LUCKNOW: A week after foresters killed a man-eater near Corbett National Park, a protest is brewing against the killing and ''the way the animal was paraded''. On Wednesday, wildlife activists and local guides' association wore black ribbons to mark their protest.
''The tiger was was made a man-eater,'' says Narendra Sharma of Bagh Bachao Samiti, Ramnagar. The tiger was shot at on January 11. ''Since it was injured, it became incapable of hunting its natural prey,'' said Sharma. The Samiti along with other wildlife organisations and locals organised a protest at Ramnagar. A memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister was handed over to the authorities.
''The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased at Corbett National Park. Had the forest officials worked as a link between locals and wildlife in the area (for sensitising people), they would not have demanded shooting down of the tiger,'' the memorandum said.
The organizations also protested against the way the dead tiger was paraded atop an elephant. ''There are several tigers present in Garjia area as shown by camera traps,'' Sharma says. The wildlife activists said the authorities have not been able to control man-animal conflict.
The tiger killed on January 27 was about 10 years old. The department has already faced lot of flak for claiming that it was a tigress.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tiger strays into Kerwah residential area in Bhopal
Bhopal, Feb 3 (PTI) A tiger from Ratapani sanctuary inMadhya Pradesh''s Raisen district has strayed into the Kerwaharea situated on the outskirts of the state capital, posing athreat to humans, forest officials said today.
Buzz up!
Pugmarks of a more than four-year-old tiger has beenfound in Kerwah area on January 31, Area Forest Range OfficerSudhir Singh told PTI here.
The tiger had killed a cow in Kerwah jungle area onJanuary 31 and added that around 100 forest officials weremonitoring the jungles on the Kerwah-Ratapani tract, he said.
The big cat was sighted on Sunday by an advocate inKerwah area which has human habitation around it. Advocate ASoni, who captured the big cat photo on his cell phone, passedon the information to the forest officials
This is not the first time that a big cat from Ratapanihas entered Kerwah area having human habitation. In 2007, atigress along with her two cubs had strayed in Kerwah andKalisot area, on the outskirts of Bhopal, they said.
Ratapani, spread over an area of 435 sq km is said to behaving around 10 big cats.
Buzz up!
Pugmarks of a more than four-year-old tiger has beenfound in Kerwah area on January 31, Area Forest Range OfficerSudhir Singh told PTI here.
The tiger had killed a cow in Kerwah jungle area onJanuary 31 and added that around 100 forest officials weremonitoring the jungles on the Kerwah-Ratapani tract, he said.
The big cat was sighted on Sunday by an advocate inKerwah area which has human habitation around it. Advocate ASoni, who captured the big cat photo on his cell phone, passedon the information to the forest officials
This is not the first time that a big cat from Ratapanihas entered Kerwah area having human habitation. In 2007, atigress along with her two cubs had strayed in Kerwah andKalisot area, on the outskirts of Bhopal, they said.
Ratapani, spread over an area of 435 sq km is said to behaving around 10 big cats.
'Carrot & stick' policy show results in MTR Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Feb 4, 2011, 12.40am IST
SEMADOH (MELGHAT): From being dubbed as 'poor' in the independent management effectiveness evaluation five years ago, Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Amravati district is now turning around, thanks to series of steps taken to strengthen protection in the past two years.
The 'carrot and stick' policy of the MTR managers is paying off. "In the last two years, we've developed an institution here. If our protection measures sustain, and villages inside MTR are relocated, in the next five years, Melghat holds the promise of becoming India's number one tiger reserve," claims field director A K Mishra.
Mishra says four-pronged strategy about better wildlife monitoring and recording it systematically, joint patrolling, watershed management and capacity building by organising workshops for field staff every month has delivered results.
A visit to over a dozen protection huts in a couple of ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division showed that efforts were being made to give comfort to field staff by providing concrete structures and basic facilities like steel cots and cupboards replacing the bamboo thatches.
"Absenteeism was a bad habit among the field staff. We started conducting surprise checks at protection huts. Those absent were marked leave without pay. There were protests from a section of employees, but they fell in line after learning our intentions. Now the staff is scared of bunking," said P H Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna.
There is direct biotic pressure from 70 villages on the reserve. Of these, 26 villages are inside MTR putting huge grazing and felling pressure. However, action against illicit grazers has reduced cases of unauthorised grazing from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-2010. "We feel this has led to increase in prey base. Cattle kills by carnivores have gone down from 249 to 142 during the same period. This was possible due to good protection and action," Mishra said.
Fire in Melghat was the biggest threat causing habitat destruction. However, Mishra added that by involving people and making them aware, incidents of forest fires had been brought down 50%.
"In 2009, there were 430 fire incidents destroying 14,460 hectares forest, but in 2010, these were brought down to 252 and loss of 7,521 hectares. This was made possible despite the fact that 80% of the staff is above 45 years; 15% staff is new and over 20% of the posts are vacant," says Mishra.
Another reason why MTR is better now is the joint and group patrolling launched in August 2009. A group of eight persons does patrolling twice a week and nine times in a month. "Cases of water poisoning for fish are common. From February 15, a drive will be launched to check all natural and artificial water holes in the reserve with the help of litmus paper. Small water holes with 2-3 litres of water would be closed down to eliminate cases of poisoning," informed S B Dhote, RFO of Chourakund, who has set an example for the entire reserve by mapping each water hole.
His model is being followed elsewhere. Mapping of water holes is also helping to know animal movement, he added. "Last year, due to water hole monitoring we could save 45 peacocks and other animals," Dhote informed.
In Melghat, conflicting demands of tigers and humans results in man-animal and management conflicts. The problems become more complicated when political leaders turn hostile towards animals.
Mishra said such circumstances made it very difficult to perform. Yet, implementation of standard protocol by setting up protection camps (75) and strengthening them, regular training modules to build staff capacity, fire patrol teams, eco-development schemes, frequent meetings with villagers, deployment of SRPF during monsoon, and erection of barriers (39) among host of other measures had helped.
"Even NTCA team that visited Melghat in December to evaluate the tiger reserve was surprised about the number of steps being taken by MTR," officials said.
The 'carrot and stick' policy of the MTR managers is paying off. "In the last two years, we've developed an institution here. If our protection measures sustain, and villages inside MTR are relocated, in the next five years, Melghat holds the promise of becoming India's number one tiger reserve," claims field director A K Mishra.
Mishra says four-pronged strategy about better wildlife monitoring and recording it systematically, joint patrolling, watershed management and capacity building by organising workshops for field staff every month has delivered results.
A visit to over a dozen protection huts in a couple of ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division showed that efforts were being made to give comfort to field staff by providing concrete structures and basic facilities like steel cots and cupboards replacing the bamboo thatches.
"Absenteeism was a bad habit among the field staff. We started conducting surprise checks at protection huts. Those absent were marked leave without pay. There were protests from a section of employees, but they fell in line after learning our intentions. Now the staff is scared of bunking," said P H Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna.
There is direct biotic pressure from 70 villages on the reserve. Of these, 26 villages are inside MTR putting huge grazing and felling pressure. However, action against illicit grazers has reduced cases of unauthorised grazing from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-2010. "We feel this has led to increase in prey base. Cattle kills by carnivores have gone down from 249 to 142 during the same period. This was possible due to good protection and action," Mishra said.
Fire in Melghat was the biggest threat causing habitat destruction. However, Mishra added that by involving people and making them aware, incidents of forest fires had been brought down 50%.
"In 2009, there were 430 fire incidents destroying 14,460 hectares forest, but in 2010, these were brought down to 252 and loss of 7,521 hectares. This was made possible despite the fact that 80% of the staff is above 45 years; 15% staff is new and over 20% of the posts are vacant," says Mishra.
Another reason why MTR is better now is the joint and group patrolling launched in August 2009. A group of eight persons does patrolling twice a week and nine times in a month. "Cases of water poisoning for fish are common. From February 15, a drive will be launched to check all natural and artificial water holes in the reserve with the help of litmus paper. Small water holes with 2-3 litres of water would be closed down to eliminate cases of poisoning," informed S B Dhote, RFO of Chourakund, who has set an example for the entire reserve by mapping each water hole.
His model is being followed elsewhere. Mapping of water holes is also helping to know animal movement, he added. "Last year, due to water hole monitoring we could save 45 peacocks and other animals," Dhote informed.
In Melghat, conflicting demands of tigers and humans results in man-animal and management conflicts. The problems become more complicated when political leaders turn hostile towards animals.
Mishra said such circumstances made it very difficult to perform. Yet, implementation of standard protocol by setting up protection camps (75) and strengthening them, regular training modules to build staff capacity, fire patrol teams, eco-development schemes, frequent meetings with villagers, deployment of SRPF during monsoon, and erection of barriers (39) among host of other measures had helped.
"Even NTCA team that visited Melghat in December to evaluate the tiger reserve was surprised about the number of steps being taken by MTR," officials said.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Ramesh letter sparks off protest in Uttarakhand
It is Environment minister Jairam Ramesh versus Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal over killing of a tiger, claimed to be man-eater, near Corbett tiger reserve. Ramesh on Tuesday asked the state government to impose section 144 of Code for Criminal Procedure (prevents gathering of more
than four people) where tiger attacks a person to ensure safe capture of animal. On Wednesday, the locals decided to stage a demonstration against Ramesh, assisted by local BJP leaders, against the suggestion.
“How can we prevent people from gathering at a site where a tiger attacks a villager,” said a state government functionary. And, added that tiger conservation cannot be done sitting in the air-conditioned offices in Delhi.
Pokhriyal has so far not agreed to Ramesh’s suggestion of a joint inspection of Corbett and nearby areas. According to officials, many of the suggestions made by the union minister were not implementable.
Another twist in the controversy has emerged as instead of relocating the Sunderkhal village from the buffer zone of the Corbett as suggested by Ramesh, the state forest department, headed by CM, has demanded a study to examine presence of four to five tigers near the village.
“It is an unusual behaviour,” said Anil Baluni, vice-chairperson of State Forest and Environment Advisory Board, who claimed that they four to five tigers have been caught on camera near the village.
Tiger being a territorial animal has an area of about 10 sq kms and another tiger can enter the area only after killing the present there. “We want National Tiger Conservation Authority’s suggestion on how to deal with this situation,” Baluni said.
Jairam Ramesh has asked the state government to immediately send a proposal for seeking 100 % assistance to relocate Sunderkhal village, which is there since 1974. At least five persons of this village, in buffer zone of the reserve, were mauled to death by a tiger, killed last week, in a month’s time.
Coming down strongly on the state government for brutally killing the tiger, Ramesh has suggested that two units of rapid response units should be set up to capture the animal to avoid lethal encounters.
To overcome the problem of increasing tiger population in Corbett and reduce man-animal conflict, Ramesh has suggested that parts of Lansdowne, West Terai and Ramnagar divisions should be declared as buffer of Corbett. He also wants the state government to monitor movement of tigers and killing cattle by them to avoid conflict.
The minister has also said that the state government should appoint Brijendra Singh, as honorary wildlife warden for Corbett for appropriate guidance. Singh in the recent past had been critical of officials at Corbett on management of the reserve.
than four people) where tiger attacks a person to ensure safe capture of animal. On Wednesday, the locals decided to stage a demonstration against Ramesh, assisted by local BJP leaders, against the suggestion.
“How can we prevent people from gathering at a site where a tiger attacks a villager,” said a state government functionary. And, added that tiger conservation cannot be done sitting in the air-conditioned offices in Delhi.
Pokhriyal has so far not agreed to Ramesh’s suggestion of a joint inspection of Corbett and nearby areas. According to officials, many of the suggestions made by the union minister were not implementable.
Another twist in the controversy has emerged as instead of relocating the Sunderkhal village from the buffer zone of the Corbett as suggested by Ramesh, the state forest department, headed by CM, has demanded a study to examine presence of four to five tigers near the village.
“It is an unusual behaviour,” said Anil Baluni, vice-chairperson of State Forest and Environment Advisory Board, who claimed that they four to five tigers have been caught on camera near the village.
Tiger being a territorial animal has an area of about 10 sq kms and another tiger can enter the area only after killing the present there. “We want National Tiger Conservation Authority’s suggestion on how to deal with this situation,” Baluni said.
Jairam Ramesh has asked the state government to immediately send a proposal for seeking 100 % assistance to relocate Sunderkhal village, which is there since 1974. At least five persons of this village, in buffer zone of the reserve, were mauled to death by a tiger, killed last week, in a month’s time.
Coming down strongly on the state government for brutally killing the tiger, Ramesh has suggested that two units of rapid response units should be set up to capture the animal to avoid lethal encounters.
To overcome the problem of increasing tiger population in Corbett and reduce man-animal conflict, Ramesh has suggested that parts of Lansdowne, West Terai and Ramnagar divisions should be declared as buffer of Corbett. He also wants the state government to monitor movement of tigers and killing cattle by them to avoid conflict.
The minister has also said that the state government should appoint Brijendra Singh, as honorary wildlife warden for Corbett for appropriate guidance. Singh in the recent past had been critical of officials at Corbett on management of the reserve.
Chourakund, Shahanoor MTR's new tourism hubs
SEMADOH (MELGHAT): With a view to keep core and critical tiger habitats (CTHs) inviolate as per National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, the management of 2000 sq km Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) is developing Chourakund, Harisal and Shahanoor as new eco-tourism hubs.
The new guidelines of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) of 'Project Tiger' states, "core and CTHs should not be used for any form of tourism, and the ongoing tourism activities in such areas should be phased out to fringe and buffer areas without affecting its corridor value."
At present, in MTR, 55 sq km area is open for tourism at Semadoh. Tourists gain entry to see wildlife from Semadoh and Chikhaldara side. Whereas tourists from Khandwa and Burhanpur side in Madhya Pradesh are isolated. With development of Chourakund and Harisal ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division, 30-35 km from Semadoh, all tourists will stand to gain.
The guest house at Chourakund will be handed over to Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), which has signed an MoU with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to commercially exploit eco-tourism in wildlife areas by developing facilities. In Melghat, apart from Chourakund, guest houses at Hatru, Chunkhadi, Rangubeli and Tarubanda will also be handed over to the FDCM.
"Chourakund and Harisal have one of the best forest patches with presence of leopards and tigers and other wildlife. It has huge tourism potential, which will be spread over 100 sq km area and will also be included in the working plan. It will take some time before we throw the area open for tourists," said A K Mishra, field director of MTR.
Semadoh Sankul, which has good accommodation facilities, will be discouraged for tourists in future as it falls in core zone of the tiger reserve. However, activities like nature education camps for students will be continued, officials said. Similarly, Shahanoor under Akot Wildlife Division of Melghat will be another eco-tourism hotspot. However, this will not mean discouraging tourists in 12 sq km Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary.
M S Reddy, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Akot Division, said Shahanoor is two kms from Narnala and is situated on revenue land. Every year, Rs 40 lakh are being given under the district planning development committee (DPDC) funds to develop Shahanoor. He said that Rs 60 lakh have been proposed for Narnala and Shahanoor. In Shahanoor, plans were afoot to set up additional accommodation, nature trails and education facilities.
The MTR comprises Gugamal National Park (where tourists are not allowed) and four sanctuaries - Melghat, Wan, Narnala and Ambabarwa, besides multiple use area (MUA). Mishra said Melghat's beautiful landscape gave it rich eco-tourism potential. "Considering the large area, flow of tourists is less. In 2009-10, 23,462 tourists visited Melghat, a rise of 962 over 2008-09 figure. More tourists can be attracted if about 15 British-era rest houses and inspection huts in MTR are developed," Mishra added.
The new guidelines of centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) of 'Project Tiger' states, "core and CTHs should not be used for any form of tourism, and the ongoing tourism activities in such areas should be phased out to fringe and buffer areas without affecting its corridor value."
At present, in MTR, 55 sq km area is open for tourism at Semadoh. Tourists gain entry to see wildlife from Semadoh and Chikhaldara side. Whereas tourists from Khandwa and Burhanpur side in Madhya Pradesh are isolated. With development of Chourakund and Harisal ranges in Sipna Wildlife Division, 30-35 km from Semadoh, all tourists will stand to gain.
The guest house at Chourakund will be handed over to Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), which has signed an MoU with Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to commercially exploit eco-tourism in wildlife areas by developing facilities. In Melghat, apart from Chourakund, guest houses at Hatru, Chunkhadi, Rangubeli and Tarubanda will also be handed over to the FDCM.
"Chourakund and Harisal have one of the best forest patches with presence of leopards and tigers and other wildlife. It has huge tourism potential, which will be spread over 100 sq km area and will also be included in the working plan. It will take some time before we throw the area open for tourists," said A K Mishra, field director of MTR.
Semadoh Sankul, which has good accommodation facilities, will be discouraged for tourists in future as it falls in core zone of the tiger reserve. However, activities like nature education camps for students will be continued, officials said. Similarly, Shahanoor under Akot Wildlife Division of Melghat will be another eco-tourism hotspot. However, this will not mean discouraging tourists in 12 sq km Narnala Wildlife Sanctuary.
M S Reddy, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Akot Division, said Shahanoor is two kms from Narnala and is situated on revenue land. Every year, Rs 40 lakh are being given under the district planning development committee (DPDC) funds to develop Shahanoor. He said that Rs 60 lakh have been proposed for Narnala and Shahanoor. In Shahanoor, plans were afoot to set up additional accommodation, nature trails and education facilities.
The MTR comprises Gugamal National Park (where tourists are not allowed) and four sanctuaries - Melghat, Wan, Narnala and Ambabarwa, besides multiple use area (MUA). Mishra said Melghat's beautiful landscape gave it rich eco-tourism potential. "Considering the large area, flow of tourists is less. In 2009-10, 23,462 tourists visited Melghat, a rise of 962 over 2008-09 figure. More tourists can be attracted if about 15 British-era rest houses and inspection huts in MTR are developed," Mishra added.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Sightings rare but tigers abound in Melghat
SEMADOH (MELGHAT): Although direct sighting of tigers did not happen in the rugged terrain of Melghat during the five-day exercise of wildlife and habitat estimation, it still produced substantial evidence about the wild cats' presence- raising hopes of their long-term survival here.
The in-house exercise, conducted from January 27 to 31, with the help of 400 staffers and around 25 volunteers in 230 beats of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), comprising Akot, Sipna and Gugamal Wildlife Divisions was testing time for the field staff.
This was revision of a similar exercise carried out all over India by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, between January 27 and February 3 last year.
Tigers have always remained elusive in MTR, fondly called the 'Kipling Country' and known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys. Tourists in the past one year (December 2010 to January 2011) have reported just three tiger and five leopard sightings. Yet, clinching evidence of carnivores like pugmarks, scrape and scent marks, scats etc. show tigers and leopards are very much around. They are rarely spotted due to complex landscape and dense forest cover. Also, large areas are not accessible to tourists.
The officials' joy knew no bound when they received reports of direct sighting of leopard and two cubs and a tiger each in Semadoh and Chourakund forest ranges in the Sipna Wildlife Division.
"It is a good sign. For the past over two years, the field staff has been rigorously monitoring their respective areas and maintaining registers about sightings. This is helping us know of the animals' presence. For those who don't believe there are tigers in Melghat, we can present them the evidence. We have maintained complete transparency," said A K Mishra, field director & conservator of forests of MTR.
Apart from indirect evidence of leopards and tigers on pugmark impression pads (PIPs), direct sightings of herbivores like chitals and sambars were also reported from transact lines. There was also good evidence of bisons, porcupines, hyenas too. Melghat, where poor prey base is still an issue, even direct sightings of herbivores came as a good news for the staff.
Volunteers were disturbed to see cattle sharing territory with wild animals even in core area. "We saw cow dung and pellets of sambar on the same transact lines in Semadoh area, indicating that grazing was a big problem in Melghat," said Sandeep Dhahad, a volunteer from Nagpur.
Mishra admits grazing is the biggest threat in the reserve. "It has affected prey base in Melghat, but for the past two years, we have been tough on grazers. Offences against unauthorised grazers were brought down from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-10.
"Tracking down signs and collecting evidence on transact lines on hillocks and river banks was not a child's play. At one point, we felt like giving up due to many ups and downs in the three-km transact. It came to traversing nearly 10 kms a day but it was also an exciting experience," said Smith Malkan and Adarsh, both students from Mumbai, who participated in the exercise for the first time.
"Our day started at 5.30 am and ended at 11.30 am. The transact lines were located two km away from Semadoh, where we were based. We saw pugmarks of two different tigers on both days in Jawaharkund area. A farmer also claimed to have seen a tiger near the periphery of the reserve," both added.
Some volunteers were disappointed at not sighting animals despite moving in core zone. Mishra explained, "Over 80% of the MTR is teak forest. Since December, the trees have been shedding leaves. You can see carpet of teak leaves everywhere. The rustling of leaves makes sightings difficult and also proves a hurdle in collecting evidence."
Despite 70% of the MTR field staff being above 50 years, the exercise went well as almost all participated seriously. Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Sipna, says, "We have tightened screws on field staff that was in habit of absconding from duty without prior information. In the past two years, several surprise checks on protection huts have been conducted and erring employees have been punished. This has yielded results," he says.
IMP BOX
55 tigers in Melghat?
In 2010, the exercise of all India monitoring of tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat, was carried out. The data have been compiled and submitted to Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The field data collection shows tiger occupancy in almost all areas of critical tiger habitat (CTH) of the MTR. The carnivore signs for tiger collected during the exercise indicate presence of tiger in 55 out of 87 beats of Gugamal Division and 63 out of 96 beats in Sipna Division. Official sources claim due to terrain, topography, density of the forests and biotic interference, sightings are difficult. But group patrolling, protection camps, sighting reports, captures by camera trap, cattle kill etc. are regularly carried out. Proper documentation is maintained at different levels and data collected show presence of 40-55 tigers.
However, in 2005-06, the monitoring had revealed that Melghat, part of the Satpuda landscape, has tiger presence in 1,828 sq km, and supports a population of 21-39 tigers. The tiger distribution in Melghat is contiguous with the population in Madhya Pradesh. The latest result shows that Melghat has come up silently.
Testing time for staff
The in-house exercise to count tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat was a testing time for the forest guards and foresters of Melghat, who, for the first time, had to appear for an exam of 100 marks at Semadoh on the first day (January 27). "This was just to test the knowledge of the staff and had nothing to do with their appraisals," said field director A K Mishra.
The descriptive paper consisted of rights and duties of guards and foresters. Besides, there were objective type questions, fill in the blanks and match the following on issues like wildlife crime, monitoring, patrolling, forest fires, line transact method etc. This is perhaps for the first time that a test for field staff has been conducted. "It will refurbish the knowledge of the staff," felt Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna Division.
The in-house exercise, conducted from January 27 to 31, with the help of 400 staffers and around 25 volunteers in 230 beats of Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), comprising Akot, Sipna and Gugamal Wildlife Divisions was testing time for the field staff.
This was revision of a similar exercise carried out all over India by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, between January 27 and February 3 last year.
Tigers have always remained elusive in MTR, fondly called the 'Kipling Country' and known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys. Tourists in the past one year (December 2010 to January 2011) have reported just three tiger and five leopard sightings. Yet, clinching evidence of carnivores like pugmarks, scrape and scent marks, scats etc. show tigers and leopards are very much around. They are rarely spotted due to complex landscape and dense forest cover. Also, large areas are not accessible to tourists.
The officials' joy knew no bound when they received reports of direct sighting of leopard and two cubs and a tiger each in Semadoh and Chourakund forest ranges in the Sipna Wildlife Division.
"It is a good sign. For the past over two years, the field staff has been rigorously monitoring their respective areas and maintaining registers about sightings. This is helping us know of the animals' presence. For those who don't believe there are tigers in Melghat, we can present them the evidence. We have maintained complete transparency," said A K Mishra, field director & conservator of forests of MTR.
Apart from indirect evidence of leopards and tigers on pugmark impression pads (PIPs), direct sightings of herbivores like chitals and sambars were also reported from transact lines. There was also good evidence of bisons, porcupines, hyenas too. Melghat, where poor prey base is still an issue, even direct sightings of herbivores came as a good news for the staff.
Volunteers were disturbed to see cattle sharing territory with wild animals even in core area. "We saw cow dung and pellets of sambar on the same transact lines in Semadoh area, indicating that grazing was a big problem in Melghat," said Sandeep Dhahad, a volunteer from Nagpur.
Mishra admits grazing is the biggest threat in the reserve. "It has affected prey base in Melghat, but for the past two years, we have been tough on grazers. Offences against unauthorised grazers were brought down from 103 in 2008-09 to 36 in 2009-10.
"Tracking down signs and collecting evidence on transact lines on hillocks and river banks was not a child's play. At one point, we felt like giving up due to many ups and downs in the three-km transact. It came to traversing nearly 10 kms a day but it was also an exciting experience," said Smith Malkan and Adarsh, both students from Mumbai, who participated in the exercise for the first time.
"Our day started at 5.30 am and ended at 11.30 am. The transact lines were located two km away from Semadoh, where we were based. We saw pugmarks of two different tigers on both days in Jawaharkund area. A farmer also claimed to have seen a tiger near the periphery of the reserve," both added.
Some volunteers were disappointed at not sighting animals despite moving in core zone. Mishra explained, "Over 80% of the MTR is teak forest. Since December, the trees have been shedding leaves. You can see carpet of teak leaves everywhere. The rustling of leaves makes sightings difficult and also proves a hurdle in collecting evidence."
Despite 70% of the MTR field staff being above 50 years, the exercise went well as almost all participated seriously. Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Sipna, says, "We have tightened screws on field staff that was in habit of absconding from duty without prior information. In the past two years, several surprise checks on protection huts have been conducted and erring employees have been punished. This has yielded results," he says.
IMP BOX
55 tigers in Melghat?
In 2010, the exercise of all India monitoring of tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat, was carried out. The data have been compiled and submitted to Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The field data collection shows tiger occupancy in almost all areas of critical tiger habitat (CTH) of the MTR. The carnivore signs for tiger collected during the exercise indicate presence of tiger in 55 out of 87 beats of Gugamal Division and 63 out of 96 beats in Sipna Division. Official sources claim due to terrain, topography, density of the forests and biotic interference, sightings are difficult. But group patrolling, protection camps, sighting reports, captures by camera trap, cattle kill etc. are regularly carried out. Proper documentation is maintained at different levels and data collected show presence of 40-55 tigers.
However, in 2005-06, the monitoring had revealed that Melghat, part of the Satpuda landscape, has tiger presence in 1,828 sq km, and supports a population of 21-39 tigers. The tiger distribution in Melghat is contiguous with the population in Madhya Pradesh. The latest result shows that Melghat has come up silently.
Testing time for staff
The in-house exercise to count tiger, co-predators, prey and their habitat was a testing time for the forest guards and foresters of Melghat, who, for the first time, had to appear for an exam of 100 marks at Semadoh on the first day (January 27). "This was just to test the knowledge of the staff and had nothing to do with their appraisals," said field director A K Mishra.
The descriptive paper consisted of rights and duties of guards and foresters. Besides, there were objective type questions, fill in the blanks and match the following on issues like wildlife crime, monitoring, patrolling, forest fires, line transact method etc. This is perhaps for the first time that a test for field staff has been conducted. "It will refurbish the knowledge of the staff," felt Praveen Kumar Badge, deputy conservator of Sipna Division.
Divisional commissioner visits Tadoba to speed up relocation of villages
CHANDRAPUR: In a bid to give speed up relocation and rehabilitation of villages inside Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), divisional commissioner BV Gopal Reddy on Monday sanctioned several amenities for the villagers of Bhagwanpur. These people had been rehabilitated out of the tiger reserve a few years back. The new works would serve twofold motive of developing Bhagwanpur village and encouraging the remaining villages to move out of TATR.
Commissioner Reddy was here on Monday to review the status of relocating villages out of the tiger reserve as per the directives of the high court. After a marathon meeting with revenue and forest officials at the district collectorate, Reddy visited TATR and heard out the woes of villagers living inside the tiger reserve.
"He sanctioned series of amenities demanded by Bhagwanpur villagers and directed revenue and forest officials to see that they are executed in a time-bound manner. The villagers who were rehabilitated under pervious package of Rs 1 lakh, a few years back in Bhagwanpur, would get monetary incentive to compensate the loss. Also, several of their demands related to change of agricultural land, irrigation facilities, levelling and paddy-bunding of farms etc are going to the fulfilled," said CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao, who is also project officer for the rehabilitation process.
Rao claimed that rehabilitated villagers would get incentive of Rs 47,000 each, as against the latest package of Rs 10 lakh per family of National Tiger Conservation Authority. He informed that the commissioner has approved 17 cases of change of agricultural land and directed levelling and paddy-bunding of around 30 hectares of land under National Employment Guarantee scheme in Bhagwanpur.
Moreover, the commissioner directed building of common irrigation well for small groups of farmers from Bhagwanpur under a scheme to improve irrigation facilities. Villagers were complaining since long about lack of irrigation from existing pond built for Bhagwanpur. "Common wells for small group of 7-8 farmers would help address their irrigation problem. All the works would be executed in time-bound manner," Rao added.
He further informed that commissioner agreed to relocate public health centre (PHC) from Kolsa village in TATR to the rehabilitated Bhagwanpur village, but maintained that health facilities at existing Kolsa village would continue. "A doctor would visit the village Kolsa thrice a week to provide health facilities. The commissioner has also directed revenue officials to forward a proposal seeking approval for gram panchayat status for Bhagwanpur to the government," he added. Officials have also been directed to see that Bhagwanpur villagers get ample work under employment guarantee scheme now onwards.
Rao further informed that the proposal of rehabilitating villages Jamni and Navegaon-Ramdegi under new Rs 10 lakh package has been already forwarded to the NTCA for final approval. The relocation process would be initiated after release of funds. Process for preparation of rehabilitation proposal of Palasgaon village is in the offing, he said.
"Earlier Palasgaon was scheduled to be relocated to village Bhagwanpur along with Botezari and Kolsa villages. But the entire Palasgaon village and some Kolsa villagers backed away from the rehabilitation process a few years back. Now, they have selected an alternate rehabilitation site at compartment no. 11 in Warora forest range. Soon after district collectorate approves the number of beneficiary families, a proposal for their rehabilitation would be forwarded to NTCA. The land acquired for Palasgaon villagers earlier at Bhagwanpur site would be surrendered to the government," said Rao.
Similarly, forest department has already acquired land to rehabilitate Rantalodhi villagers in compartment no. 186 of Saoli forest range, however after they backed away they were asked to select other options. As soon as they finalise the relocation site, their proposal also would be forwarded, said Rao.
Commissioner Reddy was here on Monday to review the status of relocating villages out of the tiger reserve as per the directives of the high court. After a marathon meeting with revenue and forest officials at the district collectorate, Reddy visited TATR and heard out the woes of villagers living inside the tiger reserve.
"He sanctioned series of amenities demanded by Bhagwanpur villagers and directed revenue and forest officials to see that they are executed in a time-bound manner. The villagers who were rehabilitated under pervious package of Rs 1 lakh, a few years back in Bhagwanpur, would get monetary incentive to compensate the loss. Also, several of their demands related to change of agricultural land, irrigation facilities, levelling and paddy-bunding of farms etc are going to the fulfilled," said CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao, who is also project officer for the rehabilitation process.
Rao claimed that rehabilitated villagers would get incentive of Rs 47,000 each, as against the latest package of Rs 10 lakh per family of National Tiger Conservation Authority. He informed that the commissioner has approved 17 cases of change of agricultural land and directed levelling and paddy-bunding of around 30 hectares of land under National Employment Guarantee scheme in Bhagwanpur.
Moreover, the commissioner directed building of common irrigation well for small groups of farmers from Bhagwanpur under a scheme to improve irrigation facilities. Villagers were complaining since long about lack of irrigation from existing pond built for Bhagwanpur. "Common wells for small group of 7-8 farmers would help address their irrigation problem. All the works would be executed in time-bound manner," Rao added.
He further informed that commissioner agreed to relocate public health centre (PHC) from Kolsa village in TATR to the rehabilitated Bhagwanpur village, but maintained that health facilities at existing Kolsa village would continue. "A doctor would visit the village Kolsa thrice a week to provide health facilities. The commissioner has also directed revenue officials to forward a proposal seeking approval for gram panchayat status for Bhagwanpur to the government," he added. Officials have also been directed to see that Bhagwanpur villagers get ample work under employment guarantee scheme now onwards.
Rao further informed that the proposal of rehabilitating villages Jamni and Navegaon-Ramdegi under new Rs 10 lakh package has been already forwarded to the NTCA for final approval. The relocation process would be initiated after release of funds. Process for preparation of rehabilitation proposal of Palasgaon village is in the offing, he said.
"Earlier Palasgaon was scheduled to be relocated to village Bhagwanpur along with Botezari and Kolsa villages. But the entire Palasgaon village and some Kolsa villagers backed away from the rehabilitation process a few years back. Now, they have selected an alternate rehabilitation site at compartment no. 11 in Warora forest range. Soon after district collectorate approves the number of beneficiary families, a proposal for their rehabilitation would be forwarded to NTCA. The land acquired for Palasgaon villagers earlier at Bhagwanpur site would be surrendered to the government," said Rao.
Similarly, forest department has already acquired land to rehabilitate Rantalodhi villagers in compartment no. 186 of Saoli forest range, however after they backed away they were asked to select other options. As soon as they finalise the relocation site, their proposal also would be forwarded, said Rao.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dead tiger surfaces' in Ranthambore
JAIPUR: Nearly four years after a tiger named Yuvraj' reportedly fell prey to the poachers at Ranthambore National Park, a controversy has surfaced with a few wildlife activists claiming that a tiger, T-21, is none other than Yuvraj itself. Now it has become a case of dead tiger walking, with forest officials refuting the theory and wildlife activists sticking to it.
The tiger in the middle of the controversy is the first male litter of
T-15, the Guda tigress. Yuvraj met an untimely end when it was allegedly poached in November 2007. Though the body of the tiger was never found, the forest department had initiated action against a few Mongiya tribals accusing them of poaching.
Now, three years after the alleged death of the Yuvraj, some wildlife activists have come up with the theory that a male tiger, T-21 in the park, is none other than Yuvraj itself. The theory is arrived at after activists compared the stripes on T-21 and tallied it with of Yuvraj, got from pictures taken in the past.
"The stripes on the bodies of a tiger are unique to it. No two tigers can have the same pattern of stripes on their body. I have been under this hunch that Yuvraj and T-21 could be the same tiger. Recently, some of my friends and I compared the stripes that were on Yuvraj and those on T-21 and found them to be the same," says conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch.
"Actually Yuvraj was there in the past three years in Ranthambore and was never poached. Even the body of the tiger was never recovered despite the fact that a whole lot of people were trying to trace it," he added.
The revelation has also put a question mark on effective tracking of tigers at the park.
According to sources, Yuvraj and its sibling got separated from their mother, the Guda tigress, at the end of 2006. After staying together with its sibling for sometime, Yuvraj drifted out of the forests to Man Singh Sanctuary in 2007 mainly due to the presence of other dominant males in the park.
But, according to officials of the state forest department, Yuvraj was killed near a place called Lakheri, about 30 kms from the periphery of the park. At that time, nearly seven Mongiya poachers, including one called Bachu Mongya, were listed as accused. Eventually Bacchu died while his brothers Moolya Mogya and Sakrama Mogya still remain accused and are absconding. Yuvraj's sibling T-12 was recently shifted to the Sariska reserve.
"Ranthambore is an open park and unlike many other tiger reserves it gives scope for effective monitoring of tigers. What needs to be done is that each tiger here should be properly tracked and a record maintained," added Khandal.
When contacted, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, assured to get the fact investigated. "I have no idea of it now but I will get it checked," he said.
The tiger in the middle of the controversy is the first male litter of
T-15, the Guda tigress. Yuvraj met an untimely end when it was allegedly poached in November 2007. Though the body of the tiger was never found, the forest department had initiated action against a few Mongiya tribals accusing them of poaching.
Now, three years after the alleged death of the Yuvraj, some wildlife activists have come up with the theory that a male tiger, T-21 in the park, is none other than Yuvraj itself. The theory is arrived at after activists compared the stripes on T-21 and tallied it with of Yuvraj, got from pictures taken in the past.
"The stripes on the bodies of a tiger are unique to it. No two tigers can have the same pattern of stripes on their body. I have been under this hunch that Yuvraj and T-21 could be the same tiger. Recently, some of my friends and I compared the stripes that were on Yuvraj and those on T-21 and found them to be the same," says conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch.
"Actually Yuvraj was there in the past three years in Ranthambore and was never poached. Even the body of the tiger was never recovered despite the fact that a whole lot of people were trying to trace it," he added.
The revelation has also put a question mark on effective tracking of tigers at the park.
According to sources, Yuvraj and its sibling got separated from their mother, the Guda tigress, at the end of 2006. After staying together with its sibling for sometime, Yuvraj drifted out of the forests to Man Singh Sanctuary in 2007 mainly due to the presence of other dominant males in the park.
But, according to officials of the state forest department, Yuvraj was killed near a place called Lakheri, about 30 kms from the periphery of the park. At that time, nearly seven Mongiya poachers, including one called Bachu Mongya, were listed as accused. Eventually Bacchu died while his brothers Moolya Mogya and Sakrama Mogya still remain accused and are absconding. Yuvraj's sibling T-12 was recently shifted to the Sariska reserve.
"Ranthambore is an open park and unlike many other tiger reserves it gives scope for effective monitoring of tigers. What needs to be done is that each tiger here should be properly tracked and a record maintained," added Khandal.
When contacted, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, assured to get the fact investigated. "I have no idea of it now but I will get it checked," he said.
Karnataka forest dept mulls over tiger reserve tag to Kudremukh
After the declaration of Biligiri Rangannabetta (BRT) as a tiger reserve by the state government, the forest department is now pinning its hopes on giving the same status to the Kudremukh National Park.
If it happens, not only will the state government be forced to clear off the mining companies that have occupied a part of the national park, but will also have to ensure that the area is well protected. Moreover, there will be no scope for any commercial activities in the premises in future.
The principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) BK Singh said they were mulling over the idea of getting the area declared as a tiger reserve.
It is a good habitat for tigers as during the last tiger census, over eight tigers were sighted directly, apart from the indirect evidences (scat, pug marks, etc.). The big cats have also been sighted in abandoned mining areas, which is a good sign. In order to make the plea stronger, help from experts and Wildlife Institute of India is also being sought.
This idea has raised a hope among experts who have been fighting a long battle to clear the mining companies from the site. In fact, it will then be the first and the biggest-ever green forest block, located at the centre of the Western Ghats to be declared as tiger reserve, in the state.
The proposal comes at a time when the on-going lobbying for the mining row has pressure building on the state government to permit mining and allow functioning of idle machinery at abandoned mining areas.
According to noted tiger scientist and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies, K Ullas Karanth, “It is a fantastic area that has been lying neglected. In 1986, while on a survey, I found it was the ideal habitat for the largest lion-tailed macaque, based on which, it was declared a national park in 1987. In the 16 sq km of abandoned mining area, vegetation has come up and of late tiger signs have also been seen. I have been suggesting this area be declared a tiger reserve, for a very long time.”
He added that Kudremukh is the largest block of rain forest adjoining Agumbe and Balur. It has a unique habitat of the Sholas, another one being Annamalai.
It is in the centre of the Western Ghats and is not far from Bhadra, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Anshi and Dandeli tiger reserves. It serves as a path for tiger movement and supports biodiversity. It’s the habitat of the great pied hornbill and lion-tailed macaque.
Kudremukh National Park is spread across 900 sqkm, but the greater Kudremukh area is spread across 1,000 sq km. About 37 sq km of national park area was used for mining. But a curative petition in the Supreme Court, in December 31, 2005, dismissed the plea of the mining firms to renew their lease and occupy the land.
Kudremukh was declared as a national park in 1987 and the lease for mining was issued from July 1969-1999. So when the area was notified and the lease was over, it was not renewed, but the company was granted temporary work permit for a year and later extended for another year.
Then a case was filed in the high court, following which the state government was asked to include all areas into the national park and protect it.
Wildlife First managing trustee Praveen Bhargav said despite the Supreme Court orders, the mining company is still in possession of land in an area which is declared as ecologically-sensitive as per the Godhaverman report.
Thus, it is now for the state government to decide and issue a declaration. Predominantly, tiger reserves comprise of dry, moist and semi-deciduous forests. So the idea is to bring in the best-ever green parts in the tiger reserve.
If it happens, not only will the state government be forced to clear off the mining companies that have occupied a part of the national park, but will also have to ensure that the area is well protected. Moreover, there will be no scope for any commercial activities in the premises in future.
The principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) BK Singh said they were mulling over the idea of getting the area declared as a tiger reserve.
It is a good habitat for tigers as during the last tiger census, over eight tigers were sighted directly, apart from the indirect evidences (scat, pug marks, etc.). The big cats have also been sighted in abandoned mining areas, which is a good sign. In order to make the plea stronger, help from experts and Wildlife Institute of India is also being sought.
This idea has raised a hope among experts who have been fighting a long battle to clear the mining companies from the site. In fact, it will then be the first and the biggest-ever green forest block, located at the centre of the Western Ghats to be declared as tiger reserve, in the state.
The proposal comes at a time when the on-going lobbying for the mining row has pressure building on the state government to permit mining and allow functioning of idle machinery at abandoned mining areas.
According to noted tiger scientist and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies, K Ullas Karanth, “It is a fantastic area that has been lying neglected. In 1986, while on a survey, I found it was the ideal habitat for the largest lion-tailed macaque, based on which, it was declared a national park in 1987. In the 16 sq km of abandoned mining area, vegetation has come up and of late tiger signs have also been seen. I have been suggesting this area be declared a tiger reserve, for a very long time.”
He added that Kudremukh is the largest block of rain forest adjoining Agumbe and Balur. It has a unique habitat of the Sholas, another one being Annamalai.
It is in the centre of the Western Ghats and is not far from Bhadra, Bandipur, Nagarhole, Anshi and Dandeli tiger reserves. It serves as a path for tiger movement and supports biodiversity. It’s the habitat of the great pied hornbill and lion-tailed macaque.
Kudremukh National Park is spread across 900 sqkm, but the greater Kudremukh area is spread across 1,000 sq km. About 37 sq km of national park area was used for mining. But a curative petition in the Supreme Court, in December 31, 2005, dismissed the plea of the mining firms to renew their lease and occupy the land.
Kudremukh was declared as a national park in 1987 and the lease for mining was issued from July 1969-1999. So when the area was notified and the lease was over, it was not renewed, but the company was granted temporary work permit for a year and later extended for another year.
Then a case was filed in the high court, following which the state government was asked to include all areas into the national park and protect it.
Wildlife First managing trustee Praveen Bhargav said despite the Supreme Court orders, the mining company is still in possession of land in an area which is declared as ecologically-sensitive as per the Godhaverman report.
Thus, it is now for the state government to decide and issue a declaration. Predominantly, tiger reserves comprise of dry, moist and semi-deciduous forests. So the idea is to bring in the best-ever green parts in the tiger reserve.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tiger census initial reports show an upward trend in Uttar Pradesh
There could be a good news for the wildlife lovers as the preliminary analysis of the ongoing census of tigers in the forests of Uttar Pradesh indicates that their numbers might have increased.
The tiger census, which is presently going on through the camera-trap-method has shown an upward trend, though the complete results will be available in March only, chief conservator of forests, Uttar Pradesh BK Patnaik said.
The census work in Dudhwa national park and Pilibhit is complete, while it was underway in Katariyaghat and Kishunpur and as per the reports available, the number of the wild cats appears to be on the rise, he said.
As per the 2007 census, there were 110 tigers and 208 leopards in the state forests, while the number of tigers in the country stood at 1,400.
The tiger density in Uttar Pradesh is one tiger per 25 sq kms, as against around 10 to 11 sq kms in Uttarakhand, sources said, attributing this difference mainly to better forest cover ensuring easy availability of herbivores.
Sources in the state forest department said that the camera trap method is likely to give a more accurate number of tigers present in the forests.
Cameras are installed at strategic points, like water bodies in the forest area, where the tigers go for water, in their respective territories and a computer analysis is carried out to ascertain their presence.
Though there has been concern over the rise in the cases of man-animal conflict in Uttar Pradesh forest areas, with at least three cases reported this year itself from around the Katarniyaghat wildlife sanctuary, efforts are on to take the help of people living on the fringes of forests, besides NGOs to create awareness.
As many as 16 human lives have lost in these conflicts since the beginning of 2010.
Because of rising incidents of man-animal conflict, the department is also working on constant monitoring, grassland development management and means to minimise human/ cattle presence in the forest areas by providing alternate sources of energy and livelihood to the people residing on the fringes of forests, he said.
The 70 kms long railway track running through Dudhwa and Katarniyaghat forests has brought in more trouble to the tigers. Several cases of the wild cats being run over by trains have been reported in the past years, though the speed limit has been fixed at 30 KMPH.
The department has been writing to the Railways to find out a permanent solution for it but to little avail till now, sources added.
The tiger census, which is presently going on through the camera-trap-method has shown an upward trend, though the complete results will be available in March only, chief conservator of forests, Uttar Pradesh BK Patnaik said.
The census work in Dudhwa national park and Pilibhit is complete, while it was underway in Katariyaghat and Kishunpur and as per the reports available, the number of the wild cats appears to be on the rise, he said.
As per the 2007 census, there were 110 tigers and 208 leopards in the state forests, while the number of tigers in the country stood at 1,400.
The tiger density in Uttar Pradesh is one tiger per 25 sq kms, as against around 10 to 11 sq kms in Uttarakhand, sources said, attributing this difference mainly to better forest cover ensuring easy availability of herbivores.
Sources in the state forest department said that the camera trap method is likely to give a more accurate number of tigers present in the forests.
Cameras are installed at strategic points, like water bodies in the forest area, where the tigers go for water, in their respective territories and a computer analysis is carried out to ascertain their presence.
Though there has been concern over the rise in the cases of man-animal conflict in Uttar Pradesh forest areas, with at least three cases reported this year itself from around the Katarniyaghat wildlife sanctuary, efforts are on to take the help of people living on the fringes of forests, besides NGOs to create awareness.
As many as 16 human lives have lost in these conflicts since the beginning of 2010.
Because of rising incidents of man-animal conflict, the department is also working on constant monitoring, grassland development management and means to minimise human/ cattle presence in the forest areas by providing alternate sources of energy and livelihood to the people residing on the fringes of forests, he said.
The 70 kms long railway track running through Dudhwa and Katarniyaghat forests has brought in more trouble to the tigers. Several cases of the wild cats being run over by trains have been reported in the past years, though the speed limit has been fixed at 30 KMPH.
The department has been writing to the Railways to find out a permanent solution for it but to little avail till now, sources added.
Tiger reserve tag for BRT Wildlife Sanctuary stirs up a hornet's nest
MYSORE: The declaration of the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary as a “tiger reserve” by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on January 24 has stirred up a hornet's nest.
Sources in the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary said that the official communication was received on January 27, and the total area of the tiger reserve will be 574.82 sq km. The area will be free of human habitation in view of protecting the endangered cat and funds will be released by the Centre.
The tiger reserve, according to conservationists, will help in protecting the estimated 35 tigers that inhabit the sanctuary, but the new status to the sanctuary has become a cause of concern for the 16,204 Soliga tribal people whose lives have for centuries been inextricably linked to this forest.
Thousands of Soligas were allegedly evicted forcibly when the area was declared as BRT Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974.Now, over 1,500 Soliga tribal people will be forced to make way for the tiger reserve.
According to sources, a 373-sq km zone in the heart of the forest has been declared a critical tiger habitat and eight ‘podus' (tribal hamlets) that fall within this radius will be relocated to a village outside the forest. Upset with the development, the tribal community is all set to launch an agitation.
They have planned to launch an indefinite strike in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Chamarajanagar from February 15 and fight till the Minister for Forests promises that they will not be evacuated from “their land”. Speaking to The Hindu, secretary of the Zilla Budakattu Abhivruddhi Sangha, C. Made Gowda said that regardless of their objection, the NTCA had declared BRT Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve and nothing had been clarified on the future of the 1,500 Soliga tribal people, who according to forest officials, had to make way for the reserve.
“Forest officials who earlier assured us of not evacuating us from our podus are now saying that podus that fall within the tiger reserve will be relocated outside the forest. This is nothing but hoodwinking the tribal people,” he noted.
He regretted that though environmentalists, non-governmental organisations and rights groups in a petition to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) proposed to manage BRT Wildlife Sanctuary as a “Community Based Tiger Conservation Area”, the Ministry was not prepared to accept the proposal.
Sources in the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary said that the official communication was received on January 27, and the total area of the tiger reserve will be 574.82 sq km. The area will be free of human habitation in view of protecting the endangered cat and funds will be released by the Centre.
The tiger reserve, according to conservationists, will help in protecting the estimated 35 tigers that inhabit the sanctuary, but the new status to the sanctuary has become a cause of concern for the 16,204 Soliga tribal people whose lives have for centuries been inextricably linked to this forest.
Thousands of Soligas were allegedly evicted forcibly when the area was declared as BRT Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974.Now, over 1,500 Soliga tribal people will be forced to make way for the tiger reserve.
According to sources, a 373-sq km zone in the heart of the forest has been declared a critical tiger habitat and eight ‘podus' (tribal hamlets) that fall within this radius will be relocated to a village outside the forest. Upset with the development, the tribal community is all set to launch an agitation.
They have planned to launch an indefinite strike in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Chamarajanagar from February 15 and fight till the Minister for Forests promises that they will not be evacuated from “their land”. Speaking to The Hindu, secretary of the Zilla Budakattu Abhivruddhi Sangha, C. Made Gowda said that regardless of their objection, the NTCA had declared BRT Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve and nothing had been clarified on the future of the 1,500 Soliga tribal people, who according to forest officials, had to make way for the reserve.
“Forest officials who earlier assured us of not evacuating us from our podus are now saying that podus that fall within the tiger reserve will be relocated outside the forest. This is nothing but hoodwinking the tribal people,” he noted.
He regretted that though environmentalists, non-governmental organisations and rights groups in a petition to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) proposed to manage BRT Wildlife Sanctuary as a “Community Based Tiger Conservation Area”, the Ministry was not prepared to accept the proposal.
Tiger reserve tag for BRT Wildlife Sanctuary stirs up a hornet's nest
MYSORE: The declaration of the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary as a “tiger reserve” by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on January 24 has stirred up a hornet's nest.
Sources in the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary said that the official communication was received on January 27, and the total area of the tiger reserve will be 574.82 sq km. The area will be free of human habitation in view of protecting the endangered cat and funds will be released by the Centre.
The tiger reserve, according to conservationists, will help in protecting the estimated 35 tigers that inhabit the sanctuary, but the new status to the sanctuary has become a cause of concern for the 16,204 Soliga tribal people whose lives have for centuries been inextricably linked to this forest.
Thousands of Soligas were allegedly evicted forcibly when the area was declared as BRT Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974.Now, over 1,500 Soliga tribal people will be forced to make way for the tiger reserve.
According to sources, a 373-sq km zone in the heart of the forest has been declared a critical tiger habitat and eight ‘podus' (tribal hamlets) that fall within this radius will be relocated to a village outside the forest. Upset with the development, the tribal community is all set to launch an agitation.
They have planned to launch an indefinite strike in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Chamarajanagar from February 15 and fight till the Minister for Forests promises that they will not be evacuated from “their land”. Speaking to The Hindu, secretary of the Zilla Budakattu Abhivruddhi Sangha, C. Made Gowda said that regardless of their objection, the NTCA had declared BRT Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve and nothing had been clarified on the future of the 1,500 Soliga tribal people, who according to forest officials, had to make way for the reserve.
“Forest officials who earlier assured us of not evacuating us from our podus are now saying that podus that fall within the tiger reserve will be relocated outside the forest. This is nothing but hoodwinking the tribal people,” he noted.
He regretted that though environmentalists, non-governmental organisations and rights groups in a petition to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) proposed to manage BRT Wildlife Sanctuary as a “Community Based Tiger Conservation Area”, the Ministry was not prepared to accept the proposal.
Sources in the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary said that the official communication was received on January 27, and the total area of the tiger reserve will be 574.82 sq km. The area will be free of human habitation in view of protecting the endangered cat and funds will be released by the Centre.
The tiger reserve, according to conservationists, will help in protecting the estimated 35 tigers that inhabit the sanctuary, but the new status to the sanctuary has become a cause of concern for the 16,204 Soliga tribal people whose lives have for centuries been inextricably linked to this forest.
Thousands of Soligas were allegedly evicted forcibly when the area was declared as BRT Wildlife Sanctuary in 1974.Now, over 1,500 Soliga tribal people will be forced to make way for the tiger reserve.
According to sources, a 373-sq km zone in the heart of the forest has been declared a critical tiger habitat and eight ‘podus' (tribal hamlets) that fall within this radius will be relocated to a village outside the forest. Upset with the development, the tribal community is all set to launch an agitation.
They have planned to launch an indefinite strike in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner in Chamarajanagar from February 15 and fight till the Minister for Forests promises that they will not be evacuated from “their land”. Speaking to The Hindu, secretary of the Zilla Budakattu Abhivruddhi Sangha, C. Made Gowda said that regardless of their objection, the NTCA had declared BRT Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve and nothing had been clarified on the future of the 1,500 Soliga tribal people, who according to forest officials, had to make way for the reserve.
“Forest officials who earlier assured us of not evacuating us from our podus are now saying that podus that fall within the tiger reserve will be relocated outside the forest. This is nothing but hoodwinking the tribal people,” he noted.
He regretted that though environmentalists, non-governmental organisations and rights groups in a petition to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) proposed to manage BRT Wildlife Sanctuary as a “Community Based Tiger Conservation Area”, the Ministry was not prepared to accept the proposal.
Uttarakhand Wildlife department defends killing of Tiger
Dehra Dun: Under attack from various quarters for killing a tiger in the Corbett tiger reserve, the Uttarakhand Wildlife Department today strongly defended its action, saying the big cat was a "man-eater" which killed at least four persons.
The tiger was shot dead at Kosi river range area of the park on Thursday last on suspicion of killing a 27-year-old man after agitating villagers demanded immediate elimination of the feline.
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has ordered a probe into the killing of the tiger, while Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is understood to have sought a report from the state government on the incident.
"We have evidences like old bullet wounds to prove that it was the same tiger which killed four persons in Sunderkhal area of the Corbett tiger reserve," S K Chandola, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand, said.
He was responding to criticism from various quarters that the department acted in haste to kill the tiger, which had let loose a reign of terror in the area.
BJP MP Tarun Vijay had also condemned the incident and asked the state government to create a "buffer zone" to facilitate the free movement of big cats.
"When the first time tiger was shot on Jan 11, we presumed that it was a tigress due to its pug marks and broad hind portion. But the postmortem report found the old bullet wound of January 11 in the tiger killed on January 27," he said.
This clearly indicates it was the same tiger, he said, adding that human flesh has been found in the stomach of the tiger, which was killed.
In addition to this, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in its report has stated that the blood samples of the wounded tiger collected on January 11 were of a male tiger and not of the tigress, he said.
Chandola also said the department followed all the guidelines of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) while declaring an animal as man-eater.
"We strictly acted under the section 11 of the wildlife protection act of 1972 which clearly gives mandate to the chief wildlife warden to declare an animal as man-eater in case it becomes dangerous for the human beings," Chandola said.
he said there were several other evidences which clearly suggested that the tiger in Sunderkhal area had become a man-eater.
In the case of the last killing of January 26 where a 27-year-old man was devoured, the tiger had returned to the half-eaten body in the area.
"As the tiger approached the dead body, we ordered the killing," Chandola said.
On being asked as to why the tiger was not tranquilised, he said it was very difficult to tranquilise tigers which are highly elusive animals.
The tiger was shot dead at Kosi river range area of the park on Thursday last on suspicion of killing a 27-year-old man after agitating villagers demanded immediate elimination of the feline.
Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has ordered a probe into the killing of the tiger, while Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is understood to have sought a report from the state government on the incident.
"We have evidences like old bullet wounds to prove that it was the same tiger which killed four persons in Sunderkhal area of the Corbett tiger reserve," S K Chandola, Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand, said.
He was responding to criticism from various quarters that the department acted in haste to kill the tiger, which had let loose a reign of terror in the area.
BJP MP Tarun Vijay had also condemned the incident and asked the state government to create a "buffer zone" to facilitate the free movement of big cats.
"When the first time tiger was shot on Jan 11, we presumed that it was a tigress due to its pug marks and broad hind portion. But the postmortem report found the old bullet wound of January 11 in the tiger killed on January 27," he said.
This clearly indicates it was the same tiger, he said, adding that human flesh has been found in the stomach of the tiger, which was killed.
In addition to this, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in its report has stated that the blood samples of the wounded tiger collected on January 11 were of a male tiger and not of the tigress, he said.
Chandola also said the department followed all the guidelines of the Wildlife Protection Act (1972) while declaring an animal as man-eater.
"We strictly acted under the section 11 of the wildlife protection act of 1972 which clearly gives mandate to the chief wildlife warden to declare an animal as man-eater in case it becomes dangerous for the human beings," Chandola said.
he said there were several other evidences which clearly suggested that the tiger in Sunderkhal area had become a man-eater.
In the case of the last killing of January 26 where a 27-year-old man was devoured, the tiger had returned to the half-eaten body in the area.
"As the tiger approached the dead body, we ordered the killing," Chandola said.
On being asked as to why the tiger was not tranquilised, he said it was very difficult to tranquilise tigers which are highly elusive animals.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Ramesh orders inquiry into Uttarakhand tiger killing
Uttarakhand government is in dock for pumping over 25 bullets in a tiger at Corbett national park with environment minister Jairam Ramesh seeking a report and BJP MP from the state Tarun Vijay expressing "displeasure". A tiger, declared as man-eater, was killed near Sunder Khat village on January 27, in a second encounter after being shot about 16 days ago. In between, no effort was made to track down the elderly tiger and tranquilize him, as required under the National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines.
"I have sought a report on the incident," Ramesh told HT, when asked about the concern expressed by wildlife experts over the barbaric manner in which the tiger was killed.
P K Sen, a NCTA member and former director of Project Tiger said, no effort was made to understand why the animal had turned man-eater and tranquilize him. A tiger in Pilibhit range, who had killed eight people in 2010, had stopped attacking humans after returning to his natural habitat. The World Wide Fund for nature had tracked the entire journey on 20 cameras put in the range.
"The drastic act Corbett was under political and local pressure," Sen said, which was confirmed to some extent by S Chondolia, Chief Wildlife Warden of the state. "The victims were from poor families and disadvantaged. We could not have allowed it to continue," Chondolia told HT.
But, BJP Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay had branded these 342 families as encroachers on land for tigers, which the state government had failed to vacate. "The Corbett was not about man-animal conflict but human selfishness and greed in conflict with peace-loving and solitude-seeking tigers," he said on Friday.
Tiger experts also pointed out that the killing took place with the help of experts and the animal was left in pain for over 15 days. "The first bullet on January 11 had damaged the testicles of the animal but no effort was made to end the agony fast," said Brijendra Singh, an NCTA member. No specialized hunters were called and forest department guards shot the tiger.
Ramesh has asked NCTA member secretary Rajesh Gopal to conduct an inquiry and submit a report after experts said that the authorities protocol was not followed while killing the animal.
"Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act gives power to the Chief Wildlife Warden to declare an animal a beast and destroy it," Chandolia said, claiming that the NCTA guidelines for fully followed.
Man-animal conflict is in rise in Uttarakhand where tiger population is believed to have increased by about 15% since the last census in 2007 and their habitat shrunk. "Our maps show that corridors which helped tigers to move from one habitat to another and their buffer areas have either been destroyed or encroached," said a ministry official.
"I have sought a report on the incident," Ramesh told HT, when asked about the concern expressed by wildlife experts over the barbaric manner in which the tiger was killed.
P K Sen, a NCTA member and former director of Project Tiger said, no effort was made to understand why the animal had turned man-eater and tranquilize him. A tiger in Pilibhit range, who had killed eight people in 2010, had stopped attacking humans after returning to his natural habitat. The World Wide Fund for nature had tracked the entire journey on 20 cameras put in the range.
"The drastic act Corbett was under political and local pressure," Sen said, which was confirmed to some extent by S Chondolia, Chief Wildlife Warden of the state. "The victims were from poor families and disadvantaged. We could not have allowed it to continue," Chondolia told HT.
But, BJP Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay had branded these 342 families as encroachers on land for tigers, which the state government had failed to vacate. "The Corbett was not about man-animal conflict but human selfishness and greed in conflict with peace-loving and solitude-seeking tigers," he said on Friday.
Tiger experts also pointed out that the killing took place with the help of experts and the animal was left in pain for over 15 days. "The first bullet on January 11 had damaged the testicles of the animal but no effort was made to end the agony fast," said Brijendra Singh, an NCTA member. No specialized hunters were called and forest department guards shot the tiger.
Ramesh has asked NCTA member secretary Rajesh Gopal to conduct an inquiry and submit a report after experts said that the authorities protocol was not followed while killing the animal.
"Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act gives power to the Chief Wildlife Warden to declare an animal a beast and destroy it," Chandolia said, claiming that the NCTA guidelines for fully followed.
Man-animal conflict is in rise in Uttarakhand where tiger population is believed to have increased by about 15% since the last census in 2007 and their habitat shrunk. "Our maps show that corridors which helped tigers to move from one habitat to another and their buffer areas have either been destroyed or encroached," said a ministry official.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
More tiger cubs bring cheer to Ranthambore
JAIPUR: Ranthambore, which lost 10 tigers recently due to deaths or straying, may have got back its count with at least nine cubs being sighted in the park.
Since last September, five cubs have been caught on camera while forest guards spotted two more tigress which are said to be lactating, park sources said.
A trap camera caught three cubs recently. Though the news of the birth of the cubs came sometime back, forest officials could not confirm it as pictures were not available. "Now since we have pictures of the cubs we are sure," said R N Mehrotra , Rajasthan's principal chief conservator of forests.
Since last September, five cubs have been caught on camera while forest guards spotted two more tigress which are said to be lactating, park sources said.
A trap camera caught three cubs recently. Though the news of the birth of the cubs came sometime back, forest officials could not confirm it as pictures were not available. "Now since we have pictures of the cubs we are sure," said R N Mehrotra , Rajasthan's principal chief conservator of forests.
Space crunch triggering man-tiger conflicts
Article
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Tags:Villagers|Kaziranga National Park|Conflicts
KAZIRANGA: Over 2,000 rhinos, 1,292 elephants, 1,400 wild buffaloes and about 700 swamp deer are already jostling for space in the 430 sq km area of Kaziranga National Park. Add to it about 80-odd tigers. Kaziranga National Park, which boasts of highest tiger density in the world, has virtually run out of space. And the worst sufferers, it seems, are the tigers they stray out of the protected area in search of prey and run into the risk of getting engaged in fatal conflicts with fringe villagers.
Kaziranga Park authorities admit to the problem. "The need of the hour is to add new areas under the park's administration. Even as the process to add new areas is over, these areas are yet to be handed over to us," Kaziranga National Park director Surajit Dutta said.
"Regaining the sand islands on the Brahmaputra which are used as natural corridors by tigers is of utmost importance for proper conservation of the big cats and ensuring their safety. Most of these island are either encroached by human beings or are being used by them to set up cattle sheds. This increases human-tiger conflicts," he added.
A park official said if one combines the total number of big mammals in the park area, it only reveals a terrible space shortage. "Incidents of straying out by tigers and conflicts with locals living in villages along the park are rampant. We have to extend our management beyond the existing area of the park," an official observed.
"Whenever a tiger strays out, it preys on livestock. This triggers conflicts. In fact, human-tiger conflict has posed a challenge for us. However, in collaboration with WWF-India, we are making all efforts to mitigate the conflict by providing compensation to owners as early as possible," Dutta said.
A joint study by Aaranyak and WWF-India, in collaboration with the forest department, has confirmed that over 100 sand islands dotting the Brahmaputra between Kaziranga national park and Orang national park are frequently used by tigers for their movement.
Spotting tigers in places like Koliabor, Naltali and Dhakuakhana within the Kaziranga-Orang Riverine Landscape has confirmed that big cats are using the islands for establishing new home ranges once they move out of the protected areas.
The trend of more and more tigers straying out of Kaziranga is also a cause of concern for the fringe villagers. "Last monsoon, I lost three cows in tiger attacks. They sneak into our village and prey upon our cattle. Our cattle sheds are not well-protected ones," said 75-year-old Hemai Tokbi, the village headman of Inglem Pathar, a non-descript hamlet bang opposite the Kohora range of the national park.
Though Tokbi claimed that residents of Inglem Pathar have never tried to kill a tiger, he could not vouch the same for people of other villages surrounding Kaziranga. "It's a difficult question. Don't ask me that," was his curt reply.
P J Bora, programme coordinator of WWF-India's Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape Programme (KALP), said: "We provide these villagers with immediate relief whenever there's report of tiger depredation. For proper conservation of the tigers, managing the park and the firing villages is of utmost importance. One should always remember that the human and wildlife interface in an area like Kaziranga is quite diffused that there is constant interaction, sometime fierce, and close relationship among both the parties."
The 185 km long Kaziranga-Orang Riverine Landscape (KORL) comprises the protected areas of Kaziranga, Orang, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and a number of reserve forests. The study said KORL served as a major gateway for movement of other animals including deer the major prey base for tigers.
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Tags:Villagers|Kaziranga National Park|Conflicts
KAZIRANGA: Over 2,000 rhinos, 1,292 elephants, 1,400 wild buffaloes and about 700 swamp deer are already jostling for space in the 430 sq km area of Kaziranga National Park. Add to it about 80-odd tigers. Kaziranga National Park, which boasts of highest tiger density in the world, has virtually run out of space. And the worst sufferers, it seems, are the tigers they stray out of the protected area in search of prey and run into the risk of getting engaged in fatal conflicts with fringe villagers.
Kaziranga Park authorities admit to the problem. "The need of the hour is to add new areas under the park's administration. Even as the process to add new areas is over, these areas are yet to be handed over to us," Kaziranga National Park director Surajit Dutta said.
"Regaining the sand islands on the Brahmaputra which are used as natural corridors by tigers is of utmost importance for proper conservation of the big cats and ensuring their safety. Most of these island are either encroached by human beings or are being used by them to set up cattle sheds. This increases human-tiger conflicts," he added.
A park official said if one combines the total number of big mammals in the park area, it only reveals a terrible space shortage. "Incidents of straying out by tigers and conflicts with locals living in villages along the park are rampant. We have to extend our management beyond the existing area of the park," an official observed.
"Whenever a tiger strays out, it preys on livestock. This triggers conflicts. In fact, human-tiger conflict has posed a challenge for us. However, in collaboration with WWF-India, we are making all efforts to mitigate the conflict by providing compensation to owners as early as possible," Dutta said.
A joint study by Aaranyak and WWF-India, in collaboration with the forest department, has confirmed that over 100 sand islands dotting the Brahmaputra between Kaziranga national park and Orang national park are frequently used by tigers for their movement.
Spotting tigers in places like Koliabor, Naltali and Dhakuakhana within the Kaziranga-Orang Riverine Landscape has confirmed that big cats are using the islands for establishing new home ranges once they move out of the protected areas.
The trend of more and more tigers straying out of Kaziranga is also a cause of concern for the fringe villagers. "Last monsoon, I lost three cows in tiger attacks. They sneak into our village and prey upon our cattle. Our cattle sheds are not well-protected ones," said 75-year-old Hemai Tokbi, the village headman of Inglem Pathar, a non-descript hamlet bang opposite the Kohora range of the national park.
Though Tokbi claimed that residents of Inglem Pathar have never tried to kill a tiger, he could not vouch the same for people of other villages surrounding Kaziranga. "It's a difficult question. Don't ask me that," was his curt reply.
P J Bora, programme coordinator of WWF-India's Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape Programme (KALP), said: "We provide these villagers with immediate relief whenever there's report of tiger depredation. For proper conservation of the tigers, managing the park and the firing villages is of utmost importance. One should always remember that the human and wildlife interface in an area like Kaziranga is quite diffused that there is constant interaction, sometime fierce, and close relationship among both the parties."
The 185 km long Kaziranga-Orang Riverine Landscape (KORL) comprises the protected areas of Kaziranga, Orang, Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Burachapori Wildlife Sanctuary and a number of reserve forests. The study said KORL served as a major gateway for movement of other animals including deer the major prey base for tigers.
A website that has different tales of tigers
A website based on the tigers of Bandhavgarh National Park in Umaria district not only identifies the big cats belonging to a particular zone by their pet names, but also traces their family tree. landofthewild.com, created by Sachin Rai, a wildlife
photographer, traces the family tree of tigers, describes their traits and has stories associated with them.
"Wildlife photography is a passion for me," Rai told PTI, when asked about the website and his hobby. "I used to visit Bandhavgarh at least three times a year and spend a fortnight each in the park to capture images and gather information about the tigers," he said.
The tigers in the family tree are identified with their names like B2, Bokha, Bamera Male, Kallu, Chakradhara, Jhujhura, Chorbehra, Mahaman, Banbehi and Mirchaini.
"Best part of the website is that the moment you click on B2, Mahaman or any other tiger, you get to see the actual
big cat in the wild," the awarding-winning lensman said.
Referring to B2, the website says, "a legend on his own, this tiger is probably the most photographed wild tiger in the world. Ruling more than half the tourism area for almost eight years now, he has fathered lots of cubs who have
been instrumental in shaping the future of Bandhavgarh."
"B2 has fathered Jhujura, one of the most bold and successful mothers. She had raised two healthy litters and was
taking care of her third one which consisted of three cubs (six-month-old). She was run over by a Forest Department
vehicle on May 19, 2010," it claimed.
photographer, traces the family tree of tigers, describes their traits and has stories associated with them.
"Wildlife photography is a passion for me," Rai told PTI, when asked about the website and his hobby. "I used to visit Bandhavgarh at least three times a year and spend a fortnight each in the park to capture images and gather information about the tigers," he said.
The tigers in the family tree are identified with their names like B2, Bokha, Bamera Male, Kallu, Chakradhara, Jhujhura, Chorbehra, Mahaman, Banbehi and Mirchaini.
"Best part of the website is that the moment you click on B2, Mahaman or any other tiger, you get to see the actual
big cat in the wild," the awarding-winning lensman said.
Referring to B2, the website says, "a legend on his own, this tiger is probably the most photographed wild tiger in the world. Ruling more than half the tourism area for almost eight years now, he has fathered lots of cubs who have
been instrumental in shaping the future of Bandhavgarh."
"B2 has fathered Jhujura, one of the most bold and successful mothers. She had raised two healthy litters and was
taking care of her third one which consisted of three cubs (six-month-old). She was run over by a Forest Department
vehicle on May 19, 2010," it claimed.
Was the wrong tiger killed in Kumaon?
LUCKNOW: A day after Uttarakhand forest officials shot a tiger claiming it had killed six people in and around Kumaon's Corbett Reserve, doubts are being raised if the big cat felled on Thursday was a man-eater.
The Corbett authorities who had earlier claimed that the man-eater was a tigress, on Friday said the feline shot by Ramnagar forest officials was a "rare specimen with female characterstics". With deformity in both its hind claws, the pug marks of the tiger made them look like that of a tigress. "Whatever doubts have arisen, could be because of this assumption of ours," said Corbett park warden U C Tiwari on Friday adding, "it was a tiger with female characteristics."
The contention was outrightly rejected by wildlife experts. "The pug mark impressions are very distinct and are impressions of paws and not claws," said former director of Dudhwa G C Mishra. He added that this leaves little chance of a goof up. "We are yet to come across a tiger with "female characteristics," he said.
"If they have killed a wrong tiger and a man-eater is still at large, killings (of men) will take place in some 15-20 days," he warned.
Former director, Project Tiger, R L Singh said: "I agree that pug marks are misleading evidence, but I have never ever come across a tiger with any of its claws like that of a female. Though the cubs can have their claws look like that of a female, the Corbett tiger was an old one."
The Corbett authorities who had earlier claimed that the man-eater was a tigress, on Friday said the feline shot by Ramnagar forest officials was a "rare specimen with female characterstics". With deformity in both its hind claws, the pug marks of the tiger made them look like that of a tigress. "Whatever doubts have arisen, could be because of this assumption of ours," said Corbett park warden U C Tiwari on Friday adding, "it was a tiger with female characteristics."
The contention was outrightly rejected by wildlife experts. "The pug mark impressions are very distinct and are impressions of paws and not claws," said former director of Dudhwa G C Mishra. He added that this leaves little chance of a goof up. "We are yet to come across a tiger with "female characteristics," he said.
"If they have killed a wrong tiger and a man-eater is still at large, killings (of men) will take place in some 15-20 days," he warned.
Former director, Project Tiger, R L Singh said: "I agree that pug marks are misleading evidence, but I have never ever come across a tiger with any of its claws like that of a female. Though the cubs can have their claws look like that of a female, the Corbett tiger was an old one."
Friday, January 28, 2011
Forest officials gun down Corbett man-eater
LUCKNOW: Ramanagar forest official shot down a man-eating tiger near Corbett Tiger Reserve on Thursday afternoon. The animal had reportedly killed and eaten a 27-year-old youth in the morning. Forest officials launched an extensive combing to trace the man-eater after mutilated remains of the youth -- sixth victim since November -- was found and killed the animal around 2.30 pm.
In the beginning, there was confusion whether this is the same tiger which has been a terror in the area for the past three months. But, Uttarakhand forest officials went on record on Thursday evening claiming that the tiger shot by them was the one which was killing humans in Corbett area since November. "We can not say that man-eating is over in Corbett forever but in this area it has ended for sure," said S Chandola, chief wildlife warden, Uttarakhand.
The tiger received multiple wounds in neck and thighs. "But I have found the an old wound as well. Though it had distinctly healed," said Chandola. The big cat was shot at on January 11 by forest officers when it was eating human flesh. "I had predicted that the wound to be on its shoulder," said the official. The same wound, he said, was found on the carcass of the tiger.
When asked about the earlier reports, confirmed even by local forest officials, that it was a tigress which was killing and eating humans in the area since November, Chandola said, "these were only deductions. It's a wild environment and a feline can not be expected to lift its paws to show if it is a male or female."
Earlier in the day, the locals went berserk after the remains of Puran Chand were recovered from Sunderkhal area in Ramnagar forest division. On Wednesday, Puran, son of Bhopal Ram, resident of Maldhan village, Ramnagar, went missing. According to a forest officer, Puran had left his motorcycle on the outskirts and ventured inside the forest area at around 1.00pm. It is common for the local people to cross the forest on foot to reach human settlements on the other side.
When Puran could not be traced till 7.00pm, locals approached Ramnagar officers and requested them to comb the area. His motorcycle was found parked. The locals had gheraoed the area and that probably did not allow the tiger to move out. On Thursday morning, the youth's legs were recovered from Sunderkhal forest area. The tiger had eaten the rest of the body. This triggered a large-scale protest in the area.
The forest officers had to call in police to control the mob which had blocked Ranikhet-Ramnagar highway. "We also called in three elephants for the combing," said Ramnagar DFO Ravindra Juyal. The tiger was finally spotted in Sunderkhal area and was shot. Its carcass has been brought to Ramnagar. There was a huge crowd in Ramanagr to have a look at the dead tiger.
In the beginning, there was confusion whether this is the same tiger which has been a terror in the area for the past three months. But, Uttarakhand forest officials went on record on Thursday evening claiming that the tiger shot by them was the one which was killing humans in Corbett area since November. "We can not say that man-eating is over in Corbett forever but in this area it has ended for sure," said S Chandola, chief wildlife warden, Uttarakhand.
The tiger received multiple wounds in neck and thighs. "But I have found the an old wound as well. Though it had distinctly healed," said Chandola. The big cat was shot at on January 11 by forest officers when it was eating human flesh. "I had predicted that the wound to be on its shoulder," said the official. The same wound, he said, was found on the carcass of the tiger.
When asked about the earlier reports, confirmed even by local forest officials, that it was a tigress which was killing and eating humans in the area since November, Chandola said, "these were only deductions. It's a wild environment and a feline can not be expected to lift its paws to show if it is a male or female."
Earlier in the day, the locals went berserk after the remains of Puran Chand were recovered from Sunderkhal area in Ramnagar forest division. On Wednesday, Puran, son of Bhopal Ram, resident of Maldhan village, Ramnagar, went missing. According to a forest officer, Puran had left his motorcycle on the outskirts and ventured inside the forest area at around 1.00pm. It is common for the local people to cross the forest on foot to reach human settlements on the other side.
When Puran could not be traced till 7.00pm, locals approached Ramnagar officers and requested them to comb the area. His motorcycle was found parked. The locals had gheraoed the area and that probably did not allow the tiger to move out. On Thursday morning, the youth's legs were recovered from Sunderkhal forest area. The tiger had eaten the rest of the body. This triggered a large-scale protest in the area.
The forest officers had to call in police to control the mob which had blocked Ranikhet-Ramnagar highway. "We also called in three elephants for the combing," said Ramnagar DFO Ravindra Juyal. The tiger was finally spotted in Sunderkhal area and was shot. Its carcass has been brought to Ramnagar. There was a huge crowd in Ramanagr to have a look at the dead tiger.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tiger kills another man in Corbett
LUCKNOW: A man was killed by a tiger in Ramnagar forest division. This is the fifth human killing in Corbett by a big cat. The forest officers have reached the spot, said a forest staff at Ramnagar forest division.
The man was killed on Wednesday evening, said the staff. The officers, on the other hand, said they could share more about the incident once the primary investigation gets over.
The big cat killing humans in Corbett is an adult tigress. The tigress is a man-eater. It has killed three humans since November in Sarpduli range under Garjia forest area of Corbett national park.
The officers, however, were not sure whether the fourth human, whose body was found about 5-6 kms away from Garjia forest was also killed by the tigress.
The tigress was shot at on January 11 by forest officers. The feline was injured in the operation. The officers said that blood stains at the spot made them believe that the tigress was injured.
The Sarpduli range of Garjia forest area has considerable human interference. The presence of Garjia temple near Corbett national park also makes it a busy place.
The locals have already risen in resentment against the park authorities after the killings.
On the other hand, tigress has completely lost the fear for humans. That is evident from the time period which kept on reducing between the killings. The second killing came more than a month after the first one. The third killing was made after a gap of just a week.
Read more: Tiger kills another man in Corbett - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tiger-kills-another-man-in-Corbett/articleshow/7371811.cms#ixzz1CEupSgUa
The man was killed on Wednesday evening, said the staff. The officers, on the other hand, said they could share more about the incident once the primary investigation gets over.
The big cat killing humans in Corbett is an adult tigress. The tigress is a man-eater. It has killed three humans since November in Sarpduli range under Garjia forest area of Corbett national park.
The officers, however, were not sure whether the fourth human, whose body was found about 5-6 kms away from Garjia forest was also killed by the tigress.
The tigress was shot at on January 11 by forest officers. The feline was injured in the operation. The officers said that blood stains at the spot made them believe that the tigress was injured.
The Sarpduli range of Garjia forest area has considerable human interference. The presence of Garjia temple near Corbett national park also makes it a busy place.
The locals have already risen in resentment against the park authorities after the killings.
On the other hand, tigress has completely lost the fear for humans. That is evident from the time period which kept on reducing between the killings. The second killing came more than a month after the first one. The third killing was made after a gap of just a week.
Read more: Tiger kills another man in Corbett - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Tiger-kills-another-man-in-Corbett/articleshow/7371811.cms#ixzz1CEupSgUa
Tigers could triple in Asia
WASHINGTON: Asian tiger reserves could support more than 10,000 wild tigers, or three times the current number, if core breeding sites are protected, say the world's leading conservationists.
The study, co-authored by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scientists, is the first assessment of the commitment made by all 13 countries at a summit in November that vowed to double tiger population in Asia by 2022.
The study finds that it will take a global effort to ensure that core breeding reserves are connected via habitat corridors, the journal Conservation Letters reports.
"We absolutely need to stop the bleeding, the poaching of tigers and their prey in core breeding areas, but we need to go much further and secure larger tiger landscapes before it is too late," said Eric Dinerstein, chief scientist at WWF and study co-author, according to a WWF statement.
Wild tiger numbers have declined from about 100,000 in the early 1900s to as few as 3,200 today due to poaching of tigers and their prey, habitat destruction and human/tiger conflict.
Most of the remaining tigers are scattered in small, isolated pockets across 13 Asian countries.
"By saving the tiger, we save all the plants and animals that live under the tiger's umbrella," said study co-author John Seidensticker of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in the US.
The authors found that the 20 priority tiger conservation landscapes with the highest probability of long-term tiger survival could support more than 10,500 tigers, including about 3,400 breeding females.
The study, co-authored by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scientists, is the first assessment of the commitment made by all 13 countries at a summit in November that vowed to double tiger population in Asia by 2022.
The study finds that it will take a global effort to ensure that core breeding reserves are connected via habitat corridors, the journal Conservation Letters reports.
"We absolutely need to stop the bleeding, the poaching of tigers and their prey in core breeding areas, but we need to go much further and secure larger tiger landscapes before it is too late," said Eric Dinerstein, chief scientist at WWF and study co-author, according to a WWF statement.
Wild tiger numbers have declined from about 100,000 in the early 1900s to as few as 3,200 today due to poaching of tigers and their prey, habitat destruction and human/tiger conflict.
Most of the remaining tigers are scattered in small, isolated pockets across 13 Asian countries.
"By saving the tiger, we save all the plants and animals that live under the tiger's umbrella," said study co-author John Seidensticker of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in the US.
The authors found that the 20 priority tiger conservation landscapes with the highest probability of long-term tiger survival could support more than 10,500 tigers, including about 3,400 breeding females.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
In Bangalore Tiger kills leopard, experts say it’s a rare case
A leopard aged about two-and-half-years was found dead in Muthodi range of Bhadra tiger reserve on Monday morning. Forest officials said the death was the result of a tiger attack. This is a rare case because the two don’t usually engage in fights.
However, experts pointed out that it does happen rarely.Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) BK Singh pointed out that the postmortem reports revealed that the cause of the leopard’s death was due to a tiger attack.
“Such things are not common as leopards are swift and the tigers cannot reach them,” he said. “However, in this case, the leopard did have a fight with the tiger,” he added.
The leopard had bled profusely and was injured in the liver. There were pounce marks on the carcass and injuries on its back and abdomen.
The report revealed that the leopard was aged around two-and-half years and was a female. Though the tiger had not killed the leopard, there were signs of fight in the vicinity of the carcass.
Noted tiger scientist and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies, K Ullas Karanth, said, “There have been cases in the past where a lion or a tiger have killed a leopard. This happens due to inter-specific competition. Usually a tiger finds it hard to catch a leopard as the latter climbs trees and escape. But once it gets hold of a leopard, the tiger kills it. This is because the leopards are 3-4 times smaller than tigers. Similar killings have been spotted in Khana and Ranthambore. Once a Y radio-collared tigress had held a leopard on a tree for an entire night, and the next day the leopard was found dead.”
About 20 tigers and 40 leopards are estimated to habituate the Bhadra tiger reserve.
However, experts pointed out that it does happen rarely.Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) BK Singh pointed out that the postmortem reports revealed that the cause of the leopard’s death was due to a tiger attack.
“Such things are not common as leopards are swift and the tigers cannot reach them,” he said. “However, in this case, the leopard did have a fight with the tiger,” he added.
The leopard had bled profusely and was injured in the liver. There were pounce marks on the carcass and injuries on its back and abdomen.
The report revealed that the leopard was aged around two-and-half years and was a female. Though the tiger had not killed the leopard, there were signs of fight in the vicinity of the carcass.
Noted tiger scientist and director of Centre for Wildlife Studies, K Ullas Karanth, said, “There have been cases in the past where a lion or a tiger have killed a leopard. This happens due to inter-specific competition. Usually a tiger finds it hard to catch a leopard as the latter climbs trees and escape. But once it gets hold of a leopard, the tiger kills it. This is because the leopards are 3-4 times smaller than tigers. Similar killings have been spotted in Khana and Ranthambore. Once a Y radio-collared tigress had held a leopard on a tree for an entire night, and the next day the leopard was found dead.”
About 20 tigers and 40 leopards are estimated to habituate the Bhadra tiger reserve.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Tiger pugmarks found near Anjunem dam
ANJUNEM: The pugmarks of a tigress and a cub were recently found again in the vicinity of the Anjunem Irrigation Project (AIP) reservoir indicating the presence of the big cat in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Assistant engineer of water resources department (WRD), associated with the AIP dam, M P Hudelgaddi said, "Our workers noticed the pugmarks of the big cats in the area on the left bank of the reservoir." Parshuram Kambli, a worker involved in water proofing work at the Anjunem dam, noticed the pugmarks.
In the last week of December 2010, when Pandurang Gawas and his father from Ghoteli no 2 of Sattari were returning from Chorla, they saw a tiger majestically crossing the road in the jungle of Ponsuli in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Security guards at the dam said, "For the last fortnight, specially during the nights, we are living under grave fear as the tiger comes repeatedly in the vicinity of the reservoir. We heard the roaring of the tiger during these days."
In the last week, Harishchandra Narayan Gawas from Halitwada-Keri who was on a morning walk, had to return halfway from his destination since he heard the tiger roar.
Hudelgaddi informed the deputy conservator of forests, North Goa division, G T Kumar about the pugmarks of the big cat. Keri range forest officer Deepak Betkikar said, "Our officials will document these pugmarks and necessary action in the matter will be taken."
Parshuram Kambli said, "Early in the morning and late in evening, the jungle here witnesses the sounds of herbivorous animals like bison, barking deer and other deer. During this time carnivorous animals like tigers come out in search of prey. Beside the pugmarks of a tigress and a cub, the area has the pugmarks of deer also."
In 2009, assistant conservator of forests, Ponda, Subhash Henrique, had noticed the pugmarks of a tigress and a cub in the vicinity of AIP reservoir. In 2010, the tiger census conducted by the forest department had recorded the pugmarks of the tiger in the submerged Kelavade village.
Assistant engineer of water resources department (WRD), associated with the AIP dam, M P Hudelgaddi said, "Our workers noticed the pugmarks of the big cats in the area on the left bank of the reservoir." Parshuram Kambli, a worker involved in water proofing work at the Anjunem dam, noticed the pugmarks.
In the last week of December 2010, when Pandurang Gawas and his father from Ghoteli no 2 of Sattari were returning from Chorla, they saw a tiger majestically crossing the road in the jungle of Ponsuli in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
Security guards at the dam said, "For the last fortnight, specially during the nights, we are living under grave fear as the tiger comes repeatedly in the vicinity of the reservoir. We heard the roaring of the tiger during these days."
In the last week, Harishchandra Narayan Gawas from Halitwada-Keri who was on a morning walk, had to return halfway from his destination since he heard the tiger roar.
Hudelgaddi informed the deputy conservator of forests, North Goa division, G T Kumar about the pugmarks of the big cat. Keri range forest officer Deepak Betkikar said, "Our officials will document these pugmarks and necessary action in the matter will be taken."
Parshuram Kambli said, "Early in the morning and late in evening, the jungle here witnesses the sounds of herbivorous animals like bison, barking deer and other deer. During this time carnivorous animals like tigers come out in search of prey. Beside the pugmarks of a tigress and a cub, the area has the pugmarks of deer also."
In 2009, assistant conservator of forests, Ponda, Subhash Henrique, had noticed the pugmarks of a tigress and a cub in the vicinity of AIP reservoir. In 2010, the tiger census conducted by the forest department had recorded the pugmarks of the tiger in the submerged Kelavade village.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Cameras in Ranthambore National Park Spot Two New Tiger Cubs
A small but significant boost to tiger numbers has been received with the news of two new born cubs being spotted in Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. The two cubs believed to be born to a tigress last year were spotted in Sawai Madhopur district of the National Park.
"Cameras installed in the Indala range shot pictures of the cubs but they are not very clear. We believe they are newborn and we are verifying it further," Principal Chief Wild Life Warden, HM Bhatia said.
Ranthambore National Park has seen a mixture of good and bad tiger news since the past few months. While news of new cubs has been reported often, there has also been news of death of adult tigers, mainly due to internal fights among the big cats.
Ranthambore National Park located close to the capital Jaipur is a popular National Park visited by wildlife enthusiast throughout the year. Tourists in most cases have been fortunate to spot tigers on a safari in the National Park. A new rule enforced at the National Park now makes it compulsory for all tourists to carry their identification card, before being allowed to enter the National Park. Also in a bid to protect the eco sensitive environment of the National Park, the park’s petrol run jeeps which take tourist on the safaris inside the park will be replaced with diesel run vehicles.
The state government has also taken steps to protect the tigers in the National Park. Often tigers stray from the park to the villages situated close on the periphery of the park, which results in killings of cattle by the big cats. The villagers then poison the big cats to revenge their loss. In order to prevent such incidents, the state government has now taken a decision to double the compensation of the villagers for the loss of their cattle, thus sparing the wild and endangered species of the Royal Bengal Tigers a circumstance of an unfortunate death.
"Cameras installed in the Indala range shot pictures of the cubs but they are not very clear. We believe they are newborn and we are verifying it further," Principal Chief Wild Life Warden, HM Bhatia said.
Ranthambore National Park has seen a mixture of good and bad tiger news since the past few months. While news of new cubs has been reported often, there has also been news of death of adult tigers, mainly due to internal fights among the big cats.
Ranthambore National Park located close to the capital Jaipur is a popular National Park visited by wildlife enthusiast throughout the year. Tourists in most cases have been fortunate to spot tigers on a safari in the National Park. A new rule enforced at the National Park now makes it compulsory for all tourists to carry their identification card, before being allowed to enter the National Park. Also in a bid to protect the eco sensitive environment of the National Park, the park’s petrol run jeeps which take tourist on the safaris inside the park will be replaced with diesel run vehicles.
The state government has also taken steps to protect the tigers in the National Park. Often tigers stray from the park to the villages situated close on the periphery of the park, which results in killings of cattle by the big cats. The villagers then poison the big cats to revenge their loss. In order to prevent such incidents, the state government has now taken a decision to double the compensation of the villagers for the loss of their cattle, thus sparing the wild and endangered species of the Royal Bengal Tigers a circumstance of an unfortunate death.
24X7 protection for tigers in Karnataka soon
Jan. 23: Tigers roaming in the dense forests of Karnataka will get watchdogs for their protection round-the-clock soon. The much awaited 112-member Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), is likely to take guard in another five months, and become the first full-fledged STPF to be rolled out in India.
The State Forest Department has speeded up the training, after receiving a pat on the back from the Central government, which accorded tiger reserve status to Biligiriranga Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT). With this addition, flora-fauna rich Karnataka, has the highest number of tiger reserves in South India, and is next only to Madhya Pradesh in the country.
The forest department has decided to extend the purview of STPF to BRT. Initially, the plan was to test the STPF in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves, which are one of the sensitive and pristine forest covers in India today, and later extend it to other tiger reserves like Bhadra and Dandeli Anshi.
Ravishankar, DCF (Wildlife), BRT, told the Deccan Chronicle that STPF was currently undergoing training at six forest guard training schools, and would later get three-month special training from the state police department, and central paramilitary forces, based on a syllabus for skill development, to combat poaching, and to enable intelligence-based enforcement in a forest terrain.
He added, “The office of STPF would come up in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar, which is the strategic point to access all three reserves BRT, Bandipur, and Nagarhole”.
Top official sources said that National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would set up its regional office in Bengaluru in about a month, further boosting the conservation efforts of the department.
On the other hand, the 112-member STPF has no one from the region, though the plan was to have a mix of forest guards and local tribes. Sources said that tribals were not interested in the job despite offer of healthy salaries, and the majority were upset with the department over rehabilitation. People from Belgaum, Gulbarga, and Bijapur, who have no familiarity with forest terrain, are in the STPF.
The State Forest Department has speeded up the training, after receiving a pat on the back from the Central government, which accorded tiger reserve status to Biligiriranga Wildlife Sanctuary (BRT). With this addition, flora-fauna rich Karnataka, has the highest number of tiger reserves in South India, and is next only to Madhya Pradesh in the country.
The forest department has decided to extend the purview of STPF to BRT. Initially, the plan was to test the STPF in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves, which are one of the sensitive and pristine forest covers in India today, and later extend it to other tiger reserves like Bhadra and Dandeli Anshi.
Ravishankar, DCF (Wildlife), BRT, told the Deccan Chronicle that STPF was currently undergoing training at six forest guard training schools, and would later get three-month special training from the state police department, and central paramilitary forces, based on a syllabus for skill development, to combat poaching, and to enable intelligence-based enforcement in a forest terrain.
He added, “The office of STPF would come up in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagar, which is the strategic point to access all three reserves BRT, Bandipur, and Nagarhole”.
Top official sources said that National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) would set up its regional office in Bengaluru in about a month, further boosting the conservation efforts of the department.
On the other hand, the 112-member STPF has no one from the region, though the plan was to have a mix of forest guards and local tribes. Sources said that tribals were not interested in the job despite offer of healthy salaries, and the majority were upset with the department over rehabilitation. People from Belgaum, Gulbarga, and Bijapur, who have no familiarity with forest terrain, are in the STPF.
Park to curb tourist flow - Move in aid of animals to hit kaziranga business
Kaziranga, Jan. 23: Business and wildlife are on a collision course at Kaziranga National Park with park authorities wanting to impose regulations on tourist flow.
The restrictions are likely to hit the tourism industry, including business ventures such as luxury resorts and jeep safaris, hard.
The owners of several luxury resorts near the park have opposed the move, fearing that the restrictions might lead to fewer tourists.
“We make a living off Kaziranga. If restrictions are imposed on tourists, we will be doomed,” an owner of a resort near the park told this correspondent.
Businesses associated with the park make huge profits. The Jeep Safari Association of the park earned a revenue of Rs 10 lakh in November last year. The park remains open for tourists from November to April every year.
Known worldwide as the abode of one-horned rhinos, Kaziranga was declared a tiger reserve in 2006. Since then, there has been pressure from the Centre to impose restrictions on the flow of tourists to the national park.
The Royal Bengal tiger is given top priority in the conservation list at Kaziranga since funds from the Centre come only for protection of the tiger. Earlier, central funds were also released for protection of the rhinos. However, the aid stopped once the rhino population reached a safe zone with the last count pegging it at 2,200.
With Project Tiger came a set of new guidelines that implied restrictions on the flow of tourists. The park authorities have so far failed to the follow the guidelines as it affects businesses.
However, Project Tiger being the only source of funds for the park, the authorities are now forced to implement these guidelines.
Park director Surajeet Dutta said 70 tigers were found in a census carried out by camera-trapping method in half the portion of the national park recently. “We are expecting about 120 tigers in Kaziranga,” he said.
In a separate census conducted by an NGO a couple of years ago, Kaziranga was found to have the highest density of tigers in the world. Dutta said the 430 square km area of the national park would be declared a core area very soon and the flow of tourists would be restricted.
Construction of new hotels and restaurants near the park area has also been banned.
“There has been a tremendous pressure on the animals with a large number of tourists visiting the park regularly. We need to restrict the tourist flow as it has an impact on the animals. Moreover, mushrooming of hotels and resorts has also harmed the animals since most of these are built on areas where animals visit frequently,” Dutta told this correspondent.
“The rhinos at Mihimukh in the Kohora range are almost used to humans. This is not a good sign at all,” he said.
According to norms, not more than 50 vehicles are allowed inside the park on a particular day.
Dutta said the authorities had made other plans for tourists. Jeep and elephant safaris would be introduced in the newly-added areas of the national park to reduce pressure on the core area.
The park has been extended to about 860 square km with new areas being added in recent times. “This year itself, we have opened four entry points for tourists. We are also thinking of starting boat safaris in some areas very soon,” he said.
The restrictions are likely to hit the tourism industry, including business ventures such as luxury resorts and jeep safaris, hard.
The owners of several luxury resorts near the park have opposed the move, fearing that the restrictions might lead to fewer tourists.
“We make a living off Kaziranga. If restrictions are imposed on tourists, we will be doomed,” an owner of a resort near the park told this correspondent.
Businesses associated with the park make huge profits. The Jeep Safari Association of the park earned a revenue of Rs 10 lakh in November last year. The park remains open for tourists from November to April every year.
Known worldwide as the abode of one-horned rhinos, Kaziranga was declared a tiger reserve in 2006. Since then, there has been pressure from the Centre to impose restrictions on the flow of tourists to the national park.
The Royal Bengal tiger is given top priority in the conservation list at Kaziranga since funds from the Centre come only for protection of the tiger. Earlier, central funds were also released for protection of the rhinos. However, the aid stopped once the rhino population reached a safe zone with the last count pegging it at 2,200.
With Project Tiger came a set of new guidelines that implied restrictions on the flow of tourists. The park authorities have so far failed to the follow the guidelines as it affects businesses.
However, Project Tiger being the only source of funds for the park, the authorities are now forced to implement these guidelines.
Park director Surajeet Dutta said 70 tigers were found in a census carried out by camera-trapping method in half the portion of the national park recently. “We are expecting about 120 tigers in Kaziranga,” he said.
In a separate census conducted by an NGO a couple of years ago, Kaziranga was found to have the highest density of tigers in the world. Dutta said the 430 square km area of the national park would be declared a core area very soon and the flow of tourists would be restricted.
Construction of new hotels and restaurants near the park area has also been banned.
“There has been a tremendous pressure on the animals with a large number of tourists visiting the park regularly. We need to restrict the tourist flow as it has an impact on the animals. Moreover, mushrooming of hotels and resorts has also harmed the animals since most of these are built on areas where animals visit frequently,” Dutta told this correspondent.
“The rhinos at Mihimukh in the Kohora range are almost used to humans. This is not a good sign at all,” he said.
According to norms, not more than 50 vehicles are allowed inside the park on a particular day.
Dutta said the authorities had made other plans for tourists. Jeep and elephant safaris would be introduced in the newly-added areas of the national park to reduce pressure on the core area.
The park has been extended to about 860 square km with new areas being added in recent times. “This year itself, we have opened four entry points for tourists. We are also thinking of starting boat safaris in some areas very soon,” he said.
Assam No 2 in tiger mortality
: The tiger doesn't seem to be burning bright anymore in India. The country, once home to 40,000 tigers, is left with just 1,200-1,500 big cats, according to the last census (2008) by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. If that isn't bad enough, Wildlife Protection Society of India's (WPSI) wildlife crime database has even more depressing news for officials. According to the 2010 WPSI study, 58 tigers died under various circumstances and Assam ranks second in tiger mortality index, just behind Madhya Pradesh. Of the 58 deaths, 30 (51%) were poaching and seizure-related.
Assam, which was in the news days ago after the Kaziranga reserve reported the highest tiger density in the world, lost nine tigers last year. "Skeletons of two tigers were seized, one was a confirmed poaching case, four tigers were found dead, one man-eater was shot dead and another tiger died from reported infighting. Of the nine tigers, five were from Kaziranga. The origin of the two tiger skeletons is not known," said WPSI executive director Belinda Wright.
According to Biswajit Roy Chowdhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, Assam is the gateway for smuggling activities towards southeast Asia. "Smugglers reach China via Arunachal and Myanmar from Assam. Tibet is also accessible on this route. That's why poaching is rampant in Assam," he said.
Md Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist with a Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, told TOI: "The tiger density in Kaziranga is too high given its 500 sqkm core area. In terms of prey base, it can support a density of 30 tigers per 100 sqkm, but area-wise it may not be able to sustain the population." According to him, relocation will not be a solution. "Orang is already populated with big cats. Retaliation deaths are being reported from Nameri and Manas."
The WPSI database also shows that of the 58 deaths in 2010, while 15 tigers (25.86%) were found dead, 10 died from reported infighting (17.24%). One tiger was shot by the forest department, while another was killed in a road accident.
Assam, which was in the news days ago after the Kaziranga reserve reported the highest tiger density in the world, lost nine tigers last year. "Skeletons of two tigers were seized, one was a confirmed poaching case, four tigers were found dead, one man-eater was shot dead and another tiger died from reported infighting. Of the nine tigers, five were from Kaziranga. The origin of the two tiger skeletons is not known," said WPSI executive director Belinda Wright.
According to Biswajit Roy Chowdhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society, Assam is the gateway for smuggling activities towards southeast Asia. "Smugglers reach China via Arunachal and Myanmar from Assam. Tibet is also accessible on this route. That's why poaching is rampant in Assam," he said.
Md Firoz Ahmed, wildlife biologist with a Guwahati-based conservation organisation Aaranyak, told TOI: "The tiger density in Kaziranga is too high given its 500 sqkm core area. In terms of prey base, it can support a density of 30 tigers per 100 sqkm, but area-wise it may not be able to sustain the population." According to him, relocation will not be a solution. "Orang is already populated with big cats. Retaliation deaths are being reported from Nameri and Manas."
The WPSI database also shows that of the 58 deaths in 2010, while 15 tigers (25.86%) were found dead, 10 died from reported infighting (17.24%). One tiger was shot by the forest department, while another was killed in a road accident.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tiger census in Pilibhit and Dudhwa over
LUCKNOW: The census exercise for tigers is over in Pilibhit and Dudhwa National Park. But it has to be taken up in Kishenpur sanctuary. The results for tiger census might take time to come. The forest department has already taken to an intensive technology used to count the number of tigers.
In Uttar Pradesh, out of the total forested habitat 3,175 sq km constitutes potential tiger habitat. In census 2008, tigers were found to occupy 2,766 sq km of forest with an estimated population of 109 (91-127) in UP. Will the scale tip to right or left of this count, is still to come.
Within UP, tigers are distributed in one major population and three smaller populations. Sporadic occupancy is reported in Sonbhadra forests. The major population is constituted by DTR comprising Dudhwa National Park, Kishenpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and forests of Pilibhit, north and south Kheri Forest Divisions.
The 2008 census also found smaller population in the west in Bijnor forests covering an area of about 221 sq km and maintained by dispersing tigers from Corbett Tiger Reserve. The two smaller eastern populations were located in Suhelwa wildlife sanctuary with a tiger occupancy of 490 sq km and Sohagibarwa wildlife sanctuary having a tiger occupancy of 139 sq km in two separate blocks. The current census, however, will throw light on changes in distribution of tigers, from the last time, in the state. "The census is taking place only for source population of tigers," said sources in the department. The cameras were installed within forest area. The transient population of tigers in sugarcane fields might have therefore missed the count this time again.
The transient tigers are those which mostly stray and try to establish their own territory.
In Uttar Pradesh, out of the total forested habitat 3,175 sq km constitutes potential tiger habitat. In census 2008, tigers were found to occupy 2,766 sq km of forest with an estimated population of 109 (91-127) in UP. Will the scale tip to right or left of this count, is still to come.
Within UP, tigers are distributed in one major population and three smaller populations. Sporadic occupancy is reported in Sonbhadra forests. The major population is constituted by DTR comprising Dudhwa National Park, Kishenpur Wildlife Sanctuary, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and forests of Pilibhit, north and south Kheri Forest Divisions.
The 2008 census also found smaller population in the west in Bijnor forests covering an area of about 221 sq km and maintained by dispersing tigers from Corbett Tiger Reserve. The two smaller eastern populations were located in Suhelwa wildlife sanctuary with a tiger occupancy of 490 sq km and Sohagibarwa wildlife sanctuary having a tiger occupancy of 139 sq km in two separate blocks. The current census, however, will throw light on changes in distribution of tigers, from the last time, in the state. "The census is taking place only for source population of tigers," said sources in the department. The cameras were installed within forest area. The transient population of tigers in sugarcane fields might have therefore missed the count this time again.
The transient tigers are those which mostly stray and try to establish their own territory.
Tribal skins electrocuted tiger
HYDERABAD: At a time when the Centre is mobilizing all possible resources to save the big cat, a bizarre incident of electrocution of a tiger has come to light in Kagaznagar in Adilabad district.
According to sources, the state forest department officials in Kagaznagar arrested Madavi Anand Rao, a Kolan tribal, who reportedly admitted to killing the tiger unintentionally and later skinning and passing on its hide to one of his relatives in Maharashtra to sell it. Tiger skin fetches Rs one to Rs 3 lakh in the domestic market and four times more in the international market.
Anand Rao, 32, reportedly told investigating forest officials that he had put up an electric fence around his field in Vempalli village which is located in the reserve forest on January 2 to save his crop from wild boar menace. When he went to the field the next morning, he found a tiger electrocuted. Instead of informing the forest officials or the police, he decided to make some money. He peeled off the skin which was burnt in parts, stuffed it in a gunny bag and went to the nearby Sonapur village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. He contacted his brother-in-law Seedam Bheem Rao and asked him to find a customer for the tiger skin. Even as Bheem Rao was trying to sell the skin, he, along with five others were arrested by the Maharashtra police.
On interrogation they gave away the name of the relative. The Maharashtra police alerted senior forest officials in Adilabad district. Anand Rao was arrested on January 7. Based on his confession three forest officials, M A Mabood, DFO, G Ravinder, sub-DFO and range officer Zahid Ali went to the field where he had buried the carcass. It was exhumed and sent for postmortem.
The tiger was one of the four big cats found in Kagaznagar. It was an eight-year-old male. Now only the female along with her two cubs are said to be left in the forest which once boasted of scores of big cats.
A senior official expressed surprised at the electrocution of the tiger and blamed it on bad monitoring of the forest. "There are 30 base camps in the district with strike force and several trackers. It is unfortunate that such an event takes place in spite of having so many people on keeping a watch on the forest,'' he said.
DFO Mabood said, "On the face of it, the crime does not appear to be a handiwork of an organized gang. However, the accused have been sent for judicial custody and investigations are on. We are not ruling out any angle at this level.''
According to sources, the state forest department officials in Kagaznagar arrested Madavi Anand Rao, a Kolan tribal, who reportedly admitted to killing the tiger unintentionally and later skinning and passing on its hide to one of his relatives in Maharashtra to sell it. Tiger skin fetches Rs one to Rs 3 lakh in the domestic market and four times more in the international market.
Anand Rao, 32, reportedly told investigating forest officials that he had put up an electric fence around his field in Vempalli village which is located in the reserve forest on January 2 to save his crop from wild boar menace. When he went to the field the next morning, he found a tiger electrocuted. Instead of informing the forest officials or the police, he decided to make some money. He peeled off the skin which was burnt in parts, stuffed it in a gunny bag and went to the nearby Sonapur village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. He contacted his brother-in-law Seedam Bheem Rao and asked him to find a customer for the tiger skin. Even as Bheem Rao was trying to sell the skin, he, along with five others were arrested by the Maharashtra police.
On interrogation they gave away the name of the relative. The Maharashtra police alerted senior forest officials in Adilabad district. Anand Rao was arrested on January 7. Based on his confession three forest officials, M A Mabood, DFO, G Ravinder, sub-DFO and range officer Zahid Ali went to the field where he had buried the carcass. It was exhumed and sent for postmortem.
The tiger was one of the four big cats found in Kagaznagar. It was an eight-year-old male. Now only the female along with her two cubs are said to be left in the forest which once boasted of scores of big cats.
A senior official expressed surprised at the electrocution of the tiger and blamed it on bad monitoring of the forest. "There are 30 base camps in the district with strike force and several trackers. It is unfortunate that such an event takes place in spite of having so many people on keeping a watch on the forest,'' he said.
DFO Mabood said, "On the face of it, the crime does not appear to be a handiwork of an organized gang. However, the accused have been sent for judicial custody and investigations are on. We are not ruling out any angle at this level.''
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tiger spotted in Sahyadri reserve
For decades, the presence of tigers in the Sahyadri wildlife sanctuary had remained, at best, only speculation. No more, though. A report from the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad has confirmed the presence of a tiger, proof finally that tigers exist in Sahyadri sanctuary
To save the tiger, save jungle
Without a holistic approach nothing can protect India's wildlife from human greed and bestiality. If we don’t act now, the tiger, leopard, elephant, deer and even marine and avian species will face extinction
Last Tuesday it was Gurgaon. On Wednesday, it happened on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. On Thursday, it was near Guwahati. By the time January is out, the toll can only be anticipated to multiply. On an average three to four leopards are mercilessly beaten to death every week by bloodthirsty villagers. Some die in accidents such as the cub that got run over by a train in Assam. But mostly the big cats are mauled to death by gruesome methods. Having encircled and trapped the terrified creature that may have strayed into human habitation in search of food, villagers pelt them with stones; beat them with iron rods and in a few instances are known to have even gouged their eyes out in an orgy of bestiality.
Eyewitnesses say that a carnival atmosphere prevails while the hapless cat cries out in pain. People congregate with drums as if to celebrate victory in battle. Cunningly, the carcass is dragged outside village precincts, sprayed with kerosene and set alight to remove traces of the crime. By the time forest officials or the police arrive, if at all they do, the deed is done. If confronted, belligerent villagers dare the officers to act. Outnumbered, enforcers of the law beat a hasty retreat and file a report blaming unknown persons for the murder. Few are prosecuted; leave alone punished.
In recent years the supposed man-animal conflict has become a one-sided affair with a variety of wild creatures being regularly bludgeoned to death. A recent report said that enraged by the alleged depredations of a herd of elephants, villagers managed to catch hold of a two-year-old calf that got left behind and beat it to death the same way as they often do with leopards. Fearful of the tiger, people don’t venture to kill them in frontal combat, but have increasingly started to use poison with which they lace a bait and wait for the unwary beast to consume it to die a slow, painful death. This has been reported particularly from Rajasthan and eastern Uttar Pradesh where incidents of tigers straying from sanctuaries have risen markedly. There are two worrisome facets to these developments. First, the Government’s much-hyped conservation efforts are being defeated at the grassroots by villagers unconvinced of the need to preserve the country’s dwindling wildlife. Second, steady encroachment of animal habitats is resulting in migration out of sanctuaries, enhancing the chances of more frequent confrontations between villagers and animals in desperate search of food. Even more than encroachment, the disappearance of animal corridors in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the construction or expansion of highways running through Reserved Forests and the grant of mining leases in protected forest areas has led to the sharpening of the problem.
The tiger is to India’s conservation efforts what cricket is to sport. While Government and private efforts at tiger conservation have heightened consciousness about the majestic creature, the bulk of attention and finances are routed to projects related to it. No doubt, the effort is most laudable and let us hope that the next tiger census (currently underway), conducted by the more scientific camera trap method, will show a rise in numbers beyond the paltry 1,141 that the last headcount revealed. Organisations like NDTV, sponsors like Aircel and others must be complimented for the recent daylong Telethon in which I was honoured to be a participant. So, it is certainly not my case that the tiger is receiving undue attention or funds.
However, I believe that the tiger cannot be protected without a holistic policy towards environment and wildlife. For example, if streams in the jungle dry up because of rampant extraction of groundwater and bottling plants being set up at source, the tigers’ prey too cannot survive. If deer are forced to migrate out of forests or die of thirst, tigers and other predators like leopards would be compelled to move towards human habitations in search of food and water. If forest cover declines or degenerates, wildlife would find less and less greens to forage and over time their reproductive capacity too would be adversely affected. An ecological balance involving forest cover, water sources, prey base for big cats is essential for wildlife to prosper. It is not possible to ensure a significant rise in tiger numbers merely by pumping in funds or relocating some to reserves from which they were eliminated through poaching or inhospitable environs.
Leopards and elephants are at a huge risk in India because of human incursions close to their traditional habitats. The leopard, being a smaller cat compared to the tiger is endangered by the steady decline in its prey base in the jungles. Besides, by nature they live on the outskirts of forests rather than the deep interiors. On the periphery of Mumbai, for instance, leopard sightings were fairly common till recently, just as the Aravali highlands close to Delhi-Gurgaon was the leopards’ terrain not before long. As townships and industrial complexes are built in these areas with mounting speed, the leopard is seriously threatened and compelled to abandon protective jungle cover to hunt for food. The accident last year in which two young leopards were run over by a speeding vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH 8) is a telling example of the leopards’ predicament. Unfortunately, there is no quick-fix solution to this, except a long-term policy regarding the peripheries of reserved forests or shrub lands in the Aravalis that are the leopards’ natural habitat. How much encroachment can be allowed to builders of housing colonies, shopping malls and entertainment parks in the neighbourhood of our burgeoning metros? As far as I know, the frenetic expansion of human settlement around Gurgaon, which began in the 1990s, never had any form of environmental clearance whatsoever. Instead of maximising habitation within existing colonies, builders are in the business of promoting golf courses, artificial lakes, sprawling villas and other attractive features to draw high-end buyers to housing and farmhouse complexes being built on lands that were once traversed by a variety of wildlife.
The abuse of areas peripheral to National Parks is so rampant that it hardly bears recalling. With over 700 resorts in operation just outside the perimeter of Corbett National Park, the discomfort caused to and consequent dislocation of wildlife has assumed serious dimensions. While I feel Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh’s heart is in the right place, he has failed miserably to curb human intrusion into tiger reserves. Has anybody thought of the disturbance caused to wildlife by the relentless foray of tourists on jeep safaris in Ranthambhore? As it is, the park is overcrowded, but unchecked movement of people inside the sanctuary must be among the reasons that forced tigress T 13 with her two hungry eight-month-old cubs to venture out of the park, risking death by poisoning or starvation.
Last Tuesday it was Gurgaon. On Wednesday, it happened on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. On Thursday, it was near Guwahati. By the time January is out, the toll can only be anticipated to multiply. On an average three to four leopards are mercilessly beaten to death every week by bloodthirsty villagers. Some die in accidents such as the cub that got run over by a train in Assam. But mostly the big cats are mauled to death by gruesome methods. Having encircled and trapped the terrified creature that may have strayed into human habitation in search of food, villagers pelt them with stones; beat them with iron rods and in a few instances are known to have even gouged their eyes out in an orgy of bestiality.
Eyewitnesses say that a carnival atmosphere prevails while the hapless cat cries out in pain. People congregate with drums as if to celebrate victory in battle. Cunningly, the carcass is dragged outside village precincts, sprayed with kerosene and set alight to remove traces of the crime. By the time forest officials or the police arrive, if at all they do, the deed is done. If confronted, belligerent villagers dare the officers to act. Outnumbered, enforcers of the law beat a hasty retreat and file a report blaming unknown persons for the murder. Few are prosecuted; leave alone punished.
In recent years the supposed man-animal conflict has become a one-sided affair with a variety of wild creatures being regularly bludgeoned to death. A recent report said that enraged by the alleged depredations of a herd of elephants, villagers managed to catch hold of a two-year-old calf that got left behind and beat it to death the same way as they often do with leopards. Fearful of the tiger, people don’t venture to kill them in frontal combat, but have increasingly started to use poison with which they lace a bait and wait for the unwary beast to consume it to die a slow, painful death. This has been reported particularly from Rajasthan and eastern Uttar Pradesh where incidents of tigers straying from sanctuaries have risen markedly. There are two worrisome facets to these developments. First, the Government’s much-hyped conservation efforts are being defeated at the grassroots by villagers unconvinced of the need to preserve the country’s dwindling wildlife. Second, steady encroachment of animal habitats is resulting in migration out of sanctuaries, enhancing the chances of more frequent confrontations between villagers and animals in desperate search of food. Even more than encroachment, the disappearance of animal corridors in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, the construction or expansion of highways running through Reserved Forests and the grant of mining leases in protected forest areas has led to the sharpening of the problem.
The tiger is to India’s conservation efforts what cricket is to sport. While Government and private efforts at tiger conservation have heightened consciousness about the majestic creature, the bulk of attention and finances are routed to projects related to it. No doubt, the effort is most laudable and let us hope that the next tiger census (currently underway), conducted by the more scientific camera trap method, will show a rise in numbers beyond the paltry 1,141 that the last headcount revealed. Organisations like NDTV, sponsors like Aircel and others must be complimented for the recent daylong Telethon in which I was honoured to be a participant. So, it is certainly not my case that the tiger is receiving undue attention or funds.
However, I believe that the tiger cannot be protected without a holistic policy towards environment and wildlife. For example, if streams in the jungle dry up because of rampant extraction of groundwater and bottling plants being set up at source, the tigers’ prey too cannot survive. If deer are forced to migrate out of forests or die of thirst, tigers and other predators like leopards would be compelled to move towards human habitations in search of food and water. If forest cover declines or degenerates, wildlife would find less and less greens to forage and over time their reproductive capacity too would be adversely affected. An ecological balance involving forest cover, water sources, prey base for big cats is essential for wildlife to prosper. It is not possible to ensure a significant rise in tiger numbers merely by pumping in funds or relocating some to reserves from which they were eliminated through poaching or inhospitable environs.
Leopards and elephants are at a huge risk in India because of human incursions close to their traditional habitats. The leopard, being a smaller cat compared to the tiger is endangered by the steady decline in its prey base in the jungles. Besides, by nature they live on the outskirts of forests rather than the deep interiors. On the periphery of Mumbai, for instance, leopard sightings were fairly common till recently, just as the Aravali highlands close to Delhi-Gurgaon was the leopards’ terrain not before long. As townships and industrial complexes are built in these areas with mounting speed, the leopard is seriously threatened and compelled to abandon protective jungle cover to hunt for food. The accident last year in which two young leopards were run over by a speeding vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway (NH 8) is a telling example of the leopards’ predicament. Unfortunately, there is no quick-fix solution to this, except a long-term policy regarding the peripheries of reserved forests or shrub lands in the Aravalis that are the leopards’ natural habitat. How much encroachment can be allowed to builders of housing colonies, shopping malls and entertainment parks in the neighbourhood of our burgeoning metros? As far as I know, the frenetic expansion of human settlement around Gurgaon, which began in the 1990s, never had any form of environmental clearance whatsoever. Instead of maximising habitation within existing colonies, builders are in the business of promoting golf courses, artificial lakes, sprawling villas and other attractive features to draw high-end buyers to housing and farmhouse complexes being built on lands that were once traversed by a variety of wildlife.
The abuse of areas peripheral to National Parks is so rampant that it hardly bears recalling. With over 700 resorts in operation just outside the perimeter of Corbett National Park, the discomfort caused to and consequent dislocation of wildlife has assumed serious dimensions. While I feel Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh’s heart is in the right place, he has failed miserably to curb human intrusion into tiger reserves. Has anybody thought of the disturbance caused to wildlife by the relentless foray of tourists on jeep safaris in Ranthambhore? As it is, the park is overcrowded, but unchecked movement of people inside the sanctuary must be among the reasons that forced tigress T 13 with her two hungry eight-month-old cubs to venture out of the park, risking death by poisoning or starvation.
Cubs clicked at R'bore, tigress unseen
JAIPUR: There may be fresh addition to the tiger population at the Ranthambore National Park. Two cubs were clicked by a camera trap at the park recently.
However, officials of the forest department are not sure as to who is the mother of these cubs as her picture was not available on the camera trap. The cubs were clicked at the Indala area of the forest.
According to H M Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, "We have clicked the picture of two cubs. These are fresh addition to the tiger population in the park. But since the camera trap was not able to a photo of the mother we are not sure which tiger has littered. There were two or three expecting tigresses."
R P Gupta, DFO, Ranthambore, said "As of now it is just T-13 that has given birth. Though currently she is in a different area it might just be that the cubs are hers and therefore are not a fresh addition to the population. Till we have the picture of the mother we cannot say anything for certain," he said.
The birth of the cubs will be a big respite for officials of the state forest department that has been fighting hard to explain numerous tigers straying away from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. Added to that, the death of the first relocated tiger ST-1 to Sariska has been a big jolt for the department.
Moreover, there has been a lull in the birth of cubs at Ranthambore since 2008 for almost two years till T-13 gave birth last year some time in September.
However, officials of the forest department are not sure as to who is the mother of these cubs as her picture was not available on the camera trap. The cubs were clicked at the Indala area of the forest.
According to H M Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan, "We have clicked the picture of two cubs. These are fresh addition to the tiger population in the park. But since the camera trap was not able to a photo of the mother we are not sure which tiger has littered. There were two or three expecting tigresses."
R P Gupta, DFO, Ranthambore, said "As of now it is just T-13 that has given birth. Though currently she is in a different area it might just be that the cubs are hers and therefore are not a fresh addition to the population. Till we have the picture of the mother we cannot say anything for certain," he said.
The birth of the cubs will be a big respite for officials of the state forest department that has been fighting hard to explain numerous tigers straying away from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. Added to that, the death of the first relocated tiger ST-1 to Sariska has been a big jolt for the department.
Moreover, there has been a lull in the birth of cubs at Ranthambore since 2008 for almost two years till T-13 gave birth last year some time in September.
Study says India most vulnerable to tiger skin, parts trade
NAGPUR: From 40,000 tigers hundred years ago, today India is down to just 1,411. No wonder. Latest study by Traffic International, the wildlife trade network in 11 of the 13 tiger range countries, reveals that India is most vulnerable when it comes to tiger skin and body parts trade.
The study 'Reduced to skin and bones', an analysis of tiger seizures from 11 tiger range countries in a decade (2000-2010), reveals that in addition to habitat loss and degradation, human encroachment, excessive poaching of key prey species and illegal trade in tiger parts were greatly contributing to the rapid decline of tigers in the wild.
"The study included all seizure information available from January 2000 to April 30, 2010. No data were recorded from Cambodia and Bhutan and hence these countries were omitted," said Samir Sinha, head, Traffic India. A total of 481 seizures were analysed, suggesting a minimum of 1,069 (annual average 104.2) and maximum of 1,220 (annual average 118.9) tigers killed for their parts and derivatives. The vast majority of these seizures took place in India (276), followed by China (40), Nepal (39), Indonesia (36) and Vietnam (28).
"Owing to the illicit nature of the trade, it must be assumed that the 1069-1220 tigers implicated in this analysis are fewer than the actual number of tigers killed and their parts trafficked around the world," the study says. Parts seized in tiger range countries were most commonly in the form of skins (480), bones and skeletons (1253.53 kg), dead individuals (197) and claws (1,313).
The study 'Reduced to skin and bones', an analysis of tiger seizures from 11 tiger range countries in a decade (2000-2010), reveals that in addition to habitat loss and degradation, human encroachment, excessive poaching of key prey species and illegal trade in tiger parts were greatly contributing to the rapid decline of tigers in the wild.
"The study included all seizure information available from January 2000 to April 30, 2010. No data were recorded from Cambodia and Bhutan and hence these countries were omitted," said Samir Sinha, head, Traffic India. A total of 481 seizures were analysed, suggesting a minimum of 1,069 (annual average 104.2) and maximum of 1,220 (annual average 118.9) tigers killed for their parts and derivatives. The vast majority of these seizures took place in India (276), followed by China (40), Nepal (39), Indonesia (36) and Vietnam (28).
"Owing to the illicit nature of the trade, it must be assumed that the 1069-1220 tigers implicated in this analysis are fewer than the actual number of tigers killed and their parts trafficked around the world," the study says. Parts seized in tiger range countries were most commonly in the form of skins (480), bones and skeletons (1253.53 kg), dead individuals (197) and claws (1,313).
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Villages around tiger reserve safe havens for Naxals
DALTONGANJ: Villages around Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) are safe havens for CPI (Maoist) where the Maoists run their writ. One such village is Ukamar under Project Tiger division while another is Ghaseedag village.
At Mandal village, a superintending engineer of north koyal Baijnath Mishra was killed in the late 90s and a small portion of the Mandal dam was also damaged by extremists belonging to Mazdoor Kissan Sangharsh Samiti.
At Kolpurwa village, security forces battled with the Maoists. Hehegara is a village of this tiger division which hit the national news stand not for any sighting of tigers but for the Naxals repeated assault on the rail tracks here.
According to directorate Project Tiger records, there are 199 villages in and around Palamu Tiger Reserve. Villages like Kaer and Labher areNaxal dens where Naxals trigger land mines as easily as children explode crackers, said a tracker of the Betla National Park, who refused to be identified.
The member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority Management Effective Evaluation East and North East D S Srivastava agreed that infestation of Naxals is here in majority of 199 villages here.
Srivastava reminded that Naxals had restored five huge tusks stolen by thieves to the authority in the mid 90s here. Five huge tusks were stolen from the Nature Interpretation Centre in Betla which were later recovered by the Naxals in which top functionaries of the Palamu Tiger Project had also participated.
Srivastava wanted project officials to strike an emotional chord with these villages and their people for a better co ordination. The director, P Upadhaya, has gone on record to say that a large segment of the total 30 segments of the Tiger Reserve here are unwatched because of the infestations of the extremists.
At Mandal village, a superintending engineer of north koyal Baijnath Mishra was killed in the late 90s and a small portion of the Mandal dam was also damaged by extremists belonging to Mazdoor Kissan Sangharsh Samiti.
At Kolpurwa village, security forces battled with the Maoists. Hehegara is a village of this tiger division which hit the national news stand not for any sighting of tigers but for the Naxals repeated assault on the rail tracks here.
According to directorate Project Tiger records, there are 199 villages in and around Palamu Tiger Reserve. Villages like Kaer and Labher areNaxal dens where Naxals trigger land mines as easily as children explode crackers, said a tracker of the Betla National Park, who refused to be identified.
The member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority Management Effective Evaluation East and North East D S Srivastava agreed that infestation of Naxals is here in majority of 199 villages here.
Srivastava reminded that Naxals had restored five huge tusks stolen by thieves to the authority in the mid 90s here. Five huge tusks were stolen from the Nature Interpretation Centre in Betla which were later recovered by the Naxals in which top functionaries of the Palamu Tiger Project had also participated.
Srivastava wanted project officials to strike an emotional chord with these villages and their people for a better co ordination. The director, P Upadhaya, has gone on record to say that a large segment of the total 30 segments of the Tiger Reserve here are unwatched because of the infestations of the extremists.
Forest officials refute presence of tiger near Gondia
GONDIA: Wildlife experts have now said that the pugmarks spotted in village Temni near Gondia on January 8 are not of a tiger, but most probably of a hyena.
For the last month or so, rumours have been doing the rounds of Gondia and Goregaon that a tiger is being sighted by nearby villagers. On January 8, the tiger was reportedly seen in village Temni, about 5km from Gondia. The pugmarks of the tiger were also reported to have been recorded and some experts had confirmed that they were of an adult tiger.
However, subdivisional forest officer of Gondia AS Khune said he has studied the four pugmarks and in three of them the nails of the animal could be seen. He said that the nails of the tiger are never seen in a pugmark, so this animal cannot be a tiger. Speaking to TOI, Khune said that there had been rumours of a tiger frequenting this region for the last month or so. However, there have not been any reports of tiger kills in this area. Khune said he had been doubtful about this rumour, and was now sure that it was not a tiger after studying the pugmarks.
For the last month or so, rumours have been doing the rounds of Gondia and Goregaon that a tiger is being sighted by nearby villagers. On January 8, the tiger was reportedly seen in village Temni, about 5km from Gondia. The pugmarks of the tiger were also reported to have been recorded and some experts had confirmed that they were of an adult tiger.
However, subdivisional forest officer of Gondia AS Khune said he has studied the four pugmarks and in three of them the nails of the animal could be seen. He said that the nails of the tiger are never seen in a pugmark, so this animal cannot be a tiger. Speaking to TOI, Khune said that there had been rumours of a tiger frequenting this region for the last month or so. However, there have not been any reports of tiger kills in this area. Khune said he had been doubtful about this rumour, and was now sure that it was not a tiger after studying the pugmarks.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Man accused of killing tiger rearrested
PTI | 02:01 PM,Jan 19,2011
Alwar, Jan 19 (PTI) A person, who had escaped from the custody of forest officials after being nabbed for allegedly killing a tiger, was today rearrested, forest department officials said here. "Kailash Gujjar was arrested from near a village early this morning. He had escaped yesterday from the custody of the forest officials in Sariska on the pretext of going to toilet," an official said. Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killing of ST-1 tiger in November last year. They were nabbed near Tehla village on Monday. ST-1, one of the five tigers trans located to the reserve, was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was found on the night on November 14 in Sariska. The forest officials had last month arrested the main accused, Parsadi Gujjar.
Alwar, Jan 19 (PTI) A person, who had escaped from the custody of forest officials after being nabbed for allegedly killing a tiger, was today rearrested, forest department officials said here. "Kailash Gujjar was arrested from near a village early this morning. He had escaped yesterday from the custody of the forest officials in Sariska on the pretext of going to toilet," an official said. Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killing of ST-1 tiger in November last year. They were nabbed near Tehla village on Monday. ST-1, one of the five tigers trans located to the reserve, was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was found on the night on November 14 in Sariska. The forest officials had last month arrested the main accused, Parsadi Gujjar.
Villages around tiger reserve safe havens for Naxals Read more: Villages around tiger reserve safe havens for Naxals - The Times of India http://time
DALTONGANJ: Villages around Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) are safe havens for CPI (Maoist) where the Maoists run their writ. One such village is Ukamar under Project Tiger division while another is Ghaseedag village.
At Mandal village, a superintending engineer of north koyal Baijnath Mishra was killed in the late 90s and a small portion of the Mandal dam was also damaged by extremists belonging to Mazdoor Kissan Sangharsh Samiti.
At Kolpurwa village, security forces battled with the Maoists. Hehegara is a village of this tiger division which hit the national news stand not for any sighting of tigers but for the Naxals repeated assault on the rail tracks here.
According to directorate Project Tiger records, there are 199 villages in and around Palamu Tiger Reserve. Villages like Kaer and Labher areNaxal dens where Naxals trigger land mines as easily as children explode crackers, said a tracker of the Betla National Park, who refused to be identified.
The member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority Management Effective Evaluation East and North East D S Srivastava agreed that infestation of Naxals is here in majority of 199 villages here.
Srivastava reminded that Naxals had restored five huge tusks stolen by thieves to the authority in the mid 90s here. Five huge tusks were stolen from the Nature Interpretation Centre in Betla which were later recovered by the Naxals in which top functionaries of the Palamu Tiger Project had also participated.
Srivastava wanted project officials to strike an emotional chord with these villages and their people for a better co ordination. The director, P Upadhaya, has gone on record to say that a large segment of the total 30 segments of the Tiger Reserve here are unwatched because of the infestations of the extremists.
Read more: Villages around tiger reserve safe havens for Naxals - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Villages-around-tiger-reserve-safe-havens-for-Naxals/articleshow/7314846.cms#ixzz1BTOdraNJ
At Mandal village, a superintending engineer of north koyal Baijnath Mishra was killed in the late 90s and a small portion of the Mandal dam was also damaged by extremists belonging to Mazdoor Kissan Sangharsh Samiti.
At Kolpurwa village, security forces battled with the Maoists. Hehegara is a village of this tiger division which hit the national news stand not for any sighting of tigers but for the Naxals repeated assault on the rail tracks here.
According to directorate Project Tiger records, there are 199 villages in and around Palamu Tiger Reserve. Villages like Kaer and Labher areNaxal dens where Naxals trigger land mines as easily as children explode crackers, said a tracker of the Betla National Park, who refused to be identified.
The member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority Management Effective Evaluation East and North East D S Srivastava agreed that infestation of Naxals is here in majority of 199 villages here.
Srivastava reminded that Naxals had restored five huge tusks stolen by thieves to the authority in the mid 90s here. Five huge tusks were stolen from the Nature Interpretation Centre in Betla which were later recovered by the Naxals in which top functionaries of the Palamu Tiger Project had also participated.
Srivastava wanted project officials to strike an emotional chord with these villages and their people for a better co ordination. The director, P Upadhaya, has gone on record to say that a large segment of the total 30 segments of the Tiger Reserve here are unwatched because of the infestations of the extremists.
Read more: Villages around tiger reserve safe havens for Naxals - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Villages-around-tiger-reserve-safe-havens-for-Naxals/articleshow/7314846.cms#ixzz1BTOdraNJ
Tiger killing accused escapes from custody
Alwar, Jan 18 (PTI) One of the two persons who werearrested for their alleged involved in the killing of a tigerin Sarisaka escaped from the custody of forest officials heretoday
"Kailash Gujjar escaped on the pretext of going to thetoilet. Both the accused were being interrogated in connectionwith the killing of ST-1 tiger at that time," an officialsaid.
"We have dispatched the search parties to look for him.
Prima facie, laxity of the staff is behind the incident andthose found guilty will be punished," he said.
Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killingof ST-1 in November last year. They were nabbed near Tehlavillage yesterday.
ST-1, one of the five tigers translocated to the reserve,was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was foundon the night on November 14 in Sariska.
The forest officials had last month arrested the mainaccused, Parsadi Gujjar.
"Kailash Gujjar escaped on the pretext of going to thetoilet. Both the accused were being interrogated in connectionwith the killing of ST-1 tiger at that time," an officialsaid.
"We have dispatched the search parties to look for him.
Prima facie, laxity of the staff is behind the incident andthose found guilty will be punished," he said.
Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killingof ST-1 in November last year. They were nabbed near Tehlavillage yesterday.
ST-1, one of the five tigers translocated to the reserve,was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was foundon the night on November 14 in Sariska.
The forest officials had last month arrested the mainaccused, Parsadi Gujjar.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Two arrested in tiger''s killing at Sariska
PTI | 10:01 PM,Jan 17,2011
Alwar, Jan 17 (PTI) Two more persons were today arrested by a forest deapartment team in Sariska for their alleged involvment in the killing of a translocated tiger in the national park last year. "Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killing of ST-1 in November last year. They were caught from near Tehla village," an official said, adding the duo were being interrrogated. ST-1, one of the five tigers translocated to the reserve, was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was found on the night on Novermber 14 in Sariska. The forest officials had earlier arrested the main accused, Parsadi Gujjar, last month.
Alwar, Jan 17 (PTI) Two more persons were today arrested by a forest deapartment team in Sariska for their alleged involvment in the killing of a translocated tiger in the national park last year. "Bhagwanya and Kailash Gujjar were involved in the killing of ST-1 in November last year. They were caught from near Tehla village," an official said, adding the duo were being interrrogated. ST-1, one of the five tigers translocated to the reserve, was poisoned to death and the carcass of the big cat was found on the night on Novermber 14 in Sariska. The forest officials had earlier arrested the main accused, Parsadi Gujjar, last month.
CCIS: 1801 Sub-adult tiger killed by another tiger near Chanda
Chandrapur: The death of yet another tiger cub in the district has alarmed forest officials. The dead body of a sub-adult tiger cub, aged around 15 months, was recovered from the protected forest under Saoli range on Monday morning. Forest officials have said that the cub was killed in a fight with an adult tiger. This is the third incident of tiger death in the district within a span of just two months.
As per reports, a shepherd from village Sajhagad in Saoli tehsil went in search of his missing cattle and discovered the dead body of the tiger cub. A partially eaten cattle carcass was also recovered near the dead body of the cub. The shepherd informed forest officials about the incident.
Forest department staffers immediately reached the spot and took control of the dead body. CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao confirmed the death of a tiger cub and said a fight among tigers was the cause of death. He said that the place is located close to village Sajhagad in compartment no. 1,718 under Saoli forest range.
Rao dismissed the possibility of poaching since all the organs of the dead cub were intact and there was no signs of poisoning of the cattle carcass found there. "It was a male tiger cub aged around 15 months. There were deep injury marks made by canines on the skull and vertebra, while right femur bone was found fractured. Moreover, we have seen signs of a fight between tigers including pugmarks of an adult male tiger at the spot, which corroborates the findings of autopsy," said Rao.
He said that a tigress with two cubs and an adult male tiger are known to frequent this particular forest area. The tiger had made a cattle kill on Sunday evening in Sajhagad beat of the forest. The tigress with two cubs apparently reached there to grab a share, which sparked the fight between one of the cubs and the tiger. While the tigress and one cub were able to escape, the other cub was killed by the adult tiger, Rao speculated.
He said that after the incident the tiger went towards the village lake, where they found its pugmarks. Villagers too claimed to have heard growls during the night, added Rao. He informed that the dead body of the tiger cub was cremated before witnesses on the spot after necessary inquest and post mortem formalities.
Notably, it is the first case of tiger death during this year and third in the span of just 50 days in the district. On November 28, 2010, carcass of a full-grown tiger was found in FDCM Junona range. Later, on December 6, 2010, a tiger cub was found dead in Moharli (territorial) forest range at the outskirt of Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve. Interestingly, all three tigers were killed in fights with other tigers.
Read more: CCIS: 1801 Sub-adult tiger killed by another tiger near Chanda - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/CCIS-1801-Sub-adult-tiger-killed-by-another-tiger-near-Chanda/articleshow/7308129.cms#ixzz1BMH8q900
As per reports, a shepherd from village Sajhagad in Saoli tehsil went in search of his missing cattle and discovered the dead body of the tiger cub. A partially eaten cattle carcass was also recovered near the dead body of the cub. The shepherd informed forest officials about the incident.
Forest department staffers immediately reached the spot and took control of the dead body. CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao confirmed the death of a tiger cub and said a fight among tigers was the cause of death. He said that the place is located close to village Sajhagad in compartment no. 1,718 under Saoli forest range.
Rao dismissed the possibility of poaching since all the organs of the dead cub were intact and there was no signs of poisoning of the cattle carcass found there. "It was a male tiger cub aged around 15 months. There were deep injury marks made by canines on the skull and vertebra, while right femur bone was found fractured. Moreover, we have seen signs of a fight between tigers including pugmarks of an adult male tiger at the spot, which corroborates the findings of autopsy," said Rao.
He said that a tigress with two cubs and an adult male tiger are known to frequent this particular forest area. The tiger had made a cattle kill on Sunday evening in Sajhagad beat of the forest. The tigress with two cubs apparently reached there to grab a share, which sparked the fight between one of the cubs and the tiger. While the tigress and one cub were able to escape, the other cub was killed by the adult tiger, Rao speculated.
He said that after the incident the tiger went towards the village lake, where they found its pugmarks. Villagers too claimed to have heard growls during the night, added Rao. He informed that the dead body of the tiger cub was cremated before witnesses on the spot after necessary inquest and post mortem formalities.
Notably, it is the first case of tiger death during this year and third in the span of just 50 days in the district. On November 28, 2010, carcass of a full-grown tiger was found in FDCM Junona range. Later, on December 6, 2010, a tiger cub was found dead in Moharli (territorial) forest range at the outskirt of Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve. Interestingly, all three tigers were killed in fights with other tigers.
Read more: CCIS: 1801 Sub-adult tiger killed by another tiger near Chanda - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/CCIS-1801-Sub-adult-tiger-killed-by-another-tiger-near-Chanda/articleshow/7308129.cms#ixzz1BMH8q900
Man attacked by tiger, escapes
CHAMARAJNAGAR: Even as locals and tribals are demanding that Biligiri Ranganathswamy Hills be declared a tiger reserve, one person sustained injuries in an attack by the big cat.
G Vasantharaju, a resident of a tribal hamlet, was travelling downhill on his two-wheeler, when the tiger attacked him. But he escaped with minor injuries and is admitted to hospital at Yelandur. This is first time that a human has come under attack by the big cat at the forested area, once dominated by slain brigand Veerappan. Some one year ago, a tiger had killed a person at Gopalswamy hills near Bandipur national park.
But wildlife activists said there is no need to worry about tiger attacks, terming Vasantharaju's incident an isolated case. There is no history of humans being attacked by tigers at B R Hills, said H P Ashwin, a wildlife activist working on a tiger project in the forest area. Tribals are in the forested area but there are no instances of any attack, he pointed out, adding that they do not face any threat.
They said tigers generally don't become man hunters unless they are too infirm and can't hunt.
Read more: Man attacked by tiger, escapes - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Man-attacked-by-tiger-escapes/articleshow/7306663.cms#ixzz1BMH1Hv4k
G Vasantharaju, a resident of a tribal hamlet, was travelling downhill on his two-wheeler, when the tiger attacked him. But he escaped with minor injuries and is admitted to hospital at Yelandur. This is first time that a human has come under attack by the big cat at the forested area, once dominated by slain brigand Veerappan. Some one year ago, a tiger had killed a person at Gopalswamy hills near Bandipur national park.
But wildlife activists said there is no need to worry about tiger attacks, terming Vasantharaju's incident an isolated case. There is no history of humans being attacked by tigers at B R Hills, said H P Ashwin, a wildlife activist working on a tiger project in the forest area. Tribals are in the forested area but there are no instances of any attack, he pointed out, adding that they do not face any threat.
They said tigers generally don't become man hunters unless they are too infirm and can't hunt.
Read more: Man attacked by tiger, escapes - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Man-attacked-by-tiger-escapes/articleshow/7306663.cms#ixzz1BMH1Hv4k
Monday, January 17, 2011
Two more tiger reserves likely in Maharashtra
PUNE: The state forest department has started the process to turn the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary in Bhandara district and the Navegaon national park in Gondia district into tiger reserves. A proposal for the Nagzira tiger reserve has already been sent to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Wildlife, for approval.
At present, Maharashtra has four tiger reserves - Melghat, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench and Sahyadri.
A K Saxena, chief conservator of forest, Nagpur (Wildlife), told TOI on Sunday that the forest department has prepared a proposal to make the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary a tiger reserve and sent it to the PCCF for approval. "The proposal for the Navegaon tiger reserve is being prepared," he said.
The move came after the state forest department was asked by the Union ministry of environment and forests to send proposals to declare the two sanctuaries as tiger reserves. The idea was to ensure gene flow of tigers and strengthen tiger conservation, said Saxena.
He said that both Nagzira and Navegoan are protected areas. The sanctuaries are potential areas for tiger habitat and prey species. "Once declared as tiger reserves, we can get more funds, help from experts, and plan better strategies for overall conservation," he explained.
"To declare them as tiger reserves, more areas have to be merged into the existing protected areas. In case of the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary, the area of the sanctuary will be expanded from the current 152.58 square km to approximately 350 square km," Saxena said.
He pointed out that a notification of buffer zones for these two protected areas will follow the proposals. A buffer zone is a protective area around the reserve and is necessary for tiger habitats in the country. A 2006 amendment to the Wildlife Conservation Act mandated creation of buffer zones for conservation. No mining or industrial projects are permitted in these buffer zones.
Underlining the importance of these locations, experts point out that the two reserves are near to each other and contain source population of tiger. They are also linked with the Pench-Tadoba corridor.
In another boost to tiger conservation efforts in the state, the Union ministry of environment and forest recently approved the creation of four posts of the rank of inspector general of forests for the three regional offices and the headquarters of the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) that are going to be set up in Nagpur, Guwahati and Bangalore.
Saxena said that the Nagpur office will not only cater to the needs of Maharashtra but cover all the 39 tiger reserves falling in the 17 tiger states. "It aims at decentralisation of the process of monitoring the conservation of tigers. At present, for all needs and issues pertaining to the tiger reserves, one has to go to NTCA's office in Delhi. With an office in Nagpur, it will be easier and speedier to start process,'' he said.
At present, Maharashtra has four tiger reserves - Melghat, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench and Sahyadri.
A K Saxena, chief conservator of forest, Nagpur (Wildlife), told TOI on Sunday that the forest department has prepared a proposal to make the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary a tiger reserve and sent it to the PCCF for approval. "The proposal for the Navegaon tiger reserve is being prepared," he said.
The move came after the state forest department was asked by the Union ministry of environment and forests to send proposals to declare the two sanctuaries as tiger reserves. The idea was to ensure gene flow of tigers and strengthen tiger conservation, said Saxena.
He said that both Nagzira and Navegoan are protected areas. The sanctuaries are potential areas for tiger habitat and prey species. "Once declared as tiger reserves, we can get more funds, help from experts, and plan better strategies for overall conservation," he explained.
"To declare them as tiger reserves, more areas have to be merged into the existing protected areas. In case of the Nagzira wildlife sanctuary, the area of the sanctuary will be expanded from the current 152.58 square km to approximately 350 square km," Saxena said.
He pointed out that a notification of buffer zones for these two protected areas will follow the proposals. A buffer zone is a protective area around the reserve and is necessary for tiger habitats in the country. A 2006 amendment to the Wildlife Conservation Act mandated creation of buffer zones for conservation. No mining or industrial projects are permitted in these buffer zones.
Underlining the importance of these locations, experts point out that the two reserves are near to each other and contain source population of tiger. They are also linked with the Pench-Tadoba corridor.
In another boost to tiger conservation efforts in the state, the Union ministry of environment and forest recently approved the creation of four posts of the rank of inspector general of forests for the three regional offices and the headquarters of the National Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) that are going to be set up in Nagpur, Guwahati and Bangalore.
Saxena said that the Nagpur office will not only cater to the needs of Maharashtra but cover all the 39 tiger reserves falling in the 17 tiger states. "It aims at decentralisation of the process of monitoring the conservation of tigers. At present, for all needs and issues pertaining to the tiger reserves, one has to go to NTCA's office in Delhi. With an office in Nagpur, it will be easier and speedier to start process,'' he said.
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