Tiger finds new home

May 7, 2012 By Amit S. Upadhye DC Srimangala (Kodagu) The camera-trap experiment, where the movement of wild animals are captured with the help of cameras, has shown positive results in the Bramhagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the last one month, the camera trap laid by the forest department has shown the presence of two tigers. Two cameras, installed at Palemane section of Srimangala Wildlife Range, caught two pictures of tigers moving on the main road in the night. The cameras are fixed on the path, frequented by tigers and other animals. A leopard, some mammals and a number of nocturnal creatures were also captured by the cameras. Spread over 181 sq km, Bramhagiri forest is one of the critical wildlife habitats for tigers as it is connected to Nagarhole in the state and to Mudumalai and Wyanad Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu and Kerala respectively. If this tiger habitat has to be saved, it has to be added as the buffer zone to Nagarhole range, which has the source population of tigers. But it is not easy as Bramhagiri forest has human habitation. A stone-quarrying unit has come up within 1 km radius of the forest without the consent of wildlife division. There have also been incidents of poaching, but have been hushed up due to pressure from ruling party leaders, the ground level staff say. “It’s important for forests like Nagarhole to have a buffer zone. Bramhagiri, if managed, can accommodate 20 tigers easily. The landscape is perfect and there is a good prey base. If non-forestry activities, including poaching, are curbed, the forest will support tigers. It’s a good sign that camera traps in Shrimangala have caught two tigers. More such experiments should be conducted across the sanctuary,” said A.J.T. John Singh, Former Dean of Wildlife Institute of India. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B.K. Singh said plans are afoot to enhance the existing connectivity between Bramhagiri and Nagarhole, but they are yet to be finalised. “There is a coffee estate abutting the Nagarhole forest, which has to be purchased and added to Bramhagiri. If the connectivity improves, the conflict levels between humans and wildlife will come down,” Mr Singh said. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/tiger-finds-new-home-248

Incentives mulled to keep NE tribals from clutches of poachers

SUNDAY, 06 MAY 2012 23:46 PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | NEW DELHI Providing incentives to hunting tribes of North-East for community conservation of forests is the new mantra that wildlife officials have decided upon. The measure comes amid mounting concerns over the vulnerability of the region to illegal international wildlife trade. The meeting noted with alarm that a majority of local communities from North-East that still sustains itself through “bush hunting” (hunting for meat) is joining hands with professional big cat poachers from Central India. It discussed ways and means of weaning the locals back from hunting practices through community conservation of forest. The officials of security forces manning the borders in the region, customs, police and forest departments were brought together by Traffic India and World Wildlife Fund for the first time to brainstorm over ways to control the crime. It was hosted by the State Forest Department of Arunachal Pradesh. “The idea was to drive home the point that implementation of wildlife act can not be effectively implemented just by the forest department --- especially considering the porous borders that these States share with Myanmar and China”, pointed out Khalid Pasha, head of Traffic India. Other accompanying agencies have also to act on time concertedly and need to be sensitised for the purpose, he added The emerging tiger presence in reserves as Dampa, Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh besides growing demand for new species as pangolins coupled with the growing fur and bone trade in Myanmar have made it more imperative for the coming together of these agencies to control the crime. One of the richest hot spots in biodiversity, the Morey border in Manipur was acting as a convenient transit point of not only tiger parts but also turtle meat, otter skin, besides scales and meat of pangolins for use in Chinese Traditional Medicines, Pasha pointed out. These products conveniently make their way into Myanmar which is well connected to not only the Indian border but also with Bangladesh, Thailand and China. The upcoming Myanmar market has flocked professional hunting community of big cats the Bawarias from Central India to the North-Eastern states. The meeting noted with alarm how the local tribal communities are being lured by them to actively participate in poaching activities, as they are well aware of the landscape. Metal traps, snares and a deadly poison called acolyte (that instantly paralyses the central nervous system of the animal) is being largely used. The meeting brought to light amongst the officials the various modus operandi being deployed by the poachers in this regard. The issue also came up for serious discussion in the recent meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority with the Field Directors of tiger reserves across the country. http://dailypioneer.com/nation/63289-incentives-mulled-to-keep-ne-tribals-from-clutches-of-poachers.html

Traditional iron traps create poaching scare in 29 tiger reserves: NTCA

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, May 03, 2012 Traditional way of catching tigers in wild – through snares – is back and has caught the forest department officials off-guard. In just three months over 80 traps and snares have been recovered in two tigers reserves in Karnataka --- Bandipur and Nagarhole. Over 30 have been found in and around tiger areas in Uttarakhand and about 40 in Madhya Pradesh. Wildlife poachers have been traditionally using snares and traps to hunt animals including tigers. But, fire-arms and poison was replacing the traditional method, which had seen a sudden return. The apparent reason is the increasing demand of clean tiger skins and body parts in the international wildlife smuggling network. A firearms leaves a black spot on the skin and poison leads to change in colour of the skin and body parts. That does not happen in case of snares as a wild animal turns immobile and dies a slow death because of bleeding. The tiger watchdog, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), found that many wandering gangs were targeting tigers using snares and iron traps across 10 states in India. “The situation is serious and calls for urgent action to step up protection in tiger reserves,” said an advisory issued by NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal. The field directors of 41 tiger reserves in India had been instructed to deploy special anti-poaching squads to patrol the reserves and look for snares and traps. They have been instructed to complete the exercise within a fortnight. The NTCA has also said that forest guards should keep a track of tigers and their cubs, straying out of the tiger reserves as they could fall prey to poachers. Another location to keep vigil are the water-bodies, which tigers frequent. The authority had also received intelligence reports that many gangs had visited villages around tiger reserves in the recent past to examine the possibility of killing a tiger. As many as 29 tiger reserves had been identified as potential threat from poachers. “We have instructed the forest departments to conduct a special exercise in these reserves,” Gopal said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Traditional-iron-traps-create-poaching-scare-in-29-tiger-reserves-NTCA/Article1-850199.aspx

Shimoga villages want tiger project scrapped in KNP

May 4, 2012 DC Shimoga The people of Western Ghats residing in Tirthahalli and Hosanagar taluks are demanding cancellation of proposed Tiger Project in the Kudremukh National Park covering the Someshwara and Mookambika wildlife sanctuaries, as this would displace a large number of people, threaten their livelihoods and encourage Maoists activities in the region. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle Mr Nagesh Angirasa, a worker of the Someshwara and Mookambika wildlife area civic committee (sponsored by Sri Pejawar Mutt, Udupi) of Mallandur village near Agumbe of Tirthahalli taluk in the district here on Thursday said, that proposed tiger project will lead to eviction of people and socio-economic misery. Kudremukh National Park and its established area including the Someshwara and Mookambika wildlife sanctuaries, is spread over the four districts of Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada. These regions are covered with thick green vegetation with rolling hilly grassland and shola forests. In 1987, the Karnataka government declared the region as the national park. As per the survey of 2005, the human population in the national park is around 6240 living in 1300 households and cultivating 2790 acres of land. According to him, soon after the declaration of Kudremukh National Park, the maoist extremists entered the scene and after a decade of existence in the region, spread their roots in the park. They encouraged the tribals to disbelieve the government by telling them that they would be forcibly evicted from the park . The maoist outfits ran a parallel government in the park villages and used to collect money from contractors, politicians and farmers. In the span of nine years, from 2002 to 2011, 23 incidents of encounters, looting, kidnapping and bomb explosion were recorded, the memorandum of the committee said. It was during 2009 and 2010, with the initiative of some development works and confidence building measures taken up in the area, distrust between the government and the habitants was minimized. Tiger Project would again create distrust among the tribals and pave way for the re-entry of Maoists, Mr Nagesh Angirasa said. The tiger conservation project is already in progress in the Bhadra wildlife sanctuary covering Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts. Instead of that, the government should make all efforts to declare the national park region under the UNESCO scheme. This would help in reviving social life in the region. A memorandum in this regard has been submitted to the Centre through the deputy commissioner of Shimoga, Mr M.V. Vedamurthy. http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/119299

NTCA to take action against Uttarakhand, UP and Rajasthan

Nihi Sharma Sahani, Hindustan Times Dehradun, May 03, 2012 National Tiger Conservation Society (NTCA) will take action against Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan that were found to have delayed formation of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in their respective states. Jayanthi Natarajan, union minister of forest and environment expressed displeasure over the non-formation of force that intends to deploy additional staff for tiger conservation. Dr. Rajesh Gopal, member secretary NTCA told Hindustan Times, “We will take action against states that delayed constituting STPF. It’s the responsibility of state forest department to form this force for tiger conservation.” Apparently, Natarajan in a meeting with field directors in Delhi on Wednesday reviewed various works. While she closely monitored Project Tiger details, she also expressed displeasure over non-formation of STPF. She mentioned that Karnataka is the only state to have formed STPF but states likes Uttarakhand, UP and Rajasthan have delayed it. Hindustan Times in its April 16 issue gave a detailed report on lackadaisical attitude of state forest department that has ignored formation of STPF since last two years in Uttarakhand. For this project, NTCA had already released first installment of Rs. 90 lakh. But, no results were recorded. A total of 108 people are to be appointed under the project dedicated to tiger conservation. These people will be divided into 3 platoons. Additional Conservator of Forest (ACF) will head each platoon. Interestingly, 18 foresters and 90 forest guards are to be appointed. Giving special place to forest dwellers, government of India in its project has reserved 30% positions of forest guards for them. This means, 27 gujjars or forest dwellers will be appointed and forest guards will fill remaining 63 positions. The ministry will bear entire expenses of salary and other allowances of appointed force. When contacted Ranjan Kumar Mishra, director Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) who was also present in the meeting with Natarajan, he shared, "We have already given advertisement for recruitment of forest staff. It’s in the final syages." http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Uttarakhand/NTCA-to-take-action-against-Uttarakhand-UP-and-Rajasthan/Article1-850247.aspx

Move to raise Tiger Protection Force in Arunachal Pradesh

PTI SHARE · PRINT · T+ ITANAGAR, MAY 3: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Nabam Tuki, has said there is an initiative to create a ‘Special Tiger Protection Force' for enhancing the protective cover on the wild cats and other animals inhabiting in the Tiger Reserves in the State. “The Force will see to it that no harm is caused to tigers and other animals in the Tiger Reserves in the state,” Mr Tuki said while addressing a two-day orientation programme on ‘Strengthening Wildlife Law Enforcement and Conservation' here yesterday. “We should carefully guard against invasion of market forces connected with illegal wildlife trade gaining entry into the state and It is highly relevant in the context of the long inter-State and international borders of the State,” he said.

In Mowgli's land…

K. SANJANA One of the wild sights at the Pench Tiger Reserve. Photo: Special Arrangement National Tiger Ambassador K. Sanjana recounts her wild experience at the Pench Tiger Reserve. Our bags were packed and we were ready to go to Pench Tiger Reserve. After the train journey to Nagpur, my coordinator Arivazhagan Chelliah, teacher Annapoorni and I — the National Ambassador from Chennai — met with the other National Tiger Ambassadors from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ramnagar and Kolkata and their respective teachers and coordinators. The first thing we noticed when we reached the forest was that our cell phone had lost signal. This made it all the more exciting as we lost contact with the outside world. Pench Tiger Reserve is the place where Rudyard Kipling based his famous Jungle Book. So, we were very thrilled to be in the land of Mowgli. That night we armed ourselves with our binoculars, cameras and notepads and hopped into the open jeep. In the forest The first thing that caught our eye as we entered the forest was a group of spotted deer. We observed that they lifted their tails while running; this, we were told, was to warn the others about lurking danger. Then we were startled by a sound which we assumed to be an alarm call and we were expecting to see a tiger. Later, we came to know that it was a rutting call. Rutting calls are made by male deer to attract the female deer. As we moved on, we caught a glimpse of two jackals. It was interesting to learn that jackals don't hunt in packs and they mate for life. We also saw a variety of birds like the Jungle Babbler, Treepie, Roller Bird, Parakeet and lots more. Among the flora, the tree that fascinated me was the ghost tree. Its bark is white in colour and is devoid of any leaves in this season. So, at night it appears ghostly with fluttering arms. On many trees we saw rake marks (the marks of a tiger's claw). Along the way we saw many trees with their barks chipped off; the result of the deer rubbing their antlers on the trunks and the porcupines that would chew on them. While inside some water droplets fell on our face. Assuming it was the early morning dewdrops we eagerly lifted our faces to catch a few more. But, to our utter disgust, we were told that it was the defecation of the cicadas! But what really made our day was the sight of two tigers: Badi Matha and her grandchild. The experience of seeing a tiger face-to-face in the wild was truly unbelievable. The sessions We had lot of interactive sessions with Anish Andheria and Sahrdul Bajikar, which were interesting and informative. We learnt a lot about the estimation of tigers. We were taught about the capture-recapture technique and we also learnt about epiphytes and parasites. In the sessions we were informed that Pench Tiger Reserve was one of the best managed tiger reserves in the country. In short, the trip was extremely enlightening. It was not only a wake-up call towards conservation but it also taught us how to overcome our regional differences for a greater cause. http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/nxg/article3376539.ece

Tiger conservation: Centre asks states to raise, deploy STPF

Tags: Tiger conservation, STPF, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan New Delhi: Advancing efforts to conserve the growing population of tigers, the Centre today asked the states to expedite steps towards raising, arming and deploying the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in and around big cat habitats. "We persuade all the states to raise, arm and deploy the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). I would like to request all of you to ensure that this be expedited by all the states," Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told All India Meeting of Field Directors of Tiger Reserves. Stating that field protection is something which continues to remain extremely high on tiger agenda of India, which holds over half the world's tiger population, the Minister said the Centre supported the states in a "very big way" to deploy the local workforce for protection of big cats. "Despite a 100 percent central assistance to four states-- Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Orissa-- the deployment of STPF has not taken place," she said. Karnataka has emerged as the first state to deploy STPF. "I am happy to announce and also to congratulate Karnataka, which has emerged as the first state to implement the STPF," she said after distributing awards for best performance to various tiger reserves in the country. "Tiger conservation is a collective responsibility between government of India, state governments and civil society. Today tigers need support from one and all," Natarajan said. According to the latest tiger census report, the current tiger population is estimated at 1,706. The results include figures from 17 states with tiger reserves. The Minster also released a book 'Fundamentals of the Wildlife Management' written by Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, National Tiger Conservation Authority. Natarajan said that since last year, the Ministry has sharpened its focus on the tiger. "The centrally sponsored scheme of Project Tiger was revised in August 2011. Its allotment was stepped up to Rs 1216.86 crores, especially to support the states for securing inviolate space for tigers," she said. Spelling out the steps being taken by the Ministry, she said several additional components include change in the funding pattern in respect of north eastern states (90:10), raising compensation for man-animal conflict to Rs 2 lakh and acquisition of private land for making the core/critical tiger habitat inviolate. The Minister also said the Centre has given a nod for establishment of tiger safaris, interpretation/awareness centres under the existing component of 'co-existence agenda in buffer/fringe areas' and management of such centres through the respective Panchayati Raj institutions, and re- introduction of cheetah. PTI http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/tiger-conservation-centre-asks-states-to-raise-d_772920.html

Tribal villages oppose tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam

COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu forest department's push to get Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary declared a tiger reserve suffered a setback on Wednesday when grama sabhas in all 19 tribal-majority panchayats in the region passed separate resolutions against the move. The resolutions said the department had not consulted the local communities on the project, though Section 38 V of the Wildlife Protection Act makes it mandatory. The Wildlife Protection Act stipulates that approval from the grama sabha is essential before tiger reserve status is awarded to a reserve forest area. In addition, government is required to constitute an expert panel to study the impact of declaring an area a tiger reserve on the local community and the findings must be discussed in the grama sabha in the presence of forest officials, environmentalists and social scientists. Before local communities are asked to shift out of reserved area, authorities are required to seek the opinion of the grama sabha on whether it believes the people can co-exist with the wildlife. Also, relocation packages and compensation plan have to be approved by the grama sabha, which has the right to reject proposals of the government. Bhavani Sagar MLA P L Sundaram said that the forest department is all set to award tiger reserve status to Sathyamangalam and Meghamalai in Theni in the next few weeks, but the local communities have not been consulted. Sundaram had prompted the concerned grama sabhas to adopt resolutions condemning the forest department's move. He along with representatives of 10 panchayats in Thalavadi, six in Sathyamangalam and three in Bhavani Sagar will meet chief minister J Jayalalithaa on May 7 and hand over the resolutions. They would request the chief minister to restart the entire process by taking the local community in confidence and abiding by the applicable laws. The delegation would also press for the implementation of the Forest Rights Act in Sathyamangalam to protect tribals living in the forest fringes from forced eviction. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/developmental-issues/tribal-villages-oppose-tiger-reserve-in-sathyamangalam/articleshow/12973853.cms

`Tiger Dynasty`: Observational docudrama packed with emotions

Last Updated: Wednesday, May 02, 2012, 14:38 Tags: Tiger Dynasty, Observational docudrama New Delhi: National award-winning documentary "Tiger Dynasty", tracing the journey of translocated tigers in India and shown in Britain as part of a special BBC series on endangered wildlife, is an action-packed story of adaptation and survival in unfamiliar territory. Full of stunning close-up visuals of tigers and other animals in their natural habitat, the film by acclaimed wildlife cinematographer S Nallamuthu is about young tigress Baghani, who is chosen to start a new dynasty in Sariska, where rampant poaching had wiped out the entire big cat population. There she is left to hook up with hot-blooded male suitor Rajore amid leopards and threat of poachers. And for the next two years, every aspect of their lives is followed by the camera. "The film is about Baghani, daughter of Machli, who ruled the fort for over a decade in Ranthambore. Drugged and airlifted from her home in Ranthambore to her new life in Sariska, Baghani finds herself in new territory and faces opposition from leopards for territory," Nallamuthu, whose work bagged Rajat Kamal awards for best environment film and cinematography, told reporters. After some initial hitches, Baghani gradually goes on to prove that she is top cut in Sariska reigning supreme over leopards. However, there is a setback as Rajore is poisoned by villagers and Baghani is left alone without a mate. But authorities translocate another tiger to give Baghani company, and slowly it seems she is ready to be a mother and script history in Sariska`s conservation efforts. The film, with music by Brett Aplin, is of 59 minutes duration and shot in a high definition (HD) format. Infra red cameras have also been used. With many firsts to his credit, Nallamuthu has worked on some of the country`s premier television shows ? "Living on the Edge", "The Great Escape", "Off the Beaten Path" and "Wheels". Asked how his film is doing abroad, he says, "I was informed by BBC (which is showing the film in the UK. Animal Planet has bought the rights for the US) that the viewership in the first telecast was two million and the film got an 8.3 rating." Nallamuthu, whose "Tiger Queen" made in 2010 portrayed how Machli was overthrown by Baghani, does not want to preach through his films. "My films are mainly drama based ones. I love to make observational docudramas with lots of emotions and stories. My idea is to make people watch these dramas and realise for themselves how important animals are," he says. The jury at the National Awards chose "Tiger Dynasty" for the "filmmaker`s powerful narrative that takes us deep into the jungle of Sariska and gives us an intimate and sensitive portrait of the life of tigers as they fight for survival in a challenging environment". The judges also the rewarded the filmmaker for "photographing with stunning images tigers and other wildlife animals in their natural habitat and giving us visuals which are both unique and poetic". PTI http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/and-more/tiger-dynasty-observational-docudrama-packed-with-emotions_110607.htm

Poachers on the prowl at tiger reserves: NCTA

Obalesh K H, Chamarajanagar, The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NCTA) has asked the State government to tighten the vigilance in the five tiger reserves in Karnataka. According to a letter written by Dr Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, NCTA, a copy of which is in possession of Deccan Herald, gangs of poachers have planned to raid 29 tiger reserves in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Bandipur, Nagarahole, Dandeli-Anashi, Bhadra and Biligiriranganathaswamy Temple tiger reserves in the State are on the list of the poachers. Snares laid by poachers in some protected reserves have been seized. Postmortem reports of some tigers have disclosed that they died due to poisoning, the letter says. The member secretary has directed the government to strengthen anti-poaching camps and set up new ones wherever required. The letter also asks the government to conduct combing operation in the core areas of the forests regularly, look out for snares particularly in the areas inhabited by tigers, near water sources and beef up security at vantage points. The secretary has called for synergy among district-level intelligence agencies, police and authorities of tiger reserves to check any possible intrusion by poachers. Tiger deaths According to the report published by the NCTA, a total of 56 tigers died in the country during 2011; of them, 11 were killed by poachers. Of the six tiger deaths reported from Karnataka, three died of natural causes and another three fell prey to poachers, the report says. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/246295/poachers-prowl-tiger-reserves-ncta.html

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan urged to review 'defunct' tiger cells

TNN | May 1, 2012, 04.37AM IST NAGPUR: Worried by tiger poaching with the help of jaw traps in Palasgaon near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is also the chairman of State Board for Wildlife (SBWL), has been urged to review functioning of tiger cells, anti-poaching units and law enforcement and come out with new and advanced mechanism to tackle the problem. In a letter written to Chavan on April 30, Kishor Rithe, member of SWBL and chief of Satpuda Foundation, said, "Time has come to think seriously about how effective our tiger cells are and whether we really need a new and advance mechanism in Maharashtra." The tiger cells and anti-poaching units were set up 10 years ago after detection of many wildlife poaching and trade cases in Maharashtra. "However, after almost a decade, I found that most of the district tiger cells are defunct. Police and forest officers conduct meetings as merely a formality. The tiger cells could not become an effective law enforcement mechanism with fixed objectives to regularly gather required intelligence and prevent and detect the wildlife crime cases in the state," Rithe said. In last so many years, forest department could not build its image as the best law (forest & wildlife) enforcement agency. The new Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) will also make no difference if police and forest departments are not tuned to wildlife crime details and latest modus operandi of poachers and wildlife traders. What needs to be done? * Evolve a mechanism with police and forest departments to effectively use tiger cells, anti-poaching units. * Call a meeting of forest and home ministers and secretaries of departments concerned to tackle wildlife poaching and trade. * Take critical review of existing tiger cells and anti-poaching units and steps taken by them to curb illegal poaching and tiger deaths. * Send message to departments concerned through this meeting that government is really serious to protect tigers. * The meeting should be held before any such incident takes place. Gujarat government took such steps after poaching of lions in Gir and were successful. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Chief-Minister-Prithviraj-Chavan-urged-to-review-defunct-tiger-cells/articleshow/12944873.cms

Osmania university students to join anti-Kawal tiger reserve fight

Raghu Paithari, TNN | May 1, 2012, 01.34AM IST ADILABAD: With several tribal groups raising a hue and cry against the decision to declare Kawal wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve, Telangana students, who have been in the forefront of the separate statehood movement, have now decided to take up cudgels against the move. Osmania University students' JAC along with the district unit of the Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika will conduct padayatras in the interior mandals to educate tribals, though the forest department has allayed the apprehensions of displacement of tribals. Students have started touring villages and conducting door-to-door campaign against the tiger reserve. Villagers of Udampur and Allampalli in Utnoor mandal passed unanimous resolutions against the tiger reserve, emboldened by the student stir. The Kawal tiger reserve will have a core area of 839 square km and buffer zone of 1,123 sq km. OU JAC chairman Jagan told TOI that gram sabhas or panchayats should be consulted as per the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas ( PESA) Act, 1996, before acquiring land in the scheduled areas for any development project. "But the forest officials did not bother to consult a single village panchayat," he said. He found fault with the government and forest officials for going ahead with the tiger reserve plan without taking the opinion of the majority adivasis, who would be displaced because of the project. "Tribals would lose their legitimate right on the forest once they are evacuated from the forest limits," he observed. Vidyarthi Vedika district president Sayanna pooh-poohed the Rs 10 lakh compensation offered by the government for the evacuees. "The money dole would not change the lives of adivasis. Their life revolves around the forest and its produce," he explained. Tribals belonging to 42 habitations in Jannaram, Kadem, Khanapur, Indravelli and Utnoor mandals which will have to be evacuated for the proposed tiger reserve would lose their livelihood. "We are students of this region and would fight until the government withdraws its proposal," Sayanna warned. The dalit groups are also trying to mobilise the people of 42 habitations in the forest area and its surroundings against the decision. Hitesh Malhotra, principal chief conservator of forests, at a recent press conference in Hyderabad said that there was no proposal to evacuate or shift any village or habitation from the area. "There is no question of any forcible evacuation. People will be shifted only if the gram sabhas of those habitations pass a resolution expressing their willingness to move out," he had said. A senior forest official of Jannaram disputed the theory that the Kawal tiger reserve has only two tigers and not 7-8 wild cats. "Once the conditions and habitat in the tiger reserve are improved, the tigers will come back because they would feel safe in their habitat. Also, the corridor linking Kawal with Maharashtra forest will be secure," he added. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Osmania-university-students-to-join-anti-Kawal-tiger-reserve-fight/articleshow/12943349.cms

Brahmapuri pattern to be adopted nationally

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | May 1, 2012, 04.46AM IST NAGPUR: Impressed by the tiger monitoring model in Brahmapuri forest division in Chandrapur district, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to adopt it in non-protected areas (NPAs) elsewhere too. Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary of NTCA, who was in the city on way to Delhi, said he was impressed by the Brahmapuri division, which is seriously monitoring resident as well as dispersing tigers in its area. Gopal was shown presentation on tiger monitoring by Sanjay Thawre, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF), Brahmapuri, during former's Palasgaon visit on April 28, where a tiger was poached. Thawre said, "I won't boast of a 'Brahmapuri model', but our field staff is seriously monitoring tigers in the area. There are around 21 tigers, 13 residents, in 1,500 sq km Brahmapuri forest division. We have pictures of each tiger in the beats." "Direct sightings, signs like scat, scrape marks, pugmarks etc. are recorded regularly. Whenever there is a cattle kill, cameras are deployed. This helps us know where our tigers are and what is happening. It also helps to tackle man-animal conflict," Thawre said. Gopal said a presentation on Brahmapuri model will be shown to wildlife wing officials at a meeting in Delhi on April 2. "This will be replicated elsewhere," he added. After poaching of tiger in Palasgaon, NTCA has issued an advisory to all tiger-bearing states cautioning about possible poisoning of tigers and stepping up protection by involving territorial staff. It also instructed not to delay paying cattle kill compensation. Gopal said NTCA would give all help to the state to curb poaching. "We will provide 100% assistance for setting up Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). A MoU has been signed in this regard," said Gopal. The NTCA has also decided to strengthen Tadoba tiger conservation foundation (TCF) by giving additional funds. These funds will be distributed to 4-5 divisions in Tadoba landscape. "A proposal has been sought in this regard," Gopal said. The NTCA will also write to state government on giving control of Tadoba buffer to the field director of TATR. "Plans are afoot to sign MoUs with institutions coming up with irrigation, power, highway projects in buffer areas," said Gopal. On timber and bamboo felling in vulnerable areas in the buffer, PCCF (wildlife) SWH Naqvi said there was no ban on such activity being carried out as per working plan. "However, we will see to it that management of buffer is wildlife-centric," said Naqvi. He refused to reveal progress of probe in poaching case which was in a crucial stage. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Brahmapuri-pattern-to-be-adopted-nationally/articleshow/12944942.cms

Forest department revives Tiger Reserve tag plea for Kudremukh

Ashwini Y S, Bangalore, April 30 2012, DHNS: Says National Park area not to be expanded; no eviction of villagers The State Forest department has once again mooted the proposal to get Kudremukh National Park (KNP) declared a Tiger Reserve, a status which has been withheld despite the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) giving its in-principle approval several months ago. Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, during the campaign for the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha byelection, had said the government would cancel the Tiger Reserve status enjoyed by Bhadra Tiger Reserve (BTR), besides dropping the proposal to get KNP declared a Tiger Reserve. The announcement had come at a time when villagers of both Bhadra and KNP had voiced concerns about being evicted. Now, with there being no election, the department is hoping that the government will revisit the proposal. Kaushik Mukherjee, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, told Deccan Herald that he had written to Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara to notify KNP as a Tiger Reserve. He said this would not mean any “extra status” to KNP in terms of protection. “I sent the file to the Forest minister 10 days ago. There was much opposition to declaring BTR Wildlife Sanctuary a Tiger Reserve as well. But, eventually it was notified as a Tiger Reserve. There will be no difference in status of protection – no villagers will be evicted from the area,” he said. Mukherjee said the department would not push for extension of the boundary of either Bhadra or KNP. “The expansion has been opposed, and I don’t want to go against the powers that be. Even if KNP is notified as a Tiger Reserve, the existing area will not change,” he said. Forest Minister Yogeeshwara was not available for comments. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) of the MoEF had given its in-principle approval to the State government’s proposal to declare KNP a Tiger Reserve last year, with the then Union Forest minister Jairam Ramesh strongly backing the proposal. The Centre’s nod ensures grants to the State under Project Tiger. The State has, however, withheld the status, not making efforts to hasten the process. KNP, which is spread over 600.57 sq km, has 29 villages. Of the 300-odd tigers in the forests of Karnataka, KNP is said to be home to around 15. Tiger conservationist Sanjay Gubbi says the government’s move to shut down the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited has helped improve the eco-system. It is a unique tiger habitat with a mixture of evergreen forests and shola grasslands. It will be ideal if the government declares it a Tiger Reserve, he says. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/246054/forest-department-revives-tiger-reserve.html

Govt to release secret funds, launch Special Tiger Protection Force

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Apr 30, 2012, 01.20AM IST NAGPUR: Stung by the poaching of a tiger in a jaw trap in Palasgaon range in the buffer zone of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), the state government has announced a host of measures, including release of secret funds to develop intelligence network and appointment of forest guards under Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). "The incident is extremely tragic as well as an eye-opener after the electrocution of two tigers in the recent past in Tadoba landscape," said Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary (forests). He said a red alert has been sounded around Tadoba, Melghat, Bor, Nagzira and Navegaon. After discussions with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and senior forest officials, preventive steps to trace more traps in the periphery of these PAs have been announced. Directions have been issued to the staff to keep track of all water holes, particularly on the periphery of protected areas for traps on a daily basis. "Nagzira and Bor also need to be on high alert, with daily scanning of every waterhole and keeping track of tigers outside the parks," Pardeshi said. As per the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), the latest poaching may be the handiwork of the gang involved in poaching near Tadoba in 2010. The pictures of those two culprits are already available with the forest department and Nitin Desai, Central India director of WPSI. Pardeshi has also directed recruitment of 90 forest guards under Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) approved by the government for TATR. These guards will be put under the field director and posted in buffer zone for patrolling. The money for the secret fund will be released this week and announcement of awards for information leading to arrest or capture of contraband articles will be made on radio, bus stations, railway stations and village chavdies. Pardeshi also spoke to inspector general of police (IGP), Nagpur, and superintendent of police, Chandrapur. They are on high alert to capture and trace the suspects. Wildlife experts said that the system of monitoring waterholes twice daily has not been followed and needs to be strictly monitored and documented. Such poaching incidents are possible only during summer in landscapes of tiger reserves. However, the field staff come to know about it after several days. Therefore, divisional forest officials (DFOs) have been told to alert field staff on wireless immediately. In the next two days, officials have been told to meet staff and enforce various protocols of protection camps, including group patrol, daily monitoring of water holes, reaching out to local villagers for getting information of outsiders, enhanced frisking of strangers as well as villagers found in unusual locations, maintenance of diary by guards etc. At the same time, officials have been told not to press the panic button. It is being described as an exercise to boost confidence and vigilance level of the field staff, they were told. They have been further asked to ensure that pro forma of monitoring waterholes is regularly submitted by guards. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Govt-to-release-secret-funds-launch-Special-Tiger-Protection-Force/articleshow/12928568.cms

Community based eco-tourism, a success story

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT K. Vijayanandan, Deputy Director and Wildlife Warden of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, speaking at the Enviro Meet organised by Osai, an NGO, in the city on Sunday. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has been able to make rapid strides in initiatives relating to eco-tourism as well improve forest management through community based eco-tourism, said K. Vijayanandan, Deputy Director and Wildlife Warden of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (PTR). He was speaking on the topic “Tribal Development through community based eco-tourism - Parambikulam Experience” at the Enviro Meet organised by Osai – Voice for Nature, an NGO. Mr. Vijayanandan said that Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has many firsts to its credit, made possible through the participation of tribal people. Being a most protected forest area, the reserve has nearly five endemic flora varieties, he said. Ever since the Joint Forest and Participatory Management was introduced, the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve has not witnessed even a single incident of poaching since 2004 and since 2007 there had not been a single incident of forest fire. Employment opportunity for 234 tribal people, benefitting over 260 families, has resulted in the reserve becoming the first domestic cattle-free protected forest area. Tribal people have become part of the Social Tiger Protection Force and are effectively combating forest and wildlife-related offences. There are seven eco-development committees serving the restricted and regulated eco-tourism needs and looking after the livelihood of tribal people. There are 13 eco-tourism packages being made available to tourists by the Department through tribal people. Plastic waste has reduced tremendously and remaining waste are recycled and made into key chains embedded with PTR related images and slogans. They are sold as souvenir for the tourists. The tourism is regulated carefully avoiding disturbance to wildlife by banning the entry of private vehicles. Four new vehicles with 18 seats each have been inducted for taking the tourists around the reserve. Referring to the farming activity in Poopara hamlet by the tribal people, Mr.Vijayanandan said that banana cultivation earlier led to human – animal conflict. Now, with inputs from Forest Department, the tribal people have switched over to ginger, coffee, pepper and turmeric cultivation, which are not sought after by wild animals. Organic certification and good price has turned them a happy lot today, he added. REVENUE Mr. Vijayanandan said that the PTR recorded revenue of Rs. 1.25 crore during 2009-10 and it became Rs. 1.86 crore in 2010-2011 and in 2011-2012 it had risen to Rs. 2.45 crore. Of the revenue generated during the last year, Rs. 85 lakh was disbursed as salary to tribal people employed by the Forest Department, while Rs. 90 lakh was spent towards maintenance and upkeep. He said that with eco-tourism initiatives aided by tribal people, the tiger reserve has become almost self-sufficient. During the previous fiscal, a total of 47,500 tourists had visited the tiger reserve, he said. Referring to the ongoing problem of tree cutting in Coimbatore, Mr. Vijayanandan said that the 245-year-old Connemara teak, the oldest in the entire country, has so far benefitted the earth to a tune of Rs. 8 crore in terms of oxygen generation. He said that trees need to be looked at for the ecological value and the benefits it gives to humanity. On involving the generations of tomorrow towards the task of conservation and inculcating the ability to appreciate nature, Mr. Vijayanandan said that during 2011-2012, as many as 60 nature camps benefitting 2,250 students were held providing free food and accommodation. C.R. Jayaprakash, Assistant Professor of PSG College of Arts and Science, presided over the function and K. Kalidasan, president of Osai, took part. http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article3369378.ece

Rs 10,000 reward for info on tiger poachers

TNN | Apr 30, 2012, 01.29AM IST CHANDRAPUR: The Chandrapur forest department and NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) have announced separate cash prizes of Rs 10,000 each for any information about the poachers responsible for death of tigers in Palasgaon range. WPSI started distributing pamphlets seeking information on poachers in rural areas on Sunday, while the forest department would start a similar campaign on Monday. Both agencies have sought information about the gang of poachers or any individual having involvement in poaching of tigers in Palasgaon range with the help of jaw traps. Any person giving information about poachers would get a prize of Rs 10,000 cash and his name will be kept secret, forest department and WPSI have assured. Those having information can contact DCF P Kalyankumar (9890954572) and ACF Raju Dhabekar (9422820770) to give information to forest department. Similarly, WPSI's Central India director Nitin Desai (9422803037) can be contacted to reveal any information about poachers. Meanwhile, the forest department has stepped up search operations for poacher gangs in the district. Assistant director of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) Shaik Karimulla along with his associate Madivanan too have arrived in Chandrapur to investigate and assist in the case. "We are here as the matter is related to professional poaching. Death of a tiger and injury to other one is unfortunate," said Karimulla. Sources claimed that the forest department suspects the involvement of hard-core poacher Keru Rajgond and his cousin Ajit alias Rajkumar in the case. Intelligence information of his presence in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli around two months back has led to the suspicions. Chandrapur police had arrested Keru and Ajit with assistance of WPSI here in November in connection with recovery of tiger skins and bones in Sampark Kranti Express in Nagpur. The accused duo was handed over to CBI, which was investigating the case. But both disappeared once they were given bail by the court, nine months after staying in jail under MCR. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Rs-10000-reward-for-info-on-tiger-poachers/articleshow/12928631.cms

Valparai tiger loses battle

TNN Apr 29, 2012, 04.16AM IST COIMBATORE: The tiger that entered a homestead in Valparai and got gored by a cow died on Saturday morning. A postmortem on Saturday evening linked its death to a bad meal the big cat had a few hours before it went to retrieve the remains of a previous kill it left behind two days ago in the cowshed. The tiger, according to the postmortem report, had eaten a porcupine hours before attacking the cow. Quills of the porcupine had pierced the tiger's heart and intestine. The tiger breathed its last at around 8am on Saturday inside the cage where it was kept after given the tranquilizing shot late Friday evening, according to Manampallai forest ranger officer Arokiaraj Xavier. The medicines administered by veterinarian Dr N Kalaivanan, who had come from Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris on Friday evening to tranquilize the tiger, could not save the 10-year-old animal. The attack of the cow and the internal injuries it suffered after eating the porcupine had left the tiger weak. Throughout the day, the animal was confined to the cowshed of R Gnanasekaran, a resident of Periyar Nagar in Valparai. The absence of a vet with expertise in the use of tranquilizers locally had delayed officials from providing proper treatment to the animal. Forest officials did not dare to go anywhere near the injured animal to provide food, water or medicines fearing retaliation. The aged animal, officials, said could not fight off the fatigue and the injuries. At 1.30pm on Saturday, Kalaivanan returned to conduct the autopsy in the Manampally Forest Range Office premises in the presence of senior forest officials, World Wide Fund For Nature representatives Dr Ajay and Mohanraj and Valparai police inspector M Subramanian. The autopsy revealed that one of the legs of the tiger was damaged in the attack by the cow. Its nails were broken and blood stains found on the nail beds. There was a deep cut on the stomach which was caused by the sharp quills of the porcupine. There were numerous cysts in the intestine and the lungs too were damaged. Two quills had pierced its heart. According to Kalaivanan, the tiger would have hunted and eaten a porcupine before moving to Gnanasekaran's property. The tiger was cremated at a spot close to Meenparai on the way to Top Slip in the presence of a large crowd. Meanwhile, forest officials assured locals that they would take up the request to station a vet with expertise in tranquilizing animals in Anamalai Tiger Reserve, which includes the forests in and around Valparai. Residents of Valparai are prone to frequent attacks by elephants and leopards. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-29/coimbatore/31475659_1_porcupine-quills-forest-officials

Tiger found dead

Hunsur, (Mysore dist), April 29 2012, DHNS: A male tiger, about five years old, was found dead with severe injuries in Nagarahole National Park on Sunday morning. The incident came to light during the routine beat of the forest staff. It is suspected that two male tigers had fought near Gadde Hadi in Nagarahole range on Saturday, leading to the death of one of them, said Nagarahole Conservator of Forests Vijay Ranjan Singh. There are deep injury marks on the dead tiger, which are believed to be inflicted by another tiger, he added. The tiger succumbed to the injuries. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests B K Singh and Field Director of Project Tiger B J Hosmath visited the spot. Veterinary Officer Dr Umashankar conducted the postmortem. http://www.deccanherald.com/content/245788/tiger-found-dead.html