SARISKA/JAIPUR: Nearly a week after a tiger was relocated from Ranthambore to Sariska, yet another big cat was brought to the reserve on Wednesday. The two-and-a-half year old female tiger becomes the fifth occupant of the vast forest as two males and two females had already shifted there over a period of two years.
Wednesday's relocation took place amid rain just like the first relocation that took place nearly two years back.
In fact, this time, the relocation was not without any hitch. The female tiger, T-44, from the Gilai Sagar area in Khandar range of Ranthambore, was tranquillised around 11.30 am. Unlike the previous relocation -- when officials preferred the route route -- an IAF helicopter was used as was done in the three other shiftings earlier.
Inclement weather prevented the chopper from taking off in Jodhpur and later at Jaipur where it landed for fuelling. Later on its landing at Sariska, the wait for the tiger's release at the temporary enclosure stretched on as weather played truant again.
"She is the last one to be relocated in the first phase of this exercise. We will not be shifting any more cats to Sariska in the next two years. After that, a male and a female tiger would be relocated every two years," said K Shankar, a scientist of Wildlife Institute of India (WTI) in Dehradun.
According to him, two years later, the tigers to be brought to Sariska may not be from Ranthambore. Instead they might be from Madhya Pradesh. "What we might try out is to get male tigers shifted out of Ranthambore in a bid to stabilise the sex ratio which is currently a skewed one. We would send these males to Madhya Pradesh and get female tigers from there," he added.
In the meantime, the five cats at Sariska will be closely monitored. Not only security has been increased at the park, all the animals are also wearing a radio collar. "If the tigers breed, the results should be out in the next three months. This reserve can hold about 15 tigers," Shankar said.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Jairam Ramesh plans to bring back cheetah
Minister Jairam Ramesh is moving fast on his promise to bring back the cheetah to India. Three sites have been identified - two in Madhya Pradesh and one in Rajasthan as special sanctuaries for the animal that went extinct from India in the 60s.
Cheetah, the fastest animal on land had vanished from the subcontinent in 1967. Now, determined to bring back the cheetah, the environment ministry has unveiled an ambitious plan
"Three sites have been identified - two sites in Madhya Pradesh and one in Rajasthan. We will take it forward and it will take three to four years before these sites are made completely fit. I would give this the same importance as I would give project tiger or project elephant," said Jairam Ramesh.
The environment ministry plans to release cheetahs brought from Africa in Kuno - Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary inMadhya Pradesh, Nauradehi Wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh and the Shahgarh sanctuary in Rajasthan.
However, Rs 300 crore will be spent to relocate villages and to prepare these habitats so that they can sustain a viable population of 40 cheetahs. But, given India's poor track record in protecting its existing wildlife; especially tigers the question arises that is this really a good idea?
"I believe it is very complicated because cheetah is a very fragile, precious predator. You have to look after it very well. It has to have lot of grasslands and prey species, "said a tiger expert Valmik Thapar.
"The idea of reintroducing an extinct species in this case can help revive very serious interest in the protection of grasslands. In the 19th century -- a fifth of India had grasslands and much of it is lost now," said an environmentalist Mahesh Rangarajan.
Moreover, if the state governments agree to the plan, six cheetahs will be introduced in each location. But cheetahs require large tracts of land to roam freely. With a booming human population encroaching more and more into wildlife habitats, it seems that these cheetahs could feel hemmed in.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/jairam-ramesh-plans-to-bring-back-cheetah/127733-11.html
Simlipal staff to blame for jumbo killings: NTCA panel
Very little animal presence was noted in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve. We did not see a single tusker (for which Simlipal is renowned) or fresh elephant dung, even though we travelled over 100 km a day…. In most cases, the field staff who appeared de-motivated and demoralised were aware of the elephant deaths but chose not to report them; rather they deliberately attempted to conceal the elephant deaths/poaching incidents, by destroying the evidence…”
The shocking findings figure in the report of the two-member probe committee, set up following the sensational disclosure of nearly 12 jumbo killings, and reports of burnt carcasses in the reserve last month.
The report has listed at least 10 recommendations that should be implemented as immediate priority and 25 others on the basis of regular priority. The report calls
for stringent action against field staff for concealment of elephant deaths and destruction of evidence.
The committee was constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and its report was at last made public on Wednesday. For reasons unknown, it was kept under wraps for considerable time after its submission. The Pioneer had recently reported on the issue as to why the report of the committee, comprising Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary, Wildlife Society of Orissa and former member National Board of Wildlife along with Belinda Wright, Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India, was kept a closely-guarded secret?
Though the report mentions seven deaths, the members had mentioned that on the day of signing of the report there was “confirmed evidence of three more elephant carcasses and information of seven or eight more dead elephants, bringing the total to possibly 18 dead elephants in Simlipal, all possibly killed by poisoning and gunshot….it does not appear that any of these elephants died a natural death”.
The report states that of the seven elephant deaths analysed, there is enough evidence to suggest that the field staff were involved in the concealment of some deaths. Moreover, there was a concerted effort to destroy the remains of at least two of the elephant carcasses, and perhaps more, which amounts to destruction of evidence without registering a case. The report calls for fixation of accountability if the situation in the reserve is to improve.
It has called for the setting up of an independent monitoring committee by the NTCA. This, however, has already been done by the authority before the report was made public.
Further, a wildlife crime intelligence gathering system should be started. It stressed that apart from a covert informer network system, there is an urgent need to gather overt information from the public.
The committee has found evidence of regular incursions of tribal mass-hunting groups of 100 to 200 members (aka Akhand shikar) from the peripheral villages. They have been entering the park for over a year. They use country-made guns, along with bows and arrows. It is important to seize these illegal arms to prevent large-scale poaching of wildlife. Report recommends for rewards to an informer if his information leads to the recovery of such country-made guns.
The report further stresses that “funds provided by the NTCA and/or STR should not be reallocated or withdrawn since this negatively affects protection measures. It pointed out that in March 2010, there was an acute need for funds to cover the expenses for the relocation of Jenabil village from inside the core area of Simlipal. As a result, the balance funds for critical anti-poaching camps in Baripada Division were withdrawn to cover the financial shortfalls of the relocation.
The report has called for the provision of at least Rs 2 lakh every year to each of the three territorial DFOs to carry out enforcement raids. The posts of vacant Deputy Director and two Assistant Conservators of Forests should be filled up immediately and park management should exercise greater supervision and control. The staff must be duly motivated to carry out their duties effectively.
It is important that the confidentiality of wireless messages should be maintained, particularly in view of reports of Left-wing extremists moving in parts of the park. It has emphasised on enlisting local community support to keep tab on poachers or hunters.
The members have expressed concern over the fact that there was hardly any animal presence in the reserve during their probe. The situation in Simlipal is chronic and a serious overhaul needs to take place. “It is our considered opinion that unless our recommendations are swiftly implemented by the State and NTCA, that we may soon see a disastrous situation in Simlipal,” the members stated.
The shocking findings figure in the report of the two-member probe committee, set up following the sensational disclosure of nearly 12 jumbo killings, and reports of burnt carcasses in the reserve last month.
The report has listed at least 10 recommendations that should be implemented as immediate priority and 25 others on the basis of regular priority. The report calls
for stringent action against field staff for concealment of elephant deaths and destruction of evidence.
The committee was constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and its report was at last made public on Wednesday. For reasons unknown, it was kept under wraps for considerable time after its submission. The Pioneer had recently reported on the issue as to why the report of the committee, comprising Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary, Wildlife Society of Orissa and former member National Board of Wildlife along with Belinda Wright, Director, Wildlife Protection Society of India, was kept a closely-guarded secret?
Though the report mentions seven deaths, the members had mentioned that on the day of signing of the report there was “confirmed evidence of three more elephant carcasses and information of seven or eight more dead elephants, bringing the total to possibly 18 dead elephants in Simlipal, all possibly killed by poisoning and gunshot….it does not appear that any of these elephants died a natural death”.
The report states that of the seven elephant deaths analysed, there is enough evidence to suggest that the field staff were involved in the concealment of some deaths. Moreover, there was a concerted effort to destroy the remains of at least two of the elephant carcasses, and perhaps more, which amounts to destruction of evidence without registering a case. The report calls for fixation of accountability if the situation in the reserve is to improve.
It has called for the setting up of an independent monitoring committee by the NTCA. This, however, has already been done by the authority before the report was made public.
Further, a wildlife crime intelligence gathering system should be started. It stressed that apart from a covert informer network system, there is an urgent need to gather overt information from the public.
The committee has found evidence of regular incursions of tribal mass-hunting groups of 100 to 200 members (aka Akhand shikar) from the peripheral villages. They have been entering the park for over a year. They use country-made guns, along with bows and arrows. It is important to seize these illegal arms to prevent large-scale poaching of wildlife. Report recommends for rewards to an informer if his information leads to the recovery of such country-made guns.
The report further stresses that “funds provided by the NTCA and/or STR should not be reallocated or withdrawn since this negatively affects protection measures. It pointed out that in March 2010, there was an acute need for funds to cover the expenses for the relocation of Jenabil village from inside the core area of Simlipal. As a result, the balance funds for critical anti-poaching camps in Baripada Division were withdrawn to cover the financial shortfalls of the relocation.
The report has called for the provision of at least Rs 2 lakh every year to each of the three territorial DFOs to carry out enforcement raids. The posts of vacant Deputy Director and two Assistant Conservators of Forests should be filled up immediately and park management should exercise greater supervision and control. The staff must be duly motivated to carry out their duties effectively.
It is important that the confidentiality of wireless messages should be maintained, particularly in view of reports of Left-wing extremists moving in parts of the park. It has emphasised on enlisting local community support to keep tab on poachers or hunters.
The members have expressed concern over the fact that there was hardly any animal presence in the reserve during their probe. The situation in Simlipal is chronic and a serious overhaul needs to take place. “It is our considered opinion that unless our recommendations are swiftly implemented by the State and NTCA, that we may soon see a disastrous situation in Simlipal,” the members stated.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Dudhwa declared ‘critical tiger habitat’
Lucknow In a major step towards conservation of tigers in Uttar Pradesh, the state Forest department has notified Dudhwa National Park, Kishenpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katar-niyaghat Wildlife Sanctuary as “critical tiger habitat” areas.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which has approved the notification, will evaluate the area — along with 38 other critical tiger habitats across the country — between August 10 and December 15.
Under Section 38-V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, an expert committee comprising officials from the NTCA and the state government has approved the notification.
According to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, critical tiger habitat is the inviolate space required for conservation of tigers. The notification is a legal action to declare a particular national park or a wildlife reserve as a “core” zone. A critical habitat is based on parameters like estimated tiger population over the years, size of the territory and population viability analysis.
Based on these, a total of 1093.79 sq km of area has been notified as critical tiger habitat. Out of this, while 490.29 sq km is in Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri district, 203.41 sq km is in the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. The rest — 400.09 sq km — is in Bahraich district’s Katarniy-aghat Wildlife Sanctuary.
Following the notification, as per the National Tiger Conservation project, the state government will ensure that there is no other dwelling in the area. It will also undertake research activities to check if the area is viable for tigers and initiate programmes in this regard.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) B K Patnaik said: “It was important for us to notify the area as per NTCA guidelines. By doing so, we can ensure better management of the area. Now, the NTCA will support us in conservation and management activities undertaken in the area.”
According to department officials, the notification will also help in relocating tribals and forest dwellers living in the core zone. “There is a provision to relocate dwellers living in the core zone if they are willing. They will be given equivalent land and Rs 10 lakh per family, with each adult being counted as one family. But this can happen only in the notified area, as the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006 can only be implemented there,” said an official.
R L Singh, Chairman of a NTCA evaluation committee with the charge of core zones in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, UP, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, said: “We will evaluate core zones across the country, among which Dudhwa is a significant zone. After evaluation is complete, the NTCA will look at the proposals prepared by the state for tiger conservation.”
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/dudhwa-declared-critical-tiger-habitat/652631/
Hope yet for Sariska tigers?
| Tigers vanished from Panna almost at the same time as Sariska. The government is now taking a more holistic view of the entire conservation programme with external funding support and active involvement of the states. There are plans to involve the World Bank in the tiger conservation initiatives in an indirect way, writes Kalyan Ray | |
| Two years ago when the first tiger was translocated to tiger-less Sariska amidst fanfare, it kickstarted a new chapter in tiger conservation in India. But within a few months, it was clear that the road ahead was not a rosy one. All tigers shifted to Sariska were found to be siblings and conservationists thought and that’s why they are unable to mate and reproduce. The centre approached Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to borrow a couple of tigers from a different gene pool so that the inbreeding problem can be avoided. But none were ready to let their prized big cats go. The conservationists then turned to science for help. Scat samples Field officers at Ranthambhore collected 12 scat samples and sent then to geneticist Uma Ramakrishnan at the National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bangalore. The samples were collected from different areas within the Ranthambhore tiger reserve – Sultanpur, Sawai Madhopur, Darra gate and Kundera range as well as from Keladevi Sanctuary. The team extracted DNA from the samples with standardised protocol. A species-identification test (PCR) was conducted to ascertain the samples were of the tigers. The NCBS team found only eight samples were from tiger and out of those eight, one sample was not good enough for the analysis. That one was dropped in the final analysis. The remaining seven samples underwent tests at the sophisticated NCBS laboratory. All the seven genotypes were then used to calculate relatedness among the individuals. The researchers compared the genetic make up of various individuals with each other as well as with samples taken from Rajaji and Corbet national parks. “Their relatedness was measured in a scale between 0 and 1 in which 1 means fully related like identical twins and 0 stands for complete strangers. In the same scale 0.5 means siblings and 0.25 means half-siblings like cousins,” Ramakrishnan told Deccan Herald. The question was which specific tigers were most genetically distinct from three tigers currently in Sariska. They found four tigers are related to those at Sariska at the sibling level and a fifth one is related at a sibling level to one individual in Sariska, while it is related at a half-sib level to the other individual in Sariska. That left only two animals – samples known as RNTN2 and RNTN12 – who have the lowest relatedness values to those in Sariska. Both of these tigers are from Sawai Madhopur. On the basis of NCBS analysis, the National Tiger Conservation Authority decided to release those two in Sariska. The first tiger was translocated on July 20 and the second one would be shifted within a month taking the tiger tally to Sariska to five and reviving the hopes of tiger re-population of in Sariska. “First time such tests are done in India before reintroduction,” she said. Ramakrishnan, however, cautioned that re-introducing a tiger from a different gene pool does guarantee a successful mating. “There are many behavioural reasons which determine the mating. There are data showing that sibilings mate and there are also data showing that they don’t. Picking up an animal from a different gene pool only reduces the chances inbreeding, which may result in untimely deaths of the cubs,” she said. Tigers vanished from Panna almost at the same time as Sariska. Following the reports of a tiger-less Panna, two female tigers were relocated from Bandhavgarh National Park and Kanha National Park in March 2009. However, the last male tiger disappeared. The government set up a committee to look into the disappearance of tigers from Panna, which in June 2009, announced that the reserve which had over 40 tigers six years ago, has not a single tiger left. There was only two tigress, which too were brought in a while ago. Subsequent to the findings, the centre cleared a proposal to trans-locate two tigers and two tigresses to the reserve. A young tiger male was moved from Pench but it strayed out of the park shortly in November 2009. However, the tiger was brought back to the park a month later. Finally one of the tigress, translocated from Bandhavgarh, gave birth to three cubs in April 2010. Holistic view Following Sariska and Panna, the ministry is now taking a more holistic view of the entire conservation programme with external funding support and active involvement of the states. The ministry is drawing up plans to involve the World Bank in the tiger conservation initiatives in an indirect way. Likely to be finalised before the World Tiger Summit in St Petersburg in Russia, the project involves the Bank's support for the livelihood security of people living in the non-forest, fringe areas near a tiger park. A second project with the World Bank could be providing for infrastructure for towns and cities that provided the one-end of a demand-supply chain involving a city or town and a forest nearby. “However, the World Bank will not be involved in any way in conservation activities in the core and buffer area of the tiger reserves,” said Jairam Ramesh, union environment minister. The new scientific tiger count that replaced the pug-mark based count, has found that the number of tigers – minus Sunderban and naxal-zones forests in Jharkhand and Chhattishagrh – varies between 1657 and 1165 with an average middle value of 1411. Earlier tiger counts which threw large numbers, were all wrong as most of the tigers were killed by the poachers. The centre changed the organisational structure and created a separate policing mechanism for wildlife crimes like poaching. Also it declared eight new tiger reserves and in-principle approval accorded for creation of four new reserves – Sahyadri in Maharashtra, Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh and Sunabeda in Orissa. “But we have to involve the states actively at any cost for a better future for the tigers,” said Ramesh. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/83943/hope-yet-tigers.html | |
Climate change forcing farmers into Sunderbans tiger territory
Climate change is forcing an increasing number of farmers in Bangladesh's southern Sunderbans region to move out of their fields and into the region's mangrove forests, leading to a rise in tiger attacks and 'tiger widows,' according to researchers.
With no other means of earning their livelihood, people of the region are turning to the forests to catch fish and crabs or collect wood and honey for sale.
However that means venturing into tiger territory often with unfortunate consequences even with the dwindling number of Royal Bengal tigers that roam the Sunderbans, experts say.
In a society in which widows are relegated to a low social status and have little chance to remarry, tiger attacks have created new suffering to people already struggling with widespread farmland loss to rising sea levels and salt intrusion.
Tiger-people encounters are not new in the region, but with the rising number of farmers who cannot support themselves from their land and venture into tiger territory, these are becoming increasingly frequent and tragic.
Some farmers, however, have been able to take to shrimp cultivation on their fields, hit-hard by sea water intrusion into underground aquifers and salt water driven into even inland fields during cyclone surges.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tiger expert for Sunderbans rethink
KOLKATA: Conservation methods in the Sunderbans have to be changed to save the Bengal tiger, believes legendary conservationist and tiger expert Fateh Singh Rathod.
Unless steps are taken immediately to root out the imminent threats, the number of big cats will continue to dwindle in the mangrove forest, felt Rathod, better known as the "tiger-man of Ranthambore".
In Kolkata to attend a WWF event on tiger conservation, the veteran pointed out that the methods now being employed in the Sunderbans would not be beneficial to either man or tiger in the long run.
"You can't go on trapping tigers and releasing them elsewhere. This is a short cut that won't help. But this is exactly what they have been doing in the Sunderbans. There has to be a planned approach, keeping the interests of the forest, tigers and the people living on the fringes in mind. Tigers will try and go back if they are trapped and shifted out of their original territories. They will somehow manage to find their way back. In a terrain like the Sunderbans, it is quite possible that they might die trying to swim back across turbulent rivers and passing through forests inhabited by other tigers," explained Rathod.
Research on the Sunderbans tiger could help to devise a plan unique to the mangrove forest, he added. "The big cat here is different from any other. Years of hunting on unfriendly terrain has made them lean and aggressive. They have to tread through slush and step on pneumatophores which perhaps make them irritable. None has ever been able to find out crucial facts like the extent of their territory, or hunting habits. Unless we have these details, conservation efforts in the Sunderbans will remain ineffective," said Rathod.
The conservationist also came down heavily on the use of technology for tiger census which remains untested. "Counting tigers is easy in Ranthambore as it is a dry deciduous forest. In the Sunderbans, the terrain is like a quagmire, so you need sophisticated methods. I am all for the use of technology. But aids like camera traps and radio collars should have been used after a proper survey. These are clearly not suited for the mangrove forest and we have ample proof of that. Most radio collars have come off and camera traps destroyed. That negates the technological edge that we were supposed to have," explained Rathod, who now runs an NGO called Tiger Watch at Ranthambore.
Describing his association with the Ranthambore tiger reserve as a life-long one, he said that a true conservationist never retired. "I have been at Ranthambore since 1961. It's been a constant struggle, a 24-hour job and I enjoy every moment at the park. You need to be committed to the cause of the tiger or else the poacher will win," said Rathod.
Those living in the fringe villages in Sunderbans should be given alternative earning opportunities to reduce their dependence on the forest, he suggested.
"Some amount of straying will happen for tigers always look for easy prey in the villages. We need to find ways of curbing this. But trapping them and transporting them to another island is certainly not the solution. Just as they have now put up nylon nets along the forest borders, constructing walls could also be considered," Rathod said.
Unless steps are taken immediately to root out the imminent threats, the number of big cats will continue to dwindle in the mangrove forest, felt Rathod, better known as the "tiger-man of Ranthambore".
In Kolkata to attend a WWF event on tiger conservation, the veteran pointed out that the methods now being employed in the Sunderbans would not be beneficial to either man or tiger in the long run.
"You can't go on trapping tigers and releasing them elsewhere. This is a short cut that won't help. But this is exactly what they have been doing in the Sunderbans. There has to be a planned approach, keeping the interests of the forest, tigers and the people living on the fringes in mind. Tigers will try and go back if they are trapped and shifted out of their original territories. They will somehow manage to find their way back. In a terrain like the Sunderbans, it is quite possible that they might die trying to swim back across turbulent rivers and passing through forests inhabited by other tigers," explained Rathod.
Research on the Sunderbans tiger could help to devise a plan unique to the mangrove forest, he added. "The big cat here is different from any other. Years of hunting on unfriendly terrain has made them lean and aggressive. They have to tread through slush and step on pneumatophores which perhaps make them irritable. None has ever been able to find out crucial facts like the extent of their territory, or hunting habits. Unless we have these details, conservation efforts in the Sunderbans will remain ineffective," said Rathod.
The conservationist also came down heavily on the use of technology for tiger census which remains untested. "Counting tigers is easy in Ranthambore as it is a dry deciduous forest. In the Sunderbans, the terrain is like a quagmire, so you need sophisticated methods. I am all for the use of technology. But aids like camera traps and radio collars should have been used after a proper survey. These are clearly not suited for the mangrove forest and we have ample proof of that. Most radio collars have come off and camera traps destroyed. That negates the technological edge that we were supposed to have," explained Rathod, who now runs an NGO called Tiger Watch at Ranthambore.
Describing his association with the Ranthambore tiger reserve as a life-long one, he said that a true conservationist never retired. "I have been at Ranthambore since 1961. It's been a constant struggle, a 24-hour job and I enjoy every moment at the park. You need to be committed to the cause of the tiger or else the poacher will win," said Rathod.
Those living in the fringe villages in Sunderbans should be given alternative earning opportunities to reduce their dependence on the forest, he suggested.
"Some amount of straying will happen for tigers always look for easy prey in the villages. We need to find ways of curbing this. But trapping them and transporting them to another island is certainly not the solution. Just as they have now put up nylon nets along the forest borders, constructing walls could also be considered," Rathod said.
Monday, July 26, 2010
New mining threat near Tadoba
CHANDRAPUR: Even as the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has de-allocated the Lohara and Agarzari coal blocks which pose threat to the tiger corridors of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), the abode of around 45 tigers now faces a fresh threat from a couple of other mines proposed very close to the buffer zone boundary. The coal block allocated to Bander Coal Company Private Limited (BCCPL) in Chimur tehsil to the north of the tiger reserve threatens to cut off the only corridor connecting TATR to Melghat tiger landscape.
Conservationist Bandu Dhotre said that the union coal ministry has allocated coal block to the BCCPL, owned by Abhijeet group, wide a letter (13017/78/2008-CA-1) dated May 29, 2009, near Bander village, close to buffer zone boundary of TATR in Chimur tehsil.
The company has initiated the process of seeking mining lease for two of its mines - Bander opencast coal mine and Bander underground coal mine - located adjacent to each other. The company would require 1604.67 hectares (ha) of land for two mines.
This includes 395.67 ha of private land, 38.84 ha of revenue land and 1170.60 ha of forest land. The jungle area required by the company includes 501.19 ha of reserve forest area, 31 ha of FDCM forest and 637.97 ha of other forest land.
"The forest stretch required by the company forms the only corridor that connects Melghat tiger landscape with TATR through forests of Nagpur, Wardha and Bor sanctuary. This corridor has turned into a bottleneck forest patch due to human habitation, agricultural activities and bisecting roads on east, west and southern sides and hence has become extremely sensitive," Dhotre claimed.
He said that the coal block falls within 10 km range from the TATR boundary. The buffer area of TATR is demarcated only up to 7.5 km from the boundary of core area of tiger reserve on this side. Hence, the mining area seems to be outside of the buffer zone, but the mine boundary touches the periphery of the buffer area.
"The aerial distance of the proposed underground mine is 7.5 km from the boundary of core area of the TATR, while that of the open cast mine is 9 km. Almost the entire area falls within 10 km from TATR boundary, which ideally should be an eco-sensitive zone as per the guidelines of Supreme Court," Dhotre said.
"Even though the state government has not yet notified the eco-sensitive zone, the fact remains that any type of mining should not be allowed within such sensitive area," Dhotre claimed.
He said that in 1999, MoEF has rejected the proposal for the same block, citing its adverse impact on the wildlife around Tadoba.
"Now, after 10 years, when the corridor has become degraded and has shrunk, it will be highly irrational to reallocate this once-rejected block for coal mining," he said.
Dhore further said that the proposed mine falls under Bramhapuri forest division. "Man-animal conflict in the area in question is at its peak. Habitat degradation after mining will worsen the problem. Moreover, TATR management has identified this area as a threatened and degraded corridor, and has proposed its restoration under corridor conservation plan. Hence, it would be unwise to further degrade the area," he said.
Dhotre said that he has brought the issue into the notice of MoEF minister Jairam Ramesh in his recent meeting at Delhi.
"Ramesh claimed that his ministry has so far not received any proposal for environment clearance from the company. However, he assured that any project that would be hazardous for the forest, wildlife and tigers will not be sanctioned by his ministry," said Dhotre.
As far as present status of proposed mines is concerned, the company has moved the proposal to Bramhapuri forest division for forest clearance.
Meanwhile, conservator of forests and field director, TATR, Sanjay Thakre in his communication forwarded to chief conservator of forest (wildlife), field director has acknowledged that approving mines in the area will be highly detrimental for wildlife management.
Conservationist Bandu Dhotre said that the union coal ministry has allocated coal block to the BCCPL, owned by Abhijeet group, wide a letter (13017/78/2008-CA-1) dated May 29, 2009, near Bander village, close to buffer zone boundary of TATR in Chimur tehsil.
The company has initiated the process of seeking mining lease for two of its mines - Bander opencast coal mine and Bander underground coal mine - located adjacent to each other. The company would require 1604.67 hectares (ha) of land for two mines.
This includes 395.67 ha of private land, 38.84 ha of revenue land and 1170.60 ha of forest land. The jungle area required by the company includes 501.19 ha of reserve forest area, 31 ha of FDCM forest and 637.97 ha of other forest land.
"The forest stretch required by the company forms the only corridor that connects Melghat tiger landscape with TATR through forests of Nagpur, Wardha and Bor sanctuary. This corridor has turned into a bottleneck forest patch due to human habitation, agricultural activities and bisecting roads on east, west and southern sides and hence has become extremely sensitive," Dhotre claimed.
He said that the coal block falls within 10 km range from the TATR boundary. The buffer area of TATR is demarcated only up to 7.5 km from the boundary of core area of tiger reserve on this side. Hence, the mining area seems to be outside of the buffer zone, but the mine boundary touches the periphery of the buffer area.
"The aerial distance of the proposed underground mine is 7.5 km from the boundary of core area of the TATR, while that of the open cast mine is 9 km. Almost the entire area falls within 10 km from TATR boundary, which ideally should be an eco-sensitive zone as per the guidelines of Supreme Court," Dhotre said.
"Even though the state government has not yet notified the eco-sensitive zone, the fact remains that any type of mining should not be allowed within such sensitive area," Dhotre claimed.
He said that in 1999, MoEF has rejected the proposal for the same block, citing its adverse impact on the wildlife around Tadoba.
"Now, after 10 years, when the corridor has become degraded and has shrunk, it will be highly irrational to reallocate this once-rejected block for coal mining," he said.
Dhore further said that the proposed mine falls under Bramhapuri forest division. "Man-animal conflict in the area in question is at its peak. Habitat degradation after mining will worsen the problem. Moreover, TATR management has identified this area as a threatened and degraded corridor, and has proposed its restoration under corridor conservation plan. Hence, it would be unwise to further degrade the area," he said.
Dhotre said that he has brought the issue into the notice of MoEF minister Jairam Ramesh in his recent meeting at Delhi.
"Ramesh claimed that his ministry has so far not received any proposal for environment clearance from the company. However, he assured that any project that would be hazardous for the forest, wildlife and tigers will not be sanctioned by his ministry," said Dhotre.
As far as present status of proposed mines is concerned, the company has moved the proposal to Bramhapuri forest division for forest clearance.
Meanwhile, conservator of forests and field director, TATR, Sanjay Thakre in his communication forwarded to chief conservator of forest (wildlife), field director has acknowledged that approving mines in the area will be highly detrimental for wildlife management.
Tiger kills man in Uttar Pradesh
A tiger killed a man in a village adjoining a forest area in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district. His partially eaten body was found in the fields, an official said Monday.
The body of the victim, Shyamlal, was recovered late Sunday from the fields in Diunia village, situated on the periphery of the Pilibhit forest reserve.
'The pugmarks found at the site indicate the tiger is an adult male,' Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) V.K. Singh told reporters in Pilibhit, some 250 km from here.
'Till a few months ago, no tiger was present in the Deuriya area of the forest reserve. But field investigations now suggest the area is inhabited by at least four tigers. The presence of tigers in the Deuriya area could be a case of territory expansion by the animals,' he said.
Shyamlal, a 50-year-old resident of Diunia, had left his home Saturday and was missing since then. As he failed to return, his family and other villagers started searching for him and recovered his body from the fields.
According to officials, this is the fourth incident of a tiger killing a person in the last three months in Pilibhit district.
According to the last census, Pilibhit forest reserve is home to around 36 tigers, officials said.
http://sify.com/news/tiger-kills-man-in-uttar-pradesh-news-national-kh0labjgfha.html
Sunday, July 25, 2010
'Operation Monsoon' launched to save tigers in Corbett National Park
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| All About: Dehradun http://sify.com/news/operation-monsoon-launched-to-save-tigers-in-corbett-national-park-news-national-khys4tadcif.html | |||
Self-styled Godman arrested for selling tiger skin in Maharashtra
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| All About: Latur (Maharashtra) http://sify.com/news/self-styled-godman-arrested-for-selling-tiger-skin-in-maharashtra-news-national-khwtacbchac.html | |||
Fading stripes in the North-East
Trucks rumbling down NH-39 usually ferry rice and sugar along various points crisscrossing Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. But sometimes they carry deadly cargo on a highway that stretches right up to the Indo-Myanmar border town of Moreh — tiger parts that sell at jaw dropping prices in the Southeast Asian market.
It’s risky business but the returns are too enticing. Just 10 gm of tiger bones sell for $200 in the international underground market. In the North-East , where tigers are known to have been traditionally hunted for meat, poachers can get up to Rs 2 lakh for killing a tiger. Just the skin will fetch you Rs 1.5 lakh.
Decades of insurgency and relatively easy availability of arms has made the situation even more critical in the region. At least 50 insurgent groups operate in these parts and the lure of easy money draws many to tiger poaching. Corrupt government officials and a section of the police force complete the dirty circle.
On June 26, 2006, 30 kg of tiger parts were seized from police officer Dilip Kakoti’s vehicle, says Moloy Baruah of Early Birds, a Guwahati-based wildlife NGO. Kakoti was coming from the Kalamati forest range in Sonitpur when he was intercepted.
Ideally, the mountainous North-East should have been a haven for tigers, the thick and distant forests sheltering the big cats, much like in the Sunderbans, from poachers. As it turns out, it is this remoteness which has made the animals doubly vulnerable.
Less than 120 tigers are left in the wilds of the North-East , but no one can be sure. Officials claim that at least 25 have been poached in the last five years. There’s no telling how many have been trapped, poisoned, shot or butchered to satisfy the hunger for tiger parts in China, Vietnam and southeast Asia.
Though a proper assessment of the tiger population is yet to be done, it is estimated that till recently the Kaziranga national park in Assam had 100 tigers. The Wildlife Institute of India’s 2008 census, however, says that only 70 tigers are left in the 1,164 sq km forests of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh can boast of only 14 tigers and Mizoram six. These figures are hotly contested by conservationists, but everyone agrees tigers aren’t burning bright anymore. Kaziranga, one of the best protected parks in India, lost 12 tigers in the last two years.
It’s risky business but the returns are too enticing. Just 10 gm of tiger bones sell for $200 in the international underground market. In the North-East , where tigers are known to have been traditionally hunted for meat, poachers can get up to Rs 2 lakh for killing a tiger. Just the skin will fetch you Rs 1.5 lakh.
Decades of insurgency and relatively easy availability of arms has made the situation even more critical in the region. At least 50 insurgent groups operate in these parts and the lure of easy money draws many to tiger poaching. Corrupt government officials and a section of the police force complete the dirty circle.
On June 26, 2006, 30 kg of tiger parts were seized from police officer Dilip Kakoti’s vehicle, says Moloy Baruah of Early Birds, a Guwahati-based wildlife NGO. Kakoti was coming from the Kalamati forest range in Sonitpur when he was intercepted.
Ideally, the mountainous North-East should have been a haven for tigers, the thick and distant forests sheltering the big cats, much like in the Sunderbans, from poachers. As it turns out, it is this remoteness which has made the animals doubly vulnerable.
Less than 120 tigers are left in the wilds of the North-East , but no one can be sure. Officials claim that at least 25 have been poached in the last five years. There’s no telling how many have been trapped, poisoned, shot or butchered to satisfy the hunger for tiger parts in China, Vietnam and southeast Asia.
Though a proper assessment of the tiger population is yet to be done, it is estimated that till recently the Kaziranga national park in Assam had 100 tigers. The Wildlife Institute of India’s 2008 census, however, says that only 70 tigers are left in the 1,164 sq km forests of Assam. Arunachal Pradesh can boast of only 14 tigers and Mizoram six. These figures are hotly contested by conservationists, but everyone agrees tigers aren’t burning bright anymore. Kaziranga, one of the best protected parks in India, lost 12 tigers in the last two years.
Sajnekhali lodge draws Unesco ire
KOLKATA: Construction of a tourist lodge at Sajnekhali in the Sunderbans has evoked sharp reactions from the international community, which has expressed concern over the future of the mangrove forest, a world heritage site. A two-storey structure has been built by the state tourism department within the forest office complex. It was claimed that the building was an extension of the existing tourist lodge that was in bad shape. The new structure, however, has no links with the old one.
Work on the building was called off on July 9 after TOI carried a report on how the tourism department project was coming up within 10 ft of a sweetwater pond frequented by tigers. Environmentalists and conservators, too, raised their voice against the project. Movement of animals would be seriously hindered if the lodge was constructed there, they said.
Such violation of forest protection rules could spell doom for the environment, particularly for tigers, which are under threat not only in the Sunderbans but also around the country, a Unesco report has said.
Seeking an explanation for the violation from the state forest department, Unesco has asked the authorities to ensure that the construction was stopped immediately and that steps were taken to pull down the structure. The forest department will send a report to Unesco within a month.
"This is a serious breach of forest protection rules. No construction is permitted within protected areas like Sajnekhali. More importantly, the Sunderbans being a world heritage site with a fragile eco-system, this could have been dangerous for the environment and the wildlife there. It has also set a bad precedent. Nothing like this has ever happened in Indian forests," said Ram Boojh, programme officer, environment, of Unesco in Delhi.
In a letter to the forest department, the Unesco authorities have called for "corrective steps", including pulling down of the unfinished structure. "No concrete structure like the one that has come up could be permitted in a tiger habitat. So, it has to go," added Boojh.
While the forest department, in an e-mail to Unesco on Thursday, has promised to investigate the matter and prepare a report on the violation "shortly", the latter expects it within a month. "We are giving them a long rope and sufficient time to inquire and find out. We must depend on governments for action. At the moment, we are not planning an independent investigation but not ruling it out either," explained an official.
Meanwhile, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), too, has sought a report on the matter. Like Unesco, NTCA has been informed about the stoppage of work. Asked if the structure was going to be pulled down, NTCA director Rajesh Gopal said a decision would be taken after they received a report from the forest department. "We are happy that the construction work has been stopped. Once we have the report, we will decide on the next course of action," said Gopal.
Work on the building was called off on July 9 after TOI carried a report on how the tourism department project was coming up within 10 ft of a sweetwater pond frequented by tigers. Environmentalists and conservators, too, raised their voice against the project. Movement of animals would be seriously hindered if the lodge was constructed there, they said.
Such violation of forest protection rules could spell doom for the environment, particularly for tigers, which are under threat not only in the Sunderbans but also around the country, a Unesco report has said.
Seeking an explanation for the violation from the state forest department, Unesco has asked the authorities to ensure that the construction was stopped immediately and that steps were taken to pull down the structure. The forest department will send a report to Unesco within a month.
"This is a serious breach of forest protection rules. No construction is permitted within protected areas like Sajnekhali. More importantly, the Sunderbans being a world heritage site with a fragile eco-system, this could have been dangerous for the environment and the wildlife there. It has also set a bad precedent. Nothing like this has ever happened in Indian forests," said Ram Boojh, programme officer, environment, of Unesco in Delhi.
In a letter to the forest department, the Unesco authorities have called for "corrective steps", including pulling down of the unfinished structure. "No concrete structure like the one that has come up could be permitted in a tiger habitat. So, it has to go," added Boojh.
While the forest department, in an e-mail to Unesco on Thursday, has promised to investigate the matter and prepare a report on the violation "shortly", the latter expects it within a month. "We are giving them a long rope and sufficient time to inquire and find out. We must depend on governments for action. At the moment, we are not planning an independent investigation but not ruling it out either," explained an official.
Meanwhile, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), too, has sought a report on the matter. Like Unesco, NTCA has been informed about the stoppage of work. Asked if the structure was going to be pulled down, NTCA director Rajesh Gopal said a decision would be taken after they received a report from the forest department. "We are happy that the construction work has been stopped. Once we have the report, we will decide on the next course of action," said Gopal.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A House for Mr T-12 - Another controversy around shifting of Tiger to Sariska
So why did the Rajasthan forest department shift a 'wrong' tiger to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, endangering the animal, destroying the 'social structure' of both the reserves, and perhaps betraying the original experiment of tiger conservation?
Akash Bisht Delhi
A day after a new tiger (T-12) from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) was introduced in the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), wildlife experts in RTR have raised doubts about the procedure involved in selecting the tiger. Many believe that the entire selection process has been nothing but shoddy and the Rajasthan wildlife department has much more to reveal than what meets the eye. The STR reserve had earlier set a rather unfortunate record in tiger conservation whereby all its tigers had disappeared, mostly poached, with the administration playing blind and deaf.
Dharmendra Kandhal, a field biologist in RTR, raised concerns about the entire selection process. "Scat (excreta) samples of tigers were sent to Bangalore for DNA tests to avoid genetic incompatibility. The area from where this tiger was selected was regularly frequented by more than eight tigers -- so how did the forest department determine which scats belonged to whom," he said.
Another wildlife expert corroborated the fact. The forest department was unable to locate the tiger they intended to shift to STR, he claimed. Hence, "in a last minute effort" T-12 was tranquilised and moved to avoid embarrassment.
KK Garg, Field Director, STR, confirmed the news: "We had zeroed down on two tigers. When we were unable to locate the first one, we decided to go with this one." He mentioned that the two tigers --T12 and T33 - had been selected after DNA tests were done by the National Centre for Biological Science in Bangalore.
Shockingly, Kandhal reveals that T-33 wasn't even among the short-listed tigers. Apparently, that forest department moved the tigers in an unusual hurry. He said, "The problem was that Jairam Ramesh was already there and so was the team from Wildlife Institute of India. To save themselves from humiliation, the forest department decided to dart the other tiger they didn't intend to."
Additionally, according to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, male tigers between 2 to 4 years and females between 2 to 3 years who are independent of the mother but are yet to establish their territory should be chosen for translocation. The guideline reads: "This age group is ideal for translocation as removal of these individuals may not result in disruptions to the source population (turnover of males, territorial fights, infanticide etc). They also have a high reproductive potential and are ideal for starting a new population. Breeding individuals from host populations should not be translocated."
Kandhal says that the newly relocated tiger is between the age group of 6 to 7 years and has a territory of his own in the core area. "Instead of choosing a sub-adult who doesn't have a territory of his own, the forest department went ahead with T-12. Why has the Rajasthan forest department flouted the NTCA guideline and shifted a tiger that could threaten the host population? They are compromising with the social structure of RTR and it will have an adverse implication on the tiger population of the park," Kandhal says.
Meanwhile, the newly shifted tiger has been kept in a one hectare enclosure and would be released once it gets acclimatised. Experts have mentioned that since the relocated tiger isn't a sub-adult and has a territory of its own in RTR, its 'homing instinct' could drive the predator back to its original habitat.
Recently, a tiger relocated to Panna Tiger Reserve (MP) walked 400 kms through hills, fields, human habitations and rivers towards his home at Pench Tiger Reserve (MP) before authorities caught him and transferred it back to Panna. The "homing instinct" is the animal's capability to perceive direction and helps the animal to return home. Experts believe that this unusual trait could be attributed to the animal's sensitivity to the earth's magnetic field. "The tigers shifted to Sariska earlier had no territory and frequented the peripheral forests so they didn't display such instincts. However, with this male, the Panna episode could well be repeated again," concludes Kandhal.
The distance between STR and RTR is 200 kms. However, experts say, since there is no forest or animal corridors between, the tiger's life can be endangered.
NGO demands protection of TATR corridor
CHANDRAPUR: Eco-Pro organisation has taken up the demand for protection and conservation of fast depleting tiger corridor between Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) and the Indrawati tiger project in Andhra Pradesh. A delegation of the organisation brought the various aspects posing a threat to the tiger corridor to the notice of Union minister for forest and environment Jairam Ramesh and member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority Rajesh Gopal in New Delhi a couple of days back.
President of Eco-Pro Bandu Dhotre said that a continuous stretch of jungle from TATR passing through Lohara, Junona, Ballarpur, Kothari Dhaba forest areas in Chandrapur district connects it to the Chaprala sanctuary in Gadchiroli district and further to the Indrawati tiger project across the border in Andhra Pradesh. He claimed that there are around 50 tigers in the jungles of Chandrapur district, apart from in TATR.
"This continuous stretch of forest land, though thinned at some places, acts as a corridor for tigers and other wild animals up to Indrawati tiger reserve in Andhra Pradesh. However, tree felling by FDCM authorities in Dhaba forest range and illegal felling and increasing traffic on the roads intersecting the forest areas are causing hindrance to the movement of wildlife and disturbing the corridor," said Dhotre.
He claimed that tigers had vanished from Chaprala way back in 2000. However, a pair of tiger has reappeared in this sanctuary this year, thanks to the same corridor after nine long years. "Any disturbance in this corridor would be detrimental to the wildlife and its movement," he said.
President of Eco-Pro Bandu Dhotre said that a continuous stretch of jungle from TATR passing through Lohara, Junona, Ballarpur, Kothari Dhaba forest areas in Chandrapur district connects it to the Chaprala sanctuary in Gadchiroli district and further to the Indrawati tiger project across the border in Andhra Pradesh. He claimed that there are around 50 tigers in the jungles of Chandrapur district, apart from in TATR.
"This continuous stretch of forest land, though thinned at some places, acts as a corridor for tigers and other wild animals up to Indrawati tiger reserve in Andhra Pradesh. However, tree felling by FDCM authorities in Dhaba forest range and illegal felling and increasing traffic on the roads intersecting the forest areas are causing hindrance to the movement of wildlife and disturbing the corridor," said Dhotre.
He claimed that tigers had vanished from Chaprala way back in 2000. However, a pair of tiger has reappeared in this sanctuary this year, thanks to the same corridor after nine long years. "Any disturbance in this corridor would be detrimental to the wildlife and its movement," he said.
NTCA Team To Check 39 Reserves On Various Parameters
LUCKNOW: The eight tiger reserves identified to be lying in naxalite affected belt of the country will go in for management effectiveness evaluation this August. The three-member team of experts constituted by NTCA will start from Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam (Andhra Pradesh) on August 10 and move on to Palamau (Jharkhand), Similipal, Satkosia (Orissa), Indravati, Achanakmar, Udanti-Sitanadi (Chhattisgarh) and Valmiki (Bihar).
"We have to visit five states -- Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. We have planned to give at least a month to one state," said R L Singh, former director, Project Tiger, GoI and the chairman of one of the five committees set up for evaluation of reserves. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in May, had come up with the project. It has roped in wildlife experts, researchers, conservationists and activists to field visit all 39 reserves in the country and evaluate the effectiveness of their management plans.
The meeting of the study-teams and project tiger officials held on July 7 worked out the nitty-gritties of the project. The project report is to be submitted by December, 2010. The ever rising man-animal conflict, increasing incidents of wildlife crime, poaching threat and subsequent decline in number of tigers has led NTCA to design the said project. "A decade back there were 4 crore tribals living in forests, their number now has shot up to 11 crore," said Singh.
Singh, along with two members of the committee -- one from forest research institute and other from WII -- will evaluate Cluster-III reserves, all of which lie in naxal-affected areas. All 39 tiger reserves of the country have been divided into five clusters, state-wise and region-wise, for evaluation. The five committees, each having a chairperson and two members, will monitor the reserves on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) framework and assessment criteria independently.
"Prime focus would be on figuring out if there is a sizable, breedable population of tigers present in reserves," said Singh. The status of the staff, water conservation and prey base will also be studied. The management plans for different reserves can then be changed on the basis of the project report with their basic plan being same.
The management evaluation will include finding out if the staff posted at the reserve is trained and if it is deployed in sufficient number. The vegetation in reserve area, if it is more of weeds or palatable grasses, will also be checked to understand technique for regeneration of indigenous vegetation.
The committees will have to see whether the funds allocated to reserves are being used effectively for meeting the objectives of management as laid down in the respective tiger conservation plans. Besides, what activities have been taken up by people living within and on the periphery of the reserve area, status of poaching, cattle-lifting incidents, amount of compensation decided for the victims of tiger attacks by different states and efforts taken up the states for village translocation will all be evaluated independently for each reserve.
"We have to visit five states -- Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. We have planned to give at least a month to one state," said R L Singh, former director, Project Tiger, GoI and the chairman of one of the five committees set up for evaluation of reserves. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in May, had come up with the project. It has roped in wildlife experts, researchers, conservationists and activists to field visit all 39 reserves in the country and evaluate the effectiveness of their management plans.
The meeting of the study-teams and project tiger officials held on July 7 worked out the nitty-gritties of the project. The project report is to be submitted by December, 2010. The ever rising man-animal conflict, increasing incidents of wildlife crime, poaching threat and subsequent decline in number of tigers has led NTCA to design the said project. "A decade back there were 4 crore tribals living in forests, their number now has shot up to 11 crore," said Singh.
Singh, along with two members of the committee -- one from forest research institute and other from WII -- will evaluate Cluster-III reserves, all of which lie in naxal-affected areas. All 39 tiger reserves of the country have been divided into five clusters, state-wise and region-wise, for evaluation. The five committees, each having a chairperson and two members, will monitor the reserves on Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) framework and assessment criteria independently.
"Prime focus would be on figuring out if there is a sizable, breedable population of tigers present in reserves," said Singh. The status of the staff, water conservation and prey base will also be studied. The management plans for different reserves can then be changed on the basis of the project report with their basic plan being same.
The management evaluation will include finding out if the staff posted at the reserve is trained and if it is deployed in sufficient number. The vegetation in reserve area, if it is more of weeds or palatable grasses, will also be checked to understand technique for regeneration of indigenous vegetation.
The committees will have to see whether the funds allocated to reserves are being used effectively for meeting the objectives of management as laid down in the respective tiger conservation plans. Besides, what activities have been taken up by people living within and on the periphery of the reserve area, status of poaching, cattle-lifting incidents, amount of compensation decided for the victims of tiger attacks by different states and efforts taken up the states for village translocation will all be evaluated independently for each reserve.
NDA takes up the cause of tigers
PUNE: Moved by the dwindling number of tigers in the country, the National Defence Academy (NDA) here has joined hands with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to take up the cause of the big cats.
"Many of our cadets are dedicated to environmental issues and often take up related activities. They are now eager to work on concrete projects, which could create awareness on a larger level about the need to save tigers," NDA officials said.
"The academy conducts various activities regarding environment protection. It has ensured thriving of the flora and fauna on the 8,300-acre land near the Mutha river (Khadakwasla lake)," officials said.
"The tie-up with the WWF has been planned by Major Bhagirath Dey, public relations officer. The joint programme will emphasise on activities that will create awareness about the falling number of tigers and the importance of saving them."
A national-level signature campaign has been planned as part of the activities, Dey said. "A cross-country run and a photo exhibition dedicated to tigers are also on the cards. There are also plans to take WWF's help to maintain the rich and wild habitat at the NDA."
Meanwhile, wildlife experts feel that efforts at the government level are needed to deal with the problem of reducing numbers of tiger.
"Killing of tigers is an international issue," wildlife expert Shekhar Nanajkar said. "The problem is big in our country and strict measures by the government can help fight the problem."
V B Sawarkar, member of the expert committee on evaluation and monitoring of tiger reserves, Government of India, said that the problem can be addressed with the help of such campaigns. "Youngsters can use modern methods of communication to spread awareness."
"Many of our cadets are dedicated to environmental issues and often take up related activities. They are now eager to work on concrete projects, which could create awareness on a larger level about the need to save tigers," NDA officials said.
"The academy conducts various activities regarding environment protection. It has ensured thriving of the flora and fauna on the 8,300-acre land near the Mutha river (Khadakwasla lake)," officials said.
"The tie-up with the WWF has been planned by Major Bhagirath Dey, public relations officer. The joint programme will emphasise on activities that will create awareness about the falling number of tigers and the importance of saving them."
A national-level signature campaign has been planned as part of the activities, Dey said. "A cross-country run and a photo exhibition dedicated to tigers are also on the cards. There are also plans to take WWF's help to maintain the rich and wild habitat at the NDA."
Meanwhile, wildlife experts feel that efforts at the government level are needed to deal with the problem of reducing numbers of tiger.
"Killing of tigers is an international issue," wildlife expert Shekhar Nanajkar said. "The problem is big in our country and strict measures by the government can help fight the problem."
V B Sawarkar, member of the expert committee on evaluation and monitoring of tiger reserves, Government of India, said that the problem can be addressed with the help of such campaigns. "Youngsters can use modern methods of communication to spread awareness."
Friday, July 23, 2010
Darwin kin fears for future of Indian tigers
If she has a choice to be reborn, Charles Darwin's great-great-granddaughter, Ruth Padel, would like to be born an Indian. Her reasons are far removed from any evolutionary theories though. "I will then know how to drape the saree," she exclaims.
Padel is the first woman professor of poetry at Oxford. She is also the first woman to be given a research fellowship at Oxford's Wadham College tospecialize in Greek tragedy. And she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Zoological Society of London. But all these laurels pale in the face of her lineage, particularly vis-a-vis Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution and author of the seminal 'On the Origin of Species'.
But at 64, the award-winning British poet isn't overly perturbed about her forefather's fame overshadowing her achievements. Her concerns are more immediate. About 170 years ago, Darwin went through the Tropics (South America) to understand how species came into being. "Today, in a different continent (Asia), going through countries like China and Laos, I was carrying on 'The Origin of Species' while learning how the species came to be extinct.
"China gave me a nervous breakdown. What particularly upsets me is their attitude to nature. They want to legalise tiger farming so that tourists can come and enjoy seeing these species, then eat them or use their bones for medicine. If tiger products are legalized, India will be emptied of tigers in a year because it is so much cheaper to poach a big cat here."
Like Darwin, animals are central to Padel's work. At the Bombay Natural History Society, she will read from her debut novel, 'Where the Serpent Lives', set partly in the forests of Karnataka and Bengal, her celebrated account of tiger conservation, 'Tigers in Red Weather', and 'Darwin — A Life In Poems', her biography of Darwin in verse. She finds India inspiring as it boasts of a significant number of natural reserves with the original species still around.
Padel is the first woman professor of poetry at Oxford. She is also the first woman to be given a research fellowship at Oxford's Wadham College tospecialize in Greek tragedy. And she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Zoological Society of London. But all these laurels pale in the face of her lineage, particularly vis-a-vis Charles Darwin, father of the theory of evolution and author of the seminal 'On the Origin of Species'.
But at 64, the award-winning British poet isn't overly perturbed about her forefather's fame overshadowing her achievements. Her concerns are more immediate. About 170 years ago, Darwin went through the Tropics (South America) to understand how species came into being. "Today, in a different continent (Asia), going through countries like China and Laos, I was carrying on 'The Origin of Species' while learning how the species came to be extinct.
"China gave me a nervous breakdown. What particularly upsets me is their attitude to nature. They want to legalise tiger farming so that tourists can come and enjoy seeing these species, then eat them or use their bones for medicine. If tiger products are legalized, India will be emptied of tigers in a year because it is so much cheaper to poach a big cat here."
Like Darwin, animals are central to Padel's work. At the Bombay Natural History Society, she will read from her debut novel, 'Where the Serpent Lives', set partly in the forests of Karnataka and Bengal, her celebrated account of tiger conservation, 'Tigers in Red Weather', and 'Darwin — A Life In Poems', her biography of Darwin in verse. She finds India inspiring as it boasts of a significant number of natural reserves with the original species still around.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sariska may get fifth tiger tomorrow
JAIPUR: In all likelihood, Sariska would get its fifth tiger from Ranthambore on Friday. This time it would be a female.
Though officials refused to confirm the exact date but indicated a probability. "This time the tigers that have been identified for relocation to Sariska have not been radio collared unlike the previous three instances. These tigers have been identified after a DNA test of their scat samples," officials said.
"Therefore, it cannot be said beforehand we would definitely be able to locate the particular tiger on an exact date. We are trying for the relocation on Friday. When tigers are radio collared t is easy to locate them, else it is a mere chance that one takes in the forest," he said adding the radio collars were put on the tiger only after being brought to Sariska.
In fact, it was something like this that happened with the male T-12 tiger that was relocated to Sariska on Wednesday. Officials said the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) team had arrived at Ranthambore on Tuesday evening. The next morning when the team, along with director of the park RS Shekhawat, went to track the tiger it was coincidentally spotted at an ideal spot.
"Often we are able to locate the tiger but it becomes difficult to tranquillise it as the dart has to be carefully shot only on its hind legs, else one may injure it. On Wednesday, all things fell into shape and it was decided instantly to relocate the tiger," said RN Mehrotra, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.
Officials said the tracking team came within 10 metres of the tiger. "The T-12 tiger was our first choice for relocation and on Wednesday. We were lucky when we went for tracking to find it standing near its kill. It was then that the decision for relocation by the road route was taken," officials said.
With the fourth relocation, that comes after about two years since the last one, Sariska now has two males and two female cats with a third female hoping to find its way this week itself.
Officials say the relocated tiger is doing well in the temporary enclosure in Sariska. "It has adapted well and is behaving normally. The cat ate the bait this morning," officials said.
While all looks well for the forest officials, the silence of the tourism lobby has taken many by surprise. "Maybe they did not get the time to react. It happened all too suddenly for them to evoke any response," sources said.
Though officials refused to confirm the exact date but indicated a probability. "This time the tigers that have been identified for relocation to Sariska have not been radio collared unlike the previous three instances. These tigers have been identified after a DNA test of their scat samples," officials said.
"Therefore, it cannot be said beforehand we would definitely be able to locate the particular tiger on an exact date. We are trying for the relocation on Friday. When tigers are radio collared t is easy to locate them, else it is a mere chance that one takes in the forest," he said adding the radio collars were put on the tiger only after being brought to Sariska.
In fact, it was something like this that happened with the male T-12 tiger that was relocated to Sariska on Wednesday. Officials said the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) team had arrived at Ranthambore on Tuesday evening. The next morning when the team, along with director of the park RS Shekhawat, went to track the tiger it was coincidentally spotted at an ideal spot.
"Often we are able to locate the tiger but it becomes difficult to tranquillise it as the dart has to be carefully shot only on its hind legs, else one may injure it. On Wednesday, all things fell into shape and it was decided instantly to relocate the tiger," said RN Mehrotra, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.
Officials said the tracking team came within 10 metres of the tiger. "The T-12 tiger was our first choice for relocation and on Wednesday. We were lucky when we went for tracking to find it standing near its kill. It was then that the decision for relocation by the road route was taken," officials said.
With the fourth relocation, that comes after about two years since the last one, Sariska now has two males and two female cats with a third female hoping to find its way this week itself.
Officials say the relocated tiger is doing well in the temporary enclosure in Sariska. "It has adapted well and is behaving normally. The cat ate the bait this morning," officials said.
While all looks well for the forest officials, the silence of the tourism lobby has taken many by surprise. "Maybe they did not get the time to react. It happened all too suddenly for them to evoke any response," sources said.
164 tigers sighted in MP national parks in a year
Bhopal: Nearly 164 tigers were sighted by the ground duty officials equipped with Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in the national parks of Madhya Pradesh from July 6, 2009 to July 9 this year, a top official said.
"The ground officials keeping a vigil on the wild animals have sighted 164 tigers in national parks from July 6, 2009 to July 9, 2010," Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (IT) Anil Oberoi told a news agency.
"The ground officials keeping a vigil on the wild animals have sighted 164 tigers in national parks from July 6, 2009 to July 9, 2010," Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (IT) Anil Oberoi told a news agency.
He did not rule out of the possibly that the patrol parties might had sighted the same tiger twice or thrice.
Oberoi said that around 1714 evidential sighting of tigers had been recorded in the national parks from July 6, 2009 to July 9, 2010.
About the huge number of evidential sighting, he said that the patrol parties might had got evidences of the same striped animal more than once during their different patrolling.
He said that in the evidential sighting tiger's pug mark, scratch, sound, kill, urine and dung are relied upon.
Oberoi said that around 1714 evidential sighting of tigers had been recorded in the national parks from July 6, 2009 to July 9, 2010.
About the huge number of evidential sighting, he said that the patrol parties might had got evidences of the same striped animal more than once during their different patrolling.
He said that in the evidential sighting tiger's pug mark, scratch, sound, kill, urine and dung are relied upon.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
FOREST GUMPTION - Proposed amendments in forest bill
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill seeks to beef up the existing law. But the new law will fail to make an impact unless efforts are made to enforce it rigorously, argues V. Kumara Swam
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, (WPA) is the most important law in the country for the protection of animals in the wild. The WPA provides definitions and guidelines on protected areas, matters related to trade in wildlife and punishments for those violating the law. Despite that, up till now the law has not been very effective in punishing offenders. For instance, more than 800 tigers have been killed in India since 1995, but very few poachers have been brought to book. To address the weaknesses in the current law, the Union ministry of environment and forests has come up with a draft bill — Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Bill, 2010. The bill seeks to bring about some sweeping changes to the existing law, including beefing up the fines and jail terms for the convicted. In its ‘statement of objects and reasons’ the draft bill says, “The current penalties have failed to act as deterrents with few convictions having taken place since the Act came into force. Furthermore, there is no strong financial disincentive that prevents poachers and smugglers from engaging in illicit wildlife trade, which, in terms of value, ranks only behind the illegal trade in arms and narcotics.” While wildlife experts have welcomed some provisions of the proposed law, others feel that the new law will fail to make an impact unless efforts are made to implement it rigorously. The existing law specifies punishment of two to seven years in jail and fines of anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 25,000. The new law, on the other hand, proposes jail terms of five to seven years and fines from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 75 lakh. Experts say that while the increased quantum of punishment is to be lauded, what matters more is how effective the law is in bringing about convictions. “It is not the severity of the punishment that acts as a deterrent, but rather the certainty of punishment,” says Ritwick Dutta, a Delhi-based environment lawyer. “The fact is that very few people have been slapped with even the minimum sentence under the existing law and not a single person has ever been convicted and sent to jail for seven years.” Adds Samir Sinha, head of TRAFFIC-India, an organisation that monitors wildlife trade, “WPA hasn’t been an effective law. The government should concentrate more on enforcement on the ground level and fight cases against the accused to their logical end.” Subsection (e) of Section 51 of the draft bill, which deals with offences relating to tiger reserves, states, “Where such offence relates to the core area of a tiger reserve or where the offence relates to hunting in a tiger reserve or altering the boundaries of a tiger reserve, such offence shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years and also with a fine which shall not be less than fifty lakh rupees.” Dutta feels that this provision is bound to fail. “Judges normally ask for strong proof against the accused if the prosecution is in favour of severe punishment and fine as per the law. How can you expect that from our poorly trained forest officials who, more often than not, fail to get the accused convicted,” asks Dutta. Activists also fear that the proposed classification of penalties into different categories, that is, critical species, national parks and sanctuaries and tiger reserves, will only complicate matters. Another provision of the bill that has come in for criticism is the establishment of “management” and “scientific” authorities to monitor trade and research. “These authorities will be manned by bureaucrats with little knowledge and there will be no role for independent scientists and experts. Local communities will also have no role to play. And these central authorities will also undermine the states’ rights to the forests,” says Archana Prasad, environmentalist and a former member of the Tiger Task Force. Of course, the draft bill has also been praised for some of its provisions. For example, an addition to sub-section (4), Section 50, of the existing act empowers the judge or magistrate “to detain the accused in the custody of the forest department for a period of up to seven days, subject to such conditions as he may see fit, to facilitate investigation into the offence,” if there is a prima facie case against the accused. “This will give time to officials to investigate and prepare their cases better,” says Sinha of TRAFFIC-India. In addition, the bill specifies punishment to the owner or occupier of the premises used to commit an offence. Forest officials could also be punished for violations under the proposed law. Again, most experts welcome the fact that the bill bans the leg-hold traps that are used to trap tigers and leopards. But Dutta says that here too the government could have done a little more. “The neck-traps used to snare deer and other animals are equally dangerous, but the government is silent on them,” he says. The draft amendment also talks about the promotion of “independent scientific research”. According to the proposed law, chief wildlife wardens will be empowered to grant permits to “any person, to conduct wildlife research on any animal specified in Schedules I to IV” of the existing law. “This is a great move. Independent researchers were made to run from pillar to post to get approval for their research projects all these years,” says M. Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist, Aaranyak, a scientific and industrial research organisation, Guwahati. Aaranyak works on biodiversity conservation in the northeast. Indeed, most wildlife activists are enthused by the government’s efforts to plug the loopholes in the existing law and make it more wildlife friendly. However, nearly everyone cautions that no matter how many amendments are made to the WPA, the law will remain a “paper tiger” unless efforts are made to enforce the law strictly. “The government’s intentions are very good. And strengthening rules is not bad at all. But I wish the government had laid more emphasis on equipping the forest officials with the right weapons and skills to get the guilty punished,” says M.K. Ranjitsinh, chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India, who drafted the WPA way back in 1972. Hopefully, the amended law will work at that. |
 http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100721/jsp/opinion/story_12707468.jsp |
Sariska gets a new tiger to boost breeding
NEW DELHI: Sariska's tiger breeding hopes were revived on Tuesday with a tiger being brought to the reserve from the Ranthambhore reserve. It was selected after his DNA was analysed in a bid to avoid the genetic incompatibility that has plagued Sariska's relocation programme so far.
In fact, it was the first time in India that genetic studies were undertaken to identify tigers suitable for translocation. Two of the 12 scat samples from the Ranthambhore reserve that were sent for DNA analysis came out positive. Apart from the tiger shifted on Tuesday, a tigress will also be moved there within the next few weeks. The study showed that both animals were not too closely related to the Sariska tigers, or to each other.
“This is the first time that genetic studies have been conducted to select tigers,” said Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh after the DNA analysis results were received this past Friday.
“Until now we went by normal field-level analysis…..However, after all the fears that have been raised about siblings being relocated, we thought it was best to do this in a scientific way.”
The Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan lost the last of its own tigers some time in 2004 or 2005, mostly due to widespread poaching. The bid to return tigers to the reserve, therefore, depends on shifting tigers from other reserves. Accordingly in 2008 and 2009 three tigers — a male and two females — from Ranthambhore reserve, also in Rajasthan, were moved to Sariska. However, they have failed to produce any offspring, and it was later discovered that they were siblings.
The translocation programme was put on hold while the Central Government tried to persuade Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra to donate a few of their tigers to re-populate Sariska in order to avoid using the same gene pool from Ranthambhore. Last week, however, Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Sartaj Singh made it clear that his state had no surplus tiger to send to Rajasthan.
The news of the DNA results of the Ranthambhore scat samples injected new life into the translocation programme, since inter-state transfer hurdles can be avoided.
The DNA analysis was carried out by Uma Ramakrishnan of the National Centre for Biological Sciences, a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research based in Bangalore. Of the 12 scats collected, genetic analysis showed that only eight came from tigers. One more sample did not have a sufficient quantity of DNA data and was also dropped from the study.
While five samples were from tigers which were siblings, and in one case a half-sibling, to the Sariska animals, two samples were found suitable. They have a zero-level of relationship to one of the Sariska tigers and a 0.24 and 0.4 level of relationship to the other.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/07/21/stories/2010072162201500.htm
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