Save Tigers

Save Tigers-Start Acting now!!

2010-12-03T01:15:00.000-08:00

Well this is a very serious topic for me. I always knew that the tiger population in our country is dwindling fast but i got to know about 2 days back that there are barely 1000 Tigers in the entire country. I never knew that there was such a strong animal activist in me but the thought has really, really disturbed me a lot. I mean the thought that i may
never be able to see this gorgeous animal after about 10-15 years really scares me a lot.Its one of the most beautiful and majestic animal in the world and even the thought that it may
extinct because of the stupid human beings really pisses me a lot.
I know you guys might be thinking that although you feel a lot for the cause you dont know what to do or dont know how to go about it. Well, even i used to think the same thing always but if you have the will to do something for a cause, you will find out ways and do it.I feel in an extremely strong way for this wonderful cause and was finding ways to do
something. Well for starters you can “SPREAD THE MESSAGE”. All my friends who will read this blog can help by spreading this thought to as many people as you can. It wont take you more then 5 minutes to do it but will go a long way in helping to save the animal. Please its a sincere request from me. Also if you dont mind spending about 3 rupees, you can sms TIGER to 56388 or visit NDTV.COM and sign the online petition to save the tiger. It wont take much of your time to do this.

I dont know how many people i will be able to reach or how many will take this
seriously.Some may even laugh at me or feel that “how can my message make any difference”.But it will. Even if you feel that your message wont make any difference but the least you can do is TRY. Its our last chance or else we may lose this wonderful, exotic animal forever.
India has been home to Tigers for a very long time. If one has seen a Tiger they are just awed by the beauty, power and aura of the magnificent beast. Tigers were found all over India and still as many as 16 States of India are home to the Tigers. The latest census report released on 12th. February, 2008 by the Government of India reports that there are only 1411 tigers left. The population of the Tiger has been reduced by nearly 50% and that too in a period of 6 to 7 years.
It is time that emergency and drastic steps are taken to save the pride of jungle and pride of India from becoming extinct.
The causes of the fast decrease in the Tiger population are well known both by the
government and common people. The increasing pressure on Tiger habitats due to
agriculture,industrialization and degradation and fragmentation of natural habitats, forests and natural grasslands are one of the main reasons for the decrease of Tiger population and for that matter all wildlife in India. The immediate effect of this is lack of natural food and habitat causes the wild animals to come out of the forest area. This tends to increase the conflicts between the humans and animals. The other reason for the population decrease is Poaching, which has been on rise recently. There is a slogan I have been hearing for quit some time, " If the buying stops, the selling will stop". I think the rich people who are the only one who can afford buying the skins for their fancies are probably deaf, as they cannot seem to hear the slogan.

The poaching problem should be dealt with strictly by the Government of India and the concerned State Governments. The Forest Department of India is severely understaffed and they do not have the modern weapons and technology to protect the Forest areas. The laws for the animal protection should be revised.
The poachers should be shot dead on sight. How can a forest guard armed with a stick [danda] or an outdated rifle fight the heavily armed poachers to protect the animals. It is time the Government of India acts urgently.
The people of India should also join hands to save the Tiger. NDTV India has started a
campaign to save the Tigers,TIGERS ARE ON the threshold of extinction. According to WWF, Tigers are amongst the ten most endangered species in the world. Over the last century more than 95 per cent of the Tiger population has been wiped out & three sub-species are already extinct. Less than 3500 tigers remain in the wild today with around 50 per cent in India and their numbers are declining fast. The world is abuzz with news, views and moves in a bid to save the Tiger. With just 1411 tigers left in India as per the last count, the government is worried on how to save the national animal. And thus from cellular phone companies to potato chip manufacturers,every other big brand is being roped in to promote the cause.- a cause that is one of the prime concerns of the nation right now.But why do we save the tigers? This articles talks about the reason to behind the worldwide movement to save the big cats. In simple words this piece reasons out why you and me, the common man should be interested in saving the tigers.
Not only is the tiger a beautiful animal but it is also the indicator of the forest's
health. Saving the tiger means we save the forest since the tiger cannot live in places
where trees have vanished and in turn secure food and water for all. If we make sure tigers live, we will have to make sure that deer, antelope and all other animals that the tiger eats or its prey base live. To make sure that these herbivores live, we must make sure that all the trees, grass and other plants that these prey animals need for food are protected.In short, in this way the whole forest gets saved! Saving the tiger means indirectly saving the forests and in turn saving the environment that is reeling under global warming due to massive deforestation. Felling trees takes away the precious soil, leaving behind a wasteland. The soil jams up our lakes and dams, reducing their ability to store water. By destroying the tiger's home, we not only harm tigers, but also ourselves. The tiger thus becomes the symbol for the protection of all species on our earth since it is at the top of the food-chain. This is why we sometimes call the tiger, an apex predator and an indicator of our ecosystem's health. In short, saving the tiger means saving the earth.
Save tigers,
save our earth!
Currently the countries of the world are on the way of the development,
development like changing world into modern and more facilitate environment such as growing of construction business. Before more years the earth is bounded by greenery, but today that is one the way to lost. Number of the forests is reduced on the earth, so we are facing effect of global warming that is the change of climate
on the world.

One look to the India, same situation is here. India is also growing in the
development.There are number of the forests in the India can be reduced, that affects the live life of animals, birds. Everyone of the world come together for protect live life.
Tiger is the national animal of India. Tiger shows strength and huge power of India. Tiger is the pride of India. Tiger is the Indian pride so its time for every Indian comes together for taking steps for saving the tiger in India.
Today the world is developed with powerful technology so you can use the many techniques to save the tigers in India like sms, blogs, articles, advertisement. This process becomes one of the most effective steps to give sound to the Indians for saving tiger life.

EARLY this year, a warning was sounded that there were no tigers in the Sariska reserve in Rajasthan. Soon it became clear that many of the other tiger reserves fared no better, raising serious questions about the practice of tiger conservation and wildlife management in the country.

If the crisis had to be tackled, the real situation in the reserves had to be understood. A Tiger Task Force was set up in April by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to probe the disappearance of the tigers in Sariska. The panel submitted its report earlier in August, along with a dissent note by one of its members. The primary difference was essentially over ways to manage the reserves and conserve the tiger. The people's concern about the issue was heightened by the fundamental differences between the dissenting member and the rest of the Task Force.Public concern about the dwindling tiger population is not new in India. In the late 1960s, the situation of the big cat in India had attracted world-wide attention. Following this, India's first Task Force on tigers was constituted under the chairmanship of Dr. Karan Singh, a keen conservationist and a Rajya Sabha member at the time. Its report, submitted in 1972, formed the blueprint for India's tiger conservation programme called Project Tiger.

In the 1970s, eight tiger reserves were set up in different ecological systems. Each had human settlements in them, which brought enormous pressure on the reserves and the conservation programme. Thus the first Task Force, in an attempt to restrict human activity within the reserves, designated the core of each reserve as a national park and banned all human activity there; the rest of the reserve was termed the buffer area and could sustain human activity. The idea was to relocate people from the core areas, but they could coexist with the cats in the buffer areas.

Since then, 28 tiger reserves have been created across the country. But two Task Forces and 30 years later, the problem of coexistence still persists. In fact, it has worsened. People continue to live in both the core and the buffer areas, the resettlement processes seem to have hardly taken off, and more people have moved into the reserves for various reasons, including deforestation, land degradation and poverty.

THE reports of tigers vanishing from the Sariska reserve came in December 2004. In March 2005, in its interim report, the Wildlife Institute of India confirmed that there were indeed no tigers in Sariska. The Prime Minister then asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter.According to the CBI report, since 2002 poachers have been killing tigers in the reserve; the last of the six big cats were killed in 2004. The CBI pointed to the involvement of the local people. A Tiger Task Force comprising five eminent environmentalists, ecologists and conservationists was soon set up, with Sunita Narain, Director of the Centre for Environment and Science, as the chairperson. The Task Force was to look into Sariska's problem in particular and find out if the problem extended to the other reserves as well.

The Task Force was asked to suggest measures to strengthen tiger conservation; improve the methods of tiger counting and forecasting; place data on tiger conservation in the public domain; work out a new reserves management paradigm; and induce local communities, forest staff and tiger reserve managers to help in the conservation of tigers.According to the Task Force report, Sariska is a pointer to the total collapse of institutions and management systems. The main issue, it points out, is not only of saving the tiger but doing it in the Indian situation, where people have been living inside forests for generations.

While pointing out that forest-dwellers should be relocated wherever possible to ease the biotic pressure on the forests and tigers, the report recommends coexistence between man and animal in other areas owing to the scarcity of land and the paucity of funds (the relocation of all families living inside the 28 tiger reserves is estimated to cost Rs.11,508 crores).

The report states: "The protection of the tiger is inseparable from the protection of the forests it roams in. But the protection of these forests is itself inseparable from the fortunes of people who, in India, inhabit forest areas." The report therefore recommends: "The habitat must be shared between the people and the tigers, so that both can coexist, as they must. The poverty of one, otherwise, will be the destruction of the other."But conservationists who brook no human-tiger coexistence within the reserve areas, argue that the premise of continued coexistence over vast landscapes where tigers thrive ecologically, and people thrive economically, is a recipe for disaster. The Task Force recommendation to relocate people from the priority villages and to devise strategies for coexistence in the other villages, they say, is a bundle of contradictions. They point out that the inherent contradictions in the solution would only lead to further degradation of the tiger habitat.According to them, many communities have lived in equilibrium within forest habitats in the past. But those were times when fewer people lived in the forests and used the resources purely for their own consumption. But today, the numbers of forest-dwellers have gone up and with forest areas shrinking, they put tremendous pressure on the forests and the tigers.

Conservationists argue that each tiger needs to eat at least 50 cow-size animals a year to survive, and if a tiger has to share space with cows and people, the conflict between tiger and man will be eternal and perennial, detrimental to both. They argue that the areas falling within the reserves - barely 1 per cent of the country's land area - should be made inviolate and people living within these areas must be relocated. This, they say, is the only way to resolve the issue and save the tiger.

But the Task Force report argues that nearly half of the tiger population, in fact, lives outside the reserves. It also points out that several families from the 80 villages near the reserves, which were relocated in the past, have returned to the forests. This, the conservationists say, is because of the failure of the resettlement schemes and the way they were implemented. According to conservation and wildlife film-maker Shekar Dattatri (The Hindu, August 13, 2005), a decentralised process, with realistic budgets and involving good local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the handholding of the settlers until they find their feet outside the reserve areas can save the tigers and improve the lives of the people.

The Task Force report, while agreeing that relocation of all forest dwellers is the ideal solution, wonders where the funds would come from, particularly considering that 1,500 villages (66,516 families) still lie within the reserve areas and hardly 80 villages (2,904 families) have been relocated in the past 30 years. At the government-stipulated norm of Rs.1 lakh to relocate a family, the cost works out to Rs.665 crores plus land cost (Rs.11,508 crores at an enhanced rate of Rs.2.5 lakh for a family, including the land cost, which will be Rs.9,645 crores). Contrast this with the Rs.373 crores spent on Project Tiger by both the Central and the States governments in the past 30 years.Conservationists point to such reserves as the Bhadra in Karnataka as good relocation projects, which can be emulated. The report, however, stresses the fact that the Bhadra reserve had spent Rs.8.3 lakhs (including the land cost) to relocate each family. While even Rs.1 lakh to relocate one family is hard to put together, it is difficult to imagine how the country can set aside funds at Rs.8.3 lakh a family for the 1,500 villages located within the reserve areas. Apart from the money, the administration and logistics of relocation are crucial factors, particularly as hardly any land is available for relocation, the report says.

Conservationists argue that the welfare of the communities living inside the forests cannot be ensured by a one-size-fits-all solution. There is a need to devise pragmatic, area-specific solutions that take into account the aspirations of the local people as well as the precarious situation of the reserve areas.

Though there were once as many as 150,000 tigers in the world, there are now only about4,000-5,000. Of the original eight species of tigers, only three are still in existence.Today, there are about 2,500 of the Indian Royal Bengal tigers left. There are also 1,000 Indo-Chinese tigers, 300 Siberian tigers, 300 Sumatran tigers and 20 South China tigers.As a result, the Indian tigers seem to be the most likely to survive in the future. However,it
will even be difficult for them, and their chance of survival might be quite low.Every day,one Indian tiger dies. If this rate of death is allowed to continue, all species of tigers throughout the world will be extinct by 2010.

To prevent this scenario, the Save-the-Tiger Campaign and Project Tiger have successfully created tiger reserves and convinced the Indian government to ban tiger hunting. In the longer term, the groups hope to educate the Indian people about the threat of the extinction of the tigers so that they can help to ensure the tiger's survival.
In an effort to save the remaining tigers in India, the Indian conservation group Tiger
Trust (TT) has begun to work to help the tigers in India's Kanha and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves.Currently, India's tiger population is being seriously threatened by poaching and territory loss. Many traditional medicine markets require tigers, and the growing population of people and cattle in India are taking over land that had been formerly occupied by tigers.formerly occupied by tigers.

India, 12 others vow to double tiger numbers by 2022

2010-11-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

A United Nations-led alliance to fight wildlife crime and eliminate threats to wild cats around the world has pledged to double tiger numbers by 2022 in India and 12 other tiger range countries. The alliance was formed this week at an international forum in St Petersburg, Russia on restoring the global tiger population from the brink of extinction, the UN news centre in UN announced. Heads of five major international agencies also discussed collective actions aimed at stopping the poaching, smuggling and illegal trade of tigers.

"Ending wildlife crime against tigers and other endangered species, particularly transnational trafficking, requires a coordinated global response," said the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Yury Fedotov, who underlined Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's "strong support" for the Tiger Forum.
"Thanks to our expertise based on UN standards and norms in crime prevention and criminal justice, combined with many years of experience helping States to fight crime, UNODC is well positioned to support the Tiger Range Countries," he added.
In 2009, tiger skins sold for up to $20,000 and bones retailed for up to $1,200 per kilogramme with UNODC estimating the total market value at about $5 million.
Over the last century, tiger numbers have plummeted from about 100,000 to less than 3,500 in the wild today, with three sub-species disappearing altogether and the remaining six at risk.
In order to boost tiger conservation efforts, UNODC teamed up with the World Customs Organization (WCO), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), INTERPOL, and the World Bank to establish the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC).
Aided by the ICCWC, the 13 Tiger Range Countries will implement the Global Tiger Recovery Programme which will target poaching, the illegal trade of tigers and habitat conservation, as well as create incentives for local people to protect the big cats.
"ICCWC sends a very clear message that a new era of wildlife law enforcement is upon us," said CITES Secretary-General John Scanlon. "Poaching and illegal trade have brought tigers close to the point of no return. Only if we work together, can we ensure that tigers will survive."
Besides India, other countries that have committed towards implementing the Global Tiger Recovery Programme are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Leonardo DiCaprio Donates $1 Million To Tiger Conservation

2010-11-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

As world leaders gather for a historic summit to save tigers from extinction, Leonardo DiCaprio today committed $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund for urgent tiger conservation efforts through his Fund at the California Community Foundation. DiCaprio will also attend this week’s summit.
Across Asia, tiger numbers have dropped from 100,000 at the beginning of the last century to as few as 3,200 today. Heads of government from the 13 tiger range countries are gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia, for a first-ever summit to save tigers hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. They are expected to announce a Global Tiger Recovery Program with a goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022.
DiCaprio, a WWF board member, recently visited Nepal and Bhutan with WWF experts, touring tiger habitat on elephant back alongside antipoaching staff, meeting with community members, and learning how WWF scientists monitor the park’s tigers. The donation will add to DiCaprio’s existing commitment to tiger conservation during this Year of the Tiger. Earlier this year, he joined forces with WWF in an effort to raise $20 million for tiger conservation through the Save Tigers Now campaign.
“It’s been a pleasure to work with Leo. He cares deeply about the fate of tigers and the human communities with whom they share their habitat. He is committing his time, his wealth, and most importantly, his talent to this cause,” said Carter Roberts, president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund. “His financial commitment will spark urgent on-the-ground conservation for tigers. His storytelling will inspire people around the world to help.”
DiCaprio’s donation will help support anti-poaching efforts and protect critical tiger forests where the needs are most urgent.
“Illegal poaching of tigers for their parts and massive habitat loss due to palm oil, timber and paper production are driving this species to extinction,” said DiCaprio. “If we don’t take action now, one of the most iconic animals on our planet could be gone in just a few decades. By saving tigers, we can also protect some of our last remaining ancient forests and improve the lives of indigenous communities.”
The 13 countries where tigers still exist are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Money raised by DiCaprio and WWF through Save Tigers Now will go to fund antipoaching efforts and habitat protection in the 12 priority landscapes across Asia that WWF believes represent the best locations to maintain viable, thriving populations of tigers. The money will also fund advocacy and outreach activities to build support for tiger conservation.

India: battleground to save the tiger

2010-11-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

Efforts to save the tiger, set to be addressed at a conference in Russia next week, will depend for a large part on the effectiveness of the shield India has tried to throw over the animal.
The country is home to more than half of the world's rapidly dwindling wild tigers, but even its conservation program, said by the government to be the world's most comprehensive, has failed to halt the creature's decline.
In the land that inspired Rudyard Kipling's legendary Jungle Book stories - featuring the cunning tiger protagonist Shere Khan - authorities are in danger of losing their battle against poachers and other man-made problems.
The picture is similar across the Asian region where one of nature's most revered hunters teeters on the brink of extinction.
"Despite all the efforts, we are still facing challenges at various levels to end the poaching problem," Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in New Delhi last week.
The tiger population in India has fallen to 1411, from about 3700 estimated to be alive in 2002 and the 40,000 estimated to be roaming across India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.
"Besides poaching, the tiger in India faces new threats - the destruction of its habitat due to industrial expansion, mining projects and construction of dams near protected reserves," Ramesh said.
The Indian government in 2007 swung into action by setting up a new tiger protection force, chalked out some bold and urgent steps to end the poaching menace and pledged to pump the equivalent of millions of dollars into the program.
Authorities are also moving villagers out of reserve areas to secure natural habitat for the tigers and are transferring animals from one reserve to another in a bid to boost populations.
A report by wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC said parts from 1000 tigers slain by poachers across Asia have been seized over the past decade.
"Tiger skins fetch anywhere around $US11,000 ($A11,264) to $US21,000 ($A21,505) and bones are sold for about $US1000 ($A1024) in China," said Rajesh Gopal, the chairman of the National Tiger Conservation Authority in New Delhi.
"There is a huge demand for these items in China and poachers take all the risk to make high profits."
Across Asia, the tiger figures are alarming.
According to 2009 International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List, there are 70 tigers in Bhutan, between 10 and 50 in Cambodia, about 40 in China, 300 in Malaysia, 100 in Burma, 350 in Russia, more than 250 in Thailand and fewer than 100 in Vietnam.
"There are just 3200 tigers left across the world - this is a scary figure," Ramesh said last week ahead of the Global Tiger Summit in St Petersburg which starts on Sunday.
The director of the Wildlife Protection of India, Belinda Wright, is sceptical about the agenda of the summit, which will seek to double the number of tigers by 2020.
"It sounds very ambitious and positive that we will have 6000 tigers in two decades, but tell me how will they do it without being able to save the existing ones?" Wright told AFP.
"Patchy intelligence-gathering techniques across Asia and lack of cross-border commitment to end the sale of tiger parts has led to a collective failure."
A major trafficking route begins in India and ends in China, where tiger parts are highly prized as purported cures for a range of ailments and as aphrodisiacs.
India's porous border with neighbouring Nepal, home to 121 Royal Bengal tigers, acts as a smuggling corridor for poachers, who bribe poor forest dwellers to guide them through the dense jungles.
This year the Nepalese government pledged to double the number of tigers, but campaigners say the deeply impoverished country lacks the funding to carry through on the promise.
In Bangladesh, another of India's neighbours, chief wildlife conservator Tapan Kumar Dey says tiger numbers have risen since 2004, when a United Nations-funded census found 440, but this is disputed by some observers.
Dey said doubling the tiger population was impossible for Bangladesh.
"The unique mangrove ecosystem, a tiger habitat, cannot be expanded to encourage more tigers, plus there is not enough food - largely spotted deer - to sustain an increased tiger population," he said.

Tiger death: Govt wakes up finally; allots Rs 30cr

2010-11-18T05:24:00.000-08:00

Sariska, Nov 18: The death of the tiger in Sariska reserve finally made the government to wake up as beside increasing the security power at the region, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh announced Rs 30 crore to the reserve.

The huge amount of money has been allotted to the reserve to utilise it by 2011 to speed up the relocation of villagers from the forest area.

Granting the money, Jairam stated, "It is a wake up call for us," however, he also informed that the first installment of Rs 10 crore will be given in Dec 2010.

"The next six to eight months are crucial and we have to act fast so that the relocation programme for re-establishing a tiger population in Sariska becomes a success," asserted Jairam on Nov 18.

In Sariska, a big cat, relocated from Ranthambore in 2008, was found dead and another tiger was missing from last week, reported the reserve official on Nov 16.

Honeymooning couple leaves behind a trail of woes for forest officials

2010-11-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

RANTHAMBHORE: The celeb couple Russell Brand and Katy Perry on Monday flew to Maldives for their honeymoon, but left behind a trail of tough questions for the state officials to answer over alleged disregard for wildlife, environment and civic laws during their wedding near the tiger reserve.

An activist and a lawyer of Ranthamhore has lodged a criminal complaint against the couple and friends and a forest official of the tiger reserve for violating the Wildlife Protection Act.

The petition was filed in the court of chief judicial magistrate of Sawaimadhopur on Monday. The hearing will take place on October 30.

While Brand and Perry left the country in a chartered flight, their friends named in the complaint too have returned.

The petition filed by advocate Akshay Sharma, who runs an organisation Ranthambhore Park Bachao Samiti, in his petition alleged that the Hollywood couple committed gross violation of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act by playing loud music and keeping the decorative lights on beyond the the stipulated limit of 10pm last Saturday.

The petitioner said it was gross violation of the Section 29, 30, 31 and 32 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and therefore punishable under law.

Apart from the couple, Brand's friend Daniel Javed and his security guard John Conson are also named in the petition along with the manager of the luxury resort Aman-e- Khas at Ranthambhore. The petitioner charged the forest officer of Ranthambhore RS Shekhawat of negligence of duty under Section 166 of the IPC.

Sharma said on October 22, when Brand along with his friends went on a safari inside the tiger reserve, some photographers tried clicking their pictures. On seeing this, Brand's security person John Conson attacked a photographer.

The complaint states that the security person took away the keys of the jeep, in which the photogrphers were tavelling, leaving the latter stranded in the jungle.

The petitioner blamed the forest officer for allowing the security person and Brand to go scot-free.

A few days ago, chief minister Ashok Gehlot, on a visit to the Ranthambore national park received complaints against the inconvenience caused by the wedding to the locals and the wildlife. Following which, the CM had ordered an inquiry into the matter. The reports have been submitted to the district magistrate of Sawaimadhopur.

Russell Gifts A Tigress To Katy As A Wedding Gift

2010-11-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

Russell Brand and Katy Perry, got married on Saturday in India at the luxury resort, Aman-i-Khas, in Jaipur. After the wedding, Russell Brand gifted Katy the most extraordinary wedding gift, a Tigress.

The tigress, named Machli, lives in the Ranthambore National Park. Russell Brand bought the tigress with thousands of pounds. The Tigress is known to the epitome of beauty and according to Russell reminds him of Katy Perry. The tigress will be left back in India but Russell will look after the welfare of the tigress on Katy's behalf.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry's wedding was according to Christian ways but they have also followed some Indian tradition. Katy looked beautiful in a sari and henna in her hands. The venue was also decorated with designer lamps and flowers. Among other guests, two elephants were also part of the ceremony.

Rihanna, who was rumoured to be the bridesmaid, did not attend the wedding in India but Katy takes no offense in that. Rihanna is busy in Las Vegas and Katy completely understands that.

Belinda Wright: An inspiration for all

2010-11-07T05:17:00.000-08:00

Belinda Wright is a well known Indian conservationist. She is also a prominent wild life photographer of India. Belinda Wright has founded and is the Executive Director of Wildlife Protection Society of India. Belinda Wright was born in the year 1953. Her mother Anne Wright is Founder Trustee of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-India), which was established in late 1960s. Further, she was also a member of the Tiger Task Force commissioned by Indira Gandhi, for selecting nine tiger reserves in order to launch Project Tiger in the year 1973. Belinda Wright`s father Robert Hamilton Wright spent a lot of time working with East India Charitable Trust that runs several charity schools and old people`s homes.

Belinda Wright has spent her life working on wildlife issues in India. Belinda Wright spent her early days in the forests of Bihar, especially around the area which is now under Palamau Tiger Reserve. Belinda Wright has worked for several years with National Geographic Channel and also made films for BBC channel. She won two Emmy Awards in the year 1985 and 14 other big international awards for her film `Land of the Tiger`, which she made for the channel National Geographic. She spent around two years following the lives of the wild tigers in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and Kanha Tiger Reserve In the year 1994, Belinda Wright founded the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). It was founded with the objective of helping to ward off the wildlife crises of the country by giving support and information to fight against poaching and the increasing illegal wildlife trade.

Belinda Wright achieved recognition for her services to the conservation of wildlife and endangoured species in India.
Belinda Wright spotted her first tiger- when other
kids may not even differentiate mother from father-at the age of three
months. With both parents lover of wild life, passion for tigers is in her
DNA as she terms tiger the most charismatic mammal on planet. Her mother
Anne Wright was a member of the Tiger Task Force that was commissioned by
the late Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, to select nine tiger
reserves for the launch of Project Tiger. Following in the foot steps, the
daughter went to become wild life photographer & movie maker before founding
Wild Life Protection Society of India in 1994, an NGO working for wild life
conservation. It provides information, training & legal support to
enforcement authorities to combat poaching. WPSI has established a network
of informers throughout the India & prepared a comprehensive database on
wild life crime. Belinda traveled extensively in Tibet to unearth links of
Shahtoosh-Tiger trade.

Her father Robert Hamilton Wright received the "Officer of the Order of the
British Empire" or OBE, while Anne was awarded "Member of the Most Excellent
Order of the British Empire". In 2003 Belinda, following her parents was
awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire services to the
protection of wildlife and endangered species in India".

Over the past 100 years wild tiger numbers have declined 97% worldwide. In India, where there are 39 tiger reserves and 663 protected areas, there may be only 1,400 wild tigers left, according to a 2008 census, and possibly as few as 800, according to estimates by some experts. Illegal poaching remains the primary cause of the tiger's decline, driven by black market demand for tiger skins, bones and organs. One of India's leading conservationists, Belinda Wright has been on the forefront of the country's wildlife issues for over three decades. While her organization, the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), does not carry the global recognition of large international NGOs, her group’s commitment to the preservation of tigers, their habitat, and the Indian people who live with these apex predators, is one reason tigers still exist!

Help the Indian Tigers survive! It's never too late!

2010-11-04T03:25:00.000-07:00

These days, everywhere I go, I am seeing hoardings saying 'Just 1411 Left'. Normally, I would groan and grumble on seeing the figure of 1411 on my shopping bills; sounds too much, but when it comes to the no. of tigers, don't you think it's too small a number representing a species. Statistics suggest that with the end of the last century we had lost 3 out of 8 tiger species. The three being, the Caspian, Balinese and Javan.

And by extinction, you know what I mean, I am sure I haven't seen them and my kids and grandkids won't even know they existed. They are just names. Sitting in my air conditioned room, I can't even imagine what these magnificent animals are facing. I mean it is tough to imagine that today these charismatic animals are poisoned, trapped, shot and killed for monetary gains. Such a miserable death to such a royal animal. Miserable or not, why should they have to die. Sometimes, I like to substitute human beings in the statistics and imagine how it would feel if there were just 1411 of them left. Sounds like some sci fi movie, but is definitely scary and obviously I wouldn't be alive myself. Somebody else will be counting.

The Sub Species of Tigers
As mentioned already, there are 8 sub species of tigers, of which, 3 are extinct. The names of the 8 species of tigers are:

Bengal Tiger
Indochinese Tiger
Sumatran Tiger
Amur/Siberian Tiger
South Chinese Tiger
Javan Tiger (extinct)
Caspian Tiger (extinct)
Bali Tiger (extinct)

In the list, the ones that don't have extinct attached to their name, are endangered and may be, will soon have the extinct surname (thanks to human beings) and interestingly, scientists have suggested that South Chinese Tiger is already 'functionally extinct'.

Endangered Tiger Facts

Tiger: Physical Characteristics
Coming to the tigers' bio-data, it is the largest member of the cat family. Their size varies according to the species and the gender. Though the average height is 3 feet, standing and 5-7 feet from head to the back. Additionally, their tail averages to about 3 feet. The weight of these animals ranges between 175-650 pounds.

Tiger in the Food Chain
Socially or say 'jungally', tigers stand on the top of the food pyramid. They are the unofficial kings of the jungle and their only enemies are human beings. So, they are the hunters of the jungle, eating anything from a deer to a seal. Their hunting skills are one of the best and nobody defeats them on that, except our very own villains the Poachers. Poachers hunt and kill them for their fur, teeth and many other such absurd reasons. Just one kill makes a poacher richer by many folds, so it's difficult to convince people not to kill them. What we need are stricter rules and dedicated activists and forest rangers, who make sure that these precious creatures aren't harmed in anyway.

World Population of Tigers
According to statistics, the world population of tiger in early 1900s was around 100,000 and it depleted to 40,000 by 1950s. A major fall in their population came in the 1970s, when their numbers drastically depleted to 4000, owing to wide scale poaching for their fur and Chinese medications and some rare delicacies (human being=shameless). Even today, people in countries like Korea, Taiwan, China and India earn their living by killing these magnificent animals. The first thing we have to do is stop the trade of animal fur and body parts. When there will be no demand, there won't be any killing (hoping). Current day statistics suggest that there are around 5000-7000 tigers left in the world, of which 1411 are in the Indian subcontinent.

Enemies of the Endangered Tigers

Poaching: Killing of tigers for their parts is being done since ages. Some communities use up each and every part of a tiger once it is murdered. And not to mention, they earn a lot.
Hunting: Hunting tigers used to be a favorite pastime for royal people. Killing a tiger and keeping the head as a trophy is an age-old tradition. And it is still done at some places.
Depleting Habitat: Tigers are said to be an umbrella species, so in order to protect them, we have to not only work on their numbers, we also need to protect their habitat and other animals related to them, like the animals that form their food.
Chinese Medicines: These medicines have been around since thousands of years and they use up each and every part of this beautiful animal and ironically, they have no scientific proof that they work.

Save Tigers from Extinction - How
Organizations across the globe are working hard to protect this feline animal. But their efforts are lacking somewhere. Given the size of the habitat, it is practically impossible to protect each and every animal. Though people are trying, it is still not enough. There are organizations which are working tirelessly, so that each animal is safe and lives its complete natural life. Governments have banned poaching and have made wildlife sanctuaries where these animals are allowed to live freely and protected thoroughly from human beings, but somewhere the efforts are failing, because of human negligence and at some places because of human greed. Corruption has lead to cases where the protectors themselves allowed these animals to be killed for a handsome amount of money. So, this proves that nothing can win the human mind. A tiger will be safe only when human beings will understand why it is important and necessary to save them. Making sanctuaries and encircling them with barbs is not enough when one human mind can fail all this in a single night.

In my opinion, it is high time that all these animals are collected and clubbed together in a high security facility, away from human beings. There is no need to keep them in zoos and sanctuaries. They will be better off away from human sight. It's high time that some extreme steps are taken and these animals are protected and bred to increase their numbers.

It is very heart wrenching to note that the majestic animal which commands such power,has been left in a state so low where it is at the mercy of the heartless poachers and animal traffickers. Out of the wonderful number just a few years back,the number of tigers in my country has declined to a shocking 1411 or maybe less than that!

We talk about development. Recently our country hosted the Commonwealth Games 2010! It was a success for sure! Sources tell that almost 70 crores were spent on the games. What if we could spent only 0.1% of that amount to renew the reserves for our tigers and provide them a better place to live?

The realization has dawned late but better than never. Steps have been taken to create awareness and stop the encroachment and harm caused by our carelessness, but a lot has to be put into action yet. Everyone feels so happy when they wear a slogan T-shirt. But unless those proceeds are going to an organization that practically DOES something, they are just empty words on fabric or a computer screen.

The problem with ‘Save our Tigers’ campaign is it lacks relevance. The urban people aren’t the ones who directly affect the dwindling population of the big cat. This campaign should have rightly been targeted at the poachers and other villagers who encroach into the tiger’s habitat. By becoming a fan in a Facebook or following in Twitter isn’t going to help the animal. The poachers aren’t going to read what I blog. Let’s get practical.

All of us are aware of the many benefits the tigers provide and the fact tat its hunted and killed for every part of its body from head to toe is just saddening.

Everyone has the right to live,humans or animals. Humans have no right to disturb the balance of nature by their selfish acts. If the poachers are to be blamed,den so are our wildlife protection authorities and the people who encourage such acts by purchasing what is sold!

SAY NO! As every voice counts, every thought matters!

So here i am sharing my concern!

Save our tigers!

Save our nationality!

News Update

3 Royal Bengal tiger cubs born in Guwahati zoo
Bengal tiger which killed three goats trapped

Sunderbans big cats get smaller

The scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have found significant differences between the tigers found in the Sunderbans delta and those found in the rest of the country. They feel that the “smaller and lighter” tigers of the deltaic region could have evolved into a sub-species of Royal Bengal Tiger, as the big cats have adapted to the ecological conditions of their habitat, which remains inundated by the tidal waves.

“The tigers found in the Sunderbans could be a different sub-species of Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), which is found all across the India,” said Dr Yadvendradev Jhala, a scientist at the WII who is examining the reasons that could have led to the tigers developing deviant features.

“There could be genetic or adaptive reason behind this. For a different species, it takes about one million years to evolve but for a different sub-species can evolve in 20,000 to 50,000 years,” said Jhala.

WWF: Saving tigers should be the concern of all

2010-10-26T06:20:00.000-07:00

PETALING JAYA: Animal trafficking is not an area best left to the experts but should be the concern of every member of the public, said Traffic Southeast Asia and Worldwide Fund (WWF) Malaysia in a joint statement.

Commending a public tip-off that resulted in the rescue of a tiger cub in Pahang recently, Traffic Southeast Asia and WWF encouraged the public to report any suspicious incidents involving the country's wildlife.

“All too often, trafficked tigers are seized only after they have been killed and butchered,” they said in their statement.

“Timely information from the public makes a world of difference and help enforcement agencies ensure these endangered animals stay alive.

"Without public information, who knows what might have become of this cub that was rescued two weeks ago.”

According to a Bernama report, officers from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) Pahang, acting on a tip, raided a shop in Pekan on Oct 15 and rescued the cub.

The cub has since been sent to the Melaka Zoo.

Two people who stood to make RM30,000 from the sale of the cub were arrested. They face a maximum fine of RM6,000 or jailed for not more than six years under Section 65 of the Protection of Wild Life Act 1972.

Just 500 tigers left in Malaysia

Traffic Southeast Asia and WWF urged the authorities to find out about the cub's origins, and also determine if the two arrested were illegal poachers.

They also said that enforcement of the new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) which comes into effect soon would deter hunters from using Malaysia as a poaching destination.

“Without deterrent sentences, poaching will continue and Malaysia will lose its remaining tigers to brazen thievery,” the statement read.

Once home to hundreds of thousands of tigers, Malaysia only has about 500 left.

WWF-Malaysia started a tiger-related project earlier this year. Known simply as TX2 (tiger times two), the project intends to double Malaysia's tiger population by 2022.

Members of the public who wish to report suspicious situations involving wildlife can call the Wildlife Crime Hotline managed by the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) at 019 3564194.

The Department of Wildlife and National Parks can also be contacted at 03 88861585 or 03 90866800.

Poacher shot dead in Rajaji Park

2010-10-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

Rajaji National Park director SS Rasaily said on Thursday that a forest department employee who was patrolling the area encountered a group of about a dozen persons armed with spears and firearms atop a ridge in the Dhaulkhand area which is part of the core zone of the national park. When challenged, one of them opened fire at the forest guard. The guard fired a round in the air to scare the intruders away. But the bullet hit a resident of Bullawala village, Babu Lal, who died, while others in the group escaped.

The director claimed that the group had entered the core zone with the intention of poaching and had taken Babu Lal along as a guide and for the task of skinning and cutting the animal that they poached.

The forest guard had fired in self-defence on Wednesday, it was stated. The RNP director said the man was part of a group of persons who had entered the core zone of RNP with the intention of poaching, especially tigers which are known to inhabit the Dhaulkhand area.

The police has, however, registered a case of murder against the Rajaji National Park director for the death of Babu Lal, because a large number of villagers had reached the site of the incident when the RNP director and Doiwala SHO were on the spot. Some of the villagers alleged that Babu Lal had gone to the forest to collect grass used for making brooms.

However, the RNP director denied these claims while countering the villagers’ claim that the men had entered the forest area to collect grass. According to Rasaily, it is strange that the group of persons carrying spears and a firearm travelled a distance of about 15 km from the village through rough jungle terrain and crossed a ridge purportedly to cut and collect a type of grass which is found commonly in various areas, including on the outskirts of the village. The Dhaulkhand area, which is part of the core zone of the RNP, is known for tigers.

The RNP administration also plans to file an FIR against the persons who were part of the group of poachers involved in the altercation which resulted in the death of Babu Lal.

U.S. urged to regulate 'backyard tigers'

2010-10-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

While some tigers are housed in zoos, many more are privately owned, often free to roam backyards, urban apartments and are generally kept in "deplorable conditions," the report says.

(CNN) -- Rising numbers of captive tigers in the United States are putting citizens at risk and could be fueling illegal trade in animal parts, which threatens their survival in the wild, conservationists have warned.
"Tigers Among US," published by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network estimates that there are more than 5,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S. compared with around 3,200 that remain wild across Asia.
Leigh Henry, WWF senior policy officer for Species Conservation told CNN: "We've seen photos and there's a video on our website showing tigers walking around muddy wet cages."
But its the size of the enclosures that is most distressing, Henry says, "when you know tigers are supposed to be ranging over hundreds and hundreds of acres."
Current U.S. regulation on tiger ownership is "a patchwork of federal laws" full of "exceptions, exemptions and loopholes," the report says.
A majority of U.S. states (28) don't allow citizens to keep tigers as pets, while 17 have laws which regulate their ownership.

"We want to know where all these animals are, who owns them, when they're sold and transferred, when they are born, when they die...
--Leigh Henry, WWF

But in some states there are no regulations at all, making it easier to own a tiger than to adopt a dog, with sometimes tragic consequences.
In 2003, a 10-year-old boy was killed by his aunt's pet tiger in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
In the same year, celebrity tiger handler Roy Horn (of Siegfried and Roy fame) was mauled during a performance at Las Vegas's Mirage Hotel.
Nevada and North Carolina are two of eight U.S. states (Alabama, Idaho, Ohio, South Carolina West Virginia and Wisconsin are the others) which currently have no laws regulating private ownership of tigers.
These yawning gaps in regulation could be resolved by implementing "a central reporting system and database run by the federal government and that would be required for all tigers in the U.S. without exception," Henry says.
"We want to know where all these animals are, who owns them, when they're sold and transferred, when they are born, when they die, so we have a better grasp on what going on with this immense population of tigers to ensure they are not filtering into illegal trade," Henry said.
It is hard to put an exact figure on just how lucrative the black market is, Henry says, but she estimates that a tiger broken up and sold in parts could fetch anywhere between $30,000 to $100,000.
Find out more about captive tigers in the U.S.
Some states, like Iowa, are leading the way. They recently implemented a ban on private ownership, Henry says.
"They put in this great regulatory system which requires DNA identification, photo identification and very strict deporting and registration systems for the tigers already in the state," Henry told CNN.
The U.S. is one of the world leaders in the promotion of tiger conservation but the U.S. also has a responsibility to manage tigers in its own backyard, Henry says.
"By clamping down on this issue, we can better cooperate with other nations holding large numbers of captive tigers to prevent trade in these animals from threatening their wild counterparts," Henry said.
This latest assessment updates a 2008 TRAFFIC report "Paper Tigers? The Role of the U.S. Captive Tiger Population in the Trade in Tiger Parts."
World leaders will gather in St Petersburg, Russia at the end of November for a Global Tiger Summit to discuss proposals which will further protect breeding populations, habitats and inhibit poaching and international trade.

Their long term goal is to double the worldwide tiger population in the wild by the time the Chinese celebrate the Year of the Tiger again in 2022.

Russian tiger summit offers 'last chance' to save species in the wild

2010-10-22T07:56:00.001-07:00

The Global Tiger Summit in St Petersburg next month will bring together the 13 countries that still have wild tigers, along with conservation organisations, in an attempt to thrash out a global recovery plan. Britain and the US are also being urged to attend.

Leaders of the few remaining countries where tigers are still found in the wild are preparing for a make-or-break summit in Russia, which they believe offers the last chance to save the critically endangered animal.
The WWF (formerly the World Wide Fund for Nature) says it is optimistic about the summit's chances of success, but warns that failure will lead to the extinction of the tiger across much of Asia. The draft communique for the summit, seen by the Observer, notes that in the past decade tiger numbers worldwide have fallen by 40% and warns that "Asia's most iconic animal faces imminent extinction in the wild".
It concludes: "By the adoption of this, the St Petersburg Declaration, the tiger range countries of the world call upon the international community to join us in turning the tide and setting the tiger on the road to recovery."
The challenge was illustrated clearly last week when hidden camera footage showed the destruction of part of the Sumatran tigers' Indonesian forest home to make way for illegal palm oil plantations. Meanwhile, in Singapore undercover officers seized several tiger skins that had been advertised for sale online.
Organisers of the summit, which is backed by the World Bank, hope agreements can be reached that will lead to a doubling of tiger numbers by 2022. But some conservationists fear it is already too late and the summit will be another talking shop that fails to deliver results.
Tiger numbers worldwide have collapsed from an estimated 100,000 over the past century, due to poaching and human encroachment. It is now thought there are no more than 3,200 tigers in the wild, of which only about 1,000 are breeding females. The situation is so critical that four of the 13 countries attending the summit – China, Vietnam, Cambodia and North Korea – no longer have viable breeding populations, according to a study released last month.
The study – produced by researchers from Cambridge University, the World Bank and the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society – concluded that "current approaches to tiger conservation are not slowing the decline in tiger numbers, which has continued unabated over the last two decades".
It recommended that, rather than trying to save all the remaining tigers, governments should concentrate on sites that provided the most realistic chance of supporting a breeding population. "Conflict with local people needs to be mitigated. We argue that such a shift in emphasis would reverse the decline of wild tigers and do so in a rapid and cost-efficient manner."
The study will have made uncomfortable reading for the host nation. It found there had been a "dramatic decline" in tiger numbers in the Russian far east over the past five years – understood to be about a 15% drop – which it associated with a decline in anti-poaching enforcement.
The Siberian tiger – also known as the Amur tiger – nearly went extinct in the middle of the last century, when numbers fell below 50, but there are now thought to be more than 400 left in the wild. Suggestions that numbers have dipped again will not have pleased Russia's prime minister, Vladimir Putin, who will be hosting the summit and who has been keen to portray himself as a rugged protector of the animals.
In 2008 he accepted a tiger cub as a birthday present (the donor was never disclosed) and in the same year was at the centre of an extraordinary drama when it was claimed that he shot an Amur tiger with a tranquilliser dart to save the lives of a television crew. The team had been filming him taking part in a conservation exercise when the animal apparently broke free and charged.
But not only Russia is struggling to save the tiger. Earlier this year the Observer revealed how India's tiger population remained in decline, with some conservationists estimating that only 800 remained in the wild, significantly fewer than the official claim of 1,411.
Events in India in recent weeks have demonstrated just how great the challenge is. In the Panna reserve, which had to be restocked from other national parks last year, two young tigers have gone missing and are presumed dead. The human-tiger conflict for land was illustrated when three people in Uttar Pradesh, just 150km from the national capital Delhi, were attacked in an area not previously associated with tigers.
In Indonesia, a hidden WWF camera shot footage of a rare Sumatran tiger in the forests of Bukit Betabuh. Later, the same camera filmed a bulldozer clearing the area – apparently for a palm oil plantation – and then recorded the tiger returning to the scene of devastation.
But despite the gloomy picture the summit's backers remain optimistic. Diane Walkington, the WWF's head of species programme in the UK, said that considerable progress had already been made to sketch out a global recovery plan and to concentrate the minds of politicians on the problem.
"Tiger numbers can recover, but you can never take your eye off the ball," she said. "We are down to 3,200 and that is a really low number." The solution, she said, was international co-operation to tackle issues such as smuggling. She cited deals between China and Nepal as an example of how that can bear dividends. But she warned that, with numbers so low, the tiger would not get another chance. "I think that if this is not a success we will see tigers going extinct in much of Asia," she said.
Some conservationists worry that the summit is more about politicians wanting to be seen to be doing something, rather than tackling the issues on the ground, such as the encroachment into tigers' traditional territory by poor farmers in search of land.
Aditya Singh, a conservationist and wildlife photographer who spends much of his time among the tigers of India's Ranthambore national park, said previous summits had involved a group of leaders seeking answers to a problem they did not understand.
"There is little or no ground-level representation. As a result, the real practical problems never get highlighted," he said. "There is no link between field workers and conservation leaders. They do not even know each other's problems and the conservation efforts are not co-ordinated. Kind of like the climate summit."
The "tiger range" countries attending the conference are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Adopt a tiger @ 15,000

2010-10-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

Want to adopt a tiger for a month? It will cost you only Rs 15,000. No, this is no joke. According to the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) latest scheme launched on October 1, 2010, to commemorate the Wildlife Week, animal lovers can adopt their favourite animals in the Late Rajiv Gandhi Zoo and Wildlife Research Centre, Katraj, for a limited period of time.

In return, during that period, they will get unlimited free access to the zoo. Their names and photos will be displayed near the beneficiary’s enclosure. That’s not all. The sponsors will also get a tax rebate on their payment.

This scheme has been implemented at the Mysore, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Delhi zoos. The range of sponsorship starts from Rs 4,000 and goes up to Rs 45,000.

Till date, over 20 different organisations and people have sought information about this project. But nobody has come ahead with sponsorships as yet.

Zoo statsThe 164-acre zoo is run by the PMC and gets financial aid from the Central Zoo Authority. The planning mainly aims at giving the 16 types of animals a natural habitat in an enclosed area.

Indigenous natural enclosures have been created for tigers, monkeys, sambar, bears and other animals. At least 2,500 to 3,000 people visit the zoo daily. This number goes up to 10,000-15,000 on weekends and holidays.

The sponsorship dealThe sponsorship charges cover the food and maintenance of the animal. PMC will display the sponsor’s name and photo near the adopted animal’s enclosure.

Sponsors will get unlimited free access to the zoo during that period. They will also get to travel in a battery-operated car, which will also be free.

Funds will be used for zoo devpt tooRajkumar Jadhav, deputy superintendent of the zoo, said, “We have started this project from October 1. Over 15-20 organisations including individuals enquired about it.

People can also sponsor the entire zoo for a day by paying Rs 50,000. And all sponsors will be eligible for tax rebate. This project is running successfully in Delhi, Mysore and Hyderabad.

We will use the funds generated from this project for the development of the infrastructure in the zoo. Our revenue on weekends is Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 15, 000-20,000 on weekdays. The tally for 2009-10 is Rs 1.39 crore.”

R’than govt nod for mining near Sariska tiger reserve

2010-10-22T07:53:00.001-07:00

Jaipur: The beauty of the Aravalliflanked Sariska Reserve may soon be a thing of past with Rajasthan government granting 40 new mining leases in the eco-sensitive zone, something that’ll leave the area pock-marked with quarries and pose a threat to an ambitious tiger rehabilitation project.

    The government sanctioned the leases on Tuesday on a plea that Aravalli range, where stone mining had been sanctioned, had contours less than 100 feet, which is not considered as a hill as per state government norms.

    Earlier this year, Supreme Court banned quarrying for stone in the Aravallis of neighbouring Haryana state, holding the mining companies guilty of violating zoning laws and not filling up excavated craters. Later it said some mining may be allowed but only when Haryana government adopts a mining policy based on an SC-appointed committee’s guidelines.

    While Rajasthan authorities have interpreted norms to their convenience to sanction fresh leases, their decision is seen as a setback to efforts to rehabilitate tigers in the Sariska as mining could damage the ecology of the region and jeopardise the survival of big cats. Five tigers have already been relocated to Sariska from Ranthambore and forest officials plan to shift more in the coming months.

    Reports suggest the new leases have gone to a few Haryana-based companies at villages such as Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in the vicinity of Sariska sanctuary.

    “This shows how powerful and manipulative the mining lobby is. While the department of mines and geology and forests are justifying their decision on the grounds that the hills are less than 100m in height, they should know that there is no such classification by the Supreme Court. This is the department’s own creation and a gross violation of Forest (Conservation) Act 1980,’’ said Y K Singh Chauhan, conservator of forests, ministry of environment and forests.

    However, V S Singh, principal secretary, forests and environment, who heads the special committee on Aravalli Notification in Alwar, claimed new leases will not disturb forest areas and are not near any water body.

    The Supreme Court had on April 8, 2002, restrained mining in Aravallis and forest areas in Rajasthan where permission had been accorded after Dec. 16, 2002, pending further decision.

    While the SC specified that all lease renewals would be considered as fresh applications, the Rajasthan government chose to interpret it to their convenience and went ahead renewing leases without requisite permission from the ministry of environment and forests.

Mining threat looms over Sariska tigers

2010-10-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Jaipur: Putting a question mark on the ambitious Tiger conservation project in the Sariska Tiger reserve, the Rajasthan government has approved 40 new mining leases in the Aravallis.

The fate of big cats, about which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed concern, hangs in balance following the controversial move by the Congress government in the state. Sariska has a total of five tigers – relocated from the Ranthambore national park.

As per a report published in a newspaper Thursday, the government has given its green signal to mining in the sensitive zone on the premise that the Aravalli range is less than 100m in height, which is not considered a hill as per state government norms.

Importantly, the Supreme Court had banned all sorts of mining/quarrying activities in the Arvallis in neighboring Haryana.

The news report, quoting Y K Singh Chauhan, conservator of forests, ministry of environment and forests, further says that approval of the licenses is indicative of the extent of the reach of the mining lobby and is a gross violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980. If corrective actions are not taken soon, the national animal roaming freely in the beautiful Sariska Reserve may soon become a rare site.

NTCA panel to visit Bander project on Friday

2010-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

NAGPUR: The three-member NTCA committee of experts will examine the proposed Bandar Coal Mining Project by the Bander Coal Company Private Limited (BCCPL), Mumbai, in Chimur tehsil of Chandrapur district on Friday.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on July 2 this year had appointed experts Urmila Pingle, Kishor Rithe and GN Vankhede to do a site appraisal of coal sector, thermal power project proposals vis-Ã -vis the buffer-corridor areas of tiger reserves in Central India. However, Bander was left out that time. The same panel was also asked to examine proposed Bander mines.

Pingle has communicated her inability to participate due to other assignments. However, Vankhede and Rithe would be conducting the site visit on October 8 at 10am. The members will consult officials, stakeholders and project proponent at Chandrapur. The panel will later visit the proposed site.

On Saturday, the members will reach Chhindwara at 10am and examine proposed sites of Tandsi III and Tandsi III extension underground coal mine project (0.4 MTPA) of Mideast Integrated Steels Ltd in Chhindwara district. The project is coming up in 326 hectares.

A lot of hue and cry was raised after Bander coal blocks, near Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), were not included for inspection in the 15 projects in Chandrapur district and Chhindwara that were examined by the NTCA panel two months ago.

The BCCPL was allotted coal blocks for Bander underground and opencast mines on May 29, 2009 to extract 175.110 million tonnes of coal. Although the proposed mining area falls in Brahmapuri Forest Division, the underground and opencast mine are 7.5km and 9km from the TATR boundary.

Maneater on the prowl, mauls 3 in Mathura

2010-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Barely 150km from Delhi, near Mathura, a lone tiger mauled three people in the village of Satah on Monday morning. Not only did the incident terrify residents but also caught forest officials and other experts off guard as this was definitely not a known tiger territory.

The forest department, with help from Wildlife SOS Delhi, set up traps to catch the animal on Monday but were unsuccessful. "We are also expecting help from the Rajasthan wildlife department. While nothing is confirmed so far, the tiger probably strayed from the Bharatpur area since it is the closest known place that can support a tiger population," said Kartick Satyanarayan, director, Wildlife SOS.

According to sources, the animal was spotted around 6am on Monday, around 1km from the highway. "The Satah village area mostly consists of fields. The animal was probably seen when it was crossing from one field to another. Initially, it attacked the first person it saw in the field and then attacked others as they came to rescue the injured person. Three people have sustained serious injuries. However, it doesn't seem to be a maneater and probably attacked in defence since it has used only its paws and not its teeth," said Dr K L Meena, DFO, Mathura.

According to reports, the entire area has been fenced off but angry villagers broke through the barriers to attack the animal. Police had to be brought in to manage the situation. Meena added that traps had been laid to catch the big cat. "A goat has been used as a bait and our men are stationed on a neem tree near this cage. We are hoping to sedate the animal," he said.

While not too many details were available about the gender or age of the animal, experts said that this was definitely a transient tiger. "I don't have details with me but if this is a sub-adult or juvenile, it could have been displaced either in a turf war or was out to hunt and got marooned in the area. However, it is most probably from the Bharatpur area. We have had reports of tigers being sighted in Bharatpur but never this far," said Satyanarayan.

Meena agreed, adding that the animal could have also come from as far off as Madhya Pradesh.

Wildlife board bats for big cats

2010-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: The reconstituted National Board of Wildlife’s standing committee on Wednesday rejected 13 of the 32 proposals put before it for using national parks and wildlife sanctuaries or areas around them for other projects.
    The board, headed by the Prime Minister, is the apex body on wildlife issues under the Wildlife Protection Act. Its standing committee, which includes wildlife experts and naturalists from outside the government, is empowered under the Act to clear all projects that require land within the wildlife parks and around them.
    The reconstituted standing committee includes Brijendra Singh, M K Ranjitsingh, Divyabhanush Chavda, A J T Jonsingh and Prerna Bindra, besides representatives of Bombay Natural History Society, Satpuda Foundation and Nature Conservation Foundation.
    The Union environment and forests minister is the chairman with director of Wildlife Institute of India and director general, forests, as official members.
    The standing committee cleared all except two proposals from Madhya Pradesh — 10 of them requesting upgradation and construction of roads through national parks and sanctuaries. The sanctuaries to be impacted in Madhya Pradesh include Bandhavgarh national park, Durgawati sanctuary, Bagdara sanctuary, Orcha sanctuary, Madhav national park and Panpatha sanctuary.
    The road-related proposals were cleared on the pre-condition that no black topping would be allowed on them, their alignment and expansion would not be permitted and the committee would make site visits to each of the project sites. One of the significant projects which the standing committee rejected was the 96 mw Lethang hydro-electric project in West District of Sikkim, which threatened to wipe out the sacred lands of the Bhutias and Lepchas in the northeastern hill state.
    The meeting also discussed the contentious issue of declaring lands within 10 km of national parks and sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones where development activity can be checked.
    The states have been opposed to the move despite Supreme Court orders on the same as in many cases it could impact a very large number of people.

Bengal sceptical about canal project passing through forest

2010-10-14T11:41:00.001-07:00

The West Bengal Government has expressed reservation over the proposed Sankosh-Teesta canal project which will pass through Buxa Tiger Reserve and other wildlife sancturaries in north Bengal, saying it will cause disturbance to wildlife and damage biodiversity. "The entire area is part of Eastern

Dooars Elephant Reserve and Buxa Tiger Reserve as well as part of Jaldapara and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuaries. Any disturbance would adversely affect Rhino and Tiger conservation efforts there and cause irreparable damage to biodiversity," Special Chief Conservator of Forest R P Saini said.

Chief wildlife warden of the state S B Mandal said the state government had conveyed its objection to the Union Forest and Environment Ministry about the project's proposed alignment.
Saini, also field director of the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), said Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, who had visited north Bengal early this month, assured forest officials that the project would not be allowed through BTR.
Saini said recently a team of the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education wanted to carry out a survey for environment impact assessment in BTR, but it was told by the chief wildlife warden that permission for any kind of survey in national parks and sanctuaries could only be awarded by the Union Environment and Forest Ministry.

"Jhurjhura tigress" dies revealing government apathy

2010-10-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

An NGO, “Udai”, led by Shehla Masood, a wildlife activist has been seeking action against those who were responsible for the death of a tigress in the famed Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh (MP). She handed over a memorandum to the chief minister on the International Tiger Day for action against those responsible for the death of the tigress. The memorandum had more than 36000 signatures on it. The tigress died on 19^th may, 2010 after having been hit by a vehicle the night before when some so-far-unidentified important visitors entered the Reserve for an allegedly unauthorised and illegal night-drive. It died in the Jhurjhura area of the Reserve and, hence, has since come to be known as the “Jhurjhura tigress”.

The killing caused a furore in India and abroad. According to the member-secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), enough evidence was available to indicate that two vehicles were involved in the accident. The vehicles entered the Reserve after the closing time at 9.30 PM and, unofficial reports indicate, carried sons of two state ministers who are one-time princelings. Wielding their power and influence they squelched proper investigations. Vociferous demands, including even from the central Ministry of Forests & Environment (MOEF), for a Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) were ignored. The State’s Forest Department handed over the investigations to the provincial Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Keen observers of the ways of the State said that this was done only to effectively put a lid on the case. That is apparently true as the investigations have led nowhere even after five months and the culprits have remained unidentified.

The death of the “Jhurjhura tigress” has been dwelt upon in some detail only to indicate the attitude of utter indifference of the state government, especially its Forest Department, towards protection of tigers. These are the days of declining tiger numbers and every piece of news about them makes it to the media. Sighting of new-born cubs or deaths – natural or due to internecine fights – and even mating or refusal to do so, by relocated tigers, all make it to the media in fair amounts of detail. There are any number of non-governmental organisations that are running campaigns with a view to raising awareness about the need to save tigers. Clearly, there is visible desperation about the plummeting tiger numbers in the country. In the midst of all this almost universal concern the brazen apathy of the State that has given to itself the sobriquet of “The Tiger State” is insensitive, even jarring and bizarre.

This is more so because its recent record in tiger conservation is none too satisfactory. Only last year the Panna Tiger Reserve lost all its tigers. Despite a very early warning – in 2004-05 –by a long-time researcher of Panna tigers, RS Chudawat, and later repeated warnings by central teams of professional tiger-watchers from various tiger conservational organisations such as NTCA , the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court, etc. were not paid heed to. The State’s forest bureaucracy obdurately ignored them and remained in denial mode.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the MOEF to enquire into disappearance of tigers from Panna severely indicted the State and its officials for failure in various areas of tiger conservation. Not to be outdone, the Forest Department set up its own investigative team under the chairmanship of a retired principal chief conservator of forests. Its report blamed the disappearance of tigers on emergence of a skewed sex-ratio with males outnumbering females that induced the latter to migrate out of the core area into the buffers only to be poached. The report did an excellent cover-up job and did not fix responsibility on anybody. In fact, none has so far been held accountable for the loss of Panna tigers. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), the most articulate and vehement in denying absence of tigers in the Reserve till the forest minister admitted in in the State Assembly, was only moved out for a while and was promptly brought back as soon as the State-level panel submitted its report.

The lackadaisical attitude of the State’s forest department was further evidenced by disappearance of tigers from the Sanjay National Park in Sidhi District which once hosted 30-odd tigers and now don’t seem to have any. A Panna-like revival is on the cards but would be successful only if proper care is taken. Even in Panna two cubs born of a recently relocated tigress went missing and are now presumed to be dead. Again, a sub-adult tiger was crushed in April 2009 in the Bandhavgarh Reserve under the wheels of a tourist vehicle that gained entry because of lax control-systems in the Reserve.

Worse, the government nonchalantly gave approval to the widening of a highway connecting Nagpur with Seoni that cuts across the corridor that the tigers and other wildlife use to commute between the Kanha and Pench tiger reserves. The road, in any case, had fragmented their habitat, and yet the government gave the approval unmindful of the impact it would have on the tigers and other wildlife. The government’s apathy is also reflected in its apparent lack of enthusiasm to protect and nurse the tigers that have recently been discovered in Madhav National park in Shivpuri and in the jungles around Dewas. Apparently some tigers still survive outside the protected areas which need to be nursed and nurtured and a hawk-like watch needs to be kept over them.

It’s not that the government and its foresters do not know what needs to be done. They know it all having been in the profession for decades. Only they have to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and shun one-upmanship vis-a-vis their counterparts in various central tiger organisations and institutions towards whom they have adopted an adversarial attitude. After all, in so far as tigers are concerned the objectives of both are the same.

The Forest Department will also have to shed its obsession with tourism. That unrestricted tourism is a bane for the tourist sites, especially the national parks, is being increasingly appreciated. The infamous tiger-shows that virtually corral tigers and the department’s new initiatives of monsoon and eco-tourism with forest patrols may fetch revenue but are not conducive to conservation. Animals also need to be left to themselves, at least, for some time.

The need for escalated efforts to protect wildlife cannot be overemphasised. While higher posts are promptly filled up those in subaltern levels have remained unfilled. Recent regularisation of part-timers has not helped as most are above 45 years in age. The need is of revised recruitment policies for induction of young and energetic guards, properly equipped and armed to enable them to actively participate in the fight to save tigers, a fight which, as commented by an official of Wildlife Trust of India, is increasingly being “fought only with the generals but no soldiers”.

Above all, what is required for saving the tigers is political will as that will bring in its wake a change in attitude of the bureaucracy, including the foresters. This was exemplified by Indira Gandhi whose initiative in launching the Project Tiger brought in a remarkable attitudinal change among the officials. As wildlife conservationist Belinda Wright says, “If CMs (chief ministers) are on board there will still be some hope”. Unfortunately in MP, the CM is not yet “on board” and at the bureaucratic helm are those who (over)saw the disappearance of tigers from Panna. Clearly, tiger is under threat in the “Tiger State”.

Did poachers get another tiger?

2010-10-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Forest officials trace bloodstains; Jalgaon villagers claim to have heard cat's painful
roar

THE roar of yet another big cat has been muffled.

One more case of tiger poaching was reported in the state by the forest department in Jalgaon on October 6,
bang in the middle of the Wildlife Week observed from October 2.

Since an eyewitness claimed to have seen poachers kill a big cat, locals in Jalgaon have been on the prowl for the last six days, trying to track down the poachers.

The bloodstains and pugmarks were found from the site where a big cat was killed in Jalgaon

The eyewitness, a teacher and Ayurveda practitioner who claimed to be in the forest looking for medicinal herbs, also said that two cubs had gone missing.

"We received a call from the teacher, informing us about the death," Wildlife Warden of Jalgaon district, Abhay Ujagare, who was the first to reach the spot, told MiD DAY.

"When we reached the spot, all we found was a few bloodstains, but could not trace any other circumstantial evidence."

According to estimates, India has barely 1,411 tigers left. If the latest disappearance of the tiger and two cubs is confirmed, the number would be down to 1,408.

"The eyewitness told us that the poachers killed the tigress and the cubs had gone missing. Locals too said they had heard the tigress' painful roars," said Ujagare.

Happens often

"Such poaching is not rare in Jalgaon where leopards and cheetahs fall prey to poachers," said General Secretary of Khandesh Nature Conservation, Vinod Patil.

Confirming the incident, Deputy Conservator of Forests Sarfaraz Khan said, "Our investigation is going on.

It will be difficult to say anything as we do not have much evidence. Neither the animal's skin nor any other evidence was found at the spot.

All we have is blood samples, which have been sent to Hyderabad for examination. Also, we have found pugmarks at the spot."

National Wildlife Board member Kishore Rithe told MiD DAY that reports of bloodstains collected from the spot were awaited from a laboratory in Hyderabad.

"It is shameful that poaching continues in India despite tigers on the verge of extinction," he said.

"The government needs to zero in on people who get these poachers to commit such crimes.

For a little money, they're killing tigers, which are already extinct in the state," said WWF's interim state director, Dr Goldin Quadros.

1,411
The number of tigers left in India, according to the last tiger census in 2006

88
The number of tigers killed between 2007 and 2009

Leo for tigers
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio will put his fame to work to raise global awareness about India's dwindling number of tigers.

DiCaprio and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh met at a reception in New York last month.

"The actor expressed his interest to play a crucial role in sensitising the global community to the cause of the Indian tiger," a senior environment ministry had said.

Legal View
IN a case relating to seizure of leopard skin in 1995, a Delhi court sentenced poacher, Sansar Chand, to six years imprisonment two months ago, saying such an offence should be dealt with "iron hands".

A penalty of Rs 50,000 was also imposed on him while awarding the maximum jail term prescribed under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Illegal mining threatens Sariska

2010-10-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

JAIPUR: Despite crores being spent in the name of conservation and Project Tiger, illegal mining activity is back in full gear in the protected area of Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary.

"Rampant mining is going on at Jaisinghpura, Malana, Goverdhanpura, Palpura and Jamwa Ramgarh, in spite of the Supreme Court's 1991 order banning mining in the area. After SC's order, 215 mines were closed. But recently, some of them have restarted activity in the middle of the sanctuary," said Rajender Singh, the waterman of Rajasthan, whose NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh had filed the writ petition in the apex court.

Singh added that these villages fall in the protected area and are a rich reservoir of dolomite. "Nearly 30-40 mines have begun operation again, some of them run by leading names in the industry," he said. According to Singh, mining had picked up in Project Tiger area's buffer zones and was causing irreparable damage to tiger habitat and the sanctuary's ecosystem. "Mine owners' money and muscle power has made officials and politicians turn a blind eye to the illegal activity," said Singh who claimed he was attacked thrice by the mining mafia.

Confirming Singh's statement, Delhi-based Tarun Kanti Bose, who has done extensive research on mining in Rajasthan, said, "While public sector mines remain closed as per the apex court's ruling, many mines in the unorganized sector have again started mining marble in the belt, which has good deposits."

In villages like Tilwad and Tilwadi in Alwar, marble mining operations are taking place right in the middle of the villages on private agricultural land. Many large landholders in the villages are today keen on selling their agricultural land as they are getting high returns for it, he said. "Mining is expanding rapidly in an area which has some of the most fertile lands with plenty of water," said Tarun.

Tarun said in all the big mines operating in Sariska, local people seem to be playing the roles of contractors and middlemen. They are also employed as cashiers and administrators. "Ranges in Sariska are covered with densely forested slopes, home to the tiger and other wildlife and an entire ecosystem. But it is fast dwindling with mining and other commercial activity," he said.

Camera catches bulldozer destroying Sumatra tiger forest

2010-10-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

Jakarta, Indonesia — A video camera trap installed by WWF and partners has captured footage linking the destruction of a crucial Sumatran tiger forest to the expansion of palm oil plantations in Indonesia’s Riau Province.

Videos and photos captured in May and June 2010 – released to the public for the first time today – caught a male Sumatran tiger walking straight to a camera and sniffing it.

A week later, the heat-activated-video camera trap documented a bulldozer clearing trees for an illegal palm oil plantation in the same exact location. The next day, the camera recorded a Sumatran tiger walking through the devastated landscape.

Bukit Batabuh, where the film was taken, was classified as a protected area by Riau Province in 1994, and categorized as a limited production forest based on Indonesia’s 1986 Land Use Consensus, meaning no company can legally exploit the forest.

Clearing forest most likely illegal

“Because of its status, both as a protected area and limited production forest, the area cannot be developed as a palm oil plantation, therefore any forest clearence —including bulldozing activities to clear the path — strongly indicates this excavation was illegal,” said Ian Kosasih, WWF-Indonesia’s Director of Forest and Species Program. “The law should be enforced in this matter.”

“And to stop illegal activities such as this, the palm oil industry should not source its material from farmers or producers who develop their plantations illegally.”

Since mid-2009, WWF has installed video camera traps in Bukit Batabuh to study Sumatran tiger distribution, habits, and threats they are facing. The wildlife corridor connects Rimbang Baling Wildlife Reserve and Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, making it a crucial area for tiger conservation.

This area is an important habitat for Sumatran tigers

“These video camera traps show that Bukit Batabuh area is an important habitat for the Sumatran tiger in Riau, functioning as a wildlife corridor between Bukit Tigapuluh and Rimbang Baling Tiger Priority Landscape, hence it becomes a priority area for tiger conservation,” explained M. Awriya Ibrahim M.Sc Director of Investigation and Forest Protection, Ministry of Forestry.

“Forest clearance in this area threatens this endangered species because it reduces natural habitat and consequently increases human-tiger conflicts, an unfortunate consequence for both sides. Therefore, we encourage all stakeholders—namely provincial and district level government, business sectors, and communities—to support protection for this landscape. The Ministry of Forestry is investigating this matter and will take strong measure in law enforcement, if this activity is proven violating the law.”

Previous footage documents tigress and cubs only 200 metres from this location

The location where the tiger and bulldozer were documented by video in May 2010 is only 200 meters away from a video camera trap which captured a tigress and her cubs passing by in October 2009. ( Watch video)

Indonesia has adopted protection for critical tiger habitats as part of its commitment to the Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for Sumatran Tiger 2007, and the National Tiger Recovery Plan, delivered at the Pre-Tiger Summit Partners’ Dialogue Meeting in Bali, in July 2010.

During the Bali meeting, which was attended by government delegates from all13 tiger range countries, a strategic plan to achieve an overarching goal of doubling wild tiger populations by 2022 was discussed. The plan is expected to be ratified by heads of government at the Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, scheduled for 21-24 Nov. 2010.

“The Indonesian government’s commitment to improve protection for its biodiversity—including an ecosystem-based land-use planning delivered in international fora like the Pre-Tiger Summit Partners’ Dialogue Meeting in Bali last July, and upcoming Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October —should be supported by stakeholders in provincial or district levels especially on the issue of overlapping land-use planning,” explained Chairul Saleh, General Secretary of the Sumatra Land Use Forum (ForTRUST).

Saleh said sufficient prey and protection for the remaining wild Sumatran tiger populations will allow the species to procreate and provide it with an intact home range and habitat that will minimize incidents of human-tiger conflict.

“Bearing this in mind, a revision of Riau’s Provincial Land Use Planning—based on sustainable development principles adhering to ecosystem preservation and accomodating the tiger’s habitat—is crucial.”

Land clearing practices for palm oil plantations in the area have been going on for some time, pushing the tiger to have close contact with humans. Workers have testified that they frequently find tiger tracks in palm oil plantations.

The deforestation rate in Riau pushed WWF to intensify tiger population surveys in the province. Aside from vast deforestation, the population declines are exacerbated by illegal poaching. In March, WWF’s Tiger Patrol Unit and Riau’s Nature Conservation Agency confiscated more than 110 tiger snares in Bukit Betabuh.

Tigers everywhere are losing habitat

There are as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia, or about 12 percent of the estimated global tiger population of 3,200 tigers. With its significant percentage of the global tiger population, Indonesia has a prominent role in tiger conservation efforts. The tiger population is threatened by loss and fragmented habitat, decreasing prey populations, illegal poaching and trading of the tiger and its body parts, as well as human-tiger conflicts.

Confusion over count of tigers on prowl as pug marks spotted in Bharatpur

2010-10-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

JAIPUR: There could be more than one tiger on the prowl in Rajasthan and neighbouring states from the Ranthambore National Park. The suspicion came after forest officials on Sunday discovered the carcass of a blue bull in Bharatpur. On a closer examination, not only tiger pug marks were discovered from the place, the kill resembled that by a tiger.

Adding to the confusion about the number of tigers out of Ranthambore park is the reported sighting of fresh tiger pug marks in Madhya Pradesh close to Dholpur border. The discovery of the pug marks in Madhya Pradesh has forced authorities to think that the tiger spotted in Mathura was not Mohan' as believed earlier. Mohan has strayed away from Ranthambore about six months back.

"What seems now is that a second tiger had strayed away from Ranthambore sanctuary through Ganteshwarkho to Kailadevi to Band Baretha in Bharatpur and then to Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. This could be the tiger that had attacked ranger Daulat Singh Shaktawat on August 20 on the periphery of Ranthambore. After the attack, no effort was made to reign it in the sanctuary. This tiger, after migrating to Bharatpur may have sneaked into Mathura, travelling through the dense Bajra fields. But there is no certainty on this unless we get a picture of the tiger at Bharatpur," said Rajpal Singh, member, state wildlife board.

To end the confusion, forest officials have now fixed camera traps in and around Bharatpur where the carcass was discovered. "We have pictures of all the tigers in Ranthambore. Only after getting a picture of the tiger in Bharatpur through the trap camera that will we will be certain if this is Mohan or the one that was present near the Mathura refinery was or if it is a third tiger on the prowl," he added.

Meanwhile, efforts of a joint team of forest officials from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and a team from the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun had failed to track the tiger in Mathura and with no reports of any fresh attacks from Mathura, it is being assumed that the Mathura tiger is on its way back to Ranthambore.

When contacted, RS Shekhawat, DFO, Ranthambore said that pug marks of Mohan has been traced in Madhya Pradesh. "This seems a second tiger that had made into Mathura from Ranthambore and is now at Bharatpur," he said. Shekhawat was also part of the team from Rajasthan that was tracking the tiger in Mathura. However, the DFO could not clarify whether a third tiger has strayed away from the sanctuary.

"It is very difficult to maintain a daily count of tigers in any sanctuary. Sometimes it may be months before it is discovered that a tiger has strayed away from a sanctuary," said an official.