Rhino rescued after 8 days ordeal

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Rhino-rescued-after-8-days-ordeal/articleshow/16714812.cms

GUWAHATI: After eight tense days, the female rhino that was stranded on a sand bar in the Brahmaputra, was rescued from Uparhali area, about 35km from here, on Sunday. The rhino had strayed out fromPobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and swept by the floodwaters to the Rani Chapori sand bar in the river. Uparhali, where the animal was found on Sunday, is about 10km from the sand bar.

A 17-member team comprising veterinarians, animal rescue experts and forest department officials tranquilized the rhino around 4.30pm on Sunday. The animal was put in a wooden crate that was loaded on a truck. The entire operation took more than three hours. Initially, an IAF chopper had been kept on standby at the city airport to airlift the rhino if necessary.

"It's been a successful operation. We are very happy that the rhino has been successfully darted. All credit goes to the rescue team, the frontline people and forest staff who were engaged in the rescue efforts from day one," forest minister Rockybul Hussain, who was present during the operation, said.

Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Suresh Chand said that the rhino will be taken to the Assam State Zoo here for treatment and necessary veterinary care before being released in the wild.

"We are taking the rhino to the zoo following the advice of senior veterinarian Dr K K Sharma as the animal has got injury marks and is aged. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi has also instructed us to follow veterinarians' advice. We will release the rhino only after the necessary treatment is over at the zoo," Hussain said.

"Besides having injury marks and being old, the animal is also stressed out. So, we have to wait till the health of the animal improves," Sharma said. Last Sunday, the rhino had landed at Rani Chapori after being swept for about 15km by the strong current of the river. Initially, the rescue operation could not be carried out because of the inclement weather. The rhino was also in bad health at that time.

This Sunday, the rhino was found at Uparhali area, about 10km from Rani Chapori. The area where the rhino was spotted was surrounded by human settlements. With improvement in the weather condition, the rescue team decided to carry out the operation on Sunday.

"We have been constantly monitoring the health and movements of the rhino. All the while the animal was at Rani Chapori, the weather condition did not allow us to carry out the rescue operation. Since the weather improved on Sunday, we went ahead with the task," one of the rescue team members said.

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.

Wildlife activists want more teeth for animal enforcement law

http://dailypioneer.com/nation/87569-wildlife-activists-want-more-teeth-for-animal-enforcement-law-.html

The two separate cases of killing and torture of birds in Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu respectively have shocked both wildlife experts and animal welfare activists.

In Uttarakhand, 250 egret chicks were killed when school authorities brought down an old tree with their nests. And in Tamil Nadu, more than 7,000 emus starved in Perundurai-based Susi Emu Farms when suppliers stopped providing them food.

Following these tragic events, demands have surfaced for enforcement of Preservation of Tree Act (Urban) (Rural) to prevent the random felling of large old trees that are breeding and nesting sites of birds. Wildlife experts and animal welfare activists have also called for the enactment of Animal Welfare Legislation Amendment Bill 2011, pending in the Environment Ministry.

According to wildlife expert Kishore Rithe and member of Standing Committee, National Board for Wildlife, the incident involving the killing of egret chicks by felling an old tree in a school violates both Wildlife Protection Act and the  Preservation of Tree Act (Urban) (Rural). The school authorities should have sought permission from the concerned Government agency, he said.

The felling of large trees is especially worrisome because June to August is breeding season for storks, egrets, herons etc in north India. During this period such birds flock for nesting. In south India, the breeding period for these birds is between November and March.

“Certain trees or locations specifically selected by these birds for specific reasons because of which they come there again and again,” pointed out ornithologist Dr Asad Rahmani who is also director of Bombay Natural History Society.

“It could have been a lesson on conservation by the school to its students,” said Rahmani. He added that the school authorities should have at least certainly waited for the season to be over instead of felling the tree so arbitrarily. They should have put some nets for the dropping chicks, instead of just letting them fall from the tree and die, he said.

Anjali Sharma, executive committee member, Animal Welfare Board of India and who is also an animal welfare activist and lawyer, regretted that there are not enough regulations for animal welfare. Also, the penalties attached to the existing regulations are meagre. Emu farms in Tamil Nadu, Haryana among others attract huge investments as almost every part of their body has high commercial value and they are prolific breeders.

“But the manner in which they were left to starve by the owners reaching the point that the birds were attacking each other for food is horrendous,” she said.

It calls for immediate strengthening of legal provisions in animal protection. The Animal Welfare Act 1960 is archaic and the new animal welfare bill is pending in the Environment Ministry since the past one year, she added.

“Such an act is violation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act and the licence owners should be booked under this law,” pointed out Rithe.

Soon, wireless device to alert trains about jumbos

  

Deaths So Far
According to the Elephant Task Force report, dated August 31, 2010, 150 elephants have been killed in train collisions since 1987

Pune: To prevent incidents of elephants getting hit by trains, the ministry of railways and the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) will join hands to carry out a project wherein the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, will develop a wireless sensor device. 

The device – wild animal protection system – will detect the presence of elephants on railway tracks and activate a signal system that would alert the station master to warn trains to slow down or stop. 

The information given as response to an RTI inquiry (dated June 1), sought by international NGO Animal Equality, states that the wireless sensor device will be ready for trial in 2016. 

Amruta Ubale, a Punebased member of Animal Equality, said, following the unfortunate accidents that killed many elephants and the absence of effective measures to prevent them, Animal Equality wrote to the environment and forests minister urging them to consider the suggestions, including installation of radar sensors on the train to detect animal presence (mobile and immobile) on the tracks. 

Last year, at a meeting between the railway minister and the MoEF, the use of technological gadgets, which will be a cost-effective mechanism in the long run, was emphasized. It was also decided to entrust IIT Delhi with the task of developing the device and to run the pilot project preferably in the forest areas of north West Bengal, said Ubale. 

“Our letter with suggestions was forwarded by the MoEF to the ministry of railways in 2010. Sensor devices are used by international car companies and also on some trains and ships. The devices have proved useful in avoiding collisions,” said Ubale.

 “The state forest department and animal welfare organizations jointly intervened in some states and implemented measures, such as patrolling, electric fencing, installation of signs and hoardings, levelling of steep embankments, creating awareness among engine drivers and railway staff and clearing vegetation at blind corners for better visibility. These appear to have been successful to some extent. However, much needed to be done as trains continue to kill elephants. 

“These measures combined with the sensor device shall hopefully prove successful in mitigating elephant deaths,’’ Ubale added. 

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIPU&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW

Early Rly warning system being developed

GUWAHATI, June 16 – Innovative technology will now be used to save an ancient species of the country. An early warning signal is being developed to monitor the movement of elephants on railway tracks where a number of those have been crushed by speeding trains.

According to the report of the Elephant Task Force dated August 31, 2010, 150 animals have been killed in train collisions since 1987. Assam is on the top of jumbo casualties due to train-hits since 1987, which amounts to 36 per cent of total casualties. A stretch near Deepor Beel, and a few other areas have proved to be particularly dangerous for the pachyderms.

The Ministries of Railways and Environment and Forests will undertake the project which will use a wireless sensor device developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi. Called ‘The Wild Animal Protection System,’ it works by detecting the presence of elephants on the railway track and by triggering a signal to the station master to warn trains to slow down or stop. 

The initiative has been promoted by Animal Equality, an animal rights organisation. Concerned by the accidents and the inability of the authorities to implement effective measures, Animal Equality had sent a communiqué to the Minister of Environment and Forests and Minister of Railways urging them to ‘consider suggestions.’

The suggestions included installation of radar sensors on the train that will detect animals in front of the train and on tracks. In addition it could have an auto-brake function which can be utilised to avoid collision, a press note stated.

“We are thankful to the Ministries of Railways and Environment and Forests for considering the suggestions sent by us. Sensor devices are used by international car companies and it is also used in some trains and ships… the pilot project of the sensor device is expected to be developed by 2015 and will be ready for testing in 2016,” said Amruta Ubale of Animal Equality.

The State Forest Department and animal welfare organisations have intervened in some states and taken measures such as patrolling, electric fencing, installation of signs and hoardings, creating awareness among train drivers, clearing vegetation at blind corners to improve visibility of loco pilots. These appear to have been successful to some extent.

Much, however, needs to be done as trains continue to kill and maim elephants. Now existing measures combined with the Wild Animal Protection System sensor device can prove successful in mitigating elephant deaths.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jun1712/at094

Gir Sanctuary authorities construct water ponds for animals

Veraval: Authorities in the Sasan Gir National Park in Gujarat, which houses the largest number of Asiatic Lions, have constructed artificial water ponds for animals, as they often stray out towards human habitation in search of water to seek relief from the intense heat. 

With the mercury soaring each passing day and natural water sources drying up, the forest authorities have constructed water ponds, which are filled periodically by tractor-driven tankers for the animals to quench their thirst. Babra Range Forest Officer R D Vansh said the ponds are filled with water twice a day. 

"The babra vidi falls under the Veraval range of the Junagadh district of Gujarat Forest Department. Total 14 lions are present in the babra vidi, out of which three are females, three are males and eight are cubs. Other then these 50-60 are spotted deer and 108 are blue bull. The forest department has constructed three artificial ponds for these animals, which are filled with water twice in a day," said Vansh. 

However, such instances of wild animals entering into human populated regions are quite common because of human encroachments on animal habitats, which restrict their movement leading to man-animal conflict. 

Established in 1965, the Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is the sole home of the majestic Asiatic Lions. 

Covering a total area of 1412 kilometres, about 258 kilometres for the fully protected area (the National Park) and 1153 kilometres for the Sanctuary, the area is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. 

Seven rivers that pass through Gir namely Hiran, Saraswati, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri, Ghodavadi, and Raval have started drying up. 

Less than 250 watering points are presently available for lions, leopards, ungulates, including spotted deer, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, antelope, and wild boar. Besides, Gir harbours around thousand species of birds and 26 species of reptiles. 

24 jumbo deaths in dry spell

Bangalore, May 28: The Karnataka forest department is grappling with dehydration-related deaths of wild elephants in a reserve forest teeming with pachyderms.The situation is such that 24 elephants have died between January and May this year in the Nagarhole forest, around 230km south of Bangalore.

The post-mortem on the carcasses indicated they died of dehydration-related problems. Only 13 deaths, mostly because of old age, were recorded during the same period in 2011.“Our animal health experts have found that many of these elephants died because of stomach infections after drinking contaminated water,” said chief conservator of forests Ajai Mishra. With the water holes drying up, wild animals, including elephants, drink whatever they find.

The official explanation is that the watering holes dried up for lack of summer rain, which the state usually gets aplenty. But this year’s excessive heat — when even the “salubrious” Bangalore sizzled at nearly 40 degrees Celsius — has only added to the woes of man and animal alike. The state is criticised every year for “poor handling” of water supplies to the people, especially in northern Karnataka where the shortage is acute. But wild animals, entirely dependent on water holes, are left with no alternative but wait for the monsoon.

A recent three-day census of the elephant population in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Maharashtra could throw up more details on the numbers, but the death of so many pachyderms in such a short span of time has left the officials worried.An elephant census conducted five years ago had put the all-India number at 27,694. Of this, Karnataka had the most number of elephants, around 5,900. The entire Nilgiri biosphere reserve of nearly 14,000sqkm, which stretches into neighbouring Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is home to nearly 8,000 elephants.

The Nilgiri reserve includes the 640sqkm Nagarhole forest.

However, Ajay Desai, a wildlife expert and former member of a task force on elephants, said there could be other reasons for the deaths. “Elephants, like humans, die of old age and diseases. So we need to keep that in mind. But this year has been extremely bad for wildlife and lack of rain is just one the issues,” Desai told The Telegraph. The severe drought has also affected the regeneration of foliage that elephants feed on.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120529/jsp/nation/story_15544957.jsp#.T8S347CO3Ow

Many ignorant about wildlife trophies

A 55-year-old housewife was recently arrested by the Haveli police for possessing horns of a bison without obtaining a licence. The incident has brought to light, the issue of registering wildlife trophies all over again. Forest department officials say no new wildlife trophies have been registered since 2005 and blame ignorance of people for it. 

Anita Ramchandra Raskar, a resident of Dhayari, was arrested by Haveli police on Wednesday for alleged involvement in possessing horns of a bison. Raskar was using the bison horns to decorate her house. 

The police say Anita, in her statement, told them that she bought the bison horns for Rs550 during a trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. They say they took action against Anita after a tip-off. The action was taken because Anita had not registered the wildlife trophy with the authorities. 

However, Anita may not be the only one failing to register the wildlife trophies with forest department. There could be many like her in Pune. 

According to the deputy conservator of forest (wildlife) RS Kadam, “Registration of wildlife trophies is not happening any more. The registrations were being made only till 2005.’’ 

Kadam says, “Different situations involving wildlife trophies can attract different actions. There are many cases where the reason of non-registry of such items is genuine or just plain ignorance.’’ 

The possession of items related to animals listed in from schedule I and II of the Wildlife Protection Act are treated equal to the crime of poaching.

“We confiscate the trophies and punish the people as per the law, but in the recent past, there has been neither such registry nor any action was taken against anyone,” adds Kadam. 

In Raskar’s case, the trophy in question was a pair of bison horns in her house. The Gaur or Indian bison (Bos gaurus) is a scheduled animal figuring in List 1 of mammals in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Animal deaths catches Forest Officers off-guard

COIMBATORE: The fauna-rich Sathyamangalam forest has witnessed two casualties in the last one week. Two Schedule-1 animals — a 30-year-old female wild elephant and an Indian Guar — were killed on Hasanur-Mysore National Highway 209 after being hit by speeding vehicles.

The elephant was mowed down by a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus, bound for Mysore from Coimbatore. The elephant was hit when crossing the road. Earlier in an accident on January 21, an Indian Gaur died after it was hit by a speeding jeep on the Hasanur-Thalavadi route in the same region.

Environmentalists say these are not isolated cases in the Sathyamangalam forest in Erode. Once the den of forest brigand Veerappan, the place is now a habitat for gaurs and elephants.

“Around two months ago, a leopard was killed in an accident. Recently, at least four mammals were also killed. This could signal a dangerous trend, as there are plans to convert Sathyamangalam forest into a tiger reserve,” a wildlife activist said. 

As per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, any incidents involving Schedule-1 animals should be booked by the Forest Department and the offender should be remanded in custody. No private justice is permitted by the officials. Spot fines are also not permitted by law. However, according to sources, cases have not been booked for both the above-mentioned incidents.“This violates the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” said a wildlife conservationist on condition of anonymity.

Wildlife activist N Lakshminarayanan of Wildlife Conservation Society says, “The incidents reinstate the urgent need to install speed controllers on this highway. The National Highways Authority of India cannot continue being apathetic of such gruesome deaths on the road, threatening the very existence of wildlife of the region. Since most of such incidents take place during the night, it is imperative to stop traffic at least for few hours during the night.”

However, when contacted, Sathyamangalam District Forest Officer N Satheesh said: “Both the cases do not violate the Wildlife Protection Act. In the case of the gaur’s death, the animal had rammed into the Bolero. It is unfortunate. Even the bus that hit the elephant was being driven within the permissible speed limit. The animal was hidden from the visibility behind bamboo shoots.”

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/animal-deaths-catches-forest-officers-offguard/225434-60-118.html

‘Keeping birds as pets is abominable, punishable’

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad's Murgi Chowk is India's largest illegal wildlife market that stocks over 20,000 birds and animals at any given time. Name a bird, the 140-odd shopkeepers on this street, nestled few metres away from the historic Charminar, make it available in a matter of few hours. Mahesh Agarwal, an animal activist, who has been crusading against cruelty to animals for nearly a decade says that so far neither the state government, police nor the forest department have initiated any action against the shopkeepers despite being aware that wild birds and animals are being sold openly here.

Agarwal who is the general secretary of Sahayog Organisation says that birds and animals from various parts of the world are caged in unhygienic conditions in the market. Reeling out names such as the wild hare, sparrows, macaws, civet cats, monitor lizards, owls, hard shell tortoises and snakes among a host of others that the traders sell here, the activist says that birds are sold in bags much like grocery, when as per the Wildlife Protection Act, one cannot even touch them. Having observed the decades-old market closely, he reveals that wild birds are supplied from this market all over AP and also from neighbouring states. One-and-a-half month ago, 200 parrots were transported to Bhongir (Nalgonda district) from here, he adds.

He says that by choosing parrots as pets, people are committing a punishable offence under the Act. It warrants a three-month imprisonment, fine of Rs 25,000 or both. Agarwal, who fought with the city police in his bid to supply grains to the hungry pigeons at the Mecca Masjid when a curfew was imposed after communal clashes in March 2010, insists that India has some of the best animal protection laws in the world. The main reason for the persisting cruelty according to him is lack of awareness and non-implementation of the laws that are already in place.

Pointing out the non-local kabutar among the thousands settled on the minarets of the Mecca Masjid, he maintains that the centuries-old mosque happens to be the only place in the city where pigeons can be found in such numbers. However, he adds that compared to about five years ago, the numbers have dwindled to half. "There are 35,000-40,000 pigeons in the mosque now. Around 8 sacks of grains are their daily feed brought by people from all communities," says Agarwal attributing the massive decline in the numbers to cell phone towers and the kite festival.

Agarwal's organisation has rescued 1,000 snakes in the last six years alone, a chunk of them during Nag Panchami. He himself has suffered snake bites four times during the rescue. "This is a religious belt and it is considered auspicious to feed milk to the snake on Nag Panchami," he says, adding how thousands of reptiles go through a horrifying period during this time. They are defanged, their poison glands are removed and their mouths stitched from the sides by the mafia that captures the reptiles about a month ahead of the festival. 

After the festival, they are killed as their skin fetches money. Furthermore, every gram of venom is sold for a whopping Rs 20,000. This way, the snake population has reduced drastically over the years. "Due to this, the rat menace is not under control. Animals are becoming easy prey for human greed. They are soft targets for any one trying to make a quick buck. People need to be aware of the place of animals in our lives and the need to give them due respect," he says. If the state government takes some stringent measures, these casualties can be reduced, he signs off.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-27/hyderabad/30670200_1_animal-activist-nag-panchami-birds

Wildlife loses in vote-bank politics

In election bound Uttarakand, wild-lifers managed to catch a rogue elephant alive on Saturday morning even as hundreds of locals demanded that the tusker be killed for attacking them.

The state government, once again, had sided with humans and ordered killing of the animal. Hundreds of locals, whose crops had been destroyed, had been agitating seeking a death warrant for the animal.

But, some enthusiastic wild-lifers from Wildlife Trust of India and Wildlife Institute of India convinced the forest department officials, who were under pressure from their political bosses that the animal should be given a chance to live.

Their fifteen day effort in the hills of Rishikesh bore result when they managed to traunqualise the animal and catch him alive. He is being released in Chilla forest range. The elephant was fortunate to survive but many other elephant and tigers in India in recent past have fallen victim to this vote-bank politics. Humans get priority over wildlife even though they may have encroached on the animal’s land, just because they have power of franchise.

In the last couple of years over a dozen elephants and tigers have died just for coming in the path of human beings. In Corbett National Park in 2010, a tiger was declared a man-eater and shot down near Sunderkhal village. His fault was attacking human beings, which he found on his traditional route to a water-body. Tigers for centuries have been using the narrow corridor on two sides of river Kosi to move from one forest range to another.

The last 30 years has witnessed its devastation with Sunderkhal settlement and a large number of hotels and resorted blocking the corridor. The tiger was just walking down the corridor genetically embedded in his memory but got scared and unusual creature (human being) on his path. Scared, he attacked him and killed the weaker animal.

Humans had to retaliate and got support from local political leaders and forest department for the same. Hundreds of officials and villagers searched the tiger on elephants and cornered him down one evening. Bullets were showered from all sides, leaving the tiger mutilated. And, there was joyful with triumph.

In similar circumstances another tiger was gunned down in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, on demand of locals. Same story was also repeated in Maharashtra some years ago.

Of these states, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh are going to polls.

Will someone ask questions from those in fray on behalf of tigers and elephants, who are voice-less in electoral politics. Or, the leaders will again promise to throw wildlife out of their land for sake of getting votes.

Katraj zoo to pair up endangered species

PUNE: An ex-situ centre to breed species of animals facing extinction will come up in a few months at the Rajiv Gandhi zoological park in Katraj. Animals like the rusty-spotted cat, jungle cat, mouse deer, king cobra and the Indian giant squirrel will be bred here.

Zoo director Kumar Jadhav told TOI that an 'off-site conservation' breeding centre for endangered animals outside their natural habitat will come up. Animals will be procured from other zoos, but they will not be put up as exhibits.

"The idea behind the conservation breeding is to increase their population. At present, these animals are dwindling. We have the expertise to take up such a project," he said.

VB Sawarkar, former director of Wildlife Institute of India, said that conservation breeding is carried out when there is concern about the status of the population of a species in the wild. "In case of a drastic decline in the population or the habitat is lost, conservation breeding is taken up to save the animal species from extinction. It is carried out to restore the population. Animals are bred in captive condition and later released in the wild," he said.

There have been such experiments elsewhere in India. Pygmy hog, a small species of wild pig in India, which inhabited Nepal, Bhutan and India, is now only found in Assam. Human encroachment has largely destroyed the natural habitat of the pygmy hog. Development, agriculture, domestic grazing and deliberate fires have robbed them of habitat.

They were bred in Guwahati zoo. Two males and four females comprised the founder species with which the captive breeding started in 1996. In 2004, the authorities successfully bred 70 animals, which were rehabilitated in the wild.

Another example is of Pere David's deer that was extinct from native China. It was captive bred in European zoos.

However, captive breeding needs certain conditions. The psychological condition and sex ratio of the animals should be looked into before conservation breeding is taken up.

Experts said it is not just about keeping animals in pairs and breeding them. They need behavioural environment and population parameters must be studied. For example, there are animal species that should have more female population compared to male for successful breeding.

"In many cases, after successful breeding, the animals are either left in sanctuaries or released into the wild when there is a natural habitat to support them or the threat to the species has lessened," Sawarkar said.

The giant Indian squirrel found in Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary is now seen in scattered population. The mouse deer in Maharashtra is difficult to spot and there is a decline in population of the jungle cat and rusty-spotted cat.

Permission from the Central Zoo Authority and trained biologists are needed for conservation breeding, BC Choudhari, scientist, Wildlife Institute of India said.

Nandankanan zoological park in Orissa was the first in the country to have a captive breeding centre of endangered species. It has undertaken a reintroduction programme for species like the gharial, mugger, blackbuck and spotted deer.

Forest dept team on ‘jumbo junket’ to Kenya

Official who had been on an earlier trip says wildlife management practices vary in India, Africa

The State Forest Department has sent seven of its officers to attend a course on ‘Man animal conflict and wildlife management practices’ in Kenya, despite the opinion of B K Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), that the management practices adopted in Africa were different from those in India.

The 11-day trip, from December 14 to 25, has got the clearance from the Union Ministries of Finance, External Affairs and Environment and forest. The department is spending Rs 2.13 lakh on each officer attending the course. 

Singh - who had visited Krugar National Park in South Africa and Masaimara and Amboseli National Parks in Kenya between November 22 and 27 - has submitted a report to the government stating that the circumstances in Africa are different from those in India.

“Our circumstances generally do not tally with the facts and circumstances of conflict management in maintenance of barriers and eco-tourism there,” he states in the report.

As per Singh’s observations, at Masaimara Park in Kenya, the park management kills animals straying out as the provision of killing elephants minimises conflict.  Singh also cites the instance of a translocation experiment carried out in Kenya. Of the 60 elephants at Norak Town Elephant Park translocated to Masaimara Park three months ago, one has returned to its original habitat, while two female elephants moved into human dominated areas and were shot dead by police. Though 57 of them are still in the translocated area, more time is required to come to any conclusion, he states. Singh says elephants there are ‘hardly aggressive’ compared to Asian elephants. 

Human-animal conflict is less in Krugar National Park, compared to our country. Krugar does not have any human habitation. Thus, the conflict with humans is only on the fringes of the park.

Community participation

In his recommendation, he states community participation is the need of the hour.“The Masai tribes in the vicinity of the park coexist with elephants, and there are hardly any instances of conflict. We need to learn lessons from the community participation in Kenya. Tribals and forest dwellers should learn to coexist with wild animals, especially elephants, as Masai tribes have learnt to live with African elephants.” 

When contacted by this reporter, Singh said his trip to Kenya and South Africa had been with the Jungle Lodges and Resorts Limited, and that the main focus of the trip was to study the eco-tourism sector in Africa.

“The process to send the officials to Kenya began two months ago. It is only incidental that my report was submitted before they left. Also, I had only visited two national parks, while these officials will visit five parks,” he said. 

Singh said: “Yes, I do feel that we have few lessons to learn from the wildlife management practices adopted in Kenya. However, I have also highlighted the aspect of community participation adopted in that country, which has proved to be a good measure.” 

Officers who have been sent on the trip are: Ajay Mishra, CCF, Project Elephant, Mysore; H P Prakash, CCF (CAMPA), Bangalore; Vijay Ranjan Singh, DCF, Wildlife division, Hunsur; K T Hanumantappa, DCF, Bandipur; Vinay R Naik, ACF, Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore; S R Prasanna Kumar, ACF and Technical Assistant to the office of PCCF (wildlife), Bangalore; K T Boraiah, RFO, Kollegal Wildlife Range. M S Chinappa, RFO, Periyapatna range, Hunsur division could not make it due to technical glitches.

The department has utilised the slots available under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project of Karnataka. Once the officials return, the total expenses incurred will be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance, which will reimburse the department under the JICA project. After completion of the foreign visit, the officers should submit a report within two weeks.

Army jawans found cooking chinkara meat in Barmer army camp

In a shocking incident, at least five army jawans participating in the ongoing Sudarshan Shakti exercise on the India-Pak border hunted three endangered chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in the Nimbla Sajitala area of Barmer's Sheo tehsil on Friday.

"After being informed by the villagers, officials from the state forest department rushed to the camp and recovered the severed heads of the gazelles besides uncooked meat," P.R. Bhadu, territorial district forest officer (DFO) of Barmer, said.

The five army jawans have been identified as subedar Gopilal, hawaldar D.R. Nath, nayak N. Sarkar, lance nayak P.R. Pardesi and sipahi D.R. Naidu. Bhadu said the jawans fled the camp when the forest officials raided it.

They also left behind the army vehicle that was used in the hunting. The vehicle, which had bloodstains on it, was seized and released only after an examination by the forensic experts.

Defence spokesperson S.D. Goswami said a court of inquiry was ordered to investigate into the matter. He said if the accused were found guilty, they would be dealt with sternly.

Calling it a very serious offense, Bhadu said the recovery of the hunted chinkara- that too in a "langar" (kitchen) of the army camp - was unprecedented. The meat was being cooked when the forest department officials raided the place.

The accused have been booked under sections 9 to 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides for a maximum punishment of seven years, including financial penalty.

Hunting of chinkara is banned under Schedule I of the Act. The law also prohibits hunting of blackbuck, cheetah, elephant, rhinoceros, snow leopard, tiger, lion and several other wild animals.

Member of the state committee for wildlife and environment Rajpal Singh pointed out that the locals had been complaining for long that the army officers were frequently hunting the endangered species but no action could be taken for want of evidence. "But now with the undisputed evidence available, the complaints had been proved correct," he said, adding that the senior officers of the army should look into the matter and ensure that such incidents did not occur in future.

This is not the first time that the hunting of an endangered species has created a controversy. The late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi had to face court proceedings after he killed a blackbuck in 2005 and then absconded as a fugitive. In another case in 1998, Bollywood actor Salman Khan was booked when he killed two blackbucks in Bhawad near Jodhpur.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indian-army-chinkaras-salman-khan/1/161633.html

Wildlife experts stress on need for green structures .

Eco-engineering and wildlife experts have stressed on the need for green structures and preventing habitat loss to allow wild animals, especially elephants to travel through wildlife corridors. This is vital to mitigate the damage caused to wildlife and environment by habitat fragmentation and also to lessen the rising human-wildlife conflict in the Terai region of Uttarakhand.

These views emerged at the international conference on eco engineering for connecting wildlife corridors organised in Dehradun on Sunday by Tiger Protection Group and Wildlife Savers Society in association with Uttarakhand forest department.

Speaking as the chief guest of the event, the Vidhan Sabha Speaker Harbans Kapur said that the growing conflict between humans and elephants in the State is a cause for serious concern. Expressing hope that the conference would come up with important recommendations for addressing this problem, he said that the State Government would follow these recommendations while stressing that the State and Central Governments need to work together with all stakeholders to resolve this issue.

Professor and Chair of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Raman Sukumar said, “About 400 people die annually in India due to human-animal conflict. Habitat fragmentation and degradation is a major cause of this conflict which can be mitigated by enabling unrestricted movement of elephants and other wild animals in wildlife corridors. However, various factors like the bio diversity of forest areas linked by a corridor and the size of the area have to be considered while taking measures for consolidating such corridors.”

Planters body raises concern over growing animal attacks

KOCHI, DEC. 5: 

The United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) has expressed its concern over the increasing attacks on humans by wild animals, especially in the Anamallais, Nilgiris and other plantation districts of Tamil Nadu. These hilly areas are largely covered by tea and coffee plantations over which thousands of workers and other inhabitants depend for survival. Besides posing danger to human life, the wild animals also often destroy crops.

It is evident from plantation experience that elephants largely target store rooms, residential buildings including plantation bungalows where they are able to salvage food. The geographically isolated location of plantations is posing greater threat to man and crops and UPASI said that the Government should bestow special attention to plantations.

From the plantations side the managements have taken several measures including awareness campaigns for protecting the workers and their families. However since the Government possesses and exercises overriding powers in matters relating to wild life protection, effective measures would largely depend on state intervention, UPASI observed.

The industry has come forward and welcomed the recent announcement of the Tamil Nadu government proposing to fund specific measures for minimising the effects of man-animal conflicts. UPASI requested that the industry be consulted and represented in discussions before declaring new corridors for the movement of wild animals, especially since the matter involves livelihood issues of large populations in hilly areas.