'Animal is always loser in man-animal conflict'

KANPUR: The ever-increasing incidents of man-animal conflict has always been worrying the wildlife lovers and the environmentalists. The loss of the animal habitat and increased human interference in the forest area have been attributed as the reasons for such encounters. The results of such man-animal battles have given shocking results, either the animal is being poached by the villagers where it enters or else the man has to lose precious life. Following the laid rules, the wild-animals when rescued by the forest officials are thereafter rushed either to Kanpur or Lucknow zoo where they are administered medical treatment for keeping them alive.

It is in this very regard that the Kanpur zoo received a female man eater from Bahraich on Saturday. Taking the records into the account, the Kanpur zoo which has a good record of housing the rescued animals is now presently taking care of the maneater leopard. The leopard, which had entered into a village in Bahraich, had attacked people therein leaving them critically injured. Then the forest officials rescued the leopard and referred it to Kanpur zoological park for treatment.

Talking to TOI as to how the wild rescued animals are given medical care, director, Kanpur zoological park, K Praveen Rao said: "When-ever there is man-animal conflict, the looser is always a wild animal. The wild animals are loosing their preferred natural habitat due to human interference which leads to escaping of the animals to the nearby areas. There by they get trapped and later are thrashed badly. It is after this, such animals are sent to the zoo where they live their rest of the life as a rescued animal."

"Though we give them the best possible medical care, there are always chances of not recovering from the ailment due to trauma. Even if they recover, they are not in a position to survive in the wild. As a result they are confined in cages and are not put to display for the visitors as its against the laid down norms," added the zoo director.

Rao further said these maneaters after recovering cannot be released in the wild due to prolonged captivity. They will not be in a position to combat their predators or else they will no stop from attacking the human beings. As the jungle rule says, only those wild animals survive there who are more dominant than the other. "Therefore, such rescued animals are to be maintained in the captivity," said he further.

Rao also maintaines as there is no change in the behavioral pattern of the wild animals when they are ailing, it becomes all the more difficult to diagnose an ailment. As a result, signs of disease appear only when they reach the later stages of ailment. On the other hand, studies have been conducted on the diseases taking place in the domestic animals. "Thus, we go for expert advice from the veterinary doctors of the various zoos across the country, premier veterinary institution like IVRI in Bareilly, veterinary college in Mathura and the local, senior experienced veterinarians so that the ailing animal can be cured," he said

Cow slaughter: PIL seeks stricter laws

CUTTACK: Despite the existence of stringent laws banning illegal transportation of cows for slaughter and open slaughtering of the animals, rampant supply of cattle to outside states for the very purpose continues unchecked.

According to estimates, over 2.5 lakh cows are illegally transported from different regions to states like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh every month. What is more appalling is that they are transported in barbaric conditions, overloaded and crammed in such a way that many even fail to make the destination and die on the way.

While recent incidents where locals and animal welfare organisations have rescued a large number of cows during illegal transportation have brought to light the enormity of the situation, a PIL was on Monday filed in the Orissa High Court seeking directions to the Government for strict enforcement of the laws and striking at the root of such activities.

The petitioners, general secretary of Legal Support and Social Action Gadadhar Sahoo and president of Biswa Go Surakhya Bahini Suresh Kumar Panda, informed that areas like Begunia, Sakhigopal, Baliapada, Ichchapur, Tangi, Jagatsinghpur, Charampa, Golbazaar, Sambalpur, Soro, Gopinathpur and Athagarh were hubs of illegal cow markets.

A survey conducted by them has revealed that at least 15,000 cows from Khurda district, 24,000 from Kendrapara, 40,000 from Bhadrak, 20,000 each from Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur and 50,000 each from Balasore and Cuttack districts are illegally transported to Kolkata every month. Besides, not less than 38,000 cattle were channeled to Andhra Pradesh from Koraput district alone.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, (amended) 1982 provides for imprisonment without fine on persons engaged in illegal transportation of animals and inflicting torture on them by overloading and beating them. However, as the enforcement agencies like police do not act strong,� unscrupulous sellers are having a free run. This will soon lead to a situation of serious shortage of cattle in the State, the petitioners submitted.

They also stated that the Animal Welfare Board of India that had taken note of the rampant illegal transportation of cattle to West Bengal in September this year had written to the Chief Secretary seeking directions to all police stations to prevent and curb illegal transportation. However, the police have still turned a blind eye, the petitioners alleged.

The petitioners have prayed for directions to the Home Secretary and the DGP to take immediate steps to stop illegal transportation as well as stopping cow slaughter in public.

“Under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Rules 1966, the animals can be slaughtered on obtaining a certificate and that can only be allowed in his own place away from public or at locations away from human habitation. The local authorities should construct abattoirs for the purpose but nothing has been done yet, Gadadhar Sahoo submitted.

Make Tihar Jail meat-free zone: PETA India

Urging the Delhi High Court to make Tihar Jail a meat-free zone, PETA India on Tuesday said many jails in the US have introduced vegetarian food and found "noticeable difference" in the personalities of the inmates as it decreases aggressive behaviour.

In a letter to Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the animal rights group said that by feeding prisoners exclusively vegetarian food, the recidivism rate or relapse into criminal behaviour will be reduced, thus helping prisons and prisoners.

In a letter addressed to the two judges, they also contended that this would help in saving the taxpayers' money.

The high court has been petitioned by Tihar jail inmates that they should also be given non-vegetarian food.

However, PETA India disagreed with the prisoners' demand.

"We urge you to allow the state to serve exclusively vegetarian food in Tihar Jail. We understand Tihar Jail and other prisons in the state are already sending a positive message against violence by serving vegetarian food on most days of the year," the letter said.

The letter written by Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, who is the nutritionist and campaign coordinator of PETA India, also said: "It would be a big step backward to start feeding prisoners cruel, meat-based meals just because a few meat addicts at Tihar Jail are complaining."

They said vegetarian food also decreases aggressive behaviour.

"Vegetarian food promotes compassion. Prisons are the last place we should be encouraging violence and meat involves extreme cruelty and killing," it said.

Quoting some instances in the US, the group said numerous prisons have successfully reduced violence with a regimen that includes vegetarian or vegan meals, which are dairy-free and contain no animal-derived products.

Two of them are the US Victor Valley Medium Community Correctional Facility in California and Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center in Baltimore.

The letter said the two prisons reported success in using vegetarian meals in behaviour modification programmes. "There is a noticeable difference in the personalities of the vegetarian inmates. They smile more, are fully racially integrated, attend religious classes and anger management classes eagerly. Within 10 days, the vegan inmates express improvement in how they feel," the statement said quoting one official of the Californian facility.

They also said vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, strokes, and diabetes than those who consume animal products.

The letter said vegetarian food is far less expensive than meat, and vegetarian food is easier to prepare.

"Making prisons meat-free zones is a win-win situation. For these reasons, we hope that you will allow Tihar Jail to enforce a vegetarian-only policy," the statement said, adding that they would be happy to help the prison design meatless meal plans.

Meet the beefy vegetarian

Veggies can't bulk up? A fully green Vivek Oberoi piles up the muscles

In his forthcoming avatars as a hefty villain in the Krrish sequel and an intimidating pathan in Zilla Ghaziabad, Vivek Oberoi is set to bust the myth that vegetarians can't sport an enviable body. While the actor enjoys doing martial arts, yoga with his wife and swimming, his personal trainer Vijay Sarmalkar tests his limits of endurance in the '4X workout' - an intense 30 minute punishing routine that is as effective as a three-hour gym session.

Viraj says, "When you start working out, the muscle-building process starts. You have to rest it for recovery and then replenish it either with carbs or protein. The protein can be vegetarian or nonvegetarian because the body recognises it as amino-acids. If you have whey protein post-workout or during the day, the chances of recovery are high."

What has complicated matters is Vivek being injury-prone - he had persistent neck and wrist injuries - while shooting action scenes in the past couple of years. Recently, he gained weight when he was out for three months. Viraj revealed that his lower-chest and legs are major problem areas. Vivek concurred, "It took six months for Viraj to sort out my injuries. We did a lot of therapeutic training. During workouts, the pain would return. Viraj combined weight training and physiotherapy to heal my injuries. It increased my confidence levels and I started feeling good."

As for Vivek's chest workout, Viraj says he does not give him too many dumbbells because set two and three are more difficult. At the beginning of a workout, the muscles are fresh. But after 30 minutes, the energy drops. I prefer to train him in the problem spots because they are fresh and I can hit them hard. His lower chest is an issue so I concentrate on his upper chest since it is big and no one notices his lower chest." Over the week, Vivek's workouts focus on chest and triceps that include barbell press and dumbbell curls. The cardio sessions and leg workouts include leg curls, leg press, leg extension and seated calf raises among others.

Turning vegetarian helped his body recover faster post-workout, Vivek says. "Earlier, I would avoid doing my leg workout. But, Viraj has been instrumental in letting go of my fears. As I turned vegetarian, my concern was whether it will affect my joints and injuries. But I love eating all sorts of nuts that have nutrients which are good for your joints, skin, hair and body. I am fresher, energetic and my immunity level has gone up."

In Zilla Ghaziabad, Vivek plays Gujjar Singh who has washboard-abs. To achieve the look, Viraj says, he wanted Vivek's chest to look more prominent and beefy and not just with a six-pack. In the Krrish sequel, he is fitter, more agile and his six-pack will be more prominent. He has to look smaller but compact. And because he is able to retain sufficient body mass, he will still look big at 75 kilos than most of his peers." Though Vivek has limited cardio options, Viraj does not have to worry much about him and says, "He is very committed to his diet. If you're not, then workouts fall flat."

State govt told to take the bull by the horns!

http://sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimesBeta/20111118/4919286293882419571.htm

PUNE: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which is governed by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), has issued a notice to the Maharashtra government, asking it to uphold its recent notification seeking a ban on bullock-cart racing.

AWBI, in its correspondence dated November 11, has disagreed with the government contention 'bulls' is a generic term and does not include bullocks.

Animal lovers, who had brought to the notice of AWBI the 'twisting of words' by the State government, have now demanded that a fresh Government Resolution (GR) be issued that will supercede the earlier GR which, in a way, supports bullock-cart racing.

“The MoEF on July 11 had issued a notification, banning the bull as a performing animal. In compliance with this notification, the Maharashtra government on August 24 issued a GR. However, the State government came out with a clarification on September 12, stating that meaning of bull is 'saandh/Valu' and the ban is applicable only to these category of animals,” animal rights activist Anil Katariya told reporters on Thursday.

“We took up the issue with  the AWBI, which has now asked the State government to ensure that bullock-cart races are not organised in the State,” he said, and demanded issuance of a GR by the government at the earliest to ban bullock-cart racing.

Another activist Amruta Ubale, who had sought information from the MoEF under the RTI Act that generic definition of a bull does include bullocks, said bullock-cart racing not only violates animal rights but also causes harm to human lives.

“We have come across many cases in which people had to lose their lives due to bullock-cart racing and many who got injured had to pay a heavy price for medication,” she said. 

My take

Bulls are docile animals. They are known for their capacity to carry weight and not for their speed. Because of this farmers use them for ploughing fields and transportation. Important point to be considered here is that these animals do not volunteer for races. You can clearly see their reluctance towards participating in these races through their body language. Medium of fear, pain and intoxication is used to drive performance from them. Bulls are subjected to various forms of cruelty like inhumane transportation, whipped, poking, biting and twisting of tails, use of spiked instruments, forcing them to consume alcohol, injuries caused due to accident, pumping them with steroids, psychological trauma, etc. 

Spiked instruments used to goad the bull

Bull forcefully made to drink alcohol

Spiked instruments used to goad the bull

Man biting bull's tail

Bullock cart races not only violate animal rights but they blatantly violate human rights too. Many people have known to lose their lives due to these races. We have investigated many such cases. By standers become victim of accidents in these races and get severely injured and finally succumb to death. The people who get injured and die are men, so families lose their main support (emotional as well as financial). All attempts are made to hide such deaths/accidents. Most of the villagers agree to the cruelty inflicted on animals and humans and feel these races should be stopped but their voices are suppressed.

Often the owners, organizers, politicians, etc say that bullock cart races are a part of our tradition and should continue but our tradition and culture does not teach us to be cruel to animals and humans. We need to re think and stop these so called traditions in the same way like Sati, child marriage, dowry, etc. In the recent past a bill to legalise dhirio (bull fight in Goa) was withdrawn due to strong opposition by Mr. Jairam Ramesh, then Minister of Environment and Forests. Mr. Ramesh said that there is cruelty inflicted on animals, also heavy gambling and betting takes place and further that all traditions need not be continued especially when it is seen that they are not in consonance with right thinking.

DNA Volume Kam Kar: Noise you make traumatises birds, animals

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_dna-volume-kam-kar-noise-you-make-traumatises-birds-animals_1614926

Has your pet been behaving strangely of late? Blame it on noise pollution, say veterinary doctors in the city. The Bai Sakrabai Dinshaw Patit Hospital for Animals has now enforced a ‘No Honking’ policy on its campus, since the noise traumatises the four-legged inmates of the facility. Even birds are affected by noise pollution.

Most pet owners are unaware that noise pollution could affect animals and birds, say doctors. Noise pollution makes dogs lose their appetite and they become lethargic. Some dogs become aggressive and keep running around to fight the noise. Human-induced noise pollution is one of many factors contributing to the depletion of wildlife population.

According to Dr Pramod Meshram, assistant professor at Bombay Veterinary College, research proves the bad effects of noise pollution on animal and birds. “They suffer from hearing loss resulting from noise levels above 85 decibels, inability to hear important environmental cues and animal signals, and non-auditory physiological effects, such as increased heart rate and respiration.”

Dr JC Khanna, chief functionary at The Bai Sakrabai Dinshaw Patit hospital for animals at Parel, says, “Most people come to our hospital with their pets in cars. We are strictly about people not honking when inside the campus. We need to take even more care during Diwali.”

He says that birds are affected in a similar manner, citing the example of more than 150 pigeons dying during the 26/11 attacks, a few from gunshots but others due to high decibel levels. For some time, pigeons vanished from the Gateway of India and returned after only a few days, says Khanna.

Sachin Bangera from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says, “Many pets go missing during Diwali as they can’t handle the noise and run away. They keep looking for places with lesser noise, which is futile on Diwali night.”

Dr Sanjay Borude, a Haji Ali resident and obesity surgeon at Breach Candy hospital, says, “My dog recently passed away due to age-related ailments. For 12 years, every Diwali was a nightmare for him. He would get aggressive around the festival. Many times, he would hide under the bed and not eat for days together, till the situation became normal.”