KOLKATA: The nation will have to wait till monsoon to know the number of Royal Bengal Tigers in Sunderbans. While the numbers of wild tigers in rest of the nation are likely to come out in March, Sunderbans may not figure in that, as Wildlife Institute of India (WII) could complete only two phases of population estimation due to the mangrove forest's difficult ter-rain. Though, the distribution and occupancy data will be out soon.
"Humans are on the menu of tigers when they work in Sunderbans. While working we have found that one needs to be in a group and be very cautious. Overall, the nature of this mangrove forest makes the entire practice a time consuming matter," said WII's Qamar Qureshi, adding that the work of third phase has only started in September. WII, which is working in Sunderbans for almost three years has completed tiger signs collection, ungulate distribution and mapping of the forest. "We have collected scat information of the big cats, done camera traps and have radio collared a few tigers. Now, we are running the ungulate survey and sign survey of tigers to get the number. DNA sampling too will be done in this phase," said Qureshi.
According to him, it can come out with the number of tigers in Sunderbans only in the monsoon. "We are trying our best to make the numbers available by March with the figures of other parts of India, but it seems difficult," he said. Earlier, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), deputy inspector general, S P Yadav told TOI that the entire census report may get delayed by a couple of months as the Centre would not compromise on standard and reliability.
"Sunderbans is a habitat that is notoriously difficult to negotiate, apart from creek access at high tide. It is thus difficult to scientifically physically estimate the population of tigers here. This is why both the West Bengal forest department and WII are finding it justifiably difficult to arrive at a credible tiger estimate," said Bittu Sahgal, editor, Sanctuary Asia.
Meanwhile, WII will submit its preliminary report on distribution and occupancy of tigers to the Centre in a few weeks. Without divulging much, Qureshi said, forest occupancy of big cats in Sunderbans though will figure in the report. It may be noted that according to the last census in 2008, occupancy of tigers in Sunderbans was about 1586 square kilometres, though the numbers could not be assessed due to lack of reliability.
The last census done in Sunderbans in 2001-02, put the tiger numbers in Indian part of the mangrove forest at 274, of which, Sunderbans Tiger Re-serve had 249 and South 24-Parganas forest division had 25 big cats. But in 2006, Indian Statistical Institute claimed that the number is not more than 75, the report, however, was rejected by the state government. "I personally doubt that 274 cats ever existed in the Sunderbans. Nevertheless, the habitat is imminently suitable for tigers which, apart from herbivores, also feed on carrion washed down by rivers or thrown up by the sea. One way or the other I expect the Sunderbans tiger estimation to surprise everyone," added Sahgal.
"Population estimation is being done by a new methodology called Monitoring of Tigers, Co-predators, Prey and Habitat', developed by the Project Tiger. But work in the final phase is still left and we don't think the Centre will be able to come out with Sunderbans tiger numbers in time," said principal chief conservator of forests Atanu Raha. In Sunderbans, about 35 teams, with 250 forest personnel are taking part in the process.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tiger sparks panic in Assam
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Nagaon, Nov. 22. A full grown Royal Bengal tiger has created panic in central Assam’s Morigaon district for the past six days.
The tiger, from Orang National Park, crossed the Brahmaputra and entered the district on November 17.
A Nagaon forest department source said villagers of Kandhulimari tracked the movement of the tiger in the area on Wednesday and reported the matter to a local forest department official. It killed a cow in that area and was spotted near Habi Barangabari.
“The tiger has been in Habi Barangabari for the past five days. It killed a pig last night. Our forest department officials are stationed there. All possible attempts are being made to send it back to its original habitat,” said Nagaon divisional forest officer Aftabuddin Ahmed.
Royal Bengal tigers crossing the Brahmaputra and entering villages have become common in the past two years.
Nagaon, Nov. 22. A full grown Royal Bengal tiger has created panic in central Assam’s Morigaon district for the past six days.
The tiger, from Orang National Park, crossed the Brahmaputra and entered the district on November 17.
A Nagaon forest department source said villagers of Kandhulimari tracked the movement of the tiger in the area on Wednesday and reported the matter to a local forest department official. It killed a cow in that area and was spotted near Habi Barangabari.
“The tiger has been in Habi Barangabari for the past five days. It killed a pig last night. Our forest department officials are stationed there. All possible attempts are being made to send it back to its original habitat,” said Nagaon divisional forest officer Aftabuddin Ahmed.
Royal Bengal tigers crossing the Brahmaputra and entering villages have become common in the past two years.
Needed, global action to save the tiger
EDITS | Tuesday, November 23, 2010 | Email | Print | | Back
Stop illicit trade in tiger body parts
The summit hosted by Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and attended by his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao among other top leaders from 13 tiger-range countries underscores how serious a concern tiger conservation has become globally. The decline of the wild tiger population has been alarming: From 100,000 big cats the jungles a century ago, only 3,200 tigers are left in the forests of these 13 countries. Three subspecies — Bali, Javan and Caspian — have become extinct. With 104 to 119 tigers falling prey to poachers every year, the forecast by the World Wildlife Fund that there won’t be any tigers left to celebrate the next Chinese Year of the Tiger (2022) doesn’t seem to be unduly alarming. This is all the more so because apart from Russia, all other countries have failed to increase the number of tigers in the wild. India is a case in point. The country continues to witness a steady decline in the number of big cats although the Government launched Project Tiger way back in 1973 to identify and address the limiting factors in tiger reserves. The ongoing decline of the tiger population is, in essence, a comment on the loss of forest cover in Asia. Clearly, tigers are fighting a losing battle for their survival as human beings encroach into their natural habitat and the prey base declines. Shrinking forest cover on account of ill-planned development projects and expanding human habitation is one of the reasons behind the rapidly declining tiger population. But the major factor behind the depletion is poaching. Tigers continue to be killed for their body parts which fetch a fortune; those living near or within tiger reserves are easily lured into this illicit trade with hideous consequences: Casual poaching has now turned into organised crime that transcends national borders.
If the political leaders of the countries concerned take a united and firm stand to combat poaching and marshal all necessary resources to prevent tigers from becoming an extinct species, perhaps the big cat may yet survive in the wild. Those attending the tiger summit are expected to discuss ways to strengthen law-enforcement and management of protected wildlife areas. Needless to add, they should focus on putting an end to cross-border illegal trade in tiger body parts by adopting stringent deterrent measures. Simultaneously, there is need for launching a massive awareness campaign as well as involving local populations in protecting tigers. However, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach towards conservation of this endangered animal. Local conditions differ from country to country and require solutions that are region and area specific. For instance, in India the Government can no longer delay relocating human population within tiger reserves and making access to the animal’s habitat as difficult as possible.
Stop illicit trade in tiger body parts
The summit hosted by Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and attended by his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao among other top leaders from 13 tiger-range countries underscores how serious a concern tiger conservation has become globally. The decline of the wild tiger population has been alarming: From 100,000 big cats the jungles a century ago, only 3,200 tigers are left in the forests of these 13 countries. Three subspecies — Bali, Javan and Caspian — have become extinct. With 104 to 119 tigers falling prey to poachers every year, the forecast by the World Wildlife Fund that there won’t be any tigers left to celebrate the next Chinese Year of the Tiger (2022) doesn’t seem to be unduly alarming. This is all the more so because apart from Russia, all other countries have failed to increase the number of tigers in the wild. India is a case in point. The country continues to witness a steady decline in the number of big cats although the Government launched Project Tiger way back in 1973 to identify and address the limiting factors in tiger reserves. The ongoing decline of the tiger population is, in essence, a comment on the loss of forest cover in Asia. Clearly, tigers are fighting a losing battle for their survival as human beings encroach into their natural habitat and the prey base declines. Shrinking forest cover on account of ill-planned development projects and expanding human habitation is one of the reasons behind the rapidly declining tiger population. But the major factor behind the depletion is poaching. Tigers continue to be killed for their body parts which fetch a fortune; those living near or within tiger reserves are easily lured into this illicit trade with hideous consequences: Casual poaching has now turned into organised crime that transcends national borders.
If the political leaders of the countries concerned take a united and firm stand to combat poaching and marshal all necessary resources to prevent tigers from becoming an extinct species, perhaps the big cat may yet survive in the wild. Those attending the tiger summit are expected to discuss ways to strengthen law-enforcement and management of protected wildlife areas. Needless to add, they should focus on putting an end to cross-border illegal trade in tiger body parts by adopting stringent deterrent measures. Simultaneously, there is need for launching a massive awareness campaign as well as involving local populations in protecting tigers. However, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach towards conservation of this endangered animal. Local conditions differ from country to country and require solutions that are region and area specific. For instance, in India the Government can no longer delay relocating human population within tiger reserves and making access to the animal’s habitat as difficult as possible.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Tiger death: Sariska caught in translocation, relocation tussle
The death of a translocated tiger from the Ranthambore National Park (RNP) to the Sariska Tiger Sanctuary, which lost all its tigers in 2005, has brought to the fore the tug-of-war between the two sanctuaries and the need to fast-track relocation of villagers residing in the vicinity.
Senior forest officials maintain that a lobby, primarily made up of hoteliers and travel operators based in the RNP, were against the translocation process from the beginning. “Sariska is only around 190 km from New Delhi while RNP is close to 400 km. There is a lobby which believes that increasing the tiger population in Sariska will mean the decline of tourists to the RNP. Incidentally, ST-1, the translocated tiger which died, was the most visible tiger when tourists visited Sariska,” said a senior official, adding that such issues were never discussed earlier.
However, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has vowed to go ahead with the translocation process, and announced a Rs 30-crore package to Sariska to aid the relocation of villagers in the tiger habitat area. Though the first tiger was translocated to Sariska in June 2008, the Rajasthan Forest Department began the process of rehabilitating villages in 2006. But since then only one complete hamlet has been shifted while four others are in various stages of completion.
Senior forest officials maintain that a lobby, primarily made up of hoteliers and travel operators based in the RNP, were against the translocation process from the beginning. “Sariska is only around 190 km from New Delhi while RNP is close to 400 km. There is a lobby which believes that increasing the tiger population in Sariska will mean the decline of tourists to the RNP. Incidentally, ST-1, the translocated tiger which died, was the most visible tiger when tourists visited Sariska,” said a senior official, adding that such issues were never discussed earlier.
However, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has vowed to go ahead with the translocation process, and announced a Rs 30-crore package to Sariska to aid the relocation of villagers in the tiger habitat area. Though the first tiger was translocated to Sariska in June 2008, the Rajasthan Forest Department began the process of rehabilitating villages in 2006. But since then only one complete hamlet has been shifted while four others are in various stages of completion.
WWF issues appeal as tiger summit starts
WWF issues appeal as tiger summit starts
Moscow, Nov 21 (DPA) An international conference on saving the world's tigers from extinction got underway in St. Petersburg Sunday.
Kicking off the four-day conference, animal protection group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned that the planet's last free-roaming tigers faced extinction by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger after this year.
WWF general director James Leape said that only around 3,200 tigers are still roaming freedom in 13 countries.
By WWF accounts, the St. Petersburg meeting is the first one in which government leaders will be debating the fate of a single animal species.
Among others, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were due to take part in the conference.
Tigers are coveted as trophies by hunters and for making questionable medications in some countries, Leape noted.
What is needed is to persuade those people who inhabit regions together with tigers to join the cause of protecting the animals, he said.
The St. Petersburg conference is due to discuss proposals for protecting the world's largest predatory cats, with the aim of doubling the tigers' worldwide numbers.
On the agenda for Tuesday is a vote proposing a programme of at least $350 million to rescue the world's tigers.
Moscow, Nov 21 (DPA) An international conference on saving the world's tigers from extinction got underway in St. Petersburg Sunday.
Kicking off the four-day conference, animal protection group World Wildlife Fund (WWF) warned that the planet's last free-roaming tigers faced extinction by 2022, the next Chinese Year of the Tiger after this year.
WWF general director James Leape said that only around 3,200 tigers are still roaming freedom in 13 countries.
By WWF accounts, the St. Petersburg meeting is the first one in which government leaders will be debating the fate of a single animal species.
Among others, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were due to take part in the conference.
Tigers are coveted as trophies by hunters and for making questionable medications in some countries, Leape noted.
What is needed is to persuade those people who inhabit regions together with tigers to join the cause of protecting the animals, he said.
The St. Petersburg conference is due to discuss proposals for protecting the world's largest predatory cats, with the aim of doubling the tigers' worldwide numbers.
On the agenda for Tuesday is a vote proposing a programme of at least $350 million to rescue the world's tigers.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Four tiger deaths in one month in Kaziranga
Guwahati: An adult tigress has been found dead at Agratoli range of Kaziranga National Park in Assam, the fourth such death in this month in the sanctuary.
Park officials said the carcass of the tigress was found on Friday in a highly decomposed state.
The reason behind the death is yet to be ascertained, they said.
It is the fourth tiger carcass to be found this month in Kaziranga National Park, which is a World Heritage Site.
Earlier, carcasses of three tigers, all in decomposed state, was found at Kohora, Agratoli and Bagori ranges of the Park. Officials had claimed that all deaths were natural.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/four-tiger-deaths-in-one-month-in-kaziranga-67446?
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/four-tiger-deaths-in-one-month-in-kaziranga-67446?cp
Park officials said the carcass of the tigress was found on Friday in a highly decomposed state.
The reason behind the death is yet to be ascertained, they said.
It is the fourth tiger carcass to be found this month in Kaziranga National Park, which is a World Heritage Site.
Earlier, carcasses of three tigers, all in decomposed state, was found at Kohora, Agratoli and Bagori ranges of the Park. Officials had claimed that all deaths were natural.
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/four-tiger-deaths-in-one-month-in-kaziranga-67446?
Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/four-tiger-deaths-in-one-month-in-kaziranga-67446?cp
Sariska Tiger death not due to territorial fight or gun shot: Report
JAIPUR: The postmortem report of "ST-1", a translocated tiger found dead recently at Rajasthan's Sariska reserve, has ruled out any territorial fight or poaching as the cause of the death of the big cat.
"The postmortem report says that neigther it was a territorial fight or shooting which led to the tiger's death," Principal Chief Wildife Warden H M Bhatia said.
However, he said, it is not the final report and the exact reason for its death could be known only after the FSL report comes.
The carcass of "ST-1" was found by a forest department team in Sariska sanctuary on Sunday night.
On the other hand, Bhatia claimed, link through radio signals with the missing tiger ST-4 continues and the big cat is moving in the dense forest.
"We are constantly receiving radio signals but the tiger is not visible yet as the animal is moving in dense forest," he added.
"The postmortem report says that neigther it was a territorial fight or shooting which led to the tiger's death," Principal Chief Wildife Warden H M Bhatia said.
However, he said, it is not the final report and the exact reason for its death could be known only after the FSL report comes.
The carcass of "ST-1" was found by a forest department team in Sariska sanctuary on Sunday night.
On the other hand, Bhatia claimed, link through radio signals with the missing tiger ST-4 continues and the big cat is moving in the dense forest.
"We are constantly receiving radio signals but the tiger is not visible yet as the animal is moving in dense forest," he added.
Tiger corridor linking 3 states proposed
Authorities of the Palamau Reserve, which reportedly has only six tigers left, have suggested that a new corridor linking forests of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh be set up to give more space to the endangered animal and boost its population.
"A proposal is being sent to the Centre requesting for sanction of a corridor connecting forests in the three states, which will help increase tiger population," Field Director Paritosh Upadhaya told PTI here today.
"We have also proposed to make the 10 km radius around the 1026 square km Reserve as an eco-sensitive zone," he said.Tiger census had taken place in 60 percent of Reserve area, which had put the big cat's population at six, he said, adding, another census will be taken up in the rest of the area soon to ascertain the exact number of the tigers there.
"The Centre for Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, has confirmed the scats sent by us were of six different species of tigers," he said.
In 2007, there were 17 tigers, he said."We have sent another proposal to the government to make arrangements for a three-month training at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradoon for field officers and employees of the forest department," Upadhaya said.
The Reserve has only one wildlife expert based in Latehar's Chhipadohar and it required more experts, he said.
"A proposal is being sent to the Centre requesting for sanction of a corridor connecting forests in the three states, which will help increase tiger population," Field Director Paritosh Upadhaya told PTI here today.
"We have also proposed to make the 10 km radius around the 1026 square km Reserve as an eco-sensitive zone," he said.Tiger census had taken place in 60 percent of Reserve area, which had put the big cat's population at six, he said, adding, another census will be taken up in the rest of the area soon to ascertain the exact number of the tigers there.
"The Centre for Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, has confirmed the scats sent by us were of six different species of tigers," he said.
In 2007, there were 17 tigers, he said."We have sent another proposal to the government to make arrangements for a three-month training at the Forest Research Institute, Dehradoon for field officers and employees of the forest department," Upadhaya said.
The Reserve has only one wildlife expert based in Latehar's Chhipadohar and it required more experts, he said.
New way to track tigers in the wild to ensure survival
Washington, Nov 19 (ANI): Indian experts have discovered that it is possible to accurately predict the number of tigers in the wild by monitoring both paw prints and feces.
“Tigers are cryptic, nocturnal and occur at low densities so they are extremely difficult to monitor. Unless we know how many tigers are left in the wild, and whether their numbers are increasing or decreasing, we will not be able to conserve them,” said Dr Yadvendradev Jhala of the Wildlife Institute of India, who led the study.
The big cats are among the most threatened species in the world, with less than 3,200 left in the wild. More than half live in India.
Jhala and colleagues assessed their method by collecting paw prints and faeces at 21 forest sites in central and northern India.
“Tiger faeces are the size of large beetroot and have a characteristic pungent, musky odour. Fresh tiger faeces are normally accompanied by urine sprays that smell like well-cooked basmati rice,” said Jhala.
When they compared this data with that from camera traps at the same sites, they found they could estimate tiger numbers as accurately by using the two tiger signs as they could with camera traps, but for a fraction of the price. By showing that it is possible to accurately estimate tiger numbers from their paw prints and faeces, we have opened up a new way of cost-effectively keeping our finger on the pulse of tiger populations and gauging the success of conservation programmes.”
He added that the finding could have crucial implications for conserving tigers and other endangered species worldwide.
The study is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. (ANI)
“Tigers are cryptic, nocturnal and occur at low densities so they are extremely difficult to monitor. Unless we know how many tigers are left in the wild, and whether their numbers are increasing or decreasing, we will not be able to conserve them,” said Dr Yadvendradev Jhala of the Wildlife Institute of India, who led the study.
The big cats are among the most threatened species in the world, with less than 3,200 left in the wild. More than half live in India.
Jhala and colleagues assessed their method by collecting paw prints and faeces at 21 forest sites in central and northern India.
“Tiger faeces are the size of large beetroot and have a characteristic pungent, musky odour. Fresh tiger faeces are normally accompanied by urine sprays that smell like well-cooked basmati rice,” said Jhala.
When they compared this data with that from camera traps at the same sites, they found they could estimate tiger numbers as accurately by using the two tiger signs as they could with camera traps, but for a fraction of the price. By showing that it is possible to accurately estimate tiger numbers from their paw prints and faeces, we have opened up a new way of cost-effectively keeping our finger on the pulse of tiger populations and gauging the success of conservation programmes.”
He added that the finding could have crucial implications for conserving tigers and other endangered species worldwide.
The study is published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. (ANI)
World leaders to gather in St.Petersburg to save the tiger
Moscow, Nov 19 (DPA) World leaders and top politicians, including from India, are set to gather in St. Petersburg Sunday in an effort to wrestle out an agreement on how to protect the world's approximately remaining 3,200 wild tigers.
The conference's organisers want the 13 countries in which the world's biggest cats still live in the wild to promise to try to double their numbers by 2022.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's guests at the four-day summit include US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) the conference will be the first at which leaders will discuss the preservation of a single species.
The adoption of an agreement is expected to take place Tuesday.
An estimated $350 million are needed to increase the tigers' habitat and up the fight against poachers and illegal traders in tiger parts.
A tiger was poisoned in the Sariska tiger reserve in northern India, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said Wednesday, while another was shot dead by poachers in far eastern Russia. There are only 450 left in the region.
Gamekeepers arrested the poachers, but the punishment for killing tigers remains relatively lenient. They could receive a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $20,000, according to IFAW.
'We can't save the tigers unless we combat rampant poaching, which is the single greatest threat to the survival of this species,' said Masha Vorontsova, the director of IFAW in Russia.
'The summit is a last chance for tigers,' she added. We must make sure that talk translates into concrete action and effective, binding agreements that save tigers on the ground.'
Research by the WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has shown that the border region between Myanmar, Thailand and China is playing a pivotal role in the illegal trade in tiger parts.
And a report by the WWF and conservationist group TRAFFIC published Friday to coincide with the upcoming conference reported that tiger parts were being offered openly on black markets in the region, especially in parts of Myanmar not under the direct control of the government.
'Tigers are easy money for everyone from mafia types to anti-government opposition groups,' TRAFFIC's south-east Asia regional director William Schaedla said.
The markets are particularly attractive to Chinese tourists, who want to buy tiger parts for use in herbal medicines, as lucky charms or simply for their fur.
Conservationists are particularly hopeful that the US, where 10,000 tigers live in captivity, will play a large part in pushing next week's conference forward.
Clinton's presence is regarded as a token of how seriously Washington is taking the issue.
The conference's organisers want the 13 countries in which the world's biggest cats still live in the wild to promise to try to double their numbers by 2022.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's guests at the four-day summit include US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, World Bank President Robert Zoellick and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) the conference will be the first at which leaders will discuss the preservation of a single species.
The adoption of an agreement is expected to take place Tuesday.
An estimated $350 million are needed to increase the tigers' habitat and up the fight against poachers and illegal traders in tiger parts.
A tiger was poisoned in the Sariska tiger reserve in northern India, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said Wednesday, while another was shot dead by poachers in far eastern Russia. There are only 450 left in the region.
Gamekeepers arrested the poachers, but the punishment for killing tigers remains relatively lenient. They could receive a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a fine of $20,000, according to IFAW.
'We can't save the tigers unless we combat rampant poaching, which is the single greatest threat to the survival of this species,' said Masha Vorontsova, the director of IFAW in Russia.
'The summit is a last chance for tigers,' she added. We must make sure that talk translates into concrete action and effective, binding agreements that save tigers on the ground.'
Research by the WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has shown that the border region between Myanmar, Thailand and China is playing a pivotal role in the illegal trade in tiger parts.
And a report by the WWF and conservationist group TRAFFIC published Friday to coincide with the upcoming conference reported that tiger parts were being offered openly on black markets in the region, especially in parts of Myanmar not under the direct control of the government.
'Tigers are easy money for everyone from mafia types to anti-government opposition groups,' TRAFFIC's south-east Asia regional director William Schaedla said.
The markets are particularly attractive to Chinese tourists, who want to buy tiger parts for use in herbal medicines, as lucky charms or simply for their fur.
Conservationists are particularly hopeful that the US, where 10,000 tigers live in captivity, will play a large part in pushing next week's conference forward.
Clinton's presence is regarded as a token of how seriously Washington is taking the issue.
Tiger census results to be out by month end
New Delhi, Nov 19 (IANS) The preliminary results of the tiger census will be released by the end of November, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said Friday.
'The broad preliminary numbers of the tiger population in the country will be available by the end of November. The final results will only be possible by early next year,' Ramesh told reporters here.
The last census in 2005-06 showed a sharp fall in tiger numbers. The census then conducted with an improved method revealed India had just 1,411 tigers left in the wild, raising serious concern about their survival.
'The broad preliminary numbers of the tiger population in the country will be available by the end of November. The final results will only be possible by early next year,' Ramesh told reporters here.
The last census in 2005-06 showed a sharp fall in tiger numbers. The census then conducted with an improved method revealed India had just 1,411 tigers left in the wild, raising serious concern about their survival.
Tiger deaths: BJP seeks judicial probe
JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths of missing tigers from the Sariska and Ranthambore tiger reserves. Demanding a white paper on the incidents from chief minister Ashok Gehlot, the BJP raised nine questions.
Taking a cue from Union forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh's official communications with the state government on the subject, the BJP's state spokesperson Sunil Bhargava alleged on Friday the chief minister was shirking responsibility for the mysterious killings and disappearance of tigers by just suspending forest officials.
"Can the government be absolved of its inaction and carelessness, as alleged by the Union minister, in tiger conservation simply by suspending two officials," Bhargava asked.
The BJP wanted the chief minister to tell people what steps his government took on the six letters that the union forest and environment minister has dispatched to him (Gehlot) in the past six months.
"Let us hear what the chief minister has to say on the Union minister holding the inactive and directionless' state government responsible for the carelessness towards tiger conservation," said Bhargava.
The spokesperson stated the Union minister has accused the Gehlot government of not sticking to the Centre's policy. "The Union minister has alleged that the state government was ignoring tiger conservation under pressure from the mine-mafia and influential persons," Bhargava pointed out, asking the chief minister to explain his position on the allegations from his own party minister.
Referring to the Union minister's statement the tiger at Sariska could have been a victim of poisoning, the BJP has asked the state government to tell if it was ready to own up responsibility for the same. Bhargava emphasised that even though the Centre has doubled the strength of forest officers in the state, why adequate number of inspectors were not deployed at the two tiger reserves. "The government is keen to translocate tigers, but it is indifferent in ensuring proper rehabilitation of the big cats. Why is this so?" the BJP wanted to know.
The BJP demanded the state government make it public its' scheme for shifting and rehabilitating the villagers from the tiger reserve areas, since the Centre has agreed to pay Rs 30 crore for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the Ranthambore Bachao Andolan made a representation before the Bharatpur divisional commissioner Rajeshwar Singh complaining against the Sawai Madhopur district administration apathy towards the killing and missing of tigers at Ranthambore. Singh was at Ranthambore to monitor the "Prashashan gaon ke sang" camp on Friday.
"The divisional commissioner assured us of action in the matter. We will now organise a mahapanchayat of locals to save the tigers and decide on shifting of villagers from the reserve," Andolan's president Akshay Sharma said.
Taking a cue from Union forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh's official communications with the state government on the subject, the BJP's state spokesperson Sunil Bhargava alleged on Friday the chief minister was shirking responsibility for the mysterious killings and disappearance of tigers by just suspending forest officials.
"Can the government be absolved of its inaction and carelessness, as alleged by the Union minister, in tiger conservation simply by suspending two officials," Bhargava asked.
The BJP wanted the chief minister to tell people what steps his government took on the six letters that the union forest and environment minister has dispatched to him (Gehlot) in the past six months.
"Let us hear what the chief minister has to say on the Union minister holding the inactive and directionless' state government responsible for the carelessness towards tiger conservation," said Bhargava.
The spokesperson stated the Union minister has accused the Gehlot government of not sticking to the Centre's policy. "The Union minister has alleged that the state government was ignoring tiger conservation under pressure from the mine-mafia and influential persons," Bhargava pointed out, asking the chief minister to explain his position on the allegations from his own party minister.
Referring to the Union minister's statement the tiger at Sariska could have been a victim of poisoning, the BJP has asked the state government to tell if it was ready to own up responsibility for the same. Bhargava emphasised that even though the Centre has doubled the strength of forest officers in the state, why adequate number of inspectors were not deployed at the two tiger reserves. "The government is keen to translocate tigers, but it is indifferent in ensuring proper rehabilitation of the big cats. Why is this so?" the BJP wanted to know.
The BJP demanded the state government make it public its' scheme for shifting and rehabilitating the villagers from the tiger reserve areas, since the Centre has agreed to pay Rs 30 crore for the purpose.
Meanwhile, the Ranthambore Bachao Andolan made a representation before the Bharatpur divisional commissioner Rajeshwar Singh complaining against the Sawai Madhopur district administration apathy towards the killing and missing of tigers at Ranthambore. Singh was at Ranthambore to monitor the "Prashashan gaon ke sang" camp on Friday.
"The divisional commissioner assured us of action in the matter. We will now organise a mahapanchayat of locals to save the tigers and decide on shifting of villagers from the reserve," Andolan's president Akshay Sharma said.
Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths
Two incidents of local women being mauled and partially eaten by a tiger in and around the Corbett National Park have thrown the area into panic and left forest officials fearing that a big cat in India's most famous reserve may have turned maneater.
The key question officials are seeking to answer is whether the attacks came from the same tiger. They say if that is indeed the case, Corbett may have a maneater problem to deal with. ''At the moment, we have no conclusive evidence either way,'' park warden U C Tiwari told TOI on Friday, after spending the day in the field trying to track the killer.
The incidents have come within six days of each other; the spots separated by just 8-10km as the crow flies.
Reports said on Thursday 30-year-old Kalpha Mehra was mauled to death at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of Corbett when she had gone to the jungle to collect fodder. The site falls under the Ramnagar forest division.
The first incident took place in the Corbett buffer zone on November 12. The victim, Nanda Devi, was attacked in daylight as she was returning to Sundarkhal village with two other women. Significantly, both bodies were half-eaten when villagers found them.
Read more: 'Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maneater-fear-stalks-Corbett-after-2-deaths/articleshow/6957144.cms#ixzz15nnyn4RP
The key question officials are seeking to answer is whether the attacks came from the same tiger. They say if that is indeed the case, Corbett may have a maneater problem to deal with. ''At the moment, we have no conclusive evidence either way,'' park warden U C Tiwari told TOI on Friday, after spending the day in the field trying to track the killer.
The incidents have come within six days of each other; the spots separated by just 8-10km as the crow flies.
Reports said on Thursday 30-year-old Kalpha Mehra was mauled to death at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of Corbett when she had gone to the jungle to collect fodder. The site falls under the Ramnagar forest division.
The first incident took place in the Corbett buffer zone on November 12. The victim, Nanda Devi, was attacked in daylight as she was returning to Sundarkhal village with two other women. Significantly, both bodies were half-eaten when villagers found them.
Read more: 'Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maneater-fear-stalks-Corbett-after-2-deaths/articleshow/6957144.cms#ixzz15nnyn4RP
Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths
Two incidents of local women being mauled and partially eaten by a tiger in and around the Corbett National Park have thrown the area into panic and left forest officials fearing that a big cat in India's most famous reserve may have turned maneater.
The key question officials are seeking to answer is whether the attacks came from the same tiger. They say if that is indeed the case, Corbett may have a maneater problem to deal with. ''At the moment, we have no conclusive evidence either way,'' park warden U C Tiwari told TOI on Friday, after spending the day in the field trying to track the killer.
The incidents have come within six days of each other; the spots separated by just 8-10km as the crow flies.
Reports said on Thursday 30-year-old Kalpha Mehra was mauled to death at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of Corbett when she had gone to the jungle to collect fodder. The site falls under the Ramnagar forest division.
The first incident took place in the Corbett buffer zone on November 12. The victim, Nanda Devi, was attacked in daylight as she was returning to Sundarkhal village with two other women. Significantly, both bodies were half-eaten when villagers found them.
Read more: 'Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maneater-fear-stalks-Corbett-after-2-deaths/articleshow/6957144.cms#ixzz15nnyn4RP
The key question officials are seeking to answer is whether the attacks came from the same tiger. They say if that is indeed the case, Corbett may have a maneater problem to deal with. ''At the moment, we have no conclusive evidence either way,'' park warden U C Tiwari told TOI on Friday, after spending the day in the field trying to track the killer.
The incidents have come within six days of each other; the spots separated by just 8-10km as the crow flies.
Reports said on Thursday 30-year-old Kalpha Mehra was mauled to death at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of Corbett when she had gone to the jungle to collect fodder. The site falls under the Ramnagar forest division.
The first incident took place in the Corbett buffer zone on November 12. The victim, Nanda Devi, was attacked in daylight as she was returning to Sundarkhal village with two other women. Significantly, both bodies were half-eaten when villagers found them.
Read more: 'Maneater' fear stalks Corbett after 2 deaths - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maneater-fear-stalks-Corbett-after-2-deaths/articleshow/6957144.cms#ixzz15nnyn4RP
Friday, November 19, 2010
Process on for big cat relocation to Panna
November 19, 2010 9:20:44 AM
Vivek Trivedi | Bhopal
Unfazed with the glaring controversy over notification of buffer zone at Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), the Forest department is all set to translocate two tigresses to Panna next month, as part of the ambitious big cat revival plan.
Park Field Director RS Murthy told the media on Thursday that two semi-adult tigresses will be brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Panna next month. These are the hand-reared tigresses; aged between 5 to 6 years had lost their mother days after their birth in Kanha Tiger Reserve.
After sending these two tigresses to Panna, one more male will be translocated to Panna, which is infamous across the country for tiger wipe out. However, the Forest Department is yet to finalise the date of the tiger's translocation.
Under the ongoing big cat revival plan at Panna, two tigresses - one female feline from Bandhavgarh and another from Kanha were shifted to Panna on March 6 and 9 respectively last year. Besides, a male from Pench tiger reserve was also released in the wild of Panna in November last year.
According to the original big cat revival plan, Panna is scheduled to receive total half a dozen big cats, to re-populate this ignominious tiger reserve, which once had more than 30 tigers but lost all of them due to poaching and other reasons by the end of 2008.
The plan had received a major shot in the arm earlier this year, as the tigress brought from Bandhavgarh gave birth to four cubs in May. This was the first instance, in the country, when a translocated tigress gave birth to a litter.
However, out of these four cubs, only two have survived while the others are nowhere to be seen.
Under the ongoing ambitious big cat revival plan, the State Forest Department also plans to translocate one more male to Panna in future. The State Government has the permission for translocating six big cats to Panna; four females and two males.
Significantly, the Forest Department is pursuing the process to notify the buffer zones at tiger reserves of the State but the matter of Panna along with Satpura and Sanjay tiger reserves is yet to be decided. The notification of buffer zone in Panna has got embroiled in the controversy due to the opposition of mines' operators.
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Vivek Trivedi | Bhopal
Unfazed with the glaring controversy over notification of buffer zone at Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), the Forest department is all set to translocate two tigresses to Panna next month, as part of the ambitious big cat revival plan.
Park Field Director RS Murthy told the media on Thursday that two semi-adult tigresses will be brought from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Panna next month. These are the hand-reared tigresses; aged between 5 to 6 years had lost their mother days after their birth in Kanha Tiger Reserve.
After sending these two tigresses to Panna, one more male will be translocated to Panna, which is infamous across the country for tiger wipe out. However, the Forest Department is yet to finalise the date of the tiger's translocation.
Under the ongoing big cat revival plan at Panna, two tigresses - one female feline from Bandhavgarh and another from Kanha were shifted to Panna on March 6 and 9 respectively last year. Besides, a male from Pench tiger reserve was also released in the wild of Panna in November last year.
According to the original big cat revival plan, Panna is scheduled to receive total half a dozen big cats, to re-populate this ignominious tiger reserve, which once had more than 30 tigers but lost all of them due to poaching and other reasons by the end of 2008.
The plan had received a major shot in the arm earlier this year, as the tigress brought from Bandhavgarh gave birth to four cubs in May. This was the first instance, in the country, when a translocated tigress gave birth to a litter.
However, out of these four cubs, only two have survived while the others are nowhere to be seen.
Under the ongoing ambitious big cat revival plan, the State Forest Department also plans to translocate one more male to Panna in future. The State Government has the permission for translocating six big cats to Panna; four females and two males.
Significantly, the Forest Department is pursuing the process to notify the buffer zones at tiger reserves of the State but the matter of Panna along with Satpura and Sanjay tiger reserves is yet to be decided. The notification of buffer zone in Panna has got embroiled in the controversy due to the opposition of mines' operators.
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Woman mauled to death by tiger
18/11/2010
Rishikesh, Nov 18 (PTI) A 30-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, the second such incident in the area within a week, officials said today.
Kalpha Mehra had gone to the jungle to collect fodder for cattle, when she was attacked by the tiger, said R K Mishra, Director of Jim Corbett National Park.
Half-eaten body of the woman has been recovered and sent for postmortem, he said, adding the park administration has put up a cage to catch the tiger.
Senior forest officials have reached the spot and are trying to ascertain whether the killer is the same tiger that had killed another woman on November 12, park sources said.
Last week, Nandi Devi was returning after collecting fodder when, she was attacked by a tiger in broad daylight, leading to panic among villagers living near the park.
Rishikesh, Nov 18 (PTI) A 30-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger at Chukam village near the eastern boundary of the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve, the second such incident in the area within a week, officials said today.
Kalpha Mehra had gone to the jungle to collect fodder for cattle, when she was attacked by the tiger, said R K Mishra, Director of Jim Corbett National Park.
Half-eaten body of the woman has been recovered and sent for postmortem, he said, adding the park administration has put up a cage to catch the tiger.
Senior forest officials have reached the spot and are trying to ascertain whether the killer is the same tiger that had killed another woman on November 12, park sources said.
Last week, Nandi Devi was returning after collecting fodder when, she was attacked by a tiger in broad daylight, leading to panic among villagers living near the park.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sariska villagers angered by official apathy
Anindo Dey, TNN, Nov 18, 2010, 12.41am IST
SARISKA: Having lived up to tough expectations imposed on them by forest officials since relocation of tigers from the Ranthambore tiger reserve began in 2008, villagers in and around the Sariska tiger reserve are now only looking back in anger.
It was an infringement of their new-found freedom that came along after the last tiger was poached from this reserve in 2005. Yet, they were willing to put with it all. But the deaths despite the apparent strictness of the forest officials now makes them feel cheated.
"What is the result of all our sacrifice. Day in and day out we were told to do this and refrain from that so as to keep the tigers safe and we obeyed. But now they are the ones who seem to have gone all wrong, failing in their duty to protect the tiger," said Hiralal Saini, former sarpanch of the Indok village here.
"If our cattle strayed into the forest by mistake they fined us Rs 500 per head of cattle but now we are told that the king of the forest is dead. It was their duty to protect the animal and they could not deal with just fiver tigers," points out D R Meena, another villager.
The anger is widespread. Another villagers Ram Avtar Meena recalled when a wedding took place in a forest village. "They would not let people accompanying the bridegroom enter the forest. The restricted their number and we had to accept it despite the shame we faced. They would not let us carry the goods inside too," he said.
"Just look at the road in front of the forest. It is full of potholes and the government is refusing to repair it. They have put curbs on traffic plying on it. This road, the forest, the tigers and the villagers have all existed since time immemorial. Prior, to 1995 we have seen up to two pairs of tigers every hour and they were safe. But the curbs they have brought in have evoked the anger of Bharthari Maharaj and Sariska's jinx with tigers are a result of it," said Bhadra Prasad Meena.
Even the visit of chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday following the death of the tiger has not gone down well with them.
"In 2007 about 50 persons from Indok village died after disease struck the village, but not one politician came down let alone the chief minister. And now the tiger's death has managed to bring officials from all across the country. No one cares for us, despite the fact that we generate revenue. There is no hopsital or school or even a post office here. Depsite generating revenue our lands are not being regularised and our houses contuinue to be a shanties. We are being forced to evacuate our village for the tiger. How can it survive after so much of wrath?" questions Hiralal.
SARISKA: Having lived up to tough expectations imposed on them by forest officials since relocation of tigers from the Ranthambore tiger reserve began in 2008, villagers in and around the Sariska tiger reserve are now only looking back in anger.
It was an infringement of their new-found freedom that came along after the last tiger was poached from this reserve in 2005. Yet, they were willing to put with it all. But the deaths despite the apparent strictness of the forest officials now makes them feel cheated.
"What is the result of all our sacrifice. Day in and day out we were told to do this and refrain from that so as to keep the tigers safe and we obeyed. But now they are the ones who seem to have gone all wrong, failing in their duty to protect the tiger," said Hiralal Saini, former sarpanch of the Indok village here.
"If our cattle strayed into the forest by mistake they fined us Rs 500 per head of cattle but now we are told that the king of the forest is dead. It was their duty to protect the animal and they could not deal with just fiver tigers," points out D R Meena, another villager.
The anger is widespread. Another villagers Ram Avtar Meena recalled when a wedding took place in a forest village. "They would not let people accompanying the bridegroom enter the forest. The restricted their number and we had to accept it despite the shame we faced. They would not let us carry the goods inside too," he said.
"Just look at the road in front of the forest. It is full of potholes and the government is refusing to repair it. They have put curbs on traffic plying on it. This road, the forest, the tigers and the villagers have all existed since time immemorial. Prior, to 1995 we have seen up to two pairs of tigers every hour and they were safe. But the curbs they have brought in have evoked the anger of Bharthari Maharaj and Sariska's jinx with tigers are a result of it," said Bhadra Prasad Meena.
Even the visit of chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday following the death of the tiger has not gone down well with them.
"In 2007 about 50 persons from Indok village died after disease struck the village, but not one politician came down let alone the chief minister. And now the tiger's death has managed to bring officials from all across the country. No one cares for us, despite the fact that we generate revenue. There is no hopsital or school or even a post office here. Depsite generating revenue our lands are not being regularised and our houses contuinue to be a shanties. We are being forced to evacuate our village for the tiger. How can it survive after so much of wrath?" questions Hiralal.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Villagers poison tiger at Sariska; Jairam to probe
New Delhi, Nov 17: Following the report that the tiger in Sariska reserve died for poison, not for any territorial fight, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh will reach at sight in Rajasthan on Wednesday, Nov 17.
Buzz up!
Before moving to the Sariska reserve, Ramesh stated, "I admit that there has been a failure of governance and administration, and I take full responsibility for that. But to say that the relocation program is not working or not right is wrong."
After some continuous cases of illegal hunting in 2004, the Prime Minister ordered to relocate the tigers and since 2008, five tigers have been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore.
In Sariska, a big cat, relocated from Ranthambore in 2008 was found dead and another tiger was missing from last week.
Buzz up!
Before moving to the Sariska reserve, Ramesh stated, "I admit that there has been a failure of governance and administration, and I take full responsibility for that. But to say that the relocation program is not working or not right is wrong."
After some continuous cases of illegal hunting in 2004, the Prime Minister ordered to relocate the tigers and since 2008, five tigers have been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore.
In Sariska, a big cat, relocated from Ranthambore in 2008 was found dead and another tiger was missing from last week.
Sariksa Tiger ST-4 may be alive, claim officials
SARISKA: A day after ST-1's body was recovered, forest officials feel there is a ray of hope for the survival of the missing ST-4, as they have spotted fresh pug marks of a male tiger.
According to Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board, "ST-4 has been traced. The team that specialises in tracking tiger sighted fresh pugmarks near Mataji Ka mandir at the Silibery outpost. The pug marks were sighted this morning much before the rains and stretches for 4 km between Silibery and Rotkella." In a major jolt to the first-ever bid to re-establish a tiger population by relocation in a reserve, Sariska on Sunday woke up to the rude shock of the death of one of the two males that were brought here from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. The only other male ST-4 has been missing since the past fortnight with no signals being emitted from its radio collar.
These apart, there are three females ST2, ST3 and ST5 that have been brought here. Officials say that they have received constant signals from all the three even on Tuesday. But with none of them having conceived since 2008, the relocation bid by state forest officials has come under scanner.
News of the fresh pugmarks arrived early on Tuesday after which an additional force was sent to track the tiger.
"These pugmarks are much bigger in size indicating that they are those of a male tiger. And since the only other male in the forest is ST4 we believe it is his pugmarks," Singh added.
However, suspicion still remains as to whether the pugmarks are that of ST4 as the tiger has not been physically identified yet. Moreover, officials of the forest department are yet to get any signal from the radio collar of the animal. However, one factor remains unanswered. If at all, it was a territorial fight, how come ST-4, which was assumed to be a weaker tiger is still alive? No confirmation on the health of the tiger ST4 (after the alleged territorial war) has been received. And if there was no territorial war then how did ST-1 die?
However, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, said that additional teams would be sent on Wednesday to the forest to confirm the presence of the tiger. "It got late by the time the team got into action. On Wednesday, we will press in more specialists to track the animal. We will also confirm why the radio collar was not working," Bhatia said.
Officials accompanying the team that is tracking the pugmarks of ST4 have taken im-prints of the pug mark on plaster of paris to match it with the earlier imprints of ST4. Former director of Sariska tiger reserve S Somashekar who was here during the relocation of the first tiger and Rahul Kumar Bhatia, APCCF, are also accompanying other senior officials here.
Read more: ST-4 may be alive, claim officials - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ST-4-may-be-alive-claim-officials/articleshow/6939257.cms#ixzz15WpueCcB
According to Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board, "ST-4 has been traced. The team that specialises in tracking tiger sighted fresh pugmarks near Mataji Ka mandir at the Silibery outpost. The pug marks were sighted this morning much before the rains and stretches for 4 km between Silibery and Rotkella." In a major jolt to the first-ever bid to re-establish a tiger population by relocation in a reserve, Sariska on Sunday woke up to the rude shock of the death of one of the two males that were brought here from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. The only other male ST-4 has been missing since the past fortnight with no signals being emitted from its radio collar.
These apart, there are three females ST2, ST3 and ST5 that have been brought here. Officials say that they have received constant signals from all the three even on Tuesday. But with none of them having conceived since 2008, the relocation bid by state forest officials has come under scanner.
News of the fresh pugmarks arrived early on Tuesday after which an additional force was sent to track the tiger.
"These pugmarks are much bigger in size indicating that they are those of a male tiger. And since the only other male in the forest is ST4 we believe it is his pugmarks," Singh added.
However, suspicion still remains as to whether the pugmarks are that of ST4 as the tiger has not been physically identified yet. Moreover, officials of the forest department are yet to get any signal from the radio collar of the animal. However, one factor remains unanswered. If at all, it was a territorial fight, how come ST-4, which was assumed to be a weaker tiger is still alive? No confirmation on the health of the tiger ST4 (after the alleged territorial war) has been received. And if there was no territorial war then how did ST-1 die?
However, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, said that additional teams would be sent on Wednesday to the forest to confirm the presence of the tiger. "It got late by the time the team got into action. On Wednesday, we will press in more specialists to track the animal. We will also confirm why the radio collar was not working," Bhatia said.
Officials accompanying the team that is tracking the pugmarks of ST4 have taken im-prints of the pug mark on plaster of paris to match it with the earlier imprints of ST4. Former director of Sariska tiger reserve S Somashekar who was here during the relocation of the first tiger and Rahul Kumar Bhatia, APCCF, are also accompanying other senior officials here.
Read more: ST-4 may be alive, claim officials - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ST-4-may-be-alive-claim-officials/articleshow/6939257.cms#ixzz15WpueCcB
Nepal Police seize tiger skin, arrest three people
Kathmandu, Nov 16 (PTI) Nepal Police have seized tiger skin, which was reportedly being smuggled to India, and arrested three persons in this connection.
The three were arrested yesterday while they were carrying tiger skin on a motorcycle from Bardibas of Mohottari district in southern Nepal.
The arrested men are: Ram Ekbal Yadav, Jitendra Mahara and Mahadev Maul, according to the National News Agency (RSS). Their mobile telephones have also been confiscated by the police.
The three were arrested yesterday while they were carrying tiger skin on a motorcycle from Bardibas of Mohottari district in southern Nepal.
The arrested men are: Ram Ekbal Yadav, Jitendra Mahara and Mahadev Maul, according to the National News Agency (RSS). Their mobile telephones have also been confiscated by the police.
Four held for poaching tiger, smuggling wildlife goods
Kolkata, Nov 16 (IANS) Four people, involved in poaching of the Royal Bengal tiger and smuggling of wildlife goods, were arrested in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district, an official said Tuesday.
'A trap was laid to catch the culprits red-handed. Posing as customers, we contacted the gang members and asked them to deliver the tiger's skin at Baruipur area of the district on Monday,' said Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) field director Subrat Mukherjee.
'We recovered one tiger skin and two deer's skins. The accused were presented before Alipore court this (Tuesday) afternoon and remanded to judicial custody for seven days,' Mukherjee said.
Three of the four accused have been identified as Moumen Gazi, Biren Naskar and Umapati Naskar.
'A trap was laid to catch the culprits red-handed. Posing as customers, we contacted the gang members and asked them to deliver the tiger's skin at Baruipur area of the district on Monday,' said Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) field director Subrat Mukherjee.
'We recovered one tiger skin and two deer's skins. The accused were presented before Alipore court this (Tuesday) afternoon and remanded to judicial custody for seven days,' Mukherjee said.
Three of the four accused have been identified as Moumen Gazi, Biren Naskar and Umapati Naskar.
Poacher held with tiger skins
Lucknow, Nov 16 (IANS) A poacher was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district with skins of tigers and a leopard, police said Tuesday.
'Rakesh Kumar, 28, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, was nabbed late Monday from the Sayedraza town following a joint operation conducted by police and forest officials,' police inspector R.K. Ram told reporters in Chandauli.
'We arrested Kumar while he was on his way to Bihar, where he was supposed to hand over the skins to his clients. Skins of three tigers and one leopard were seized from him,' he added.
Preliminary investigations reveal Rakesh was involved in the illegal wildlife trade for the last six years,' he said.
'Rakesh Kumar, 28, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, was nabbed late Monday from the Sayedraza town following a joint operation conducted by police and forest officials,' police inspector R.K. Ram told reporters in Chandauli.
'We arrested Kumar while he was on his way to Bihar, where he was supposed to hand over the skins to his clients. Skins of three tigers and one leopard were seized from him,' he added.
Preliminary investigations reveal Rakesh was involved in the illegal wildlife trade for the last six years,' he said.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Skewed sex ratio, overcrowding may mar ranthambore
JAIPUR: Overcrowding and a skewed sex ratio at the Ranthambore tiger reserve could leave a telling effect on the future of the sanctuary. According to experts, the anomalies could even leave a mark on the number of tigers at the park in the days to come.
In fact, experts are linking these two factors directly to the drop in the number of litters that the park has been seeing for the past two years. As compared to figures, five tiger cubs that were born in 2008 and 12 that were born between 2006 and 2007. However, in the past two years, either the park has drawn a blank or had to satisfy itself with two new borns a couple of months back.
"Ideally, the male-female ratio should be 1:3. But Ranthambore has a skewed sex ratio and the male to female number may not even be 1:1. As a result, mating and conception has been badly affected. The stronger male tigers might be getting a companion but then due to the smaller sex ratio and overcrowding, competition and fights might have marred Sariska prospects, '' experts say.
Experts also feel that of late, Ranthambore has been exposed to a lot of tourists and that may have "poached" on the tiger privacy. "A study on cheetahs carried out in Africa revealed that cat population growth graph took a nosedive in areas where tourists flocked. The case may be the same for Ranthambore," said Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board.
Singh felt that even the road that connects Madhopur in Rajasthan to Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh and divided the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Ranthambore park sees a lot of traffic throughout the year. "Ideally, all routes in a park should not be opened for tourism," he felt.
In fact, forest department officials do not rule out the fact that may have been killed and eaten also. "The litters come out in the open only after four months. Till then, they remain with their mother and are also in a vulnerable position as they may be easily killed by male tigers," officials felt.
However, RS Shekhawat, DFO, Ranthambore, provided the much-needed silver lining. He said, "It is true that there have been less litters currently as compared to the past years. But there are several reasons for this. But on the positive side, two cubs were born this year and in January we might just see more," he added.
In fact, experts are linking these two factors directly to the drop in the number of litters that the park has been seeing for the past two years. As compared to figures, five tiger cubs that were born in 2008 and 12 that were born between 2006 and 2007. However, in the past two years, either the park has drawn a blank or had to satisfy itself with two new borns a couple of months back.
"Ideally, the male-female ratio should be 1:3. But Ranthambore has a skewed sex ratio and the male to female number may not even be 1:1. As a result, mating and conception has been badly affected. The stronger male tigers might be getting a companion but then due to the smaller sex ratio and overcrowding, competition and fights might have marred Sariska prospects, '' experts say.
Experts also feel that of late, Ranthambore has been exposed to a lot of tourists and that may have "poached" on the tiger privacy. "A study on cheetahs carried out in Africa revealed that cat population growth graph took a nosedive in areas where tourists flocked. The case may be the same for Ranthambore," said Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board.
Singh felt that even the road that connects Madhopur in Rajasthan to Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh and divided the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Ranthambore park sees a lot of traffic throughout the year. "Ideally, all routes in a park should not be opened for tourism," he felt.
In fact, forest department officials do not rule out the fact that may have been killed and eaten also. "The litters come out in the open only after four months. Till then, they remain with their mother and are also in a vulnerable position as they may be easily killed by male tigers," officials felt.
However, RS Shekhawat, DFO, Ranthambore, provided the much-needed silver lining. He said, "It is true that there have been less litters currently as compared to the past years. But there are several reasons for this. But on the positive side, two cubs were born this year and in January we might just see more," he added.
Tiger skin seized on city outskirts
TNN, Nov 16, 2010, 04.28am IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Alipore Court
BARUIPUR: The skin of a Bengal Tiger was seized by a special team of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) officials from Baruipur in South 24-Parganas on Monday night. Three persons were arrested in this connection.
Police suspect the trio to be part of a big tiger parts racket. On Monday evening, they were waiting for a customer at Baruipur Bazar with a tiger's skin in a bag. The STR team, led by senior forest officer Anjan Guha, got a tip about the trio's location and immediately contacted police.
A joint police and forest department team arrested the suspects and seized the skin. The trio will be produced in Alipore court on Tuesday, said an official.
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Alipore Court
BARUIPUR: The skin of a Bengal Tiger was seized by a special team of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) officials from Baruipur in South 24-Parganas on Monday night. Three persons were arrested in this connection.
Police suspect the trio to be part of a big tiger parts racket. On Monday evening, they were waiting for a customer at Baruipur Bazar with a tiger's skin in a bag. The STR team, led by senior forest officer Anjan Guha, got a tip about the trio's location and immediately contacted police.
A joint police and forest department team arrested the suspects and seized the skin. The trio will be produced in Alipore court on Tuesday, said an official.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Setback in Sariska as translocated tiger found dead
Alwar (Rajasthan): One of the five tigers translocated to Sariska reserve to revive their population has been found dead.
The carcass of the tiger was found on Sunday night, Rajasthan Forest Minister Ramlal Jat said on Monday.
He said injury marks indicate that the tiger might have been killed in a territorial fight. However, the exact cause of death will be clear only after a post-mortem.
The Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan lost all its tigers by 2004-05, mostly to widespread poaching.
In a bid to revive tiger population in the reserve, three tigers a male and two females were shifted from Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan, in 2008 and 2009.
However, they failed to produce any offspring and it was later found that they were siblings.
After an intense genetic analysis, a tiger and a tigress were translocated this year.
The carcass of the tiger was found on Sunday night, Rajasthan Forest Minister Ramlal Jat said on Monday.
He said injury marks indicate that the tiger might have been killed in a territorial fight. However, the exact cause of death will be clear only after a post-mortem.
The Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan lost all its tigers by 2004-05, mostly to widespread poaching.
In a bid to revive tiger population in the reserve, three tigers a male and two females were shifted from Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan, in 2008 and 2009.
However, they failed to produce any offspring and it was later found that they were siblings.
After an intense genetic analysis, a tiger and a tigress were translocated this year.
Tiger kills another tiger in territorial fight
Tags:Tiger Death|Pilibhit Forest|Indian Veterinary Research Institute
LUCKNOW: In a worst case of infighting between felines, an adult tiger was killed and partially eaten by another in Pilibhit forest. The tiger's mauled body was recovered on Thursday midnight from the forest area. The `killer' tiger was so ferocious that it dragged the carcass deep into the forest and ate some flesh from one thigh. The viscera of the dead animal has been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly and post-mortem report is awaited.
It was a fierce territorial fight. It was around 4:30 pm when the villagers had spotted the carcass of a male tiger lying in Garha compartment 132(b) in Mala range of Pilibhit on Thursday. However, when the forest staff reached the spot to recover the carcass it was found missing. "The carcass had been dragged inside forest by the killer tiger," said VK Singh, DFO, Pilibhit. The foresters earlier suspected it to be a case of poaching. The carcass however was recovered late night from the deep of the forest with its claws, skin and canines intact, thus ruling out any foul play. But its tail was reportedly severed.
The forest officials and experts from WWF and WTI who surveyed the area where carcass was recovered had given a preliminary report. The carcass had its collar bone broken. It only indicated towards the ferocity of the fight. The killer tiger could have dragged its victim from the neck. There are quite a few instances where cubs are eaten by adult tigers but two adult tigers fighting and one eating the other is rare. "Though history has instances of cannibalism in tigers, it is rare," said RL Singh, former director of Project Tiger.
The eating is never meant to satiate the hunger but is an extension of the fight. "It happens in the heat of the fighting and it is mostly a little portion of flesh which is eaten," said Singh. The experts also deny to link the `tiger-eating-tiger' instance with declining prey-base in forests. If that had been the reason ever, tigers would have hunted each other but that's not their intrinsic nature. The males fight over a territory. A robust male has 10 to 15 km of its hunting area called a territory. It guards its area fiercely against other tigers. The tigers might also increase their territory to areas with a good prey base.
A male has at least three females in the territory who individually guard their won small territories within that big area basically to rear cubs. In such an arrangement, young and old males are the only ones who are pushed to the fringes of the forest where there is a lesser prey base. In an in-fighting between two adults, it is the stronger one which survives.
Pilibhit in-fighting could also be explained in the backdrop of the fact that it has a good population of tigers. February 2008 census had showed 36 tigers present over 712 sq km of its area.
LUCKNOW: In a worst case of infighting between felines, an adult tiger was killed and partially eaten by another in Pilibhit forest. The tiger's mauled body was recovered on Thursday midnight from the forest area. The `killer' tiger was so ferocious that it dragged the carcass deep into the forest and ate some flesh from one thigh. The viscera of the dead animal has been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly and post-mortem report is awaited.
It was a fierce territorial fight. It was around 4:30 pm when the villagers had spotted the carcass of a male tiger lying in Garha compartment 132(b) in Mala range of Pilibhit on Thursday. However, when the forest staff reached the spot to recover the carcass it was found missing. "The carcass had been dragged inside forest by the killer tiger," said VK Singh, DFO, Pilibhit. The foresters earlier suspected it to be a case of poaching. The carcass however was recovered late night from the deep of the forest with its claws, skin and canines intact, thus ruling out any foul play. But its tail was reportedly severed.
The forest officials and experts from WWF and WTI who surveyed the area where carcass was recovered had given a preliminary report. The carcass had its collar bone broken. It only indicated towards the ferocity of the fight. The killer tiger could have dragged its victim from the neck. There are quite a few instances where cubs are eaten by adult tigers but two adult tigers fighting and one eating the other is rare. "Though history has instances of cannibalism in tigers, it is rare," said RL Singh, former director of Project Tiger.
The eating is never meant to satiate the hunger but is an extension of the fight. "It happens in the heat of the fighting and it is mostly a little portion of flesh which is eaten," said Singh. The experts also deny to link the `tiger-eating-tiger' instance with declining prey-base in forests. If that had been the reason ever, tigers would have hunted each other but that's not their intrinsic nature. The males fight over a territory. A robust male has 10 to 15 km of its hunting area called a territory. It guards its area fiercely against other tigers. The tigers might also increase their territory to areas with a good prey base.
A male has at least three females in the territory who individually guard their won small territories within that big area basically to rear cubs. In such an arrangement, young and old males are the only ones who are pushed to the fringes of the forest where there is a lesser prey base. In an in-fighting between two adults, it is the stronger one which survives.
Pilibhit in-fighting could also be explained in the backdrop of the fact that it has a good population of tigers. February 2008 census had showed 36 tigers present over 712 sq km of its area.
Tiger kills a woman in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand
A tiger killed a woman near Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand on Friday.
Residents of Ramnagar locality said that three women went into the forest near the Sunderkhal village to bring dry wood when a man-eater attacked one of the women, Nandi Devi, while others managed to escape.
"Something very bad has happened. A tiger attacked one of our fellow women. We are very afraid. How will we get dry wood and other things? We are facing a lot of problems," said Kaushalya Devi, a resident.
Onlookers told the media persons that the body of the victim was found two to three kilometers away from the village in the forest. By Vibhav Porav (ANI)
Residents of Ramnagar locality said that three women went into the forest near the Sunderkhal village to bring dry wood when a man-eater attacked one of the women, Nandi Devi, while others managed to escape.
"Something very bad has happened. A tiger attacked one of our fellow women. We are very afraid. How will we get dry wood and other things? We are facing a lot of problems," said Kaushalya Devi, a resident.
Onlookers told the media persons that the body of the victim was found two to three kilometers away from the village in the forest. By Vibhav Porav (ANI)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Governor's plea to save the tiger from extinction
Tags:Save Tiger|International Centre Goa|Governor S S Sidhu
PANAJI: Governor S S Sidhu has stressed the need to save the tiger from extinction, stating that along with other feline animals, it forms nature's food chain and is crucial for man's survival.
Speaking at the concluding function of Konkan adventure rally, organized by "Save tigers of Sahyadri" movement, at the International Centre Goa at Dona Paula, he said if any vital part of this natural food chain is broken, it can cause irreparable harm to ecological balance.
The forest department has recently found indirect evidence of the tiger's presence in Goa, while confirmation is likely to come in the second phase of the census.
PANAJI: Governor S S Sidhu has stressed the need to save the tiger from extinction, stating that along with other feline animals, it forms nature's food chain and is crucial for man's survival.
Speaking at the concluding function of Konkan adventure rally, organized by "Save tigers of Sahyadri" movement, at the International Centre Goa at Dona Paula, he said if any vital part of this natural food chain is broken, it can cause irreparable harm to ecological balance.
The forest department has recently found indirect evidence of the tiger's presence in Goa, while confirmation is likely to come in the second phase of the census.
Saved the tiger
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Tags : Tigers in Kaziranga, Kaziranga National Park, save tiger
It’s not just rhino land. Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers in India. How the big cats found a haven in the park’s incredible profusion of life.
Hush. there. behind the bush,” says range officer Deben Kalita, his voice a low whisper. Around us are miles and miles of grassland, dappled green-gold in the afternoon light. Still, except for a breath of gentle breeze. Not a bird chirps. Not a twig cracks. Nothing but the strong animal scent in the air and the nervous energy of the old hands accompanying me tell me that I am this close to one of Kaziranga National Park’s elusive Royal Bengal Tigers.
We are near the Goroimari anti-poaching camp, in the heart of Kaziranga’s vast expanse, and in the bush, 50 feet away, lurks the majestic beast. Only an hour ago, guides Mohan Bora and Dulal Tanti had led us on a drive through thorny bushes and fields of mimosa and cane grass, high enough to hide well-built men. They are both armed with .135 rifles. This is no walk in the park; armed guards accompany all visitors, and our instructions were clear too: stay close to the foresters.
Kaziranga National Park is where the wild things are — 2,000 one-horned rhinoceros, over 1,000 wild buffalos, 33 species of mammals, 479 species of birds and 42 species of fish, across 859 sq km of fertile grassland and forests, floodplain and rivers. It is the only Indian national park to shelter five big animals: rhino, elephant, tiger, buffalo and swamp deer (barasingha).
Tags : Tigers in Kaziranga, Kaziranga National Park, save tiger
It’s not just rhino land. Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers in India. How the big cats found a haven in the park’s incredible profusion of life.
Hush. there. behind the bush,” says range officer Deben Kalita, his voice a low whisper. Around us are miles and miles of grassland, dappled green-gold in the afternoon light. Still, except for a breath of gentle breeze. Not a bird chirps. Not a twig cracks. Nothing but the strong animal scent in the air and the nervous energy of the old hands accompanying me tell me that I am this close to one of Kaziranga National Park’s elusive Royal Bengal Tigers.
We are near the Goroimari anti-poaching camp, in the heart of Kaziranga’s vast expanse, and in the bush, 50 feet away, lurks the majestic beast. Only an hour ago, guides Mohan Bora and Dulal Tanti had led us on a drive through thorny bushes and fields of mimosa and cane grass, high enough to hide well-built men. They are both armed with .135 rifles. This is no walk in the park; armed guards accompany all visitors, and our instructions were clear too: stay close to the foresters.
Kaziranga National Park is where the wild things are — 2,000 one-horned rhinoceros, over 1,000 wild buffalos, 33 species of mammals, 479 species of birds and 42 species of fish, across 859 sq km of fertile grassland and forests, floodplain and rivers. It is the only Indian national park to shelter five big animals: rhino, elephant, tiger, buffalo and swamp deer (barasingha).
Saturday, November 13, 2010
8 more tiger reserves to come in the country - Jairam Ramesh
8 more tiger reserves to come up in the country: Jairam Ramesh
PTI, Nov 12, 2010, 07.41pm IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve|Jairam Ramesh
NEW DELHI: As part of tiger conservation effort, eight more reserves for the wild cat will be set up in the country in six months, including one in the Satyamangalam forest in Tamil Nadu.
The eight reserves will be in addition to the existing 39 tiger sanctuaries.
New tiger reserves, include Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve which used to be a hideout of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
The other new reserves include BR Hills in Karnataka, two in Maharashtra, two tiger reserves in UP, including Pilibhit tiger reserve, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, he said at a function here.
While talking about efforts to conserve the endangered species, Ramesh said "I hope tiger census will be released in two weeks. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope, we will have good news".
Claiming that he didn't have "inside information" about the tiger census, he said "good news" about the tiger population is expected from the tiger reserves, including Kaziranga in Assam and Parambikkulam bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Ramesh said three tigers were lost ---two in Kaziranga and one in Pilibhit in UP--- in the last two days because of fighting .
Two of them were lost because of fighting between tigers and one tiger in Kaziranga died in a "rare fight" with a buffalo, the minister said.
The minister contended that tiger conservation in the country is "most extensive and most intensive" than any other nations in the world.
PTI, Nov 12, 2010, 07.41pm IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve|Jairam Ramesh
NEW DELHI: As part of tiger conservation effort, eight more reserves for the wild cat will be set up in the country in six months, including one in the Satyamangalam forest in Tamil Nadu.
The eight reserves will be in addition to the existing 39 tiger sanctuaries.
New tiger reserves, include Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve which used to be a hideout of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
The other new reserves include BR Hills in Karnataka, two in Maharashtra, two tiger reserves in UP, including Pilibhit tiger reserve, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, he said at a function here.
While talking about efforts to conserve the endangered species, Ramesh said "I hope tiger census will be released in two weeks. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope, we will have good news".
Claiming that he didn't have "inside information" about the tiger census, he said "good news" about the tiger population is expected from the tiger reserves, including Kaziranga in Assam and Parambikkulam bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Ramesh said three tigers were lost ---two in Kaziranga and one in Pilibhit in UP--- in the last two days because of fighting .
Two of them were lost because of fighting between tigers and one tiger in Kaziranga died in a "rare fight" with a buffalo, the minister said.
The minister contended that tiger conservation in the country is "most extensive and most intensive" than any other nations in the world.
Territorial fights claiming tigers
Territorial fights claiming tigers
Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times
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Guwahati, November 13, 2010First Published: 07:52 IST(13/11/2010)
Last Updated: 07:53 IST(13/11/2010)
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Hunted by poachers elsewhere in India, the tiger is turning out to be its own enemy in the subcontinent’s safest striped cat home – Kaziranga National Park. Forest officials on Thursday recovered the carcasses of two male tigers within the 860 sq km Kaziranga, better known as the habitat of the
world’s most one-horned rhinos. The one found in the park’s Kohora Range was decomposed while the other in Bagori Range had died in the past 24 hours.
Both tigers, officials said, died of natural causes and their body parts were intact. But the carcasses sported injury marks.
Autopsy by wildlife veterinarians revealed the Bagori Range tiger, aged 5 years, was gored by a wild buffalo it had presumably preyed on. Kaziranga has 80% of the endangered Asiatic water buffalo, a dangerous animal if threatened.
The other, officials suspected, was killed by another tiger over a territorial dispute. “Though the carcass was decomposed, the body had signs of attack by another tiger. It could have been a victim of feline territorial control,” said D.D. Gogoi, the park’s divisional forest officer.
This, he added, could be the outcome of a high concentration of tigers in Kaziranga 250 km east of Assam capital Guwahati. While the big cat kept vanishing across the country, Ministry of Environment and Forest provided a glimmer of hope in April this year by confirming the presence of 32 tigers per 100 sq km in Kaziranga.
But greens foresaw doom in this “healthy” tiger estimate. “The figure is too good to be true, and even if we accept it, the signs are ominous for the tiger,” said Soumyadeep Dutta of green group Nature’s Beckon.
Poachers haven’t been a threat yet; they prefer the more visible rhinos. Villagers on Kaziranga’s periphery have since 2008 been reacting to the tigers haunting their livestock. That year, they poisoned two adult tigers.
What concerns officials more is tiger killing tiger. Records say the bulk of nine tigers that died of ‘natural causes’ in Kaziranga in 2008 were victims of territorial fights. This year, four tigers had died similarly before the discovery of two carcasses on Thursday.
Unlike lions, tigers are solitary animals. Each tiger ‘controls’ its own territory and hates intrusion by another tiger.
Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Guwahati, November 13, 2010First Published: 07:52 IST(13/11/2010)
Last Updated: 07:53 IST(13/11/2010)
share more...
0 Comments
email print
Hunted by poachers elsewhere in India, the tiger is turning out to be its own enemy in the subcontinent’s safest striped cat home – Kaziranga National Park. Forest officials on Thursday recovered the carcasses of two male tigers within the 860 sq km Kaziranga, better known as the habitat of the
world’s most one-horned rhinos. The one found in the park’s Kohora Range was decomposed while the other in Bagori Range had died in the past 24 hours.
Both tigers, officials said, died of natural causes and their body parts were intact. But the carcasses sported injury marks.
Autopsy by wildlife veterinarians revealed the Bagori Range tiger, aged 5 years, was gored by a wild buffalo it had presumably preyed on. Kaziranga has 80% of the endangered Asiatic water buffalo, a dangerous animal if threatened.
The other, officials suspected, was killed by another tiger over a territorial dispute. “Though the carcass was decomposed, the body had signs of attack by another tiger. It could have been a victim of feline territorial control,” said D.D. Gogoi, the park’s divisional forest officer.
This, he added, could be the outcome of a high concentration of tigers in Kaziranga 250 km east of Assam capital Guwahati. While the big cat kept vanishing across the country, Ministry of Environment and Forest provided a glimmer of hope in April this year by confirming the presence of 32 tigers per 100 sq km in Kaziranga.
But greens foresaw doom in this “healthy” tiger estimate. “The figure is too good to be true, and even if we accept it, the signs are ominous for the tiger,” said Soumyadeep Dutta of green group Nature’s Beckon.
Poachers haven’t been a threat yet; they prefer the more visible rhinos. Villagers on Kaziranga’s periphery have since 2008 been reacting to the tigers haunting their livestock. That year, they poisoned two adult tigers.
What concerns officials more is tiger killing tiger. Records say the bulk of nine tigers that died of ‘natural causes’ in Kaziranga in 2008 were victims of territorial fights. This year, four tigers had died similarly before the discovery of two carcasses on Thursday.
Unlike lions, tigers are solitary animals. Each tiger ‘controls’ its own territory and hates intrusion by another tiger.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers
GUWAHATI: The already-diminishing tiger population of India has seen a further cut with two carcasses of the big cat being found from different spots inside the Kaziranga National Park, about 250 km from here, in the past 24 hours.
A highly-decomposed carcass was found near Laudubi camp under Kohra forest range of the park on Wednesday, while the carcass of a full-grown male with a deep injury mark was discovered in the Gerakati area under the Bagori forest range of the park on Thursday. The tiger that was found dead at Gerakati was estimated to be around five years old.
Officials from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex tiger conservation body, rushed to the park to investigate the deaths of the big cats. Although the post-mortem reports are yet to come, officials from NTCA ruled out any poaching angle in the tiger deaths.
"We don't think the tiger deaths are related to poaching. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the causes of both the deaths were natural. The injury mark in the second tiger's body could have been inflicted by the horn of a wild buffalo. These buffaloes often defend themselves from tiger attacks by rushing at them with their long and pointed horns," an NTCA official said.
Kaziranga divisional forest officer D D Gogoi said all the body parts of the two tigers were found to be intact and the post-mortems were conducted in the presence of officials from NTCA, WWF-India and other NGOs along with park officials.
"There was no involvement of poachers in the two tiger deaths," Gogoi claimed. With this, the tiger casualty toll has increased to four this year in Kaziranga. In February 20, 2010, a decomposed tiger carcass was found in the park. Between November 2008 and September 19, 2009, a total of 12 tigers died in Kaziranga.
Read more: Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Kaziranga-loses-2-more-tigers-/articleshow/6911209.cms#ixzz152i7kpCC
A highly-decomposed carcass was found near Laudubi camp under Kohra forest range of the park on Wednesday, while the carcass of a full-grown male with a deep injury mark was discovered in the Gerakati area under the Bagori forest range of the park on Thursday. The tiger that was found dead at Gerakati was estimated to be around five years old.
Officials from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex tiger conservation body, rushed to the park to investigate the deaths of the big cats. Although the post-mortem reports are yet to come, officials from NTCA ruled out any poaching angle in the tiger deaths.
"We don't think the tiger deaths are related to poaching. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the causes of both the deaths were natural. The injury mark in the second tiger's body could have been inflicted by the horn of a wild buffalo. These buffaloes often defend themselves from tiger attacks by rushing at them with their long and pointed horns," an NTCA official said.
Kaziranga divisional forest officer D D Gogoi said all the body parts of the two tigers were found to be intact and the post-mortems were conducted in the presence of officials from NTCA, WWF-India and other NGOs along with park officials.
"There was no involvement of poachers in the two tiger deaths," Gogoi claimed. With this, the tiger casualty toll has increased to four this year in Kaziranga. In February 20, 2010, a decomposed tiger carcass was found in the park. Between November 2008 and September 19, 2009, a total of 12 tigers died in Kaziranga.
Read more: Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Kaziranga-loses-2-more-tigers-/articleshow/6911209.cms#ixzz152i7kpCC
Mystery of the missing Himachal tiger
Shimla: Photographs of a tiger roaming in solitary splendour in the hills surrounding the picturesque tourist resort of Manali have failed to impress Himachal Pradesh's wildlife wing. The tiger does not exist, they say.
It all began when a French trekker Antoine spotted a tiger in the hills of Manali sanctuary - otherwise not known to host tigers - in April this year. He happily clicked not only the big cat but also its pugmarks and sent the pictures to the state's wildlife department, perhaps hoping for a pat on the back.
Instead, the pictures left officials unmoved.
'We conducted extensive searches of the Manali sanctuary in May and June but we couldn't find any evidence of a tiger. We even asked the locals, who too said they had never seen a tiger in the vicinity. We believe it's a farce,' chief wildlife warden A.K. Gulati said.
So why is it so difficult to believe the picture?
Manali sanctuary is spread over 32 sq km in Kullu district. The avifauna is quite good as it supports the endangeed western tragopan, the Himalayan monal, the koklas, the white crested kalij and the cheer pheasant.
It is home to the leopard, Himalayan black bear, antelope, musk deer, the Himalayan tahr - a wild goat that lives on the steepest cliffs - and many other beautiful beasts. Except the tiger.
The nearest place which has a tiger population is Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park, some 300 km away. And the chances of a tiger sauntering across the state boundary, covering all this distance and then posing for photographs are as good as nil, the experts say.
Hence, the raised eyebrows.
Kullu divisional forest officer B.S. Rana said: 'We surveyed the area extensively in July. We will search again this month as the trekker has sent us mails saying the pictures are real.'
Officials cannot contact Antoine, who's back home in France. So they did the next best thing - ask his guide.
'The guide was a resident of Manali. We took him to the spot where the tiger was apparently clicked. Yes, the surroundings matched the picture, but there was no evidence of the presence of the tiger,' he said.
Other experts too are doubtful of the pictures' authenticity.
Uttam Saikia, a researcher with the high altitude field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Solan, told IANS it was almost impossible to sight the tiger in the Manali sanctuary.
According to him, the presence of a tiger in the wild in Himachal Pradesh was only recorded in the Simbhalwara sanctuary in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand, but not Manali.
'We have twice collected fresh tiger scats in the Simbhalwara sanctuary between 2005 and 2007. But migration hundreds of kilometres away to Manali is totally impossible, unbelievable,' Saikia said, shaking his head.
It all began when a French trekker Antoine spotted a tiger in the hills of Manali sanctuary - otherwise not known to host tigers - in April this year. He happily clicked not only the big cat but also its pugmarks and sent the pictures to the state's wildlife department, perhaps hoping for a pat on the back.
Instead, the pictures left officials unmoved.
'We conducted extensive searches of the Manali sanctuary in May and June but we couldn't find any evidence of a tiger. We even asked the locals, who too said they had never seen a tiger in the vicinity. We believe it's a farce,' chief wildlife warden A.K. Gulati said.
So why is it so difficult to believe the picture?
Manali sanctuary is spread over 32 sq km in Kullu district. The avifauna is quite good as it supports the endangeed western tragopan, the Himalayan monal, the koklas, the white crested kalij and the cheer pheasant.
It is home to the leopard, Himalayan black bear, antelope, musk deer, the Himalayan tahr - a wild goat that lives on the steepest cliffs - and many other beautiful beasts. Except the tiger.
The nearest place which has a tiger population is Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park, some 300 km away. And the chances of a tiger sauntering across the state boundary, covering all this distance and then posing for photographs are as good as nil, the experts say.
Hence, the raised eyebrows.
Kullu divisional forest officer B.S. Rana said: 'We surveyed the area extensively in July. We will search again this month as the trekker has sent us mails saying the pictures are real.'
Officials cannot contact Antoine, who's back home in France. So they did the next best thing - ask his guide.
'The guide was a resident of Manali. We took him to the spot where the tiger was apparently clicked. Yes, the surroundings matched the picture, but there was no evidence of the presence of the tiger,' he said.
Other experts too are doubtful of the pictures' authenticity.
Uttam Saikia, a researcher with the high altitude field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Solan, told IANS it was almost impossible to sight the tiger in the Manali sanctuary.
According to him, the presence of a tiger in the wild in Himachal Pradesh was only recorded in the Simbhalwara sanctuary in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand, but not Manali.
'We have twice collected fresh tiger scats in the Simbhalwara sanctuary between 2005 and 2007. But migration hundreds of kilometres away to Manali is totally impossible, unbelievable,' Saikia said, shaking his head.
Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR
CHANDRAPUR: Even as the forest department is taking efforts to curb poaching, including notifying a buffer zone around Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) for better wildlife management, poachers trapped a leopard in wire traps at the outskirts of the reserve on Thursday. Fortunately, forest officials got information in time and rescued the beast before the poachers could kill it.
Sources said that forest officials of Moharli (territorial) forest range, which borders TATR, got a tip-off about a leopard having been trapped in wire traps. The leopard was reportedly struggling to free itself from the trap near village Adegaon.
RFO Rajiv Pawar and his subordinates immediately reached the spot in the afternoon. Senior forest officials, who were busy with the PCCF's tour of the district, were also informed. The officials rushed to the spot along with a tranquilisation expert and equipment from Chandrapur. A cage was also sent to capture the beast.
The experts tranquilised the beast and put it in the cage. A veterinary doctor examined the sedated beast and declared it fit to be freed into the jungle. The beast was taken to jungles bordering the Irai dam reservoir later in the evening and set free," sources said. However, no details about the investigations by forest officials into this poaching attempt have emerged as yet.
Forest department sources claimed that the traps were laid in the fringes of the forest at the periphery of agricultural fields in village Adegaon. The possibility of involvement of local poachers cannot be ruled out, sources added.
CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao and DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar could not be reached on the phone in the evening. RFO, Moharli range, Rajiv Pawar too was not available for comment.
However, reliable sources in the forest department confirmed the incident and said that the leopard rescued from the trap near Adegaon had no serious injury and hence it was immediately set free.
Experts in wildlife said that such wire traps are usually intended to trap herbivores like spotted deer (chitals) and sambar, but any wild animal including schedule-I animals like tigers and leopards can get caught in these traps. These wire traps are designed in such a way that, once a prey is trapped, the noose tightens further as the animal intensifies its efforts to free itself.
Usually this leads to grievous injuries to the trapped animal, which could lead to death due to bleeding, said the experts. However, fortunately, the leopard that was trapped in the wire traps on Thursday sustained no serious injury. This incident will serve to once again bring the activities of poachers close to the core area of TATR back into the spotlight.
Read more: Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Leopard-rescued-from-poachers-wire-trap-outside-TATR/articleshow/6910046.cms#ixzz152htPU3g
Sources said that forest officials of Moharli (territorial) forest range, which borders TATR, got a tip-off about a leopard having been trapped in wire traps. The leopard was reportedly struggling to free itself from the trap near village Adegaon.
RFO Rajiv Pawar and his subordinates immediately reached the spot in the afternoon. Senior forest officials, who were busy with the PCCF's tour of the district, were also informed. The officials rushed to the spot along with a tranquilisation expert and equipment from Chandrapur. A cage was also sent to capture the beast.
The experts tranquilised the beast and put it in the cage. A veterinary doctor examined the sedated beast and declared it fit to be freed into the jungle. The beast was taken to jungles bordering the Irai dam reservoir later in the evening and set free," sources said. However, no details about the investigations by forest officials into this poaching attempt have emerged as yet.
Forest department sources claimed that the traps were laid in the fringes of the forest at the periphery of agricultural fields in village Adegaon. The possibility of involvement of local poachers cannot be ruled out, sources added.
CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao and DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar could not be reached on the phone in the evening. RFO, Moharli range, Rajiv Pawar too was not available for comment.
However, reliable sources in the forest department confirmed the incident and said that the leopard rescued from the trap near Adegaon had no serious injury and hence it was immediately set free.
Experts in wildlife said that such wire traps are usually intended to trap herbivores like spotted deer (chitals) and sambar, but any wild animal including schedule-I animals like tigers and leopards can get caught in these traps. These wire traps are designed in such a way that, once a prey is trapped, the noose tightens further as the animal intensifies its efforts to free itself.
Usually this leads to grievous injuries to the trapped animal, which could lead to death due to bleeding, said the experts. However, fortunately, the leopard that was trapped in the wire traps on Thursday sustained no serious injury. This incident will serve to once again bring the activities of poachers close to the core area of TATR back into the spotlight.
Read more: Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Leopard-rescued-from-poachers-wire-trap-outside-TATR/articleshow/6910046.cms#ixzz152htPU3g
Outsiders at home
From coexistence to a conservation choice. The lush forests of Biligere Ranganatha Temple (BRT) sanctuary of southern Karnataka, recently given the status of a tiger reserve (in-principle), has a poignant dilemma at hand: whom will the forest nurture, the tigers or the Soligas (tribals of the region)?
Ever since the Centre approved the state's proposal to turn the park into a tiger reserve in September, the 1500-odd Soliga families have been living with the insecurity that they will any day be urged to leave the core area and be relocated outside the forest. The proposal received a further boost, with the tiger census this year giving clear indications of a "healthy presence". In fact, the estimation has revealed 16 direct sightings.
The forest department is determined that the forests are made inviolate. Relocation from the core area will be a voluntary option, but the department cites success stories like Bhadra where ungulate and, in turn, tiger population had increased considerably after the relocation of tribals, to press its case.
"We are not planning to drive anyone out. We will be taking their consent for any relocation and the department is offering a good package of Rs 10 lakh. They will not be relocated to distant places, only to fringe areas. We don't see why concerns should arise," says principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh.
Power and water lines in the park will have to be removed and those who choose to stay back will face problems in the days to come, says Singh. School and healthcare facilities will become much more inaccessible once the tiger reserve is notified.
According to Singh, the rights of around 1,100 families have been recognized as per the Forest Rights Act; the remaining are in the process.
The rollout, however, does not appear to be all that simple. There are as many as 22 podus (tribal colonies) in the core area of this 540sqkm sanctuary and the life of the Soligas has been intrinsically linked to the ways of the forest for centuries.
There are around 40,000 Soligas in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka. As many as 42 of the podus are in the fringe areas of BRT forest. Before the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into force, they were practising shifting cultivation and collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as fruits, honey, lichen, soap berry and others. However, since the act was implemented two years later, their right over the produce was gradually curbed. And in 2004, NTFP collection was completely banned.
"Even with the last deputy conservator of forests, we argued and told them how closely our lives are linked to the collection of non-timber produce. We showed him documents from Sunabeda sanctuary in Orissa were the tribals' rights to collect such produce were restored. The DCF temporarily allowed us to collect honey and broomstick. We also submitted a petition to Rahul Gandhi when he came here. But now, we have a more serious problem at hand," says Madegowda C of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddi Sangha.
As far as the gritty Soligas are concerned, they will not evacuate the core area of the forest, irrespective of the compensation offered. While it is apparent that their lifestyles have become modernized and one can no longer expect to see them in tribal clothes, they claim their lives are still entwined with the forest.
"I will not go out, no matter what," says Hanumegowda, a senior Soliga leader who is now a coffee planter. His wife, Pangamma cuts in, "Tell them we will not move even if they give us Rs 50 lakh."
Many tribal leaders also feel that the forest department is able to do its job only with Soliga help. Since they know the forest better and understand animal behaviour, they have been helping the skeletal department staff patrol the area.
"Tribal knowledge says there are at the most 15 to 20 tigers and not 34 tigers as the staff has estimated. Many of us work as watchers for the forest department," says Soliga leader J Bommaiah. "What trouble are we giving to the forest? If they have to relocate us, they have to relocate Lord Biligere himself, who had married a Soliga girl, Kusumale."
Adds Chari Madegowda, a senior leader of the podus: "We have been living with the animals for all these years. They sleep on that side and we on this side. Have we given trouble to each other? We eat fruits and tubers from the forest on a daily basis. If we are taken out, we will be like fish out of water."
Other tribals have a different take. They feel it will be easier for poachers to strike once the Soligas are moved out and the zone is declared a tiger reserve. "Soligas were like wild monkeys. You could not differentiate between them and the wild animals. Even today, tourism puts much more pressure on the ecosystem here than us," says Achugegowda. "The forest department staff are scared of poachers. It is we who have been protecting the forests."
The forest animals, indeed, are worshipped, points out Madegowda. "We worship Huliveerappa, the tiger god. Many clans worship other animals. We have around 487 sacred sites inside the forest where we worship. We have a very deep emotional and cultural relationship with the forest that cannot be overlooked," he says.
Member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and a researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Sanjay Gubbi, feels a middle ground needs to be struck. "If a sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve, it does not mean people will be forcibly relocated. But if a solution is worked out and accepted by forest dwelling communities, that would benefit both people and tigers," he says.
Read more: Outsiders at home - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Outsiders-at-home/articleshow/6910696.cms#ixzz152hmwUbd
Ever since the Centre approved the state's proposal to turn the park into a tiger reserve in September, the 1500-odd Soliga families have been living with the insecurity that they will any day be urged to leave the core area and be relocated outside the forest. The proposal received a further boost, with the tiger census this year giving clear indications of a "healthy presence". In fact, the estimation has revealed 16 direct sightings.
The forest department is determined that the forests are made inviolate. Relocation from the core area will be a voluntary option, but the department cites success stories like Bhadra where ungulate and, in turn, tiger population had increased considerably after the relocation of tribals, to press its case.
"We are not planning to drive anyone out. We will be taking their consent for any relocation and the department is offering a good package of Rs 10 lakh. They will not be relocated to distant places, only to fringe areas. We don't see why concerns should arise," says principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh.
Power and water lines in the park will have to be removed and those who choose to stay back will face problems in the days to come, says Singh. School and healthcare facilities will become much more inaccessible once the tiger reserve is notified.
According to Singh, the rights of around 1,100 families have been recognized as per the Forest Rights Act; the remaining are in the process.
The rollout, however, does not appear to be all that simple. There are as many as 22 podus (tribal colonies) in the core area of this 540sqkm sanctuary and the life of the Soligas has been intrinsically linked to the ways of the forest for centuries.
There are around 40,000 Soligas in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka. As many as 42 of the podus are in the fringe areas of BRT forest. Before the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into force, they were practising shifting cultivation and collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as fruits, honey, lichen, soap berry and others. However, since the act was implemented two years later, their right over the produce was gradually curbed. And in 2004, NTFP collection was completely banned.
"Even with the last deputy conservator of forests, we argued and told them how closely our lives are linked to the collection of non-timber produce. We showed him documents from Sunabeda sanctuary in Orissa were the tribals' rights to collect such produce were restored. The DCF temporarily allowed us to collect honey and broomstick. We also submitted a petition to Rahul Gandhi when he came here. But now, we have a more serious problem at hand," says Madegowda C of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddi Sangha.
As far as the gritty Soligas are concerned, they will not evacuate the core area of the forest, irrespective of the compensation offered. While it is apparent that their lifestyles have become modernized and one can no longer expect to see them in tribal clothes, they claim their lives are still entwined with the forest.
"I will not go out, no matter what," says Hanumegowda, a senior Soliga leader who is now a coffee planter. His wife, Pangamma cuts in, "Tell them we will not move even if they give us Rs 50 lakh."
Many tribal leaders also feel that the forest department is able to do its job only with Soliga help. Since they know the forest better and understand animal behaviour, they have been helping the skeletal department staff patrol the area.
"Tribal knowledge says there are at the most 15 to 20 tigers and not 34 tigers as the staff has estimated. Many of us work as watchers for the forest department," says Soliga leader J Bommaiah. "What trouble are we giving to the forest? If they have to relocate us, they have to relocate Lord Biligere himself, who had married a Soliga girl, Kusumale."
Adds Chari Madegowda, a senior leader of the podus: "We have been living with the animals for all these years. They sleep on that side and we on this side. Have we given trouble to each other? We eat fruits and tubers from the forest on a daily basis. If we are taken out, we will be like fish out of water."
Other tribals have a different take. They feel it will be easier for poachers to strike once the Soligas are moved out and the zone is declared a tiger reserve. "Soligas were like wild monkeys. You could not differentiate between them and the wild animals. Even today, tourism puts much more pressure on the ecosystem here than us," says Achugegowda. "The forest department staff are scared of poachers. It is we who have been protecting the forests."
The forest animals, indeed, are worshipped, points out Madegowda. "We worship Huliveerappa, the tiger god. Many clans worship other animals. We have around 487 sacred sites inside the forest where we worship. We have a very deep emotional and cultural relationship with the forest that cannot be overlooked," he says.
Member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and a researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Sanjay Gubbi, feels a middle ground needs to be struck. "If a sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve, it does not mean people will be forcibly relocated. But if a solution is worked out and accepted by forest dwelling communities, that would benefit both people and tigers," he says.
Read more: Outsiders at home - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Outsiders-at-home/articleshow/6910696.cms#ixzz152hmwUbd
Egg on face for BBC over tigers in Bhutan
The BBC describing its filming of tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters in Bhutan as a rare discovery has shocked experts, who say presence of big cats in the Himalayan kingdom is a known fact. “Nothing new,” said Charles McDougal, a scientist who has worked for tiger conservation in Nepal and
Bhutan and had filmed tigers in Bhutan in 1998, in an email to conservationists in South Asia. He along with Nepal’s Carma Tshering had submitted a tiger conservation strategy to Bhutan based on camera traps used to film tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
Tigers live and breed in habitat up to 3,000 meters above sea level and use high altitude of more than 4,000 meters to move. The Himalayan range in Bhutan and Nepal, where the BBC had out its camera traps, had been a historical corridor for tigers to move from one region to another.
Bhutan has about 150 tigers mostly found in the range of 3,000-4,000 meters, which is also the only place in the world where tigers, leopards and snow leopards share the same valley.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with global tiger conservationist Dr Alan Rabinowitz and wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan this summer installed camera traps in the high altitude and were stunned to find wildlife after three months. “The discovery has stunned experts, as the tigers are living at a higher altitude than any other known and appear to be successfully breeding,” the BBC said on its site.
It claimed there was little known about well-being of tigers in the Himalayan foothills of Bhutan and said the discovery could be crucial to a proposed scheme (Global Tiger Initiative) to save the species from extinction. Much before the BBC film the initiative identified the tiger range in Bhutan as region for future tiger conservation.
The story titled “Lost Tigers Discovered in Bhutan Mountains” also said their presence in Bhutan highlands have been confirmed by footage by a BBC natural history camera crew.
The claim evoked a strong reaction with experts saying that tigers had never gone missing in Bhutan. “It was a pity BBC did not acknowledge the amazing work on the high altitude tigers done by scientists in Bhutan and Nepal since 1990’s,” said Belinda Wright, director of Wildlife Conservation Society of India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Egg-on-face-for-BBC-over-tigers-in-Bhutan/Article1-624191.aspx
Bhutan and had filmed tigers in Bhutan in 1998, in an email to conservationists in South Asia. He along with Nepal’s Carma Tshering had submitted a tiger conservation strategy to Bhutan based on camera traps used to film tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
Tigers live and breed in habitat up to 3,000 meters above sea level and use high altitude of more than 4,000 meters to move. The Himalayan range in Bhutan and Nepal, where the BBC had out its camera traps, had been a historical corridor for tigers to move from one region to another.
Bhutan has about 150 tigers mostly found in the range of 3,000-4,000 meters, which is also the only place in the world where tigers, leopards and snow leopards share the same valley.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with global tiger conservationist Dr Alan Rabinowitz and wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan this summer installed camera traps in the high altitude and were stunned to find wildlife after three months. “The discovery has stunned experts, as the tigers are living at a higher altitude than any other known and appear to be successfully breeding,” the BBC said on its site.
It claimed there was little known about well-being of tigers in the Himalayan foothills of Bhutan and said the discovery could be crucial to a proposed scheme (Global Tiger Initiative) to save the species from extinction. Much before the BBC film the initiative identified the tiger range in Bhutan as region for future tiger conservation.
The story titled “Lost Tigers Discovered in Bhutan Mountains” also said their presence in Bhutan highlands have been confirmed by footage by a BBC natural history camera crew.
The claim evoked a strong reaction with experts saying that tigers had never gone missing in Bhutan. “It was a pity BBC did not acknowledge the amazing work on the high altitude tigers done by scientists in Bhutan and Nepal since 1990’s,” said Belinda Wright, director of Wildlife Conservation Society of India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Egg-on-face-for-BBC-over-tigers-in-Bhutan/Article1-624191.aspx
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Tigress poisoned in bandhavgarh
TALA (BANDHAVGARH): All is not well with Bandhavgarh National Park. Just five months after a big cat was killed in a car crash right inside the park, a tigress was allegedly poisoned by local villagers and a male tiger was found with severe injury, apparently following a territory fight.
Around two weeks ago, a tigress, known as Aamnullahwali Sherni, was allegedly poisoned by a resident of Malagaon — a village bordering the reserve — after it killed one of his goats. According to forest officials, the animal had killed and eaten a portion of the goat and left the rest near a bush to have it later. The villager, Rewa Burman, found the carcass and allegedly laced it with poison, knowing that the tigress would return to her kill. After a few hours, a forest patrol found the unconscious tigress in the Kathli beat of Tala range. Senior officers, including forest department veterinarian Nitin Gupta, rushed to the spot. The tigress was administered an injection and soon it regained consciousness. "It's now doing quite fine," said range officer (tourism) S C Pandey.
"Initially we had thought that the animal was ill. But then our vet examined it and decided that the tigress had been poisoned. It had vomited copiously and maybe we could save it because of that only," Pandey added. The vomit samples have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The reports, however, are yet to reach Bandhavgarh, said the range officer.
Burman, meanwhile, has been languishing behind bars — in judicial custody. "It's the forest department which has prosecuted him and the charges under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act are non-bailable," said V C Verma, superintendent of police, Umaria district.
A section of villagers, however, claim that Burman is a just a scapegoat. "The tigress got caught in the wire fencing put up by the forest department while trying to enter the village. The forest officials are trying to cover it up and showing it as a case of poisoning," said a villager, refusing to reveal his identity.
The range officer, however, rejected the claim. "There was no injury mark on the tigress, which was lying unconscious. Its front legs had been tied up with a rope before it was administered the injection. And just a few minutes after the antidote was injected, the animal gained such strength that it snapped the rope and jumped away," said Pandey, who incidentally was not on the spot.
What kind of poison do the villagers use to kill the big cats? And what drugs are used to treat a poisoned tiger? The range officer is not aware. "Dr Gupta would be able to tell you," he says. But unfortunately, Gupta could not be contacted.
Wildlife painter Mahesh Jangam, who hails from Rajasthan's Ranthambore and runs an art school in Bandhavgarh, seems better-informed. "Generally, the villagers use a strong pesticide called Aldrin to kill the tigers. It's the same poison that had been used to kill two cubs in Ranthambore in March this year," he says.
Meanwhile, a male tiger has been found in Tala range with a four-inch wound on its neck. The tiger, identified as 13-year-old B2, is under observation. "But it could not be treated so far," says a forest official. The department came to know about the injury on October 29. "Later, trackers on elephant managed to spot it, but every time, the tiger managed to run away. And the wound is difficult to heal since it's on the neck and the animal cannot lick it," the official added. "It was probably injured in a territory fight with some other male tiger," said a forest guide.
Around two weeks ago, a tigress, known as Aamnullahwali Sherni, was allegedly poisoned by a resident of Malagaon — a village bordering the reserve — after it killed one of his goats. According to forest officials, the animal had killed and eaten a portion of the goat and left the rest near a bush to have it later. The villager, Rewa Burman, found the carcass and allegedly laced it with poison, knowing that the tigress would return to her kill. After a few hours, a forest patrol found the unconscious tigress in the Kathli beat of Tala range. Senior officers, including forest department veterinarian Nitin Gupta, rushed to the spot. The tigress was administered an injection and soon it regained consciousness. "It's now doing quite fine," said range officer (tourism) S C Pandey.
"Initially we had thought that the animal was ill. But then our vet examined it and decided that the tigress had been poisoned. It had vomited copiously and maybe we could save it because of that only," Pandey added. The vomit samples have been sent to the forensic laboratory in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. The reports, however, are yet to reach Bandhavgarh, said the range officer.
Burman, meanwhile, has been languishing behind bars — in judicial custody. "It's the forest department which has prosecuted him and the charges under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act are non-bailable," said V C Verma, superintendent of police, Umaria district.
A section of villagers, however, claim that Burman is a just a scapegoat. "The tigress got caught in the wire fencing put up by the forest department while trying to enter the village. The forest officials are trying to cover it up and showing it as a case of poisoning," said a villager, refusing to reveal his identity.
The range officer, however, rejected the claim. "There was no injury mark on the tigress, which was lying unconscious. Its front legs had been tied up with a rope before it was administered the injection. And just a few minutes after the antidote was injected, the animal gained such strength that it snapped the rope and jumped away," said Pandey, who incidentally was not on the spot.
What kind of poison do the villagers use to kill the big cats? And what drugs are used to treat a poisoned tiger? The range officer is not aware. "Dr Gupta would be able to tell you," he says. But unfortunately, Gupta could not be contacted.
Wildlife painter Mahesh Jangam, who hails from Rajasthan's Ranthambore and runs an art school in Bandhavgarh, seems better-informed. "Generally, the villagers use a strong pesticide called Aldrin to kill the tigers. It's the same poison that had been used to kill two cubs in Ranthambore in March this year," he says.
Meanwhile, a male tiger has been found in Tala range with a four-inch wound on its neck. The tiger, identified as 13-year-old B2, is under observation. "But it could not be treated so far," says a forest official. The department came to know about the injury on October 29. "Later, trackers on elephant managed to spot it, but every time, the tiger managed to run away. And the wound is difficult to heal since it's on the neck and the animal cannot lick it," the official added. "It was probably injured in a territory fight with some other male tiger," said a forest guide.
India bhutan to jointly monitor Manas tigers
India, Bhutan to jointly monitor Manas tigers
ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Manas National Park
Guwahati, Nov. 10: The forest authorities of India and Bhutan have agreed to start a joint initiative to “camera trap” tigers moving across the international border from November 20, marking the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries for wildlife conservation.
This was decided at a meeting between representatives of Manas National Park India and Royal Manas National Park Bhutan at Bansbari in Manas today. The idea behind the exercise is to monitor the movement of tigers between the two parks having contiguous areas.
The field director of Manas National Park, A. Swargiari, told this correspondent that both the countries had decided to go ahead with the joint camera trapping from November 20. “This is a historic day for both the countries in wildlife cooperation, and both sides have assured their support,” he said.
Around 450 square km will be covered on both sides of the boundary and the exercise will continue for two months. In Manas India, the areas covered would be Bansbari and Bhuyanpara while in Bhutan, authorities would be covering the Manas range of Royal Manas National Park.
Bivash Pandav from WWF International, who was present at the meeting, said the results of the first-ever joint camera trapping should be out by February and a joint report would be brought out. “This would be the biggest area covered jointly with another country,” he said.
Royal Manas National Park manager Tenzi Wangchuk represented Bhutan, which has provided full support to the exercise.
The meeting discussed the concept of Greater Manas which has already got the support from World Heritage Committee. The need for trans-border property cooperation and for having regular joint meetings was also discussed. A resolution was passed for conservation of greater Manas landscape.
While Manas India has an area of 500 square km, Royal Manas Bhutan covers 1,057 square km and tigers move from Phibsoo wildlife sanctuary in Bhutan to Manas tiger reserve, Buxa tiger reserve and Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary in India.
Standard monitoring protocol will be followed for the entire exercise, a senior forest official said.
The meeting also discussed the idea of having a similar exercise for monitoring elephants.
Apart from WWF, Aaranyak and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment also rendered their support.
The World Heritage Committee has been saying that the co-operation was highly valuable and even necessary for wildlife conservation for which Manas was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan has been saying that disturbance on the Indian side affects them and working together would be beneficial to both sides.
ROOPAK GOSWAMI
Manas National Park
Guwahati, Nov. 10: The forest authorities of India and Bhutan have agreed to start a joint initiative to “camera trap” tigers moving across the international border from November 20, marking the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between the two countries for wildlife conservation.
This was decided at a meeting between representatives of Manas National Park India and Royal Manas National Park Bhutan at Bansbari in Manas today. The idea behind the exercise is to monitor the movement of tigers between the two parks having contiguous areas.
The field director of Manas National Park, A. Swargiari, told this correspondent that both the countries had decided to go ahead with the joint camera trapping from November 20. “This is a historic day for both the countries in wildlife cooperation, and both sides have assured their support,” he said.
Around 450 square km will be covered on both sides of the boundary and the exercise will continue for two months. In Manas India, the areas covered would be Bansbari and Bhuyanpara while in Bhutan, authorities would be covering the Manas range of Royal Manas National Park.
Bivash Pandav from WWF International, who was present at the meeting, said the results of the first-ever joint camera trapping should be out by February and a joint report would be brought out. “This would be the biggest area covered jointly with another country,” he said.
Royal Manas National Park manager Tenzi Wangchuk represented Bhutan, which has provided full support to the exercise.
The meeting discussed the concept of Greater Manas which has already got the support from World Heritage Committee. The need for trans-border property cooperation and for having regular joint meetings was also discussed. A resolution was passed for conservation of greater Manas landscape.
While Manas India has an area of 500 square km, Royal Manas Bhutan covers 1,057 square km and tigers move from Phibsoo wildlife sanctuary in Bhutan to Manas tiger reserve, Buxa tiger reserve and Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary in India.
Standard monitoring protocol will be followed for the entire exercise, a senior forest official said.
The meeting also discussed the idea of having a similar exercise for monitoring elephants.
Apart from WWF, Aaranyak and Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment also rendered their support.
The World Heritage Committee has been saying that the co-operation was highly valuable and even necessary for wildlife conservation for which Manas was inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan has been saying that disturbance on the Indian side affects them and working together would be beneficial to both sides.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Illegal tiger trade 'killing 100 big cats each year'
The illegal trade in tiger parts has led to more than 1,000 wild tigers being killed over the past decade, a report suggests.
Traffic International, a wildlife trade monitoring network, found that skins, bones and claws were among the most common items seized by officials.
The trade continues unabated despite efforts to protect the cats, it warns.
Over the past century, tiger numbers have fallen from about 100,000 individuals to just an estimated 3,500.
The study, which used data from 11 of the 13 countries that are home to populations of Panthera tigris, estimated that between 1,069 and 1,220 tigers were killed to supply the illicit demand for tiger parts.
'Poaching pressures'
Since October 1987, tigers have been listed as an Appendix I species (threatened with extinction) under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which means all commercial trade in the animals or their parts is banned.
Some of the seizures revealed the shocking scale of the illegal trade
The figure was based on analysis of 481 seizures. More than 275 of the seizures were in India, which - the report's authors said - represented between 469 and 533 tigers.
China, with 40, had the second highest number of seizures, accounting for up to 124 animals, while Nepal reported 39 seizures, or 113-130 tigers, they added.
"Given half the world's Tigers live in India, it's no real surprise the country has the highest number of seizures," explained co-author Pauline Verheij, joint TRAFFIC and WWF tiger trade programme manager.
"While a high number of seizures could indicate high levels of trade or effective enforcement work, or a combination of both, it does highlight the nation's tigers are facing severe poaching pressure," she added.
"With parts of potentially more than 100 wild tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11718648
Traffic International, a wildlife trade monitoring network, found that skins, bones and claws were among the most common items seized by officials.
The trade continues unabated despite efforts to protect the cats, it warns.
Over the past century, tiger numbers have fallen from about 100,000 individuals to just an estimated 3,500.
The study, which used data from 11 of the 13 countries that are home to populations of Panthera tigris, estimated that between 1,069 and 1,220 tigers were killed to supply the illicit demand for tiger parts.
'Poaching pressures'
Since October 1987, tigers have been listed as an Appendix I species (threatened with extinction) under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), which means all commercial trade in the animals or their parts is banned.
Some of the seizures revealed the shocking scale of the illegal trade
The figure was based on analysis of 481 seizures. More than 275 of the seizures were in India, which - the report's authors said - represented between 469 and 533 tigers.
China, with 40, had the second highest number of seizures, accounting for up to 124 animals, while Nepal reported 39 seizures, or 113-130 tigers, they added.
"Given half the world's Tigers live in India, it's no real surprise the country has the highest number of seizures," explained co-author Pauline Verheij, joint TRAFFIC and WWF tiger trade programme manager.
"While a high number of seizures could indicate high levels of trade or effective enforcement work, or a combination of both, it does highlight the nation's tigers are facing severe poaching pressure," she added.
"With parts of potentially more than 100 wild tigers actually seized each year, one can only speculate what the true numbers of animals are being plundered."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11718648
Saturday, November 6, 2010
NTCA doubles allowance for staff in tiger states
NAGPUR: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests ( MoEF), governing all tiger reserves in India, has doubled the allowance for staff in Project Tiger areas.
It is for the first time in 15 years that the allowance has been enhanced. A circular enhancing the allowance was issued on October 27 to all chief wildlife wardens and chief secretaries of the tiger range states. The revised pay will be applicable from September 1, 2009.
It has come as a morale booster for over 700 employees in the three tigers reserves in the state—Tadoba-Andhari , Melghat and Pench. Over 500 employees will benefit there. Under Project Tiger , reconstituted as NTCA in 2006, right from the field director to peon, everyone gets 'Project Tiger' allowance.
At present, the allowance ranges from a minimum Rs 200 to maximum Rs 1,000 per month.
It is for the first time in 15 years that the allowance has been enhanced. A circular enhancing the allowance was issued on October 27 to all chief wildlife wardens and chief secretaries of the tiger range states. The revised pay will be applicable from September 1, 2009.
It has come as a morale booster for over 700 employees in the three tigers reserves in the state—Tadoba-Andhari , Melghat and Pench. Over 500 employees will benefit there. Under Project Tiger , reconstituted as NTCA in 2006, right from the field director to peon, everyone gets 'Project Tiger' allowance.
At present, the allowance ranges from a minimum Rs 200 to maximum Rs 1,000 per month.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Folks shun diwali smoke for tiger's abode
NAGPUR: Diwali used to be about spending quality time at home. That may be changing. This year, thanks to festival coming near weekend and awareness about Diwali pollution, hundreds are opting for forest getaways. Forest officials and tour operators say tiger reserves in Central India are witnessing record bookings. This specially true for Kanha, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench and Bandhavgarh. Pachmarhi is also a hotspot.
This is in addition to traditional winter destinations like Goa and South. With the onset of tiger tourism season from October 16, tiger reserves in the region started picking up traffic. It really picked with Diwali and resorts at most of these places are fully booked till November 15 when the vacation ends.
"For us, it is peak season as many tourists from cities like Mumbai, Kolkata Pune, Gujarat and Hyderabad visit places like Bhedaghat, Mandu, Omkareshwar and Kanha, Bandhavgarh and surrounding places. This time, Pench (MP), Bandhavgarh, Kanha and surprisingly Satpuda Tiger Reserve near Pachmarhi is also being preferred," said VP Singh, a tour operator.
He added many local and other tourists from outside the state are preferring reserves in MP over Tadoba as accommodation at Tadoba is scarce. In MP Pench, over 200 rooms with private resorts, 500 rooms at Kanha and 150 rooms at Bandhavgarh are occupied till November 15. "These are tourists who had made bookings when the park opened on October 16," Singh said. Even regular visitors to forest areas failed to get accommodation. "I just returned from Kanha on November 1, but failed to get a room in Bandhavgarh for November 8, where I planned to go after Diwali," said Adv Kartik Shukul. He added, "there is nothing special about Diwali. We go because there is vacation to the high court."
This is in addition to traditional winter destinations like Goa and South. With the onset of tiger tourism season from October 16, tiger reserves in the region started picking up traffic. It really picked with Diwali and resorts at most of these places are fully booked till November 15 when the vacation ends.
"For us, it is peak season as many tourists from cities like Mumbai, Kolkata Pune, Gujarat and Hyderabad visit places like Bhedaghat, Mandu, Omkareshwar and Kanha, Bandhavgarh and surrounding places. This time, Pench (MP), Bandhavgarh, Kanha and surprisingly Satpuda Tiger Reserve near Pachmarhi is also being preferred," said VP Singh, a tour operator.
He added many local and other tourists from outside the state are preferring reserves in MP over Tadoba as accommodation at Tadoba is scarce. In MP Pench, over 200 rooms with private resorts, 500 rooms at Kanha and 150 rooms at Bandhavgarh are occupied till November 15. "These are tourists who had made bookings when the park opened on October 16," Singh said. Even regular visitors to forest areas failed to get accommodation. "I just returned from Kanha on November 1, but failed to get a room in Bandhavgarh for November 8, where I planned to go after Diwali," said Adv Kartik Shukul. He added, "there is nothing special about Diwali. We go because there is vacation to the high court."
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Jairam asks Gehlot to shut Sariska mines
JAIPUR: A day after Congress chief Sonia Gandhi declared environment as the main national concern, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday received yet another letter from environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh asking Gehlot to immediately close 32 operational mines within one km periphery of the core/critical tiger habitat of Sariska Tiger Reserve.
The letter finishes with a strong hand-written note to the CM: ''This is my third letter to you on this subject.'' It urges immediate action to notify the buffer zone of Sariska Tiger Reserve. According to a 2006 notification, the 881 sq km area clubbing the core and the buffer zone around Sariska was meant for ecologically sustainable land use. It aimed to provide habitat for the tiger population and other wild animals, besides foster co-existence between wildlife and human activity.
''Considering that Sariska has been revived at a great cost with the active collaboration between the state and the Centre, the state government's apathetic approach in checking mining could jeopardise the efforts to rehabilitate tigers,'' said Jairam.
The letter finishes with a strong hand-written note to the CM: ''This is my third letter to you on this subject.'' It urges immediate action to notify the buffer zone of Sariska Tiger Reserve. According to a 2006 notification, the 881 sq km area clubbing the core and the buffer zone around Sariska was meant for ecologically sustainable land use. It aimed to provide habitat for the tiger population and other wild animals, besides foster co-existence between wildlife and human activity.
''Considering that Sariska has been revived at a great cost with the active collaboration between the state and the Centre, the state government's apathetic approach in checking mining could jeopardise the efforts to rehabilitate tigers,'' said Jairam.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
J''khand govt plans strategies to increase tigers in Palamau
Ranchi, Nov 2 (PTI) Alarmed over depletion of tiger population in Palamau Tiger Reserve, the Jharkhand government today said it will chalk out strategies for conservation of the big cats.
"This is an alarm bell for us. The number of tigers in PTR has definitely been reduced...A meeting at my level has been convened to draw up an action plan for the conservation of the endangered species," Jharkhand chief secretary A K Singh told reporters here.
According to official data, the number of tigers in PTR has gone down to six from 17 in 2007.
However, the positive side is that the situation in Palamau is not as worse as in Sariska, Singh said.
"We will not let Palamau become a (second) Sariska. The government will take whatever steps required to increase the number of the big cats," he said.
Set up in 1973, PTR had 44 tigers in 1993, 49 in 1994, 50 in 1995, 41 in 1996 and 44 in 1997.
"This is an alarm bell for us. The number of tigers in PTR has definitely been reduced...A meeting at my level has been convened to draw up an action plan for the conservation of the endangered species," Jharkhand chief secretary A K Singh told reporters here.
According to official data, the number of tigers in PTR has gone down to six from 17 in 2007.
However, the positive side is that the situation in Palamau is not as worse as in Sariska, Singh said.
"We will not let Palamau become a (second) Sariska. The government will take whatever steps required to increase the number of the big cats," he said.
Set up in 1973, PTR had 44 tigers in 1993, 49 in 1994, 50 in 1995, 41 in 1996 and 44 in 1997.
CJM dismisses Ranthambore noise pollution case
JAIPUR: The chief judicial magistrate at Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday dismissed a petition alleging violation of wildlife, environment and civic laws during the wedding of celebrity couple Russell Brand and Katy Perry held recently at Ranthambore.
The petition was filed by Ranthambore Park Bachao Samiti through its president and local lawyer Akshay Sharma. It was alleged that the forest officials and the district administration officials overlooked violations of noise and air pollution and different sections of the Wildlife Protection Act by the star couple and their guests during their stay at the tiger reserve.
The Samiti has now decided to move a revision petition before a higher court in an effort to bring the culprits to justice. "It's unfortunate that before dismissing it, the magistrate didn't even consider it proper to get the complaint investigated first," Sharma told TOI while reacting to the court decision. "I'll take the petition to the district judge tomorrow (Wednesday)," he asserted, adding that the Samiti would never cease fighting for the protection of Ranthambore tigers.
While arguing the petition before the chief judicial magistrate on October 31, Sharma accused the forest officials of causing territorial fights among the tigers just to please high-profile visitors and make illegal money. The Samiti holds the forest officials responsible for the death of a three-year-old male tiger, T-36, killed in a territorial fight with an older tiger, T-42. The fight was linked to the Russell-Katy marriage and the forest officials were accused of driving the big cats from their territories towards the celebrity couple's place of stay at a resort inside the national park.
The Samiti also accused the couple of breaking the rules against loud music after 10 pm, smoking, consuming liquor and carrying firearms in the forest area, disturbing the endangered animals, changing movement routes assigned to them by the forest authorities and getting into a scuffle with the paparazzi inside the park and thereby risking human lives in the tigers reserve.
Read more: CJM dismisses Ranthambore noise pollution case - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/CJM-dismisses-Ranthambore-noise-pollution-case/articleshow/6861564.cms#ixzz14D3olg5s
The petition was filed by Ranthambore Park Bachao Samiti through its president and local lawyer Akshay Sharma. It was alleged that the forest officials and the district administration officials overlooked violations of noise and air pollution and different sections of the Wildlife Protection Act by the star couple and their guests during their stay at the tiger reserve.
The Samiti has now decided to move a revision petition before a higher court in an effort to bring the culprits to justice. "It's unfortunate that before dismissing it, the magistrate didn't even consider it proper to get the complaint investigated first," Sharma told TOI while reacting to the court decision. "I'll take the petition to the district judge tomorrow (Wednesday)," he asserted, adding that the Samiti would never cease fighting for the protection of Ranthambore tigers.
While arguing the petition before the chief judicial magistrate on October 31, Sharma accused the forest officials of causing territorial fights among the tigers just to please high-profile visitors and make illegal money. The Samiti holds the forest officials responsible for the death of a three-year-old male tiger, T-36, killed in a territorial fight with an older tiger, T-42. The fight was linked to the Russell-Katy marriage and the forest officials were accused of driving the big cats from their territories towards the celebrity couple's place of stay at a resort inside the national park.
The Samiti also accused the couple of breaking the rules against loud music after 10 pm, smoking, consuming liquor and carrying firearms in the forest area, disturbing the endangered animals, changing movement routes assigned to them by the forest authorities and getting into a scuffle with the paparazzi inside the park and thereby risking human lives in the tigers reserve.
Read more: CJM dismisses Ranthambore noise pollution case - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/CJM-dismisses-Ranthambore-noise-pollution-case/articleshow/6861564.cms#ixzz14D3olg5s
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Conservation team opposes fencing - Experts feel construction along the border in Dampa will impact wildlife
Guwahati, Nov. 1: An expert team constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has opposed the construction of fencing and patrol road along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Dampa tiger reserve as it would have an impact on the movement of wildlife.
Dampa tiger reserve shares international boundary with Bangladesh for around 127km in the southern part of the reserve.
The team was asked by the NTCA to carry out an appraisal of the reserve as it has been categorised as “poor” because of its low tiger numbers.
“The team feels that if the border outpost and concrete road and fence are constructed, the movement of animals across the border to use the suitable forest areas for ecological needs of the species concerned would vastly reduce if not completely stopped. This could hamper conservation of tiger and other key species in Dampa tiger reserve. If migration of species is stopped because of the construction of border outposts and concrete patrolling roads and fences within the reserve, this could attract disrespect for the conservation of migratory species at global level,” the report submitted to the NTCA recently said.
Seven border outposts are planned to set up in the 62km stretch of the core of the reserve.
A senior official of Dampa tiger reserve said the proposal for construction of fencing and patrol road would hamper the movement of wildlife. The Kassalong reserve forest in Bangladesh is located on other side of the border.
“There should be talks between officials of India and Bangladesh on the issue of wildlife movement as has been done in case of India and Nepal,” the official said.
The team opined that any patrolling road and fence within the tiger reserve should not be encouraged and no concrete road and fence should be allowed within the reserve.
“If for security reasons, the establishment of border outpost is essential for the security of the country, a joint and formal patrolling strategy by the BSF and forest staff should be encouraged under the leadership of the field director of Dampa tiger reserve and the deputy inspector-general of the BSF of the region,” the report said.
The Mizoram forest department is also awaiting a team of the NTCA for conducting site inspection and suggest alternatives and precautionary measures.
Dampa tiger reserve has been categorised as poor by the earlier studies carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India and the NTCA.
Camera trapping exercise in the tiger reserve could find other salient cat species like clouded leopard, leopard, leopard cat and others but so far failed to get a tiger trapped in those cameras.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101102/jsp/northeast/story_13128474.jsp
On the tiger trail
| Extending over 642 sq. km, the Nagarahole National Park shares an unfenced common boundary with the Bandipur Tiger Reserve that stretches over 700 sq. km, writes Shalini Satish | |
 “Tiger near boat point,” blared a voice over the walkie-talkie. Wasting no time after the tip-off we set out on a rugged track, soft and slushy due to the heavy overnight downpour. With thumping hearts and crossed fingers we looked around with eyes wide open. As the driver parked the jeep in a clearing near the boat point, another one screeched to a halt on our right. A third jeep pulled up to our left.While shutterbugs aligned their cameras in position, others scoured the surroundings anxiously with eyes and ears on high alert. After a short while, a tiger walked into our line of sight. Being in close proximity to a big cat in the wild had our adrenaline pumping and our hearts thumping. But the joy was short-lived as the tiger disappeared into a thicket and hid from our peering eyes. The glimpse of the tiger filled the atmosphere with an eerie calm as we waited with bated breath for the tiger to reappear. Five tense and intense minutes passed, then ten. The wait in stillness and silence made it seem much longer. The tiger probably sensed our intrusion into its space and stayed away from the glare of our eyes and lenses. Photographs later revealed that the tiger was watching and waiting for a suitable moment to set its foot forward. It emerged from the bushes and darted across the road oblivious to the fact that cameras captured its every move. Once the tiger crossed the road, it looked back to assess the situation and then disappeared without a trace. The tiger we spotted was in the Rajiv Gandhi National Park (formerly and popularly known as the Nagarahole National Park). “This is a big tiger,” remarked Prem, our driver and naturalist who has been driving into the forest twice a day for the past 22 years. In this time and age when survival of tigers in the wild is under threat, Prem’s remark was reassuring. Dance of the peacock Before the tiger trail we were entertained to a private dance performance by a peacock. Photographs do no justice to the spectacle that unfolds when a peacock decides to wear its dancing shoes. The peacock turned a full circle flaunting every angle of its feathery outfit, seldom brought to public view. The well-scripted tale of our journey in the jungle had an exciting twist prior to the peacock dance. A lone tusker mock charged our jeep. A herd of elephants led by a matriarch, playful and cherubic little ones snuggling between the senior members of the family and solitary tuskers displaying their might were a few memorable elephantine encounters during our safari. With swings, jumps, twists and turns, langurs, the ace trapeze artists of this forest entertained the onlookers with their stunts. Choreographed to perfection, the performance was flawless. While one hung from its tail, the other jumped from dizzying heights, the third leapt from one tree to another as we watched amazed and amused. Gaurs are perceived as being shy creatures and we were lucky to see them quenching their thirst at a water hole. While one member stayed on a higher ground to guard the herd from predators, the others enjoyed a dip in the water on a warm summer afternoon. Blue jays, woodpeckers, peacocks, peahens, elephants, wild boars, giant squirrels, stripe-necked mongoose, langurs and bonnet macaques are regular sightings on safaris in the Nagarahole National Park. Gaurs, tigers, leopards and wild dogs are also fairly well sighted. Malabar trogons, ospreys, white-bellied fishing eagles and black bazas are some rare birds seen in the forest. Crocodiles, cormorants, painted storks, grey-headed fishing eagles, egrets and spoonbills are regular sightings on boat safaris. The Nagarahole National Park gets its name from a meandering stream called Nagarahole (translates to “snake river”) that snakes its way through the forest and joins the river Kabini, a tributary of River Cauvery. River Vishanashini originates in Waynad and is called Kapila or Kabini as it flows through Karnataka. This moist deciduous forest has the rare distinction of being one of the few habitats where tigers, leopards and dholes (Indian wild dogs) - three aggressive predators co-exist. The tiger density is one of the highest in the country. Being at the apex of the food chain, a healthy tiger population is a fair indicator of the health of the forest. Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve  Extending over 642 sq. km, the Nagarahole National Park shares an unfenced common boundary with the Bandipur Tiger Reserve that stretches over 700 sq. km. The Nagarahole National Park and Bandipur National Park in Karnataka together with the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and Waynad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala are part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, home to several rare species of flora and fauna many of which are endemic to the region.Six miles to the edge of the Nagarahole National Park is a century-old property that once served as the hunting lodge of the Maharaja of Mysore. Colonial bungalows beside the quietly flowing Kabini, antiques and black and white photographs that are reminiscent of an era bygone add to the rustic charm of the lodge. The renovated bungalows are a part of the Kabini River Lodge, the flagship property of Jungle Lodges and Resorts, a government of Karnataka undertaking. For over a century, this lodge located in Kharapur has been playing host to the high and mighty. Kharapur and the neighbouring Kakanakote forests were sites for elephant trapping operations called kheddas. In old photographs that show their age, Maharajas, dukes and viceroys are seen posing with their spoils after hunting expeditions and kheddas. Papa John’s legacy Colonel John Wakefield was the master of the Kabini River Lodge for three decades since its inception in 1980. ‘Papa’ as he was affectionately called was instrumental in the inception of Jungle Lodges and Resorts, an endeavour in the government’s efforts to promote tourism. Papa’s jungle tales date back to days when he shot a tiger at the age of nine and a leopard at ten. His rendezvous with the jungle continued for the rest of his life, 94 years in all, before he died in the summer of this year. An entry in the guest book by Oscar winning Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn reads, “I have fallen unexpectedly in love, with Papa! Of course, the wildlife too”. The area under forest cover is shrinking by the day. At present only three per cent of the total land mass of India is designated as protected forests. Despite the heavy inflow of tourists and hazards like forest fires, the forest officials have done well to maintain the sanctity of the Nagarahole National Park. The locals and naturalists laud the forest officials for the good maintenance of the park. During the hot summer months, one is spoilt for choice when it comes to wildlife sighting by the River Kabini. Birds add colour to the crystal clear waters. Herbivores are abundant. Carnivores are sighted often enough to lure the visitors to come back for another visit. The Kabini River Lodge is situated off the Mysore-Mananthavadi Road. It is located in the Kharapur village of the Heggadadevana Kote (HD Kote) taluk of the Mysore district of Karnataka. Getting there By road: It is a pleasurable drive from Bangalore and Mysore. Kabini River Lodge is at a distance of about 210 kms from Bangalore and 80 kms from Mysore. The roads are in good condition. By train: Mysore is the nearest railhead. You can hire a taxi for a one-way drop from Mysore. Season Kabini River Lodge is an all-year tourist destination. March through May is the best season for wildlife sighting. July though September is the rainy season when the forest is lush and the river is exuberant. The weather is at its best in the months of December and January. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/109514/on-tiger-trail.html | |
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