After sandalwood trees, animals under threat at BU campus

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=1&contentid=201208202012082001053511f8a0e93a

Early morning walkers stumble on snares laid out to trap and kill protected wildlife inside the 500-acre university campus. And the most shocking part? They were found near a guarded area belonging to the forest department

A group of early morning walkers ambling through a verdant Bangalore University campus froze in their tracks on Saturday: Before them lay five to six snares laid by poachers that could have easily killed wildlife inside – from peacocks and mongoose to wild rabbits and jackals, all protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act.

Only last month, Bangalore Mirror carried a report on how sandalwood smugglers were getting richer with impunity inside the 500-acre campus (40 sandalwood trees carted away; 50 more hacked, left to wither). And now, alarm bells are clanging again over the city’s largest biodiversity reserve.

“We were shocked to see the snares,” a walker told Bangalore Mirror. “This clearly shows that poachers have stepped inside this forest too. What are the officials doing? When a common man can point out these snares, why can’t officials, who are meant to do so?”

The snares and traps are similar to the ones Haryana-based poachers had laid at Biligiri Ranga Temple (BRT) wildlife sanctuary and which were discovered in July.

Made of material similar to clutch cables in motorcycles, they were laid in artificially created cavities to trap wildlife. This is the first time that such snares have been found within the campus.

The morning walkers, who also happen to be wildlife enthusiasts, pointed out these snares laid near the nursery towards Mariyappanpalya.

They were clearly visible, unlike regular snares that are often camouflaged by greenery. There were, however, some creepers which would have grown with time to hide the snares.

Thoughtfully chosen
The greatest shock, however, is due to the fact that the snares were laid near a guarded nursery which stands on land belonging to the forest department. The spot seems to have been a well thought-out choice since the nursery has compound walls and a gate.

To get to this part of the forest, wildlife have no choice but to take the path through the cavity. In doing so, they fall into the trap, the walkers said. “These snares are dangerous as they are left hanging. Once a wild animal or bird makes an attempt to pass through, the noose tightens around the neck and the animals and birds are killed. “The more they struggle to get out, the tighter the noose becomes. This is a serious issue,” a source said.

Snares common among poachers
These snares are said to be common among poachers. They are usually camouflaged and around five or six are placed together in paths frequented by wild animals. The method does not leave a trace after the animals are killed. The products are then sold illegally.

Walkers in the university, who have decided to take up the issue with the forest department, think that a students’ initiative could protect wildlife under risk.

“It is the responsibility of students to protect the flora and fauna they are blessed with. As government departments are involved in blame games, students on the campus should bring about a change and keep poachers and sandalwood smugglers at bay,” Maheshwar H, a local resident said.

‘We will look into it’
Forest department officials said this was a first. “Putting snares is preparing the ground for poaching. This is an important issue and we will look into it. The government land was part of the property that was handed over to the university long back. They have to provide adequate security inside. Though snares were not found in the past and no poaching has been reported so far, the finding of snares will be looked into and an inquiry conducted to ensure nothing goes wrong,” A G Appurao, DCF, told Bangalore Mirror.

Nilgai poached, 50kg meat seized

NAGPUR: The mobile squad attached to the Nagpur forest division on Friday morning seized 50kg meat of nilgai (bluebull) from a poacher in Ooty village under North Umred range, 25km from here.

Divisional forest officer (vigilance) PD Masram who was on a patrolling visit to trace out illegal Kathiyawadi grazers, noticed four persons carrying heavy bags.

During search, Masram and the forest staff found that the villagers were carrying meat in the bags. They arrested Fulchand Neware, 52, while other three accused ran away leaving the bags behind. They were perhaps taking the meat to the village to sell it.

Bluebull is a protected species under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and its hunting is prohibited. During interrogation, Masram found that the animal was killed with the help of wire traps in the farm of Vinayak Atram.

Neware and others had dragged the animal to 200 metres and disposed it off on the spot. "We seized over 30kg meat from the spot and 20kg in the bag," Masram said.

Accused Neware is in forest custody and will be produced before judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Kuhi, on Saturday. Hunt for the farm owner and other accused, suspected to be residents of Ooty, has been launched.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Nilgai-poached-50kg-meat-seized/articleshow/15345294.cms

Illegal animal trading on the rise

HYDERABAD: More than a week after Nag Panchami, city organisations working for animal welfare are still busy rescuing captured animals as activists reported an increase in illegal animal trading activity in various areas after the festival and have their hands full tracking down the offenders.

Mahesh Agarwal, member of AP State Animal Welfare Board and secretary of Sahyog organisation for animals said that after Nag Panchami they had caught two individuals in Balamrai who were trying to sell black buck's antlers, tusks of two wild boars, python and rat snake skin, one fox head and one live scorpion. "We have also managed to nab three more people who captured wild animals illegally from Ibrahimpatnam and Karimnagar. A monitor lizard was rescued from two persons at Ibrahimpatnam on July 26 and the dealers were handed over to the forest range officer, Hyderabad south. Their vehicles were also seized," Agarwal said. Further, they also managed to rescue one mongoose, two rat snakes and one Indian cobra from a street performer in Karimnagar. While the performer who is from Warangal was arrested, his accomplice managed to escape and is absconding.

He said that this was the season for monitor lizards and there is great demand for them as udumu kura, a dish made with the reptile's meat, is a famous rural delicacy and is rumoured to increase one's libido after consumption. Talking about upcoming plans, Agarwal said that they were planning to visit Medak and some dhabas on the outskirts of Hyderabad as they have received information about dealers trading monitor lizards there.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Illegal-animal-trading-on-the-rise/articleshow/15338497.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

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 

Floods throw up killers, saviours - Poachers get free run at KNP

An aerial view of an inundated part of Majuli seen during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s aerial survey of flood-affected areas in Assam’s Jorhat district on Monday. Picture by UB Photos 

Jorhat, July 2: Poachers are taking advantage of animals straying out of Kaziranga National Park to escape the floodwaters, with two rhinos being killed in a span of two days. 

The carcass of a rhino was recovered from Parku Pahar area under Karbi Anglong forest division near Tesu village opposite the Bagori range of Kaziranga National Park today.

Another male rhino was killed late last evening near the Pahar line forest camp at Dolamora, Haldibari Hills in Karbi Anglong district adjoining the Kohora range of the national park. 

Both the rhinos were found without their horns.

Forest ranger, east division of Karbi Anglong, Prahlad Kro told The Telegraph today that usually the rhinos did not stray towards Parku Pahar.

However, the current spate of floods had most likely forced the rhino to take shelter in this area and it had fallen prey to poachers’ bullets.

Kro said they had been patrolling the area constantly because of the floods.

“We have not been able to ascertain when the poachers struck. We were maintaining a 24-hour vigil, but there was a severe thunderstorm yesterday and it could have been killed during that time,” Kro said.

Director of Kaziranga National Park Sanjib Bora said during the annual floods the animals come out into the open and usually seek higher ground, fleeing to the hills of Karbi Anglong to escape the waters. “It becomes more difficult for us to monitor the animals when they move out from the forest area and poachers take advantage of this. We try our best to prevent the killings by undertaking joint patrols with our Karbi Anglong counterparts,” Bora said.

A section of forest guards were at the moment trailing a rhino calf which had strayed out of the park, “but it was not possible to keep track of each and every animal”, Bora added.

Anthony Thangcho, a veterinarian attached to the Wildlife Trust of India, Karbi Anglong, who is currently posted at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation near the park, said the post-mortem done today revealed that the rhino had received three bullets, one in the forehead, and had died on the spot.

In another incident, a hog deer was rescued from the floodwaters by some villagers near the park today and handed over to the centre.

Forest department personnel also rescued a rhino calf yesterday, and it is being treated at the Centre.

Thangcho added that a leopard cub had also been treated at the centre today.

The toll of animals killed in the recent floods has been officially pegged at 81. However, unofficially, it is believed to be more than 100.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120703/jsp/northeast/story_15682432.jsp#.T_Mel5FrRSQ

Animal hide selling thick and fast in East Godavari

HYDERABAD: The prominent wildlife belt of Andhra Pradesh, the Rampachodavaram forest in East Godavari has now turned into a den of illegal skin traders. Stacks of animal skin from this forest are routinely sold to collectors, both from India and aboard, every month for princely sums ranging between Rs 15,000 and Rs 3 lakh, say local foresters.
 
Observers say that apart from the big cats such as tigers and panthers that draw maximum returns, even the Indian bison, mouse deer and deer are put up for sale. While these dealings have been taking place for a few years, they rue that the state forest department's negligence has allowed it grow into an organized trade now.

Running this lucrative business from behind the thick foliage are groups of tribals who, lured by the wildlife wealth of this forest, have infiltrated into AP from the neighbouring states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh. "Though they started to come about 10 years back, their numbers have swelled now. At least 100 of them are seen in the forest during any time of the year," said a wildlife activist operating in the area adding, "Some hunt only for meat while others poach to trade the skin. Even animal horns are sold openly here."

Besides an exhaustive collection, these illegal traders also have a fixed rate chart. Tiger skin: Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, other wild animals (boar, deer, bison): Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh and deer horns: Rs 15,000 for a pair.

"Such widespread poaching has destroyed the wildlife count of not just this area but of all small forest belts between Rampachodavaram and Upper Sileru in Visakhapatnam," said K Ramaswamy from the Council for Wildlife Conservation attributing this menace to the state department's failure to man AP's borders. "We have brought this issue to the notice of the forest officials numerous times. Yet they have showed no interest to address it. No official is keen on venturing out into the forest to nab the offenders or deploy personnel to check infiltration," he added.

Sounding a word of caution, wildlife biologists note how continuous hunting could kill the forest belt that always had a rich amphibian, reptile and mammal population. As per 2010 tiger census, the region also boasted of as many as nine tigers. "Even now there are a good number of tigers who are living dangerously," said Imran Siddiqui, a wildlife expert associated with the Hyderabad Tigers Conservation Society. He added, "This moist deciduous forest always has healthy rainfall. The quality of the forest is therefore very good and conducive to wildlife. If managed well, this can prove to be a major breeding ground for animals."

But considering the indifference among forest officials, that remains a distant possibility. When contacted, S V Kumar, principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) maintained that the forest was well protected by his officials.
"No case of animal skin trading has ever been reported from here. We are not aware of any infiltration either," he said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Animal-hide-selling-thick-and-fast-in-East-Godavari/articleshow/14480850.cms 

The hunters become the hunted: Indian state sanctions shooting animal poachers

NEW DELHI — A western Indian state has declared war on animal poaching by sanctioning its forest guards to shoot hunters on sight in an effort to curb rampant attacks against tigers, elephants and other wildlife.

The government in Maharashtra says injuring or killing suspected poachers will no longer be considered a crime.

Forest guards should not be “booked for human rights violations when they have taken action against poachers,” Maharashtra Forest Minister Patangrao Kadam said Tuesday. The state also will send more rangers and jeeps into the forest, and will offer secret payments to informers who give tips about poachers and animal smugglers, he said.

India holds about half of the world’s estimated 3,200 tigers in dozens of wildlife reserves set up since the 1970s. But illegal poaching remains a serious threat, with tiger parts sought in traditional Chinese medicine fetching high prices on the black market.

According to the Wildlife Protection Society of India, 14 tigers have been killed by poachers in India so far this year — one more than for all of 2011. The tiger is considered endangered, with its habitat range shrinking more than 50 per cent in the last quarter-century and its numbers declining rapidly from the 5,000-7,000 estimated in the 1990s, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Eight of this year’s tiger poaching deaths in India occurred in Maharashtra, including one whose body was found last week chopped into pieces with its head and paws missing in Tadoba Tiger Reserve. Forest officials have also found traps in the reserve, where about 40 tigers live.

Tiger parts used in traditional Chinese medicine are prized on the black market, but dozens of other animals are also targeted by hunters across India, including one-horned rhinos and male elephants prized for their tusks, and other big cats like leopards hunted or poisoned by villagers afraid of attacks on their homes or livestock.

Encounters are rare, however, between guards and poachers who generally hunt the secretive and nocturnal big cats at night, according to Maharashtra’s chief wildlife warden, S.W.H. Naqvi.

“We hardly ever come face-to-face with poachers,” he said Wednesday, predicting few instances where guards might fire at suspects.

Instead, he predicted that the state’s offer to pay informers from a new government fund worth about 5 million rupees ($90,000) would be more effective in curbing wildlife crime. “We get very few tips, so this will really help,” Naqvi said.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/05/23/the-hunters-become-the-hunted-indian-state-sanctions-shooting-animal-poachers/

Hunter-wallahs

Hunting, like prostitution, is one of India's worst-kept secrets. Everyone knows it's illegal. And everyone knows it's going on. In the Northeast, hunting is prevalent amongst both tribals and the Army. And in Kerala's Periyar Tiger Reserve, rampant poaching of tuskers has dramatically skewed the sex ratio, with one male elephant for 101 females. 

These are amongst a series of startling findings thrown up by a research paper on hunting by three scientists - Nandini Velho, research associate at National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore and a doctoral student at Australia's James Cook University ; Krithi Karanth, assistant director of the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore; and William F Laurance, an eminent tropical scientist at James Cook University. 

The scientists plunged into a meta-analysis of 143 studies on hunting in India in a bid to give shape to the shadowy world that plagues the country's wildlife. 

Their study shows that hunting was reported in 23 of the 28 states and 7 Union Territories, with 114 species of mammals reportedly hunted in the country. 

Besides pushing animals to extinction, hunting also changes the way they behave. For instance, encounter rates (the chance of spotting an animal or signs of it) of daytime animals declined where guns were used to hunt them during the day. Likewise, encounter rates ofnocturnal animals reduced where guns were used at night. 

While much has been written about tiger conservation, Velho cites the plight of other mammals. For instance, the widespread use of traps for otters has led to their extinction in several areas. Its skin, says Velho, is prized in Europe. 

According to wildlife conservationist Belinda Wright, the last 18 months have seen an increase in hunting for meat,with a spike in demand in towns around protected areas. Wright says the trend has much to do with economics. Highly priced domestic meat has spawned a market for wild meat, which is found to be cheaper. 

While hunting happens across the country, the methods vary. "Hunters in Uttaranchal used guns (42%) and snares (48%) in roughly equal frequency; in Himachal Pradesh hunters used exclusively guns. In Karnataka, most hunters (94%) used home-made muzzle-loading guns although use of snares was also reported," says the study. Velho says certain communities such as the Nishi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh have banned the use of locally made trap scalled Komiya,which have often caused injuries to people, too. "The fine for laying these traps is one mithun (a bison-like animal). They do, however, allow hunting with guns," adds Velho, who has worked extensively in Arunachal, where hunting is deeply embedded in the local culture. "Even the belts used for clothes are made of animal skin." 

Tribals aren't the only ones hunting in the Northeast. "Army forces posted on India's northern borders in the Indo-Myanmar /eastern Himalayan region are also reported to engage actively in hunting," says the report. "Many Army officers wear musk (a perfume extracted from the musk deer)," says Velho. Government officers, too, are involved in hunting. "A lot of the killings carried out by locals are either sold or gifted to officers," she adds. 

The report says hunting is particularly widespread in Arunachal, which lies within the India-Myanmar and eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspots. As many as 94 mammal species are reportedly hunted in these two regions. "This figure is considerably higher than the 33 species reported to be hunted across the Western Ghats, the 22 hunted species recorded in the western Himalayas, and zero hunted species reported from the Nicobar Islands," says the study. This may be due to the fact that the eastern Himalayas are home to more species than the Western Ghats, says Velho. 

Environmentalist Uttara Mendiratta, a consultant with Freeland Foundation says hunting in the Northeast gets a boost because the Southeast Asian market for wildlife trade is close at hand. "After hunting an animal in Northeast India, it's very easy to cut across the border to Myanmar where there is a ready market. It is not the same in the Western Ghats where it is harder to sell wildlife in an open market," says Mendiratta, who has been involved in underground operations in China and Tibet to study the illegal animal market. While Tibet was once a large market for illegal animal products from India, there has been a marked drop in demand after the Dalai Lama forbade the use of such products amongst Tibetans . His is amongst several initiatives to curb hunting. In the Northeast, locals from tribes known for their hunting prowess have been roped in for wildlife conservation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/special-report/Hunter-wallahs/articleshow/13310523.cms

South African demand for legal trade in rhino horns leaves India jittery

NEW DELHI: The surge of poaching of rhinoceros in South Africa could lead to threats to the one-horned Indian rhino in faraway Assam and West Bengal if the African country decides to go ahead and demand opening the international trade in rhino horns. 

Speaking at the first stock taking meeting of the World Bank-led Global Tiger Recovery Programme in Delhi, Keshav Varma, programme director of the Global Tiger Initiative, warned that South Africa, unable to contain poaching, was inclined towards opening the trade in rhino horns. International trade in rhino horns is banned under the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). 

Rhino horns, which are costlier than gold today, fetch upwards of $50,000 per kg in the international market and are used in traditional oriental medicine systems. 

Varma warned that if the South African proposal found support, the demand for horns from India could surge, leading to higher levels of poaching. 

India is home to about 2,500 one-horned rhinos with the armour-plated animal found only in Assam and West Bengal and one patch - Dudhwa National Park in Uttar Pradesh. While poaching at one time threatened the animal in these patches, it has not suffered the kind of pressure the South African rhino faces where more than 400 rhinos were poached for their horns last year. This year, Varma said, South Africa had been losing rhinos at the rate of almost four a day. 

Similar debates about opening up ivory trade in African nations had earlier led to heated negotiations at CITES with India wary that legalizing trade in the elephant tusks would lead to international and well-funded poaching networks getting active in Indian forests. With China farming tigers, the international conservation community has also been divided about satiating the demand for such exotic animal parts from farmed animals. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/South-African-demand-for-legal-trade-in-rhino-horns-leaves-India-jittery/articleshow/13157452.cms

Poacher trio named, hunt on

Ranchi, Feb. 28: Forest officials are on the trail of three accomplices who have been named by a villager held on Saturday with the skin of a leopard they had poached in the Palamau Tiger Reserve.

Amarka Singh, who was arrested while trying to strike a deal with smugglers at Satbarwa on the Jharkhand-Bihar border, has confessed that he was aided by his nephews Krishna and Chatur Singh and Rajeshwar Singh, also a relative.

“During interrogation, Amarka revealed that brothers Krishna and Chatur killed the leopard. Rajeshwar was in charge of identifying buyers while Amarka was the transporter,” said divisional forest officer (core) Premjit Anand.

The forest department is preparing a case against Amarka who has been sent to Latehar jail. “We will leave no stone unturned to prepare a strong case against him,” he said.

Amarka told officials they (the four) were involved in poaching animals, including deer and cheetal, in the reserve for years. “They recently killed a deer and were looking for buyers. However, Amarka told us he wasn’t aware of where the skin was. We are trying to trace it,” said the DFO.

The seized leopard skin was estimated to fetch more than Rs 5 lakh in the international market. The poachers trapped the animal before firing at it. 

“When you trap an aggressive wild animal like the leopard, there are chances of severe injuries. The skin that we recovered had the portion of a leg missing. It bore holes, which suggested that bullets had pierced the leopard’s body,” Anand said.

The nails of the leopard were also missing. Forest officials suspect the nails were also sold off along with some other body parts.

“Unlike the skin, nails aren’t priced high and buyers are easy to get. Nails are used in making accessories such as lockets and bracelets. These find takers, as many believe that evil spirits are kept at bay if one wears lockets made of tiger and leopard body parts,” the DFO explained.

All four involved in the poaching are from Phulwari village in Palamau. Officials are keeping a close watch on the village to trace the absconding trio.

As per norms, the leopard skin along with photographic evidence and the statement of Amarka have been sent to court. Once the court puts its stamp, the forest department will reclaim the skin from judicial custody and arrange for its disposal.

“According to government of India rules, wildlife trophies can no longer be kept in museums. They have to be burnt or destroyed to prevent their misuse or smuggling,” Anand clarified.

Free the dancing bears

Like Baloo, the character from The Jungle Book, bears feature as important characters in many of our favourite stories. But, have you seen the images of bears abused so that their owners can make a living out of it?

The horrible practice of dancing bears and the rescue and rehabilitation projects to check this was one of the issues discussed at a symposium held in the city recently attended by many animal welfare organisations in India. Dr. Arun Sha, veterinary officer at Wildlife SOS's Bannerghatta Bear Rescue Centre, in his presentation explaining the projects carried out by the organisation to prevent this practice, said that sloth bears were mainly poached for this purpose. Wildlife SOS with the support of the Government and other organisations had rescued 600 dancing bears. According to International Animal Rescue, the last dancing bear was saved in December 2009.

The practice of using dancing bears for entertainment in India dates back to the Mughal era when Kalandars were employed in courts. Though it was banned by law in 1972, studies found that as of 2002, there were more than 1,200 dancing bears all over the country. 

Sold as cubs

Bears were caught at a young age and trained to perform. The sale of sloth bear cubs was common even in the highways of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. They were poorly fed and suffered from many physical difficulties. The nocturnal animals were made to walk long distances in harsh daylight and made to live solitary lives.

According to Dr. Sha, the rescue and rehabilitation projects required a holistic approach involving rehabilitation of the Kalandar community who depended on tamed bears for a living. They received money for surrendering their bears and were given help to set up small businesses. In return, they were asked to sign a legally binding contract promising never to capture bears or torture them.

The bears at the rescue centres, after health check-up and treatment were gradually let to socialise with other bears in the centres. They take time to get used to their new world of freedom. If they were pronounced fit by veterinary doctors, they were released into a wider forest area.

http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/kids/article2907123.ece

Gangetic river dolphins on road to recovery?

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/gangetic-river-dolphins-on-road-to-recovery/articleshow/10696093.cms

PATNA: In great news for environmentalists and nature lovers, the population of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin has grown to 223 from about 175 last year at the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, India's only dolphin sanctuary, located in Bihar.

This was revealed in a census conducted recently by the Vikramshila Biodiversity Research and Education Centre (VBREC) of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU).

"It is a positive sign that the Gangetic dolphin's population is increasing," said Sunil Choudhary, coordinator of VBREC. The Gangetic river dolphin is India's national aquatic animal, but frequently falls prey to poachers. Their carcasses are found regularly on river banks.

Gangetic river dolphins are being killed at an alarming rate in Bihar. Wildlife officials say poachers kill them for their flesh and oil, which is used as an ointment and aphrodisiac.

There are only about 2,000 Gangetic river dolphins left in India, down from tens of thousands just a few decades ago. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), in the 1980s, there were around 3,500 dolphins in the Ganga delta region alone.

Choudhary said the experts conducted the census during Oct 22-24 at the Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary, which is spread over 50 km along the Ganges river in Bhagalpur district, about 200 km from here.

"Gangetic river dolphins have registered an increase of 27 percent in the past year. About 223 dolphins were counted by the experts during the latest census, compared to 175 dolphins spotted last year during the survey," Choudhary said.

VBREC had started the dolphin census in 1998. At that time, the population of the aquatic animal stood at just 95-98. Choudhary added that in February 2012, VBREC would conduct another survey on the riverbed to tally the census.

He said the increase in the number of dolphins indicated a balanced eco-system and that the breeding of the species has gone up. He said the increase in numbers was encouraging, but it was time to revaluate methods to conserve the species.

Set up in 1991, the sanctuary has reported frequent killings of the aquatic animal in the last one year. 

 
Gangetic river dolphins fall under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and have been declared an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

R.K. Sinha, an expert on Gangetic river dolphins and chairman of the working group for dolphin conservation set up by the central government, said poachers have been killing dolphins in the Ganga, particularly in Bhagalpur and Patna.

Early this year, the Bihar government has decided to set up a task force for conservation of the endangered species.

The Gangetic river dolphin is one of the four freshwater dolphin species in the world. The other three are found in the Yangtze river in China, the Indus river in Pakistan and the Amazon river in South America.

The Gangetic river species - found in India, Bangladesh and Nepal - is blind and finds its way and prey in the river waters through 'echoes'.
 

Leopard Skins, Bear Gall Bladder Seized in Uttarakhand

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=117571

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=117571

New Delhi, Sep 30 (IANS): Two leopard skins, the gall bladder of a Himalayan black bear and other animal derivatives were seized by authorities in Uttarakhand, an NGO said Friday.

Uttarakhand Police made the seizures Thursday with help from the NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).

In Dehradun, one leopard skin was seized and two people were arrested. Two more leopard skins, a gall bladder of a Himalayan black bear, the musk pod of a musk deer, and other items were seized in Sukhi Dhang. One person has been arrested in this case, the NGO said in a statement.

Leopard, musk deer and the Himalayan black bear are protected under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the country's highest protection given to wild animals.

A total of 136 cases of leopard poaching were reported in India this year, of which 51 cases were recorded in Uttarakhand. Last year, 180 cases were reported in the country.

Man held with animal parts worth crores

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Man-held-with-animal-parts-worth-crores/articleshow/9584932.cms

NEW DELHI: A south Delhi resident, the son of a former ambassador to Africa, was arrested on Friday for possessing various prohibited wildlife objects. The total value of the seized items that include ivory and a tiger head runs into several crores.

Police sources said they had received specific information about Dev Khurana (62), the accused, from NGO People For Animals. On Friday afternoon when they reached Khurana`s Sarvapriya Vihar home, they recovered four elephant tusks, each weighing about 20kg, several ivory trinkets, a tiger head trophy, a zebra hide, air guns and clubs. 

 

 Elephant killed by poachers

"Khurana claims to have collected the items while he was in Africa with his father. He doesn`t seem to be into smuggling and might have only been collecting these as a hobby," said a source.

"He also said that he is into exports and came to India to stay with his aged mother. Some of the items might have also been gifted to him, but none of the goods had been declared as per law," the source added.

PFA members,, Dr BL Pradhan, Pooja Mahajan and Rohit Kumar who went on the raid, said they also confiscated a laptop from his home that revealed pictures in which Khurana was shown hunting. "Khurana will be produced in court on Saturday. He can be sentenced to imprisonment for 3-7 years," said the source. 

After 50 tiger deaths, 3 poachers convicted

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=1 contentid=2011080720110807131257210a884b569

It is a first in Karnataka, the nation’s tiger capital. Prior to this, wildlife officials and police had only arrests to crow about. The 3-year sentence is paltry, but conservationists are happy as it is ‘a beginning’ all the same.

For a country which wants to slap a fine of Rs 1-crore on citizens who are cruel to their pet dogs, chickens and buffalos, poachers of India’s national animal — tiger — have been let off rather lightly. But the unthinkable happened last week: For the first time in Karnataka, the nation's tiger capital, three tiger poachers were convicted and sentenced to three years' imprisonment by the 9th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court in Bangalore. 

Prior to this, it was only arrests of wildlife poachers that made news as conviction eluded sleuths of the CID Forest Cell and other police personnel.

Nabbing the culpritsA team from Upparpet police station comprising inspector M R Mudavi, sub-inspectors S D Shashidhar and Sridhar K Poojar and some constables nabbed a three-member gang on August 17, 2008, in Gandhinagar. Acting on a tip-off, the police contingent arrested M David Kumar (29), Kodandapani (29) of Koramangala and P Venkataswamy (33) of Krishnagiri and seized two tiger pelts, tiger paws and a few pieces of tiger bones worth Rs 15 lakh. The booty was sourced from Chandapura, on the city outskirts. The three were booked under various provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

Upparpet police station inspector Lokeshwar, who took over as investigating officer in the case, said, "We provided enough documents to the court and are happy that the poachers have been convicted. This will teach other poachers a lesson."

Conservationists smilingThe rare conviction has put the smile back on the faces of conservationists. Sanjay Gubbi, member of the Karnataka State Wildlife Board, said: "The conviction is a welcome change on the conservation front. All these years, it was only reports of arrests which made news but culprits would eventually go scot-free. Even though the punishment is inadequate, I am happy that it has started happening."

Upparpet: Wildlife trade hubFor years, areas within Upparpet police station limits including Gandhinagar, Majestic, KG Road, Avenue Road and the infamous Tulasi Thota were the hub of wildlife trade in IT city.

In 2008 alone, 24 cases relating to the wildlife trade were registered including the trading of six tiger pelts, nine leopard pelts and one rhinoceros horn. The numbers kept increasing over the years.

The high number of cases gave the area the dubious distinction of entering the national wildlife crime database managed by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).

Poaching unabated every yearEven though the dwindling tiger population set off alarm bells and led to calls for stringent laws, poaching in various national parks and tiger reserves continues unabated. Last year, in Karnataka alone, the forest department recovered as many as six tiger pelts and arrested a couple of poachers. And 50 tigers have fallen prey to poachers in the last 30 years, says Sanjay.

It's only in the last couple of years that tiger deaths have been properly tracked in India after the setting up of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Till then, there were no efforts to keep track of the big cats' mortality rate even though their population was slowly being decimated.

Karnataka, with more than 390-400 big cats, has four tiger reserves including Bandipur, Nagarhole, Anshi-Dandeli and Bhadra Tiger reserves. Recently, the central government also notified Biligiri Ranga Temple Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve. Bandipur, Nagarhole and Dandeli were once the hub of poachers though such incidents have come down in the last one year due to the efforts of forest officials.

Poachers and their code wordsChamda: Pelt
Chamda dedo: Get me the pelts
Fancy item: Tiger pelt and tiger paws
Rose products: Leopard pelt and paws
Kutta chamda: Otter skin

Veerappan of the NorthOne of the first high-profile convictions for tiger poaching in India came in January 2003 when Sansar Chand was arrested on a train in Rajasthan while carrying pelts. Known as ‘Veerappan of the North,’ Sansar established a strong network in Karnataka and succeeded in poaching dozens of tigers. However, none of his men were convicted in any of the courts in the state.

Chand, who took to the illegal trade at age 16, has killed 250 tigers, 2,000 leopards, 5,000 otters, 20,000 wildcats and 20,000 wild foxes. It was Chand who turned the Sariska Tiger Reserve into a tiger-free zone.

His confession to the CBI revealed that in 2006 alone, he had sold 470 tiger and 130 leopard pelts to customers in Nepal and Tibet. With strong family support from mother Manuka Devi, wife Rani and son Akash, Chand decimated the population of tigers and other wildlife across the country.

He and his associate Yakub Chacha were grilled by the state forest cell sleuths in connection with the arrest of Karnataka’s notorious wildlife traders – Prabhakar Gajakosh from Hubli and Abdul Khader Chaudhury of Hyderabad. 

My take

Government of India enacted a comprehensive legislation "Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972" with the objective of effectively controlling poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. This has been amended recently (January, 2003) and punishment and penalty for offences under the Act have been made more stringent.

Offences pertaining to hunting of endangered species and altering of boundaries of protected areas

For offences relating to wild animals (or their parts and products) included in schedule-I or part II of Schedule- II and those relating to hunting or altering the boundaries of a sanctuary or national park the punishment and penalty have been enhanced, the minimum imprisonment prescribed is three years which may extend to seven years, with a minimum fine of Rs. 10,000/-. For a subsequent offence of this nature, the term of imprisonment shall not be less than three years but may extend to seven years with a minimum fine of Rs. 25,000. 

Also a new section (51 - A) has been inserted in the Act, making certain conditions applicable while granting bail: 'When any person accused of the commission of any offence relating to Schedule I or Part II of Schedule II or offences relating to hunting inside the boundaries of National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary or altering the boundaries of such parks and sanctuaries, is arrested under the provisions of the Act, then not withstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, no such person who had been previously convicted of an offence under this Act shall be released on bail unless -

(a) The Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity of opposing the release on bail; and

(b) Where the Public Prosecutor opposes the application, the Court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offences and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail".