PATNA: As many as 13 tiger deaths have been reported in India so far in 2010. If one adds the two cases in which tiger body parts were seized this year, the number of big cat deaths stands at 15 this year.
It is more or less a continuation of the previous year's trend when as many as 66 tiger deaths and 29 cases of seizure of tiger body parts were reported from different parts of the country.
An alarmed National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has planned a review of the tiger protection strategy. It may issue fresh guidelines to protect the big cats in a better way. NTCA has convened a meeting of directors of the 39 tiger reserves of the country to discuss the issue. Experts from Wildlife Institute of India (WII)- Dehradun and chief wildlife wardens of 17 states, where these reserves are situated, have been invited to the meeting which would be held at Jim Corbett National Park from April 10 to 12.
On April 10, NTCA member secretary Rajesh Gopal along with other senior NTCA officials would discuss the issue with forest officials of northern and north-eastern states. Forest officials of central states would share their views with the NTCA on April 11 and on the last day it would be the turn of those coming from the southern states.
"Existing measures taken by different tiger reserves for protecting the big cats, their intelligence-gathering mechanism, problems facing them at ground in implementing the safety guidelines and reasons for tiger deaths would come up for discussions," NTCA deputy inspector general (DIG) Satya Prakash Yadav told TOI over phone from Delhi on Monday.
He said, suggestions would also be sought from field officials and WII experts regarding steps needed to improve the safety measures for tigers.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Save tigers: PM to states
Not its roar but the dying tiger has woken up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
So worried is Singh with increasing reports of unnatural deaths of tigers in various national parks of the country that he has decided to personally take up the matter with some of the concerned states.
The Prime Minister’s concern comes slightly over a week after the Lok Sabha was informed that there were only 1,411 of the big cat left in a handful of India’s tiger reserves.
A day later, it was reported that 11 of the animals were found dead in one tiger reserve. The following day another was found dead, bringing the official tiger count to 1,399.
Faulty method
Last year was the worst since 2002 for tiger deaths. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has conceded that its method of counting tigers is so vague and faulty that there may be only 1,165 left.
Against normal mortality of 30 tigers a year, 66 were killed in 2009. Of these, 46 were killed inside tiger reserves while 20 were killed in the forests.
Needless to say the Prime Minister’s personal intervention was, to some extent, a reaction to the states’ inability to protect tigers.
So, at a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife on Thursday, Singh asked the states to more to save the few remaining tigers.
Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also talk to state governments on the delay in notifying buffer zones in protected areas which was having a negative impact on wildlife.
There are 37 Project Tiger reserves in the country and 663 protected areas.
A majority of the states are yet to bring the identified buffer areas in sanctuaries, tiger reserves and protected areas under the legal ambit which would ban construction and any infrastructural projects.
“But the states are reluctant to do so. Hence the delay in the notification,” Ramesh said.
“The poaching mafia, with clandestine help from local politicians, are involved in the killings that would empty the forests of wildlife and make it easier for them to use the land for mining or construction,” he added.
Relocation of people
Thursday’s meeting also discussed the relocation of people living on the periphery of tiger reserves.
“Of the 80,000 families to be relocated from tiger reserves, only 3,000 have moved out so far. And 77,000 families have to be relocated over the next seven years, for which a total financial package of Rs 8,000 crore would be required,” Jairam said.
He promised that the Centre would support voluntary relocation from any protected area and pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each of the families.
So worried is Singh with increasing reports of unnatural deaths of tigers in various national parks of the country that he has decided to personally take up the matter with some of the concerned states.
The Prime Minister’s concern comes slightly over a week after the Lok Sabha was informed that there were only 1,411 of the big cat left in a handful of India’s tiger reserves.
A day later, it was reported that 11 of the animals were found dead in one tiger reserve. The following day another was found dead, bringing the official tiger count to 1,399.
Faulty method
Last year was the worst since 2002 for tiger deaths. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has conceded that its method of counting tigers is so vague and faulty that there may be only 1,165 left.
Against normal mortality of 30 tigers a year, 66 were killed in 2009. Of these, 46 were killed inside tiger reserves while 20 were killed in the forests.
Needless to say the Prime Minister’s personal intervention was, to some extent, a reaction to the states’ inability to protect tigers.
So, at a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife on Thursday, Singh asked the states to more to save the few remaining tigers.
Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also talk to state governments on the delay in notifying buffer zones in protected areas which was having a negative impact on wildlife.
There are 37 Project Tiger reserves in the country and 663 protected areas.
A majority of the states are yet to bring the identified buffer areas in sanctuaries, tiger reserves and protected areas under the legal ambit which would ban construction and any infrastructural projects.
“But the states are reluctant to do so. Hence the delay in the notification,” Ramesh said.
“The poaching mafia, with clandestine help from local politicians, are involved in the killings that would empty the forests of wildlife and make it easier for them to use the land for mining or construction,” he added.
Relocation of people
Thursday’s meeting also discussed the relocation of people living on the periphery of tiger reserves.
“Of the 80,000 families to be relocated from tiger reserves, only 3,000 have moved out so far. And 77,000 families have to be relocated over the next seven years, for which a total financial package of Rs 8,000 crore would be required,” Jairam said.
He promised that the Centre would support voluntary relocation from any protected area and pay compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each of the families.
Big B joins Save the Tiger campaign
Concerned over the dwindling number of tigers in India, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan Thursday joined a campaign to save the big cat, which he described as "symbolic" of the country's wildlife wealth.
The awareness and tiger conservation initiative is a joint venture of cellphone service provider Aircel and national news channel NDTV.
"The tiger is symbolic of India's wildlife wealth. It is in danger because of rampant poaching and the ineffectiveness of our system to stop its killing. Collective action is the need of the hour," Bachchan told reporters at a function here.
"It is our responsibility to not only initiate a public movement but also ensure that it gains momentum," he added. The campaign intends to provide a common platform to tiger conservationists and concerned citizens to raise issues and voice their opinions, according to organisers.
The function was organised to announce NDTV joining Aircel in the campaign, which the cellular service had initiated last year.
The awareness and tiger conservation initiative is a joint venture of cellphone service provider Aircel and national news channel NDTV.
"The tiger is symbolic of India's wildlife wealth. It is in danger because of rampant poaching and the ineffectiveness of our system to stop its killing. Collective action is the need of the hour," Bachchan told reporters at a function here.
"It is our responsibility to not only initiate a public movement but also ensure that it gains momentum," he added. The campaign intends to provide a common platform to tiger conservationists and concerned citizens to raise issues and voice their opinions, according to organisers.
The function was organised to announce NDTV joining Aircel in the campaign, which the cellular service had initiated last year.
Bangladesh patrols to protect Bengal tiger
Bangladesh will form patrols in the world's largest mangrove forest in a bid to stop locals beating the critically endangered Bengal tiger to death, an official said Monday.
The move follows an increase in tiger deaths in the 10,000-square-kilometre (3,860 square miles) Sunderbans forest, with dozens beaten to death over the last decade after wandering into local villages.
"It's impossible to conserve these rare tigers unless we involve villagers to help protect the animal," said Abdul Motaleb, the government's forest conservation chief.
There are around 450 Bengal tigers in the Bangladeshi section of the Sunderbans, the world's largest remaining population in the wild, according to a 2004 government census.
The new government-approved plan, the first of its kind in the area, will lead to the formation of a 10-person patrol team in each of the hundreds of villages on the edge of the forest, which straddles the Bangladesh-India border.
"The patrol teams will inform forest officials as soon as a tiger enters their village. They'll also persuade the villagers not to harm the animals," the official said.
Last year, nearly 30 people were killed after they were attacked by tigers while fishing or collecting honey inside the forest, according to media reports, and villagers are traditionally hostile to the tigers.
Expert Monirul Khan said tiger numbers were likely only half the government's estimate, with fatal beatings being a key factor in the slow demise of the animal.
SEARCH
The move follows an increase in tiger deaths in the 10,000-square-kilometre (3,860 square miles) Sunderbans forest, with dozens beaten to death over the last decade after wandering into local villages.
"It's impossible to conserve these rare tigers unless we involve villagers to help protect the animal," said Abdul Motaleb, the government's forest conservation chief.
There are around 450 Bengal tigers in the Bangladeshi section of the Sunderbans, the world's largest remaining population in the wild, according to a 2004 government census.
The new government-approved plan, the first of its kind in the area, will lead to the formation of a 10-person patrol team in each of the hundreds of villages on the edge of the forest, which straddles the Bangladesh-India border.
"The patrol teams will inform forest officials as soon as a tiger enters their village. They'll also persuade the villagers not to harm the animals," the official said.
Last year, nearly 30 people were killed after they were attacked by tigers while fishing or collecting honey inside the forest, according to media reports, and villagers are traditionally hostile to the tigers.
Expert Monirul Khan said tiger numbers were likely only half the government's estimate, with fatal beatings being a key factor in the slow demise of the animal.
SEARCH
Nature lovers participate in 'Save Tiger Campaign' in Alwar
Alwar (Rajasthan), Mar 29 (ANI): Nature lovers from different professional backgrounds participated in a run organized for the 'Save Tiger Campaign' in Rajasthan's Alwar District.
Buzz up!Many senior administrative officials and politicians including local lawmaker Bhaway Jitendra Singh also took part in the event.
"We received a warm support from every resident of Alwar district. People of all age groups have participated in the event. We are planning to go to the villages adjoining Sariska region and spread awareness about our campaign. We will tell them that the future generations must witness the tigers which we are witnessing today and we don't want that the tigers will be extinct from our planet like dinosaurs," said Poonam Bedi, one of the organisers.
India is a key player in efforts to boost the global tiger population, which numbers just a few thousand.
Poaching and a loss of habitat have caused the tiger population to plunge from around 40,000 at the turn of the 20th century in India to a little over 1400 in 2010.
The trade in tiger skin and bones is booming in countries such as China, which has banned the use of tiger parts in medicine. But everything, from fur to whiskers to eyeballs and bones, are still sed for health purposes.
Buzz up!Many senior administrative officials and politicians including local lawmaker Bhaway Jitendra Singh also took part in the event.
"We received a warm support from every resident of Alwar district. People of all age groups have participated in the event. We are planning to go to the villages adjoining Sariska region and spread awareness about our campaign. We will tell them that the future generations must witness the tigers which we are witnessing today and we don't want that the tigers will be extinct from our planet like dinosaurs," said Poonam Bedi, one of the organisers.
India is a key player in efforts to boost the global tiger population, which numbers just a few thousand.
Poaching and a loss of habitat have caused the tiger population to plunge from around 40,000 at the turn of the 20th century in India to a little over 1400 in 2010.
The trade in tiger skin and bones is booming in countries such as China, which has banned the use of tiger parts in medicine. But everything, from fur to whiskers to eyeballs and bones, are still sed for health purposes.
Forest dept plans making tiger safari a zoological park
LUDHIANA: The forest department has decided to give the status of zoological park to Tiger Safari, which is the only zoo in the city. Authorities have forwarded a proposal to senior officials in Delhi. The proposal of extension and upgrade of the zoo has also been sent under Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) project where the mini zoo will get a new look with improved facilities for visitors and animals.
According to information provided by an official, this year, the zoo would get tigers, leopards, crocodiles and few species of the birds. Along with that, for visitors, an interaction centre would be constructed where the models of animals would be displayed. He added that a control room would be established where animal behaviour would be monitored through closed circuit television cameras.
The zoo has a dispensary for the animals, however, if their condition gets too bad, they are taken to Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. From this financial year, it has been planned that the dispensary would be conducted into a full-fledged veterinary hospital, so there is no need to take the animals outside the zoo.
"The only facility in the city where residents can take children to inform them about birds and animals is the Tiger Safari. An upgrade of facilities in the safari is bound to help it in attracting more visitors," said Preeti Sabharwal, a resident of the city.
While talking to TOI, divisional forest officer Vishal Chauhan said a detailed plan for the upgrade had been prepared. He mentioned that the proposals sent for the purpose included one for the financial year and another for the master plan, which would work in the long term. He stated that introduction of new species in the zoo was to be one of the major developments and veterinary hospital would ensure that they stay healthy for many years to come.
According to information provided by an official, this year, the zoo would get tigers, leopards, crocodiles and few species of the birds. Along with that, for visitors, an interaction centre would be constructed where the models of animals would be displayed. He added that a control room would be established where animal behaviour would be monitored through closed circuit television cameras.
The zoo has a dispensary for the animals, however, if their condition gets too bad, they are taken to Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. From this financial year, it has been planned that the dispensary would be conducted into a full-fledged veterinary hospital, so there is no need to take the animals outside the zoo.
"The only facility in the city where residents can take children to inform them about birds and animals is the Tiger Safari. An upgrade of facilities in the safari is bound to help it in attracting more visitors," said Preeti Sabharwal, a resident of the city.
While talking to TOI, divisional forest officer Vishal Chauhan said a detailed plan for the upgrade had been prepared. He mentioned that the proposals sent for the purpose included one for the financial year and another for the master plan, which would work in the long term. He stated that introduction of new species in the zoo was to be one of the major developments and veterinary hospital would ensure that they stay healthy for many years to come.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
for the tigers sake!!
If you have seen a tiger in the wild, you are very fortunate indeed. There are not many left in India's forests. Those that remain lead a precarious existence. Poaching is the most obvious threat the tiger faces, but it is not the only one. Human settlements inside a tiger reserve also spell trouble. These villages — or a highway or railway line cutting across a forest — fragment wildlife areas, and pose a great danger to the flora and fauna within. Wildlife experts believe that core tiger areas should be completely inviolate in order to allow tigers to multiply.
Boon in disguise
The construction of the Bhadra reservoir in Karnataka in the 1960s, near what is now the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, was a boon in disguise to tiger conservation. The reservoir served as a buffer against further development. But the number of villages in other areas of the Reserve continued to increase. People have lived in the forests of Bhadra for generations. According to a 1917 report, Bhadra had “a village of 88 people and 186 cattle occupying 4.19 sq km.” Villagers in the 16 hamlets of Bhadra were mainly agriculturists, cultivating paddy and coffee on cleared forest land. They also reared cattle, which shared grazing space with the tiger's natural prey like deer. But the cattle could also spread disease among wildlife. Clearly man and nature were on opposing sides, with wildlife on the losing side.
For the tiger's sake, the humans needed to leave. But it was not easy for the villagers living in the reserve area, sometimes for over three generations, to leave the place they considered home. Apart from the emotional angle, the other main issue was the suspicion that, if they did re-locate, the Government would leave them in the lurch. This was because relocations from other wildlife sanctuaries had been handled badly. But rehabilitation from Bhadra seems to have worked.
In what has come as a shot in the arm for wildlife conservationists, and a glimmer of hope for the tiger, 432 families from 16 villages from within the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka have been successfully rehabilitated. The villagers were rehabilitated in two areas: M.C.Halli, about 100 km from the Reserve and Kelagur, about 15 km from Chikmagalur. But all this did not happen overnight. The process began in 1987, when a preliminary survey of families eligible for resettlement was conducted. But the project picked up momentum only in the late 1990s with the active involvement of the forest and revenue departments and, more importantly, the participation of village representatives and NGOs.
Working together
Government agencies in India do not always work well together. Inter-departmental files are delayed in transit, and bureaucratic procedures add to the problem. And NGOs are often considered ‘outsiders', interfering with government procedure. So, what went right in Bhadra? A rehabilitated villager called it “the aligning of good planets resulting in excellent people coming together”. Less dramatically, much of the credit goes to Yatish, then Deputy Conservator of Forests, and Gopala Krishne Gowda, then Deputy Commissioner. Committed wildlife NGOs, who had been holding earnest dialogues with villagers inside the Reserve, also played an important role. Perhaps the most active was a local activist, D.V. Girish, who works with the NGO Wildlife First.
And, of course, credit goes to the villagers themselves. Many sensed the time had come to move. As S.R.Nagaraj, a resettled villager now residing at M.C.Halli, put it, “To say we moved out so that the tiger could live would be a lie. We moved out because there were no facilities for a normal existence inside the Tiger Reserve. But we ensured that the Government acquired land for resettling and personally visited the places before agreeing to shift. I must admit that the Government has provided all that it had promised.” What was vital here was that village representatives worked closely with other Government agencies and NGOs.
The Deputy Commissioner helped by cutting through bureaucratic hurdles, often dealing directly with the forest department, the village representatives and NGOs. Politically motivated hurdles were overcome with daily strategy meetings between all the agencies and the village representatives.
The villagers in M.C. Halli speak well of the facilities they have been provided. Those at Kelagur are taking longer to settle, as they depend on the rains for water. Some of the land distributed is rocky, and bore wells are yet to be dug. If this is taken care of, and authorities have said that these villagers are also eligible for aid under other Government schemes, then the Bhadra project will be a benchmark in resettlement. It will also be a model of successful partnership between Government agencies and NGOs.
This move gives the country's wildlife a chance, a slim one, but definitely a chance. Perhaps then the tiger would still roar in India's jungles in the years to come.
Voices
* Conservationist Dr. Ullas Karanth: "As a person from the Western Ghats, I know that the people want to relocate in favour of a better life. Why should they live frozen in time when the rest of society is developing* And if they move out, it is good for the tiger; it is a win-win situation." * Sushilamma, re-settled in M.CHalli: It had been my home for 32 years. Who can leave the place that had become one's home* But the Government has given us five acres here, and we have started cultivating crops." * H.D. Sudhakar, re-settled villager at Kelagur: "The rocky land prevents anything from growing. It is as if giving up our homes has landed us in hardship. I hope the Government gives us alternative land, and digs bore wells quickly."
Boon in disguise
The construction of the Bhadra reservoir in Karnataka in the 1960s, near what is now the Bhadra Tiger Reserve, was a boon in disguise to tiger conservation. The reservoir served as a buffer against further development. But the number of villages in other areas of the Reserve continued to increase. People have lived in the forests of Bhadra for generations. According to a 1917 report, Bhadra had “a village of 88 people and 186 cattle occupying 4.19 sq km.” Villagers in the 16 hamlets of Bhadra were mainly agriculturists, cultivating paddy and coffee on cleared forest land. They also reared cattle, which shared grazing space with the tiger's natural prey like deer. But the cattle could also spread disease among wildlife. Clearly man and nature were on opposing sides, with wildlife on the losing side.
For the tiger's sake, the humans needed to leave. But it was not easy for the villagers living in the reserve area, sometimes for over three generations, to leave the place they considered home. Apart from the emotional angle, the other main issue was the suspicion that, if they did re-locate, the Government would leave them in the lurch. This was because relocations from other wildlife sanctuaries had been handled badly. But rehabilitation from Bhadra seems to have worked.
In what has come as a shot in the arm for wildlife conservationists, and a glimmer of hope for the tiger, 432 families from 16 villages from within the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Chikmagalur district of Karnataka have been successfully rehabilitated. The villagers were rehabilitated in two areas: M.C.Halli, about 100 km from the Reserve and Kelagur, about 15 km from Chikmagalur. But all this did not happen overnight. The process began in 1987, when a preliminary survey of families eligible for resettlement was conducted. But the project picked up momentum only in the late 1990s with the active involvement of the forest and revenue departments and, more importantly, the participation of village representatives and NGOs.
Working together
Government agencies in India do not always work well together. Inter-departmental files are delayed in transit, and bureaucratic procedures add to the problem. And NGOs are often considered ‘outsiders', interfering with government procedure. So, what went right in Bhadra? A rehabilitated villager called it “the aligning of good planets resulting in excellent people coming together”. Less dramatically, much of the credit goes to Yatish, then Deputy Conservator of Forests, and Gopala Krishne Gowda, then Deputy Commissioner. Committed wildlife NGOs, who had been holding earnest dialogues with villagers inside the Reserve, also played an important role. Perhaps the most active was a local activist, D.V. Girish, who works with the NGO Wildlife First.
And, of course, credit goes to the villagers themselves. Many sensed the time had come to move. As S.R.Nagaraj, a resettled villager now residing at M.C.Halli, put it, “To say we moved out so that the tiger could live would be a lie. We moved out because there were no facilities for a normal existence inside the Tiger Reserve. But we ensured that the Government acquired land for resettling and personally visited the places before agreeing to shift. I must admit that the Government has provided all that it had promised.” What was vital here was that village representatives worked closely with other Government agencies and NGOs.
The Deputy Commissioner helped by cutting through bureaucratic hurdles, often dealing directly with the forest department, the village representatives and NGOs. Politically motivated hurdles were overcome with daily strategy meetings between all the agencies and the village representatives.
The villagers in M.C. Halli speak well of the facilities they have been provided. Those at Kelagur are taking longer to settle, as they depend on the rains for water. Some of the land distributed is rocky, and bore wells are yet to be dug. If this is taken care of, and authorities have said that these villagers are also eligible for aid under other Government schemes, then the Bhadra project will be a benchmark in resettlement. It will also be a model of successful partnership between Government agencies and NGOs.
This move gives the country's wildlife a chance, a slim one, but definitely a chance. Perhaps then the tiger would still roar in India's jungles in the years to come.
Voices
* Conservationist Dr. Ullas Karanth: "As a person from the Western Ghats, I know that the people want to relocate in favour of a better life. Why should they live frozen in time when the rest of society is developing* And if they move out, it is good for the tiger; it is a win-win situation." * Sushilamma, re-settled in M.CHalli: It had been my home for 32 years. Who can leave the place that had become one's home* But the Government has given us five acres here, and we have started cultivating crops." * H.D. Sudhakar, re-settled villager at Kelagur: "The rocky land prevents anything from growing. It is as if giving up our homes has landed us in hardship. I hope the Government gives us alternative land, and digs bore wells quickly."
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