway tiger. However, we were not granted permission for several days. Further, the satellite collar stopped working. Even though it is a very expensive device, it has not been giving a signal since November 25. We have barely been able to follow the tiger through radio telemetry signals. The tiger has been moving in ravines and hilly area and tracking it has been very difficult,” says R S Negi, Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh.

“The ethical questions should be considered later. At this moment, it is imperative that the tiger be moved before there is any conflict with human beings. Also, it should not be allowed to cross any state borders,” says former Project Tiger director P K Sen.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/female-presence-to-lure-runaway-tiger-back-to-panna/553871/3