Officials wake up to jumbo plight

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/Officials-wake-up-to-jumbo-plight/articleshow/15370132.cms

KOTTAYAM: In the wake of spurt in atrocities committed against the elephants, the District Animal Husbandry department here has issued strict orders about following the rules regarding management of captive elephants.

These rules have to be followed by elephant owners, mahouts and public as well, said Dr Gopalakrishnan Nair, district animal husbandry officer. Atrocities against elephants should be brought to the attention of the department at the earliest, he said.

Forest, police, revenue and veterinary officials should be informed about using elephants for various functions. If more than three elephants are used, the service of the elephant squad should be sought.

Regarding the food for the elephants used in such functions, he said food with high water content and plenty of drinking water should be provided daily. Elephants showing symptoms of musth should not be used for festivals or put to any other work.

The name of the elephant and its owner should be displayed on a board and well trained mahouts(minimum two) should accompany these elephants. Mahouts should not consume alcohol while taking the elephant for a function or to work.

He also strictly banned using the services of the elephant for any function from 11am-3pm. During functions or festivals, when the elephants are used, a distance of 1.5 meters should be maintained on the sides and 4 meters in the front and back sides between elephants. No fireworks should be there within a radius of 50 meters.

Elephants should not be used for work or functions more than eight hours a day. They should be transported in vehicles strictly following the rules only. Necessary arrangements should be made for the elephant to take rest.

Those elephants brought from other district should have the certificate of the forest department. The elephant owners and mahouts should strictly follow the Kerala captive elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2003, he said.

No more animal slaughter in unhygienic conditions: CM

http://zeenews.india.com/news/goa/no-more-animal-slaughter-in-unhygienic-conditions-cm_792029.html

Panaji: Goa Chief minister Manohar Parrikar today assured crackdown on illegal slaughter houses in the state, which are run in unhygienic conditions and also vowed to protect animal rights. 

Parrikar said the state government will work out a mechanism to ensure that there is no cruelty to animals, which are taken up for butchering. "We cannot stop slaughtering because there is a demand for meat. This is a very sensitive topic," he said. 

The chief minister, however, said that the state government will discourage the practice of butchering animals anywhere in the state in unhygienic conditions.

He said that the slaughter houses run by the state government too were in dismal state. The issue was raised on the floor of the House by BJP legislator Vishnu Surya Wagh, who demanded to stop cruelty animals. 

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

Health-conscious? Go the vegan way

 

Monika Vegan Siriya. Yes, that’s what her middle name is. The 29-year-old social activist and animal lover embraced veganism two years ago. Her husband, Chintan Vegan Siriya, is a vegan. Why, even their dogs are. After Mike Tyson, Pamela Anderson and Bill Clinton endorsed veganism, Indians, especially the youth, appear to be slowly warming up to this food culture that does not use animal products, including milk. 

There are several vegan communities in the country, where members get together to create awareness about the concept. They also have regular pot-luck parties where members bond over food and share new recipes such as a coffee and chocolate cake with cashew milk or cheese made out of sesame milk, a healthy substitute for many. 

“There is a non-dairy substitute for each and every dish. For example, we use 12 different types of milk substitutes made from cashew, almond, soy, coconut and sesame, to name a few,” said Ms Siriya. 

With more and more people in India embracing the vegan philosophy, companies such as Godrej, Rich Gravis, Organic Haus and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) have come out with products that directly or indirectly cater to this extreme form of vegetarianism. Godrej Nature’s basket currently has two vegan brands and is expanding its portfolio. Godrej Hershey has a soy-based beverage called Sofit for vegans and also people who are allergic to cattle milk. Similarly, HUL has a soy-based range under its Kissan brand.

Mock meat

A new ‘meat’ is also available at the vegan counter — pepper salami, mock fish and sausages. These are not animal meat but ‘mock meats’ made specifically for vegans. 

“The vegan market is still niche, but a growing category in India. We, however, would soon be augmenting the range with 15 new products of mock meats or soy-based products by end-August,” said Mr Sreejith Mohan, category head of Nature’s Basket, the premium grocery store of the Godrej group. He further said there is a huge potential for such mock meats as they can be consumed by vegetarians too. 

Organic Haus is another retail chain that caters to vegan diets that includes a range of gluten-free pasta sauces and salad dressings. “We are also looking at importing almond and oat milk as there is a lot of demand for the same,” says Mr Swapan Bharma, COO, Organic Haus, with outlets in Mumbai and Ahmedabad. 

Quoting a Hindu-CNN IBN survey, Mr Mohan said that 31 per cent of Indians are vegetarian. Vegans would be a very small part of that and are present in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Chennai and Bangalore. According to Mr Siriya, about 17,000 people have embraced this ‘philosophy’ in India. 

Not just corporate, several airlines such as Air France, Emirates and Gulf Air are also offering ‘vegetarian non-diary meals’. 

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article3708062.ece?ref=wl_industry-and-economy

Trichy corporation mulls ban on animal-rearing

TRICHY: The Tiruchirappalli corporation's latest craze is to catch stray cows that, in the absence of tender shoots in the county, poke their noses into corporation dust bins. This menace not only hinders traffic, but spreads health hazards, the corporation was told at an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

Corporation commissioner V P Dhandapani told the council that he had ordered a survey of stray cows in infested areas and if possible, to effect a complete ban them on them within city limits. While a member, M Mohammed Musafa, wanted the corporation to punish even those who habitually fed stray cows because it was they who encouraged health hazards, the commissioner assured the house that he was in favour of banning all domestic animals within the corporation limits and appealed to members in the House to cooperate with him. Mustafa also told the council that it was a practice with some people to feed cows with Chappati packed with jaggery.

The corporation has always been on the back foot when it came to fighting the menace of stray animals, particularly cows. In September last year, the corporation, in an attempt to fix responsibility on owners of cattle, fined them Rs 500 for letting loose their cattle on road. Special teams comprising corporation's veterinary doctors, sanitary inspectors, fire brigade personnel, forest officials, local police sub-inspectors and members of NGOs started a drive to clean the city streets of stray bovines but the effort was shortlived.

Today, the commissioner said he was contemplating auctioning stray animals after capturing them. He said a total ban on rearing any domestic animals, pets or otherwise, within the corporation limits was very much feasible with the cooperation of the members of the House. "If you are ready to cooperate, I will implement the government order, which is very supportive," he told the council.

A corporation official who did not want to be named said it all started with the act of feeding cows with Agathi Keerai, a leafy backyard vegetable, in order to seek "divine favours". The religious practice is slowly catching up with Trichiites, and hence herds of cows are unleashed by their owners onto the streets. The most affected areas are century-old Gandhi Market vicinity and places like Srirangam, K K Nagar, and Puthoor Junction Road. Earlier, the corporation's effort to enact a bylaw in 2006 to contain this problem through a specific legislation could not come to fruition.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Trichy-corporation-mulls-ban-on-animal-rearing/articleshow/15301094.cms