No power at night to ‘poacher’ villages

Published: Friday, Feb 22, 2013, 10:30 IST By Dhaval Kulkarni | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_no-power-at-night-to-poacher-villages_1802812

The state forest department has decided to cut off power supply at night to villages which are known to poach animals by electrocuting them. To do this, the department will enlist the support of villagers. The poachers hook up naked cables to an electric line near a water trail. So, when the animal heads towards the water body to quench its thirst, it steps on the live wire and dies. Although this method was meant to kill cheetals and sambars, even tigers and leopards end up getting electrocuted. Since last year, the state has lost three tigers and two leopards to such electrocutions. The two female leopards were accompanied by three cubs each who too were killed when they snuggled up to their electrocuted mother for security. “Such lines, which are being used for illicit trapping and poaching of wild animals, will not be charged at night,” said a senior forest department official, adding that this would be done in villages where such instances were recurrent.

 

Probe tigress death, urges RTI activist

READ MORE Madhya Pradesh|Special Investigation Team|RTI activist|Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve

TNN | Nov 26, 2012, 03.05 AM IST

articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

BHOPAL: Wildlife and RTI activist Ajay Dube has urged the centre to send a special investigation team (SIT) to Madhya Pradesh to investigate the death of a tigress in the forests of Katni, neighbouring Bandhavgarh tiger reserve.

In a letter addressed to the minister for environment and forest, Dube has claimed that the norms have been violated while disposing off the remains of the tigress. He said that a post mortem was not performed and the forest department has claimed that “it to be a natural death“.

“Without performing an autopsy how can they claim that it was a natural death, Dube wondered.

On Nov 18, the official in-charge of the forest circle where the incident took place had stated that an FIR would be filed against the electricity department as the tigress was “allegedly electrocuted” and the electricity department was responsible for the management of power lines responsible for the incident.

However, the forest department in its primary offence report (POR) no 307/ 21, did not mention any one and the report has been registered against “anonymous”. In the POR, the department has mentioned the cause of the death as “natural”, he added.

 

Forest dept to reduce human-leopard conflict

Saturday, 24 November 2012 16:04

PNS | Dehradun

http://www.dailypioneer.com

 

In order to mitigate the rising human-leopard conflict in Uttarakhand, the State Forest Department has proposed building water holes and increasing fodder in affected areas to attract the wild herbivores which constitute the natural prey base of the leopard. It is worth mentioning here that since October this year at least seven people have been killed by leopards while three leopards have been killed and one captured by the department after being declared man-eaters.

Though human leopard conflict is not new to Uttarakhand, the problem has been rising since the formation of the State and resulting developments. The forest department has had plans for some years now to tackle the rising human-wildlife conflict. However, wildlife activists point out that the department has done little more than drafting and discussing plans while the conflict situation has continued to deteriorate.

Talking to The Pioneer, the State chief wildlife warden SS Sharma said that the department has various measures either planned or proposed to mitigate the conflict between human and the spotted cat. “We have proposed to build water holes and encourage an increase in fodder so that deer and other herbivores are attracted to such places. By boosting the presence of the natural prey base of the leopard, we believe the big cat will avoid human settlements which will make life safer for both the villagers and their cattle. In addition to this we are raising public awareness in areas experiencing the conflict. We are telling the people to not venture outdoors alone in dark hours but to move in at least small groups and to remain alert outdoors,” said Sharma.

Widlife activists also point out that the human-leopard conflict is not only creating problems for the humans but is also a major factor responsible for the poaching of the feline. They point out that the department’s drafting of plans has not helped either the humans or the leopards in Uttarakhand with at least 25 leopard pelt seizures in this year apart from which 52 leopard deaths have also been recorded in 2012 so far. Since creation of Uttarakhand in 2000, more than 200 people while more than 600 leopard deaths from different causes have been recorded.

 

Trapped leopard cub`s three steps to freedom…..

 

ROARrrrr for Jungle Tiger

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ROARrrrr-for-Jungle-Tiger/166490116742359

 

A leopard cub trapped in a dry tank in Tipdi Dhar on the Mussoorie-Dhanaulti road for almost 10 hours was rescued by forest officials on Monday.
According to forest officials, the leopard

had fallen into the 10 feet deep tank while chasing its prey on Sunday night.

Some school children passing by heard the cub growling in the tank and informed the villagers. The forest officials then launched a noval rescue operation to save the wild cat.
The officials lowered a ladder into the tank. The leopard was instantly alert and climbed on to the ladder and jumped out to safety.

The animal then disappeared into the nearby forest. The rescue operation began at 10 am on Monday and was concluded within two hours.

Mail Today News….

Leopard killed by train

 

Nashik | Monday, Sep 10 2012 IST
news.webindia123.com

 

A female leopard was killed when it was knocked down by a speeding train between Eklehera and Madsangvi railway stations in Nashik on the Mumbai-Bhusawal route last night.

When the forest department reached the spot, they discovered that the nails, moustache, and teeth had been removed. Railway employees Subhash Jadhav and Khandu Gade were patrolling the area when they found the dead leopard. They informed the railway officers, who summoned the forest department. The forest department arrived and conducted panchanama of the dead leopard.

Sources said the dead leopard was about two to two and half years old.