3 cubs spotted in Ranthambore tiger reserve

TNN | Feb 22, 2012, 03.40AM IST JAIPUR: Spotting of three cubs comes as good news for the Ranthambore tiger reserve. At least three cubs were reportedly seen in the Khandar range of the forest by one of the forest 'mitras'. "One of the forest guards spotted three cubs. The cubs, according to him, are of the tigress T-30 in the Khandar area. But we are yet to confirm it. Trap cameras have been set up in the area to captures pictures of the tigress and her cubs," chief wildlife warden A Choubey said. "The area has been cordoned off and we are hopeful of capturing pictures of the cub soon." Rajesh Gupta, additional director of the park, said. The park has been seeing a baby boom since the past year when 17 cubs were born. However, officials warned that all the cubs are not alive still. Out of the 17 cubs, two have not been spotted in the recent days. "The number of cubs in the past year was very good but we may soon see some migration when they become sub-adults," warned Choubey. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/3-cubs-spotted-in-Ranthambore-tiger-reserve/articleshow/11984573.cms

Tiger found dead

PTI | 08:02 PM,Feb 21,2012 Kotdwara, Feb 21 (PTI) A five-year-old male tiger, apparently killed by another wild cat, was found dead in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, forest officials said here today. The half-eaten carcass was found yesterday in Sona river in Dhaulkhand range by a patrol party, they said. Deep wounds caused by nails and canine teeth were found on the carcass indicating the animal was killed in a fierce fight with another tiger, the officials said. Pug marks of another tiger were also found, they said. Some hair of a tiger were also found in the paws of the dead animal indicating a fight. PTI CORR DPT PMS http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/tiger-found-dead/966338.html

Hurdles galore for central funds to reach PTR

TNN | Feb 22, 2012, 06.23AM IST DALTONGANJ: Cash-starved Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) has taken a loan of Rs 49.66 lakh from the authorities of Birsa Biological Park and the State Forest Development Corporation. Principal chief conservator of forest-cum-chief wildlife warden A K Malhotra said, "I am in favour of setting up a Tiger Foundation in the state where funds will be received directly from the National Tiger Conservation Authority of Delhi. However, there are some obstacles like lack of notification of the buffer area spreading over more than 700 sq km of the 1,026-sq km of PTR and sanctioning of the tiger conservation plan." Malhotra hoped these would be sorted out soon and there would be no dearth of funds in the future. The DFO (buffer) said the loans will have to be returned by the end of this financial year as soon as funds arrive from the NTCA. Sources said NTCA has sent more than Rs 1 crore for PTR to the state government but it has not been released yet. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Hurdles-galore-for-central-funds-to-reach-PTR/articleshow/11985994.cms

Experiment explains how tiger stripes are formed

London: Validating a theory famous code-breaker and mathematician Alan Turing put forth in 1950s, researchers at King's College London have provided the first experimental evidence to show how tiger stripes or leopard spots are formed. Turing had proposed that regular repeating patterns in biological systems are generated by a pair of morphogens that work together as an 'activator' and 'inhibitor,' the journal 'Nature Genetics' reports. To test the theory, researchers studied the development of the regularly-spaced ridges found in the roof of the mouth in mice, according to a King's College statement. Experimentation with mouse embryos helped the team identify the pair of specific morphogens working together to influence where each ridge will be formed. They showed that the increasing or decreasing activity of morphogens affects the pattern of the ridges in the mouth palate, in ways predicted by Turing's equations. Jeremy Green, craniofacial surgeon from King's Dental Institute said: "Regularly spaced structures, from vertebrae and hair follicles to the stripes on a tiger or zebrafish, are a fundamental motif in biology. Our study provides the first experimental identification of an activator-inhibitor system at work in the generation of stripes - in this case, in the ridges of the mouth palate." "As this year marks Turing's centenary, it is a fitting tribute to this great mathematician and computer scientist that we should now be able to prove that his theory was right all along!" concluded Green. http://english.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=11075736&tabId=1&channelId=-1073865032&programId=1080127257

Tuli's construction work stalled near TATR

TNN | Feb 22, 2012, 04.51AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Forest department has started investigation into the construction started by hotelier Prince Tuli near Moharli village close to core area of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Notice has been served to Tuli, through his caretaker of the land in Moharli, asking him to present the documents related to necessary permission for construction in buffer area. The issue had come to fore after conservationists crying foul over the construction lodged complaint with TATR authorities last week. Complainant Green Planet Society had demanded not to allow any resort close to core area as it could threaten the wildlife and environment. A visit to the place revealed that the land in question is indeed adjacent to compartment no.150 and 151 of TATR. Vast patch of this land gets water lodged in rainy season with the spill over water of Moharli pond. Dense grass on the land was cut and burned recently. Scats of tiger, spotted deer, sambar, neelgai and wild boar were found in the area, suggesting that these animals keep moving from the particular patch of land. Sarpanch of Moharli Vilas Shende confirmed that Nagpur businessman Tuli had purchased over 17 acres of agricultural land from group of farmers adjacent to TATR boundary. "Tuli has indeed purchased land from handful of farmers of the village. But he has sought no permission from gram panchayat for construction. Panchayat would issue notice and seek explanation in this regard," he said. RFO, Moharli range (territorial), DS Rautkar informed that they have started inquiry into the matter. "Already a notice has been forwarded to Tuli asking him to present necessary documents related to permission of construction before CCF of tiger reserve. As per our information owner has not acquired any permission for non-agriculture use of the land. Records of land purchased by Tuli are being sought from gram panchayat and other revenue authorities," he said. He however maintained that construction in the particular land has been stalled since intervention of forest authorities. Partial construction carried out on the land owned by Prince Tuli near in buffer area of TATR http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tulis-construction-work-stalled-near-TATR/articleshow/11985216.cms

Two direct tiger sightings in Melghat during census

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Feb 21, 2012, 06.27AM IST NAGPUR: Tigers are always elusive in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), fondly called 'Kipling Country'. But two direct sightings during the nine-day Phase IV tiger estimation exercise has thrilled field staff and officials. This may be perhaps the first time such sightings have been recorded during the census. The exercise on distance sampling to know density of ungulates through line transects concluded on Sunday. It started on February 10 and was conducted in over 6,250 beats in protected as well as non-protected areas in state, including tiger-bearing patches in Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). Now, exercise to know 'proportions of animals captured' with the help of camera traps will start in March and will continue for 45-60 days. Melghat, known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys, revealed clinching evidence of carnivores like pugmarks, scrapes and scent marks, scats etc. Field staff sighted a tiger on February 13 while walking on the transect line in Somthana range of Wan sanctuary (part of Melghat) and another tiger was seen near Semadoh on February 16. One direct tiger sighting has also been recorded in FDCM area of Chandrapur. VK Sinha, chief conservator (CCF) & field director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), says there could be more such records from TATR once data is compiled. The analysis of data will be done by researchers at the regional level. "Based on this data, camera traps will be installed," he added. AK Mishra, CCF & field director of MTR, was overjoyed by the direct tiger sightings. He too admits that due to complex landscape and dense forest cover, sightings are rare. However, he said that tigers have occupied territories in all the three villages relocated a year ago. "The exercise was done in 275 beats. With two pairs of cameras in each beat, we'll need 450 cameras from March 1. It will help us find the individual tiger numbers of the reserve," Mishra said. The MTR documentation at different levels and data collected shows presence of around 50 tigers. However, in 2010, the monitoring of tigers, co-predators and prey as per the instructions of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India ( WII), Dehradun, revealed that MTR supports population of 39 tigers in 1,800 sq km. In MTR's 230 sq km Dhargad range, comprising Gurgipati, Koktu, Kelpani, Bori, Boripati and Gullarghat, huge evidence of carnivore and herbivore presence was recorded. These dense forest patches are said to have half of MTR's tiger population. Regular sightings of bisons, chitals, sambars, and sloth bears were reported around transect lines here. Field director AK Mishra, Akot deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) Vijay Godbole and ACF Pramod Panchabhai closely monitored the drive by walking on transect lines. Godbole says it is important to note that more animals in an area may not result in enhanced detection probability, since the latter is governed by terrain features, cover, visibility etc. The 2010 tiger assessment involved three phases. This will be for the first time fourth phase will be added to the three phases. Across 41 tiger reserves, the 2010 assessment estimated 1,706 tigers (range between 1,571 and 1,875). The Way Ahead Camera traps at density of one pair per 4-5 sq km Minimum trap nights of a 1,000 per 100 sq km (i.e. 25 pairs of cameras in 100 sq km for 40 days) Minimum area coverage of 400 sq km Closure period of 40 to 60 days Entire reserve needs to be sampled In case of larger reserves like MTR, the area will be covered by dividing into blocks for camera trapping Two transects of 2-km length for each beat to be walked three times during each season. This protocol should be done for two seasons (summer and winter) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Two-direct-tiger-sightings-in-Melghat-during-census/articleshow/11971552.cms

'Toothless' regional tiger cell meets today

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Feb 21, 2012, 06.11AM IST NAGPUR: With time running out for tigers and wildlife in particular due to poaching and the shrinking habitat, the regional tiger cell will meet on Tuesday after a gap of nine months to address various issues. PK Mahajan, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) for Nagpur division and member-secretary of the cell, said this is the 12th meeting and will be held at 4.30 pm at Van Sabhagruha, Seminary Hills. The meet will be chaired by special IGP Rajinder Singh. It will be attended by divisional forest officers (DFOs), MSEDCL officials and superintendents of police from Gondia, Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts. Member-NGOs including Prafulla Bhamburkar of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Nitin Desai of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Harshawardhan Dhanwatey of Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT) and Kundan Hate have also been invited. The regional tiger cell meeting should be held every three months but it's not been happening. The cell was formed in 2000. The last meeting was held on April 11, 2011. Mahajan said the meeting could not be called early as the officials concerned were busy with recruitment of forest guards and later with the winter session of the state legislature followed by the zilla parishad, municipal council and corporation elections. "We will approve the minutes of the last meeting and discuss strategy on wildlife protection and better coordination," Mahajan added. Meanwhile, conservationists have expressed grave concern over lack of action on a host of decisions taken by the cell in the past. They want the cell to take issues seriously. "Such meets should not end up as mere tea sessions," a member felt. The cell has failed to act on many decisions taken for wildlife protection including curbing and nailing culprits in illegal fishing in Pench, forming a special committee to look into skin seizure cases, preventive action against habitual offenders, operations against Baheliyas and checking 'musafir registers' with police patils. In the last meeting it was decided that police station diaries will have a special column for wildlife crime and police personnel will take part in the tiger estimation exercise, but the decision remains only on paper. "As the cell meetings are not held at regular intervals, every time a new Special IGP chairs the meet. This leads to a fresh discussion on issues," said one of the members. They added that many wild animals continue to be poached for meat and body parts. The meat is openly sold in weekly markets in rural area but officials' action is not forthcoming. "These illegal activities only go to show that due to lack of coordination between the forest department, the police and NGOs, the results are nil. These cells have become clawless," moaned conservationists. Decisions Only On Paper * FDCM, which has a large forest area under its jurisdiction, not invited to meetings * Decision on expert group of police and forest officials in vulnerable Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondia, Wardha, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Thane and Mumbai not taken * Decision on secret funds hanging by fire * No special cell for handling wildlife crime cases. Joint forest and MSEDCL teams too not formed * Several tiger poaching cases in Chandrapur not reopened as promised by the then Spl IGP SB Sawarkar * Police station diaries with special columns for wildlife crime pending. Cops too not part of the census exercise as decided http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Toothless-regional-tiger-cell-meets-today/articleshow/11971424.cms

Tiger trackers get their due

- Relief for cash-strapped Palamau park A.S.R.P. MUKESH Palamau Tiger Reserve Ranchi, Feb. 20: The weekend has proved lucky for striking trackers at Palamau Tiger Reserve currently in a no-pay-no-work mode, with the forest headquarters releasing partial funds in a bid to grant wages pending for seven months and the state deciding to gift cycles to each. The 150 trackers at PTR had been on strike since February 9 to protest against the non-payment of their wages — Rs 125 a day for each — for all these months, which The Telegraph highlighted on Saturday in its report on the funds tangle that crippled the reserve. In an overnight development, yesterday, the forest headquarters at Doranda released partial funds of around Rs 31 lakh to pay the wages. However, the core issue — why the state doesn’t bother to send the Centre a letter of utilisation of funds, which is why the tiger reserve is cash-strapped for years on end — has been left hanging. The cheque, addressed to Palamau Tiger Reserve divisional forest officer Premjit Anand, could not be encashed today as banks were closed on Shivratri. Officials said that emergency funds were managed from other sources. Chief conservator of forests (wildlife) A.K. Gupta confirmed the development. “Yes, funds have been released. It is a little over Rs 31 lakh. The cheque has been given to the divisional forest officer (Anand) and payments will take place once the bank reopens on Tuesday,” he said. The strike is, therefore, expected to end in a couple of days. Once it does, trackers — who walk more than 10km a day — can also expect cycles, thanks to the first-of-its-kind largesse of the state forest department, which earlier only doled out biscuits and canvas shoes. This maiden experiment to increase the mobility of trackers and tiger protection force members has already started rolling with Saturday’s launch of a tendering process for branded cycle companies. “We have decided to give them cycles with the twin objectives of boosting their morale and increasing their mobility,” Gupta told The Telegraph. The cycles will be a more-than-welcome bonus in the coming summer months, giving the trackers the motivation to cover the reserve more thoroughly, even alternating between treks and pedals. GPS devices and CCTV cameras will complement fieldwork for better monitoring. However, what needs to be done is to get cracking on the bigger picture — ensuring that the Centre’s funds are not locked by state’s bureaucratic apathy — for smooth operations of the tiger abode that faces countless problems, animal and human. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120221/jsp/frontpage/story_15160297.jsp

The Ranthambhore story

G. ANANTHAKRISHNAN One of India's iconic tiger reserves is emblematic of its efforts to save the big cat Preserving India's wild tigers has become a popular cause today. Most people might never see a wild tiger, but they fully support measures to save it. They are aware that, in spite of several challenges, tigers do persist and need help. Poaching, mining, indifferent forest bureaucracies, highways in sanctuaries, and unrestrained consumerism — all pose a threat. It is undoubtedly a gloomy picture. And this sense of despair once again pervades Valmik Thapar's writing, relieved only by an occasional glimmer of hope. The Ranthambhore National Park, the tiger haven near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan, is among Thapar's favourite haunts. The very name evokes images of vast forested lands, the ruins of a massive fort, and lakes with emerald vegetation attracting the big cats and their prey. The author's tryst with tigers here began in his twenties, and grew into a magnificent obsession over three-and-a-half decades. This comprehensive book, the 21st by the crusading conservationist-author, is essentially made up of two parts. The first is a lavish spread of images, many of them by Fateh Singh Rathore, a passionate forester, which makes it worth collecting. The second is a critique of tiger conservation in the three decades since hunting was outlawed, major forest laws were introduced, and the protection of the environment became a policy imperative. Enlightening Even if the reader has no particular interest in Thapar's anecdote-laced analysis of what is wrong with India's forest and conservation policies, he will find the book quite absorbing and enlightening, thanks to the pictures that are supremely delightful and offer a lot of insight into the ecology, biology, behaviour, prey preferences, and habitat of the tiger. The Government of India has spent enormous money since the launch of Project Tiger (which later became the National Tiger Conservation Authority). Yet, reading through the chapters of this book, one is left with the feeling that New Delhi was not really serious about the goal. Environmental governance under the supervision of Indira Gandhi yielded splendid gains and helped wildlife recover. But after her departure from the scene, it has been a systematic reversal, with Nature being looked upon only as a resource to be managed and extracted from. This is the economics that, in Thapar's view, grossly tilts the scales against the survival of the tiger. Two things stand out in his analysis: policy confusion about protected areas that has resulted in mounting pressures on habitat and the generally hostile attitude of the forest bureaucracy to independent research, which prevents the growth of scholarship on conservation. Disaster project Thapar describes his interaction with several Ministers for Environment and, mostly, they do not cover themselves in glory, with the exception of Jairam Ramesh. They appear vague, vain or inept, while dealing with forest protection. The Environment Ministry comes across as a “funny place”, and the World Bank's $ 70 million eco-development project under the Global Environment Facility, a disaster for forests. One Environment Minister, Thapar says, surprised him by declaring that he had been presented a fresh tiger skin during an election meeting in his constituency. Things were not good for the other folk working to save tigers. Independent researchers such as Raghu Chundawat, who worked with the author, faced unrelenting pressure to establish his bona fide intent and had to endure smear campaigns for the simple reason that they recorded the decline of tigers — as in Panna. The shocking story of Sariska's local extinction and clumsy attempts at re-introduction of tigers is told with a lot of personal insight. These are not new stories, of course, but form part of the long journey that Thapar has undertaken in Ranthambhore and elsewhere. The book affirms the superiority of scientific research and gives credit to scientist Ullas Karanth and his camera-trap-based capture-recapture sampling technique to arrive at credible tiger counts. The reader is also treated to hilarious anecdotes, including one on the discredited pugmark method, which produced exaggerated tiger population figures. In one instance, a forest guard claimed that he had made a trace of a pugmark from the wet foot of a tiger on a rock, before it dried up. On policy, if there is one issue for which a doughty fighter like the author is yet to come up with a solution, that is the perceived conflict between electoral politics and conservation imperatives. Thus, the Forest Rights Act in its present form — empowering tribals and traditional forest dwellers — is seen as divisive and harmful to conservation, and politicians focussed solely on votes as men of poor mettle. He calls it the “ignorant buzzword.” That debate is set to go on. Ultimately, it is the tigers that elevate the book. They are everywhere in glorious colour, hunting in the lakes of Ranthambhore, walking, frolicking, snarling, leaping, sparring, mating or simply relaxing. Valmik Thapar and Fateh Singh Rathore spent many dreamy days in this idyll, watching a fascinating creature in its home. The book is a tribute as much to Fateh, who was Valmik's mentor from the beginning, as to the big cats. Keywords: Ranthambhore National Park, Valmik Thapar, Fateh Singh Rathore, Ullas Karanth, Project Tiger, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Forest Rights Act http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article2913306.ece

Predator, prey base has increased at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve: WTI

PTI | Feb 20, 2012, 04.45PM IST LAKHIMPUR KHERI (UP): Apprehensions about depletion of prey base in the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), generated after reports of tigers hunting rhinos surfaced, were dispelled by a recent survey conducted in three areas of the wildlife sanctuary. The survey was conducted in Dudhwa National Park (DNP), Kishunpur Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KGWS) by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Based on scat (droppings) analysis of the big cats and their prey species including spotted deer, wild boars, swamp deer, hog deer, barking deer, langoors, among others, it was concluded that prey and predators have increased. "WTI survey has highlighted the fact that numbers of both prey as well as predators have increased which can be attributed to adept habitat management and wildlife protection," Field director and chief conservator of forest Parasada said. The CCF said the density of tigers has increased, as reported by the survey, hence this would be reflected in the numbers as well. During camera trapping under Phase three in DTR, the density of tigers in Dudhwa National Park came around 7.88 per km, he said. As per the report, the number of tigers comes to around 72 in DNP, 32 in KWS and 23 in Kishunpur. Total number of tigers in DTR tallies at around 127. According to the WTI report, DNP has the highest density of big cats and prey species, followed by Kishunpur and Katarniaghat sanctuaries. The WTI teams scanned 149.2 sq km area of DNP including Sathiyana, Dudhwa, South Sonaripur and Belrayan from December 2011 and January 2012 and found a total of 80 scats of big cats, which tallied at 53%. Similarly, in 91.77 sq km area of Nishangada and Katarniaghat areas of KWS, the ratio of scat collection of big cats tallied around 32 per cent while in 201.81 sq km area of Mailani and Kishunpur areas in KWS, it was around 26.5%. The WTI survey corroborates the report of the last tiger census which described density of the big cat in Dudhwa as 7.9 per km as compared to 4.9 of 2007. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Predator-prey-base-has-increased-at-Dudhwa-Tiger-Reserve-WTI/articleshow/11963374.cms

Pug marks confirm tiger in Saranda

B Sridhar, TNN | Feb 21, 2012, 07.28AM IST JAMSHEDPUR: Speculation over the presence of the big cat in the Saranda forest was put to rest,when the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, confirmed the presence of the tiger here recently. The divisional forest officer,K K Tiwary, however, clarified that the institute has not suggested the specific number of tigers. In its preliminary report, the institute confirmed the pug marks that were sent by the forest officials for examination last year. "The preliminary report has confirmed the presence of a tiger in the Gua area of the forest cover but for further confirmation we need to have visual evidence," said Tiwary. In November last year, the forest department traced pug marks beside the carcass of a bison suggesting an attack by a tiger. Thereafter, the pug marks were collected using tracing paper and plaster of Paris and were sent to the Betla Project Tiger office for examination. "Betla officials sent the pug marks to Dehradun, which examined the evidences and confirmed the pug marks," said Tiwary. Since then, the department has been on the lookout for evidence. "The possibility of tigers straying into the West Singhbhum area from Simplipal cannot be ruled out. So we need visual evidence before we confirm their resident status," said Tiwary. He also said since November last there has been no report of animal casualty involving an attack by a tiger or tigress. Saranda, spread over 850 sq km, has about 1,000 cheetals, 300 sambars and 25 bisons, according to the last census. "Till a few decades ago, there were tigers in Saranda but over the years their number has declined," said a forest conservator, adding, "Saranda was home to wild boars, barking deer and antelope which suggest their predator's (tiger) presence nearby." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Pug-marks-confirm-tiger-in-Saranda/articleshow/11972056.cms

Tigress dies in road accident, cub in shock

TNN | Feb 20, 2012, 02.23AM IST CHANDRAPUR/NAGPUR: A tigress was found dead and its sub-adult cub has been traced close by on the premises of Lohara teak research centre, 3km from Chandrapur, on Sunday. This is the second tiger death in a month in the district. On January 23, a full-grown tiger was electrocuted in Zaran in FDCM area near Chandrapur. The tigress seems to have died after being hit by an unidentified vehicle while crossing the road. Experts say the spot seems to be a favourite crossing as a tigress had met the same fate in February 2006. Senior officials confirmed presence of a cub nearby, who is unable to stand on its legs after the accident. "The cub, suspected to be sub-adult, is in a state of shock. We are closely monitoring movement of the cub and have installed camera traps. A bait has also been tied near the cub. A search of the area has revealed that there is only one cub," they said. However, experts suspect that there might be another cub which must have moved ahead. On Sunday, patrolling staff of the teak centre noticed carcass of the tigress in compartment no. 397 close to the Chandrapur-Mul road. It took more than five hours for the senior officers of Chandrapur circle to reach the spot after the carcass was noticed. A visit to the spot revealed that the carcass was fresh and blood was oozing out from the nose and the right hind limb was slashed. The 8-year-old beast may have died early in the morning. "All the body parts of the tigress are intact and hence possibility of poaching is ruled out," officials said. The big cat was 2.40 metres in length and 94cm in height. Sources claimed that the tigress had its location in the teak research nursery and forest around. The tigress had a 20-cm-long gash in the right hind limb. A deep cut ripped the skin revealing bone close to the claw. "The animal's joint at the place of fresh injury has also been dislocated. There is also a 4-cm-long injury on the right forelimb which appears a bit old. The tigress might have died due to excessive internal bleeding," officials said, quoting veterinary doctors. They ruled out the possibility of electrocution as no burn marks were found on the body. Veterinary doctors who performed autopsy later deduced the internal haemorrhage as a cause of death. Deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) P Kalyankumar informed that the tigress might have been hit by some vehicle while crossing the road. The carcass was burned in the presence of forest officials and NGOs in the evening. Nitin Desai, Central India director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), said, "It's a big loss as a tigress delivers at least 16 cubs during her life circle. It is high time vehicular traffic is regulated on Chandrapur-Mul road." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Tigress-dies-in-road-accident-cub-in-shock/articleshow/11955987.cms

Woman mauled by tiger in Ranthambore

TNN Feb 18, 2012, 03.10AM IST woman|Ranthambore Tiger Reserve|mauled|death JAIPUR: Morpali Meena, a 50-year-old woman, was mauled to death by a tiger at Bera Ki Qui between the Darrah and Berro areas of the Ranthambore tiger reserve on Thursday. Morpali, mother of a nature guide of the park Jagdish Meena, was missing since Thursday evening but it was only after the recovery of her body on Friday morning that her death was confirmed by forest officials. Meena had gone to collect firewood from the area in the afternoon but when she did not return home till late evening her family members began searching for her. "Late in the evening, we had come across some clothes belonging to her but there was no trace of her body. Officials of the department tried to scan the area but due to darkness the search proved futile," a forest department official said. The search was resumed in the morning and the woman's body was traced atop a hillock in the Bera Ki Qui area. The hill lies on the periphery of the reserve and is home to a tiger of the park. The body of Morpali Meena bore bite marks on the left thigh and waist. A post-mortem was conducted on the body that confirmed that she died due to animal bite. Later her body was handed over to her family along with a compensation sum of Rs 2 lakh. "But we cannot confirm if she was attacked and killed by a tiger as the hill where the body was traced is rocky and therefore had no pug marks. She could have been killed by any wild animal, including a tiger or a panther," said A Choubey, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan. Sources though revealed that tiger pugmarks were traced to the bottom of the hill. The last that Ranthambore witnessed a death due to tiger attack was on August 17, 2010 when a 22-year-old youth was mauled to death at Indala Dang area.http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-18/jaipur/31074788_1_pug-marks-tiger-pugmarks-tiger-attack

DFO & forest guards at loggerheads

TNN | Feb 20, 2012, 07.24AM IST DALTONGANJ: Divisional forest officer (DFO-buffer) Anil Mishra and Jharkhand Van Shramik Union president Sidh Nath Jha are at loggerheads. About 157 contractual workers, daily wage-earners of the Palamu Tiger Reserve are on a dharna for past nine days. The officer and the union are at loggerheads on the issue of removal of three daily wage workers from the reserve. The workers removed are Sidh Nath Jha, Green Ram and Mukut Stephen Tirkey. Mishra said, "I had removed four daily wagers. But intriguingly these union people are making noises about only three." Mishra could not recollect the name of the fourth one removed by him. "Jha is the state president of the Jharkhand Van Shramik Union. He does not work at all. Jha's plea is that he is the head of the union so he be exempted from doing work as a daily wager," said the DFO adding that should a contractual worker (daily wage earner) be paid government money in terms of wages if the person concerned has not done any work at all?. The DFO reiterated this union president would not be paid wages at all for the period he has not done work. Jha's non performing days are being counted and now he stands removed from the tiger reserve. Jha concedes his removal is unjust. He said, "We want all removed to be taken in the PTR." When asked as to why he does not work like other daily wagers Jha said, "Being the state president of Van Shramik Union there is hardly any time left for doing but my presence in PTR helps other daily wagers to work more sincerely." On the reason for removing the other two daily workers the DFO said that Green Ram and Mukut Stephen Tirkey have been removed for selling precious woods/trees of PTR to local carpenters in villages situated in and around the PTR. However Jha defended them saying, "The daily wagers are a victim of conspiracy of either forest guards or rangers as when ever these daily wagers point fingers towards corruption in PTR the forest guards and rangers start waging war against daily wagers." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/DFO-forest-guards-at-loggerheads/articleshow/11958300.cms

Tiger cub found dead in Nagarahole

Bangalore, February 17 2012, DHNS: A year old male tiger cub was found dead in Antara Sante Range of Nagarahole National Park on Friday. The carcass of the cub was found near Hoskere anti-poaching camp in Antar Sante Range. According to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden B K Singh the cub died of natural causes.“There appears to be no foul play, because all body parts are intact,” he said. Tiger, leopard pelts seized Tiger and leopard pelts worth Rs 15 lakh were seized at Koppa in Chikmagalur district by Forest department officers along with some of the City-based wildlife enthusiasts. Acting on a tip by an autorickshaw driver from Koppa, the forest officers raided and arrested a person who possessed a tiger cub pelt worth Rs 10 lakh and the pelt of a young leopard worth Rs five lakh. 14 persons have been arrested in this connection. According to Sunil Duggar of Akhila Bharatha Prani Daya Sangha, the tiger was poached from Chikmagalur forests in November and the leopard was killed through electrocution in January, 2012. The arrest was an outcome of a four-day long operation. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/228050/tiger-cub-found-dead-nagarahole.html

Tiger scares away voters on outskirts

TNN | Feb 20, 2012, 12.47AM IST The beast, which has been in the area for over a month, scared away voters in the Rahmankhera locality and only 35% people from a cluster of six villages in the area turned up to cast their votes. RAHMANKHERA: Apart from winning the voters' confidence, candidates in Malihabad constituency had an unusual odd to overcome - menace of a wandering tiger. The beast, which has been in the area for over a month, scared away voters in the Rahmankhera locality and only 35% people from a cluster of six villages in the area turned up to cast their votes on Sunday. The overall polling in Malihabad was 58%. "We did get a call from the 'party' to come and vote without fear. Otherwise also, candidates had been telling us to act brave," said a villager Kalluram. The political assurances, however, did not pay off. "We were told that the low turnout was because of the tiger," said a poll officer at the Dugauli booth. "Even those who turned up, came in groups to vote," Kalluram adds. Ulrapur, in Rahmankhera, has nothing distinctive about it. It's broken, kuchcha roads, rather, make it a perfect case of state's apathy and neglect. But, on the polling day, the village assumed importance. More than 20 security guards were deployed by forest department at the village to infuse a sense of security in villagers, scared of the stray tiger. But, result was not encouraging. "I came with others. And, more than half of the voters, have not come," said Pyarelal of Ulrapur villager. "We are going to vote in groups," said his friend Siyaram. Rahmankhera has several of its villages reeling under the tiger scare. The worst affected are Dugauli, Ulrapur and Meethenagar. All these villages are situated between forest area. Dugauli and Ulrapur together have 658 registered voters. The tiger is located around the campus of Central Institute of Subtropical Horticultre (CISH) campus. A narrow road from the main Malihabad road, takes one inside the premise. While Dugauli lies on one side of this narrow road, Ulrapur lies on the other side. "The stretch that connects two villages, has dense forest on both sides," said Arjun Lal Yadav. However, presiding officer, Lalit Sharma, who, too, was aware of the roaming tiger, ruled out any such impact. "People are coming out in good numbers," said the officer. The forest officers, including senior officers, were present on the spot manning security at sensitive villages. "We know our responsibilities, and we are doing our best. There is no scare at all, and voters are moving," said a senior officer. Canvassing in the area had already been badly hit in the area due to the big cat. "When we come back from work in the evening, we give call up at our place first. It's only after four five people come and stand at road with lathis, that we enter the village," said Sanjay, resident of Ulrapur, about the tiger scare in the area. "So far, it hasn't attacked anybody. But who knows," said Nayandevi. Since villagers are dependent for most of their basic needs on the forest, from fodder to fuel, tiger presence in the area is affecting them hard. The tiger was first spotted on January 8 and has not been trapped despite best effort fro forest officials. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Crouching-tiger-missing-voters/articleshow/11958091.cms

'India must make wildlife cadre to protect tigers'

Last Updated: Sunday, February 19, 2012, 12:39 0 Tags: India, wildlife cadre, tigers protection Bangkok: India should step up efforts to revamp its forest service and create a separate wildlife cadre for tigers which can work in partnership with other agencies to protect the animal, a top conservationist has said. Valmik Thapar, an Indian conservationist, is of the view that when the British left India they also left behind the Indian Forest Service, whose primary duty was cutting of forests and use of forests. "That scenario has changed now, it is not only about protecting the forest but also protecting its wildlife," he said adding that wildlife protection was a very tiny part of the service and not sufficient and called for a wildlife cadre. "If India wants more landscape for tigers, a separate cadre has to be carved," he said on the sidelines of a Tiger protection conference here. "The time has come for change, new partnerships without that tigers won't be alive," he said. The Tiger conference organised by the UN office of Drugs and Crime saw police and customs heads and Tiger conservationists from 13 Asian countries agreeing to tighten controls and improve cross border cooperation to curb the illegal smuggling of tigers and other critically endangered species. "We must take immediate and urgent action to save these magnificent animals from extinction," Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organisation said. Thapar said poaching was linked to a government. "Poaching accelerates, when there is a bad and weak government as poachers exploit these gaps," he said, adding that bad governance and bad political leadership also led to the endangerment of animal species. He felt that India's forest department did not like change. "We need to rethink otherwise we have no hope," he lamented. Meanwhile, the Global Tiger Initiative of the World Bank said India faced major challenges in sustaining the integrity and inviolability of core tiger habitats and corridors (mounting pressures from roads, mining and extraction industries) It said that one billion US dollars were needed to relocate villages out of the core areas. Another challenge was in maintaining tiger occupancy in habitats outside tiger reserves and noted there was a 20 percent in tiger occupancy observed habitats outside designated tiger reserves. A third challenge according to the Tiger Initiative was managing human-wildlife relationships noting there had been increased tiger-human conflict in some landscapes. However the Global Initiative also noted that India had made some major achievements. These included addition of 2,500 km of new tiger habitat by establishing two new Tiger Reserves bringing a total of 54,656 Km2 under 41 Tiger reserves. This represented a five per cent increase in tiger habitat under protection, it said adding that five more tiger reserves were under establishment and another six were proposed. It said across the country, tiger and prey estimations had recorded a modest increase in tiger numbers and that wildlife corridors connecting critical tiger breeding areas had been identified and published. "If we lose an emblematic species like the Tiger, mankind will be acknowledging that it is prepared to lose any animal on the planet. This must not be allowed to happen," Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UNODC told the conference adding that "by our actions we must show that we have the capacity, the ability and the commitment to protect other species living on this planet." PTI

Sariska reserve to have GPS system soon

TNN | Feb 17, 2012, 01.49AM IST JAIPUR: Tracking of tigers through radio collars at Sariska Tiger Reserve will soon become passe as the wildlife department plans to monitor the activities of tigers and other animals through global positioning system (GPS). Apart from the tigers, activities of forest guards and officials could also be monitored, too, by this system. Satellite and digital cameras would be installed in and around the reserve under the new plan. Also, every forest guard will have to prepare reports of animals and their activities and submit them daily, sources said. All such data relating to the tigers, their numbers and births of cubs would be made available online, sources added. "The data will then be sent to the range officers, who would then forward it to the district forest officer (DFO) who would finally send it to the Indian Wildlife Institute, Dehradun, to make it online," an officer said. The census of the animals would be done through four different methodologies and forest guards and officials would be able to keep a tab on poaching, etc. "Death of animals would be recorded properly," said a source. Additionally, transit line cameras would also be installed in the reserve. "Every transit line census of the big cats would be done on 5, 15 and 25 of every month," an officer said. "Earlier, it was difficult to know whether or not any guard or ranger was inside the reserve but with the GPS system their activities and movements could be tracked, for discipline purposes," RS Shekawat, field director of the reserve, said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11918906.cms

Tiger breeding: Panna strikes global first, Sariska fails Tiger breeding: Panna strikes global first, Sariska fails

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 16, 2012 It is a mixed bag for future of tigers. A captive bred tigress in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, has become world’s first big cat to deliver in wild but pregnancy of a relocated tigress in Sariska, Rajasthan, has failed for the second time, a setback to the breeding efforts. Panna and Sariska are India’s big cat experiment labs as both lost them due to poaching and the government re-introduced tigers from similar landscape to create a new pool. On Wednesday, Panna delivered the world’s first --- two cubs from a six-year-old captive tigress, who was orphaned six years ago and was reared in an enclosure in Kanha tiger reserve. She and her two siblings – a brother and a sister --- were trained for hunting in the enclosure. After a positive report from Dehradun based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the tigresses were shifted to Panna in March 2011 and the brother, who was injured, to Van Vihar, Bhopal. “The tigress has been spotted with two cubs after mating with a wild tiger,” said R S Murthy, field director of Panna Tiger Reserve that had no tigers in 2009. In all seven tigers have been relocated to Panna. Since the two tigresses landed, there was around the clock monitoring through Global Positioning System (GPS). In September 2011, the elder tigress, which created history, lost the radio collar and since then she was being monitored manually. The forest guards were able to spot and record the presence of two cubs with the mother on Wednesday. “It is for first time captive bred tigress has adapted completely to wild conditions,” Murthy said. But, the said news is that her sister had been badly injured in a brawl with another tiger. “She will take four to five days to recover,” he said, adding that she was slow in adapting to wild conditions unlike her elder sister. That has not happened in Sariska, which lost all tigers in 2004. A tiger and two tigresses were shifted from Rathambore and only one tigress had conceived twice. “She has again lost her baby,” an official of National Tiger Conservation Authority said, adding that the Wildlife Institute of India has been asked to investigate the reasons for repeated abortions. However, officials said the high human presence in Sariska was causing problems for the big cats there. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Tiger-breeding-Panna-strikes-global-first-Sariska-fails/Article1-812579.aspx

People living in wildlife areas causing tiger death, MP govt tells SC

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, February 15, 2012 War of words over on what harms the tigers more --- humans or tourism – has got bigger with Madhya Pradesh blaming people living in tigers reserves for death of big cats and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO, putting the onus on increased tourism. This was in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court by RTI activist Ajay Dubey demanding ban on tourism in core areas of tiger reserves with environment ministry’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) backing the PIL. The NTCA has already issued guidelines asking the states to shift the tourism activity to buffer zone and ban tourism in core areas. An area of 800-1,000 sq kms have be declared as core tiger habitat, where no tourism can be allowed. “In the present circumstances tourism will not sustain in the buffer areas of alone because the buffer areas do not get the level of protection as granted to the core area and hence the density of the wildlife in buffer area is very less,” the state government said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court. Instead of restricting tourism to buffer zones, the state government argued that relocation of people (around 6,000 families in 41 tiger reserves) living in tiger reserves and imposing restrictions on collection of minor forest produce was a better way to protect tigers. The logic presented was that tourism does not exploit resources on which the wildlife depends like humans and thereby, it has minimum impact on wildlife. Countering the claims of MP government, the WTI told the court that adverse impact of tourism could be seen on tigers in Kanha, Pench and Badhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh in MP, Ranthambore in Rajasthan and Corbett in Uttarakhand. Quoting the tiger task force report of 2005, WTI said there are 21 resorts within one km of the core area of Kanha tiger reserve and another 25 within five kms. It also said that so called restrictions imposed on tourism – distance between two vehicles minimum 500 meters --- is flouted in almost all tiger reserves. The WTI also pointed out sustainable growth of lodges and resorts in the buffer zones around tiger reserves without any planning had turned them into “biggest” threat to viable forest corridors for movement of animals. In addition, these resorts put additional burden on local ecology. Around 93 per cent of the resorts run on locally procured wood and around 50 % using underground water. “There is a critical need to restrict and regulate tourism activities within and outside tiger reserves,” the WTI said, in its application filed before the court. After hearing all the parties on Tuesday, the court decided to appoint Ram Punjwani as amicus (friend of the court) in the case and gave him a month to submit a report to the court. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/MadhyaPradesh/People-living-in-wildlife-areas-causing-tiger-death-MP-govt-tells-SC/Article1-811882.aspx