10 forest officials taken hostage

Express News Service BARIPADA: Ten forest personnel have been held hostage by the residents of Gopinathpur village inside Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday. They include three foresters, two forest guards and five Protection Assistants. The villagers who had taken hostage the forester of Nigirda range Khirod Chandra Singh along with a PA on Tuesday, again kidnapped eight others demanding release of three villagers who were arrested on charges of poaching in the forest. The three villagers are Mansid Nag (40) of Gopinathpur village, Lada Tabundia (35) of Saruda village and Lanka Sinku (35) of Bagdaga village under Rairangpur forest division. The officials who have been held hostage include forester Chandra Sekhar Mishra of Lengdakocha range, forester Biranchi Narayan Mohapatra of Dhuduruchampa range and two forest guards - Jhangul Hansda and Amit Kumar Bindhani. The other five are Protection Assistants. Sources said an army of around 60 villagers cordoned off the forest range offices and took the officials hostage. Later, they took them to their village and informed the forest officials to release the arrested to get the officials freed. Meanwhile, the Forest Department and the district administration have engaged mediators to discuss the matter with the villagers. Regional Conservator of Forests and Field Director of STR Anup Nayak said five mediators were negotiating with the villagers. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/10-forest-officials-taken-hostage/260836-60-117.html

Guards of Maharashtra tiger reserves told to shoot poachers on sight

Published: Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 8:45 IST By Surendra Gangan | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA The state forest department has issued an order empowering guards to shoot poachers on sight in Maharashtra’s four tiger reserves. The order was issued after two tigers and three leopards were found killed in the last few weeks. Forest minister Patangrao Kadam on Tuesday said the high-powered committee of forest officers took the decision to empower the staff. He said the guards have been provided with logistic support as well. “Killing poachers won’t be considered a crime and no case will be registered if the forest staff catch them in the act and open fire. The guards have been provided with state-of-the-art arms. They will also be given 100 vehicles. The department has been given additional funds for hiring informants,” Kadam said. He said a CID probe has been announced in the killing of two tigers at the Tadoba reserve to find out whether they were electrocuted or poached. A committee of four forest officers will conduct a parallel inquiry in the killings. On April 26, a tiger was found killed and another seriously injured in the Tadoba reserve. On May 18, a tiger was found chopped to pieces; it is suspected to be a contract killing. On May 20, three leopards were found killed, but it is not yet clear if they died of electric shock. Praveen Pardesi, principal secretary, forest department, said the staff have been keeping vigil round the clock. “Earlier, wildlife activists and locals used to find the bodies and alert officials. But in the recent killings, it was the guards who found the dead animals,” he said. http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_guards-of-maharashtra-tiger-reserves-told-to-shoot-poachers-on-sight_1692469

Conservation body orders vigilance in MP tiger reserves

TNN | May 23, 2012, 07.05AM IST BHOPAL: In the wake of National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) warning that poachers might strike anytime in 42 tiger reserves across the country, security has been tightened in and around the tiger reserves and national parks in the state. According to NTCA warning, local poachers, especially those hailing from Katni district in Madhya Pradesh have been paid in advance to get tigers' body parts which would fetch huge money in international markets, a top forest official said. NTCA has emailed, faxed and telephonically asked six tiger reserves - Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Pench, Satpura and Sanjay Gandhi to keep a vigil and keep the poachers at bay a fortnight ago, he added. "We have stepped up vigil in and around the park. Patrolling is being carried day in and out following NTCA's warning, Pench tiger reserve field director Alok Kumar told TOI. He said patrolling teams were keeping a tight security in core area spread over Seoni and Chhindwara districts and that the intelligence network has been asked to pass event the slightest information in connection with suspicious persons to forest department officials. "We are taking no chances following the killing of tiger in Chandrapur in Maharashtra," he said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/Conservation-body-orders-vigilance-in-MP-tiger-reserves/articleshow/13403756.cms

Five underpasses to protect wildlife

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | May 23, 2012, 01.22AM IST NAGPUR: In a major victory for wildlife activists, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has recommended five underpasses in four patches on Maharashtra side and two on the Chhattisgarh side as part of the mitigation plan on NH6, where four-laning is cutting through vital tiger populations of Central Indian landscape. The WII had been appointed to suggest mitigation measures by the National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA). TOI was the first to report on the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) violations by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on NH6 in January 2009. Since then permission has been held up for widening the highway from two-lane to four-lane. NGO Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) had moved the Supreme Court's centrally empowered committee (CEC) against the cutting of tiger corridors. On the directions of the CEC, NHAI prepared a mitigation plan but it was not acceptable to the WTI, which insisted on flyovers. Finally, the WII was asked to prepare a plan and accordingly a two-member team visited NH6 for eight days beginning January 27. The WII report asks NHAI to construct underpasses for animals stretching 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 metre in length and 7 metre in height. The NHAI's revised mitigation plan submitted to the forest department had suggested underpasses in eight vulnerable patches, with dimensions of 10 feet height and 20 feet width. In addition, NHAI had suggested fencing of thick chain links, rescue gates and ramps. However, since this mitigation plan does not satisfy the needs of wild animals, WII has virtually rejected it. The NHAI plan was prepared by ex-chief wildlife warden RN Indurkar and retired ACF SS Deshpande. Most of the road from Bhandara to Chhattisgarh border has been upgraded from two-lane to four-lane, except in the three stretches passing through forest area. The incomplete stretches are from Maramjob to Bahmni (4.15km), Bahmni to Duggipar (3.05km), and Sakoli to Mundipar (3.2km). Apart from these, WII has also proposed two additional structures in the completed four-lane road between Sirpur-Navatola (6.3km). "This stretch led to bifurcation of 70% of the corridor between Kanha-Pench and Navegaon, Nagzira and Tadoba reserves," WII sources said. In the three as yet uncompleted stretches, the WII says that box culverts of 3.05 height and 6.10 width proposed by the NHAI are unsuitable for wildlife. These box culverts have been largely conceived as drainage structures. The WII has proposed underpasses of 2,000 metre width and 7 metre height. Regarding the 3.05km patch between Bahmni and Duggipar, the WII says it is a vital connectivity between Navegaon and Nagzira. The NH6 is 1km from the boundary of the park. However, Prafulla Bhamburkar of WTI says that after the notification of Navegaon Sanctuary, the four-lane road is now virtually touching the sanctuary boundary. The WII has also disapproved NHAI's plan to change total width of forest used for the road from 60 metre to 45 metre. WII sources said, "The reduced width will not have any influence on volume of traffic, but actually give less time to animals to decide whether to cross the road or not. Reduced width will increase probability of animal fatalities." On an average, 6,000 vehicles use NH6 in every 24 hours. The WII has said NHAI should be asked to implement the mitigation measures as soon as possible. Delay in implementing the measures will affect the long-term functionality of the crucial corridor connecting 10 protected areas (PAs). http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Five-underpasses-to-protect-wildlife/articleshow/13400986.cms

Tigers get younger in Ranthambhore!

SUNNY SEBASTIAN Tigress T-39 was sighted for the first time with a cub on Monday morning in Sultanpur area of Ranthambhore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan. Photo: Special arrangement It is raining litters in Ranthambhore National Park; more tiger cubs sighted Rajasthan's Ranthambhore National Park is turning into a little kingdom of tiger cubs with their number registering an all-time high figure of two dozens. One new cub was discovered on Monday morning in the Sultanpur locality of the park while tiger-watchers insist that T-17, the tigress born to Machli and now called “Sundari” by virtue of her good looks too has turned a mother though photographic evidence on the young ones is awaited. The Monday morning celebrity was T-39, the daughter of the Sultanpur tigress which had left the park some months back and is now living in the Chambal ravines in Kota and Baran districts of the State. T-39 obviously inherited her mother's terrain in her absence as she was spotted with a cub in that locality (see photo). “This is an exciting find! I am sure we will have more good news when T-17 comes out in the open with her cubs. I had seen her mating with the male tiger T-25 some time in January. Thereafter she was spotted in the company of another male, T-28. Ever since, the Forest staff in the park had been keeping the date and counting the days as it is approximately 90 days of pregnancy for tiger,” said Bina Kak, Rajasthan's Minister for Environment & Forests, talking to The Hindu. “It is very difficult to decide whether a particular tigress is pregnant or not. They all look the same if the tummy is full,” she noted. Ms. Kak is especially happy about T-17 as she (the Minister) had insisted on getting the collar round the feline's neck removed. “The decision to remove the collar seemingly worked in reproduction. I want the collars to be removed in the case of the female tigers in Sariska as well so that the existing spell over tiger breeding in that park after the re-introduction of tigers breaks,” she said. Ms. Kak said if the National Tiger Conservation Authority approves she would move two more tigresses from Ranthambhore to Sariska. If regular park visitors are to be believed, the number of cubs has reached 22-24 and this means that the average age of Ranthambhore tigers is coming down. The park at present has 34 adult tigers and the water hole census carried out on May 6-7 too had confirmed this. The female tigresses with cubs at present are: T-13, T-5, T-8, T-31, T-9 (all with two cubs each), T-19, T-26, T-11 and T-30 -- all with three cubs each. Yet counting the tiger cubs may be more like counting your eggs before they are hatched. That is why the Forest authorities are often reluctant to give out the numbers of litters at any given time. Perhaps that also explains why they had kept the number of tiger cubs in the park as “over a dozen” after the water hole census this time. “It is a very risky area. All the tiger cubs are not likely to survive and if the figures are given out in advance the media is bound to make a big fuss when the deaths take place due to various reasons,” pointed out Rajpal Singh, Member, Rajasthan Board for Wildlife. “The fact that tigers are breeding copiously in the park is surely very exciting. Even if 60 per cent of the present cub population survives that is going to be a big number,” he added. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3445488.ece

Tiger sighted in Ramnagar forest division again

WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY 2012 00:27 PNS | DEHRADUN Forest department personnel have once again sighted the tiger which had been seen lying almost immobile in the Ramnagar forest division on Sunday. Though it was earlier suspected that the feline might be injured, no visual signs of injury or blood marks have been found on its body or the site where it was lying. Forest department personnel had spotted a tiger lying more of less in the same place near Bhandarpani in Kota range of the Ramnagar forest division on Sunday morning which had elicited concern of the officials when it was found in the same place in the evening. The tiger disappeared on Sunday night but was sighted once again at the same place on Tuesday. The tiger was earlier thought to be injured but according to Chief Conservator of Forests, Kumaon Circle, Paramjeet Singh, there is no visual injury on the tiger and not a drop of blood was found on the spot where it was resting. A team of wildlife experts and vets was called to the site and personnel were trying to feed the feline meat. http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/67481-tiger-sighted-in-ramnagar-forest-division-again.html

Hundreds of volunteers help forest staff in census

TNN | May 23, 2012, 04.53AM IST MYSORE: The three-day elephant census commenced on Monday in Mysore, Chamarajnagar and Kodagu districts with many volunteers assisting the forest officials. Some 100 volunteers each are assisting the ground staff and officials in Nagarahole, Bandipur and BR Hills tiger reserves. The officials have divided the reserves into units, assigning volunteers and the staff to go on beats. The exercise started early in the day and ended after the sunset. At Bandipur, the volunteers, who stayed at anti-poaching camps, started the groundwork at 6am. There are 70 volunteers who are assigned with 59 beats. "We will collate the data and arrive at the number of jumbos in the tiger reserve," Kumar Pushkar, director of the Bandipur tiger reserve, told The Times of India. Spread over 874 sqkm, the volunteers gathered data in each block, which will help in arriving at a figure. Madikeri: 8 injured in jumbo attack Eight persons were injured in two incidents of elephant attacks at different places in Madikeri on Monday. A tusker attacked a group of seven workers at Pollibetta inside an estate. In the second incident, Thimmaiah, an estate writer at Kerebeilu Tota near Banangala, suffered deep wounds on his back when a tusker attacked him from behind. Hundreds of volunteers help forest staff in census TNN | May 23, 2012, 04.53AM IST Article Comments inShare Read More:The Times|Nagarahole Bandipur|Kerebeilu Tota 0 MYSORE: The three-day elephant census commenced on Monday in Mysore, Chamarajnagar and Kodagu districts with many volunteers assisting the forest officials. Some 100 volunteers each are assisting the ground staff and officials in Nagarahole, Bandipur and BR Hills tiger reserves. The officials have divided the reserves into units, assigning volunteers and the staff to go on beats. The exercise started early in the day and ended after the sunset. At Bandipur, the volunteers, who stayed at anti-poaching camps, started the groundwork at 6am. There are 70 volunteers who are assigned with 59 beats. "We will collate the data and arrive at the number of jumbos in the tiger reserve," Kumar Pushkar, director of the Bandipur tiger reserve, told The Times of India. Spread over 874 sqkm, the volunteers gathered data in each block, which will help in arriving at a figure. Madikeri: 8 injured in jumbo attack Eight persons were injured in two incidents of elephant attacks at different places in Madikeri on Monday. A tusker attacked a group of seven workers at Pollibetta inside an estate. In the second incident, Thimmaiah, an estate writer at Kerebeilu Tota near Banangala, suffered deep wounds on his back when a tusker attacked him from behind.

NGO activists protest tiger poaching

TNN | May 22, 2012, 01.55AM IST CHANDRAPUR: A group of NGO activists, connected to different organizations, staged a protest on Monday morning before state forest secretary Pravin Pardeshi, flaying the failure of the forest department in saving the tiger. They waved black flags and demanded a CBI probe into poaching cases. Over two dozen wildlife activists gathered at the gate of Rambagh forest premises. They staged a protest march up to forest rest house. A delegation of activists, led by Suresh Chopne, Sachin Wazalwar and Ashish Ghume, later met Pardeshi and submitted their joint memorandum to him. The memorandum demanded CBI investigation into poaching of tigers. NGOs also demanded day and night monitoring of all waterholes, use of latest technology for protection of tigers, inclusion of local NGOs into special investigation team, inclusion of NGO activists into patrolling and monitoring, denial to all proposals of coal mines and industries around buffer zone of TATR and protection of tiger corridors. Other demands such as monthly review of protection work with local NGOs and special management for control of fire in forest were also raised before the forest secretary. President of Green Planet Society Suresh Chopne claimed that Pardeshi has agreed to include NGO activists into waterhole monitoring in jungles. "We would provide 100 NGO activists for the monitoring exercise from different organizations. We have asked for special identification cards for such activists, to which Pardeshi agreed," he said. Activists of Green Planet Society, Jungle Care, Wild Care, Friends of Tadoba, People for Animals, Chandrapur Bachao Samiti, Prahar organization, Viano Nature Club, Prithvimitra Nisarg Sanstha and Vanyajeev Sanrakshan Samiti took part in the protest.NGO activists protest tiger poaching TNN | May 22, 2012, 01.55AM IST Article Comments inShare Read More:Tiger Poaching|TATR|Rambagh Forest 0 CHANDRAPUR: A group of NGO activists, connected to different organizations, staged a protest on Monday morning before state forest secretary Pravin Pardeshi, flaying the failure of the forest department in saving the tiger. They waved black flags and demanded a CBI probe into poaching cases. Over two dozen wildlife activists gathered at the gate of Rambagh forest premises. They staged a protest march up to forest rest house. A delegation of activists, led by Suresh Chopne, Sachin Wazalwar and Ashish Ghume, later met Pardeshi and submitted their joint memorandum to him. The memorandum demanded CBI investigation into poaching of tigers. NGOs also demanded day and night monitoring of all waterholes, use of latest technology for protection of tigers, inclusion of local NGOs into special investigation team, inclusion of NGO activists into patrolling and monitoring, denial to all proposals of coal mines and industries around buffer zone of TATR and protection of tiger corridors. Other demands such as monthly review of protection work with local NGOs and special management for control of fire in forest were also raised before the forest secretary. President of Green Planet Society Suresh Chopne claimed that Pardeshi has agreed to include NGO activists into waterhole monitoring in jungles. "We would provide 100 NGO activists for the monitoring exercise from different organizations. We have asked for special identification cards for such activists, to which Pardeshi agreed," he said. Activists of Green Planet Society, Jungle Care, Wild Care, Friends of Tadoba, People for Animals, Chandrapur Bachao Samiti, Prahar organization, Viano Nature Club, Prithvimitra Nisarg Sanstha and Vanyajeev Sanrakshan Samiti took part in the protest.NGO activists protest tiger poaching TNN | May 22, 2012, 01.55AM IST Article Comments inShare Read More:Tiger Poaching|TATR|Rambagh Forest 0 CHANDRAPUR: A group of NGO activists, connected to different organizations, staged a protest on Monday morning before state forest secretary Pravin Pardeshi, flaying the failure of the forest department in saving the tiger. They waved black flags and demanded a CBI probe into poaching cases. Over two dozen wildlife activists gathered at the gate of Rambagh forest premises. They staged a protest march up to forest rest house. A delegation of activists, led by Suresh Chopne, Sachin Wazalwar and Ashish Ghume, later met Pardeshi and submitted their joint memorandum to him. The memorandum demanded CBI investigation into poaching of tigers. NGOs also demanded day and night monitoring of all waterholes, use of latest technology for protection of tigers, inclusion of local NGOs into special investigation team, inclusion of NGO activists into patrolling and monitoring, denial to all proposals of coal mines and industries around buffer zone of TATR and protection of tiger corridors. Other demands such as monthly review of protection work with local NGOs and special management for control of fire in forest were also raised before the forest secretary. President of Green Planet Society Suresh Chopne claimed that Pardeshi has agreed to include NGO activists into waterhole monitoring in jungles. "We would provide 100 NGO activists for the monitoring exercise from different organizations. We have asked for special identification cards for such activists, to which Pardeshi agreed," he said. Activists of Green Planet Society, Jungle Care, Wild Care, Friends of Tadoba, People for Animals, Chandrapur Bachao Samiti, Prahar organization, Viano Nature Club, Prithvimitra Nisarg Sanstha and Vanyajeev Sanrakshan Samiti took part in the protest. NGO activists protest tiger poaching TNN | May 22, 2012, 01.55AM IST Article Comments inShare Read More:Tiger Poaching|TATR|Rambagh Forest 0 CHANDRAPUR: A group of NGO activists, connected to different organizations, staged a protest on Monday morning before state forest secretary Pravin Pardeshi, flaying the failure of the forest department in saving the tiger. They waved black flags and demanded a CBI probe into poaching cases. Over two dozen wildlife activists gathered at the gate of Rambagh forest premises. They staged a protest march up to forest rest house. A delegation of activists, led by Suresh Chopne, Sachin Wazalwar and Ashish Ghume, later met Pardeshi and submitted their joint memorandum to him. The memorandum demanded CBI investigation into poaching of tigers. NGOs also demanded day and night monitoring of all waterholes, use of latest technology for protection of tigers, inclusion of local NGOs into special investigation team, inclusion of NGO activists into patrolling and monitoring, denial to all proposals of coal mines and industries around buffer zone of TATR and protection of tiger corridors. Other demands such as monthly review of protection work with local NGOs and special management for control of fire in forest were also raised before the forest secretary. President of Green Planet Society Suresh Chopne claimed that Pardeshi has agreed to include NGO activists into waterhole monitoring in jungles. "We would provide 100 NGO activists for the monitoring exercise from different organizations. We have asked for special identification cards for such activists, to which Pardeshi agreed," he said. Activists of Green Planet Society, Jungle Care, Wild Care, Friends of Tadoba, People for Animals, Chandrapur Bachao Samiti, Prahar organization, Viano Nature Club, Prithvimitra Nisarg Sanstha and Vanyajeev Sanrakshan Samiti took part in the protest.

Maharashtra: Tiger poaching on the rise

CNN-IBN New Delhi: A spate of tiger poaching incidents have come to light from Maharashtra. The body of a tiger chopped into 11 pieces with its head and paws missing was recovered on Friday. It appears the tiger parts have been taken by the poachers. The incident happened at the Tadoba Tiger Reserve, which has seen a spate of poaching incidents. Just two weeks ago, the forest department found leghold traps in which two tigers had been caught. One of the tigers died and the other was injured. The park is considered to be a fine habitat for tigers in Central India with over 40 tigers on the last count. A red alert has been issued, but no one has been caught so far. In another shocking incident, a leopard along with her two cubs got electrocuted in the Saleghat forest near the Pench Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra. The officers have ruled out poaching and called it an accident. The animals were reportedly electrocuted when a high tension cable fell on them. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/maharashtra-tiger-poaching-on-the-rise/259962-3.html

'Go for participatory wildlife management'

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | May 22, 2012, 12.57AM IST NAGPUR: Even as reactions condemning poaching of tigers in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve ( TATR) landscape are pouring in, NGOs and conservationists have been coming up with several suggestions and ideas to handle the situation. Dilip Gode, secretary of the Vidarbha Nature Conservation Society ( VNCS), said there are some good examples of community forest management where wildlife protection has been given top priority. "It is again time to initiate an action of participatory wildlife management in select areas by building public trust," he said. "The Borda episode (tiger chopped into 10 pieces) is a conspiracy cooked by a gang very systematically operating in the area since long. Everybody knew that its leaders stay at some places in Madhya Pradesh. Yet, we unable to control the poaching incidents," says Gode. He felt it's futile to set up task forces. "What has happened to earlier such investigations and task forces. Have their recommendations been implemented," asked Gode. Gode demanded that responsibility be fixed and stern action against those forest officials neglecting their duties. "Investigate the matter by constituting a committee under a retired high court judge with officials from revenue, police, forest and representatives of credible NGOs," said Gode. As a state wildlife board (SWB) member, Gode had raised the issue of wildlife management in non-PAs. The government had set up a committee to find problems and prepare implementable management plan but the panel failed to function due to apathy of a top officer of the department who headed the committee. Another tiger escapes trap A tiger escaped a nylon wire trap, set for herbivores, on Monday in Pipardol forest under the Pandharkawda forest division in Yavatmal district. Forest officials told TOI that the incident came to light around 6.30pm. Even as a rescue team was getting ready to leave Nagpur, the tiger managed to extricate itself from the net. The forest officials have launched a hunt for local poachers. The spot is 20km by road from Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Go-for-participatory-wildlife-management/articleshow/13365653.cms

Ranthambore reserve blessed with another cub

Asish Mehta, TNN | May 22, 2012, 02.03AM IST JAIPUR: After two new tiger cubs were spotted in the month of April, the wildlife authorities in Ranthambore were elated after they found T-39 with a cub on Monday. With this, the number of cubs born in the last 10 months has gone up to 21. The total number of tigers in the park has now gone up to 47 which include 26 adults (12 males and 14 females) and 21 cubs, according to the wildlife authorities at the Ranthambore National Park. On Monday, some forest guards spotted T-39 with a cub in the Sulanpur area. Initially, it was not known if the cub belonged to tigress T-39. When TOI contacted Y K Sahoo, field director of the park, he said, "Yes, T-39 was spotted with a cub. There is a possibility of a second cub as tigresses are known to give birth two cubs." Sahoo added, "The age of the cub appears to be around three months." The wildlife authorities have also said that T-17 tigress in the park is also pregnant as judged by her behavioural changes. "Her behaviour shows that she too has delivered recently. Usually, a tigress hides her cub for three months, so we will have to wait for three months for confirmation," said an official. Some of the wildlife enthusiasts including state tourism and environment minister Bina Kak have shared pictures of T-39 with a cub and many tiger lovers have expressed happiness. "Even T-17 seems to have delivered recently. Fingers crossed," said a wildlife lover. Wildlife enthusiasts attributed the birth of new cub to the rehabilitation of villagers from the core tiger habitat. "It is the result of efforts made by the wildlife authorities and those working for tiger protection," said Dharmendra Khandal, conservation biologist at Tiger Watch, an NGO at Ranthambore. Similarly, the experts also said that now the state government should expedite the work of extension of core critical habitat for tigers from the existing 392 sq km to 1,100 sq km. "The work of evacuation of the villagers and their rehabilitation need to be done in a proper way. Villagers should be taken in confidence," said a tiger conservationist. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Ranthambore-reserve-blessed-with-another-cub/articleshow/13366729.cms

Three cheers: Tiger number up in Panna

Lemuel Lall, TNN | May 20, 2012, 05.43AM IST BHOPAL: Tiger population revival programme in India has received a boost with one more tigress named T-2 giving birth to three cubs in the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), in eastern Madhya Pradesh. With the three new additions tiger population in Panna reserve has risen to 20. After the failure of a similar programme in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan, the big cat population revival in PTR had brought back relief to the wildlife experts and foresters associated with the project. Three months ago, a feline christened T - 1, begot four cubs. Seven-year-old T-2 had been trans-located to PTF from world famous Kanha tiger reserve three years ago. The tigress gave birth to three cubs in a cave last month. "None of us can risk going to the cave and seeing the cubs, a top forest official said. This is the second litter of T-2.This feline gave birth to four cubs, eighteen months ago. With the arrival of three new guests in the PTR, the cub population has gone up to 15 in the park. Panna tiger reserve was in the news in the year 2009 as tiger population had vanished following poaching in the region. After PTR became devoid of big cat population the tiger population revival programme was launched in the park in early 2009. Four tigresses and a tiger were trans-located to PTR from Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench tiger reserves. Apart from T-2's seven cubs in two litters, two other tigresses - T- 1 and T -4 have begotten 10 cubs so far, of them 2 had died. Spread over an area of 543 sq km in Panna and Chhatarpur district, PTR had once been home to 35 tigers but slowly and gradually it lost them to poachers. This is the second litter of T-2.This feline gave birth to four cubs, eighteen months ago. With the arrival of three new guests in the PTR, the cub population has gone up to 15 in the park. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Three-cheers-Tiger-number-up-in-Panna/articleshow/13310580.cms

Ideas pour in to stop tiger poaching

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | May 21, 2012, 01.44AM IST NAGPUR: Reactions continue to pour in against the brutal poaching of a full-grown tiger at Borda near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve on Friday. Reacting to Friday's incident, Belinda Wright, executive director of Wildlife Protection Society of India ( WPSI), said the loss of every wild tiger is a major set back for this critically endangered species. "The removal of three tigers from the wild due to poaching in Tadoba landscape tragically illustrates just how inadequate our existing protection measures are. The only short-term remedy for this is intelligence-led enforcement," Wright said. To achieve this, the forest department needs to collaborate closely with skilled enforcement officers from the police department, and experienced NGOs. Modern investigation techniques, including forensics and trained dogs, need to be quickly put in place, she said. Wright said another essential requirement is improved patrolling and monitoring in the field. Prof Nishi Mukherjee, who works with Baiga tribals in Kanha, called for a law to shoot poachers at sight. In Kaziranga tiger reserve in Assam, poachers are shot, he said. The Assam government, like the government of South Africa, knows how much economic sustenance the parks can give to local people. "Nagpur is the 'tiger capital of the world' and the 'gateway to tiger land'. Why must Maharashtra be a soft state within the country? With such flagrant poaching continuing without any accountability, is anyone held responsible?" asks Mukherjee. He said, "If criminals plunder gold from the Reserve Bank of India, will the security keep quiet? Similarly, if poachers plunder tigers and leopards, our forest wealth, should the forest department keep mum? Tigers and leopards are like gold mines and can bring in huge money, but locals have failed to understand this." Wildlife veterinarian Dr AD Kholkute called for close watch on Nagbhid, Talodi, Sindewahi, Mul and Babupeth railway stations and bus stands, from where Bahelia poachers sneak into the forest areas. "Inquire with local cycle stores about any unknown person hiring a cycle and if a local person has introduced him," he suggested. There are coal mines in Chandrapur and majority of the workers are from other states. Officials should inquire about guests visiting these workers. Besides, villagers, particularly shepherds and cowboys, need to be taken into confidence as they know people wander in the forests. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Ideas-pour-in-to-stop-tiger-poaching/articleshow/13324280.cms

Tiger carcass had gunshot-like wound

Mazhar Ali, TNN May 20, 2012, 04.53AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Was the tiger, whose carcass was recovered in 10 pieces in Borda jungle, was shot by a gun? That is the big question before investigators probing the tiger poaching case. While investigators are much inclined on electrocution angle in poaching, mention of a hole on tiger carcass akin to a gunshot injury in autopsy report has raised new questions in the case. Veterinary doctors who performed post mortem on the tiger carcass found burn injury marks which could have been caused due to electrocution, but they also discovered a lone hole on the stomach just below the hip which could be a shot injury of manually loading gun. "Vets have recovered some blackish metal like balls from the injury. Such injury could be caused due to gun shot," said sources. DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar confirmed the hole in the tiger carcass. "The entire injured portion having hole on it has been removed from the carcass and forwarded to the forensic department for confirmation. Possibility of tiger being shot by gun cannot be ruled out. In that case, burn injury marks suggesting electrocution could have been put deliberately to confuse investigators," he said. Forest officers are also probing the case from the angle of electrocution. They have obtained trip record of electric supply lines from MSEDCL. The tiger is assumed to have been killed Thursday night, but it has turned out that there was no tripping of power supply that night. "Records suggest that electric supply was not snapped on Thursday night. But there were incidents of tripping in the afternoon and evening on Thursday. However, poachers do not lay electrified wire for poaching during the day as there are high chances of grazing cattle coming in its contact," Kalyankumar said. He, however, maintained that this is an unusual case and hence chances of day time electrocution too is not being ruled out. Investigators have summed up that more than one poacher are involved in poaching. Whoever had poached the tiger had access to four-wheeler and a butcher. Foresters are more focused on summer farming area, which have to irrigation facility with 11 KV connections. "Local poachers are clear suspects in the case. Poachers could have been after some herbivores, but a tiger died in their trap. They were clever enough to remove the carcass to a distant location. There is definitely no Baheliya gang connection into this poaching as such destruction of tiger skin is not their modus operandi," DCF said. Forest department is seeking all the help from police and MSEDCL for investigations into the case, he added. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-20/nagpur/31788085_1_tiger-carcass-electrocution-chandrapur-forest-division

'National shame! Form SIT to probe tiger deaths'

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN May 19, 2012, 02.33AM IST NAGPUR: Wildlife experts and conservationists have termed the poaching of a full-grown tiger on Friday as shocking, and a national shame. This is the second tiger poaching incident in little over a fortnight, since Palasgaon in the buffer zone of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. Poachers have struck despite a 'red alert' sounded by the government. With Friday's death, the number of tiger deaths in Maharashtra since January 2012 has gone up to 7. Of these, four were clear cases of poaching while the remaining are shrouded in mystery. One tiger that survived a trap will be forced to spend the rest of its life in captivity. One tiger each died in Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary and Melghat tiger reserve (MTR), while five deaths were reported from Chandrapur. If figures of past six months are considered, 10 tigers have died since November 3, 2011. " Yes, I heard the tragic news. It's shocking and a national shame.... it also reveals the defunct mechanism of enforcement and governance. The entire forest service of Maharashtra needs to be overhauled on a war footing to deal with this menace. Officials need to wake up from their slumber. They need immediate reforms and good intelligence," said Valmik Thapar, natural historian and tiger conservationist. Thapar said the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), cleared by the Parliament five years ago, needs to be put in place immediately. At the same time, the expert said NTCA officials in New Delhi need to leave their chairs and stop their non-effective letter writing. "They should camp at Chandrapur. We don't want more yap-yap from those who serve the tigers. It is a moment for action or we will lose Tadoba, the Taj Mahal of Maharashtra," Thapar remarked. Thapar suggested setting up of a chief minister's task force consisting of police and forest officials and experts from outside the government machinery. "The chief minister should implement its recommendations immediately. If justice has to be delivered to Tadoba and its tigers - it has to mean business. If not, we will watch one of the vital landscapes for tigers in the world vanish," Thapar warned. "Poachers have already laid their traps. So there is no way we can prevent more tiger deaths, unless a massive sanitization process is launched to clear game trails of these metal traps. So far, almost no help has been sought from forensic experts. This is vital if we are to establish who the culprits are," said Bittu Sahgal, conservationist and editor of Sanctuary Asia. "We are at war with poachers. I recommend a curfew be immediately imposed around Tadoba while the sanitization process to unearth hidden traps is underway," said Sahgal. "Search and find initiatives need to be launched in Nagzira, Navegaon, Umred, Tipeshwar, Bor and Melghat," said Prafulla Bhamburkar of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). Kishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL), said the cruel act must be condemned by every citizen. "Such incidents cannot be tolerated any further. The chief minister should appoint a special investigation team (SIT) under the chairmanship of chief secretary with DGP, PCCF (wildlife), principal secretary (forests), principal secretary (home) as its members," demanded Writhe. The SIT should be given all resources and powers, he added. "It is clear that the scale of poaching is very serious and that patrolling efforts are inadequate. The forest department should create a new model of patrolling that involves volunteers on a large scale. Many young people are keen to volunteer for patrolling. It is very clear that the government cannot tackle the widespread menace of poaching by itself. It is time for a change in strategy," felt Shekar Dattatri, wildlife filmmaker and conservationist. Times View The poaching of another tiger just outside Tadoba reserve means nothing has been learnt from Palasgaon where one was killed and another found injured last month. Forest Department will come up with familiar excuses: lack of manpower and resources. Yet, it cannot deny its own lack of will. Even years after protecting the tiger was made top most priority, our conservation and protection efforts remain half-hearted. Miscreants can enter and do what they please in much of our forest areas. Unless foresters shed their business-as-usual attitude, India's natural heritage will continue to be plundered. CAT CALLS FALL SILENT * January 23, 2012: Full-grown male tiger poached in electric trap laid for herbivores in FDCM's Zaran area * February 19, 2012: Tigress dies in mysterious circumstances, possibly due to electrocution, in Lohara teak farm in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) buffer area. Forest officials hide cause of death * March 1, 2012: Carcass of full-grown tiger found in decomposed state near Kitadi under Moharli range adjoining TATR * March 8, 2012: Full-grown tiger found dead in compartment number 100 in Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary in Yavatmal district http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-19/nagpur/31777816_1_tiger-deaths-second-tiger-full-grown-tiger

Striking farmers begin indefinite fast at Sariska

TNN | May 21, 2012, 03.14AM IST ALWAR: As the agitation by farmers at Sariska Tiger Reserve entered the fifth day on Sunday, at least 13 of them have sat on an indefinite fast to put pressure on the state government to meet their demands. The farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union are demanding refurbishing of Sariska road and basic facilities in the villages. At least 50 villages in and around Sariska are participating in the agitation. The agitation has hit the tiger tourism as farmers are not allowing tourists to enter the reserve. They have threatened not to give up the agitation unless their demands are met. Yudhvir Singh, national general secretary of BKU said, "Thirteen farmers have sat on indefinite fast at the reserve gates from Sunday". The farmers are demanding lifting of ban on registration of land in 164 villages in the area that was imposed in 1987 and announcing forest road leading to Sariska as national highway. "The government did not fulfill its promises which it had made to the farmers earlier. They made the national highway, a lifeline for all the villages in the area, as forest road. This time we will not make any agreement with the government unless they accept our demands," he added. These farmers had staged a sit-in in March for almost a week. They claimed that they had reached a compromise on six points with the district administration and forest department. However, the administration is not considering it, they alleged. They said that the administration had promised to meet their demand. However, the officials are now pretending to be helpless citing some Supreme Court orders. The farmers' protest in March had hit the hotels as they received mails and calls from tourists cancelling their trips. Angry villagers had even blocked the entrance to prominent hotels by placing piles of wood and stones. Sariska's field director RS Shekhawat said the main entrance to Sariska Tiger Reserve has been blocked by the villagers and efforts are on to reach a compromise with them. The farmers on Sunday threatened not to allow entry of even forest officers in the reserve. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Striking-farmers-begin-indefinite-fast-at-Sariska/articleshow/13327206.cms

Two plan to sell tiger parts in Vile Parle, held

Nathaniel Valthaty, TNN May 20, 2012, 01.53AM IST MUMBAI: The Vile Parle police on Friday arrested two persons for possessing tiger skin and claws. The police learnt that the accused-Pramod Sunil Kuchekar (22) and Manoj Mahadev Geete(26)-had plans to sell the tiger skin and claws at a spot near the Vile Parle railway station. They laid a trap and caught them. The duo was booked under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act for transportation and dealing in articles derived from scheduled animals. The two were produced before the Bandra metropolitan magistrate's court on Saturday and remanded in police custody till Tuesday. Cops suspect that the accused had procured the tiger skin from poachers outside the city to sell it in Mumbai. The police are probing if a network involved in procurement of tiger skins is active in the city. They are also verifying is the accused two have criminal records. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-20/mumbai/31787919_1_tiger-skin-tiger-parts-vile-parle

Poachers chop tiger into pieces in Maharashtra

Mazhar Ali, TNN May 19, 2012, 12.10AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Poachers have struck again in Maharashtra's tiger reserves despite a red alert about possible strikes by Baheliya gangs from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. A mutilated carcass of a tiger was found in the Chandrapur forest range on Friday. The big cat was chopped into 10 pieces and its remains strewn along the Chichpalli-Borda road. The Maharashtra government had sounded an alert after intelligence inputs suggested that Rs 40 lakh had been paid to poachers to snuff out 25 tigers in the region. Forest officials had heightened vigil and declared Rs 1-lakh reward for clues. But poachers managed to punch holes in the security ring around the Chandrapur forests. This is the second killing of a tiger in two months. The Chandrapur forest has lost six tigers this year - five were either poached or killed accidentally and the sixth got maimed in an iron jaw trap. Investigators say the tiger was electrocuted by poachers deep inside the forest. Later, its carcass was cut into pieces, stuffed into a gunny bag and transported in a four-wheeler to the Borda forest. The remains were then scattered near the road. A forest guard found the remains a few metres off the road. Forest officials rushed to the spot, cordoned off the area and sniffer dogs were pressed into service. It was a full-grown male tiger. "Burn injuries on a limb suggest it may have been electrocuted. Its head and paws were slashed and the body chopped," said range forest officer, Badkelwar. Tyre marks of a vehicle making U-turn around 20 metres from the spot have been detected. The tiger may have been killed on Thursday night, said an official. Surprisingly, the tiger was not stripped of its skin, which sells for over Rs 1 crore in the international market. Other body parts like nails, hair and bones are pegged at over Rs 6 lakh. The Baheliya gang is known for poaching tigers with metal traps. Experts say members of this community simultaneously operate at multiple locations and are ruthless in their approach. The tiger's remains have been sent for autopsy. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-19/flora-fauna/31777795_1_tiger-reserves-chandrapur-forest-range-forest-guard

Heads start rolling, Tadoba field director shifted

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | May 20, 2012, 04.20AM IST NAGPUR: A day after the shocking discovery of a poached tiger that had been cut into 10 pieces, heads have started rolling. Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) field director VK Sinha has been shifted with immediate effect. Moreover, on the direction of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the entire control of tiger reserve buffer zone has now been handed to the field director. Both, the transfer and unified control notifications were issued by the state government on Saturday evening. Sinha, who is yet to complete his full tenure of three years as field director, will be replaced by 45-year-old Virendra Tiwari who has a reputation of being an energetic and no-nonsense officer. Tiwari was chief conservator of forests (CCF) with budget, planning and management department at Van Bhavan in the city. Sinha was not available for comments. Interestingly, Chandrapur deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) P Kalyan Kumar has been spared in the reshuffle. The state's principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi said, "We are running short of DyCFs and any further changes will have to be done carefully. Sinha was shifted as he is good at joint forest management (JFM) and budgetary planning." Pardeshi added, "One of the reasons to shift Sinha is that we want new and young leadership. We are doing lot of soul-searching and results will be seen soon." The secretary informed that TATR will now have two deputy conservators. With the unified control notification, Chandrapur DyCF will work for TATR (buffer) while Chaprala (Gadchiroli) wildlife sanctuary will look after TATR (Core). Besides, the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) will be in place in Tadoba in 15 days. The STPF in Pench will take some time," he said. On a special investigation team (SIT), Pardeshi said, "We first want the CID to take over the probe." Head of forest force (HoFF) AK Joshi said Tiwari will assume charge on Monday. Saying that there are various reasons for Sinha's transfer, Joshi admitted that poaching in the buffer zone of Tadoba was one of them. "Sinha took good initiatives and the transfer is not a reflection on his governance," said Joshi. The ambiguity over unified control of TATR buffer has come to an end with the notification that henceforth the TATR field director will be in full control. TOI had frequently raised the issue that overlapping administrative control was a deterrent in tiger protection and its conservation. The government had notified TATR buffer zone on May 5, 2010. It includes 558.81 sq km reserve forest (RF), 113.04 sq km protected forest (PF), and 401.49 sq km other area. Of the 1103.34 sq km combined area, 901.66 sq km belongs to Chandrapur division, 125.51 sq km on lease with Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) and 76.17 sq km area with Brahmapuri division. Chandrapur's around 60% area is under buffer. The new notification says that now all the ongoing forestry works in this area will continue under the field director's control. The HoFF has been entrusted with the task of reorganizing the territorial area apart from buffer. The amended Wildlife (Protection) Act 2006, mentions that existing land uses in the buffer zone can continue with due mainstreaming of wildlife concerns and wildlife protection would be an overlapping mandate for the entire area. Till now, the staff with Chandrapur forest division was working under the TATR field director but area other than buffer was with CCF of Chandrapur. Besides, administrative and joint wildlife management of Chimur forest range under the Chandrapur and Brahmapuri divisions, was handed over to the field director. The hand over, along with employees was to be confined to buffer zone only. The technical control of deputy conservators of forests (DyCFs) of Brahmapuri and Chandrapur regarding works related to saw mills, nistar rights, minor forest produce (MFP), tendu, Forest Conservation Act (FCA) issues, etc was not with the field director. But now it will be with him. Taking poaching head on * Field director of TATR V K Sinha shifted * Young IFS officer Virendra Tiwari brought in * Unified control given to TATR field director * STPF for Tadoba to be place in 15 days * Tadoba to have two deputy conservators * Chaprala (Gadchiroli) & Chandrapur DyCFs brought under TATR field director * SIT to probe poaching cases likely http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Heads-start-rolling-Tadoba-field-director-shifted/articleshow/13309931.cms

‘30% tiger reserves under Naxal control’

May 19, 2012 By Rashme Sehgal Correspondent New Delhi The Naxalites are expanding their tentacles into the tiger territory. Thirty per cent of India’s tiger reserves are already under their control. Indian forest officials, from the states of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, present at the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), complained of increasing Naxal infiltration in India’s heartland. The tiger reserves comprising Valmiki in Bihar, Palamau in Jharkhand, Indravati in Chhattisgarh, Buxa in West Bengal and Simplipal in Orissa are some of the reserves bearing the brunt of the Naxal menace. “The growing nexus between the Naxals and the timber mafia has created a situation where contractors are openly paying a levy to Naxals who are eating into larger chunks of forest land,” said a senior forester. Principal chief conservator of forests, Jharkhand, A.K. Malhotra complained, “The situation is getting more intractable because the local administration is not able to reach the interiors. Poachers also have strong links with these Naxals,” he said. Mr Anil Kumar Mishra, DFO of the Palamau Tiger Reserve was very critical of the lack of NGO activity in the majority of the tiger reserves. “Large number of NGOs are found operating in high profile Corbett Tiger Reserve and in the Ranthambore park but World Wildlife Fund and other organisations are not to be found in Central India where there is much greater poverty and where tribals are in desperate need of livelihood alternatives,” said Mr Mishra. NGOs however retort that Naxalites have driven NGOs working in these areas. Sociologist Jaya Roy pointed out, “They don’t want NGOs to organise people.” Mr Mishra maintains that so far Naxals and foresters have managed to survive only because forest employees and Naxals go out of their way not to step onto each other’s toes. “Our forest guards are local tribals but they are all in their fifties. There has been no recruitment for several years. I have a staff strength of 90 and have to make do with 11 people,” Mr Mishra added. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/%E2%80%9830-tiger-reserves-under-naxal-control%E2%80%99-881