LIST OF CONTENTS
When elephants cross borders
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Opposition to sanctuary proposal in Srikakulam,
Vizianagaram districts
Assam 3
Orang
tigers to be camera trapped
Two elephants found dead within
24 hours
Goa 5
Gaur population up in
Gujarat 5
Gir gets award for eco-tourism
Artificial water points in Gir for summer
Increased vigil after anthrax outbreak around Gir
Demand to cancel approval for cement plant near Sundarnagar and Bandli
WLS
Dachigam NP opened to public after
60 years
Rs. 190 lakh
Central assistance for wildlife protection to Jharkhand
Elephants flock to Dalma WLS
during summer
Dalma
WLS elephant and calf electrocuted
Workshop held to sensitise judges and forest
officers to provisions of the WLPA.
Traffic management centre in
Bannerghata NP
World Heritage tag likely for 12 sites
Kerala 8
Newsletter on Vembanad
Malabar WLS proposed in
Diphtheria reported in Kani
settlements in Peppara WLS
FD to set up three
biodiversity parks
Wildlife sanctuary proposed in Alirajpur district
Lonar lake to tell the
story of climate change
Proposal to reduce Great Indian
Bustard Sanctuary to 350 sq. kms
PAs in Vidarbha,
No support from police to demolish illegal ashram in
Tungareshwar WLS: FD
Orissa 10
FD files case against ZP member for blocking saline water
ingress into Bhitarkanika NP
Punjab 11
Effort to develop Harike as a tourism site
Rajasthan 11
Nokia – WWF India project for
Ranthambhor
Tigers re-introduced to Sariska
Tamil
Nadu 13
Elephant poached in Mudumalai after six years
Protest
against declaration of Mudumalai WLS as a Critical Tiger Habitat
Tribals in Kalakad Mundunthurai
TR face eviction for failing to stop forest fire.
Rs.
50 lakh project for Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve
Exotic algae invades
Bird
sanctuary proposed in Noida
Tigers pushing out leopards from
Katerniaghat WLS, Dudhwa NP
Rhinos from Bardia and ShuklaPhanta move to Katerniaghat WLS, Lagga Bagga
forests
Uttarakhand 16
Two conservation
reserves for Musk deer in Pithoragarh
Rescue centres for big cats, tuskers in Almora, Haridwar
Severe staff shortage at Corbett
Record earnings from tourism in Corbett TR
Uttarakhand, UP to work together to curb poaching in Corbett TR
No more elephant deaths by trains in Rajaji
Rajaji
tusker tramples nine, shot dead
Rajaji NP grassland to be handed over for temple
construction
West
Bengal 18
Increasing human-elephant
conflict along the Bengal-Nepal border
Monkeys to prevent poaching, tree smuggling in the
Sunderbans
Workshop on
Wildlife
Bureau hit by staff shortage
Corridors to alleviate elephant crisis in Eastern Indian states
Disney Conservation Award to Shailendra Singh of the MCBT
Whitley Award for Dr. Deepak Apte
SOUTH ASIA 21
Steps
to combat illegal wildlife trade in
Tiger attacks on the rise in the Sundarbans
Sherpa community creates the Khumbu Community Conserved Area
UPCOMING 22
29th
Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation
Declaration of the Khumbu Community Conserved Area 23
Protected Area Update
Vol. XIV, No. 4, August 2008 (No. 74)
Editor: Pankaj
Sekhsaria
Editorial Assistance: Wrutuja
Pardeshi
Illustrations: Madhuvanti Anantharajan
Produced by: Kalpavriksh
Ideas, comments, news and information may please be sent to the
editorial address:
KALPAVRIKSH,
Email:
psekhsaria@gmail.com
Website: www.kalpavriksh.org
Production of PA Update
74 has been supported by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand.
When elephants cross borders
Following are
some interesting cross-border news nuggets gleaned over the last few months.
a)
Wild elephant migration from
Karnataka to Goa and Maharashtra is termed ‘unnatural’ and
b)
Elephants that had ‘strayed’ from
Orissa into Andhra in late 2007 were termed ‘rogue’ and huge efforts were made
to force them to return. Two of animals were even darted and drugged and
carried back to their home state. One died almost immediately, most likely
because of an overdose of the drug used on it.
c)
d)
(As you will read below) The
Nepalese government is reinforcing the border with
Reading news
like this is to experience a tragic-comic drama being played out across
elephant territory in the sub-continent. How else can one explain a country
asking another to take back ‘its’ elephants, or one minister complaining to a
counterpart in the neighbouring state that his elephants are causing trouble.
No one will argue that the situation
on the ground is a simple one. The case of human-elephant conflict is an
extremely protracted and complex one. Large populations of rural and tribal
people undoubtedly suffer huge depredations because of elephants; and the
pressure on administrators, politicians and forest staff to deal with the
problem must be undeniably huge.
It needs to be remembered at the
same time that elephants don’t have it easy either. Increasing encroachments,
dam construction, mining projects and infrastructure corridors have, over the
years, ruthlessly destroyed elephant habitat and snapped traditional migratory
routes. Not only are the elephants being denied what was traditionally and
rightfully theirs, but terms like ‘straying’ herds, ‘rogue’ animals and
‘unnatural’ habitat are used without thought to hold them responsible for a
problem they are not responsible for at all.
Borders created by human beings for
their own kind are turning tragically problematic, even fatal for the
pachyderms in ways that can only be considered bizarre.
The largest mammal on land deserves
better than being shot, electrocuted or drugged for crossing our borders. The
animal that is one of the most venerated in our cultures and histories can
surely be treated with more respect and tolerance. We, humans, can at the same
time, certainly do better than blaming neighbours and demanding that ‘their’
animals behave or be taken back, which would be the best way to ensure that a
solution will not be found. A little common sense and pragmatism in dealing
with the issue will certainly do no one any harm.
It might, in fact, be a good starting
point to find some meaningful resolution and long lasting answers.
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Opposition to sanctuary proposal in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram districts
The
The
proposal has however been opposed by tribal organizations and NGOs and a number
of political parties including the TDP, the CPI (M), and the CPI. Some ruling
party members too have opposed the move. The main reason for the opposition is
that the government wants to relocate some 300 families (more than 1200 people)
for the declaration of the sanctuary.
The
government has said that those relocated will be given an attractive package. While
they will be eligible to Rs. 10 lakh per family as per central guidelines, the
state government will provide houses and civic infrastructure like roads, water
and power.
Source: ‘Wildlife sanctuary plan
on,’ The Hindu, 18/03/08
R.
Jagadeeswara Rao, ‘Wildlife sanctuary move stirs hornet’s nest,’ The Hindu,
20/03/08
Orang
tigers to be camera trapped
A project
has been recently launched in the Rajiv Gandhi (Orang) National Park for the
documentation of the tigers here through camera trapping in tandem with other
methods. The project is being executed by the NGO, Aaranyak,
in collaboration with the park authorities. The project’s technical support is
from the Wildlife Institute of India, while financial aid has been provided by
the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation,
The project hopes to identify
existing or possible dispersal routes of tigers into and out of the park. It
will first seek to identify individual tigers in the park and estimate the
density of tiger and prey animals using camera trapping and line transect
methods respectively. Subsequently, it would attempt to fill in considerable
gaps on wild tiger research and monitoring in the region. Other spin offs from
the project include the creation of a GIS database of the park and its fringe
areas, along with a habitat stratification map prepared and correlated to tiger
and prey density; and capacity building of local scientists and foresters for
long-term monitoring of wildlife.
The
forests of Orang are presently estimated to have about 20 tigers.
Source: ‘Move to document Orang tigers through camera
trapping’, The Assam Tribune,
18/06/08.
Contact: Aaranyak,
Samanwoy Path (Survey), PO Beltola, Guwahati – 781028,
Two elephants found dead within 24 hours
Poachers killed an elephant and sawed off its trunk in Raimona-Maktegaon
forest in
Less
than 24 hours before this incident, the carcass of an adult elephant was found on
the banks of the River Sankosh in
Source: ‘Elephant
killed in Kokrajhar,’ The Telegraph, 13/06/08
‘Tusker
dies in
Contact: Director,
Manas NP, PO Barpeta Rd. Dist. Barpeta – 781315, Assam. Tel: 03666 – 261413.
Fax: 232253 / 260253
The
The
2nd Mountain Brigade of the Indian Army is also slated to help in the
protection of wildlife in the park and in the adjoining forests in the Jorhat
and Sivasagar districts.
The
moves are a response to the spate of rhino killings that have occurred in
Source: ‘
‘Army
to fight poachers in Kaziranga’, Assam
Tribune, 25/06/08.
Contact: Director,
Kaziranga NP, PO Bokakhat, Dist. Golaghat – 785612,
Chief Wildlife Warden –
Gaur population up in
The population of
It has also been
reported that not a single case of gaur poaching occurred in the state for the
last three years.
Source: Abdul Rauf Beig. ‘Bison population is up’, The Navhind Times, 13/06/08.
Contact: Chief Wildlife Warden, Wildlife Wing, Junta House, Panaji
403001,
Gir gets award for eco-tourism site
The
Source: ‘Gir sanctuary
bags national award’, The Times of India,
26/06/08.
Contact: CF
(Wildlife) Junagadh, Sardar Bag, Junagadh,
Artificial water
points in Gir for summer
Seven
rivers pass through Gir, but they generally dry up during summer. The forests
here also have only about 250 watering points to cater to the needs of more
than 390 lions, 350 leopards and 40,000 ungulates, including spotted deer, sambar, nilgai, chinkara, and wild boar.
Source: ‘Water points for Asiatic lions in Sasan Gir’ Times Of India, 21/05/08
Increased vigil after anthrax outbreak around Gir
The Gujarat Forest
Department (FD) increased surveillance around
Anthrax was confirmed in Bagdna village after samples from
some of the dead domestic animals tested positive for the disease. Concerned about
the safety of the wild animals as cattle often stray into the park, the FD told
forest guards to bring to the immediate notice of the department any incident
of wild animals suffering from the disease.
Source: ‘FD increases vigil around Gir’, The Times of India, 16/06/08.
Demand to cancel approval for cement plant
near Sundarnagar and Bandli WLS
The Paryavaran Sanrakshan Samiti (PSS),
Sundarnagar has appealed to the Union Minister for Environment and Forests to
cancel the environment and forest clearance given to Harish Cement Ltd for
setting up a cement plant near Sundernagar. The Samiti alleged that the
clearance given was in violation of environmental laws and the orders of the
Supreme Court.
The
Samiti also alleged that the environment and forest clearance given to the
project with regard to the Keran Lime Stones Mines in 2005 for setting up
cement plant near Sundernagar did not comply with the legal norms.
Earlier,
environmental/forest clearance was denied for situating the project at Maloh-Nalani
area because of the site’s proximity to the Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary. The
company then shifted the plant site to a thickly populated area (near
Sundernagar) but did nothing about the mining area site, which remained the
same.
At
present the sites of the proposed cement plant and mining are located close to
the Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary and the Nature Awareness Centre, Trambri. In
order to give clearance to the project, government field officials too have
allegedly been involved in foul play by deliberately falsifying the actual distances
between the plant/mining site and the sanctuary.
Source: ‘Cancel cement
plant approval: Samiti,’ The Tribune,
29/05/08
Contact: Vinay
Tandon, Chief Wildlife Warden, Himachal Pradesh, Talland, Shimla – 171001.
Tel: 0177-2624193. Email: Vtandy@gmail.com
Dachigam
NP opened to public after 60 years
The Dachigam
National Park (DNP), famous for the Hangul, has been opened for tourists for
the first time in 60 years. Admission to the park was restricted till recently and
only those with special passes were allowed in.
Tourists will be taken on a 3.5-km
drive inside the park in a battery-operated car. The drive will include visits
to trout-fish streams and areas rich in flora and fauna. The Tourism Department
has lent three such cars to the Wildlife Department for the safari.
The state Tourism Department is
reported to have spent Rs. 30 lakh for providing facilities for the tourists.
Source: Ishfaq-ul-Hassan. ‘
Contact: Wildlife
Warden, Dachigam NP, C/o. Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K State Tourist
Reception Centre Srinagar – 190001. Tel: 0194-2492627
Rs. 190 lakh Central assistance for wildlife
protection to Jharkhand
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)
has approved a project worth Rs 190 lakh for the maintenance of the Singhbhum
Elephant Reserve, the Palamau Tiger Project, and of wildlife sanctuaries in the
state. The sanction has come in response to a proposal for the same that the
state government had submitted in 2007.
The
money is to be made available for patrolling in protected areas, improving
animal habitats and other activities like digging ponds.
Source:
Anupam Rana, ‘Central Government approves project for wildlife,’ The
Pioneer, 14/05/08
Elephants flock to Dalma WLS during summer
An estimated 80 elephants, the largest
number in many years, were reported to have moved to the forests of the Dalma
Wildlife Sanctuary in the hot summer month of May. The figure is based on a
rough census carried out during the traditional tribal hunting festival Sendra or Bishu Shikaar on May 12.
The
animals are said to come here in search of food and water that becomes scarce
in other parts and forests of the region.
Elephants
from the
Source: Saswati Mukherjee, ‘Dalma summer retreat for tuskers,’ The
Telegraph, 16/05/08
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, Dalma WLS
Wildlife Division,
Dalma WLS elephant and calf electrocuted
A female
elephant and her one-year-old calf were recently electrocuted near Dimna lake
when they came in contact with a low hanging live wire. This is said to be the
first such incident in and around the Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary.
The death was caused by long
electric wires drawn illegally by villagers from electric poles for lighting
their houses. Hanging at a height of about seven feet, the live wire snapped as
soon as the elephants came in contact with it. As a result the three pachyderms
that were following the female were saved.
Source:
‘Female elephant and calf electrocuted’, DNA,
03/06/08
Contact: PCCF,
Jharkhand, At- Doranda, P.O. Doranda, Ranchi. Tel: 0651-2500455(O), 2500413(R)
Fax: 0651-500413
Workshop held to sensitise judges
and forest officers to provisions of the WLPA.
The
Those participating included senior
judges of the Karnataka High Court.
Source: ‘Judges should be sensitised to provisions of
Wildlife Act,’ The Hindu, 08/06/08.
Traffic
management centre in Bannerghata NP
The Bangalore
Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) has proposed the creation of a
Traffic and Transit Management Centre (TTMC) in the
The TTMC at Bannerghata is one of
the 10 centers planned as part of a transportation project under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The locations for the other
TTMCs are Shantinagar, Koramangala, Whitefield, Vijayanagar, Kengeri,
Banashankari, Yeshwantpur and Domlur.
Source: ‘BMTC seeks land for two TTMCs’, Times News Network,
22/05/08.
Contact: CF, Bannerghatta NP, Bannerghatta,
Dist.
World Heritage tag likely for 12 sites
Twelve spots in the
The selected spots
include Kodchagiri, the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary,
Devarakaadu and parts of Shimoga and north Karnataka.
Source:
‘Heritage tag for 12 sites’, The New
Indian Express, 23/06/08.
Newsletter on Vembanad
The
Vembanad Team of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment
(ATREE) has initiated a newsletter ‘Vembanad’ that will be dedicated to various
issues concerning the
Contact:
Vembanad, ATREE, #659, 5th 'A'
Chief Wildlife Warden –
Kerala, Vazhudacaud,
Malabar WLS proposed in
The Kerala government has decided to
create the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary at Kakkayam in
The
Minister also announced the formation of a Forest Housing Development
Corporation for employees of the FD.
Source: ‘Viswom: wildlife sanctuary
in a year,’ The Hindu, 23/03/08
Diphtheria reported in Kani settlements in Peppara
WLS
A seven year
old girl from a Kani settlement inside the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary was
reported to have died of diphtheria in the first week of May.
A team of doctors immediately
visited the 60-odd houses in the five Kani settlements inside the sanctuary to
look for traces of the supposedly eradicated disease among other tribal
children. Over 30 children in these settlements were tested and their throat
swabs were taken for culture. None of them, however, showed any symptoms of the
disease.
The team of doctors was told that
the children here had all been immunized, and that even the expired child had
been inoculated. It has however been pointed out that neither the SAT nor the
nearest hospital, KIMS, had stock of the vaccine Diphtheria Immunoglobin when
the girl was admitted. She is reported to have died before the medicine could
be purchased.
Source: ‘Docs
visit Kani settlements, find no trace of diphtheria’, The New Indian Express, 08/05/08.
Contact: Asst. Wildlife Warden, Peppara Wildlife
Sanctuary, P.O. Peppara Dam, (via) Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram – 695551,
Kerala. Tel: 0471-360762
FD to set up
three biodiversity parks
The Forest
Department has proposed to set up three biodiversity parks in the state in the
next three years at Chaliyam in Kozhikode, Nedumbassery in
The decision was announced in the
last week of May by Forest Minister Binoy Viswam, who revealed that the first
phase of the discussion on the biodiversity park in Nedumbassery has already been
completed. The park is sited on the land the Forest Department had received as
compensation for land used for the
At
Source: ‘Forest Dept. to set up
three biodiversity parks’, The New Indian
Express, 31/05/08.
Wildlife sanctuary
proposed in Alirajpur district
The
Madhya Pradesh Government has proposed the creation of a wildlife sanctuary at
Kastthivada in Alirajpur district. A detailed proposal in this regard was given
clearance at a high level meeting held at the Narmada Valley Development
Authority (NVDA) headquarters in July. The sanctuary recommended by the
Wildlife Institute of India will cover an area of a little over 92 sq. kms.
A sanction was also granted for a
survey of the changes that have taken place in the forest cover of the Dhar,
Barwani and Jhabua districts due to afforestation and catchments area treatment
work. That study is to be conducted by the Forest Survey of India.
Source: ‘Wildlife sanctuary to come up in
Alirajpur district’, The Pioneer,
06/07/08.
Lonar lake to
tell the story of climate change
A group of
scientists from
A team led by scientist Sushma
Prasad from Germany’s Geoscience Research Institute, Geo Forschungs Zentrum,
and Professor N. Basavaiah from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, recently
visited Lonar as part of their project entitled,
‘Himalayas: Modern and Past Climates.’
Six other German institutions are
also part of the research project. Participating Indian organizations include
the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune; the Birbal Sahani
Institute,
Over 50,000
years old, Lonar is the world’s only salt-water basaltic lake formed by meteor impact.
Its sediments are believed to hold clues to the various climatic changes that
have occurred during this period, since sediment formation is a function of the
environment.
The lake is a part of the Lonar
Wildlife Sanctuary, and the team had to seek the permission of the forest
department to undertake the project. The Principal Chief Conservator of
Source: Vivek Deshpande. ‘The lake
that holds the clue to climate change, The Indian
Express, 03/06/08.
Contact: DCF, Buldhana Division, I/c Lonar
Wildlife Sanctuary, Buldhana – 443001,
Proposal to
reduce Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary to 350 sq. kms
The Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary that
is presently spread over 8500 sq. kms across the districts of Solapur and
Ahmednagar is likely to be drastically reduced to an area of about 350 sq. kms.
The Maharashtra Forest Department has recently submitted a proposal to this
effect to the Supreme Court.
The
demand for the reduction in the size of the sanctuary has been around for a
long time, and there has been a broad agreement on this as well. The present
sanctuary includes large inhabited areas and many big towns. Local people have
been insisting on the size reduction, and recently the State Forest Minister
too added his voice to the demand.
An
expert panel headed by Mr. VB Savarkar, former Director of the Wildlife
Institute of India, has however insisted that the state should retain at least
1,222 sq km area of the sanctuary to protect the rare bird. (Also see PA Update 29).
Source: ‘Maha govt. to approach
SC for reducing bird sanctuary area’, Economic
Times, 06/07/08.
Contact: CF
Wildlife, Pune Division,
PAs in Vidarbha,
Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region and
Source: Vineeta Pandey. ‘Vidarbha set to take a big leap on
tourism map’, DNA, 22/05/08.
No support from
police to demolish illegal ashram in Tungareshwar WLS: FD
Trouble
has been brewing in the sanctuary for a while now, and forest officials had
been allegedly assaulted by the ashram office-bearers when they had gone there
in early May to carry out the demolition (see PA Update Vol. XIV, No. 3).
The
police, on the other hand, has said that help to the forest officials had never
been denied. They have pointed out that since this was a religious issue, it
could become a law and order problem, and would therefore have to be dealt with
in a careful manner.
Source: ‘Police refusing support to raze ‘illegal’ ashram:
Contact: Chief Wildlife
Warden,
FD files case
against ZP member for blocking saline water ingress into Bhitarkanika NP
The Forest Department has filed a case
against Zilla Parishad (ZP) member Guru Charan Parida under Section 27 of the
Orissa Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act on the charge of instigating the
tribal people to block saline water ingress at the
It
has been alleged that the local people were constructing an embankment on the nullah inside the Sasanipeta forest to
block flow of saline water for the purpose of catching fish. This is the same
area where the FD had helped regenerate mangrove saplings in 39 hectares of
forest land in 2007. (Also see PA Update
Vol XIII, No. 2).
When
the forest officials tried to stop the locals, they were threatened and
informed that the ZP member had given them directions to build the embankments.
Source: Rajesh Behera. ‘Forest Dept. files case against ZP
member’, The Pioneer, 01/07/08.
Contact: DFO, Bhitarkanika NP, At/
CWLW– Orissa, Plot No. 8, Shahid Nagar, Bhubaneshwar – 751007, Orissa. Tel: 0674- 2512502 / 2513134 / 2515840. Fax: 512502
Effort to develop Harike
as a tourism site
The World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature (WWF)
A six-member core committee has been
formed to take up related projects. The committee comprises Anish Dua,
Convener, Basanta Raj Kumar, Chandra Prakash, Gunbir Singh and Sandeep Behera.
Source: ‘Six member team to protect dolphins,
develop Harike as tourism site’, The
Pioneer, 06/07/08.
Contact: Wildlife Warden,
Harike
Chief Wildlife Warden, Punjab, SC No. 2463-64,Sector 22-C, Chandigarh - 160022.Tel: 0172-2705828(O), 2675661(R). Fax: 2705828
Nokia – WWF
India project for Ranthambhor
Mobile communications company Nokia
recently announced its partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
As
part of the association, Nokia and WWF-India will work towards educating
villagers for sustainable development, increasing awareness on tiger
conservation, and identifying alternative livelihood programmes for the
villagers around protected areas such as the
Source: ‘Nokia
Contact: Ravi Singh, WWF – India, 172-B, Lodi Estate, New Delhi - 110 003
Tigers re-introduced to Sariska
Two tigers have recently being relocated to Sariska
from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve as part of a Rs. 1.5 crore project to
re-establish the tiger here. The entire exercise is being executed jointly by
the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) and the Rajasthan Forest Department (FD).
The
first tiger, a male, was flown to Sariska in the last week of June in an MI-17
IAF helicopter. Here it was released in a 100m x 100m enclosure at Narayanpani,
an area that was once known for the most tiger sightings at Sariska. The
enclosure was surrounded by a 20 ft. high fence draped in a bright yellow sheet
to minimize the homing instinct of the animal back to Ranthambore. Specially
constructed to get its guest acclimatized to the new environs, and featuring a
fine prey base along with a waterhole fed by a perennial spring, the enclosure
was supposed to provide the ‘right’ natural environment for the tiger, who seemed
to have adapted easily to his new surroundings.
The
second animal, a tigress, moved to Sariska in the first week of July. She was
housed in a separate adjoining enclosure to prevent territorial spats with the
male. Initial reports indicated that she was not doing very well and showed
clear signs of unease post-relocation. Though the enclosure had peafowl, goats
and even sedated deer let in by the officials to provide her soft-target prey,
the 170 kg. tigress had not eaten for four days after her arrival at Sariska.
Alternately listless and ferocious, the tigress remained behind thickets and
rarely came out in the open; and nor did she care to venture out of her
enclosure even when the gates were left open all day.
The
project has fitted both the big cats with radio collars and is thus constantly
monitoring their movements and behaviour by a satellite operated by the
Buoyed
by the so-far successful relocation of the two tigers, authorities have now cut
the time for the introduction of the next three tigers into Sariska. According
to the original plan, five tigers - two male and three female - were to be
relocated in a span of two years. Now the repopulation will take place within
the next six months. The authorities are looking at a target of 21 animals in
the coming years. Ranthambore has 40 – 45 tigers, including 14 newly born cubs,
and has been facing a problem of plenty with reports of territorial fights, and
of older tiger chasing the younger ones out to the periphery of the forest.
According
to the 2005 WII report, Sariska had lost all of its 16 – 18 tigers counted in
the official 2004 wildlife census. Poaching, fed by a complete breakdown in the
internal management system of the park, and of the relationships between the
Sariska villagers and the park management, were cited by the report as the
major factors responsible for the debacle. The 400 sq. km key tiger habitat and
natal area inside Sariska, designated Core–I, is also home to 11 villages,
earmarked for relocation since long. So far only one has been shifted. The 21
families of Bhagani in the Tehla forest range were relocated last year to a site
near Behor in Alwar district and each were provided a two-room house, 6.25
bighas of land and Rs. 84,000. In all, there are 28 villages within Sariska’s
881 sq. km. spread, and nearly 200 villages exist in the vicinity of the park.
As
of now, the NTCA has sanctioned Rs 26 crore for the relocation of the Umri and
Kankwadi villages in the core area of STR to Bardod Rundh and Mojpur
respectively. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had also
given its nod for the conversion of 141 hectares of forest land to agriculture
land at Mojpur village in Alwar district for the rehabilitation of Umri.
According to FD officials, bank accounts have been opened for the families,
money is being transferred and their identity cards are also being made. Each
family is likely to be offered a package of two hectares of land, a constructed
house and Rs. 1 lakh as compensation.
Meanwhile,
a proposed ban on movement of heavy vehicles on the state highway No 13 – which
passes right through the core of the reserve – has been met with much protest
by the villagers here. The residents of Thanagazi staged a bandh on June 29th to object the halting of traffic on
the Alwar–Thanagazi–Jaipur highway, holding that the ban would make a dent in
their livelihood. On an average, around 2000 vehicles ply through this route
everyday. The 3.5 crore alternative road constructed in 2001 to bypass the
highway remains unused.
With
the reintroduction of tigers at the onset of the monsoons, when poaching is at
its peak, security has been beefed up at Sariska. Besides intelligence inputs
from local villagers, the number of security personnel has been increased by
50, in addition to the recruitment of 100 ex-Army men who are part of the
120-member squad for night patrolling.
Dummy traps have been laid at various sectors of the forest for the
patrolling parties to hunt out in an exercise to whet their surveillance
skills. The 23 poachers on the state FD list are still at large.
STR
authorities have also introduced a new system for controlling devotees visiting
Pandupole, an ancient temple located in the heart of the reserve. They are to
be allowed inside in a strictly monitored group of 10 vehicles. Government
buses will also be introduced shortly for transporting people from the gate of
the reserve to Pandupole. About 50,000 people make way inside the park free of
cost on Saturdays and Fridays to worship at the Hanuman temple, contributing to
heavy traffic inside STR.
(Also see PA
Updates Vol XIII, No. 6 & 3, Vol XII, No 4 and Nos. 57, 56, 55 &
50)
Source: Anindo Dey, ‘Tiger relocation
started,’ TNN 09/06/08
‘Satellite
to keep eye on tiger cubs,’ PTI, 23/06/08
‘Tiger
doing fine, tigress not quite,’ The Hindu, 09/07/08
Neha
Sinha, ‘Now, tigress from Ranthambore airlifted to Sariska,’ The Indian
Express, 05/07/08
Neha
Sinha, ‘Relocated Sariska tiger likely to be released soon,’ The Indian
Express, 03/06/08
‘Sariska
villagers protest blocking of highway’, TNN 26/06/08
Anindo
Dey, ‘Firing range near Sariska to be closed,’ TNN 07/07/08
‘Controlled
movement in Sariska temple,’ TNN 09/07/08
Contact: Director, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Sariska, Alwar – 301022, Rajasthan. Tel: 0144-41333 (O)
Elephant poached in
Mudumalai after six years
A case of elephant poaching has been reported in the
Mudumalai forests after a gap of six years. The animal, estimated to be 12
years old, was shot dead near Thorapalli about three kms from the boundary of
the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
An anti-poaching team patrolling the area located the dead animal
following its blood trail an hour-and-half after hearing a gun shot. Officials
said that the elephant had run for more than 500 metres in search of water
after it was shot in its chest, probably with a musket. The animal’s tusks and
tail had been hacked off by the poachers when the body was found.
Sniffer dogs were brought in, but
since more than six hours had already passed, they made little progress in
tracking down the poachers. A Special Task Force (STF) team from Sathyamangalam
was also part of the patrol. Eight teams were formed to nab the poachers and
all check posts across the state border were put on alert.
Source: ‘Poachers back in action in
Mudumalai’, The Times of India,
06/07/08.
Contact: Wildlife Warden, Mudumalai WLS, Mt. Stewart Hill, Udhagamandalam - 643001 Tamil Nadu. Tel: 0423-244098
Protest against declaration of Mudumalai WLS as a Critical Tiger
Habitat
Communities
living around the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary observed a bandh on July 3 to
protest against the declaration of the sanctuary as a critical tiger habitat
(CTH), and the resultant harassment and continued intimidation of the local
people. Those protesting termed the declaration of the CTH as illegal and in
violation of the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, and of the
Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act (STOFDRFRA). More than a thousand people went on a one day hunger
strike in Masanagudi, the town at the entrance of the sanctuary.
The protesters demanded the
immediate cancellation of the "critical tiger habitat" notification
made allegedly made in violation of the law and without any dialogue or
consultation with the local communities; immediate implementation of the
STOFDRFRA; and an immediate reply to the issues raised by the Masanagudi
panchayat in its letter dated 19th March, where it had specifically pointed out
the violations of the WLPA and STOFDRFRA.
The protestors also passed a
resolution condemning the restrictions on collection of stones and housing
material, minor forest produce, firewood and grazing. They have also opposed
the ban on vehicular traffic after 8 pm and condemned the bar on provision of
basic amenities like electricity in the area.
The protestors have threatened to
blockade the roads in the area and undertake further actions in protest if
their demands were not met by the 15th of July.
Source:
Email dated 04/07/08 sent by the Campaign for Survival and Dignity.
Contact:
Campaign for Survival and Dignity. Email: forestcampaignnews@gmail.com
Tribals in
Kalakad Mundunthurai TR face eviction for failing to stop forest fire.
Authorities of the Kalakad Mundunthurai
Tiger Reserve (KMTR) have issued eviction notices to members of the Kani tribe
living inside the reserve for allegedly not helping the Forest Department (FD)
in preventing fires in the forest. The notice says that the tribe members are
‘required’ to help in such matters under the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Forest
Act (TNFA). The notice also blames them for not providing any 'useful
information,' and further says that only those who respect the law and assist
the FD are eligible to live inside the forests and obtain forest rights.
The
Kani, now a scheduled tribe, were reportedly brought to the forests here under
the colonial rule in 1910 to work on plantations. Some of them now live in four
hamlets in the heart of what is now the KMTR.
In
response to the notice received, the members of the tribe have accused the reserve’s
Deputy Director of mala-fide intent, pointing out that TNFA did not apply in
the region because it was a tiger reserve. They have alleged that the official
had criminally threatened them before sending the notice; that the notice had
been sent to the entire Kani community, and this violated the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and other Acts as well.
They
also pointed out that the trouble for them started when they protested against
the reserve being declared a critical tiger habitat as that would mean their
relocation.
Source: Nitin Sethi. ‘Tribe faces
eviction for failing to stop forest fire’, The
Times of India, 06/07/08.
Contact: Field Director KMTR, NGO ‘A’ Colony, Palayam Kottai, Tirunelveli - 627 007. Tel: 0462-273075, 2552663(O), 2580115(R). Fax: 0462-2580115
Rs. 50 lakh project for
The
Department of Forests will carry out a Centre-sponsored project for the
conservation and management of Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve with an
estimated outlay of Rs. 50 lakh during this financial year.
The project is aimed at augmenting
infrastructure and income-generating activities along the coastal villages of
the district; and to thereby reduce the dependency of fishermen on the Gulf of
Mannar Biosphere for their livelihood. The project will also involve the
creation of shelterbelt plantations comprising casuarinas, amla and neem on 100
hectares of coastal patta land
situated within 10 km from the High Tide Line (HTL). The project is also to
establish three horticulture gardens at Udangudi, Vilathikulam and
Tharuvaikulam areas, and to dibble 60,000 palymrah nuts along the coast.
The entire revenue from these
cultivations is to be pooled into the resources of eco-development committees
(EDC) functioning in the village panchayats covered under the scheme. It would
then be used by the EDCs for community development programmes and for creation
of employment for the villagers.
Two ‘anti-poaching’ sheds would be
set up at Tiruchendur and Vembar to curtail poaching as well as to educate
people of the importance of avian fauna and preservation of endangered species
like shark, corals and sea cucumbers.
A total of 12 veterinary camps have
also been planned in villages where cattle population was high to help farmers
engaged in rearing.
Source: R. Vimal Kumar, ‘Project to conserve
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve,’ The Hindu, 20/05/08.
Contact: Wildlife
Warden, Gulf of Mannar NP, Collectorate Compound, Ramanathapuram – 623503,
Tamil Nadu.
Exotic algae
invades
The fast-growing Kappaphycus alvarezii, an algae native of the
The
Central Salt and Marine Chemical Research Institute (CSMCRI) in Bhavnagar,
which imported the alien species in 1997 for experiments in confined waters,
says it transferred the material and sold the technology to PepsiCo only after ensuring
that its cultivation would be ecologically safe.
Both
PepsiCo and CSMCRI agree that patches of drifted K. alvarezii are growing on corals in Kurusadai, but differ on how
the algae entered these waters. The company has said that their cultivation was
confined to
The
CSMCRI says, however, that twigs of algae could have drifted from PepsiCo's
cultivation sites in
Both have however said that banning the
cultivation was not the solution, as farming this algae provides a monthly
income of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 each to nearly 600 poor families.
Scientists
and researchers have pointed out that measures like physically removing the
algae from the corals would be ineffective as the algae re-grows within one
year. The alternative suggestion of biological control also was not feasible as
fish do not graze on K. alvarezii as it
is not a native algae.
Introduction
of the exotic algae in the waters had been opposed when the project was being
initiated, and suggestions had been made for
the farming of native species of red algae that also yielded the necessary
carrageenans. (see PA Update 43).
Source: ‘Indian corals under attack by alien weed’, DNA, 11/06/08.
Bird sanctuary proposed in
Noida
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department has
identified a 330-hectare area adjoining a
reserve forest in Surajpur in the Greater Noida region to develop it into a
‘prime’ bird habitat and wildlife sanctuary. As estimated Rs. 5.6 crore has
been raised for the project.
A lake in the area that covers about
108 hectares of land is to be cleaned up as part of the project. Other parts of
the proposal include construction of small islands in the lake, taking up tree
plantation, construction of a watchtower and a bird information centre,
creation of a communication facility and introduction of pedal boats for
tourists.
Source: ‘Noida to get a bird sanctuary’, The Times of India, 10/07/08.
Tigers pushing out leopards from Katerniaghat WLS, Dudhwa NP
A recent study
by the Wildlife Institute of India has suggested that an increase in tiger
numbers in the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and
Source: Rising tiger population
pushes leopard to periphery’, The New
Indian Express, 25/06/08.
Contact: Director,
Rhinos from Bardia and ShuklaPhanta move
to Katerniaghat WLS, Lagga Bagga forests
At least five one-horned rhinos are reported to have crossed the
Indo-Nepal Border to move from the grasslands in the Bardia and Shukla Phanta
Wildlife Reserves to the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and the Lagga Bagga
forests in Uttar Pradesh. Two rhinos were found in Katerniaghat while the other
three were in the forests of Pilibhit district. More recently a sixth rhino
from
NGOs and experts have expressed the
need to monitor the situation to ensure the security of these animals. They
also feel that greater co-operation between
Source: Neha Sinha. ‘Some
infiltrators from across border, no one is complaining’, The Indian Express, 13/06/08.
Rescue centres
for big cats, tuskers in Almora, Haridwar
The Uttarakhand State Wildlife Department has sanctioned Rs. One
crore for the construction of two wildlife rescue centres for leopards and
elephants in Almora and Haridwar.
The centres will
concentrate especially on the problem of man-eating wild animals, the threat
from which has increased in the hilly areas of the state in the past few years.
Two years ago, the departmental strategy to deal with man-eaters
was to cage and later release the animals in another region. The method,
however, proved ineffective as the animals then resumed killing humans in the
very area they were released. The department hopes that the problem will be
effectively addressed by the state-sanctioned wildlife rescue centres.
Source: Nihi Sharma, ‘Rescue centres for big cats,
tuskers,’ The Tribune, 23/06/08
Two conservation reserves
for Musk deer in Pithoragarh
The
Uttarakhand State Government has proposed the creation of two conservation
reserves in Pithoragarh district, aimed specially towards the protection and
conservation of the endangered musk deer. The reserves are to be created at
Martoli and Burfu and will cover an area of 225 and 80 hectares each.
The new additions will take the
number of conservation reserves in Uttarakhand to four. The State already has a
conservation reserve in Jhilmil, Haridwar for the swamp deer, and the Asan
Conservation Reserve in Dehradun, known for migratory birds (see PA Update Vol XII, No. 1).
Source: Jotirmay Thapliyal. ‘Musk deers to
get two reserves in Pithoragarh’, The
Pioneer, 28/06/08.
Severe staff shortage at Corbett
The Corbett Tiger Reserve is said to be facing a
severe staff shortage. According to the Director of the reserve, nearly 40% of
the posts here are yet to be filled. Spread over nearly 1300 sq. kms, the tiger
reserve has a sanctioned staff strength of 300 people. Even this is considered
to be grossly inadequate for the proper management of the reserve.
Presently
102 of the sanctioned 226 posts for forest guards are lying vacant. Problems
compounded when 36 forests guards left the state en mass during the recent
re-organisation of the State Forest Department. Similarly, of 72 posts for
foresters, 27 are yet to be filled. Further, a deputy forest officer, nine
range-level officers and three deputy rangers have not joined the department.
Source: ‘Severe staff shortage at Corbett’, The Times of India, 16/06/08.
Contact: Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Ramnagar –244715, Nainital, Uttarakhand. Tel: 05947 – 285489. Fax: 285376
Record earnings from tourism in Corbett
Corbett Tiger
Reserve netted record earnings from tourism for the 2007-08 tourist season. The
period from October 2007 to June 2008 brought in Rs. 2.85 crores from the 1.76
lakh people that visited the reserve. The corresponding figures for the
preceding year were Rs. 2.35 crores and 1.25 lakh visitors respectively. This
marks a 17% increase in number of tourists and a 21% increasing in the revenue.
The number of foreign visitors also increased marginally from 7997 last year to
8328 this year.
The
figures for 2005-06 were as follows: Domestic tourists - 1,26,714. Foreign
tourists - 8,889 and Revenue - Rs 2.10 crores.
Source:
Jotirmay Thapliyal. ‘Record earnings from tourism in Corbett TR’, The Pioneer, 30/06/08.
Uttarakhand,
UP to work together to curb poaching in Corbett TR
Uttarakhand and
The
Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttar Pradesh has also suggested that the Amangarh
forest range of the Bijnore Forest Division be included in the buffer zone of
the Corbett TR.
Source: ‘State, UP forest authorities’ synergy to curb poaching’, The Pioneer, 20/05/08.
No more elephant deaths by trains in Rajaji
Joint
efforts by the State Forest Department and the Indian Railways have ensured
that not a single elephant has been killed in a train accident in
The unit includes forest officials connected
with a wireless system, keeping a round-the-clock watch on
both sides of the 18 km railway track passing through the park. The moment the
team spots an elephant approaching the tracks, a message is flashed to the
Muradabad control station officials, who in turn, inform the train driver on
the Dehradun-Haridwar route. The drivers either stop the train or slow it down
to allow elephants to safely cross the track. Vigilant railway drivers and
patrolling staff are rewarded as an incentive.
As many as 35 trains pass through
the park everyday, and 20 pachyderms had fallen prey to speeding trains between
1986 and 2001 (see PA Updates 40, 36,
34 & 32).
Source: ‘Train hits no longer take toll on
elephants,’ PTI, 10/06/08.
Contact:
Director, Rajaji NP, 5/1 Ansari Marg,
Dehradun – 248001, Uttaranchal. Tel: 0135-2621669 Fax: 2621669
Rajaji
tusker tramples nine, shot dead
A tusker
from the
Villagers
held that delays caused by the police as well as the FD were largely
responsible for the incident. They said that the police did not open fire soon
enough, and though the FD has been informed immediately after the animal had
entered the village, the officials arrived only three hours later.
Source: Deepak Gidwani. ‘Rouge tusker tramples sever, shot
dead’, DNA, 31/05/08.
Rajaji NP
grassland to be handed over for temple construction
The Uttarakhand Government is reportedly
keen to hand over the 546-hectare Kunao Chor grassland of the Gori range of
The
grassland that lies along the River Ganga is an ideal habitat for wildlife and
is frequently used by elephants to cross the river here. Tigers and other
endangered species of wildlife are also seen here regularly.
The
Uttarakhand Forest Department is not believed to be in favour of the project,
and has pointed to the various difficulties that would arise if the grassland
was handed over for the construction of the temple.
Source: Jotirmay Thapliyal. ‘For Govt., Rajaji grass is
greener for non-forestry’, The Pioneer,
28/05/08.
Increasing human-elephant conflict along
the Bengal-Nepal border
There
have been a number of reports of a serious escalation in human-elephant
conflict along the North Bengal –
In a period of less than one week in
mid-June, residents of the Nepali border
On June 18th, the body of an
electrocuted female elephant calf was found on the dry riverbed of the Mechi.
Foresters alleged that residents of Bamandangi had hooked power illegally from
a high-tension wire and laid it either on the ground or a fence to prevent
elephants from entering their villages.
A 15-member special investigation team –
comprising representatives from the forest, police and power departments, and
from forest protection and eco-development committees – had already been formed
in the Kodal Basti range in the Cooch Behar forest division to inform the
electricity department of illegal hooking, and to inform the villagers that
illegal tapping can result in the filing of non-bailable cases against both the
landowner and the power provider.
On June 22nd, the body of a bullet–ridden
adult female elephant was found at Bamandangi in
The continued
fatalities have prompted forest officers on the
The elephants
generally move towards Lohagarh from the Kalabari forests of Naxalbari, and
then journey through Nepaniabusti and Bamanpokhri to reach Mahananda. All these
places are located along the elephant corridor stretching from Mechi on one
side and Sankosh on the Bengal-Assam border on the other.
NGOs like the
Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation and People for Ethical Treatment to
Animals have expressed serious concern about the elephant deaths along the
border, and have written to senior authorities in both countries to take urgent
action to resolve the problem. The West Bengal Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb
Bhattacharjee was also to request the Central Government to take up the matter
with
The Nepalese
government, meanwhile, has decided to fence the border villages to prevent
elephant deaths and loss of life and property of residents. Work is expected to
start soon on the Rs. 7 – 8 lakh project for erecting low-voltage electric
fences along the border to keep the elephants from crossing over.
The matter has
been of concern for some time now. At a meeting held in 1997,
The
fact that 11 elephants have died on the border in the last five-six years seems
to indicate, however, that none of the agreed measures have been effective, or
even implemented.
Source: 'Calf dies as power cell takes charge,' The Telegraph, 18/06/08
‘Bid to confine jumbo herd,’ The Telegraph,
20/06/08
'Bullet
ridden carcass found,' The Telegraph, 22/06/08
'Buddha to help save elephants,' The Telegraph 23/06/08
'Fence to save man &
elephant,' The Telegraph 25/06/08
Monkeys to prevent poaching, tree smuggling in the
Sunderbans
The West Bengal Forest Department (FD)
has proposed to set up a squad of trained monkeys to protect the forests and
the wildlife in the Sunderbans.
The
idea came up after one of the FD’s wildlife experts deployed a trained monkey
in Raidighi in the Sundarbans. After a few days it was noticed that poachers
and wood smugglers were avoiding the area. Those involved in timber smuggling
also pointed out that they could not match the speed of the monkeys who
harassed them and interrupted their activities.
Source: Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri. ‘Now, simians to save the
Sunderbans’, DNA, 26/06/08.
Contact: Director,
Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve, Bikash Bhavan, 3rd Floor, North Block,
Workshop on
A two-day workshop on Community Forest
Governance was recently co-organized in the Himalayan Darjeeling
Forest
dwellers from all over
The
workshop discussed the possible contours and theoretical boundaries of a
Community Forest Governance (CFG) process and outlined a set of simple tasks to
initiate it in
After
analyzing and assessing the strength of the ongoing forest movement in the area
and other variables like the amount of and type of natural forests left in the
CFR, six forest areas were selected for immediate practice of CFG: These are
Kalimpong: A Cluster of
five gramsabhas adjoining the Neora Valley National Park (NP).
Kurseong: A cluster of
give gramsabhas adjoining/inside Mahanada WLS.
Jalpiguri: A cluster of
five gramsabhas adjoining Gorumara NP.
Coochbehar: A cluster of
two gramsabhas inside Jaldapara WLS.
Buxa: A cluster of two gramsabhas
inside the Buxa Tiger Reserve.
Source: Soumitro
Ghosh. Email dated 29/05/08 and Note issued at the end of the workshop on
Community Forest Governance.
Contact: Soumitro Ghosh. Email: soumitrag@gmail.com
Chief Wildlife
Warden, Vikas Bhawan, North Block,
Wildlife Bureau hit by staff shortage
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
is grappling with an acute staff shortage, caused partly by the absence of any
recruitment policy.
70%
of the total 110 sanctioned posts are yet to be filled. Set up last year by the
Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Bureau is mandated to develop
infrastructure and capacity for scientific and professional investigation into
wildlife crimes and assist State Governments in prosecutions related to wildlife
crime. (Also see PA Updates Vol. XIV,
No. 2, Vol XIII, No. 5 and Vol XII. No. 4).
Source: ‘Wildlife Bureau grappling
with staff shortage,’ The Hindu, 02/06/08
Corridors to alleviate elephant crisis in Eastern Indian states
Senior wildlife officials from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and
The issues that
were discussed during the meeting included habitat and corridor fragmentation,
poaching, retaliatory killing, deaths in train mishaps and electrocution,
upkeep and registration of captured animals, the skewed sex ratio (1:2.7)
according to the last elephant census, timely payment of compensation, uniform
rules for ex-gratia and crop insurance.
About 2,000
villages spread over 24 districts in Orissa are affected on a day-to-day basis
by residing or migrating elephants. Human-elephant conflict in Orissa resulted
in 49 human deaths last year, and a total of 228 deaths between 1998 – 2004,
during which there were eight instances of retaliatory animal killing resorted
to by villagers.
2,888 instances
of damages due to elephants were reported between 1994 – 2004, during which
about 18000 acres of paddy fields were destroyed. Compassionate payment made
between 1992 – 2003 was a little more than Rs. 25 lakhs. (see PA Updates Vol
XIII, No. 6 & 3 & 1; Vol XI, No. 4; and Nos. 49, 46, 41, 39, 34, 32
& 29.)
Similar
situations have also been reported from three other states -
Source: ‘Corridors to end tusker crisis,’
The
Telegraph, 04/06/08
Disney
Conservation Award to Shailendra Singh of the MCBT
Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund
(DWCF) has selected Shailendra Singh from
Singh
presently spearheads the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust/Turtle Survival Alliance's
(MCBT/TSA) Fresh-water Turtle Conservation Programme to ensure the future of
wild turtles in their natural habitat. He helped develop a small turtle head-starting
facility, the Garhaita Turtle Rehabilitation Centre, near Etawah, and a second similar
facility at Deori. He also oversaw the production of Batagur kachuga hatchlings and Batagur
dhongoka hatchlings from in-situ riverside hatcheries within the National
Chambal Sanctuary. The majority of the hatchlings were released into the
The
Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) was established in 1995 by Walt
Disney Attractions. It works to enable global wildlife conservation through
partnerships with qualified scientists, educators and organizations committed
to preserving the earth's biodiversity.
Through the DWCF, annual cash awards are distributed to non-profit
organizations to protect and study endangered and threatened animals and their
habitats.
Contact: Centre for Herpetology, MCBT, Post bag No.4,
Mamallapuram-603 104, Tamil Nadu. Tel: 044 - 27472447 & 2747 2953. Email:
mcbtindia@vsnl.net OR mcbtindia@gmail.com
Whitley Award
for Dr. Deepak Apte
Dr. Deepak Apte of the Bombay Natural
History Society was recently awarded the Whitley Conservation Award for his project
of Marine conservation and local livelihoods in the
The
project involves harnessing the islanders' expertise to make the marine
environment healthier and to improve fish stocks and local livelihoods at the
same time. It was focused on the globally endangered giant clam, a species that
is also highly sensitive and therefore an important indicator of how climate
change or other marine pressures are affecting the reefs in the islands.
The
project also resulted in the creation of
Contact: Dr. Deepak
Apte, BNHS, Hornbill House, Shahid
Bhagat Singh Marg, Mumbai 400 023
Steps
to combat illegal wildlife trade in
The
South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) issued its ‘Jaipur
Declaration’ in May, recommending the creation of a South Asia Experts Group by
member countries to check illegal trade in wildlife. The occasion was the 11th
meeting of SACEP that was attended by environment ministers of four South Asian
Countries.
The Experts Group will be entrusted
with the task of developing a detailed programme for implementing the South
Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Illegal Wildlife Trade with assistance of SACEP
and other partners. It was also decided that periodic group meets would provide
a forum for the development of regional wildlife programmes through networking,
sharing and effective dissemination of knowledge and information.
The SACEP meeting further decided to
support the South Asia Initiative for combating illegal trade in wildlife; and
also recommended the formation of South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network
(SAWEN) in the next two years.
Source: ‘SACEP to combat illegal trade in
wildlife in South Asia,’ Times Of
Tiger attacks on the rise
in the Sundarbans
At
least 11 people, including two from a single family, were killed in June by
tigers in the Sunderbans forests in the Munsiganj area of Satkhira district
adjoining
Villagers in this region now stand
guard in groups at night, light night long fires, let off fireworks, beat drums
and shout in chorus on sighting a tiger. Announcements are also made on
microphones from village mosques to keep people on guard, particularly at
night.
An escalating human population, the encroachment
of forestland and natural calamities in region are reported to be the main
causes for the increased human-animal conflict. It has been suggested, for
instance, that the recent Cyclone Sidr that hit the region causing nearly 4000
human deaths has also affected the forests and its wild inhabitants.
Source: ‘Sundarbans’ tiger stalks humans’, The Times of
Sherpa community
creates the Khumbu Community Conserved Area
Sherpa leaders and interested community
members of Khumbu declared the Khumbu a Community Conserved Area (CCA) in a
meeting held on May 25, 2008.
The
CCA includes both Khumbu and Pharak (also known as lower Khumbu) and hence
encompasses all of
Sherpa
leaders also decided at the meeting to request the Director Generals of the
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the Department of
Archaeology to nominate
Source: Stan Stevens. Email dated
30/05/08.
Contact: Stan
Stevens. Email: sstevens.2008@hotmail.com
29th Symposium on Sea
Turtle Biology and Conservation
The 29th Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology
and Conservation is to be held in
Contact:
Colin Limpus,
Scientifically
flawed…
The news report ‘Artificial salt licks
for de-worming wildlife in
Note also that it is common to find
"heavy" parasitic burdens in animals that are apparently normal. Finding
them at a post mortem is easier than finding and isolating the other potential
causes of death. Internal parasites are often blamed for deaths when their
presence is unrelated. It is easy to see a worm but not so easy to see a
virus.....
So
though it may be an interesting article that makes good press, we should be
cautious of something with so few details and no presentation of the science.
Dr.
Nick Honhold
Email:
Nick.Honhold@fao.org