Killer tiger resurfaces in Kodagu

TNN | Jan 10, 2012, 01.56AM IST MADIKERI: The tiger, which attacked and injured three buffaloes on Friday, killed a cow on Saturday night at Netkundh near Birunani in South Kodagu. Chottangada Rohith found the half-eaten carcass of his cow near its shed. People in South Kodagu are fearful because the tiger, which claimed several livestock in October and November last year, has resurfaced. A forest department team had kept cages to capture it. These men were relieved when the tiger's pugmark was seen about 500 metres from the Kallalla forest touching Nagarahole on Nov. 9. No incidents were reported after that in Kanoor, Shrimangala, T Shettigeri and Hudikeri villages. The trouble spot is on the Birunani Kodagu - Kerala border. Shrinivas Naik, the Shrimangala wildlife range forest officer, told TOI a leopard may have attacked the cattle. The incidents happened at Birunani near Brahmagiri wildlife forest range and the animal probably arrived from this forest he said, adding, "We are trying our best to chase the animal back to the forest by bursting crackers in the bushes and trees," Naik said. The animal can be identified only after veterinarians survey these area, he added. KA Manu of Birunani villager and Kanoor villager S.P.Mahadevappa told TOI villagers are afraid to move about freely on work and students are tense on their way to school and back. After class, students reach home by about 7pm and they tremble with fear on their way back. Virajpet taluk in-charge deputy conservator of forests Anand said cages would be kept in certain points to capture the animal. He said forest guards in groups will try and capture the tiger. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Killer-tiger-resurfaces-in-Kodagu/articleshow/11429631.cms

Finally, state clears spl force for Tadoba, Pench

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 9, 2012, 02.42AM IST NAGPUR: Clearing all the hurdles raised by the state finance department, the government has finally cleared setting up of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for Pench and Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserves. Talking to TOI on Sunday, Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary (forests), said all the hassles in creating STPF have been removed and a formal GR will be issued on Monday. "The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will provide 100% assistance," Pardeshi added. Considering the endangered status of tiger and the need for urgently stepping up protection in sensitive areas having source population of tigers, with the active involvement of forest dwelling communities, the NTCA in February 2009 had mandated setting up of STPFs in all the tiger reserves. "Each STPF squad will consists of 110 men and will be headed by assistant conservator (ACF) rank officer and include RFOs, foresters and forest guards. The guards will mostly comprise locals. They will be entitled to the same salary and emoluments through the service provider," Pardeshi said. The top official added that it will take over three months to physically post the squads in the reserves. The personnel will have to undergo training from police and para military forces. They will be also trained to detect poaching and wildlife crime, apart from protection work. On the issue of staff, Pardeshi said additional posts have been cleared. Besides, there will no fresh recruitment for guards. "Several candidates have been kept in the waiting list who qualified during the recent recruitment drive. We'll also sign a pact with the Centre soon on the STPF," he added. At present, Karnataka is the only state which has set up STPF for Bandipur. It has now also included Nagarahole and Biligiri Rangana Temple Wildlife Sanctuary. Maharashtra is perhaps the second state to set up STPF. It is in the final stages in Orissa, sources said. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had cleared the STPF at a meeting in Nagpur on December 15, 2010, but finance department put hurdles asking many irrelevant queries. Pardeshi again followed up the matter with chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad and NTCA and finally got it cleared last week. Wildlife conservationists have hailed the decision. They say even as number of tigers in the latest tiger estimation has gone up from 103 in 2006, to 169 in 2011, poaching threat is looming large on the tiger reserves. What the STPF will mean? STPF will exercise policing powers and the state will be required to confer these powers on personnel under subsection (3) of Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974). These are powers to use firearms to combat tiger poaching and related offences in the tiger habitat. Not being an armed force of the Union, STPF will be used only for tiger protection, and under no circumstances would be requisitioned in aid of civil authority for any other work. The STPF will receive special training from state police and paramilitary forces. The assistance will be granted by NTCA. During the financial year, the state will sign a MoU to implement the initiative in conformity. The guidelines for training/syllabus will be communicated shortly. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Finally-state-clears-spl-force-for-Tadoba-Pench/articleshow/11418247.cms

TATR, Melghat get Rs31 cr for relocation

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 9, 2012, 02.41AM IST NAGPUR: In a big boost for growing number of tigers crying for space, the ministry of environment and forest's 'Project Tiger' division has released over Rs 31 crore for relocating four villages in Tadoba and Melghat. Overall, Rs23.98 crore has been released for Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to relocate Jamni and Navegaon (Ramdegi) villages in the core area of Tadoba. While Rs2.88 crore were released last month, the balance amount was released a couple of days ago. Relocation of these villages will increase carrying capacity of tigers in Tadoba as more space will be created. Otherwise, space crunch leads the surplus tiger population to move out and involve in conflict with humans. In Jamni and Navegaon, 237 families have accepted option-I and 225 families option-II. In option-I, villagers will be paid Rs10 lakh, while those under option-II will be relocated by the authorities. Navegaon villagers will be resettled near Khadsingi while Jamni villagers in Ambadi near Samudrapur in Wardha district. Earlier, TATR had sent a proposal for Rs45 crore to resettle these two villages. However, an enhancement of over Rs47.66 crore has been done towards relocation of both the villages. The money will be treated as 100% Central assistance. Similarly, Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), which has maximum number of villages and has taken a lead in relocating them, has been released Rs7.39 crore to resettle Dhargad and Pili villages. All the 313 families - 172 in Pili and 141 in Dhargad - have opted for option I. Last year, over Rs40 crore were released for MTR in which three villages Barukheda, Amona and Nagartas were resettled. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/TATR-Melghat-get-Rs31-cr-for-relocation/articleshow/11418239.cms

Tiger count goes up in Panna with rise in number of cubs

PTI Jan 6, 2012, 03.48PM IST BHOPAL: The Panna Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which gained notoriety for mysterious disappearance of its big cats, is flourishing with tiger cubs again, rejoicing the success of its unique translocation experiment to revive their population. "The tiger reserve has seven cubs and five adult tigers in its wild after the launch of an experiment involving breeding of translocated wild cats and rehabilitation of orphaned cubs ," Panna Tiger Reserve Director, R S Murthy told reporters. The reserve has four female and a male tiger in its kitty and all of them have well adjusted to their new environment. The number of tiger cubs in other reserves across the state is also looking up. Kanha Tiger Reserve at present has 21-23 tiger cubs while the Pench Tiger Reserve boasts of having another 21 or more. "At present we have 21-23 tiger cubs in the different age groups wandering with their mothers in the forest," Kanha Tiger Reserve Director, J S Chouhan said. Kanha has at present nearly 70 or more tigers in its wild as per the official figures, he said. Pench Tiger Reserve Director, Alok Kumar said that in the year 2010-11, nearly 21 tiger cubs were sighted by the forest staff in different zones of the reserve. They are in the age group of 5-6 months to over one year old, Kumar said. A tiger is normally considered adult when it attains the age of two-and-a-half year and also when it separates from its mother. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-06/flora-fauna/30597548_1_tiger-cubs-male-tiger-tiger-count

Vigil at tiger reserves in TN keep poachers at bay

January 9, 2012 DC chennai South Indian states are spearheading the effort by the 17 states to save the tiger with Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala having recorded fewer cases of tiger poaching when compared to states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, according to a information submitted by minister of state Namo Narayan Meena in the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had five years ago constituted the National Tiger Task Force and said that stern action would be taken against poachers. Despite this, poaching big cats had gone up from 2008 to 2010 with only 2011 bringing respite as poaching cases dwindled by about 50 per cent. In 2008, nine tigers were poached, while in 2009, the figure shot up to 17, according to data available with this newspaper. The figure shot up to an alarming 25 in 2010, with respite coming in 2011 when 12 cases were recorded. However, K.V.R.K. Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust, said that there is good vigil in all the three tiger reserves of Tamil Nadu and this has helped the wildlife department reduce the poaching of big cats. However there is a need to enhance the security network as the system is not foolproof and one or two stray poaching cases are reported. The patrolling in Parambikulam tiger reserve in Kerala is excellent and the reserve has witnessed fewer poaching cases compared to other south Indian tiger reserves, he said. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/chennai/vigil-tiger-reserves-tn-keep-poachers-bay-056

Tiger terror in Guwahati; leopard captured

08 January, 2012AT News Bureau Four persons have been injured when a fully grown leopard attacked them after storming into a residential area in Guwahati on Saturday. The leopard ran into a house on the Nabagraha Road in Silphukhuri area at around 12-30 in the afternoon. Immediately after it the leopard attacked four persons one after another. Many others managed to escape. The injured persons were rushed to GMCH. Later the leopard was taken for observation at the Assam State Zoo in Guwahati. http://www.assamtimes.org/hot-news/5784.html

Foresters fire on illegal fishermen at Totladoh, 16 Hurt

Soumittra S Bose & Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 9, 2012, 03.52AM IST NAGPUR: Some 16 fishermen fishing illegally in Totladoh reservoir inside Pench tiger reserve were injured when forest guards opened fire on them with 12-bore shotguns on Saturday evening. The forest guards, patrolling the dam on Pench river, claimed they opened fire in self-defence after the fishermen surrounded their boat in mid-reservoir and started attacking them after being challenged. A magisterial enquiry was instituted by the district collector into the matter later. The incident is latest in the ongoing tussle between the foresters and local fishermen dating back since the time the forest around reservoir was declared tiger reserve and fishing prohibited in it. "A group of 12 forest staffers were zeroing in on a fishing boat when they were attacked by fishermen in other boats. Within no time, several boats surrounded our men. There were around 50 fishermen and our men were outnumbered. The forest staff retreated as it was growing dark after they managed to stave off attack on themselves," said AK Saxena, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF), wildlife, Nagpur. A group of 20 fishermen, resident of Rayyatwadi in New Deolapar, had sneaked into the prohibited zone for fishing at 5 pm on Saturday and was just preparing to lay their underwater nets when a foresters boat with eight gunmen approached them. According to Feroze Pathan, one of the injured fishermen, the forest guards had continued firing on them for almost an hour. "We somehow managed to crawl back into the forest for cover and stayed there for seven hours writhing in pain. At midnight we started back for our home around 20 kms away. We walked four to five hours in injured condition and reached home," said Pathan. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Foresters-fire-on-illegal-fishermen-at-Totladoh-16-Hurt/articleshow/11418733.cms

Rise in number of tiger cubs in Panna Reserve in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL: The Panna Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which gained notoriety for mysterious disappearance of its big cats, is flourishing with tiger cubs again, rejoicing the success of its unique translocation experiment to revive their population. "The Tiger Reserve has seven cubs and five adult tigers in its wild after the launch of an experiment involving breeding of translocated wild cats and rehabilitation of orphaned cubs ," Panna Tiger Reserve Director, R S Murthy said. The reserve has four female and a male tiger in its kitty and all of them have well adjusted to their new environment. The number of tiger cubs in other reserves across the state is also looking up. Kanha Tiger Reserve at present has 21-23 tiger cubs while the Pench Tiger Reserve boasts of having another 21 or more. "At present we have 21-23 tiger cubs in the different age groups wandering with their mothers in the forest," Kanha Tiger Reserve Director, J S Chouhan said. Kanha has at present nearly 70 or more tigers in its wild as per the official figures, he said. Pench Tiger Reserve Director, Alok Kumar said that in the year 2010-11, nearly 21 tiger cubs were sighted by the forest staff in different zones of the reserve. They are in the age group of 5-6 months to over one year old, Kumar said. A tiger is normally considered adult when it attains the age of two-and-a-half year and also when it separates from its mother. The last tiger census of Madhya Pradesh stood at 257 while in Karnataka the count was 300 following which the central state lost its coveted "Tiger State" status to the southern counterpart. Madhya Pradesh objected to the figures released by the WII and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) after which the big cats were again re-counted in Kanha Tiger Reserve, a senior forest official said. In order to find out the exact number of tiger population in the country, the NTCA has decided to conduct tiger census every year in the Tiger Reserves and every four year in other forest areas as usual, the official said. Madhya Pradesh has Pench, Panna, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Satpuda, Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserves. After the last Tiger census, the population of big cat was estimated at 1706 in the country.

Tiger census results by year-end

HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi, January 04, 2012 With the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) starting a new process to estimate the number of tigers in the wild, the next round of the big cat results are expected to be announced by this year end. The NTCA has asked forest departments to implement the protocol for counting tigers in core and buffer areas of 39 reserves. As per last census in 2011, India had 1,706 tigers. To ensure that the new estimate is close to the actual number, the NTCA has asked the forest departments to have GPS camera traps. The camera traps are installed to take pictures of tigers. The pictures are then compared to estimate the population in the area on basis of the stripes, which are unique to each tiger. Local forest officials will work in coordination with scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India, and monitor the camera traps daily. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Tiger-census-results-by-year-end/Article1-791247.aspx

Officials in a hurry to bury tiger death

January 5, 2012 DC Bandipur Tiger Reserve | Mysore District Four days after the alleged killing of a male tiger in a jaw-trap inside the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR), many missing links are being established at the Reserve, even as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTC) members are visiting the reserve to investigate the death. On Wednesday, when the Deccan Chronicle team visited the tiger reserve, it was evident that no one wanted to talk about the incident. Foresters chose to remain silent but senior officials of the forest department challenged this reporter to identify the place of the crime. "There is a death of a tiger by jaw trap. But we are unable to link the missing links which are cropping up over the last four days after media reports on the tiger’s death surfaced”, said a forest official at the tiger reserve. Sources in the forest department confirmed to Deccan Chronicle that a tiger was killed in a jaw trap and that senior officials are trying to hush up the case. “We are aware about who went to bury the carcass of the tiger and the location where the big cat was buried. We want the Forest Department to find out about the wrongdoing which is being reported inside the reserve since many months,” said a forest officer. A senior forester told this newspaper that the Forest Department was serious about jaw trapping or counting the individual deaths in the country and it could lead to problems. "We are trying to mobilise the foresters to stay on duty in wildlife areas so that more people from the forest department do not leave the posts," conservationists added. Wildlife PCCF B.K. Singh says there has been no killing of a tiger inside the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and that reports published in the media are wrong. “We have also included the foresters from Nagarhole so that there are no more jaw traps found in Bandipur. If there is such poaching of tigers and the matter is hushed up the officers will be sent home”, said Mr Singh. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/officials-hurry-bury-tiger-death-994

Tass tigress at doorstep of Tadoba?

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jan 4, 2012, 04.35AM IST NAGPUR: The Tass tigress that was rescued from a drain and released back into wild in Bhiwapur forest, appears to have found its way to the doorstep of Tadoba tiger reserve. If that is the case, the tigress has travelled over 35 km in just over a month after her release. The signals received by forest officials and the monitoring team from her radio-collar show that the tigress is in a reserve forests in Brahmapuri (area not revealed) very close to Tadoba's buffer and may be heading towards Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). The tigress was rescued on October 13 from an open drain adjoining Tass forest in Bhiwapur. It was released in its original habitat after treatment on November 27. Tigers are great wanderers and only a scientific study can tell why the tigress moved out so long. In 2009, a radio-collared tiger had travelled 250 kms from Kanha tiger reserve to reach Pench. Similarly, last year, another radio-collared tigress from MP Pench had reached Mansinghdeo sanctuary in Maharashtra. Experts say there may be many reasons like poor prey base and competition in its original habitat for tigress' long run and a study needs to be done. The tigress had killed a goat and some wild boars in Ranmangli and Paoni forests. Officials are closely monitoring the beast and are cautious not to reveal its location fearing it could be hunted. A K Saxena, additional PCCF for wildlife, East, who also holds charge of chief wildlife warden, did not go into the details saying the matter was sensitive. "We are keeping a close watch," he stressed. The tigress is suspected to have moved from Ranmangli through Paoni and Kanpa-Tenpa. The movement, essential to maintain a healthy gene pool, underlines the importance of protecting corridors that are fast getting fragmented. The tigress seems to be clever and as it avoided villages and canals and also crossed state highway 9 to reach Tadoba. "It amply shows how road widening, canals, dams and biotic pressure threaten tigers. The tigress is lucky," said officials. Conservationists, who did not wish to be quoted, felt that the tigress must be originally from Tadoba stock and must be acquainted with the routes. It could have even moved towards Wadsa or Pratapgarh-Navegaon-Nagzira, which is another corridor. "Generally, cats move on routes they are familiar with," they said. An Umred-based NGO Wildlife Conservation and Development Centre (WLCDC), working for tiger conservation in Bhiwapur, claimed they had first sighted the Tass tigress near Kharangla with its mother in April 2009. It must be around five months old then. Members of NGO feel Karhandla-Bhiwapur seems to have a source population from where tigers move into Tadoba landscape. The WLCDC members claimed the tigress may have moved in search of a mate. But this is also doubtful as Bhiwapur area already has male tigers. An expert disagreed saying, "I'm not ready to believe that Bhiwapur has a source population. It does not have prey density to support resident tigers. The tigress moved towards Tadoba landscape due to strong continuity that needs to be strengthened." Saxena said, "We will definitely do a corridor study." Quotes The tigress must be originally from Tadoba stock and must be acquainted with the routes. It could have even moved towards Wadsa or Pratapgarh-Navegaon-Nagzira, which is another corridor. Conservationst I'm not ready to believe that Bhiwapur has a source population. It does not have prey density to support resident tigers. The tigress moved towards Tadoba landscape due to strong continuity that needs to be strengthened. Expert Tracking The Tigress Officials are closely monitoring the beast and are cautious not to reveal its location fearing it could be hunted The tigress is suspected to have moved from Ranmangli through Paoni and Kanpa-Tenpa The tigress avoided villages and canals and also crossed state highway 9 to reach Tadoba The movement underlines the importance of protecting corridors that are fast getting fragmented http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tass-tigress-at-doorstep-of-Tadoba/articleshow/11358192.cms

Karnataka sets up special tiger protection force

January 3, 2012 | Bangalore, (IANS) Karnataka has become the first Indian state to set up a special commando unit for protecting tigers in its dense forests from poachers and hunters, a senior official said Tuesday. “The 54-strong trained commando unit will be deployed from Wednesday in the two major tiger reserves located in Bandipur and Nagarhole national parks on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border to protect the wild cats from poachers and hunters,” state’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) B.K. Singh told reporters here. The Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) comprising 14 deputy forest range officers and 40 young guards have completed a three-month crash course for learning to survive in the jungle terrain and use various types of weapons at the state police training school in Yelahanka, about 30 km from Bangalore. “The force has been divided into three groups to be stationed initially at three locations in the two contiguous national parks. When a commando reaches 40 years of age, he will be shifted out of the unit and assigned other jobs in the forest department,” Singh said. An assistant conservator of forests and three range forest officers will supervise the operations of the special force, which is equipped with firearms, binoculars and wireless sets to be a deterrent to poaching. As per the latest (2011) tiger census, Karnataka is the most tiger dense state with 300 of the 1,700 wild cats in the country prowling in six major reserves across the state, including the Biligiri Ranganna Temple wildlife sanctuary in Chamrajnagar district, about 200 km from Bangalore. According to the state forest department, about 50 tigers died in Karnataka since 2006, in which 25 were killed by poachers and hunters. In the last two years, 25 tigers were killed across the country, including five in this southern state. Constituted under the aegis of the union environment and forests ministry on the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the force expenditure will be fully funded by the central government. “We plan to induct an additional 54 personnel into the force for deploying in the other three tiger reserves across the state. They will also undergo physical training, unarmed combat, training in using weapons, field engineering, map reading, disaster management and crowd control,” Singh noted. The NTCA has identified 13 tiger reserves in seven states across the country for the ambitious project to protect the dwindling population of the big cats. “The second force will be set up in Odisha for deployment in its Simlipal tiger reserve,” NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal said. The central government sanctioned Rs.50 crore to the NTCA in 2008 for raising, arming and deploying commandos in 13 sensitive tiger reserves across the country — Dudhwa-Katerniaghat, Corbett, Ranthambore, Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pakke, Bandipur-Nagargole, Tadoba Andhari, Mudumalai, Kaziranga and Simlipal. “The big cats are a prize catch for poachers as their body parts are extensively used in making traditional Chinese medicines,” said Inspector General of Police H.S. Negi who is associated with NTCA. http://nvonews.com/2012/01/03/karnataka-sets-up-special-tiger-protection-force/

Forest officials hushed up tiger death

January 4, 2012 DC Bengaluru The male tiger, which reportedly died after being caught in a jaw trap in Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) last weekend, was allegedly buried in Rampura in Kalkere range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, according to highly placed sources. What is even more shocking is that this information was reportedly known to the senior forest officials, who “not only hushed up the tiger’s death, but also buried the big cat in Rampura without an autopsy – a violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 under which the reasons for a tiger’s death have to be ascertained through an autopsy, which has to be videographed in the presence of forest officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations,” said the source. It is reliably learnt that the poachers from Madhya Pradesh, who had laid the jaw trap, have reportedly been camping in the Bandipur National Park for the last eight to nine months with no action taken against them. Following media reports, the forest officials on Tuesday caught the group and detained them in Maddur range of Bandipur National Parkfor interrogation, the source added. This is the second tiger which lost its life in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in less than one week. The forest officials are attributing the death of the other tiger to hunger. Conservationists are also worried about the whereabouts of another six-year-old male tiger with a scar on the left eye, which is a huge attraction among tourists in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. “He has not been spotted in the last two months,” added the source. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/forest-officials-hushed-tiger-death-678

STPF trainees all set to get on field

Express News Service , The New Indian Express BANGALORE: Manjunath Malagi (21), a forester from Gadag who completed his Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) commando training on Tuesday, is enthusiastic to get into the field and discharge his duty. Speaking to Express, he said, “During these 13 weeks we had to undergo physical training that included unarmed combating method, weapon (pistol, grenade) training, map reading, disaster management, first aid, crowd control management. Once we get into the field this training will be helpful.” Awarding the certificates on completion of their commando training from the Police Training School, Yelahanka, to the batch of 54 foresters and forest guards who would be forming the STPF, Dr Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said, “The STPF is different from the normal forest guards. When it comes to tiger poaching and smuggling it requires professionally trained combating force. In 2011, we lost around 50 tigers across the country, of which 22 fell to bullets of poachers.” Appreciating the initiative of the Forest Department, he assured support to the department in matters related to tiger conservation. Similarly, the STPF have been sanctioned for 13 other tiger reserves across nine states, he said. Meanwhile, B K Singh, principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) related about instances wherein the forest force had failed because of poor handling of information system, due to lack of trained manpower. He said, “The trained 54 foresters and forest guards will be deployed at Bandipur and Nagarhole as the poaching threat is higher in these two reserves.” Speaking to the media regarding the translocation of elephants from Alur in Hassan district to Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Minister for Forests C P Yogeshwar said, “The case will be heard in the High Court on Wednesday. Following which in a week’s time we will conduct a meeting and a decision will be taken on the issue.” http://ibnlive.in.com/news/stpf-trainees-all-set-to-get-on-field/217611-60-115.html

Simlipal's wait for tiger force continues

TNN | Jan 3, 2012, 09.54AM IST BARIPADA: Simlipal is yet to get its Special Tiger Protection Force even though the Centre had taken the decision to have it two years ago. Though Bandipur in Karnataka and a few tiger reserves in Maharashtra have already established their Special Tiger Protection Force, some formalities have delayed the launch of the project in Simlipal, said Anup Kumar Nayak, field director of the tiger reserve-cum-regional chief conservator of forests (Baripada). Nayak also said the state government, on its part, should give legal immunity to Simlipal Special Tiger Protection Force (SSTPF) personnel to use firearms to combat "tiger poaching and other related offences within the tiger habitat". Sources said the Tiger Force Assistant Conservator of Forests will remain the commander of SSTPF, while the field director will remain in-charge of the overall command of the Force. Though the SSTPF is meant to be funded by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), it needs the formal nod of the state finance department for implementation, Nayak said. Delay in getting this approval is one of the reasons for delay in launching of the project, Nayak added. The SSTPF will have three platoons, each under a tiger force range officer and assisted by six tiger force Forester and 30 special tiger guards. Its total recurring cost will be Rs 1.62 crore per annum with the non-recurring expenses working out to be Rs 1.9 crore approximately. The SSTPF foresters and forest guards will be trained by the state police as well as central paramilitary forces based on a special syllabus for skill development, combating poaching and intelligence-based enforcement in a forest terrain. The Simlipal Tiger Reserve sprawls over 2,750 sq km came to be known as the poachers' paradise when in mid-2010 after wildlife activists exposed 'mass killing' of elephants prompting the NTCA to appoint a 'probe team'. A survey conducted by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India between March 26 and May 27, 2007 revealed that there were only 30 Royal Bengal Tigers in Simlipal. In 2004, the forest department put the number of big cats at 101 during a survey carried out under the pugmark method. The present scenario also presents largescale killing of sambars, deers and wild boars, the prey animals of tigers. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Simlipals-wait-for-tiger-force-continues/articleshow/11347882.cms

Tiger population in Uttarakhand may have increased

Jagdish Bhatt | January 2, 2012 | Comments | | Print Dehradun : While this small mountain state may literally have been a graveyard for tigers during last year with about 19 felines having been killed, there is reason for wildlife lovers to celebrate. The good news in the beginning of the New Year is that tiger numbers may be increasing in the Uttarakhand. Credence to this lies in the fact that pictures of the carnivore were captured in the CCTVs that had been installed in the Rajaji Park, where the felines were hardly visible over the years, though there were leopards that had been seen on the prowl. Wildlife experts at the Wildlife Institute of India feel that the number of tigers may have actually increased in the Corbett National Park, because of which some of the animals may have migrated to the Rajaji Park. Experts at the Institute said that some 60 odd CCTVs had been placed at strategic places in the Chilla and Gohari ranges of the Rajaji Park. The reason was that over the last decade or so though pug marks of tigers had been visible in the Park area, but there were no sights or traces of even uneaten kills to ascertain that the carnivores had made the forests their home. They said that with the pictures of the animals captured in the CCTVs, there were reasons to believe that a couple or even two tiger couples may have moved to Rajai from the adjoining Corbett National Park. This has obviously happened as the tiger population in Corbett has gone up and some of the felines have mover our to get more territory, as basically the cats are territorial animals, they confided. Experts of the Institute said that so far the CCTVs had only been out up at the Chilla and Gohari ranges of the Rajaji Park, but after seeing the visuals of the tigers on the CCTVs, they were now intending to install some more CCTVs in the Motichur, Kansro and Ramgarh ranges of the Park, as there was all possibility that some more felines may have shifted to these also, as they are all part of one huge forest block. They said that following the results got from the CCTVs that would be installed in these three ranges the future course of action would be decided. “If there are visuals of the felines sighted on these CCTVs, there will be reasons to believe that the number of tigers have gone up more than marginally forcing the felines to seek new territories, and then will be installing more CCTVs in the other ranges of the park, which include, Dhaulkhand (east), Dhaulkhand (west) and Chillawalli”, they added.http://hillpost.in/2012/01/02/tiger-population-in-uttarakhand-may-have-increased/38622/general/media-and-entertainment-more/photo-news/bhatt

On the tiger trail

Trekking Janaki Murali follows the footsteps of a tiger in search of its kill, in this rich and descriptive account of the Periyar Tiger Sanctuary in Kerala. In October, during the Diwali weekend, it was tourist mayhem at Thekkady in Kumily, Kerala, famous for its Periyar Tiger sanctuary. It had been raining through the night and it was still trickling in the morning, making it a very cold and wet day. We had rushed out of our hotel, which adjoined the Periyar Tiger Sanctuary, at 5 am in the morning to walk the short distance to the tiger sanctuary’s gates, to join the lengthening queue. The main attraction in Kumily, more commonly referred to as Thekkady, is the famous Periyar Tiger Sanctuary, housing some 45 tigers. The dense deciduous forests, surrounding the Periyar Lake, has some 145 species of orchids, over 60 species of mammals, over 300 bird species and some 150 types of butterflies. Coffee and tea were being sold by enterprising cyclewallahs to the tourists in the queue. Clutching the paper cup with its hot coffee and finding shelter under a borrowed umbrella, I watched as handicrafts’ stall owners opened their shops to catch the early tourist traffic. They often cheerfully turned arbitrators in small quarrels that arose between the tourists whenever somebody broke the queue. It was a wet and cold morning, and tempers were short. Autos, buses, taxis and cars added to the chaos, parked willy nilly before the closed gates. When the gates opened, there was a mad rush of vehicles through the Tiger Reserve. It was amusing to see vehicles pour into the parking lot of the Periyar sanctuary at break-neck speed , so that it could vomit out its inhabitants to join yet another long queue to buy tickets for the boat ride. No way were we joining another long queue, and so we made an instant decision to trek instead. The forest, on foot Periyar sanctuary offers different kinds of treks. There are camping trails where groups can stay overnight in the sanctuary, and there are jeep rides. There are nature walks among other treks. We decided to do the nature walk costing Rs 800. The nature walk comprises a trained guide who accompanies a small group of five on a three-hour trek into the Periyar forest. “Wear heavy shoes as there are lots of leeches in the forest,” we were told at the ticket counter. We were also asked to fill in forms with our contact details and the next of kin’s numbers and address. We were then given leech socks — pair of thick khaki socks. This was to prevent leeches from attaching themselves to our skins. We walked down a few steps to board a bamboo raft that the guide rowed to take us to the other side. The view from the raft was spectacular — the lake, surrounded by the forest, had the cardamom hills as its backdrop. On the other side, the forest beckoned with all its mysteries intact. Nature had spread its bounteous gifts for us to experience. We kept to the shoreline during the initial parts of our trek, but were soon walking deep into the moist deciduous forests, complete with the undulating hills on one end and marshlands and slushy undergrowth beneath our feet. We had to constantly watch our step, for we never knew what might be crawling below us. There were plenty of leeches which stuck to our shoes that we constantly pushed away with twigs. At one point, the guide sprayed some tobacco powder on our shoes, which he said would keep the leeches away, not that it did. In and around At a distance we saw the Nilgiri langur monkeys which swung from branch to branch, offering us a glimpse here and a glimpse there. They were too quick for us to capture on film. Birds surrounded us with their loud chatter. Some brightly coloured ones flew into our view and flew away even before we could identify them. Across the lake, we spied some bison, and far away on a hill were some more. As we went deeper and deeper into the forest, we spied some silver oaks, cedar, teak, rain trees, wild berries, wild guavas and wild mushrooms. But, except for the bison, we had caught sight of no other animals and had to be satisfied with bear pug marks and an elephant fossil. With the fresh rains, the undergrowth was wet and slushy, but we plodded on, still in search of the elusive tiger. Then suddenly the guide shushed us and asked us to stop. We stopped and listened in silence to the noise of the jungle. Amidst the loud chatter of the birds, the guide whispered, “Can’t you smell him? A tiger has been here just now.” I shivered in excitement. A tiger? We stood quietly and scoured a clearing that the guide pointed us towards, hoping to catch some action. There was nothing there, expect rolling greenery. The sun shone like a spotlight on the natural amphitheatre kind of setting and I almost expected the tiger to appear from the wings and take a bow. Beastly presence After a few more minutes of expectant silence, with our hearts pounding a little too noisily, the guide began groping around in the undergrowth. With the sunlight filtering in through the leafy branches of the tall trees, every shadow could have been a tiger in disguise. The guide, the consummate actor that he was, demonstrated what the tiger must have done. I was certain that our guide had missed his calling. He ought to have been on stage. “It must have spotted a fowl and come to attack. Then it smelt us and bounded away. Tigers are very shy animals, but there should be pug marks, let’s look for them,” he said softly. We groped around the green and brown carpeted forest floor, not knowing what we were looking for. “Ah! There they are,” he said with a smug satisfied air about him. We saw them too and collectively released our breaths. We hadn’t spotted a tiger, but had walked in its wake, which was nearly as good, if not better, for what would we have done, if we had seen a tiger face to face. The trek back to the raft that would take us back to the other side was nearly not as exciting as our near encounter with the tiger. Back at the base, we pulled out our khaki socks and saw them creeping and crawling with leeches. Some had found their way inside my shoes too. While we spent the next few minutes removing the leeches, I was sorry that the trek was over. A group of tourists, who had spent the night camping in the forest, told us disappointedly that they hadn’t spotted the tiger. Another couple who had gone into the forest in a jeep had the same story to tell. I smiled in smug satisfaction. We hadn’t spotted a tiger either, but we had walked its path, and had a pugmark to show for our efforts. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/215341/on-tiger-trail.html

Kanha’s many stripes

Tej Narayan Animal retreat One fine crimson evening, I found myself in Kisli, a village that lay within the green woods of the Kanha Tiger Reserve. Saturated with saal trees, these forests maintain their greenery even during the summer and act as green mansions for the wildlife in Kanha Tiger reserve. As I explored the Kanha forest, I came across a plethora of fauna. I found a herd of bison as well as deer grazing merrily in its lush green surroundings. Negotiating hairpin turns on Salkat Road, a terrain defined by bamboo and saal trees, I found myself entering the tiger’s abode. My excitement and anticipation over the possibility of spotting a tiger fell through, however, when all we could spot were a couple of wild boars rustling the bamboo. While I might have had no luck on that particular day, I chanced upon the beast on my return journey to my rest house in Kisli. I hadn’t noticed that the being I had driven past in the middle of the night was one that I was hoping to see all along. Early next day, while exploring the meadows of Kanha, I also chanced upon one of the most beautiful and elegant deer to be found, the Barasingha. There are different species of Barasingha, some of which can be found in Kaziranga National Park in Assam. But the most beautiful are those protected within the confines of Kanha. Forest officials also organise a ‘Tiger Show’ for tourists. Mahouts on elephants set out before dawn to areas where one is most likely to spot a tiger. When the tiger is sighted, elephants encircle the area to make sure that the tigers don’t stray too far off. Wireless messages are then sent to a camp at Kanha, who then usher the tourists (for a price, of course) to view the tigers from an elephant’s back. Seated on an elephant, I had the delightful opportunity of watching a tiger during its meal time. Its catch of the day was the royal stag. It was rather chilling, and at the same time, exciting, to watch this striped carnivore devour its kill. I wanted to move a little closer to the animal to get a better shot on my camera. An inch forward, however, led to a low warning growl from the tiger. I managed to get my picture in a fraction of a second, a second that captured his feast and growl all at once. The mahout pointed out to another tiger lazing about behind a bush, trying to seem like he was meditating. Perhaps, he had gulped down his grub to his satisfaction and was enjoying his siesta. As we inched closer, he opened one eye, only to remind us that appearances, after all, were always deceiving. We saw other fauna too — black buck, spotted deer and sambar, to be precise. The guide also pointed out a variety of birds, including the multi-hued peacock and the colourful kingfisher. The Kanha Tiger Reserve is spread over 1,945 sq km of lush green flora of the Maikal Mountain of Satpura mountain ranges in Central India. The park is open from October to May. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/215331/kanhas-many-stripes.html

‘Jaw traps’ suspected for tiger death in Bandipur

K H Obalesh, Chamarajanagar, Jan 1, DHNS: Practice prevalent in North India; attempts to hush up incident alleged An incident of Forest officials allegedly hushing up the death of a tiger caught in a ‘jaw trap’ has come to light in the limits of Bandipur National Park. A 10-year-old male tiger was found dead in the Kalkere range of the Park on December 30 and the official version was that the animal died of hunger. One more tiger was found dead at the same spot on December 31 after being caught in a ‘jaw trap.’ It is said senior officers visited the spot clandestinely and buried the caracass. They are also said to have taken photographs of the dead animal and the ‘jaw trap.’ According to the guidelines framed by National Tiger Conservation Authority, post mortem on tigers should be conducted in the presence of two representatives of non-governmental organisations. Accordingly, two representatives were present during the post mortem on the tiger which died of hunger. However, sources in the Forest department say that the officials have maintained secrecy on the ‘jaw trap’ death of the tiger. There had been no reports of ‘jaw trap’ deaths in the State for the past three years. The practice of hunting animals using this type of trap is more prevalent in North India and the tribals of Madhya Pradesh are said to be experts. The first such case came to light in South India at Nagarahole National Park in 2002. Two hunters were arrested in Veeranahosahalli, Nagarahole in 2008 for using the trap. It is said the forest officials are attempting to suppress the recent incident to escape laxity charges. A wildlife expert, who wished to be unnamed, said true facts would come to light if a CID investigation is ordered into the death of tigers. Dr K T Hanumanthappa, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bandipur, told Deccan Herald that a tiger died of oral lesions in Kalkere range and that the caracass was burnt after a post mortem. He denied any ‘jaw trap’ deaths of tiger in the Range. What is a jaw trap? A common foothold trap is made of two jaws, a trigger in the middle and one or two springs. A round pan usually acts as a trigger. The traps, usually laid on the tracks frequented by animals, are anchored to the earth with the help of strong chains and are camouflaged with dry leaves. As soon as the animal steps on the trigger, the trap closes around the foot clamping down its limb or paw. As the animal struggles to free itself writhing in pain, the steel vise cuts into its flesh, some times down to the bone. The trapped animals are sometimes gunned down by hunters, while in some cases they die of pain and hunger. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/216038/jaw-traps-suspected-tiger-death.html

Tiger trail

Dec 29, 2011, 12.00AM IST The latest tiger population census showed the numbers rising from 1,411 in 2008 to an estimated 1,706. Yet the National Tiger Conservation Authority seems not to be taking any chances. It`s to conduct yearly censuses in India`s 39 tiger reserves, besides the customary headcount every four years. While it`ll provide equipment like camera traps to capture data for analysis, field workers will train for upgraded tracking exercises. With periodic alarms raised about vanishing tigers - recall Sariska or Panna - and credible information about their plight in our tiger belts often hard to come by, the move makes sense. Annual counts will make the conservation effort more accountable, simply by keeping field personnel on their toes. While success in tiger conservation has been uneven across India, 12% of tiger habitat has been lost in just four years thanks to encroachment. Poaching remains lucrative business, not least due to enduring demand for tiger parts in places like China. Nor is the poacher-forest official nexus a secret. It`s no wonder tiger-rich Karnataka is to form a Special Tiger Protection Force, a first in India. Taking on poachers and smugglers, STPF patrols must feature in other tiger-dense states too. Let`s also boost well-regulated tourism to nurture both tigers and the ecosystem that the big cats are part of. By attracting resources and attention to commercially packaged reserves, conservation will offer its own economic incentive. The more cocooned protected zones are, the less transparently they`re managed. Let`s make the tiger accessible to wildlife enthusiasts. That way, we`ll spread awareness about the endangered animal and raise collective stakes in its protection. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Tiger-trail/articleshow/11283445.cms

Namdhapa Park to have a tiger protection force

PTI | 12:12 PM,Dec 28,2011 Utpal Boruah Itanagar, Dec 28 (PTI) With the Arunachal Pradesh governmment deciding to raise a tiger protection force, the sprawling Namdapha National Park, a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, can expect the rampant encroachment and poaching to come down substantially. The tiger reserve, spread over 1985 Sqare km in Changlang district, has been facing the twin problems for much too long to be ignored and the raising of the force would be of great help, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest B S Sajwan said told PTI. The force would be set up on the lines of one for the Pakke Tiger Project of East Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh, Sajwan said. “With this, not only will the unemployed youths in the buffer zones get employment, but the reserve and its habitat can be kept from the clutches of poachers and encroachers,” he observed. The state government is also keen to thoroughly revamp the tiger reserve with a slew of development projects to be undertaken soon. The main problem faced by the Namdhapa Tiger Reserve since 2005 is the encroachment into its core area by 444 Lisu families of Vijaynagar Administrative Circle, adjacent to the reserve, belonging to 84 families at five locations. The authorities had carried out evictions in the past, but the success rate was low owing to lack of manpower and resources. Presently, the staff comprised a mere 24 forest guards and eight foresters manning the park which has a core area of 1,807.82 square km. The remaining 177.18 square km is a reserve forest.

No merger of Project Tiger with other schemes: MoEF

TUESDAY, 27 DECEMBER 2011 22:34 PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | NEW DELHI HITS: 73 The Planning Commission’s proposal to merge three Centrally-sponsored schemes of Project Tiger, Project Elephant and the Integrated Development under Wildlife Habitat into one, has been junked by the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF). Members of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision of Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan was conveyed in a recent Standing Committee meeting of the board. Maintaining that it has come as a relief, the members pointed out that the nature of schemes of “Project Tiger” and “Project Elephant” are completely different from each other with their own respective identities. Their mergre would have created an adverse impact on the conservation of both the National Animal as well as the National Heritage Animal, they felt. Concerns were raised when the Planning Committee set up a subcommittee, chaired by its member BK Chaturvedi, to restructure the three Centrally-sponsored schemes. According to sources, Chaturvedi had discussed the issue with MoEF, to work out a solution for ensuring flexibility and efficiency of the schemes. Indrani Chandrasekharan, adviser to Planning Commission, wrote to MoEF secretary T Chatterjee to take action in the matter. The sources maintained that she had even gone a step ahead stating that the mergre was also proposed to include the conservation of lions and rhinos. This rang alarm bells among the NBWL members who wrote a strongly-worded letter to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia mentioning of the serious implications of the mergre of the three schemes. The letter was signed by MK Ranjitsinh, Bittu Sahgal, Kishor Rithe, Prerna Bindra, TR Shankar Raman, Divyabhanusinh Chavda, Biswajit Mohanty, Asad Rahmani and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar. The members pointed out that as per the figures of 1700 big cats announced early this year, India is the home range country of more than half the tiger population of the world. It also has the largest number of Asiatic elephants. The importance of Project tiger can be assessed from the fact that it was initiated at the instance of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi way back in 1973 and had existed much long before than MoEF itself that was established in 1985. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/30943-no-merger-of-project-tiger-with-other-schemes-moef.html

NTCA to conduct tiger census in India annually

The annual census would be conducted in the tiger reserves of India, including six in Madhya Pradesh, namely Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Panna and Sanjay Dubri tiger reserves, sources added. However, the ongoing practice of counting the big cats in the forest areas every four years would also continue in tandem, they said. In Madhya Pradesh, the census would be conducted in cooperation with the Wildlife Institute of India ( WII). However, logistics for the exercise is yet to be put in place, sources said, adding that cameras and others equipment for the task had not been purchased so far. "We are going to collect the data on the big cat using cameras on the transit routes and then analyse it. We have been assigned the task of collecting and analysing the data," sources said. According to them, as a prelude to the census operation, a two-day regional training workshop for the forest department officials in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra has been organised in Panna Tiger Reserve from tomorrow. "More than 100 forest department officials from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will take part in the workshop," they said. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/ntca-to-conduct-tiger-census-in-india-annually/articleshow/11267379.cms

Plan for tiger reserve to be sent to Union Ministry for approval

S. RAMESH A tiger that was captured in monitoring cameras installed in Sathyamangalam forests in Erode district. Photo: Special Arrangment Forest Department has identified core and buffer zones The proposal for the creation of a tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam forests has reached an advanced stage and is expected to land in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for approval by the end of January 2012. The Forest Department has completed identifying the core and buffer zones for the tiger reserve, a significant step before the creation of an exclusive protection zone for the big cats. A total of 1.41 lakh hectares in Sathyamangalam forests have been earmarked for the reserve. Of the total area, the core zone comprises 91,726.9 hectares. The forest officials are now studying the cattle and human population in the area. “We have seven forest settlements and 12 revenue settlements inside the area. The data collection is nearing completion and we are going to conduct a stakeholders meeting with the participation of residents from these settlements soon,” Conservator of Forests, Erode Circle D. Arun told The Hindu. “The forest region in this part of the State has a healthy tiger population. The Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary is home to at least 28 tigers and this has been confirmed by the study conducted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF),” Mr. Arun said. The creation of the reserve will enable the wildlife managers to ensure greater protection to the wild cats. Tourists and the minimal construction activities will be allowed only in the buffer zone, while forest officials alone will be permitted entry in the areas falling under the core zone. The authorities in the Central government are very positive on the creation of a tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam. “We have submitted a proposal to the union ministry seeking Rs. 32 lakh to install cameras in different parts of the forests. Currently, the WWF has installed cameras covering about 250 sq km area. We need to cover more areas and monitor the movement of tigers for further data collection and analysis. The camera trap images will also help us identify the movement of poachers. We expect the Centre to sanction the proposal very soon,” Mr. Arun pointed out. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article2752925.ece

MoEF defers clearance for Suryachakra power plant in MP

Press Trust of India / Hyderabad December 28, 2011, 10:53 IST In a setback to Suryachakra Power Venture, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has deferred clearance for a 1,320-MW coal-based power plant being developed by the company in Madhya Pradesh as it apparently falls within the buffer zone of a tiger reserve. Suryachakra Power Venture is a subsidiary of BSE-listed Suryachakra Power Corporation Ltd. This is the third city-based enterprise to run into an MOEF roadblock. Last year, the MOEF had cancelled the environmental clearance issued to Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd (NCCL) for its proposed 2,640-MW power plant in Srikakulam district, in Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, the ministry recently issued orders to East Coast Energy Pvt Ltd (ECEPL), another city-based power producer, to halt work on its 2,640-MW Bhavanapadu thermal power project in Srikakulam district in AP, as several serious complaints had poured in against the company and these were under investigation. In the case of the Suryachakra plant, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the MOEF was of the opinion that the project may fall within the buffer area of the Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve proposed to be set up in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. The committee ordered the company to obtain a no-objection certificate from the concerned authorities in the Wildlife Department. According to the company, land acquisition for the project is yet to be completed and allocation of a coal linkage is being considered within the Ministry of Coal. "The committee noted that even though the project proponent claims there are no national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tiger/biosphere reserves, etc, within 10 km of the site, prima facie, it appears the project may be falling within the proposed buffer of the Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve," the EAC said in its observation.

Tiger kills rhino in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve

PTI | 07:12 PM,Dec 27,2011 Lakhimpur (UP), Dec 27 (PTI) A six-year-old rhino was attacked and killed by a tiger in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, its deputy director said here today. "The park authorities came to know of the rhino killing by a tiger, when its partially eaten carcass was recovered near Salukapur," Ganesh Bhat, DTR deputy director, said. This is the second incident of a tiger attack on an adult rhino, he said. Earlier, a tiger had attacked and injured a female rhino in Dudhwa.

Karnataka tigers get commando security

TUESDAY, 27 DECEMBER 2011 21:24 KESTUR VASUKI | BANGALORE HITS: 108 Karnataka will have a commando force — Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) — to protect its diminishing big cat population from smugglers and poachers, for the first time in India. Come January 4, this special unit will guard tiger reserves on direction of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF). Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Karnataka BK Singh told The Pioneer that the force will protect over 300 tigers and their habitat. According to Singh, this STPF has 58 personnel comprising an assistant conservator of forests (ACF), three range forest officers (RFOs), 14 foresters and 40 forest guards. This force is fully trained to handle modern weapons. He said, “This special squad is undergoing training at police school in Yelahanka. This one-and-a-half-month training will end on January 3 and they will be deployed at tiger reserves to prevent poaching. This novel initiative will help save tigers.” According to statistics, since January 2006, more than 48 tigers have died in Karnataka, 25 tigers killed by poachers. The STPF, equipped with modern weapons, binoculars and wireless sets, is expected to prove a serious deterrent. “The 13-week training includes physical, unarmed combat, weapons, field engineering, map reading, disaster management, first aid and crowd control management,” said Singh. According to forest department records, three and two tigers were poached in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Karnataka is the most tiger dense State. The recent census in Karnataka shows six major reserves, with a population of over 300 tigers, of the total 1,700 in the country. In 2008, the Centre had given a one-time grant of Rs50 crore to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for raising, arming and deploying STPFs in 13 sensitive tiger reserves — Dudhwa-Katerniaghat, Corbett, Ranthambore, Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pakke, Bandipur, Tadoba Andhari, Mudumalai, Kaziranga and Simlipal. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/30901-karnataka-tigers-get-commando-security.html

Time again, for the big cats to be counted

TNN | Dec 27, 2011, 02.41AM IST BHOPAL: A big cat census covering all tiger reserves of the country, including the six in Madhya Pradesh (MP), is slated for next year, a top official said. It would now be an annual affair. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Dharmendra Shukla said the national tiger conservation authority (NTCA) has decided to do the census annually in the reserves, from next year. Shukla said the census in the state would be done in cooperation with the Wildlife Institute of India ( WII). However, he added, the tiger counting being carried out in the forest areas every four years would also continue in tandem. "In the run up to the census, a two-day regional training workshop for forest department officials of MP, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra has been organised in state's Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) from December 28," according to Shukla. Logistics, however, are still not in place. Shukla said the census exercise will take some time since the cameras and others modern equipment for the job have yet to be acquired. "We are going to collect data on the big cat using cameras on the transit routes and then analyse it," he said. "We have been assigned the task of collecting and analysing the data,'' he added. As a prelude to the census operation, a two-day regional training workshop for forest department officials of MP, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra has been organised in state's Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR) from December 28. ""More than 100 forest department officials drawn from Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and MP are going to take part in the workshop," Panna park's deputy director V S Parihar said. The big cat census will cover Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Panna and Sanjay Dubri tiger reserves. FEWER ROARS IN MP MP has lost its pre-eminent tag as the country's tiger state to Karnataka, with the population of this magnificient feline in the state declining to 257 by 2011, from 300 tigers in 2008. Panna lost its tigers to poachers by early 2009. Forest officials, however, refuse to accept that the striped cat's numbers had declined in Kanha and claim that something must have gone wrong with the last tiger census. On the other hand, the tiger population had increased to 300 in Karnataka according to the tiger census of 2001, up from from 290 in 2008. Tiger census report of 2008 Tiger census report of 2011 Tiger Reserves Kanha 89 60 Bandhavgarh 47 59 Panna 24 03 Satpura 39 43 Pench (MP-Maharashtra) 33 65 Sanjay Dubri Not known 05 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Time-again-for-the-big-cats-to-be-counted/articleshow/11260339.cms

No merger of Project Tiger with other schemes

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 27, 2011, 06.30AM IST NAGPUR: The planning commission's proposal to merge three centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) - Project Tiger, Project Elephant and the Integrated Development under Wildlife Habitat ( IDWH) into one, has been dropped. This was revealed by minister for environment and forest Jayanthi Natarajan to the members at the recently-held standing committee meeting of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). Although Natarajan did not respond to a mail sent to her on the issue, members attending the meeting were informed about the move when the issue figured in the Delhi meeting. "Now the government is not merging all the three schemes," Natarajan is learnt to have told the NBWL. TOI on September 29, had reported that merger of three schemes would hit tigers hard. The move was strongly opposed by all nine members of NBWL. The NBWL is the highest body to decide on all wildlife issues. The NBWL members have thanked Natarajan and plan panel deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for showing great concern towards the serious implications of the merger of the three schemes. A subcommittee headed by BK Chaturvedi was set by the planning commission to restructure the CSS. Chaturvedi, who is a member of the planning commission, had discussed the issue with the MoEF on July 29, 2011. The committee's brief was to find ways to enhance flexibility, scale and efficiency of the scheme. Panic buttons were pressed when on August 17, Indrani Chandrasekharan, adviser to planning commission, wrote to MoEF secretary T Chatterjee to take action in the matter. She had stated that the merger was decided to include conservation of lions and rhinos too. However, on September 17, all the 9 NBWL members wrote a strongly-worded letter to Ahluwalia expressing shock. The letter was signed by MK Ranjitsinh, Bittu Sahgal, Kishor Rithe, Prerna Bindra, TR Shankar Raman, Divyabhanusinh Chavda, Biswajit Mohanty, Asad Rahmani and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar. The members felt that schemes like 'Project Tiger' and 'Project Elephant' should have their own identity. Such a merger would be a retrograde step and would adversely impact efforts to conserve wildlife and tiger, which is the national animal. Project Tiger was initiated at the instance of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1973 and, therefore, has been in existence long before the MoEF itself was established in 1985. "With over 1,700 tigers as estimated in the figures announced earlier this year, India not only has more than half the tigers of the world but also has the largest number of Asiatic elephants. Such a merger would have been suicidal," a section of members told TOI. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/No-merger-of-Project-Tiger-with-other-schemes/articleshow/11262142.cms

Tiger kills woman

PTI | 05:12 PM,Dec 26,2011 Lakhimpur (UP), Dec 26 (PTI) A 65-year-old woman was killed by a tiger in Matera reserve forest area in Dhaurehra range here, an official said today. The mutilated body of Maikin, a resident of Pratappur village, was found early this morning, Dhaurehra Range Officer N N Pandey said. The woman went to the forest reserve area on Kheri-Bahraich border last evening to collect firewoods but did not return, he said. Maikin's body with one leg eaten up by the tiger was found by her family members, Pandey said.

Tiger force to take on poachers

December 26, 2011 DC Bengaluru For the first time, the Karnataka forest department will be deploying the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) which will guard the forests of Bandipur, Badra and Nagarhole against poachers from the first week of January. The deputation of the STPF forces had been in pipeline since 2008 when the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had made recommendations that STPFs should be raised in 13 sensitive tiger reserves — Dudhwa-Katerniaghat, Corbett, Ranthambhore, Pench, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pakke, Bandipur, Tadoba Andhari, Mudumalai, Kaziranga and Simlipal. As per the initial plans the STPF was to be deployed only at Bandipur in Karnataka, however, the forest department is now planning to deploy units at Badra and Nagerhole as well. On January 3, 2012, the first unit comprising 14 foresters and 40 forest guards will complete their training, said sources. The forest guards have undergone three weeks of intensive training in policing, patrolling, combat and even intelligence at the Armed Police Training Centre in Yelahanka. “The guards have been given intensive commando training, specialising in the use of SLRs, small arms, besides hand-to-hand combat. Since it is a forest unit, they also have been taught how to interact with communities and about the Forests Acts and rules,” said B.K. Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). The annual expenditure for maintaining the STPF unit will be around `97.76 lakh. The forest department has also requested the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for `620 lakh for construction of quarters and buildings for the tiger conservation unit. “This will be first STPF unit that will be commissioned in the country. We will be increase the unit strength later,” added Mr Singh. The STPF unit will be divided into three groups and will be solely responsible for taking anti-poaching measures and will have the power to “shoot to kill”, he informed. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/tiger-force-take-poachers-481

WWF study confirms at least 25 tigers in Sathyamangalam forests

K A Shaji, TNN | Dec 26, 2011, 04.42AM IST COIMBATORE: A recent study by World Wildlife Fund ( WWF) using camera trap method at the Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary has confirmed that the 1.41 lakh hectare-stretch of forest at the confluence of Western and Eastern Ghats is home to at least 25 tigers. A DNA finger print-based project initiated by the state forest department had collected 150 samples of pugmarks from Sathyamangalam forests recently and 69 among them were found positive at the tests conducted at Centre for Molecular Biology in Hyderabad. The lab findings indicate that the region is home to tigers, ranging from 18 to 30. Armed with the two study reports, the forest department has prepared a detailed project report for submission before the state government and it would come up for consideration before the cabinet in a couple of weeks. The Union ministry of environment and forests has already advised the state government to make it a tiger reserve under Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. Kalakkad-Mundanthurai, Indira Gandhi National Park in Anamalai and Mudumalai National Park are the existing tiger reserves in the state. "Sathyamangalam forests deserve the tiger reserve status. If declared, that would help total habitat improvement. There would be projects that would help not only the tigers but also the entire flora and fauna of the region,'' said divisional forest officer (DFO) N Sathish. Apart from tigers, the forests are known for a large number of vultures and elephants. "It is home to one fourth of the elephants in the state with an estimated population of 1,250. Sathyamangalam is also a migratory path for over 6,000 Asiatic elephants which move from the Nilgiris to Bandipur in Karnataka,'' Sathish said. It also has a large number of black bucks and hyenas. Its links with Mudumalai, Bandipur and BR Hills sanctuaries would turn advantageous in protection of big cats as they can roam around freely in a large contiguous stretch of forests without any disturbance. It was only in August this year that Sathyamangalam got wildlife sanctuary status. Recently, the sanctuary was expanded with the inclusion of forest reserves like Guthiyalathur, Akurjakkarai, Thalamalai, Berabetta, Ullepalayam and the eastern slopes of the Nilgiris, under it. These forests, which were considered Veerappan territory, are under threat from the laterite-mining and timber mafias. If the forest is declared a tiger sanctuary, more personnel would be sanctioned for its protection. That, forest officials said, would be a major help in keep the mafiosi at bay. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11249004.cms

Drop in MP's tiger population cause of concern

SATURDAY, 24 DECEMBER 2011 With the tiger population in the State declining from 300 in 2006 to 257 in the 2011 census wildlife experts have called for more efforts by the Forest Department to solve pending cases of poaching, writes Ritesh Mishra There was a 12 per cent rise in the population of big cats in the country in 2011, but Madhya Pradesh lost its 'Tiger State' status to Karnataka in this passing year. According to the tiger census of 2011, the tiger population in Madhya Pradesh dropped to 257 from 300 tigers in 2006. According to wildlife experts the causes of the decline in the tiger population in Madhya Pradesh are many but one of the most important was that most of the poaching cases were not solved till now, which has given an edge to the poachers and they continued hunting the felines. However, it is not new, but the pending cases of the forest offences are really concerning for the wildlife experts and even for the forest officials and they believe that the Forest Department should take the matter seriously as soon as possible. Reflecting sheer ineffectiveness, apathy and dilly-dallying in solving the forest offences, the figures of the Forest Department revealed that the pending cases till December 2011 in Madhya Pradesh was seven times more than the cases registered in the current year till now. Meanwhile, commenting over the issue, a retired senior official of the Forest Department, requesting anonymity, said that there can be various reasons behind the pending case as it could be lack of staff or negligence. "If more than 60,000 cases are pending in the Forest Department then it is concerning and senior officials should take responsibility," the officer added. Total number of forest offences registered in records of the Forest Department is 7,592 and the total number of pending cases is 60,280. More specifically, total 47,715 are pending for the last 12 months, which reflects the working of the department. The highest number of pending cases is in Bhopal, which is more than 10,800. More surprisingly, in the total 9,542 cases, investigation is pending for the last one year in the State capital only. Moreover, the highest number of forest offence cases has been registered in Bhopal, which sums up to 1,663 followed by Jabalpur (1,173) and Panna (104). RTI activist Ajay Dubey, while talking to The Pioneer said the main reason behind the pending of these cases was that the prosecution of the cases was not done properly. It was due to the apathy of some senior officials of the Forest Department. He further said that in various reports of the Forest Department it was made clear the most concerning issue for the department were the pending cases and the delay in the process but nothing appropriate has been done till now. "I don't know why the Forest Department is ineffective regarding the forest offences," he added. Bandhavgarh and Satpura National Park registered 40 cases each in 2011. Specifically, according to the records of forest offences maintained in the website of the department the cases registered from January 1 to December 7, highest number of the cases was of illegal felling (6097), in which total 1,248 cases are of Bhopal. Further in Jabalpur (1,063) and Seoni (1,129) cases have been registered. In Balaghat, where total 98 cases of forest offences have been registered, 90 are of illegal felling. The most important fact according to details of cases registered is about Panna. The highest number of poaching cases registered was in Panna (28) followed by Bhopal. The highest number of cases of illegal grazing is 30, out of 70 cases registered all over the State. The senior officials of Panna Tiger Reserve have already mentioned in a confidential report to HS Pabla that there are instances of involvement of Panna forest officials with the poachers of nearby districts. Further according to records maintained on investigation status of the forest offences cases, Bhopal ranks the top, with total 10,814 cases, followed by Jabalpur (3,937), Seoni (4,248) and Sagar (7,185), till December 7, 2011. As per details maintained about the pending cases of National Parks of Madhya Pradesh, total 417 are pending in Panna, 1,068 in Kanha and 381 in Bandhavgarh. According to wildlife experts there is a lack of coordination among the forest officials in solving the cases owing to which thousands of cases are pending in nearly all the major districts. The experts suggested that the Forest Department should start a drive in solving the pending cases as soon as possible. http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/30162-drop-in-mps-tiger-population-cause-of-concern.html

39 tiger reserves mired in problems

Dec 24, 2011 - Rashme Sehgal | Age Correspondent | New Delhi A Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of the functioning of India’s 39 tiger reserves has come down heavily on India’s premier Corbett Tiger Reserve (TR), which due to its high-profile nature should have set a benchmark for tiger conservation. Instead, the MEE points out that the human-wildlife conflict in the buffer zone of this reserve has intensified while the critical corridors in which animals move have become increasingly fragmented. The MEE stresses that “too much time and manpower is involved in managing tourism and tourist facilities which takes away the focus from the primary task of the Corbett reserve”. But this seems to be a problem across all reserves. The Bandavgarh TR is having to cope with one lakh tourists per annum from 2008. A large number of resorts have come up around the reserve resulting in increasing human-wildlife conflict and preventing tiger dispersal opportunities. The Ranthambore TR, comprising largely of a habitat island, faces a similar problem both in tourism excess and man-wildlife conflict. Other reserves such as the Dudha Tiger Reserve located next to the porous international border with Nepal faces the problem of poaching and wildlife trade. The Panna TR had been left with a defunct tiger population populated as it is with Pardhis, a tribe carrying powerful firearms and known for their poaching activities. Problems of mining are putting habitats under pressure especially in the Sahayadri TR and the Tadoba-Andhari TR. Other problems include a failure to protect rare animals. The Satkosia reserve has failed to save the gharial in its only non-Himalayan river system. It has just three gharials left even though this is the place where the Indian crocodile project was initiated. The Udanti-Sitanadi reserve has failed to protect the Asiatic wild buffalo whose population is down to eight from which four have been kept in connectivity. http://www.asianage.com/india/39-tiger-reserves-mired-problems-366

Buxa roars back, count finds 20 tigers in park

Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN | Dec 23, 2011, 06.47AM IST KOLKATA: Buxa Tiger Reserve, a favourite holiday destination for wildlife lovers where tales abound of phantom tiger sightings, may have finally regained its stripes. A report by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has concluded that the North Bengal reserve - which has never had a steady tiger population and hasn't reported a sighting for over a decade - is home to 20 tigers, four of which are female. "The report was sent to us last week," said SB Mondal, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife). "The scientists have done a DNA analysis of the scat samples sent to them in March. We always knew there were tigers in the park, but the sightings were low. Now, with the CCMB's report of 20 tigers, we have enough reason to back our claims." According to him, almost 247 samples, collected between January and March, were sent to the research institute. S Shivaji of CCMB confirmed the outcome, but refused to divulge details, saying only the Bengal government was authorized to comment. Though Buxa hasn't been able to hold on to its tigers, its location - in the heart of a forest corridor extending to Assam in the east and Bhutan in the north - makes it an ideal home for the big cats. A wildlife expert, who didn't want to be quoted, said such DNA studies did not necessarily give the correct information "There are chances of over estimation and decaying in samples collected," he said. Experts are fearing presence of only 'dispersing' tigers - those from other forests -in the park due to a noticeable variation in the sex ratio. "The ratio of 16 male and four female tigers is quite unusual. Going by this finding, it seems none of the male tigers are resident big cats of the park. They are the dispersing ones," said conservation biologist Raghu Chundawat. Echoing his view, expert Biswajit Roychowdhury of Nature Environment and Wildlife Society said: "Buxa has good connectivity with the larger tiger landscape at Manas Reserve and Bhutan's Royal Manas National Park. So, chances of transient tigers moving in and around the park can't be refuted." Based on scat and pugmark analyses, forest officials believe tigers do frequent the park, but never settle down due to pressure from more than 30 villages inside the park. A recent report by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) said inadequacy in habitat management, socio-political issues, lack of training in wildlife management are posing challenge to a proper management of the reserve. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Buxa-roars-back-count-finds-20-tigers-in-park/articleshow/11215188.cms

Bahelia poachers enter Vidarbha in a big way

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 23, 2011, 12.57AM IST NAGPUR: At a time when coal mining is being perceived as the biggest threat to tigers, poachers from Bahelia community of Katni in Madhya Pradesh have entered forested parts of Vidarbha and are planning to strike it rich. Bahelias are infamous for tiger and wildlife poaching in India. Experts say this poaching community members simultaneously operate at multiple locations at a given time within any region of the country. They literally kill wild animals like a portable slaughterhouse. The Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA), a NGO working for tiger conservation in Amravati district, received information on Monday that a jackal was trapped in a steel trap and the animal was moving with it in the open scrub forest near Loni village on Amravati-Akola highway. The location is close to Karanja Sohol sanctuary. NCSA volunteer Amit Wadatkar rescued the jackal from the trap and informed the forest officers. Mohan Jha, chief conservator of forest (CCF) for Amravati Circle, sounded a red alert in Amravati and Akola forest divisions. A RFO along with wildlife activist Vishal Bansod were sent for investigation. As the jackal was injured, it could not hunt and died due to hunger. The poachers, after seeing the jackal with steel trap, might have escaped from the spot. A local dhaba owner confirmed presence of four vehicles of Bahelias who had set up the trap in the scrub forest. In March 2010, a leopard was caught in a similar trap in the same area but the animal was rescued and released. During the same period, a hare had died in a trap near Ranmangali forest near Nagpur. Tigers in Ranmangli are on the edge. Recently, a full-grown male tiger from Tipeshwar had died after getting entangled in a steel wire trap. These cases expose weak protection and staff is not moving in their respective beats to know what is happening. Poaching activity is at its peak during the past three years. Since 2008, at least half a dozen tigresses have gone missing from the Tadoba landscape, turning cubs orphaned that are living a caged life. Some cubs died due to hunger as they were unable to hunt. Satpuda Foundation had in 2008 urged Maharashtra government to track movements of Bahelias around tiger habitats in Vidarbha, but no action has been taken by both police and forest departments. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Bahelia-poachers-enter-Vidarbha-in-a-big-way/articleshow/11211898.cms

Tigers suffering from stress?

Dec 23, 2011 - Rashme Sehgal | Age Correspondent | New Delhi Are tigers in the Sariska tiger reserve suffering from high stress levels? The failure of the three females to reproduce despite having been translcoated to this reserve over the last three-and-a-half years has raised the hackles of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Scats tests of all five tigers have been sent to a Hyderabad laboratory to try and understand why no breeding has taken place so far. Dr Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of NTCA admits, “the lack of reproduction has become a major source of concern for us.” Rajasthan’s chief wildlife warden R.N. Mehrotra believes one of the reasons for their stress can be attributed to the heavy road traffic that plies the Jaipur-Alwar highway which cuts through the Sariska tiger reserve. The presence of a large numbers of villages inside the reserve is also being perceived as a source of irritability for the animals. “The tigers don’t feel safe in the reserve. Breeding is successful only when a female tigress feels comfortable in its environment. The heavy vehicular traffic and the large numbers of devotees that visit the Hanuman temple (located inside the reserve) every Tuesday from the whole state of Rajasthan unnerves these animals,” Mr Mehrotra believes. http://www.asianage.com/india/tigers-suffering-stress-189

MP tiger reserves to get rescue units

TNN | Dec 22, 2011, 05.26AM IST BHOPAL: A year after Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan participated in a campaign to raise funds to save tiger by camping in Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, his efforts have started paying off with rapid rescue units (RRUs) on wheels come to help the striped-animals in distress in the world famous Kanha Tiger Reserve. "The RRUs are being provided to state's tiger reserves from the funds raised by Bachchan in a save tiger campaign, and with the help of Wildlife Trust of India ( WCTI)," officials said. "We have got two well-equipped RRUs on Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) recently," Kanha Tiger Reserve deputy director H S Mohanta told TOI. He said that the RRU was equipped with clothing for all seasons, torches, generators among others gadgets for staffers to rush to the ailing tiger in deep jungle. "The SUV is having ample equipment to rescue striped animal," he said. "We have also got two RRUs and they have been returned for upgradation," Panna Tiger Reserve director RS Murthy said. Satpura Tiger Reserve too has got one RRU. "Right now it has been sent for some up-gradation," reserve director R P Singh said. One RRU each will be pressed into service in Pench and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves shortly, officials said. "I don't have any detailed information about RRUs. I have to check it out with the tiger reserves. Five reserves are going to have these RRUs," additional principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) T R Sharma said. Bachchan had auctioned his sunglasses for a whopping Rs 40 lakh to his son Abhishek in a telephonic bid under the save tiger campaign in Pench in December, 2010. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/MP-tiger-reserves-to-get-rescue-units/articleshow/11200809.cms

Leopard released into Satpura tiger reserve

TNN | Dec 22, 2011, 05.11AM IST BHOPAL: The wild leopard that strayed into Van Vihar Zoo here two-day back, was on Wednesday transported and released in the wild of Satpura Tiger Reserve in adjoining Hoshangabad district, officials said. The leopard was captured on Tuesday morning in a housing in the Zoo after it forayed into the park and stayed for 15-hour on a tree inside a lion enclosure. "Without tranquilizing the animal, we managed to guide it to a cage after a hard labour of four hours. We placed the cage on wheels just right in-front of the door of the housing where it had been captured, "Zoo assistant director A K Khare said. He said that the animal in the cage, was taken by road and on a boat, and after covering a distance of 4 km on the waters of Tawa river, it was taken to the jungles of Satpura. The leopard had strayed into Van Vihar. It frequently entered into the human habitat areas around the Zoo, officials said. Two days back, it forayed into the zoo and stayed on the tree before it was captured in the housing bait was put on Tuesday morning, officials said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Leopard-released-into-Satpura-tiger-reserve/articleshow/11200690.cms

Tiger parks itself near Patna, won’t budge

Dec 21, 2011 - Rashme Sehgal | Age Correspondent | New Delhi The last 15 days have seen the Nitish Kumar government deeply concerned about the presence of a tiger which has parked himself in a small riverine island created by the Gandak river just 20 km from the state capital of Patna. The tiger has traversed 300 km from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) to reach this island covered by tall grasses and with plenty of neelgai and wild pigs for prey. The matter of concern for the state government, as it is for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), is that this majestic animal should not stray into a heavily populated village where there is a strong likelihood of the animal coming to harm. The VTR is located in the west Champaran district of Bihar and is contiguous to the Royal Chitwan park in Nepal. The Gandak river flows through the Valmiki park and tiger experts, following this tiger’s pug marks, vouch that this animal has a preference for walking along this river and has undertaken this self-driven expedition earlier also. Dr Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of the NTCA, said, “He has done this long march earlier and is presently ensconced close to Patna. Our main concern is he should not cause to any harm and should make his way back to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.” A local DFO, a trained veterinarian who was tracking him, last week chanced to come close to the animal and got mauled. “He was trying to tranquillise him but happened to get very close to the animal who was hidden behind tall grasses,” said a forest officer who is also monitoring his movements. The NTCA has shot off a letter to the Bihar chief secretary asking him to ensure that villagers do not stray too close to where he is at present. So far, fortunately, the tiger has steered clear of nearby villages. A tiger expert from the Wildlife Trust of India and a special team of trekkers are keeping a close track of the animal. Tigers can easily walk a length of up to 40 km a day. Since the Royal Chitwan National Park in Nepal is contiguous to the VTR, tigers are known to have walked from the north right down to Barabanki. http://www.asianage.com/india/tiger-parks-itself-near-patna-won-t-budge-715

Periyar Tiger Reserve becomes BCRLIP

Express News Service , The New Indian Express THEKKADY: As a major recognition of its conservation programme and ecological development, the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) has become a centre for the new world project Biodiversity Conservation and Rural Livelihood Improvements Project (BCRLIP) aided by International Development Association (IDA) and� Global� EnvironmentFacility (GEF). The project is worth `3 crore with a time period of five years under which three centres, Agasthyarmala in Tamil Nadu and Geer forest in Gujarat, along with Periyar Tiger Reserve, have been selected. Under the project, the PTR will be a learning centre for the BCRLIP project. The PTR has already been declared a centre of excellence.� The BCRLIP has� been initiated with an objective to impart training and developing skills for participatory conservation movement.� Under the project, training will be given to people� across the country, conservation skill development class� will be provided, cross country visits to other national parks will be undertaken and local visits for� the protection staff and NGOs will be given.� Besides, landscape approach to conservation, moving beyond wildlife sector to involve other agencies and building partnerships with private and public entities will be given emphasis,” PTR officials said. Under the project, more contract staff will be recruited to conduct research and to give training to visiting delegates. � “For the project, ecologist, sociologist, regional planner, training officer, training assistant, field assistant and accountant will be �recruited on a contract basis. � “These people along with other researchers in the Periyar Foundation will impart training to the visiting delegates from across the country,” official said. According to PTR Deputy Director Sanjayan Kumar, the DCRLIP is a recognition for the ongoing conservation programme undergoing in the PTR. “It is a major achievement for the PTR that it selected along with three other centres for the BCRLIP programme,” Kumar said. “This will impart training for the people in the conservation of the wildlife and ecology. The training to the people will be about conservation which will help the prevention of forest and wildlife,” Sanjayan Kumar added.

Forest department claims tiger count on rise

Express News Service , The New Indian Express KARWAR: According to the officials of Wild Life Division of the Forest Department, the tiger population in Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve (DATR), in Uttara Kannada district is increasing. In 1997 (according to tiger census), there were 13 tigers- 11 in Dandeli Wild Life Sanctuary and 2 in Anshi National Park. In 2010 census, 33 tigers were recorded in Khanapur-Sharavathi belt of Western Ghat Ranges. This year, the tiger population has increased to 39 in this belt. However, wildlife activists contradicted the statement. The census is carried out on the basis of pugmarks, tiger calls, scat and litters left by the tigers. The actual sighting of the tiger is rarely done. Under these circumstances, error in estimating the tiger population is bound to occur, they opined. They pointed out that large area of DATR consists of evergreen and semi evergreen forests, which tigers dislike. According to a wildlife activist, the number of tigers may not exceed 15 in the belt. Officials asserted that steps are being taken to improve grassland and provide other facilities like water sources in DATR. DATR covers nearly 600 Sq Km of Dandeli Wild Life Reserve and 399.89 Sq Km of Anshi National Park. However, there are as many as 52 villages consisting of 4,725 families in core/critical area of DATR. The problem of rehabilitation of these families is a menace to the department. As pointed out by DCF of Dandeli Wild Life Division, Sunil Panwar, no one can evict these families. The forest department is taking steps to vacate these families by offering Rs 10 lakh per family, and through educating them.

Green stoves burn bright in Bihar's tiger land

IANS | Dec 19, 2011, 06.04PM IST VALMIKI NAGAR (Bihar): More than a hundred households living within Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve have switched from the traditional mud stoves to the more efficient eco-friendly 'chulhas' to reduce their dependency on forest for fuel wood - a move that would boost conservation of the big cat. It is hoped the green stoves or 'chulhas' would help cut fuel wood use by 40 percent, which would also allow the forest to rejuvenate and increase security for the tigers. The green stoves use maximum energy produced from burning of fuel wood. An iron grate positioned just above the stove's base provides room for air circulation that helps the fuel to burn efficiently. The households are part of the 25 revenue villages in Done Valley, that is spread over a 45 sq km area in the heart of the sprawling Valmiki reserve, the only tiger sanctuary in the state. "Seven villages are currently part of the initiative, the remaining ones will be taken up in phases," said Samir Sinha, who is implementing the project and manager of NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Some 18,000 villagers in the valley depend on agriculture for livelihood. However, during the off-season many migrate to places as far as Delhi, Punjab and Gujarat to work as labourers, said Sinha. The Valmiki reserve, an 880 sq km sal forest on the Terai foothills, is home to 11 tigers, according to the reserve's Field Director Santosh Tiwari. The reserve extends up to Chitwan National Park in Nepal in the north, providing hundreds of miles of contiguous forest cover to many other threatened animals like sambar, nilgai, gaur, rhino and various species of primates. "Of the seven villages, Matiarwa has achieved 100 percent participation. The rest are progressing in varying degrees," Sinha told IANS. Other villages are Majuraha, Gardi, Naurangia, Piprahwa, Khairahni and Senrahni. Stakeholders' participation, acceptable design, monitoring and problem solving were crucial for the success of the present initiative, said Sinha. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and Germany's Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union are the other supporters of the project. Pune-based research organisation Appropriate Rural Technology Institute was contacted to train the local women, since they were the main users, said Sinha. Of the three designs, they picked the one that resembled the traditional chulha, he said. Initially, only the trained women were asked to install the stove in their homes, which served as demonstration sites. They were paid by WTI, thus generating employment for them. The mud chimneys for the stoves also brought brisk business for the village potter. Those who wanted to install the chulha contacted these women who charged them an installation fee. The stoves were monitored for their efficiency by the WTI team. Data over the past few months shows an average reduction of about 40 percent in fuel wood consumption compared to the traditional stoves. Apart from the human disturbances, poaching continues to be the biggest threat to the animals in the park. A male rhino that had crossed into Valmiki Tiger Reserve from Nepal in March this year was found dead with its horn chopped off in the Valmiki Nagar forest range in May. Last year, a tigress was also found dead in Madanpur range. A small number of rhinos still live in the reserve's Valmiki forest range, where the grasslands provide them a perfect home. India made saving the tiger one of its top priorities. The government's latest tiger census report released in March this year put the tiger population at about 1,700, a slight improvement from the previous report in 2008, which estimated it to be around 1,400.

Tadoba Tiger Reserve evacuees allege lack of amenities

PTI | 08:12 PM,Dec 19,2011 Chandrapur (Maha), Dec 19 (PTI) Majority of the villagers evacuated from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in the district are unhappy over new settlements allotted to them over alleged lack of amenities. Maharashtra government decided to relocate six villages, namely Kolsa, Botezari, Rantalodhi, Palasgaon, Jamni and Ramdegi, situated inside the tiger reserve, for which 550 hectares of forest land was allotted by the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). However, only villagers from Botezari village agreed to the proposal and moved to the new settlement named as Bhagwanpur while a few from Kolsa also shifted to the new place. The villagers from Palasgaon refused to shift on the grounds that the new place offered to them was not suitable following which they were offered an alternate place at Salori in Warora tehsil of the district and the modalities for relocating them are being worked out, said Arun Tikhe, RFO, Waora Forest Range. However, only four our of 97 families at Kolsa have accepted the proposal to shift to Bhagwanpur. The state government is now paying Rs 10 lakh and an additional amount of Rs 50,000 as mobilisation charges to them. Meanwhile, the villagers at Bhagwanpur under the banner of 'Punarvasan Va Kalyankari Sanstha' have demanded setting up of a Primary Health Centre (PHC) with a permanent Medical Officer at the village, among other demands. The villagers also alleged that they were not given residence proofs by Gram Panchayat of Tolewahi under whose jurisdiction Bhagawanpur falls. The villagers even submitted a memorandum in this regard to Minister for Environment and Cultural Affairs Sanjay Deotale. They argued that life in the new settlement has become difficult for there is no scope for work or earning and the farm land allotted by the government has negligible yield in absence of irrigation facilities.

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Dec 20, 2011, 07.35AM IST NAGPUR: Taking a U-turn, the state forest department has decided not to push for dislodging National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) regional office situated on its premises in Ravi Nagar. Two blocks admeasuring 72 sq mt were given to the NTCA on orders from chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who had also inaugurated the office along with former environment minister Jairam Ramesh on April 27. The NTCA is utilising only one block of 40 sq metres. On November 14, the principal chief conservator of forests for production & management had asked the NTCA to vacate the premises and make some alternative arrangement as the blocks were required by the department. On December 18, TOI had reported the matter. On Monday, Prakash Thosre, PCCF (P&M), said that whosoever has issued the letter to vacate the premises should be ignored. "The NTCA regional office in Nagpur is a matter of pride. I make it loud and clear that the office is here to stay. The forest department will not dislodge it till an alternative place is finalised," Thosre told TOI. Of the three new regional offices in India, Nagpur was first to be opened. It oversees 13 tiger reserves in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and provides necessary guidance in the field management. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Forest-department-now-says-NTCA-office-will-stay/articleshow/11175888.cms