Hunting the hunter

In a remote patch of Uttarakhand, poaching is so rampant that leopard skins and rare animal parts are sold from tea stalls. Along with a team of wildlife activists, Sunday Times helps track and pin down a notorious poacher. Here's how it happened

At a tea stall on a hilly road in Uttarakhand, a little query like "What else do you have apart from tea?" gets a shocking answer. "Leopard skins," says the stall owner, without batting an eyelid. The man has obviously mistaken us - this reporter and Sharma, an enforcement agent with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO in Delhi that works with the authorities to nab poachers and illegal traders - for people who buy skins and other body parts of wild animals.

In this area of wooded hills, slippery dirt tracks and villages hidden behind thick green cover, getting a lead on poachers is not easy. Here a cluster of villages - Hanol, Chadra, Tiuni, Parola - have become the epicenter of poaching, especially of leopards, musk deers and bears. Located on the border of Uttarakhand's Govind Wildlife Sanctuary - a valley through which the Tons River flows, the villages are also close to the state's boundary with Himachal Pradesh. Their location gives a perfect cover to the poachers who kill at will and vanish.

These criminals have their eyes everywhere . Laying a trap for them by trying to strike a 'deal' for animal skin can lead to one getting hunted himself. During two such 'deals' in 2011, Sharma had almost got lynched when the poachers realized that it was a trap. For an enforcement agent, entering a village alone is dangerous . "Almost every house here has at least one leopard skin. But going into the villages is risky because the villagers can spot the headlights of an approaching car from a distance and alert the poachers ," says Sharma.

But the villagers too are victims of their conditions. Dependent on farming and animal husbandry, they have been trapped in poverty for as long as they can remember. In this area, where the poachers call the shots, the villagers or the actual hunters hardly make any money. The real killing is made by the middle-men and traders who deal with their rich buyers at home and abroad.

Chasing a lead, we meet Sharma's informers who update us on two 'deals' they have struck. One involves two villagers who have killed a leopard and want to trade the skin; the other deal involves Shyam Prasad, a notorious poacher who has already been arrested twice.

It has taken the informer months to win Prasad's confidence. The criminal has a dried gall bladder or the bear-bile (BB) of a Himalayan black bear. The BB is small enough to fit in one's palm. Used in Chinese traditional medicine, its demand has almost trebled here because of tightening of screws in China over the cruel practice of bile farming from live, caged bears. So, now it's being supplied from India. "He's had it for a while. But he's smart. He's hinted that he might have a leopard skin on him and the BB is just a test to confirm the authenticity of the buyer," whispers the informer. This revelation is followed by another from Sharma. Prasad's wife worked with the radio section of the forest department and in the past he has managed to avoid arrest because of crucial information leaked to him.

Next day, the informer returns. "I know where the bear-bile is hidden and he's ready to sell it. But we'll have to go into his house." On hearing this, Sharma springs into action and informs the forest department officials and police about the lead on the poacher. They are willing to help, but the risks of working in these villages with limited resources makes them jittery. But Sharma has a plan: the informer would get Prasad "ready" and the team would walk out of the village before the villagers set up a resistance.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-29/special-report/32923292_1_leopard-skins-poachers-parts-of-wild-animals
 

Moo-ved by the horror

Appalled citizens rescue cow dragged by butchers behind tempo containing her newborn calf

 

When 50-year-old Julie Chaudhari left her place on Sunday afternoon, she was unaware of the terrible cruelty she was soon to witness. On East Street, Julie caught sight of a cow being dragged by a tempo with her placenta hanging out and her udders full.
 
“I peeped into the tempo and saw a terrified newborn calf in there,” Julie told Mirror, adding, “The driver refused to let the cow go. He was reluctant and rude, and said she was being dragged because she is violent.”

When Julie called her niece Aloka Deane, Animal Welfare Body of India officer, the driver and his partner released the cow and fled with the calf, thinking police would come. The maddened mother animal started running behind the tempo causing chaos on the road.
 
“But after a while she stopped and went into a bungalow opposite 1000 Oaks. She collapsed on the cool green grass there and refused to let anyone come near her,” said Julie. Aloka said, “When I saw the poor cow, I called Blue Cross Society and got them to arrange for a vehicle to take her away.“

Some hours later, a man named Asim Qureshi turned up and claimed the cow was his. “We had just finished feeding her and she was calming down,” said Aloka. Police also reached the spot and two men named Dinesh Ahire and Mehmood Patel turned up with the calf saying the cow was theirs.
 
“They began apologising and asked that the cow be returned,” said Aloka. Seeing her calf, the cow made an attempt to stand but was unable to do so. Avan tried to take the cow to the Blue Cross Hospital in Mundhwa, but the exhausted animal refused to enter it.

Animal welfare officer Manoj Oswal finally shifted her to a cowshed near Poona College, where the calf will be kept for three weeks and then shifted. Ahire and Patel admitted that the calf was being taken away to be slaughtered, as newborn bulls are rarely reared. Aloka added, “We will be filing a case against the driver and owner.”

http://www.punemirror.in/article/2/201207302012073009493468878b24660/Mooved-by-the-horror.html?pageno=3

Strays can sniff out bombs too

BANGALORE: If you happen to see a mongrel at the end of a leash sniffing for bombs next time you visit a mall, don't be taken aback. Even as the city is debating the ethics of culling stray dogs, a group of animal lovers plans to train dogs for various purposes.

The Youth Canine Welfare Association, a group of 30 college students, and Great Indian Dog Project Association, a group of working professionals, have given a proposal to the BBMP to allow them to rehabilitate dogs in its shelters.

The plan to train these dogs for bomb detection, therapy, seizure warning and guard duty. "We like to believe that stray dogs are inferior. We need to prove it's wrong. Instead of letting these dogs die, we can give them a better life where they can earn for themselves," said Pranav Dinakar, a final-year BCom student, Jain University.

"We don't need Labradors to trace bombs. We can use strays too. Stray dogs have additional advantages -- they have greater resistance. Having lived on the streets they can withstand extreme weather, hunger, pollution and tough situations," said canine behaviourist Amrut Sridhara Hiranya.

Training strays is like training other breeds, say experts. "If Labrador is for sniffing and Doberman for guarding, stray dogs have a bit of everything. The selection process would be tedious but training them would be easy," he said.

"We met with BBMP and gave this suggestion. We're yet to get a concrete answer," said Jaysal Jagadish, who runs a web-designing company. "Once dogs are trained for specific purposes, we can give them for adoption appropriately. For example, there can be malls or old age homes which can adopt them as per their needs," he added.

"Trained stray dogs can be champions for others. For instance, when people watch them on duty in a mall, they may want to adopt strays," said Amrut.
These organizations have also pitched an idea to train street dogs which chase vehicles and animals. "This can be done with the help of residents. If a resident lets us know who the pack leader is (mostly the one who starts barking first), we can train him and put him back on the streets."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Strays-can-sniff-out-bombs-too/articleshow/15243916.cms

SMC told to suspend dog sterilization programme

SURAT: Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has ordered suspension of the dog sterilization programme being carried out in the city by Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).

The suspension comes after TOI brought to light the shoddy process of sterilization as a result of which the dogs were dying. The board asked SMC to discontinue the suspension till AWBI conducts an inquiry into the issue.

TOI had reported that dogs in Udhna and adjoining areas were dying after their stitches opened resulting in excessive bleeding. When questioned, the SMC authorities maintained that the process is being carried out with due care.

On Friday, S Vinod Kumar, assistant secretary, AWBI, shot a letter to SMC commissioner Manoj Das to suspend the animal birth control (ABC) project. The letter highlights the grim situation of the programme. AWBI expressed concern over the death of dogs due to rupture of intestine post the operation.

The board took cognizance of TOI's July 5 news report in which the issue was highlighted. Two dogs died in Udhna after being sterilized. Local NGO Prayas tried to save them but in vain. One of dogs was brought to Nandini Veterinary Hospital by volunteers of Prayas but excessive bleeding claimed its life.

From July 5 to July 19, seven dogs were found in poor condition after being sterilized of which four died while three were cured. On July 25, one more dog was found from Ambika Niketan area with open stitches and intestine spilling out. The dog was chased by a mob of around 20 people but rescued by Prayas after a call by Dhaval Patel, a shop owner in the area. The dog died before it could be operated upon due to excessive bleeding.

Animal lovers in the city were surprised over the dog's rescue from Ambika Niketan area as the ABC programme is permitted only in Udhna area, that too on trial basis. Ambika Niketan is around seven km away from Udhna.

AWBI had also asked district collector A J Shah to inquire into the issue on July 18. However, as there was no action by the collectorate, the board ordered suspension of the ABC progamme.
Despite repeated attempts, Shah was unavailable for comments.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/SMC-told-to-suspend-dog-sterilization-programme/articleshow/15222107.cms

India's top court clamps down on tiger tourism

India's top court has suspended tourism in core areas of tiger reserves as the country struggles to stem the dwindling numbers of the endangered wild cats, a lawyer said.

The order Tuesday by the Supreme Court in New Delhi came in response to a public interest complaint from wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who urged tourism be restricted to a buffer zone on the edge of reserves to protect the animals.

Dubey, saying he sought a balance between conservation and the tourist industry, claimed various state authorities were permitting rampant construction of hotels, resorts and other projects in the parks.

"The court has ruled that the core zones in the tiger reserves will not be used for tourism," Siddharth Gupta, the counsel for the complainant, told AFP, adding that a final order is still awaited on the case.

Tiger reserves are areas notified by the government of India for the protection of the animal and its prey, and are a key attraction to foreign and domestic tourists in India.

Reserves such as the Jim Corbett National Park attract hordes of holidaymakers who pack into four-wheel-drive jeeps and head along bumpy jungle paths in the hope of spotting one of the estimated 1,706 tigers in India.

The court's order was, however, slammed by some wildlife protection groups who said the ruling would benefit poachers."It is like closing the doors and throwing away the keys. Without the eyes and ears of people, the poachers are going to have a field day," Belinda Wright of the non-profit Wildlife Protection Society of India told AFP.

India is home to half of the world's rapidly shrinking wild tiger population but has been struggling to halt the big cat's decline in the face of poachers, international smuggling networks and loss of habitat.

The country has seen its tiger population plummet from an estimated 40,000 animals in 1947, when it gained independence from British colonial rule, to just 1,706 in 2011, according to an official census.

http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/news/indias-top-court-clamps-down-tiger-tourism-130731378.html

Cop twists lady activist's hand in police station

PANAJI/OLD GOA: Animal rights activists rescuing cattle from slaughter were literally arm twisted by the police on Wednesday, as a police sub-inspector of Old Goa police station allegedly misbehaved twisting the palm of a lady activist over differences of opinion regarding use of relevant provisions of the law at the police station.

It was the intervention of Maneka Gandhi, through her counterpart in Goa, Norma Alvares, that finally got the case registered under the relevant sections. The girl, Atika S, who was outraged at the incident, called up SP, North, Vijay Singh, after noting down his number from the board of the police station and complained to him. The SP rushed to the spot to sort out the issue.

"PSI Nalvesh Desai held my palm and twisted it while I was telling him to lodge the complaint under sections of Goa Cow Slaughter Act," an outraged Atika said, alleging that the police were registering the complaint under the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act. Atika informed Gandhi of the misbehaviour by the PSI.

Activists of the Bicholim-based NGO animal rescue squad first foiled an attempt to illegally slaughter cattle at Pandavaddo, Chorao earlier on Wednesday morning. When they went to Old Goa police station to register a first information report (FIR) against the offenders, a heated argument broke out between the police and activists regarding the sections of various acts to be applied in the case.

Complainant and NGO president Amrutlal S Singh was accompanied by Atika S and John Varghese. After Amrutlal Singh submitted the written complaint, the PSI demanded to know where the specific section was mentioned in it. "When I pointed the particular section in the complaint, he held my palm and turned it," Atika alleged.

A police source alleging that Atika had not identified herself, despite being asked by the police as she was not connected with the raid at the site of the alleged cow slaughter at Chorao. "She grabbed the complaint from PSI's hand, stating that the correct section was not being written on it," the source said.

Atika conceded that she did not reveal her identity as she was being threatened with arrest by the police official. "I was afraid as I am a visitor," she said. She denied having snatched the paper from the PSI.

An official said they had not received any complaint of misbehaviour. The source confirmed that the SP had visited the police station after he was called and the matter regarding the registration of the offence has been sorted out. "If we receive a complaint of misbehavior, we will examine it," the official said.

Atika has alleged that Old Goa police are refusing to register her FIR against the PSI. A complaint against Chorao residents Mustaq Gauns Bepari and Gauns Raja Bepari has been registered under Section 429 read with Section 34 of IPC, Section 11 (d) of the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act, Section 8 of the Goa Animal Preservation Act, 1995 and Section 3 and 9 (non-bailable and cognizable) of the Goa, Daman and Diu Cow Slaughter Act, 1978.

The accused had transported two cows and an identical number of oxen from Mayem to Chorao. Singh and Ishwar Pawar followed the vehicle to Chorao and when the duo was readying to slaughter the cattle at around 5.15am, he called the police.

Old Goa police rushed to the site and seized two cows and two male calves. The two were subsequently arrested, police said. Four cattle skins were also found at the spot.

In a similar case at Chorao involving the same offenders in January 2011, Old Goa police had applied only Section 11 (d) of the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act, which is a bailable offence, Singh said.

Animal husbandry and veterinary services director Benjamin Braganza said the department does not have a 'provision' to transport impounded cattle. "As of now the department keeps impounded cattle at the Kalay farm in Sanguem and transportation of cattle to such a distance is indeed a problem," he said. tnn

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Cop-twists-lady-activists-hand-in-police-station/articleshow/15155179.cms

We fire crackers to scare away the leopard’

Mumbai: A week after a leopard killed a 7-yearold girl near a slum patch in Borivali national park, residents are stocking up on crackers to scare the animal away.

A resident from Shankartekdi slums in Mulund, who sighted a leopard on Friday, said they had also installed halogen lamps around their homes hoping that the illumination would keep the cat away.

Mustaq Baba, who had left home very early, took pictures of the leopard even as he froze on seeing the animal from a distance. “The leopard has been spotted several times and we’re living in fear,” said Baba.

“After last week’s attack, we chipped in money and installed around 10 halogen lamps at locations where it was pitch dark. We switch them on at dusk. We’re not letting kids move out alone.”

He added that people in the area are also stocking firecrackers to scare away the leopard. “It’s our lives at stake. We had to come up with these plans. Let’s hope the government does something for us,” he told Mirror.

Officials from Sanjay Gandhi National Park say they cannot trap a leopard that has been sighted in a forest area which is encroached upon.

“The residents of slums must understand is that garbage littered around attracts dogs that in turn bring in the leopards,” said a senior forest official.

Chief conservator of forests Sunil Limaye said officials have been patrolling the area. “The attack on the girl could be because the leopard mistook her for a canine as she was squatting near the garbage dump when she was attacked.

http://www.punemirror.in/article/4/20120724201207240901589371225a3a5/%E2%80%98We-fire-crackers-to-scare-away-the-leopard%E2%80%99.html

 

For God’s snake!

On the occasion of Nag Panchami, snake lovers capture 74 snakes exploited cruelly by ‘charmers'

On Monday, volunteers from the Akaash Group caught 74 snakes from various snake catchers around the city and handed them over to the forest department, who later released them into the wild.

Most snakes had their mouths stitched; they were later released into the wild

Several social organisations working for the ethical treatment of animals urged citizens to discourage snake shows and atrocities against reptiles by reporting snake charmers to authorities.

Head of the Akaash Group Akash Shinde said his team, comprising 25 youth, fanned across the city and seized around 74 snakes from ‘snake charmers’.

“Most of them were kept in wooden cases and gasping for breath. Many had their lips stitched up or glued together. Other superstitions followed by people involve feeding the snakes milk, which is not at all their natural diet.”

Activist Anil Avchite said he found a mere fifteen-day-old snake in the custody of one charmer. “The reptile had painful, crude stitches on its lips, which I removed with much difficulty. It was later released into the wild.”

“We appeal to the public to inform us or the forest department if they see such serpents made to ‘perform’ by snake charmers,” added Shinde.

According to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, it is a crime for snake charmers to capture and exploit snakes for commercial purposes, or even own them.

As per Section 11, Sub Section 1 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, it is illegal to torture or cause unnecessary pain to an animal, wilfully and unreasonably administer any injurious substance to it, keep or confine it to a cage or any other receptacle that does not give it a reasonable opportunity for movement.

Range forest office for Pune region issued a release on Monday evening thanking the activists, and requested the public to file a complaint under various acts to prevent cruelty in the name of tradition.

http://www.punemirror.in/article/2/2012072420120724090302453e2662628/For-God%E2%80%99s-snake.html

1,150 dog-bite cases in city every month

PUNE: The stray dogs' menace in the city and dog-bite cases continue unabated in the city. On an average 1,150 dog-bite cases per month were registered in the city since January 2012. Last year, an average of 1,000 cases were reported each month.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials attributed them to several reasons. "Dog-bite cases go up during the mating season i.e. the monsoon. Easy availability of food from flourishing street food joints and restaurants is another reason," said Anjali Sabane, medical officer in the health department of the PMC.

"However, there has not been a single case of rabies reported since the beginning of the year," said Sabane. Sterlisation of stray dogs was more successful this year as the number of institutions roped in has increased. Three NGOs are working for sterlisation and vaccination of stray dogs when compared to only one last year.

"On an average 70 to 75 sterlisations take place every day. After sterlisation, the dogs are kept under observation in the dog pound for three days and then let out. More sterlisation is happening as the work load on the lone NGO has reduced," said Sabane.

Last year, around 9,000 dogs were vaccinated and sterilized. This year, 5,550 dogs have been sterlised and vaccinated by June-end. There are about 40,500 stray dogs in the city.

The sterilization efforts have reduced rabies over the years from 56 cases in 1997 to seven in 2000, three in 2005 and just one in 2009-2010. No rabies case has been recorded in 2011-12 so far.

Treatment is available at 14 civic-run hospitals and three out-patient departments of the PMC which reduced rabies cases in the city. Many people ignore dog bites and seek medical help only when full infection sets in. Experts stressed the need for health educational programmes for the medical community and for the public about the dangers of inadequately managed dog bites. The importance of proper wound care and post-exposure vaccination must be reinforced to prevent total rabies infection, they said.

The period from infection to the onset of symptoms is the rabies incubation period. It may vary from a few days to several years, but is typically between one and three months. During this time, the rabies virus multiplies within the body.

If the bite is not on the face, it takes usually two to six months for a person to develop the symptoms. The early symptoms are fever, headache, general tiredness and pain at the site of the bite. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms such as insomnia, anxiety, confusion, hyper salivation, difficulty in swallowing and hydrophobia set in.

Ignorance does much damage and patients downplay the severe consequences of a stray dog's bite. Youngsters also ignore dog bites and hide it from parents. Some start treatment soon after the bite, but do not complete the full five-course vaccine.

"A single injection costs Rs 300 and the full course costs Rs 1,500. This course is given free at PMC-run hospitals. But it is costly in private hospitals and hence most people abandon it midway," a doctor at Naidu Hospital said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/1150-dog-bite-cases-in-city-every-month/articleshow/15155361.cms

Animals killed in road accidents too entitled to decent burial

Belgaum: Ever wondered what happens to all those road kills? Most often they are just left to rot. But Dr Mahantesh Ramannavar, an anatomy doctor with BM Kankanwadi Ayurvedic College of KLE University in Belgaum, believes that every animal has the right to a decent burial, even road kills.

Carcasses of dogs, cows, snakes, cats, and pigs are common sights on highways. Every time Dr Mahantesh comes across such a sight, he buries the animal.

He always travels with gloves, masks and antiseptic lotion. "Most often these animals are run over because the driver is speeding," says Ramannavar.
Carcasses left in the open are unhygienic and lead to air pollution and can spread diseases too.

"Many find my actions very strange. I feel more people should come forward to do such small jobs for the sake of the environment. One has to just lift the dead animal by its tail," he explains. Ramannavar now has a small staff that supports him in his endeavour.

"Whatever I am doing is my bit to society and the only intention is to create awareness among people on the importance of sanitation and environment," he says.

Dr Mahantesh is the first doctor in the country to dissect his own father's body to help anatomy students understand the human body.
His father had stipulated in his will that his corpse should be cut open by his doctor son for research. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubli/Animals-killed-in-road-accidents-too-entitled-to-decent-burial/articleshow/15038225.cms? 

Human interference at the root of man-animal conflict

Terming human interference as the root cause of man-animal conflict, Jammu and Kashmir government has sought preservation of habitat for flora and fauna in the state. 

"There is an urgent need for protection of wildlife sanctuaries against human interference," Forest Minister Mian Altaf Ahmad said at a review meeting of the wildlife department here, yesterday.

He said disturbance caused to the eco-system due to human interference is the root cause of man-animal conflict. 

"We need to preserve the habitat for flora and fauna," Ahmad said.He asked the officers of wildlife department to utilise full funds earmarked for conservation and development of wildlife sanctuaries. 

The minister called for formulating Detailed Project Reports for zoos coming up at Nagrota in Jammu and tulip garden in Srinagar so that required funds are arranged for these projects. 

He also stressed for development of eco-tourism wildlife sanctuary Hirpura in south Kashmir's Shopian district which has emerged as a favourite tourist destination. 

http://www.business-standard.com/generalnews/news/human-interference-atrootman-animal-conflict/34117/

Rani to get award for helping stray dog

 

Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji's noble deed of helping a dog in distress has won her an award. Her kind deed has been recognised by animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.

Rani was shooting for her upcoming film "Aiyya" when she reportedly saw a stray dog being harassed by a few onlookers on the set. She rushed to help the dog by stopping them.

For this, Rani will receive a Hero to Animals Award from PETA India.

"This dog would have been terrified and suffered more abuse were it not for Rani's compassionate and quick action," said Sachin Bangera, PETA India manager of media and celebrity projects.

"We encourage everyone to stop and speak up for animals who are subjected to pain or suffering, because if you don't, maybe no one else will," he added.

Past recipients of PETA's Hero to Animals Award include actors like Zarine Khan, for rescuing a cat from the street, and Cyrus Broacha, for refusing to perform a stunt that involved riding a bull. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Rani-to-get-award-for-helping-stray-dog/articleshow/15044622.cms 

HC asks government to form 'dog pond' for stray animals

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court on Friday asked state authorities to form 'dog ponds' and implement the Animal Birth control (dog) rules framed by the Central government in 2001 for stray dogs.

Senior advocate J K Singhi, counsel for NGO, Animal Help Society Ajmer which filed a petition, said as per the rules framed in 2001 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, no government authority can pick a stray dog and throw it in the jungle or any other place outside its natural habitat.

It was contended that the municipal bodies across the state were duty bound under the rules to construct a 'dog pond' in each municipal limits where such stray dogs can find shelter, food and medical help among others. But no such dog pond was created by any local self governance body in the state to regulate birth and life of stray dogs.

The petitioner said stray dogs were required to be vaccinated and immunized so that the rabies cannot spread. Bringing a glaring fact to the notice of the court, the petitioner also said the secretary of the NGO Dr. Shalini Gupta tried to bring the rules before the Ajmer municipal corporation, the additional collector asked the police to restrain Shalini and her sister Dr Sweeti Gupta from interfering in 'government work' with a warning that they will have to face the music if they continue.

The sisters intervened when ward no. 17 councillor Bharti Shrivastava made a complaint with the Ajmer municipal corporation of a huge number of stray dogs in the locality pursuant to which on March 23, 2011 as many as 17 stray dogs were caught by the officials and were being taken to be released in jungle around Ajmer.

Both the sisters rescued the stray dogs and the authorities were forced to return the animals back to their habitats. Later police were notified and a preventive order passed by SHO Christenganj, Ajmer, said, "In case both of you sisters repeat the act again and threaten the authorities to approach Maneka Gandhi, you will be booked and prosecuted for causing hindrance in government functions." It was this action of the ADM and the SHO Christianganj that make the sisters approach the high court for quashing of the preventive order besides seeking compliance of the rules framed for stray dogs.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-14/jaipur/32674778_1_stray-dogs-stray-animals-animal-birth

Bears facing threat in India: Wildlife institutions

New Delhi: Poaching, retaliatory killings and habitat loss are threatening the existence of bears in India, which is home to four of the eight species of the furry mammal.

India is home to four of the eight species of bears -- Himalayan brown bear, Asiatic black bear, Sloth bear and Sun bear.

"Bears in India are threatened due to poaching for their body parts, retaliatory killings to reduce conflicts and habitat loss due to degradation and fragmentation," says Wildlife Institute of India, an autonomous institution of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

In addition to these concerns, the rehabilitation of communities that eke out a living on tame bears has made their conservation a challenge, it says.

Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), a non-profit organisation, says a bear bile (gland) was seized recently in Uttarakhand, highlighting persistent threats to bears worldwide.

The seizure took place in a remote village near Gobind Wildlife Sanctuary, in a joint operation by the Uttarakhand forest department assisted by the WTI.

Bordering Nepal, which is a common smuggling route for illegal wildlife trade to China, Uttarakhand has long battled poaching and wildlife crime.

Of all the species of bear found in the country, the Black Bear is considered as the most sharp and cunning.

Black bears, found in northern India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Vietnam and northeast China, are listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) 'Red List of Threatened Animals'.

The total number of sloth bears in India is estimated between 10,000 and 15,000. They are also found in Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka.

Sun bears are found in forests of northeastern India, Bangladesh and as far north as southern Yunnan Province in China, and south and east to Sumatra and Borneo.

Meanwhile, an international conference on bear research and management will be held here in November to chalk out a new strategy on their conservation.

The conference assumes more significance to India as it will also mark the launch of the first National Bear Action Plan - a compilation of respective bear action plans from the 26 states where bears are found, the WTI said.

The conference is being hosted this year by the Environment Ministry with its partners the Wildlife Institute of India, WTI, International Bear Association and IUCN with the support of the International Fund for Animal Welfare and World Society for the Protection of Animals.

http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/bears-facing-threat-in-india-wildlife-institutions_787574.html 

Save our national animal: Amitabh Bachchan appeals for tigers

 

 

RANTHAMBORE: Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan Sunday appealed to the people to help protect India's national animal, the tiger, saying "every tiger killed in the country for their body parts trade is like giving away parts of our mother India".

He was speaking at a NDTV-Aircel telethon here, organised for the second time after their 'Save Our Tigers' campaign was launched in 2010 to help raise crucial funds to protect the endangered animal.

An official report in 2011 showed India had about 1,700 tigers, a slight improvement from the previous figures of about 1,400 released by the government in 2008.

Poaching, shrinkage of habitat and man-animal conflict are some of the factors that threaten this animal in the wild today. Currently, India has 41 tiger reserves across 13 states.

The actor, who arrived here Saturday, was expected to take part in the entire 12-hour duration of the telethon.

Urging people involved in the illegal trade of tiger body parts, Bachchan said: "I urge you all to join this effort to save our national animal. Destroying them is like attacking and destroying our own heritage."

http://businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=21239

600 Animals Dead 1,000 Displaced

Ironically, flooding is vital for Kaziranga’s ecology. But as governments dither on an integrated river management plan, a sediment-laden Brahmaputra is killing too many too often. Jay Mazoomdaar and Ratnadip Choudhury report on a recurring tragedy

 

ITS GAZE transfixed on the busy road, the hog deer was shivering. Shoulder-deep in chilling water, the tired creature was struggling to stay afloat. It made its way through the sweeping currents of the Brahmaputra to the edge of a submerged Kaziranga. The highland where it could find its feet was finally within sight, but it was on the other side of the afternoon traffic on a noisy highway.

“It was on 28 June. We were volunteering with a patrol team on National Highway-37 when we spotted the animal near Burapahar. Too frightened to approach the road, it did not move except for involuntary efforts to avoid being swept away by the current. Only when we looked away, the deer veered towards a submerged bush, away from the road. I don’t know if it survived. The sequence was repeated many a time during those three days. One just feels so helpless,” recalls Soumen Dey, Associate Coordinator of WWF’s Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Conservation Programme.

During 25-28 June, Kaziranga drowned hundreds of its wildlife. Dozens were knocked down by speeding vehicles on NH-37 while escaping to the highland of Karbi Anglong in the south. Many more were killed by villagers in their backyards. Pohu (deer) and bonoriya gahori (wild boar) meat is a monsoon delicacy in these parts of Assam and locals happily make a meal of animals edged out by floods. Even roadkill is often used in the kitchen. With dozens of villages between Karbi Anglong and Sonitpur feasting on wild meat during the last fortnight, it is impossible to keep count.

Opportunistic poachers gunned down fleeing rhinos for their horns. On official records, three were poached — one in the Paharpur range, one further to the west and another in Pobitora. Field sources claim that another two were put down in the north bank and in Buraphapori. “Rescuing animals was our main mandate as the floods gave poachers a chance to target rhinos,” admits Dibyadhar Gogoi, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Eastern Wildlife Division, Kaziranga. Poachers, however, continue to prowl as too many animals are still roaming outside Kaziranga.

Their stories are pouring in: a desperate swamp deer interrupting a local football game, an estranged rhino calf drifting to a village cattle shed, and helpless animals stuck in mud or mazes of hyacinth. Some villagers in Kohara range even reported tigers clambering up trees. Large elephant herds that took shelter on tiny high banks built by the army in the 1980s, chomped clean the entire vegetation of those islets within 24 hours. Hunger forced many herbivores to move from one shelter to another; in the process, many small ones were swept away.

MANY ANIMALS that survived the flood have been displaced while looking for land. While the young may never reunite with their mothers, others are likely to find their way back to natal herds and territories if they escape a section of so-called volunteers who are rescuing even fit, adult animals to collect rewards announced by some local NGOs.

“Such rewards build competition among the locals who go after every animal they spot,” explains Uttam Saikia, honorary wildlife warden of Golaghat district. “We don’t want to rescue animals unnecessarily, we want to provide safe passage to them. Capture myopathy kills up to 70 percent of the rescued animals.”

Saikia’s voluntary group Bhumi swung into action on 23 June when the first warning of a flood was sounded. Kaziranga traditionally prepares for the annual flood season in July when coordination meetings between the forest department and NGOs take place. Everyone was caught unprepared when the water suddenly rose on 25 June and drowned more than 80 percent of Kaziranga in just three days. There were not enough country-made boats for rescue operations. Patrolling in peripheral beats where poachers target displaced animals could not be strengthened. The forest department did not even have enough time cards printed to regulate vehicle speed on NH-37. Not a single vehicle responsible for roadkill was caught.

Kaziranga will now brace for its annual flooding routine as the Brahmaputra is likely to inundate the grasslands twice between late July and September

As the water recedes and bloated animal carcasses reveal themselves, the weathermen have issued fresh flood warnings. Grappling with the early monsoon hit and the challenge of carcass disposal, Kaziranga must now brace for its annual flooding routine as the Brahmaputra is likely to inundate the grasslands twice between late July and September. Most animals that have moved to the highlands may simply stay put, though their survival is suspect as they have little to forage on. But the rest of the Kaziranga’s wildlife will again have to walk the razor edge between rising waters and speeding vehicles.

MUCH OF Assam depends on the Brahmaputra for life. Thanks to the river, more than 60 percent of the state constitutes one of world’s most fertile alluvial tracts. Yet, over-precipitation in its catchment areas and massive sedimentation make the Brahmaputra overflow and ravage the Valley.

The grasslands and beels (floodplain lakes) of Kaziranga, the Brahmaputra’s gift, host India’s only significant population of the one-horned rhino and wild buffalo and nurture the region’s only viable population of tiger and swamp deer. But scores of these animals drown every monsoon when the mighty river inundates the plains. This year’s toll of 600 (and counting) has been the highest since 1998.

Taming the Brahmaputra is a daunting task, perhaps, unwise too. Like Assam, Kaziranga survives on the river’s bounty and annual flooding is vital for its ecology. The loss of nearly three-fourths of the original forests of the Brahmaputra watershed and random flood control methods have led to heavy silting of the river. While an integrated approach to respect the hydrology and protection of natural ecosystems may allow the river to hold better, the Brahmaputra will, and should, continue to flood.

“It (flood) is a normal phenomenon in Kaziranga and an important part of the ecosystem,” says Firoz Ahmed, a member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). “The flood may kill some animals but it also carries out a massive ecosystem management service in Kaziranga by maintaining the grassland, the wetland and the natural drainage system.”

Kaziranga has been much more than today’s national park demarcated by the NH-37 in the south and the river in the north. The original landscape stretched to the south on the other side of the highway to Karbi Anglong Hills with an altitude variation between 70 and 600 metres. When the Brahmaputra floods revitalise the grasslands and beels, animals move to the highlands. Over the decades, the dirt track dividing the floodplain and the hills became a highway, bringing with it hotels, settlements and industries.

Today, all four north-south corridors are choked, restricting the wildlife retreat to the highland. The Amguri corridor in the west, still spacious, is witnessing a construction boom. Tea gardens are fencing off the Kanchanjuri corridor at Burapahar. The temple complex on the Haldibari corridor is threatening to expand. Settlements and quarries have blocked the Panbari passageway. The UNESCO World Heritage Committee describes the highway as a “potential threat to the integrity” of Kaziranga.

TEHELKA has earlier exposed (Where the Wild Things Were, 12 May) how illegal mining in the No-Development Zone (NDZ) near Kaziranga is devouring space used by wildlife. While replying to activist Rohit Choudhury’s petition against illegal stone quarrying around Kaziranga before the National Green Tribunal, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) admitted that 64 industrial units, including 26 stone crushers and 14 brick kilns, are in operation inside the NDZ, in violation of the MoEF’s own notification in force since 1996. RTI replies in TEHELKA’s possession show that the state had set up a Minor Industrial Estate close to Kaziranga and permitted stone crushers on elephant corridors though the estate was meant only for wood-based industries.

“This year’s flood was abrupt and vigorous. But the animal toll has increased because the known animal corridors around the park have been blocked by human activities like stone mining,” says Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) Rathin Barman whose team has successfully released 94 of the 130 animals it rescued. DFO Gogoi accepts that the issue of human activities disturbing animal corridors is “important” but not “totally within the forest department’s ambit”.

Hemmed in by encroachment and chased by flood waters, the traumatised wildlife braved the few available passageways across the highway only to be knocked down by heavy traffic. Hundreds of flood-displaced families squatting on highway stretches passing through Burapahar further funnelled the wildlife movement. The smaller species, such as the hog deer, took the maximum hit.

DFO GOGOI claims that but for the preparedness of the forest staff and the awareness of the villagers, the animal toll would be higher. Amid the carnage, indeed, there have been moments of, and reasons for, hope.

A rhino calf was spotted trapped in flood waters in Baghmari village under Baghori range. When rescuers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)-WTI-run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) reached the spot, they found it impossible to approach the animal as their boat failed to negotiate the flood rapids. With the animal already nose-deep in water, it was a race against time. Animal keeper Bhadreswar Das jumped into the water, swam to a nearby tree and tied a rope on its trunk so that the boat could be towed. The calf was eventually rescued. Another rhino calf, barely seven weeks old, rescued in a dehydrated state from Haldibari village under Kohara range, is back on its feet, under the CWRC’s care.

Mohammad Siraj Ali, of Deochur village in Kaziranga’s Burapahar range, led a team of 15 volunteers and rescued at least 50 animals, mostly hog deer, using bamboo and country- made boats. Dhruvajyoti Saha, a local reporter from Kohora, quickly summoned local students to form human chains on NH-37 to ensure safe passage to an exhausted herd of 17 elephants with calves.

There were also those odd moments of humour. “The flood notwithstanding, Kaziranga was also in the grips of Euro soccer fever. While patrolling in Kohora range, our team spotted a swamp deer taking refuge in the bushes of a football field in Haldibari. We clicked its pictures as the animal was quietly playing spectator until we tranquilised it,” says Shasankha Barbaruah of the WTI.

Rescue tales are always heart-warming, but the harsh reality is that a certain number of animals, mostly the infant, old and infirm, are supposed to die in floods just like they do in the summer. That is how nature cleans its gene pool. The Brahmaputra will require an integrated strategy for river management and inter-state coordination rather than ad hoc site-specific measures such as embankments to rein it in. The Northeast Water Resource Authority, proposed after the devastating floods of 2004, is yet to be set up.

Likewise, a large number of roadkill is expected when hundreds of animals are scampering across a highway unmindful of heavy traffic, unless the road is closed temporarily or shifted for good. Since 2005, when Kaziranga celebrated its centenary, authorities have been sitting on the proposal for an alternative alignment of NH-37 along the north bank of the Brahmaputra. The NHAI had apparently prepared a Detailed Project Report for the Kaziranga diversion but kept it under wraps. The Assam Public Works Department also conducted a feasibility study.

Locals, however, have staged several demonstrations pressing their demand for widening the existing road to four lanes with adequate safeguard against roadkill. “We are not against animals but we want development here. The diversion will make the stretch 50 km longer. Anyway, the plan was to build four-lane flyovers over a stretch of 21 km under which animals could freely move between Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong,” points out Debopradip Bora of the Fourlane Demand Committee.

The choice is tough: a realignment resulting in a 50-km detour, or an expensive flyover that will be one of India’s longest. There is also a third choice: the one that killed 600 animals in the last fortnight and will kill thousands more in the weeks and years to follow.

With inputs from Dhrubajyoti Saha and Urmi Bhattacharjee

Jay Mazoomdaar is an Independent Journalist.
jaymazoomdaar@gmail.com

Ratnadip Choudhury is a Principal Correspondent with Tehelka.
ratnadip@tehelka.com

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main53.asp?filename=Ne210712ANIMALS.asp#

Horse carriages face whip - Animal deaths provoke ban cry in Mumbai

Mumbai, July 9: The Victoria may soon need a memorial in Mumbai. The horrific deaths of two horses in full public view last week has suddenly raised a clamour for a ban on the art deco-style French carriages, introduced in the city by the British in 1882 as cabs. Silver-coloured and fitted with neon lights, the Victorias now ferry merrymakers and tourists along Marine Drive and around the old part of the city. Haggard, malnourished and ill-treated, the horses that pull these carriages meant for three mostly end up carrying six to nine persons, making 10-15 trips of a 5km to 7km stretch. Over the past year and a half, many of the overworked and underfed horses have collapsed and died on the streets but last week’s deaths were particularly tragic and witnessed by many. On Sunday July 1, a horse died when a taxi rammed into it outside the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus. The horse was not tied to a carriage at the time — the owner’s friend had borrowed it for a bareback ride around town. On Wednesday, a horse tugging a carriage loaded with nine passengers instead of the stipulated three collapsed and died of exhaustion outside the Gateway of India. Two days later, Bombay High Court accepted an intervention application by animal rights body Peta, which put its weight behind an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the horse-drawn carriages. The PIL, alleging cruelty towards the animals, was filed last September by the Mumbai-based Animals and Birds Charitable Trust (ABCT) and had so far been a cause limited to lunching ladies and committed animal lovers. Bolstered by support from Peta, which counts Hollywood and Bollywood stars among its friends, the ban-Victoria cry has even reached the state legislature. “The chief minister has been approached by many influential citizens to find a way to ban the Victorias. Many MLAs too are talking about the issue,” an aide to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said. “Apart from the cruelty issue, the matter also relates to finding alternative employment for the people involved in this business. We have to look into all things. The matter is sub judice; we’ll consider action only after the court gives its verdict.” In an interim order, the court has asked Maharashtra’s lawmakers to find alternative sources of employment for the men who handle the horses. There are 170 horses in Mumbai, including ponies. Of these, around 40 are used for rides on the beaches and gardens; the remaining 130 pull Victorias. “A study by the ABCT last year showed that the horses are made to stand all night with their legs tied. We have submitted the study to the high court,” trust counsel Aspi Chenoy said. Last year, the court had directed the civic body to send the horses to a 6.36-acre plot of open land provided by the trust at Panvel, about 40km from Mumbai, after the ABCT undertook to take care of the animals, and feed and transport them. The court directed the deputy commissioner of the civic health department and officials of the trust and the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to work out the logistics for the shift. Both parties are still trying to figure out the logistics. Municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte said that of the 10 horse stables in Mumbai, nine are illegal. “We last issued a licence for a stable in 1974. We keep issuing notices to horse owners who keep their animals in illegal stables. But under the Bombay Municipality Act, owners whose horses are seized for violations can redeem them after paying Rs 2,500,” he added. Last month, when Peta held a demonstration at Azad Maidan demanding a ban on horse-drawn carriages, nearly 5,000 people turned up in support. “The Municipal Corporation of Delhi made a landmark decision to ban tonga horses in the city in 2009 and recently scrapped a proposal to use ceremonial horse carriages for tourist rides. Mumbai needs to follow in the footsteps of Delhi, Paris, London, Toronto, Beijing and other cities and ban the use of horse-drawn carriages,” Chenoy said. Is Calcutta listening? http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120710/jsp/frontpage/story_15711334.jsp

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People For Animals seeks pension for 'retired' canines after rejected police dog dies in vet hospital

GUWAHATI: Peter, an 11-year-old German Shepherd of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) dog squad, died on Thursday. Peter died in a veterinary hospital of the People For Animal (PFA), an animal welfare organization of Assam. The PFA took care of the dog after he was disposed by the NF Railway in a critical condition in May.

"We took Peter from the chief security commissioners' office of the NF Railway headquarters. He was given to us in a very critical condition. Out vets tried to save him, but failed. However to our surprise, no one from the railway department enquired about Peter, who tirelessly served the security force once," PFA chairperson Sangeeta Goswami said.

Goswami added, "Peter should have been given medals and due recognition for his services, instead he was disposed like an obsolete item from the force. This is injustice to every dog serving the security forces. There should be some provision like pension or medical compensation for these brave animals."

A dog squad official of NF Railway while lamented the death of Peter pressed for the need of retirement provisions of such service holder canines. "Peter was a brave dog. He was specialized in finding explosives and narcotics. He helped the RPF to detect many narcotic and arm smugglers in 2006-07. It's sad that he had to suffer due to the negligence of the department. There must be some pension or rehabilitation scheme for police dogs after their retirement," said the dog squad trainer.

Police dogs undergo rigorous training for nine months after they turn six months old. Peter was suffering from maggot problem and also could not walk properly. He had bad teeth and could not eat properly. "We were giving him liquid food since he was with us. He was surely not taken care of properly even when he was on duty," said Goswami. The disposal letter handed over to Goswami from NF Railway said Peter had retired on April 25.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-09/guwahati/32604358_1_police-dogs-dog-squad-peter

Amar Circus violates zoo authority guidelines

 

NAGPUR: The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) inspection and evaluation committee has recommended seizure of Padma, a female elephant with Amar Circus, for illegal ownership and violating CZA guidelines for housing and care of elephants. It has also directed to stop performance of semi-blind hippopotamus Amar.

The committee has urged chief wildlife warden to seize the elephant immediately and send it to a rehabilitation centre as advised by CZA where the animal can receive extensive veterinary treatment and is housed in a natural and free-ranging environment with other female elephants and have scope for exhibiting natural behaviours.

"A case may be booked against the circus owner by both, the chief wildlife warden and Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), for illegal possession of elephant under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act respectively," says the report.

Chief wildlife warden, SWH Naqvi, said he is yet to receive the report but if CZA has recommended then action will be taken. "We will seize the elephant and send it to a rescue centre," he told TOI.

On a complaint by BJP MP and animal rights activist, Maneka Gandhi, and PFA leader, Naresh Kadyan, an eight-member CZA committee had inspected and evaluated the Amar Circus in the city on June 25. The panel submitted its report on July 5.

The report says the circus owner does not possess any specific ownership certificate or legal procurement certificate for the elephant as per the claims.

"The circus owner has produced old document referring to three elephants which does not endorse or confirm legal ownership of Padma," the report says. The owner did not intimate the CZA about the death of two elephants, which died at Muzaffarpur in 2008 and Chhindwara in 2011, violating law.

The CZA has also recommended AWBI to recall and cancel any licences issued to circuses that use animals. It has urged AWBI to ban Amar Circus from any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals.

The committee urged the AWBI, Chennai, to issue necessary instructions to immediately stop performance of blind hippopotamus at the circus. It has recommended to send the hippo to lifetime care in consultation with CZA to a recognized zoo or rescue centre, immediately. However, currently, there are no rescue centres for hippos in India.

The committee members observed that there is not any legal document for none of the animals or birds to prove their acquisition or source or ownership or legal procurement.

The AWBI and CZA has been requested to take action against circus owner to shift all animals out and to other suitable facilities immediately, where appropriate housing facility can be provided to each bird and animal.

"Amar Circus does not have necessary infrastructure to maintain such animals and in their greed to use these animals and exploit them for commercial reasons, they are inflicting unnecessary cruelty upon these animals," the committee has submitted.

Hence, the committee has also recommended that all animals that are not covered by the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and CZA guidelines, such as horses, camels, dogs, ducks and birds be immediately removed from the circus by the AWBI.

The committee consisted of deputy conservator, P K Mahajan, Kartick Satyanarayan, Suparna Baksi Ganguly, Dr A B Shrivastav, Ashish Goswami, B K Gupta, S N Kapoor and SDO Prakash Patil.

The step ahead
* Female elephant, Padma, with Amar circus may be sent to rehabilitation centre
* Circus face ban on any performance, holding, procuring, owning, possessing, exhibiting, displaying, breeding any exotic and domestic animals
* CZA recommends recall and cancellation of licences of circuses that use animals
* Lifetime care recommended for semi-blind hippopotamus at a recognized zoo or rescue centre

Kerala clueless in dealing with man-animal conflicts

KOCHI: Kerala is yet to evolve effective protocols to deal with emergency situations when carnivores stray into human settlements. The killing of a leopard in Pathanamthitta on Saturday once again exposes poor reaction mechanism to deal with such situations.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) had issued a circular on April 18, 2011, suggesting broad guidelines for dealing man-leopard conflicts.
The MoEF guidelines outline a three-pronged strategy. "Awareness generation amongst local communities, media, and officials of various government departments is vital to educate stakeholders about the issue," it said.

"The second important component is establishing two trained teams to handle conflict emergencies. The Primary Response team (PR) should consist of local community representatives trained in crowd management. Their basic role will be to secure the area before the arrival of the Emergency Response (ER) team."

The ER team comprising forest department officials and trained veterinary staff, will need to deal with the animal in a situation-specific manner.
"Whenever a wild animal strays into human settlement, it is often the crowd who manages the whole situation. Hardly any efforts are seen being made to keep off the crowd to control them," P S Easa, wildlife expert with the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), told TOI here.

Jayachandran of SPCA Idukki district said there was total lack of coordination between various departments in such situations. For instance, when a leopard strayed into Thodupuzha area couple of years ago the authorities chose to wait till the tranquilization specialists came from Thrissur. This was despite the fact that the close-by district level office animal husbandry department had the expertise and equipment to the tranquilize animals.

When contacted, the PCCF and Chief Wildlife Warden V Gopinathan, told TOI here that the forest department has circulated the MOEF guidelines to different forest offices in the state. "But it is difficult to control the huge crowd in such situations in Kerala. They are so excited and irate, and any agency will find it difficult to persuade them remain calm in such situations."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Kerala-clueless-in-dealing-with-man-animal-conflicts/articleshow/14740670.cms 

Poison Biscuit Day to mark dog massacre

NAVI MUMBAI: Animal rights activists will observe July 9 as "Poison Biscuit Day" to mark the anniversary of the mass poisoning of stray dogs in Nerul four years ago.

"It was horrific to see more than 30 dogs lying dead on the streets of Nerul on the morning of July 9, 2008. They had all been poisoned by some insane people. We want this incident to be remembered all over India as Poison Biscuit Day," said animal welfare officer Ganesh Nayak of the NGO, Animals Matter To Me. "Though a complaint was lodged with the Nerul police, none of the accused could be traced. The authorities did not seem interested in investigating the matter," said a Navi Mumbai resident, adding animosity towards strays still continued. Denouncing such an act, founder of Plants and Animals Welfare Society in Thane Nilesh Bhanage said, "Regular anti-rabies vaccination of strays can check dog population. But poisoning is not the answer."

On Monday, animal lovers of Navi Mumbai have decided to meet at Vashi. "Through Facebook and Twitter, we are urging activists to update their status on July 9 as 'Poison Biscuit Day — No More Dog Murders!'. This should help create awareness that killing of any animal is cruel and unjustified," said Nayak. Welcoming the move, secretary of Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Lt Col J C Khanna said, "I remember the incident, the news shocked us."

Four years have passed since the "mass murder" but activists said the authorities had done little to curb the population of strays in Navi Mumbai. Recently, the civic body there had announced an outbreak of distemper among strays; many of the animals were subject to "mercy killing" owing to lack of an isolation ward. "Many dogs have disappeared. As there is no isolation ward at the Turbhe Dog Kennel, some of the distemper dogs are being locked up in dog-catching vans. We urge the civic authorities to be better organized for the sake of animals," said an activist. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Poison-Biscuit-Day-to-mark-dog-massacre/articleshow/14738379.cms 

Animal death toll in Kaziranga rises to 560

GUWAHATI: At least 560 animals, including 14 one-horned rhinos, have perished in the world-famed Kaziranga National Park during the ongoing floods in Assam.

Hog deer have suffered the most with 481 of them killed in the current floods, while ten swamp deer, 18 sambars, 36 wild boars, five porcupines, two hog badgers, two gaurs (Indian bison), two wild buffaloes and a fox have also perished in the deluge, Assam Forest and Environment Minister Rockybul Hussain said today.

The UNESCO World Heritage Park, which hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, was still flooded though the water was receding and more carcasses were found floating.

Speeding vehicles have also claimed the lives of about 25 hog deer, while two rhinos were killed by poachers.

The Park, located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, has been flooded since June 26 and within a couple of days nearly 80 per cent of its 430 km area was inundated with only the natural and artificial highlands spared where the animals fled for shelter.

The Park, which experiences floods annually, has earlier suffered extensively in 1988 when 1023 animals had died and again in 1998 when 652 animals had perished.

The devastating floods have also caused extensive damage to roads, bridges and approaches to bridges though the actual extent of the damage was yet to be ascertained, he said.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has appealed the Prime Minister for Rs two crore for infrastructural development in the forest department, Hussain added. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Animal-death-toll-in-Kaziranga-rises-to-560/articleshow/14744455.cms  

Kaziranga loses 573 animals to flood, apathy

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Kaziranga-loses-573-animals-to-flood-apathy/articleshow/14752753.cms?

GUWAHATI: In a sign of shocking administrative apathy, herds of animals trying to reach elevated ground to escape the Brahmaputra's furious, swirling floodwaters were run over on NH-37 by speeding trucks in the last one week.

Park officials said at least 20 animals, mostly deer, were killed on the high ground along the southern boundary of Kaziranga, and these numbers could go up because there isn't enough deployment of officials and volunteers to ensure that the speed limit set by the administration, of 10km per hour, is strictly imposed.

Considering it's a stretch of merely 50km where all these deaths have occurred, deployment of adequate volunteers wasn't too imposing a task. Worse, the floods, one of the most severe in over two decades, also damaged Kaziranga's anti-poaching infrastructure, posing danger to its wide variety of wildlife from poachers.

On Sunday, Kaziranga National Park officials found 14 more carcasses of animals, taking the number of animals drowned to 573. The worst floods in the last 25 years were witnessed in 1988 when 1,203 animals perished, while in 1998, more than 650 animals, including 29 rhinos, were killed.

Many of the reserve's 152 anti-poaching camps are underwater; 16 of these had to be shifted to other locations when the water level of the Brahmaputra rose on June 29. The mud tracks, crucial for the movement of park officials and forest guards, too, are damaged. Most animals killed were either too old to escape the hungry tides or too young.

"Although the animals adapt well with flood-dependent ecology of Kaziranga, the ones too young are left behind. So are old and diseased animals," said M Firoz Ahmed, a wildlife biologist of Aaranyak.

"We found 14 more carcasses of hog deer and sambars in Kaziranga. We're still looking for more carcasses. We're using elephants to move inside the park as all roads are damaged," said park director S Bora. Bewilderingly, despite the magnitude of the deluge, helicopters haven't been used to see where human intervention may help in reducing the scale of the unfolding tragedy.

A large number of animals migrated to elevated grounds in the adjoining Karbi Anglong area when 80% of the park area was inundated on June 29, when, according to Assam environment and forest minister Rockybul Hussain, water level in Kaziranga touched 76.46m - 1.44m above the danger level.

Of the 573 animals killed, 14 are Assam's famed one-horned rhinos which are on the endangered list, one elephant, one wild buffalo, 486 hog deer, 10 swamp deer, 21 sambhars, 31 wild boars, two hog badgers, two gaurs, one jackal and five porcupines. While the water level dropped to 74.5m, it's still too early to rule out more animal deaths.

"We are assessing the extent of damage to park infrastructure. It will take some time to complete the exercise," said Hussain.

Despite the loss of wildlife during floods, Kaziranga's ecology is intricately linked to it. Located on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra, the annual floods recharge the vast grassland and 200-odd wetlands dotting the park for the survival of carnivores and herbivores. In 2006 and 2009, when the state experienced a drought-like situation, animals in Kaziranga, especially rhinos, faced a lack of fresh vegetation.

Centre directs spot appraisal of Kaziranga animal deaths

http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/centre-directs-spot-appraisal-of-kaziranga-animal-deaths_786499.html

New Delhi: Concerned over death of wild animals in the recent floods in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in Assam, Centre today deputed a top official to undertake a spot appraisal of the situation.

After reviewing the flood situation in Kaziranga due to which mortality of as many as 595 wild animals has been reported, Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan deputed country's top tiger conservationist Rajesh Gopal to study the situation.

"The Minister has directed me to visit Kaziranga. I will visit the Tiger Reserve tomorrow to study the situation there," Gopal, who is Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, told PTI.

Gopal also said so far no tiger deaths have been reported from Tiger Reserve, which has an area of 1033 sq km and includes the Kaziranga National Park, Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary and Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.

Earlier, Assam had been requested to declare the adjoining Karbi Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve to enable adequate protection with Project Tiger assistance.

This would be reiterated for expediting during the visit of Gopal alongwith his team for spot appraisal and to strengthen the efforts by assisting the state.

Earlier, Environment Ministry issued a statement saying it reviewed flood situation based on report submitted by M Firoz Ahmad, Member, National Tiger Conservation Authority.

He was asked to make a spot appraisal of Kaziranga in the wake of recent floods.

As per the report, death of 17 Rhinos was reported and most of them were from the older age group, besides calves.

"However, three of them have been poached. The hog deer mortality, in particular has been reported very high (512)," it said.

The report has also highlighted the need for relieving the corridor areas from human pressure and avoiding change in land use pattern.

The Ministry said that an alternate alignment has been agreed upon for diverting or widening the NH-37. However, since the said highway is in use, the NHAI would be approached for providing flyovers at vantage points for the traffic.

This would prevent road hits, while providing safe passage for wild animals from beneath, the Ministry said.