Anindo Dey, TNN, Nov 18, 2010, 12.41am IST
SARISKA: Having lived up to tough expectations imposed on them by forest officials since relocation of tigers from the Ranthambore tiger reserve began in 2008, villagers in and around the Sariska tiger reserve are now only looking back in anger.
It was an infringement of their new-found freedom that came along after the last tiger was poached from this reserve in 2005. Yet, they were willing to put with it all. But the deaths despite the apparent strictness of the forest officials now makes them feel cheated.
"What is the result of all our sacrifice. Day in and day out we were told to do this and refrain from that so as to keep the tigers safe and we obeyed. But now they are the ones who seem to have gone all wrong, failing in their duty to protect the tiger," said Hiralal Saini, former sarpanch of the Indok village here.
"If our cattle strayed into the forest by mistake they fined us Rs 500 per head of cattle but now we are told that the king of the forest is dead. It was their duty to protect the animal and they could not deal with just fiver tigers," points out D R Meena, another villager.
The anger is widespread. Another villagers Ram Avtar Meena recalled when a wedding took place in a forest village. "They would not let people accompanying the bridegroom enter the forest. The restricted their number and we had to accept it despite the shame we faced. They would not let us carry the goods inside too," he said.
"Just look at the road in front of the forest. It is full of potholes and the government is refusing to repair it. They have put curbs on traffic plying on it. This road, the forest, the tigers and the villagers have all existed since time immemorial. Prior, to 1995 we have seen up to two pairs of tigers every hour and they were safe. But the curbs they have brought in have evoked the anger of Bharthari Maharaj and Sariska's jinx with tigers are a result of it," said Bhadra Prasad Meena.
Even the visit of chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday following the death of the tiger has not gone down well with them.
"In 2007 about 50 persons from Indok village died after disease struck the village, but not one politician came down let alone the chief minister. And now the tiger's death has managed to bring officials from all across the country. No one cares for us, despite the fact that we generate revenue. There is no hopsital or school or even a post office here. Depsite generating revenue our lands are not being regularised and our houses contuinue to be a shanties. We are being forced to evacuate our village for the tiger. How can it survive after so much of wrath?" questions Hiralal.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Villagers poison tiger at Sariska; Jairam to probe
New Delhi, Nov 17: Following the report that the tiger in Sariska reserve died for poison, not for any territorial fight, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh will reach at sight in Rajasthan on Wednesday, Nov 17.
Buzz up!
Before moving to the Sariska reserve, Ramesh stated, "I admit that there has been a failure of governance and administration, and I take full responsibility for that. But to say that the relocation program is not working or not right is wrong."
After some continuous cases of illegal hunting in 2004, the Prime Minister ordered to relocate the tigers and since 2008, five tigers have been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore.
In Sariska, a big cat, relocated from Ranthambore in 2008 was found dead and another tiger was missing from last week.
Buzz up!
Before moving to the Sariska reserve, Ramesh stated, "I admit that there has been a failure of governance and administration, and I take full responsibility for that. But to say that the relocation program is not working or not right is wrong."
After some continuous cases of illegal hunting in 2004, the Prime Minister ordered to relocate the tigers and since 2008, five tigers have been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore.
In Sariska, a big cat, relocated from Ranthambore in 2008 was found dead and another tiger was missing from last week.
Sariksa Tiger ST-4 may be alive, claim officials
SARISKA: A day after ST-1's body was recovered, forest officials feel there is a ray of hope for the survival of the missing ST-4, as they have spotted fresh pug marks of a male tiger.
According to Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board, "ST-4 has been traced. The team that specialises in tracking tiger sighted fresh pugmarks near Mataji Ka mandir at the Silibery outpost. The pug marks were sighted this morning much before the rains and stretches for 4 km between Silibery and Rotkella." In a major jolt to the first-ever bid to re-establish a tiger population by relocation in a reserve, Sariska on Sunday woke up to the rude shock of the death of one of the two males that were brought here from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. The only other male ST-4 has been missing since the past fortnight with no signals being emitted from its radio collar.
These apart, there are three females ST2, ST3 and ST5 that have been brought here. Officials say that they have received constant signals from all the three even on Tuesday. But with none of them having conceived since 2008, the relocation bid by state forest officials has come under scanner.
News of the fresh pugmarks arrived early on Tuesday after which an additional force was sent to track the tiger.
"These pugmarks are much bigger in size indicating that they are those of a male tiger. And since the only other male in the forest is ST4 we believe it is his pugmarks," Singh added.
However, suspicion still remains as to whether the pugmarks are that of ST4 as the tiger has not been physically identified yet. Moreover, officials of the forest department are yet to get any signal from the radio collar of the animal. However, one factor remains unanswered. If at all, it was a territorial fight, how come ST-4, which was assumed to be a weaker tiger is still alive? No confirmation on the health of the tiger ST4 (after the alleged territorial war) has been received. And if there was no territorial war then how did ST-1 die?
However, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, said that additional teams would be sent on Wednesday to the forest to confirm the presence of the tiger. "It got late by the time the team got into action. On Wednesday, we will press in more specialists to track the animal. We will also confirm why the radio collar was not working," Bhatia said.
Officials accompanying the team that is tracking the pugmarks of ST4 have taken im-prints of the pug mark on plaster of paris to match it with the earlier imprints of ST4. Former director of Sariska tiger reserve S Somashekar who was here during the relocation of the first tiger and Rahul Kumar Bhatia, APCCF, are also accompanying other senior officials here.
Read more: ST-4 may be alive, claim officials - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ST-4-may-be-alive-claim-officials/articleshow/6939257.cms#ixzz15WpueCcB
According to Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board, "ST-4 has been traced. The team that specialises in tracking tiger sighted fresh pugmarks near Mataji Ka mandir at the Silibery outpost. The pug marks were sighted this morning much before the rains and stretches for 4 km between Silibery and Rotkella." In a major jolt to the first-ever bid to re-establish a tiger population by relocation in a reserve, Sariska on Sunday woke up to the rude shock of the death of one of the two males that were brought here from the Ranthambore tiger reserve. The only other male ST-4 has been missing since the past fortnight with no signals being emitted from its radio collar.
These apart, there are three females ST2, ST3 and ST5 that have been brought here. Officials say that they have received constant signals from all the three even on Tuesday. But with none of them having conceived since 2008, the relocation bid by state forest officials has come under scanner.
News of the fresh pugmarks arrived early on Tuesday after which an additional force was sent to track the tiger.
"These pugmarks are much bigger in size indicating that they are those of a male tiger. And since the only other male in the forest is ST4 we believe it is his pugmarks," Singh added.
However, suspicion still remains as to whether the pugmarks are that of ST4 as the tiger has not been physically identified yet. Moreover, officials of the forest department are yet to get any signal from the radio collar of the animal. However, one factor remains unanswered. If at all, it was a territorial fight, how come ST-4, which was assumed to be a weaker tiger is still alive? No confirmation on the health of the tiger ST4 (after the alleged territorial war) has been received. And if there was no territorial war then how did ST-1 die?
However, HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden, said that additional teams would be sent on Wednesday to the forest to confirm the presence of the tiger. "It got late by the time the team got into action. On Wednesday, we will press in more specialists to track the animal. We will also confirm why the radio collar was not working," Bhatia said.
Officials accompanying the team that is tracking the pugmarks of ST4 have taken im-prints of the pug mark on plaster of paris to match it with the earlier imprints of ST4. Former director of Sariska tiger reserve S Somashekar who was here during the relocation of the first tiger and Rahul Kumar Bhatia, APCCF, are also accompanying other senior officials here.
Read more: ST-4 may be alive, claim officials - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/ST-4-may-be-alive-claim-officials/articleshow/6939257.cms#ixzz15WpueCcB
Nepal Police seize tiger skin, arrest three people
Kathmandu, Nov 16 (PTI) Nepal Police have seized tiger skin, which was reportedly being smuggled to India, and arrested three persons in this connection.
The three were arrested yesterday while they were carrying tiger skin on a motorcycle from Bardibas of Mohottari district in southern Nepal.
The arrested men are: Ram Ekbal Yadav, Jitendra Mahara and Mahadev Maul, according to the National News Agency (RSS). Their mobile telephones have also been confiscated by the police.
The three were arrested yesterday while they were carrying tiger skin on a motorcycle from Bardibas of Mohottari district in southern Nepal.
The arrested men are: Ram Ekbal Yadav, Jitendra Mahara and Mahadev Maul, according to the National News Agency (RSS). Their mobile telephones have also been confiscated by the police.
Four held for poaching tiger, smuggling wildlife goods
Kolkata, Nov 16 (IANS) Four people, involved in poaching of the Royal Bengal tiger and smuggling of wildlife goods, were arrested in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district, an official said Tuesday.
'A trap was laid to catch the culprits red-handed. Posing as customers, we contacted the gang members and asked them to deliver the tiger's skin at Baruipur area of the district on Monday,' said Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) field director Subrat Mukherjee.
'We recovered one tiger skin and two deer's skins. The accused were presented before Alipore court this (Tuesday) afternoon and remanded to judicial custody for seven days,' Mukherjee said.
Three of the four accused have been identified as Moumen Gazi, Biren Naskar and Umapati Naskar.
'A trap was laid to catch the culprits red-handed. Posing as customers, we contacted the gang members and asked them to deliver the tiger's skin at Baruipur area of the district on Monday,' said Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) field director Subrat Mukherjee.
'We recovered one tiger skin and two deer's skins. The accused were presented before Alipore court this (Tuesday) afternoon and remanded to judicial custody for seven days,' Mukherjee said.
Three of the four accused have been identified as Moumen Gazi, Biren Naskar and Umapati Naskar.
Poacher held with tiger skins
Lucknow, Nov 16 (IANS) A poacher was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Chandauli district with skins of tigers and a leopard, police said Tuesday.
'Rakesh Kumar, 28, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, was nabbed late Monday from the Sayedraza town following a joint operation conducted by police and forest officials,' police inspector R.K. Ram told reporters in Chandauli.
'We arrested Kumar while he was on his way to Bihar, where he was supposed to hand over the skins to his clients. Skins of three tigers and one leopard were seized from him,' he added.
Preliminary investigations reveal Rakesh was involved in the illegal wildlife trade for the last six years,' he said.
'Rakesh Kumar, 28, a native of Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi district, was nabbed late Monday from the Sayedraza town following a joint operation conducted by police and forest officials,' police inspector R.K. Ram told reporters in Chandauli.
'We arrested Kumar while he was on his way to Bihar, where he was supposed to hand over the skins to his clients. Skins of three tigers and one leopard were seized from him,' he added.
Preliminary investigations reveal Rakesh was involved in the illegal wildlife trade for the last six years,' he said.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Skewed sex ratio, overcrowding may mar ranthambore
JAIPUR: Overcrowding and a skewed sex ratio at the Ranthambore tiger reserve could leave a telling effect on the future of the sanctuary. According to experts, the anomalies could even leave a mark on the number of tigers at the park in the days to come.
In fact, experts are linking these two factors directly to the drop in the number of litters that the park has been seeing for the past two years. As compared to figures, five tiger cubs that were born in 2008 and 12 that were born between 2006 and 2007. However, in the past two years, either the park has drawn a blank or had to satisfy itself with two new borns a couple of months back.
"Ideally, the male-female ratio should be 1:3. But Ranthambore has a skewed sex ratio and the male to female number may not even be 1:1. As a result, mating and conception has been badly affected. The stronger male tigers might be getting a companion but then due to the smaller sex ratio and overcrowding, competition and fights might have marred Sariska prospects, '' experts say.
Experts also feel that of late, Ranthambore has been exposed to a lot of tourists and that may have "poached" on the tiger privacy. "A study on cheetahs carried out in Africa revealed that cat population growth graph took a nosedive in areas where tourists flocked. The case may be the same for Ranthambore," said Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board.
Singh felt that even the road that connects Madhopur in Rajasthan to Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh and divided the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Ranthambore park sees a lot of traffic throughout the year. "Ideally, all routes in a park should not be opened for tourism," he felt.
In fact, forest department officials do not rule out the fact that may have been killed and eaten also. "The litters come out in the open only after four months. Till then, they remain with their mother and are also in a vulnerable position as they may be easily killed by male tigers," officials felt.
However, RS Shekhawat, DFO, Ranthambore, provided the much-needed silver lining. He said, "It is true that there have been less litters currently as compared to the past years. But there are several reasons for this. But on the positive side, two cubs were born this year and in January we might just see more," he added.
In fact, experts are linking these two factors directly to the drop in the number of litters that the park has been seeing for the past two years. As compared to figures, five tiger cubs that were born in 2008 and 12 that were born between 2006 and 2007. However, in the past two years, either the park has drawn a blank or had to satisfy itself with two new borns a couple of months back.
"Ideally, the male-female ratio should be 1:3. But Ranthambore has a skewed sex ratio and the male to female number may not even be 1:1. As a result, mating and conception has been badly affected. The stronger male tigers might be getting a companion but then due to the smaller sex ratio and overcrowding, competition and fights might have marred Sariska prospects, '' experts say.
Experts also feel that of late, Ranthambore has been exposed to a lot of tourists and that may have "poached" on the tiger privacy. "A study on cheetahs carried out in Africa revealed that cat population growth graph took a nosedive in areas where tourists flocked. The case may be the same for Ranthambore," said Rajpal Singh, member state wildlife board.
Singh felt that even the road that connects Madhopur in Rajasthan to Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh and divided the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and the Ranthambore park sees a lot of traffic throughout the year. "Ideally, all routes in a park should not be opened for tourism," he felt.
In fact, forest department officials do not rule out the fact that may have been killed and eaten also. "The litters come out in the open only after four months. Till then, they remain with their mother and are also in a vulnerable position as they may be easily killed by male tigers," officials felt.
However, RS Shekhawat, DFO, Ranthambore, provided the much-needed silver lining. He said, "It is true that there have been less litters currently as compared to the past years. But there are several reasons for this. But on the positive side, two cubs were born this year and in January we might just see more," he added.
Tiger skin seized on city outskirts
TNN, Nov 16, 2010, 04.28am IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Alipore Court
BARUIPUR: The skin of a Bengal Tiger was seized by a special team of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) officials from Baruipur in South 24-Parganas on Monday night. Three persons were arrested in this connection.
Police suspect the trio to be part of a big tiger parts racket. On Monday evening, they were waiting for a customer at Baruipur Bazar with a tiger's skin in a bag. The STR team, led by senior forest officer Anjan Guha, got a tip about the trio's location and immediately contacted police.
A joint police and forest department team arrested the suspects and seized the skin. The trio will be produced in Alipore court on Tuesday, said an official.
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Alipore Court
BARUIPUR: The skin of a Bengal Tiger was seized by a special team of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR) officials from Baruipur in South 24-Parganas on Monday night. Three persons were arrested in this connection.
Police suspect the trio to be part of a big tiger parts racket. On Monday evening, they were waiting for a customer at Baruipur Bazar with a tiger's skin in a bag. The STR team, led by senior forest officer Anjan Guha, got a tip about the trio's location and immediately contacted police.
A joint police and forest department team arrested the suspects and seized the skin. The trio will be produced in Alipore court on Tuesday, said an official.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Setback in Sariska as translocated tiger found dead
Alwar (Rajasthan): One of the five tigers translocated to Sariska reserve to revive their population has been found dead.
The carcass of the tiger was found on Sunday night, Rajasthan Forest Minister Ramlal Jat said on Monday.
He said injury marks indicate that the tiger might have been killed in a territorial fight. However, the exact cause of death will be clear only after a post-mortem.
The Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan lost all its tigers by 2004-05, mostly to widespread poaching.
In a bid to revive tiger population in the reserve, three tigers a male and two females were shifted from Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan, in 2008 and 2009.
However, they failed to produce any offspring and it was later found that they were siblings.
After an intense genetic analysis, a tiger and a tigress were translocated this year.
The carcass of the tiger was found on Sunday night, Rajasthan Forest Minister Ramlal Jat said on Monday.
He said injury marks indicate that the tiger might have been killed in a territorial fight. However, the exact cause of death will be clear only after a post-mortem.
The Sariska tiger reserve in Rajasthan lost all its tigers by 2004-05, mostly to widespread poaching.
In a bid to revive tiger population in the reserve, three tigers a male and two females were shifted from Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan, in 2008 and 2009.
However, they failed to produce any offspring and it was later found that they were siblings.
After an intense genetic analysis, a tiger and a tigress were translocated this year.
Tiger kills another tiger in territorial fight
Tags:Tiger Death|Pilibhit Forest|Indian Veterinary Research Institute
LUCKNOW: In a worst case of infighting between felines, an adult tiger was killed and partially eaten by another in Pilibhit forest. The tiger's mauled body was recovered on Thursday midnight from the forest area. The `killer' tiger was so ferocious that it dragged the carcass deep into the forest and ate some flesh from one thigh. The viscera of the dead animal has been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly and post-mortem report is awaited.
It was a fierce territorial fight. It was around 4:30 pm when the villagers had spotted the carcass of a male tiger lying in Garha compartment 132(b) in Mala range of Pilibhit on Thursday. However, when the forest staff reached the spot to recover the carcass it was found missing. "The carcass had been dragged inside forest by the killer tiger," said VK Singh, DFO, Pilibhit. The foresters earlier suspected it to be a case of poaching. The carcass however was recovered late night from the deep of the forest with its claws, skin and canines intact, thus ruling out any foul play. But its tail was reportedly severed.
The forest officials and experts from WWF and WTI who surveyed the area where carcass was recovered had given a preliminary report. The carcass had its collar bone broken. It only indicated towards the ferocity of the fight. The killer tiger could have dragged its victim from the neck. There are quite a few instances where cubs are eaten by adult tigers but two adult tigers fighting and one eating the other is rare. "Though history has instances of cannibalism in tigers, it is rare," said RL Singh, former director of Project Tiger.
The eating is never meant to satiate the hunger but is an extension of the fight. "It happens in the heat of the fighting and it is mostly a little portion of flesh which is eaten," said Singh. The experts also deny to link the `tiger-eating-tiger' instance with declining prey-base in forests. If that had been the reason ever, tigers would have hunted each other but that's not their intrinsic nature. The males fight over a territory. A robust male has 10 to 15 km of its hunting area called a territory. It guards its area fiercely against other tigers. The tigers might also increase their territory to areas with a good prey base.
A male has at least three females in the territory who individually guard their won small territories within that big area basically to rear cubs. In such an arrangement, young and old males are the only ones who are pushed to the fringes of the forest where there is a lesser prey base. In an in-fighting between two adults, it is the stronger one which survives.
Pilibhit in-fighting could also be explained in the backdrop of the fact that it has a good population of tigers. February 2008 census had showed 36 tigers present over 712 sq km of its area.
LUCKNOW: In a worst case of infighting between felines, an adult tiger was killed and partially eaten by another in Pilibhit forest. The tiger's mauled body was recovered on Thursday midnight from the forest area. The `killer' tiger was so ferocious that it dragged the carcass deep into the forest and ate some flesh from one thigh. The viscera of the dead animal has been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly and post-mortem report is awaited.
It was a fierce territorial fight. It was around 4:30 pm when the villagers had spotted the carcass of a male tiger lying in Garha compartment 132(b) in Mala range of Pilibhit on Thursday. However, when the forest staff reached the spot to recover the carcass it was found missing. "The carcass had been dragged inside forest by the killer tiger," said VK Singh, DFO, Pilibhit. The foresters earlier suspected it to be a case of poaching. The carcass however was recovered late night from the deep of the forest with its claws, skin and canines intact, thus ruling out any foul play. But its tail was reportedly severed.
The forest officials and experts from WWF and WTI who surveyed the area where carcass was recovered had given a preliminary report. The carcass had its collar bone broken. It only indicated towards the ferocity of the fight. The killer tiger could have dragged its victim from the neck. There are quite a few instances where cubs are eaten by adult tigers but two adult tigers fighting and one eating the other is rare. "Though history has instances of cannibalism in tigers, it is rare," said RL Singh, former director of Project Tiger.
The eating is never meant to satiate the hunger but is an extension of the fight. "It happens in the heat of the fighting and it is mostly a little portion of flesh which is eaten," said Singh. The experts also deny to link the `tiger-eating-tiger' instance with declining prey-base in forests. If that had been the reason ever, tigers would have hunted each other but that's not their intrinsic nature. The males fight over a territory. A robust male has 10 to 15 km of its hunting area called a territory. It guards its area fiercely against other tigers. The tigers might also increase their territory to areas with a good prey base.
A male has at least three females in the territory who individually guard their won small territories within that big area basically to rear cubs. In such an arrangement, young and old males are the only ones who are pushed to the fringes of the forest where there is a lesser prey base. In an in-fighting between two adults, it is the stronger one which survives.
Pilibhit in-fighting could also be explained in the backdrop of the fact that it has a good population of tigers. February 2008 census had showed 36 tigers present over 712 sq km of its area.
Tiger kills a woman in Ramnagar in Uttarakhand
A tiger killed a woman near Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand on Friday.
Residents of Ramnagar locality said that three women went into the forest near the Sunderkhal village to bring dry wood when a man-eater attacked one of the women, Nandi Devi, while others managed to escape.
"Something very bad has happened. A tiger attacked one of our fellow women. We are very afraid. How will we get dry wood and other things? We are facing a lot of problems," said Kaushalya Devi, a resident.
Onlookers told the media persons that the body of the victim was found two to three kilometers away from the village in the forest. By Vibhav Porav (ANI)
Residents of Ramnagar locality said that three women went into the forest near the Sunderkhal village to bring dry wood when a man-eater attacked one of the women, Nandi Devi, while others managed to escape.
"Something very bad has happened. A tiger attacked one of our fellow women. We are very afraid. How will we get dry wood and other things? We are facing a lot of problems," said Kaushalya Devi, a resident.
Onlookers told the media persons that the body of the victim was found two to three kilometers away from the village in the forest. By Vibhav Porav (ANI)
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Governor's plea to save the tiger from extinction
Tags:Save Tiger|International Centre Goa|Governor S S Sidhu
PANAJI: Governor S S Sidhu has stressed the need to save the tiger from extinction, stating that along with other feline animals, it forms nature's food chain and is crucial for man's survival.
Speaking at the concluding function of Konkan adventure rally, organized by "Save tigers of Sahyadri" movement, at the International Centre Goa at Dona Paula, he said if any vital part of this natural food chain is broken, it can cause irreparable harm to ecological balance.
The forest department has recently found indirect evidence of the tiger's presence in Goa, while confirmation is likely to come in the second phase of the census.
PANAJI: Governor S S Sidhu has stressed the need to save the tiger from extinction, stating that along with other feline animals, it forms nature's food chain and is crucial for man's survival.
Speaking at the concluding function of Konkan adventure rally, organized by "Save tigers of Sahyadri" movement, at the International Centre Goa at Dona Paula, he said if any vital part of this natural food chain is broken, it can cause irreparable harm to ecological balance.
The forest department has recently found indirect evidence of the tiger's presence in Goa, while confirmation is likely to come in the second phase of the census.
Saved the tiger
Samudra Gupta Kashyap
Tags : Tigers in Kaziranga, Kaziranga National Park, save tiger
It’s not just rhino land. Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers in India. How the big cats found a haven in the park’s incredible profusion of life.
Hush. there. behind the bush,” says range officer Deben Kalita, his voice a low whisper. Around us are miles and miles of grassland, dappled green-gold in the afternoon light. Still, except for a breath of gentle breeze. Not a bird chirps. Not a twig cracks. Nothing but the strong animal scent in the air and the nervous energy of the old hands accompanying me tell me that I am this close to one of Kaziranga National Park’s elusive Royal Bengal Tigers.
We are near the Goroimari anti-poaching camp, in the heart of Kaziranga’s vast expanse, and in the bush, 50 feet away, lurks the majestic beast. Only an hour ago, guides Mohan Bora and Dulal Tanti had led us on a drive through thorny bushes and fields of mimosa and cane grass, high enough to hide well-built men. They are both armed with .135 rifles. This is no walk in the park; armed guards accompany all visitors, and our instructions were clear too: stay close to the foresters.
Kaziranga National Park is where the wild things are — 2,000 one-horned rhinoceros, over 1,000 wild buffalos, 33 species of mammals, 479 species of birds and 42 species of fish, across 859 sq km of fertile grassland and forests, floodplain and rivers. It is the only Indian national park to shelter five big animals: rhino, elephant, tiger, buffalo and swamp deer (barasingha).
Tags : Tigers in Kaziranga, Kaziranga National Park, save tiger
It’s not just rhino land. Kaziranga National Park has the highest density of tigers in India. How the big cats found a haven in the park’s incredible profusion of life.
Hush. there. behind the bush,” says range officer Deben Kalita, his voice a low whisper. Around us are miles and miles of grassland, dappled green-gold in the afternoon light. Still, except for a breath of gentle breeze. Not a bird chirps. Not a twig cracks. Nothing but the strong animal scent in the air and the nervous energy of the old hands accompanying me tell me that I am this close to one of Kaziranga National Park’s elusive Royal Bengal Tigers.
We are near the Goroimari anti-poaching camp, in the heart of Kaziranga’s vast expanse, and in the bush, 50 feet away, lurks the majestic beast. Only an hour ago, guides Mohan Bora and Dulal Tanti had led us on a drive through thorny bushes and fields of mimosa and cane grass, high enough to hide well-built men. They are both armed with .135 rifles. This is no walk in the park; armed guards accompany all visitors, and our instructions were clear too: stay close to the foresters.
Kaziranga National Park is where the wild things are — 2,000 one-horned rhinoceros, over 1,000 wild buffalos, 33 species of mammals, 479 species of birds and 42 species of fish, across 859 sq km of fertile grassland and forests, floodplain and rivers. It is the only Indian national park to shelter five big animals: rhino, elephant, tiger, buffalo and swamp deer (barasingha).
Saturday, November 13, 2010
8 more tiger reserves to come in the country - Jairam Ramesh
8 more tiger reserves to come up in the country: Jairam Ramesh
PTI, Nov 12, 2010, 07.41pm IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve|Jairam Ramesh
NEW DELHI: As part of tiger conservation effort, eight more reserves for the wild cat will be set up in the country in six months, including one in the Satyamangalam forest in Tamil Nadu.
The eight reserves will be in addition to the existing 39 tiger sanctuaries.
New tiger reserves, include Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve which used to be a hideout of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
The other new reserves include BR Hills in Karnataka, two in Maharashtra, two tiger reserves in UP, including Pilibhit tiger reserve, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, he said at a function here.
While talking about efforts to conserve the endangered species, Ramesh said "I hope tiger census will be released in two weeks. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope, we will have good news".
Claiming that he didn't have "inside information" about the tiger census, he said "good news" about the tiger population is expected from the tiger reserves, including Kaziranga in Assam and Parambikkulam bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Ramesh said three tigers were lost ---two in Kaziranga and one in Pilibhit in UP--- in the last two days because of fighting .
Two of them were lost because of fighting between tigers and one tiger in Kaziranga died in a "rare fight" with a buffalo, the minister said.
The minister contended that tiger conservation in the country is "most extensive and most intensive" than any other nations in the world.
PTI, Nov 12, 2010, 07.41pm IST
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Tags:Tiger Reserve|Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve|Jairam Ramesh
NEW DELHI: As part of tiger conservation effort, eight more reserves for the wild cat will be set up in the country in six months, including one in the Satyamangalam forest in Tamil Nadu.
The eight reserves will be in addition to the existing 39 tiger sanctuaries.
New tiger reserves, include Satyamangalam Tiger Reserve which used to be a hideout of sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
The other new reserves include BR Hills in Karnataka, two in Maharashtra, two tiger reserves in UP, including Pilibhit tiger reserve, and one each in Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, he said at a function here.
While talking about efforts to conserve the endangered species, Ramesh said "I hope tiger census will be released in two weeks. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I hope, we will have good news".
Claiming that he didn't have "inside information" about the tiger census, he said "good news" about the tiger population is expected from the tiger reserves, including Kaziranga in Assam and Parambikkulam bordering Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Ramesh said three tigers were lost ---two in Kaziranga and one in Pilibhit in UP--- in the last two days because of fighting .
Two of them were lost because of fighting between tigers and one tiger in Kaziranga died in a "rare fight" with a buffalo, the minister said.
The minister contended that tiger conservation in the country is "most extensive and most intensive" than any other nations in the world.
Territorial fights claiming tigers
Territorial fights claiming tigers
Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times
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Guwahati, November 13, 2010First Published: 07:52 IST(13/11/2010)
Last Updated: 07:53 IST(13/11/2010)
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Hunted by poachers elsewhere in India, the tiger is turning out to be its own enemy in the subcontinent’s safest striped cat home – Kaziranga National Park. Forest officials on Thursday recovered the carcasses of two male tigers within the 860 sq km Kaziranga, better known as the habitat of the
world’s most one-horned rhinos. The one found in the park’s Kohora Range was decomposed while the other in Bagori Range had died in the past 24 hours.
Both tigers, officials said, died of natural causes and their body parts were intact. But the carcasses sported injury marks.
Autopsy by wildlife veterinarians revealed the Bagori Range tiger, aged 5 years, was gored by a wild buffalo it had presumably preyed on. Kaziranga has 80% of the endangered Asiatic water buffalo, a dangerous animal if threatened.
The other, officials suspected, was killed by another tiger over a territorial dispute. “Though the carcass was decomposed, the body had signs of attack by another tiger. It could have been a victim of feline territorial control,” said D.D. Gogoi, the park’s divisional forest officer.
This, he added, could be the outcome of a high concentration of tigers in Kaziranga 250 km east of Assam capital Guwahati. While the big cat kept vanishing across the country, Ministry of Environment and Forest provided a glimmer of hope in April this year by confirming the presence of 32 tigers per 100 sq km in Kaziranga.
But greens foresaw doom in this “healthy” tiger estimate. “The figure is too good to be true, and even if we accept it, the signs are ominous for the tiger,” said Soumyadeep Dutta of green group Nature’s Beckon.
Poachers haven’t been a threat yet; they prefer the more visible rhinos. Villagers on Kaziranga’s periphery have since 2008 been reacting to the tigers haunting their livestock. That year, they poisoned two adult tigers.
What concerns officials more is tiger killing tiger. Records say the bulk of nine tigers that died of ‘natural causes’ in Kaziranga in 2008 were victims of territorial fights. This year, four tigers had died similarly before the discovery of two carcasses on Thursday.
Unlike lions, tigers are solitary animals. Each tiger ‘controls’ its own territory and hates intrusion by another tiger.
Rahul Karmakar, Hindustan Times
Email Author
Guwahati, November 13, 2010First Published: 07:52 IST(13/11/2010)
Last Updated: 07:53 IST(13/11/2010)
share more...
0 Comments
email print
Hunted by poachers elsewhere in India, the tiger is turning out to be its own enemy in the subcontinent’s safest striped cat home – Kaziranga National Park. Forest officials on Thursday recovered the carcasses of two male tigers within the 860 sq km Kaziranga, better known as the habitat of the
world’s most one-horned rhinos. The one found in the park’s Kohora Range was decomposed while the other in Bagori Range had died in the past 24 hours.
Both tigers, officials said, died of natural causes and their body parts were intact. But the carcasses sported injury marks.
Autopsy by wildlife veterinarians revealed the Bagori Range tiger, aged 5 years, was gored by a wild buffalo it had presumably preyed on. Kaziranga has 80% of the endangered Asiatic water buffalo, a dangerous animal if threatened.
The other, officials suspected, was killed by another tiger over a territorial dispute. “Though the carcass was decomposed, the body had signs of attack by another tiger. It could have been a victim of feline territorial control,” said D.D. Gogoi, the park’s divisional forest officer.
This, he added, could be the outcome of a high concentration of tigers in Kaziranga 250 km east of Assam capital Guwahati. While the big cat kept vanishing across the country, Ministry of Environment and Forest provided a glimmer of hope in April this year by confirming the presence of 32 tigers per 100 sq km in Kaziranga.
But greens foresaw doom in this “healthy” tiger estimate. “The figure is too good to be true, and even if we accept it, the signs are ominous for the tiger,” said Soumyadeep Dutta of green group Nature’s Beckon.
Poachers haven’t been a threat yet; they prefer the more visible rhinos. Villagers on Kaziranga’s periphery have since 2008 been reacting to the tigers haunting their livestock. That year, they poisoned two adult tigers.
What concerns officials more is tiger killing tiger. Records say the bulk of nine tigers that died of ‘natural causes’ in Kaziranga in 2008 were victims of territorial fights. This year, four tigers had died similarly before the discovery of two carcasses on Thursday.
Unlike lions, tigers are solitary animals. Each tiger ‘controls’ its own territory and hates intrusion by another tiger.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers
GUWAHATI: The already-diminishing tiger population of India has seen a further cut with two carcasses of the big cat being found from different spots inside the Kaziranga National Park, about 250 km from here, in the past 24 hours.
A highly-decomposed carcass was found near Laudubi camp under Kohra forest range of the park on Wednesday, while the carcass of a full-grown male with a deep injury mark was discovered in the Gerakati area under the Bagori forest range of the park on Thursday. The tiger that was found dead at Gerakati was estimated to be around five years old.
Officials from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex tiger conservation body, rushed to the park to investigate the deaths of the big cats. Although the post-mortem reports are yet to come, officials from NTCA ruled out any poaching angle in the tiger deaths.
"We don't think the tiger deaths are related to poaching. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the causes of both the deaths were natural. The injury mark in the second tiger's body could have been inflicted by the horn of a wild buffalo. These buffaloes often defend themselves from tiger attacks by rushing at them with their long and pointed horns," an NTCA official said.
Kaziranga divisional forest officer D D Gogoi said all the body parts of the two tigers were found to be intact and the post-mortems were conducted in the presence of officials from NTCA, WWF-India and other NGOs along with park officials.
"There was no involvement of poachers in the two tiger deaths," Gogoi claimed. With this, the tiger casualty toll has increased to four this year in Kaziranga. In February 20, 2010, a decomposed tiger carcass was found in the park. Between November 2008 and September 19, 2009, a total of 12 tigers died in Kaziranga.
Read more: Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Kaziranga-loses-2-more-tigers-/articleshow/6911209.cms#ixzz152i7kpCC
A highly-decomposed carcass was found near Laudubi camp under Kohra forest range of the park on Wednesday, while the carcass of a full-grown male with a deep injury mark was discovered in the Gerakati area under the Bagori forest range of the park on Thursday. The tiger that was found dead at Gerakati was estimated to be around five years old.
Officials from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex tiger conservation body, rushed to the park to investigate the deaths of the big cats. Although the post-mortem reports are yet to come, officials from NTCA ruled out any poaching angle in the tiger deaths.
"We don't think the tiger deaths are related to poaching. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the causes of both the deaths were natural. The injury mark in the second tiger's body could have been inflicted by the horn of a wild buffalo. These buffaloes often defend themselves from tiger attacks by rushing at them with their long and pointed horns," an NTCA official said.
Kaziranga divisional forest officer D D Gogoi said all the body parts of the two tigers were found to be intact and the post-mortems were conducted in the presence of officials from NTCA, WWF-India and other NGOs along with park officials.
"There was no involvement of poachers in the two tiger deaths," Gogoi claimed. With this, the tiger casualty toll has increased to four this year in Kaziranga. In February 20, 2010, a decomposed tiger carcass was found in the park. Between November 2008 and September 19, 2009, a total of 12 tigers died in Kaziranga.
Read more: Kaziranga loses 2 more tigers - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Kaziranga-loses-2-more-tigers-/articleshow/6911209.cms#ixzz152i7kpCC
Mystery of the missing Himachal tiger
Shimla: Photographs of a tiger roaming in solitary splendour in the hills surrounding the picturesque tourist resort of Manali have failed to impress Himachal Pradesh's wildlife wing. The tiger does not exist, they say.
It all began when a French trekker Antoine spotted a tiger in the hills of Manali sanctuary - otherwise not known to host tigers - in April this year. He happily clicked not only the big cat but also its pugmarks and sent the pictures to the state's wildlife department, perhaps hoping for a pat on the back.
Instead, the pictures left officials unmoved.
'We conducted extensive searches of the Manali sanctuary in May and June but we couldn't find any evidence of a tiger. We even asked the locals, who too said they had never seen a tiger in the vicinity. We believe it's a farce,' chief wildlife warden A.K. Gulati said.
So why is it so difficult to believe the picture?
Manali sanctuary is spread over 32 sq km in Kullu district. The avifauna is quite good as it supports the endangeed western tragopan, the Himalayan monal, the koklas, the white crested kalij and the cheer pheasant.
It is home to the leopard, Himalayan black bear, antelope, musk deer, the Himalayan tahr - a wild goat that lives on the steepest cliffs - and many other beautiful beasts. Except the tiger.
The nearest place which has a tiger population is Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park, some 300 km away. And the chances of a tiger sauntering across the state boundary, covering all this distance and then posing for photographs are as good as nil, the experts say.
Hence, the raised eyebrows.
Kullu divisional forest officer B.S. Rana said: 'We surveyed the area extensively in July. We will search again this month as the trekker has sent us mails saying the pictures are real.'
Officials cannot contact Antoine, who's back home in France. So they did the next best thing - ask his guide.
'The guide was a resident of Manali. We took him to the spot where the tiger was apparently clicked. Yes, the surroundings matched the picture, but there was no evidence of the presence of the tiger,' he said.
Other experts too are doubtful of the pictures' authenticity.
Uttam Saikia, a researcher with the high altitude field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Solan, told IANS it was almost impossible to sight the tiger in the Manali sanctuary.
According to him, the presence of a tiger in the wild in Himachal Pradesh was only recorded in the Simbhalwara sanctuary in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand, but not Manali.
'We have twice collected fresh tiger scats in the Simbhalwara sanctuary between 2005 and 2007. But migration hundreds of kilometres away to Manali is totally impossible, unbelievable,' Saikia said, shaking his head.
It all began when a French trekker Antoine spotted a tiger in the hills of Manali sanctuary - otherwise not known to host tigers - in April this year. He happily clicked not only the big cat but also its pugmarks and sent the pictures to the state's wildlife department, perhaps hoping for a pat on the back.
Instead, the pictures left officials unmoved.
'We conducted extensive searches of the Manali sanctuary in May and June but we couldn't find any evidence of a tiger. We even asked the locals, who too said they had never seen a tiger in the vicinity. We believe it's a farce,' chief wildlife warden A.K. Gulati said.
So why is it so difficult to believe the picture?
Manali sanctuary is spread over 32 sq km in Kullu district. The avifauna is quite good as it supports the endangeed western tragopan, the Himalayan monal, the koklas, the white crested kalij and the cheer pheasant.
It is home to the leopard, Himalayan black bear, antelope, musk deer, the Himalayan tahr - a wild goat that lives on the steepest cliffs - and many other beautiful beasts. Except the tiger.
The nearest place which has a tiger population is Uttarakhand's Rajaji National Park, some 300 km away. And the chances of a tiger sauntering across the state boundary, covering all this distance and then posing for photographs are as good as nil, the experts say.
Hence, the raised eyebrows.
Kullu divisional forest officer B.S. Rana said: 'We surveyed the area extensively in July. We will search again this month as the trekker has sent us mails saying the pictures are real.'
Officials cannot contact Antoine, who's back home in France. So they did the next best thing - ask his guide.
'The guide was a resident of Manali. We took him to the spot where the tiger was apparently clicked. Yes, the surroundings matched the picture, but there was no evidence of the presence of the tiger,' he said.
Other experts too are doubtful of the pictures' authenticity.
Uttam Saikia, a researcher with the high altitude field station of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Solan, told IANS it was almost impossible to sight the tiger in the Manali sanctuary.
According to him, the presence of a tiger in the wild in Himachal Pradesh was only recorded in the Simbhalwara sanctuary in Sirmaur district, adjoining Uttarakhand, but not Manali.
'We have twice collected fresh tiger scats in the Simbhalwara sanctuary between 2005 and 2007. But migration hundreds of kilometres away to Manali is totally impossible, unbelievable,' Saikia said, shaking his head.
Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR
CHANDRAPUR: Even as the forest department is taking efforts to curb poaching, including notifying a buffer zone around Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) for better wildlife management, poachers trapped a leopard in wire traps at the outskirts of the reserve on Thursday. Fortunately, forest officials got information in time and rescued the beast before the poachers could kill it.
Sources said that forest officials of Moharli (territorial) forest range, which borders TATR, got a tip-off about a leopard having been trapped in wire traps. The leopard was reportedly struggling to free itself from the trap near village Adegaon.
RFO Rajiv Pawar and his subordinates immediately reached the spot in the afternoon. Senior forest officials, who were busy with the PCCF's tour of the district, were also informed. The officials rushed to the spot along with a tranquilisation expert and equipment from Chandrapur. A cage was also sent to capture the beast.
The experts tranquilised the beast and put it in the cage. A veterinary doctor examined the sedated beast and declared it fit to be freed into the jungle. The beast was taken to jungles bordering the Irai dam reservoir later in the evening and set free," sources said. However, no details about the investigations by forest officials into this poaching attempt have emerged as yet.
Forest department sources claimed that the traps were laid in the fringes of the forest at the periphery of agricultural fields in village Adegaon. The possibility of involvement of local poachers cannot be ruled out, sources added.
CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao and DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar could not be reached on the phone in the evening. RFO, Moharli range, Rajiv Pawar too was not available for comment.
However, reliable sources in the forest department confirmed the incident and said that the leopard rescued from the trap near Adegaon had no serious injury and hence it was immediately set free.
Experts in wildlife said that such wire traps are usually intended to trap herbivores like spotted deer (chitals) and sambar, but any wild animal including schedule-I animals like tigers and leopards can get caught in these traps. These wire traps are designed in such a way that, once a prey is trapped, the noose tightens further as the animal intensifies its efforts to free itself.
Usually this leads to grievous injuries to the trapped animal, which could lead to death due to bleeding, said the experts. However, fortunately, the leopard that was trapped in the wire traps on Thursday sustained no serious injury. This incident will serve to once again bring the activities of poachers close to the core area of TATR back into the spotlight.
Read more: Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Leopard-rescued-from-poachers-wire-trap-outside-TATR/articleshow/6910046.cms#ixzz152htPU3g
Sources said that forest officials of Moharli (territorial) forest range, which borders TATR, got a tip-off about a leopard having been trapped in wire traps. The leopard was reportedly struggling to free itself from the trap near village Adegaon.
RFO Rajiv Pawar and his subordinates immediately reached the spot in the afternoon. Senior forest officials, who were busy with the PCCF's tour of the district, were also informed. The officials rushed to the spot along with a tranquilisation expert and equipment from Chandrapur. A cage was also sent to capture the beast.
The experts tranquilised the beast and put it in the cage. A veterinary doctor examined the sedated beast and declared it fit to be freed into the jungle. The beast was taken to jungles bordering the Irai dam reservoir later in the evening and set free," sources said. However, no details about the investigations by forest officials into this poaching attempt have emerged as yet.
Forest department sources claimed that the traps were laid in the fringes of the forest at the periphery of agricultural fields in village Adegaon. The possibility of involvement of local poachers cannot be ruled out, sources added.
CF, Chandrapur forest circle, GRK Rao and DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar could not be reached on the phone in the evening. RFO, Moharli range, Rajiv Pawar too was not available for comment.
However, reliable sources in the forest department confirmed the incident and said that the leopard rescued from the trap near Adegaon had no serious injury and hence it was immediately set free.
Experts in wildlife said that such wire traps are usually intended to trap herbivores like spotted deer (chitals) and sambar, but any wild animal including schedule-I animals like tigers and leopards can get caught in these traps. These wire traps are designed in such a way that, once a prey is trapped, the noose tightens further as the animal intensifies its efforts to free itself.
Usually this leads to grievous injuries to the trapped animal, which could lead to death due to bleeding, said the experts. However, fortunately, the leopard that was trapped in the wire traps on Thursday sustained no serious injury. This incident will serve to once again bring the activities of poachers close to the core area of TATR back into the spotlight.
Read more: Leopard rescued from poachers' wire trap outside TATR - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Leopard-rescued-from-poachers-wire-trap-outside-TATR/articleshow/6910046.cms#ixzz152htPU3g
Outsiders at home
From coexistence to a conservation choice. The lush forests of Biligere Ranganatha Temple (BRT) sanctuary of southern Karnataka, recently given the status of a tiger reserve (in-principle), has a poignant dilemma at hand: whom will the forest nurture, the tigers or the Soligas (tribals of the region)?
Ever since the Centre approved the state's proposal to turn the park into a tiger reserve in September, the 1500-odd Soliga families have been living with the insecurity that they will any day be urged to leave the core area and be relocated outside the forest. The proposal received a further boost, with the tiger census this year giving clear indications of a "healthy presence". In fact, the estimation has revealed 16 direct sightings.
The forest department is determined that the forests are made inviolate. Relocation from the core area will be a voluntary option, but the department cites success stories like Bhadra where ungulate and, in turn, tiger population had increased considerably after the relocation of tribals, to press its case.
"We are not planning to drive anyone out. We will be taking their consent for any relocation and the department is offering a good package of Rs 10 lakh. They will not be relocated to distant places, only to fringe areas. We don't see why concerns should arise," says principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh.
Power and water lines in the park will have to be removed and those who choose to stay back will face problems in the days to come, says Singh. School and healthcare facilities will become much more inaccessible once the tiger reserve is notified.
According to Singh, the rights of around 1,100 families have been recognized as per the Forest Rights Act; the remaining are in the process.
The rollout, however, does not appear to be all that simple. There are as many as 22 podus (tribal colonies) in the core area of this 540sqkm sanctuary and the life of the Soligas has been intrinsically linked to the ways of the forest for centuries.
There are around 40,000 Soligas in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka. As many as 42 of the podus are in the fringe areas of BRT forest. Before the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into force, they were practising shifting cultivation and collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as fruits, honey, lichen, soap berry and others. However, since the act was implemented two years later, their right over the produce was gradually curbed. And in 2004, NTFP collection was completely banned.
"Even with the last deputy conservator of forests, we argued and told them how closely our lives are linked to the collection of non-timber produce. We showed him documents from Sunabeda sanctuary in Orissa were the tribals' rights to collect such produce were restored. The DCF temporarily allowed us to collect honey and broomstick. We also submitted a petition to Rahul Gandhi when he came here. But now, we have a more serious problem at hand," says Madegowda C of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddi Sangha.
As far as the gritty Soligas are concerned, they will not evacuate the core area of the forest, irrespective of the compensation offered. While it is apparent that their lifestyles have become modernized and one can no longer expect to see them in tribal clothes, they claim their lives are still entwined with the forest.
"I will not go out, no matter what," says Hanumegowda, a senior Soliga leader who is now a coffee planter. His wife, Pangamma cuts in, "Tell them we will not move even if they give us Rs 50 lakh."
Many tribal leaders also feel that the forest department is able to do its job only with Soliga help. Since they know the forest better and understand animal behaviour, they have been helping the skeletal department staff patrol the area.
"Tribal knowledge says there are at the most 15 to 20 tigers and not 34 tigers as the staff has estimated. Many of us work as watchers for the forest department," says Soliga leader J Bommaiah. "What trouble are we giving to the forest? If they have to relocate us, they have to relocate Lord Biligere himself, who had married a Soliga girl, Kusumale."
Adds Chari Madegowda, a senior leader of the podus: "We have been living with the animals for all these years. They sleep on that side and we on this side. Have we given trouble to each other? We eat fruits and tubers from the forest on a daily basis. If we are taken out, we will be like fish out of water."
Other tribals have a different take. They feel it will be easier for poachers to strike once the Soligas are moved out and the zone is declared a tiger reserve. "Soligas were like wild monkeys. You could not differentiate between them and the wild animals. Even today, tourism puts much more pressure on the ecosystem here than us," says Achugegowda. "The forest department staff are scared of poachers. It is we who have been protecting the forests."
The forest animals, indeed, are worshipped, points out Madegowda. "We worship Huliveerappa, the tiger god. Many clans worship other animals. We have around 487 sacred sites inside the forest where we worship. We have a very deep emotional and cultural relationship with the forest that cannot be overlooked," he says.
Member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and a researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Sanjay Gubbi, feels a middle ground needs to be struck. "If a sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve, it does not mean people will be forcibly relocated. But if a solution is worked out and accepted by forest dwelling communities, that would benefit both people and tigers," he says.
Read more: Outsiders at home - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Outsiders-at-home/articleshow/6910696.cms#ixzz152hmwUbd
Ever since the Centre approved the state's proposal to turn the park into a tiger reserve in September, the 1500-odd Soliga families have been living with the insecurity that they will any day be urged to leave the core area and be relocated outside the forest. The proposal received a further boost, with the tiger census this year giving clear indications of a "healthy presence". In fact, the estimation has revealed 16 direct sightings.
The forest department is determined that the forests are made inviolate. Relocation from the core area will be a voluntary option, but the department cites success stories like Bhadra where ungulate and, in turn, tiger population had increased considerably after the relocation of tribals, to press its case.
"We are not planning to drive anyone out. We will be taking their consent for any relocation and the department is offering a good package of Rs 10 lakh. They will not be relocated to distant places, only to fringe areas. We don't see why concerns should arise," says principal chief conservator of forests B K Singh.
Power and water lines in the park will have to be removed and those who choose to stay back will face problems in the days to come, says Singh. School and healthcare facilities will become much more inaccessible once the tiger reserve is notified.
According to Singh, the rights of around 1,100 families have been recognized as per the Forest Rights Act; the remaining are in the process.
The rollout, however, does not appear to be all that simple. There are as many as 22 podus (tribal colonies) in the core area of this 540sqkm sanctuary and the life of the Soligas has been intrinsically linked to the ways of the forest for centuries.
There are around 40,000 Soligas in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka. As many as 42 of the podus are in the fringe areas of BRT forest. Before the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 came into force, they were practising shifting cultivation and collecting non-timber forest produce (NTFP) such as fruits, honey, lichen, soap berry and others. However, since the act was implemented two years later, their right over the produce was gradually curbed. And in 2004, NTFP collection was completely banned.
"Even with the last deputy conservator of forests, we argued and told them how closely our lives are linked to the collection of non-timber produce. We showed him documents from Sunabeda sanctuary in Orissa were the tribals' rights to collect such produce were restored. The DCF temporarily allowed us to collect honey and broomstick. We also submitted a petition to Rahul Gandhi when he came here. But now, we have a more serious problem at hand," says Madegowda C of the Jilla Budakattu Girijana Abhivruddi Sangha.
As far as the gritty Soligas are concerned, they will not evacuate the core area of the forest, irrespective of the compensation offered. While it is apparent that their lifestyles have become modernized and one can no longer expect to see them in tribal clothes, they claim their lives are still entwined with the forest.
"I will not go out, no matter what," says Hanumegowda, a senior Soliga leader who is now a coffee planter. His wife, Pangamma cuts in, "Tell them we will not move even if they give us Rs 50 lakh."
Many tribal leaders also feel that the forest department is able to do its job only with Soliga help. Since they know the forest better and understand animal behaviour, they have been helping the skeletal department staff patrol the area.
"Tribal knowledge says there are at the most 15 to 20 tigers and not 34 tigers as the staff has estimated. Many of us work as watchers for the forest department," says Soliga leader J Bommaiah. "What trouble are we giving to the forest? If they have to relocate us, they have to relocate Lord Biligere himself, who had married a Soliga girl, Kusumale."
Adds Chari Madegowda, a senior leader of the podus: "We have been living with the animals for all these years. They sleep on that side and we on this side. Have we given trouble to each other? We eat fruits and tubers from the forest on a daily basis. If we are taken out, we will be like fish out of water."
Other tribals have a different take. They feel it will be easier for poachers to strike once the Soligas are moved out and the zone is declared a tiger reserve. "Soligas were like wild monkeys. You could not differentiate between them and the wild animals. Even today, tourism puts much more pressure on the ecosystem here than us," says Achugegowda. "The forest department staff are scared of poachers. It is we who have been protecting the forests."
The forest animals, indeed, are worshipped, points out Madegowda. "We worship Huliveerappa, the tiger god. Many clans worship other animals. We have around 487 sacred sites inside the forest where we worship. We have a very deep emotional and cultural relationship with the forest that cannot be overlooked," he says.
Member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board and a researcher with the Wildlife Conservation Society-India, Sanjay Gubbi, feels a middle ground needs to be struck. "If a sanctuary is declared a tiger reserve, it does not mean people will be forcibly relocated. But if a solution is worked out and accepted by forest dwelling communities, that would benefit both people and tigers," he says.
Read more: Outsiders at home - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Outsiders-at-home/articleshow/6910696.cms#ixzz152hmwUbd
Egg on face for BBC over tigers in Bhutan
The BBC describing its filming of tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters in Bhutan as a rare discovery has shocked experts, who say presence of big cats in the Himalayan kingdom is a known fact. “Nothing new,” said Charles McDougal, a scientist who has worked for tiger conservation in Nepal and
Bhutan and had filmed tigers in Bhutan in 1998, in an email to conservationists in South Asia. He along with Nepal’s Carma Tshering had submitted a tiger conservation strategy to Bhutan based on camera traps used to film tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
Tigers live and breed in habitat up to 3,000 meters above sea level and use high altitude of more than 4,000 meters to move. The Himalayan range in Bhutan and Nepal, where the BBC had out its camera traps, had been a historical corridor for tigers to move from one region to another.
Bhutan has about 150 tigers mostly found in the range of 3,000-4,000 meters, which is also the only place in the world where tigers, leopards and snow leopards share the same valley.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with global tiger conservationist Dr Alan Rabinowitz and wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan this summer installed camera traps in the high altitude and were stunned to find wildlife after three months. “The discovery has stunned experts, as the tigers are living at a higher altitude than any other known and appear to be successfully breeding,” the BBC said on its site.
It claimed there was little known about well-being of tigers in the Himalayan foothills of Bhutan and said the discovery could be crucial to a proposed scheme (Global Tiger Initiative) to save the species from extinction. Much before the BBC film the initiative identified the tiger range in Bhutan as region for future tiger conservation.
The story titled “Lost Tigers Discovered in Bhutan Mountains” also said their presence in Bhutan highlands have been confirmed by footage by a BBC natural history camera crew.
The claim evoked a strong reaction with experts saying that tigers had never gone missing in Bhutan. “It was a pity BBC did not acknowledge the amazing work on the high altitude tigers done by scientists in Bhutan and Nepal since 1990’s,” said Belinda Wright, director of Wildlife Conservation Society of India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Egg-on-face-for-BBC-over-tigers-in-Bhutan/Article1-624191.aspx
Bhutan and had filmed tigers in Bhutan in 1998, in an email to conservationists in South Asia. He along with Nepal’s Carma Tshering had submitted a tiger conservation strategy to Bhutan based on camera traps used to film tigers at an altitude of 4,000 meters.
Tigers live and breed in habitat up to 3,000 meters above sea level and use high altitude of more than 4,000 meters to move. The Himalayan range in Bhutan and Nepal, where the BBC had out its camera traps, had been a historical corridor for tigers to move from one region to another.
Bhutan has about 150 tigers mostly found in the range of 3,000-4,000 meters, which is also the only place in the world where tigers, leopards and snow leopards share the same valley.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with global tiger conservationist Dr Alan Rabinowitz and wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan this summer installed camera traps in the high altitude and were stunned to find wildlife after three months. “The discovery has stunned experts, as the tigers are living at a higher altitude than any other known and appear to be successfully breeding,” the BBC said on its site.
It claimed there was little known about well-being of tigers in the Himalayan foothills of Bhutan and said the discovery could be crucial to a proposed scheme (Global Tiger Initiative) to save the species from extinction. Much before the BBC film the initiative identified the tiger range in Bhutan as region for future tiger conservation.
The story titled “Lost Tigers Discovered in Bhutan Mountains” also said their presence in Bhutan highlands have been confirmed by footage by a BBC natural history camera crew.
The claim evoked a strong reaction with experts saying that tigers had never gone missing in Bhutan. “It was a pity BBC did not acknowledge the amazing work on the high altitude tigers done by scientists in Bhutan and Nepal since 1990’s,” said Belinda Wright, director of Wildlife Conservation Society of India.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Egg-on-face-for-BBC-over-tigers-in-Bhutan/Article1-624191.aspx
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