LIST OF CONTENTS
A crisis of governance?
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Fall in GIB numbers in Rollapadu WLS
Assam 3
Train kills two elephants near Deepor Beel WLS
Flood waters drown Pobitora WLS
Bodo council
looking at alternative livelihood methods for conservation
Two flyovers in Manas to protect
wildlife
World Heritage Committee’s monitoring mission not
satisfied with Manas NP
The India Rhino Vision 2020 relocation program to
take off soon
Project to showcase Karbi culture bordering Kaziranga NP
Metal detectors for Kaziranga by year end
Kaziranga TR boundaries
notified
Hollock Gibbon
Conservation Training
Gujarat 7
Vehicles kill two big
cats in Gir
Further steps to protect
Gir
Carcasses
of four Cubs found in Gir WLS
Project
to cover open wells in, around Gir
FD looking for person with expertise in Himalayan Fresh water fishes
Six sanctuaries to be handed over from territorial
to wildlife wing
HP to have new state animal, bird and flower
SC allows Mughal road, lays conditions
Karnataka 9
Police enquiry into elephant deaths in Nagarhole
Wildlife research institute for Karnataka
Elephant carcasses in Bandipur being left for other wild animals
Kerala 10
Kerala tourism to
promote forests, PAs
SC allows for completion of canal work in Karera Wildlife
Sanctuary
Cash incentive for florican conservation in Sailana and Sardarpur WLS not working
2005 Rajiv Gandhi Award for Deputy Director, Kanha TR
SC nod for development work in forest villages in PAs
Maharashtra 12
State for denotification of Jayakwadi WLS
Officials with wildlife training posted in non-wildlife posts
Mizoram 13
New species records for
Mizoram PAs
Orissa 13
State sitting on proposal for Satkosia Tiger Reserve
Tamil Nadu 13
New interpretation centre at Guindy NP
Forest Commission set up in Tamil Nadu
Confiscated star tortoises to be released in Point Calimere WLS
Uttarakhand 14
Flyovers as elephant corridors in
Rajaji NP
Elephant tramples two to death near Rajaji
West Bengal 15
Tiger rescue centre in
Sunderbans
Eco-Development initiative bordering Senchal WLS
New popular science publication on conservation
Photo IDs for wild elephants
Three PAs likely as UNESCO World heritage sites in 2009
CMS Vatavaran
2007 held
MigrantWatch launched
Policy for relocation of wild animals soon
Assessment of trade in peacock feathers.
Details of Wildlife Crime
Control Bureau
Toll-free
number to protect wildlife
Tracking the Social and Ecological Impacts of Forest Rights Act
CEC to continue
Paul
Getty Award to Dr. K.Ullas Karanth
First meet of Butterfly Northeast held
SOUTH ASIA 21
WWF Nepal’s conservation Awards
UPCOMING 21
1st
International Wildlife Reintroduction Conference
28th Annual Sea
Turtle Symposium
OPPORTUNITIES 21
Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation for project near Kuno WLS
Volunteers needed for Biodiversity Documentation
in Eaglenest WLS
CISED is looking for Core Faculty, Visiting Fellows and Postdoctoral Research Associates
Protected Area Update
Vol. XIII, No. 5, October 2007 (No.
69)
Editor: Pankaj Sekhsaria
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 69 has been supported by Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Anand.
The PA Update needs your support
For details see Page 24
A crisis of governance?
Will
wildlife protection and protected area management be possible in the absence of
properly trained, sufficiently staffed and adequately funded Forest
Departments? It might sound like a question that is ridiculous. The answer too
would be a straight forward one - An obvious no!
The issue, however, is precisely
this. The shortage of well trained personnel and financial resources is a real
problem on the ground– though it might be the most obvious thing to do, the fact
of the matter is that PA managements in some cases and entire State Forest
Departments in others, are short on basic staff and money to manage, protect
and conserve our forests and protected areas in particular.
A few months ago (PA Update
Vol XIII, No. 2 June 2007), it had been reported that the West Bengal Forest
Department is facing a serious shortage of staff. Anywhere between 20 to 50% of
posts were vacant in various categories including forest guards and rangers. A
report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of
In Gir, in
News from
The other related issue is of finance, rather its
non-availability. Excellent examples are the high profile tiger reserves of the
country as was reported recently in the national media. In spite of the huge
hue and cry about poaching and the need to augment facilities including those
of protection, most of the reserves are not getting the money that is due to
them. It is not that money is not available – it appears to be the lack of the
correct systems and an accountability that will ensure the needful is done.
Either the National Tiger Conservation Authority has not released funds to
states, or where it has been, it is stuck in state bureaucracies. Whatever be
the reason, the net result on the ground is the same- no money to pay staff, to
hire vehicles or to reimburse costs.
When, even the most high profile reserves like those
in Melghat, Ranthambore, Buxa and Dudhwa have not received the money, the fate
of lesser known sanctuaries and national parks can only be imagined. Is it
realistic to expect that management and protection work can be carried out
effectively in such a situation?
The crisis here is, clearly, one of governance. If the
fundamentals of the foundation will be neglected in such a manner, the edifice,
if it can be constructed at all, can only be a shaky one.
NEWS FROM INDIAN STATES
Fall in GIB nos in Rollapadu WLS
Latest reports indicate that the population of the
Great Indian Bustard has come down drastically in the Rollapadu Wildlife
Sanctuary. The number now is said to be only eighteen which is less than half
the 40 birds seen here five years ago.
There are various
factors being held responsible for this decline. This includes the blasting of
rocks during excavation works for widening of the Alagnur Balancing Reservoir,
located few kilometres from the sanctuary. This had forced the birds to move.
Another serious
problem is the accumulation of water in the vicinity of the sanctuary that is
causing serious ecological changes in the habitat. The groundwater levels are
increasing in the sanctuary leading to change in vegetation, which in turn is
resulting in a change in the insect life and on food sources of the birds.
Source: ‘Concern over dwindling number of Great Indian Bustard’, The Hindu, 23/090/07.
Contact: DFO (Wildlife Management),
Rollapadu WLS, Atmakur,
Train kills two elephants near Deepor Beel WLS
Two
elephants were killed after a goods train knocked them down near the Deepor
Beel Wildlife Sanctuary in August. The calf and a nine year old adult were part
of a herd that was crossing the track at night when the accident occurred.
The
Three elephants had similarly been
knocked down by a goods train in the same stretch in 2004.
Source: Sushanta Talukdar. ‘Freight train kills two elephants’, The Hindu 11/08/07
Contact: Divisional Forest Officer, Assam State Zoo Division, I/c Deepor Beel WLS R.G. Baruah Road, Guwahati - 781 024, Assam. Tel: 0361-261363(O), 263331(R)
Flood
waters drown Pobitora WLS
As
much as 95 per cent of the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary was reported to be under
floodwaters in the middle of September. A large number of wild animals - mainly
rhinos, buffalos and wild boars were found taking shelter on the raised roads
running inside and along the sanctuary.
The
wild animals, particularly the herbivores, were also said to be suffering from
a serious food shortage and forest personnel were forced to ensure that food
was made available to them. Forest Department elephants also had to be shifted
to higher ground outside the sanctuary. This hampered the movement of the
forest personnel but the elephants had to be moved as they were also facing a food
shortage.
The rising waters had also forced
the abandonment of many of the forest camps. Of the 22 camps in the sanctuary
three camps were completely damaged and nine others had to be abandoned. Deaths
of two wild boar was also reported. A complete list of the casualties would be
available only once the waters subsided.
The sanctuary authorities have submitted a proposal
for the construction of highlands in the sanctuary to deal with such situations
in the future.
Source: ‘All of Pobitora is virtually
under water’, http://www.wildlifewatch.in/news/area/assam/2007/09/61
Contact: Divisional
Forest Officer, Pobitora WLS, Nagaon Wildlife Division, P.O. & Dist.
Nagaon – 782001,
Bodo council
looking at alternative livelihood methods for conservation
A
seminar on ‘Alternate Livelihood Support for Conservation of Forests and
Wildlife in Bodoland’, was jointly organised by the Bodoland Territorial
Council (BTC), the Forest Department and the Green Heart Nature Club in
Kokrajhar recently.
The BTC Deputy Chief said the
success of the tourism initiatives in the Manas National Park (also see PA
Updates 65, 63, 60, 56, 54, & 45) had encouraged the to focus itself on
alternative methods of livelihood support as part of its forest and wildlife
conservation programme and that tourism was one of the areas being stressed on.
Residents of 169 forest villages participated in the
seminar.
Source: ‘Bodo council looking at alternative livelihood methods for conservation’, www.wildlifewatch.in, 14/09/07.
Two
flyovers in Manas to protect wildlife
Two
flyovers will be built on a stretch of National Highway 152, flanked by the
wilds of
The project for the flyovers was sanctioned recently
by the Union ministry of Surface Transport. The budget and the specifications
of the proposed flyovers have not been finalised yet, but each of the
structures would be between 1km and 2km long.
The highway is also to be realigned to facilitate
construction of the flyovers, resulting in a portion of it moving further east.
The project includes two more bridges on the Pota, which flows along the
Indo-Bhutan border.The Manas flyover project is the result of a suggestion made
by the Deputy Commissioner of Baksa District, Anwaruddin Choudhury, to the
Public Works Department (PWD) in September 2005.
A
meeting was convened on December 3 that very year to discuss the issue with
engineers of the PWD’s highway division following which they gave their ascent.
Source: Pullock Dutta. ‘Fly over forest, spare animals’, The Telegraph, 21/09/07.
Contact: Director, Manas NP, PO Barpeta Rd.
Dist. Barpeta – 781315,
World
Heritage Committee’s monitoring mission not satisfied with Manas NP
Some of
recommendations that were made include the need to work with the Bhutan government
regarding release of water from the upstream dam as it causes widespread floods
in Lower Assam; setting up of a co-ordination mechanism between park staff and
the Bodo people on planning and conservation activities; identifying sources of
funds and timely release of money for the park’s management in compliance with
the Supreme Court ruling; mechanisms for transferring funds directly to the
park through agencies such as the Wildlife Areas Development and Welfare Trust;
a management plan for invasive species and defining roles and expectations of
all relevant stakeholders in relation to future community development
activities.
The
Govt. of Assam had submitted its report in response at a recent meeting in
The WHC has asked the Central
Government to provide an updated report on the park by February 1, 2008 for
examination by the committee at its 32nd session next year.
Source: ‘Why is Manas still in danger’, The
Telegraph, 02/08/07
Contact: Director, Manas NP, see above
The
The India Rhino Vision 2020 programme, which aims to
attain a population of 3,000 rhinos in the wild in
The programme would involve
translocating rhinos from two source populations (Kaziranga and Pobitora) into
at least three target protected areas (Manas, Laokhowa-Buracharpori-Kochumora,
Dibru Saikhowa and possibly Orang).
The infrastructure at
The Indian Rhino Vision 2020
project is being implemented by the Department of Environment and Forests of
the
Source: ‘Succour for rhinos, at last’, The
Telegraph, 10/08/07.
Project to showcase Karbi
culture bordering Kaziranga NP
As
part of a project funded by the Central Government and implemented by the Karbi
Anglong District Administration efforts are being made to set up a Karbi
village to enable visitors to Kaziranga to sample a way of life of this local
community here. The village will be named after the Karbi mythological heroine
Kajir Ranghangpi.
A sum of Rs. Two crores has already
been released for the first phase of the project. The project involves the
setting up of more than a dozen hamtuns (Karbi homes), an amphitheatre
where the traditional culture of the community would be displayed, a restaurant
where the emphasis would be on traditional cuisine, a centre where an outsider
would be shown how the community uses herbs for treatment as well as fashion
shows. A team of trained youths will also guide tourists in tracking and
exploring the adjoining hills.
Source: Sarat Sarma. ‘Glimpses of Kajir’s realm’, The Telegraph, 25/09/07.
Metal detectors for
Kaziranga by year end
The
Guwahati based NGO Aaranyaak has decided to gift metal detectors to the
Kaziranga National Park to help deal with the poaching problem. It is hoped
that metal detectors will help forest guards locate guns and rifles hidden in
the park by poachers. 17 rhinos have already been poached this year, 10 of
which were shot inside the park.
The NGO is looking for different
models of metal detectors in various countries and the one best suited for the
situation in Kaziranga will then be procured. This is being tried as a pilot
project and if successful similar detectors will be made available in other PAs
as well.
Source: Pullock Dutta. ‘Hunt for rhino calf after poachers kill mother’, The Telegraph, 17/09/07.
Roopak Goswami. ‘Metal detectors to outwit poachers’, The Telegraph, 25/09/07.
Contact: Bibhab Talukdar, Aaranyaak, Samanwoy Path (Survey), PO Beltola, Guwahati - 781 028,
Kaziranga
TR boundaries notified
The demarcation of the boundaries of the Kaziranga Tiger
Reserve was announced in a notification issued in the first week of August. It
will cover an area of 1,030 square km of which 482 square km will be the core
area.
The core
area comprises
Source: ‘Tiger Reserve status for Kaziranga NP’,
The Telegraph, 13/08/07.
Contact: Contact: Director, Kaziranga NP, PO Bokakhat, Dist. Golaghat – 785612,
Hollock Gibbon Conservation Training
The Fourth Hollock Gibbon Conservation Training
session was held from September 8, 2007 at the Gibbon Conservation Centre at
the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat district. 62 participants from different Forest Divisions of
Assam have participated in the training during the preceeding three sessions.
The workshop was inaugurated
by MC Malakar, PCCF, Govt. of Assam.
The
Contact: Dr.
Dilip Chetry, Gibbon Conservation Centre, Meleng, Mariani, Jorhat – 785634.
Tel: 09435043982 / 03771-244378. Email: chetryd@rediffmail.com
Chief Wildlife Warden –
GUJARAT
Vehicles
kill two big cats in Gir
One leopard cub and one lioness were killed in road
accidents in the first week of August in the Gir East Forest Division. The
lioness was killed on the state highway No. 90 between Chaturi and Khadadhar
villages in Khambha taluka. The post mortem revealed that the animal had suffered
multiple fractures in its right limb and the right side of the head and had
subsequently succumbed to the injuries.
The
Forest Department officials have said that they have identified three roads
which have frequent movement of wild animals. Letters have been written to the
government departments concerned to put up speed breakers on these roads.
A number of wild animals have
also been killed in road accidents in the past in Gir (Also see PA Update
Vol XIII, No. 1, and PA Update No. 50)
Source: Sibte Husain Bukhari. ‘Two big cats come
under wheels within 24 hrs’, The Indian Express, 04/08/07
Further
steps to protect Gir
The Gujarat Government has announced further steps to
augment protection of the forests of Gir. 18 new check posts are being set up in
the park. Five of these which will be located at Jasadhar, Tulsishyam,
Dalkhaniya, Jamwada and Bamansa ranges. These will be equipped with close
circuit televisions and night vision cameras to capture any suspicious movement
in the jungle.
The Forest Department is also
reported to have completed the process of recruiting new staff. Accordingly, 81
guards have been inducted in Gir west and 37 have been inducted in Gir east.
(Also see PA Update Vol XIII, Nos. 4 & 3)
Source: Himanshu Kaushik. ‘Hi –tech security for
Gir lions’, The Times of India, 19/08/07.
Carcasses
of four Cubs found in Gir WLS
Carcasses of four lion cubs were found in the month of
September in the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Twelve
claws were also reported to be missing though the cause of the deaths has not
been confirmed.
Samples have been sent to Forensic Science Lab in Junagadh
and the
Source:
‘Carcasses of four cubs found in Gir WLS’, Gujarat Samachar, 22/09/07
Project
to cover open wells in, around Gir
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed
between the
Already
700 of these wells have been covered by the Forest Department and work for
parapet walls around the rest is to be completed in the next three years. The
most dangerous wells for wildlife are the ones that are located in Kotda,
Paniya, Chanchai and Dalkhania villages and it is here that the construction of
parapets on wells will be taken up on a priority basis. The expenditure per
well is Rs. 10,000
The WLCT,
along with the Reliance Rural Development Trust (RRDT) and Ambuja Cement would
also construct parapets on 2,000 wells. Other corporates who are interested in
supporting this project include the Tatas and Shell.
The
Forest Department has prepared two plans for the implementation of the project.
The first is where the government would monitor the process of parapet
construction and would give a total of Rs 4,000 per well and the remaining
would have to be financed by the NGOs and corporates. In the second model, the
NGO would give the money to Lion Conservation Society formed by the state
government and the government would take up the construction on behalf of these
NGOs or the corporates.
Source:
‘NGOs, corporates give lions wall cover’, The Times of India, 28/09/07
Contact: Bharat Pathak, CF (Wildlife) Junagadh,
Sardar Bag, Junagadh,
Kishore Kotecha,WLCT Asiatic
Lion Protection Society, 128,
CWLW - Gujarat, Block 14, Dr. Jivraj Mehta Bhavan, Old Sachivalaya,
Gandhinagar-382010,
HIMACHAL
PRADESH
FD
looking for person with expertise in Himalayan Fresh water fishes
The HP Forest Department is looking for a person with expertise in Himalayan Freshwater Fishes for conducting research including inventorying and breeding status in wetlands and freshwater streams in the state. Contact: Vinay Tandon, Chief Wildlife Warden, Himachal Pradesh, Talland, Shimla – 171001. Tel: 0177-2624193. Email: Vtandy@gmail.com
Six
sanctuaries to be handed over from territorial to wildlife wing
Six wildlife sanctuaries in the state: Tundah WLS, Kugti
WLS, Saichu Tuan WLS, Shimla Water Catchment WLS, Gobindsagar WLS and the Dhauladhar
that have been under the control of the territorial wing of the Forest
Department are to be handed over to the Wildlife Wing. This decision was taken
during the 3rd meeting of the State Wildlife Board held in Shimla
recently.
Earlier (see PA Update Vol
XII, No. 3, June 2006), the Central Government had denied resources to the tune
of Rs. 1 crore to the State Forest Department because these sanctuaries had not
been transferred to the wildlife wing.
It was also decided during this
meeting that the State Wild Life Wing would be the nodal agency for the five
wetland and wildlife sanctuaries which included Renuka, Khanniar and Chandertal
wetlands and Gobind Sagar and Pongdam lake Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Source: ‘Himachal to
have new State Animal, Bird and Flower’, http://himachal.us/2007/08/10/himachal-to-have-new-animal-bird-and-flower/2636/news/himachal-news
HP to
have new state animal, bird and flower
As per a decision taken during the 3rd meeting
of the State Wildlife Board held recently in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh will have
a new state animal, state bird and state flower. These will now be the Snow
Leopard, the Western Tragopan and the Pink Rhododendron Rhododendron
campanulatum respectively. They replace the Musk Deer, the Monal and the Rhododendron
arboretum.
Source: ‘Himachal to
have new State Animal, Bird and Flower’, http://himachal.us/2007/08/10/himachal-to-have-new-animal-bird-and-flower/2636/news/himachal-news
Kashmir
wildlife benefiting s from insurgency, hunting ban
Wildlife officials in
Jammu & Kashmir say that a ten year old hunting ban and the ongoing
insurgency have benefited wildlife in
As a result there are
increases in number of many wild animals including leopards, black bears, musk
deer and a number of bird species.
It has also been
pointed, however, that increase in predators like the leopard has increased the
threat for certain animals like the hangul whose numbers have dropped in recent
years There has also been an increase in attacks on humans by the predators.
It is also important to consider
that earlier reports have indicated that increase in insurgency and the
presence of troops has actually negatively affected wildlife in
Source: ‘
SC allows
Mughal road, lays conditions
Following the
recommendations of its Central Empowered Committee the Supreme Court has
allowed the construction of the 83.90 km long and 10 m wide Mughal Road from Bafliaz
(Poonch)to Shopian (Phulwama).
The CEC also laid down a series of conditions which were
also accepted by the court.
These include:
a) Complete ban on the
movement through the sanctuaries and conservation areas by graziers and their
livestock.
b) Sanctuary/conservation
areas which are in the neighbourhood areas of human settlements to be fenced to
prevent poaching and other illegal activities.
c) The areas of the 3
continuous PAs: (Lachipora WLS, Limbar WLS and the Naganari Conservation Area
falling in the Kaj-i- Range to be upgraded as a National Park and the management
of the entire area should be transferred from the Forest Department to the
Wildlife Protection Department.
d) An additional area of 149
sq.km. located on the eastern side of the Hirporal WLS and under the possession
of the Peer Panjal Forest Division to be included within the boundary of the
sanctuary.
e) Requisite Environment
clearance for the project to be obtained as per the prevalent rules/guidelines.
f) 5% of the project cost to
be deposited in CAMPA.
g) Monitoring Committee to be
set up under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary with PCCF and Chief Wildlife
Warden as members. The Committee is to be responsible for strict compliance of
the stipulated conditions.
Source:
Contact:
Wildlife Warden North, Incharge – Lachipora and Limber WLSs, C/o CWLW, Government of Jammu &
Kashmir, Tourist Reception Centre (TRC),
Police enquiry into elephant deaths in Nagarhole NP
The
CID Forest Cell of the Karnataka State Police has begun investigations into the
deaths of elephants that had occurred in the
The police inquiry has been instituted as the
carcasses were found without tusks and autopsy reports were unable to establish
the cause of death. In some cases discrepancies were also observed in the spot
inspection reports related to the deaths and the autopsy’s that were
subsequently conducted.
The order of the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State
that the DCF should visit the site and also take photos in the case of death of
a Schedule I animal were not followed.
Assistance for the investigations is
being be sought from the
Source: KV Subramanya. ‘Police begin inquiry into elephant deaths’, The Hindu, 11/08/07...
Contact: Dy.
Conservator of Forests, Nagarhole NP, Wildlife Division, Hunsur, Dist.
Wildlife research institute for Karnataka
The
Central Government has sanctioned Rs Two crores for an animal husbandry and
wildlife research institute to be set up in Kodagu in Karnataka. The
institution will be the first of its kind in the country. It will come up on 74
acres of land in Chikkaaluvaara
It will be governed and monitored by the Karnataka
Animal Husbandry and
Source: ‘Wildlife research institute to be set up in Karnataka’, http://www.wildlifewatch.in/news/area/karnataka/2007/09/6,
10/09/07.
Elephant
carcasses in Bandipur being left for other wild animals
The
Forest Cell of the State Police has found that carcasses of elephants in the
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) of
the State, Mr IB Srivastava has denied that any such instructions were issued.
He said the department has laid down guidelines for disposal of bodies of wild
animals in accordance with Supreme Court rulings. Guidelines prescribe that in
case of the death of a tiger or a leopard, the carcass should be burnt. In case
of elephants, it is left to the discretion of the local officer to either bury
or burn it, but in any case the dead body should not be left in the open.
Officials of the
There have been, in the recent past, several instances of wild animals being infected by anthrax. In Marc