India's Endangered

India's Highest Court Bans Tiger Tourism

2012-08-03T10:03:00.000+05:30

In a decision many are calling too harsh, the Supreme Court of India banned tourists from entering the core area of all tiger reserves in the country. With India being home to half of the global population of tigers, this means, India will be facing a major setback in number of travelers coming to the country to particularly see the tigers.

The court’s decision came after few of the tiger states failed to demarcate buffer zones and core areas even after the court ordered them to do so three months ago.

“Why tourism should be allowed in core areas of tiger reserves,” a bench of justices Swatanter Kumar and Ibrahim Kalifulla asked, while noting the tiger was on the verge of extinction.

The bench also warned of contempt proceedings and imposition of exemplary costs on states which failed to notify the buffer zones in their respective tiger reserves.

“We make it clear that till final directions are issued by this court, the core zones or core areas in the tiger reserves will not be used for tourism,” the bench said in its order.

The court slammed Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Maharashtra and Jharkhand for failing to have notified the buffer zones despite earlier directions.

The SC also imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on each defaulting state. However Arunanchal Pradesh and Jharkhand informed that they were ready with the notifications and would submit it to the court.

The court also strictly warned the defaulting states that if they were not able to submit the required documents within three weeks, the principle secretary of forest of the respective states will have to hand out a fine of Rs. 50,000 each.

The Supreme Court’s concern on the commercialization of tiger reserves of India has been ongoing for quite a few months now, with the court also ordering recently a 10 percent of all commercial activity fee to be handed over for conservation of the tiger area.

During the last hearing on July 10, the SC had granted two more weeks “as last opportunity” to states which had defaulted in notifying buffer zones around tiger reserves.

Rajasthan’s counsel had told the court during the last hearing that the state had already notified the zone.

On April 4, the apex court had asked Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra to notify the zones within three months.

Under Section 38(b) and Explanation 1 & 2 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the states have to notify the list of core and buffer areas of tiger reserves in their respective jurisdiction.

What is a buffer zone

Any national park is set up primarily to protect a particular species and its habitat. In order to do so, the core area is the innermost area where the animal lives in its own terms without any interference from humans. The only personels allowed in this area are the forest officers. This core area is where the species live a truly wild existence.

Next outer periphery of the core area is the buffer zone which is spread upto a distance of 10 km. Here human activities are allowed. Villagers and tribals living within the forest range are allowed to gather resources of the forest from this area. But the area is also frequented by the wild animals. If it basically this area where tourists too can come and observe wildlife.

The Indian tiger states have been not strictly demarcating the core and the buffer area allowing tourists to venture right into the den of the tiger. The Supreme court’s verdict therefore is to stop these kind of activites and allow the big cat to live the wild life it deserves.

Will the Restriction help?

Experts feel that the Court’s verdict is too harsh and it not only leads to loss of tourist revenue but also hinders conservation. Many feel that frequent tourist presence in forests ensures that the tigers are constantly spotted and kept safe. Forest guards too are more vigilant when tourists are around. Poachers are naturally discouraged to enter areas where chances of getting caught by tourists or officers are maximum.

With ban on tourism in core areas, the poachers might actually fearlessly venture into these areas. The forest departments of many states are already in dire need of more forest rangers, and officers. Without the indirect help they get from observant travellers, their task to check the safety of tigers becomes a lot more challenging.

Conservationists feel that the strict regulation of tiger zones and tourism are definitely the need of the hour, but banning tourism altogether is core areas is not the solution.

Presently most of the tiger reserves in the country are closed down for the monsoon season and will re-open in Spetember end or October. The SC has scheduled a hearing on the present case again, before October, so hopefully the decision will be re-evaluated.

More Related Stories,

Chopped Tiger Found in Maharashtra Tiger Reserve

Kawal Becomes India’s 42nd Tiger Reserve

Corbett Tiger gets the E-eye

The Man who Made a Forest

2012-06-24T09:34:00.000+05:30

Nothing is simpler than planting a tree and yet not many really pick up the spade to toil under the sun and nurture a plant. That is why what Jadav Payeng has been doing for the past 30 years is incredible. He has not only made tree plantation a life time hobby but converted a barren land into a lush green 550 hectare forest in Assam which is now home to five tigers.

Jadav was 16 year old when he first realized the need to plant a tree. A flood had left hundreds of reptiles dead in his sandbar and the teenager was grief stricken.

“The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage . I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” he recalls.

The teenager was so moved that he left home and his school and started living in the sandbar in middle of the great river Brahmaputra. The indifference of others did not deter Jadav. He had true faith in his belief that one tree at a time could save the snakes and other animals he had began to love so much. He watered the plants morning and evening and pruned them. After a few years, the sandbar was transformed into a bamboo thicket.

“I then decided to grow proper trees. I collected and planted them. I also transported red ants from my village, and was stung many times. Red ants change the soil’s properties . That was an experience.

“After 12 years, we’ve seen vultures. Migratory birds, too, have started flocking here. Deer and cattle have attracted predators.”

The best reward Jadav received for his 30 years of nature nurturing was when predators began getting attracted to the forest he had created. Because of the abundant population of prey like deer and cattle, Tigers found Jadav’s forest very inviting. Presently five tigers have been known to visit the man-made ecosystem

Late Recognition
It was not until a herd of elephants paid a visit to the sandbar in 2008 that the forest department finally sat up and took notice of the incredible work Jadav had done for Mother Nature.

Assistant conservator of forests Gunin Saikia met Payeng for the first time.

“We were surprised to find such a dense forest on the sandbar. Locals, whose homes had been destroyed by the pachyderms, wanted to cut down the forest, but Payeng dared them to kill him instead. He treats the trees and animals like his own children. Seeing this, we, too, decided to pitch in,” says Saikia. “We’re amazed at Payeng. He has been at it for 30 years. Had he been in any other country, he would have been made a hero.”

But the department is now supporting him with their experience and knowledge. Congressman Bijoy Krishna Handique too is keen to convert the area into a protected forest region under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.

The forest has been named “Molai’s Woods”, after Payeng’s pet name.

He has a simple message to share,

“Nature has made a food chain; why can’t we stick to it? Who would protect these animals if we, as superior beings, start hunting them?”

India’s Endangered salutes this lone eco-warrior.

Visit Molai’s Woods
If you would like to help or pay a visit to Molai’s Woods the place lies in Jorhat, some 350 km from Guwahati by road. At one point on the stretch, a smaller road has to be taken for some 30 km to reach the riverbank. There, boatmen will ferry you across to the north bank. A trek of another 7 km will then land you near Payeng’s door.

More Related Stories,

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One man Making Desert Lands Greener

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Reference

Asia's First Dolphin Research Centre to come up in Bihar

2012-04-28T12:35:00.001+05:30

The Gangetic River Dolphins, one of the four only surviving freshwater dolphins of the world, is soon to get more protection, thanks to the conservationists who plan to set up India and Asia’s first dolphin research centre in Patna in Bihar.

The man behind this initiative is RK Sinha, more popularly known as the dolphin man. Sinha has played a pivotal role for many years now in highlighting the depleting number of Ganga river dolphins, or Gangetic dolphins in India and has been working tirelessly for the protection and conservation of the species.

Sinha is the chairperson of the working group for dolphin conservation set up by the central government and said that the planning commission proposed the idea of the research centre which has been approved by the state government.

India’s national aquatic animal

Not many know that Gangetic dolphins are India’s national aquatic animal. They once were found in thousands swimming across Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries. But poaching and habitat destruction have led to decrease in number of the dolphins in the last few decades.

Presently the dolphin population in India is estimated to be merely 2000 with a major chunk present at the Vikramshila Dolphin sanctuary in Bhagalpur distirct of Bihar. Spread across 50 km over the Ganges, the sanctuary is doing well in restoring the population of the unusual blind dolphins.

Gopal Sharma, a scientist with the Zoological Survey of India here, said the centre would carry out research activities on the dolphin and also conduct a census in rivers in Bihar.

Carcasses of the dolphin are regularly found along the river bed. It is believed that poachers kill these mammals for their oil used for fishing and for medicinal purposes.

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

With the research centre, the dolphin’s future might not be extinction after all.

Reference

Road Block for Tigers

2011-11-29T16:38:00.000+05:30

The tussle between environmentalists and urban developers is in the forefront once again in the state of Maharashtra where the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is keen to widen the National Highway NH-6 but the expansion might ruin the forest and crucial corridor of the Tigers.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently rejected the plan of the NHAI for mitigation of damage to wildlife due to the expansion (four-laning) of NH6.

The NHAI though has already started the expansion work and the only hindrance in their path, so to speak, is the 85 km stretch through the critical Nagzira – Nawegaon Tiger Corridor.

This tiger corridor connects nine crucial tiger reserves in central India and may itself soon be declared a protected tiger habitat. The corridor connectivity presently remains as two narrow strips of forest running almost parallel to each other, connecting Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in the north and Nawegaon National Park in the south. The corridor’s contiguity is broken by NH 6 crossing East-West.

“This is one of the more important landscapes for tigers, supporting about one-sixth of the world’s tiger population,” said Dr MK Ranjitsinh, Chairman – Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

WTI’s state facilitator Prafulla Bhamburkar while working in the Vidarbha Tiger Corridor Securement Project was the first to bring the issue to notice about how the road expansion project was posing threat to tigers as well as other forest animals.

Assisting the Forest Department, WTI with the help of renowned wildlife lawyer – Ritwick Dutta, then approached the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which eventually directed the NHAI to stop the work and put in place valid mitigation measures.

The NHAI then recommended formation of underpasses that could be used by the animals and chain-link fencing other areas to compel the animals to use these underpasses, and stop them from crossing the highway in other areas to prevent road hits.

“This recommendation was literally amounting to narrowing down the corridor further and leaving only a few small passes for the animals,” said Bhamburkar.

Now the Widlife Institue of India has been asked to intervene and come up with a plan that does not harm the crucial animal corridor.

What Bhamurkar also adds is that even the present expansion violates regular norms.

“The FCA necessitates clearance by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for any developmental activities within 10-km radius of the country’s protected areas. This was not adhered to,” said Bhambhurkar.

Mining, highways, industries, agriculture, the growing list of man’s needs is eating away precious land from animals. The present situation from the tiger’s point of view is like someone sawing up its home in half and not allowing it to go from one side to the other. Let us wait and see if the beast looses its right to live once again in the name of development.

Related Stories:

Postage Stamp on Tigers Marks children’s Day

Rare Cat Species Spotted at Corbett National Park

Interesting Facts About the Tiger

Reference: Wildlife Trust of India

Vanishing Butterflies could mean a Vanishing Planet

2011-11-04T16:18:00.000+05:30

Vanishing Butterflies could mean a Vanishing Planet

Go to http://www.indiasendangered.com/ for more news, views and information on endangered species of India.

Same Blog. New Address.

2011-01-08T12:22:00.000+05:30

First a very big thank you for visiting the site.

If you would like to read the latest about endangered wild species of India, please go to http://www.indiasendangered.com/

It is the same blog at a different address. Committed to be the voice of the precious few.

Keep doing your bit to save the wild.

Adansonia digitata: One of the Ten Heritage Trees of Karnataka

2010-08-28T16:54:00.000+05:30

The state of Karnataka in the southern part of India has plenty of ancient monuments, structures and history that it takes pride in. But giving due respect to its natural heritage, the state has now come up with the latest list of ten heritage trees that have seen centuries pass by them and have roots going deep into the soil of this land.
While most trees making into the list are quite commonly found Indian trees like the Ficus Religiosa (Peepal) or the Tamarindus Indica (tamarind) trees, there are few that are not only ancient but also rare species to be found in these parts of the world like the 359 years old Adansonia digitata-Malvaceae in Bijapur taluk.

How the Adansonia digitata tree came to Bijapur

Two of these trees commonly known as the baobab trees, have been listed and identified in Bijapur. One is near the near the Ibrahim Roza monument in Bijapur with a girth of 10.84 m and height of 5 m. and another at Yogapur Dargah, near Bijapur, which is believed to be atleast 359-year-old with 9.2-m girth and seven-metre height. Both these trees were planted during the reign of Adil Shahis.

Experts say that the kings of Adil Shahi dynasty were all fascinated by nature and these particular saplings of the adansonia digitata had been imported from Turkey to be planted in Bijapur. The kings were very particular about the nurturing of these plants and took care of their needs like their own children.

Ayurvedic Importance

“Fruits and flowers of these trees are used for medicinal purposes. We consider herbal medicine prepared out of this tree’s flowers and fruits as a panacea for several critical diseases,” says the chief of Yogapur Dargah, without revealing what those critical diseases are.”

According to the site www.herbalcureindia.com the tree is called goraksi in India and mostly believed to have been brought here by African and Arabian traders.

The site says, “Goraksi is sour and sweet in taste….. The pulp of the fruit is oily, cooling, beneficial to heart and mild laxative in properties. The bark skin is an appetizer, astringent, cooling and decreases the pulse rate. The leaves are oily and astringent……The bark skin, fruits and the leaves of goraksi are used for medicinal purpose. Externally, the paste of its leaves is applied on the swelling. Internally, the pulp of fruit is useful to alleviate the burning sensation in fevers. The skin of its fruit, by itself, reduces the fever. The excessive thirst is alleviated effectively with the pulp of fruit. It is also salutary in controlling hyperhidrosis in tuberculosis.”

Thus, the government of Karnataka has done a commendable job in atleast recognising the ancient trees and highlighting their importance in the ecosystem of the area.

Image credit Stig Nygaard, scot.zona, tatters:) via cc/Flickr

Open sale of Endangered Species at Jakarta Expo

2010-08-17T16:37:00.000+05:30

A Flora and Fauna exhibition was recently organised in Lapangan Banteng in Central Jakarta and while this exhibitions could have served the planet well by informing and educating people about the harms being done to the flora and fauna of the world, it was instead used as a mass sale festival of many endangered species of animals.

What was concerning from India’s point of view was the ease with which rare Indian star tortoises, which are protected under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species were being sold here, at a price as high as $500 each. The vendors were also quite blatantly announcing that they could provide an undisplayed animals for a decent price.

This illegal trade acitivities happening in borad daylight, only highlights the imminent danger on the lives of so many plants and animals. When the complains of illegal trading at the expo reached Harry Santosa, the director for biodiversity conservation at the State Ministry for the Environment, he sent a team to check but miraculously found no buyers or sellers at the event.

Whether the vanishing act was preplanned or sheer luck on the vendors part is still not known. However Chris Shepherd, an official with TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife monitoring network,said Indonesia has grown as a hub for illegal marine species trading over the recent years.

“Recent surveys, and this expo, have shown that the trade continues and now involves more illegally imported species than ever,” he said. “Dealers know full well that it’s illegal and are taking advantage of the enforcement agencies’ lack of action.”

The flora and fauna exhibition is held annually at the city’s anniversary celebration and sadly it is also an annual affair when hundred of endangered and critically endangered animals from South Africa, Asia and south America are traded openly at the venue.

“It’s ironic that the expo is held to introduce Indonesia’s rich biodiversity, but turns out to promote the endangered ones — even those that are on the brink of extinction,” said Pramudya Harzani, spokesperson Jakarta Animal Aid Network.

Image credit Roberto Verzo via cc/Flickr

Shark Fin Soup making Sharks Endangered in Andhra Pradesh

2010-08-10T16:19:00.000+05:30

Fishermen in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh have found a new way of making money – through shark fins. The rising demand of shark fins in south Asian countries has led to the increase in shark hunting in the eastern coasts of the country.

Shark fin soup is a delicacy in countries like Singapore, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong and to meet the demand, sharks are being hunted in plenty by fisherman who directly export the fishes.

“The fishermen population mainly depends upon shark fishing nowadays because of the high value of sharks. The shark fins are dried and exported to other Asian countries," said D.E.Babu, Professor, Zoology Department of Andhra University.

The fishermen however are not ready to take the direct allegations. According to them, the shark hunting is not intentional but they are caught in the nets while fishing for other fishes.

It is nevertheless believed that traders make deals in thousands at the shores with the fisherman.

Shark fishing was banned under the Wildlife Act and the Marine Fishing Act of 1986.

Image Credit
Photo by StormyDog via cc/flickr

The Cheetah Will Run Again in India

2010-08-04T17:09:00.000+05:30

It was in 1967 when Cheetah was last spotted in India. But now wildlife lovers can cheer as the animal is all set to make an entry again into the wild grasslands of the country where it will be re-introduced.
The move is being planned in order to save the grasslands and many other endangered species here.

The Wildlife Trust of India and the Wildlife Institute of India proposed in a report presented to the Ministry of Environment and Forest the reintroduction of cheetahs in India. They have identified three sites, Kuno-Palpur and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh and Shahgarh Landscape in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan where the animal can be brought and intitially it is being planned to import 18 cheetahs to the country.

The cheetahs will be brought from Middle East, where North African Cheetah are bred, Iran, Namibia and South Africa and the initial cost required for the re-introduction in each site would be almost ` 100 Crore in the next 2 to 3 years but it will be totally funded by the centre government.

Applauding the move Minister of State Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh said, "It is important to bring cheetah back to our country. This is perhaps the only mammal whose name has been derived from Sanskrit language. It comes from the word chitraku which means spots. The way tiger restores forest ecosystem, snow leopard restores mountain ecosystem, Gangetic dolphin restores waters in the rivers, the cheetah will restore grasslands of the country.”

It is believed that with the re-introduction of the Cheetah, the dire conditions of the grasslands will come into limelight thereby reviving the efforts needed to preserve the ecosystem and the endangered species like the carcal (Caracal caracal), the India wolf Canis lupus pallipes) and the three endangered species of the bustard family – the Houbara (Chlamydotis undulate macqueenii), the lesser florican (Sypheotides indica) and the most endangered of them all – the great Indian bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps).

This will also help benefit pastoralism in India where the largest livestock population in the world resides.

Image credit
Cliff1066 via cc/Flickr

Now a Postage Stamp Honouring the House Sparrow

2010-07-22T10:49:00.003+05:30

What was once a common sight in every home and garden in India has now become a part of distant memory for many Indian-the chirruping sounds, the twittering across the window panes and the squabble of playful house sparrows have all died down due to the rapid industrialisation, deforestation and urban development becoming a part of new India.

To remind people of the little beauties who are bearing the grunt of modernisation, the Postage Department of India, recently came up with postage stamps of the house sparrow as an addition to its growing stamps on endangered species.

S B Vyavahare, assistant director, Mumbai General Post Office (GPO) said.
“It has been found that sparrows, which were once a common sight, are now
rapidly disappearing not only in India, but across the world. This is our small
effort to help save the species,’’ he added.

Although in the era of emails and chats, not many use the postal department’s services as frequently as they used to, special commemorative postal stamps or stamps on nature have always been popular among kids and philatelists. The departments has in the past published stamps on endangered birds of India, Ganga River Dophins, flowers, International Year of Biodiversity etc.

“The stamps eventually draw attention to the habitats and other fascinating features of the species,’’ said Vyavahare.

Hope therefore that the house sparrow stamp does its work of creating a buzz among people to save these feathered friends from extinction.

Image Credit

photo by foxpary4 via cc/Flickr

Countries Pledge to Double Tiger Count by 2022

2010-07-20T11:02:00.003+05:30

It is the Chinese year of the tiger and thankfully nations are raising their voices of concern for the sorry state of the regal animal. In a bid to save the tigers from dying an untimely death 13 countries that are home to the tigers met at Bali to discuss strategic plans to conserve the tiger population.

The meeting is said to be groundwork for the Tiger Summit to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia later this year.

‘While there's still work to be done in the coming weeks, this has been
a crucial meeting ahead of the Tiger Summit,' said Michael Baltzer, leader of
WWF's Tiger Programme. ‘These countries have worked together to lay down solid
plans to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022 - a critical goal to
save this endangered animal. '

While governments are always criticised for their visible neglect regarding wildlife issues, the coming together of these 13 countries seems like a positive move towards conservation according to Baltzer as they are at least willingly trying to make a difference.

In Bali the 13 governments first showcased their individual plans to protect tigers which could later be a part of the Global Tiger Recovery Program. The plans will overall cost almost 356 million dollars for immediate implementation.

‘Now that these countries have shown their
willingness to act, the success of any global plan launched in St Petersburg
will depend on financial support from the international community and the tiger
nations themselves,' Baltzer said.

The plan really is to double the count of tigers by 2022 and the success largely depends on the committed efforts of environmentalists and governments to save tigers. If the financial issues are resolved and looked as a means to achieve a greater dream, the tigers can surely be saved.

Image Credit

courtesy Pavel Sigarteu via cc/Flickr

First Research Paper on Indian Bison

2010-07-18T08:05:00.004+05:30

The IUCN red list names it as an endangered species and so do many Indian environmentalist, but the Indian Bison still does not claim the limelight as well as its other endangered friends- the tiger or the elephant. But now things are looking up for the Indian Bison also known as the Gaur with Dr. Farshid Ahrestani’s soon to be published research paper on the Indian Bison titled ‘Life history and Traits of Gaur: First Analysis’

Says the research scientist,“There have been very few studies done on a large
herbivore such as the gaur. The largest population of gaur is found in India,
but its number is declining due to various reasons. A comprehensive study on
them will help understand the species, and with knowledge we can intervene and
protect them from extinction.”

The research was carried out in Bandipur National park in Karnataka and Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu. The researcher warns that there are very few of the gaurs left in the wild with the population in India being between 12,000 and 22,000. The Indian bison in genral looks tough but has a very short life span of just 20 years. With habitat loss and bovine diseases on the rise, 80 percent of the population has wiped out.

Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has organised a lecture on the topic in order to educate and spread the knowledge about the Indian Bison so that more scientists and organisations come forward to help.

Image Credit

Photo by TheSeafarer via cc/Flickr

Endangered Asiatic Lions Cubs born at German Zoo

2010-07-16T15:38:00.002+05:30

Asiatic lions are the pride of India. Sasan Gir National Park in Gujarat is the last bastion of the species in the world and good news is they are happy here with the latest census showing their number growing considerably to more than 400 lions in the reserve.
What comes as further good news for the species is that two new members have been added to the Asiatic lion’s family, although in captivity in Germany.
The German Magdeburg zoo was in a celebratory mood in May when the zoo’s lioness gave birth to two healthy Asiatic Lion cubs. The cubs have not yet been named but their routine medical tests show they are healthy and absolutely their naughtiest best in the zoo. The Magdeburg zoo is one of the few German zoos that take special interest in working towards revitalizing a species and the cubs are the fourth and fifth lions to be born at the zoo.
The cubs have been vaccinated and micro chipped.

Image Credit
Photo by wwarby via cc/Flickr

Endangered Vultures Hatch in Captivity

2010-07-03T07:43:00.001+05:30

They may not be freely flying over the skies yet but the three chicks of the long-billed vulture bred in captivity in India, surely raise hope for these critically endangered birds.

The three hatched in a breeding centre in Haryana in the months of February and March and took their first flight recently. They are an addition to the population of Asian vultures that have three varieties – the long-billed, slender-billed and oriental white-blacked vultures. All three species are critically endangered with just 60,000 left in the world today.

The main reason for the death of these vultures has been eating of cattle carcasses with diclofenac, a pain-killer given to sick cows. Over the last six years Indian scientists with aid and guidance from the Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, have been trying to breed the three species in captivity. While they had been successful in breeding the other two species, this is the first time that the long-billed vulture has been bred.

According to Graham Madge, spokesperson for the Britain royal society, now efforts are being made by them and Bombay Natural History Society to develop safe zones for the birds so that they can fly freely.

Image Credit

Photo by donjd2 via cc/Flickr

Expansion of countries like India a threat to the Environment says UN

2010-05-10T07:19:00.002+05:30

In a report that is the starkest till date, United Nations has directly alleged developing countries like India, China and Brazil of not preserving the environment in their surge to be an economically developed nation.

The report says that there is a direct link between extinction of plant and animal species and the economic growth. As the human population increases manifolds and people consume more, death threats are being faced by animals and plants.

“It’s a problem if we continue this unsustainable pattern of production and consumption,” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, the UN’s leading figure on biological diversity. “If the 9 billion people predicted to be with us by 2050 were to have the same lifestyle as Americans, we would need five planets.”
“The magnitude of the damage [to ecosystems] is much bigger than previously thought,” said Djoghlaf. “The rate of extinction is currently running at 1,000 times the natural historical background rate of extinction.”

What humans are not realising is also the fact that it is ultimately their own doom story they are writing down by clearly neglecting the fate of other living species. The threat is not just to few animals but to entire populations of marine life forms, terrestrial life forms and even areal species with new technology making humans conquer the skies like never before.

With the crusade to become as developed as USA, India is losing much of its rich biodiversity. Man-made malls are more in number now that nature made animals.

The global population is set to rise from 6.8 billion to 9 billion by 2050. With lack of space, it will again be the animals and plants that will have to leave the earth permanently to provide shelter to this uncontrollable mass of humans.

India can still fight back, by stricter population norms, stricter energy laws and more regulations and conservation measures for the plant and animal kingdom.

Rs. 5000 Crores Grant to be given by Central Government for Forest Conservation

2010-05-03T08:38:00.002+05:30

There may be lacunas down the line, but right now the central government has planned a definite financial support to be given to the forest departments of the whole country. Union minister of Environment and Forest has announced a grant of Rs. 5000 crores to be given to states this year in order to conserve forests.

The largest share of this grant will be given to Arunachal Pradesh with Rs.721 crore slotted for the state followed by Madhya Pradesh at Rs. 490 crore, Chhatisgarh Rs. 411 crore, and Maharashtra at Rs.310 crore.

There have been a number of factors analyzed before allotting the amount to each state, like the share of the total forest area of the country falling in a particular state, and also the state whose forest area is more than the national average.

The quality of the forest has also been taken into consideration for the compensation rewarded.

It is said that in the financial year 2008-2009 Rs. 8200 crore were spent on forests. It is hoped that this time the grant is successfully used for conservation of the forests rather than filling of the pockets.

Image Credit
Flickr photo by Micky

Asian Elephants all set to Parade on London Streets

2010-05-01T13:14:00.003+05:30

London streets are soon to be invaded by 260 Asian Elephants.
The elephants are live sculptures actually, painted by renowned artists, fashion designers, and students of schools and colleges for the grand parade in order to raise awareness on the depleting number of the species.

The Asian elephants were once more than quarter of a million in number but today the population has decreased to something between 25,000 and 35,000. The reason for the depleting population again point towards humans who have been encroaching their habitats and blocked the migration routes.

Says Mark Shand of the Elephant Family explaining about the initiatives they have taken to preserve the species, "In India alone, an elephant is killed everyday - a person is killed and a person kills an elephant, so you've really got a war on. Elephants have had these migratory routes, basically like islands connecting parks between each other, they've got no where to move and people have encroached on them. So we negotiate with the people to move from the land. We buy the land, build them houses, off the corridors and give them exactly the same amount of arable land back and they're very glad to be doing this."

The parade is being done to raise charity for the preservation of elephants. Artists have come up with various innovative ideas to create the sculptures, like a black cab shaped elephant that even has lights blinking and also a cloud like elephant that moves around in the city to collect signatures.

Care has also been taken to prepare the sculptures and transport them in the most eco-friendly way.

"We're going to raise about one million pounds from selling these elephants but that's nothing against the target in the field," said Ruth Powys, director of the Elephant Family. "The target in the field is 50 million.... the only way we're even going to get close to that is collecting signatures from the public, which we can then go and lobby governments with."

After London the organizers hope to take the parade to cities like New York and Delhi in order to raise awareness across the globe. Here is more information on the Elephant Parade
Image Credit
Flickr photo by mckaysavage

Patna may Become the New Breeding Centre for Endangered Vultures

2010-04-16T10:28:00.002+05:30

There was a time when as many as nine species of vulture were found in India. But as the last decade progressed a shocking 98 percent decline in the population of vultures was registered. This was mostly due to the use of a drug to treat animals that remained in the carcasses and turned fatal when eaten by vultures.

While the drug called Diclofenac has been banned from veterinary use, hope has again risen for Vultures after Central Zoo Authority (CZA) officials inspected the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park at Patna and made tentative plans to open a breeding centre for the vultures in this zoo.

It is known that the zoo is already working as a successful breeding centre for rhinos and gharials and the vultures will be a welcome addition. Although vulture breeding centres are also established in Haryana, West Bengal and Assam, these are run by the Bombay Natural History Society with the help of Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Vultures have been spotted in the flood-prone Bihar districts of Bhagalpur, East Champaran, Supaul, Araria and Khagaria according to a forest official, therefore having a localized breeding centre in the same region would definitely be beneficial.

Vultures were declared 'critically endangered species' globally in 2000.

Image Credit
Flickr photo by foxypar4

Mangrove Forests Declining

2010-04-13T10:44:00.003+05:30

The IUCN red list of threatened species is becoming longer every minute and the latest names to be included in this list dreaded by the environmentalist are many species of mangroves.

In a recent survey that was conducted to assess the condition of mangrove forests globally, it was found out that more than one in six species of mangroves were threatened ultimately making 11 out of the 70 mangrove species studied to be placed in the red list.

The reason quoted for their decline was coastal development, climate change, logging and agriculture.

“The potential loss of these species is a symptom of widespread destruction and exploitation of mangrove forests,” says Beth Polidoro, Research Associate of the GMSA at Old Dominion University and principal author of the study. “Mangroves form one of the most important tropical habitats that support many species, and their loss can affect marine and terrestrial biodiversity much more widely.”

Mangrove forests are an important part of the coastline. These not only form home to many varieties of fishes but also help in protecting coastal communities from damage caused by tsunami waves, storms and erosions.

Another important benefit of the mangroves is the way they can seize carbon from the atmosphere, forming source for nutrients and also helping other marine vegetations like sea grass weeds and coral reefs to survive.

What India should be concerned about is that one of the species of mangrove mentioned in the list called Sonneratia griffithii has been assigned a critically endangered status. Over the past 60 years 80 percent of the mangrove has been lost due to unplanned coastal development.

As Greg Stone, Senior Vice President of Marine Programmes at Conservation International warns, “The loss of mangroves will have devastating economic and environmental consequences. These ecosystems are not only a vital component in efforts to fight climate change, but they also protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people from extreme weather and provide them with a source of food and income.”

Image Credit

Flickr photo by brightsea

Bengal Tiger gets a New Home at Manas National Park

2010-04-12T10:40:00.003+05:30

A Royal Bengal Tiger that had strayed into a village in Assam, was rescued and released into the Manas National Park.

The rescue mission was carried out by the Assam forest department and members of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). After tranquilizing and capturing it the tiger was kept in the IFAW rescue centre for a period of three days while the officials planned the release operations.

Manas was selected as a suitable new home to the tiger because IFAW team is already involved in monitoring released rhinos and elephants in this park and have the proper set up for the post release monitoring process.

"We think Manas has a good prey base and good habitat for tigers. Even though there are other dominant males here, we hope this adult tiger will not have any conflict with them and will be successful in making its own territory very soon," said A. Swargiary, Field Director, Manas National Park.

The tiger was also radio collared before its release. Now the team hopes that it settles down well in the new environment.

Image Credit

Flickr photo by audreyjm529

Interesting Facts About Tigers

2010-04-10T15:37:00.002+05:30

• Tigers have been divide into 8 subspecies - Indian (or Bengal), Indo-Chinese, Sumatran, Amur (or Siberian), South China, Caspian (extinct), Java (extinct), and Bali (extinct).

• All tigers have more than 100 stripes on their body but not two tigers have the same pattern of stripes.
• Tigers keep their claws sharp by keeping it inside the retractable sheath and taking it out only when required for hunting.
• A group of tigers is called a streak.
• A tiger’s roar can be heard more than a mile away.
• Tigers, Lions, Leopards and Jaguars are the only four types of cats that can roar but cannot purr.
• White Tigers are not albinos. They just do not have the orange colored genes.
• A tiger can leap as high as 10 feet in a single jump.
• A tiger walks on its toes.
• The smallest of all tiger species is the Sumatran tiger and the largest the Siberian tiger.
• The tiger hunt by hearing and sight and not by smell.
• The vision of the tiger is six times better than a human at night.
• A tiger in one sitting may eat 22 to 32 kilograms of meat but it may also go hungry for weeks.
• It takes on an average 10 to 20 attempts to catch a prey.
• Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh about 2 pounds.

Image Credit
Flickr photo by kabil

93 Percent of Ayurvedic Plants Endangered

2010-04-06T10:28:00.003+05:30

It is a case of overexploitation of medicinal plants. In a recent survey conducted by the Botanical Survey of India it has been revealed that almost 93 percent of medicinal plants in India are endangered.

Of the 359 prioritized wild medicinal plant species surveyed, 335 have been assigned Red List status ranging from critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable to near-threatened.

The list was taken out adhering to the Conservation Assessment and Management Prioritisation using International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List Categories.

Indian government officials who conducted the survey said that the most important reason for this was the over exploitation by herbal industries. The officials also added that almost 95% of these plants are harvested directly from the forest growing in the wild. It is this that is mainly leading to the fast depletion of the plants.

It is not that efforts are not being made to preserve the species. Organization like the National Medicinal Plants Board constituted in November 2000, has been developing a central scheme for conservation and development of cultivation methods for the plants.

State governments too have been instructed to give assistance to the state forest departments in protecting the species. Projects for setting up of 29 Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) have also been implemented in the states covering mainly the medicinal plants like the Asoka, Guggal and Dashmool varieties.

But the big question here is whether enough is being done to save these varieties. Hopefully all will not be lost and herbal industries will see this survey as a wake up call to make amends. If the medicinal plants are endangered, that endangers their industry too.

More has to be done to save the green treasures of India.

Image Credit
Flickr photo by tatters:)

River Dolphin Aquarium a Mistake according to PETA, India

2010-04-02T16:02:00.003+05:30

Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister for state for environment and forests recently announced that there might be a dolphinarium set up at the New Delhi zoo which will house Ganga River Dolphins, the national aquatic animal of India.

While most might look at it as a positive step towards conservation of the species, PETA, India thinks differently.

According to them, these are few of the dangers; an aquarium might put the dolphins into,
• Dolphins are social creatures living in family pods. Removing any one of them will disrupt the whole group.
• While catching a dolphin, the group is chased to shallow waters and often the unwanted ones are released leaving them sick and shocked. Some animals slowly succumb to pneumonia when water enters their lungs through their blowholes and near death.
• The act of catching may trigger pregnant females to abort their babies.
• Pools in the aquarium are chemically treated and not therefore an ideal environment for the dolphins.
• Captured dolphins only live half of their age and die prematurely.

PETA suggests a better way to encourage people to know about dolphins is to plan visits to the natural habitat. This will help people get to know them better in their home, and keep the intelligent, social and highly endangered species alive.

Related Links:

Ganga River Dophins at Risk
IUCN aks India to save River Dophins

Ganga River Dolphins at Risk

2010-04-01T17:01:00.005+05:30

Many people are not even aware that the Ganga river Dolphins are actually India's national aquatic animals. And therefore their life being in crisis right now with just about 2000 left, may not come as a surprise either.

But like every samll and large animal and plant species that has a birth right to live and survive happily in this planet, the river dolpnins too need their little space in the aquatic world.

Here is some more information on the dire state of these dolphins.

Ganges Dolphins