Youth arrested with leopard skin worth lakhs

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Youth-arrested-with-leopard-skin-worth-lakhs/articleshow/19542236.cms

Mihir Tanksale, TNNApr 14, 2013, 05.57PM IST

Tags:

• Wildlife Protection Act 1972|
• Leopard skin|
• Faraskhana police

PUNE : The Faraskhana police have arrested a youth from Belgaum and seized a leopard skin valued at Rs 9 lakh from his possession. The suspect has been identified as Pravin alias PavyaManoharPatil (22), a resident of Omkar building Vijaynagar, Belgaum.

The Faraskhana police team led by assistant inspector Geeta Bagawade made the arrest.

Bagawade said that police constable Sunil Pawar received a tip-off that one person would be coming in Ganesh Peth with a leopard skin. “We laid a trap and nabbed Patil,” Bagawade said.

 

Tiger, leopard may be killed if posing danger to humans: NTCA

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/wild-wacky/Tiger-leopard-may-be-killed-if-posing-danger-to-humans-NTCA/articleshow/18427938.cms?prtpage=1

 

2 years in jail for 22 tiger deaths?

http://www.tigertime.info/tiger-blog.php?entry_id=1360323845&title=2-years-in-jail-for-22-tiger-deaths

TigerTime – Save the Tiger

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TigerTime – Save the Tiger
Man faces 2 years for possession of skulls and bones from 22 tigers and 8 tiger skins. This is not enough of a deterrent for wildlife criminals. Join our fight to put an end to the tiger trade: www.bantigertrade.com http://www.tigertime.info/tiger-

 

Proposal to discuss new railway line slashing Bandipur Tiger Reserve

By Saswati Mukherjee, TNN | Jan 2, 2013, 08.10 PM IST

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

READ MORE tiger reserve|Railway line|chief minister of Kerala|Bandipur Tiger

Reserve|Jharkhand

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BANGALORE: Despite the tragic death of a herd of five elephants being mowed down by a railway train in Orissa just two days ago, the chief minister of Kerala is scheduled to meet his Karnataka counterpart on January 3 at 4pm at the latter’s residence ‘Krishna’ to discuss the proposal of new railway line slashing Bandipur Tiger Reserve, one of India’s finest protected areas. The environmentally and economically unfeasible railway line is proposed to connect Nanjangud in Karnataka with Nilambur in Kerala at a humungous cost of Rs 3384 crores with about 22 kms of the line passing through the famed tiger reserve.

Taking a strong stand on the matter, Wildlife Matters, an organisation working towards the conservation of wildlife said that while the aftereffects of fragmenting wildlife habitats are glaringly obvious in the number of wildlife deaths due to railway lines in Assam, West Bengal and Jharkhand, the proposed railway line forebodes a similar fate for wildlife in Bandipur. According to the Elephant Task Force report drawn up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, India has lost 150 elephants as a result of train hits since 1987. Innumerous smaller wildlife is unaccounted for. It is difficult to understand how such projects that have deleterious effects on wildlife can be proposed and supported by the head of the state especially when a reconnaissance cum traffic survey report submitted to the Railway Board had proposed an alternative alignment that avoids entering into the tiger reserve.

The re-opening of vehicular traffic along NH 212 and NH 67, passing through the core of Bandipur Tiger Reserve is also on the agenda of the Kerala CM’s visit to Karnataka. The Kerala government has been relentlessly pursuing the removal of the effective night existing ban from 9 pm to 6 am even though the matter is currently sub judice. Their first attempt was rejected by the former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in favour of wildlife conservation. A second attempt was moved with former CM, DV Sadananda Gowda on opening up the night traffic ban on December 18, 2011.

A proposal to have a convoy system allowing vehicular traffic at night was also discussed between the governments and experts and duly rejected.

In a meeting held on the 30th June 2010 under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary, Sri SV Ranganath, along with the representatives from Kerala, all pertinent points were discussed and agreed upon regarding the night traffic closure. But the Kerala government is still persistent on its efforts to have the ban lifted.

Despite the fact that the central government itself has already submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court supporting the night traffic ban, Kerala is still hoping to get it cleared at the centre which has a Congress lead government, if the BJP government of Karnataka supports it, notes experts of Wildlife Matters.

An alternate road passing via Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Kartikulam was proposed to be repaired and developed by the Karnataka government in accordance with the Karnataka High Court order in the case of WP 17498/2009 and 919/2010. The Government of Karnataka has already released budget to repair the alternate road and work has already been taken up.

It is important to remember that while developmental projects are fundamental to a country’s growth, it is a matter of great concern when these projects are taken up at the cost of our ecological heritage. It is sincerely hoped that the Karnataka and Kerala governments give utmost importance to wildlife conservation issues in the forthcoming meeting.

 

Tiger deaths reach all-time high

•  DC | Rashme Sehgal | 11 hours 54 min ago

http://www.decannchronicle.com

New Delhi: India saw a sharp increase in tiger deaths, which reached an all-time high of 88 tigers dead in 2012, according to data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). This is the highest number of fatalities in one year, overtaking the 71 tiger deaths in 2011.
Mortality rates have been unusually high in Corbett National Park and Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. Overall, a large number of tiger deaths have been reported from the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka and can be attributed to increased poaching.

Both Maharashtra and Karnataka recorded 14 tiger deaths each while Uttarakhand reported 12 deaths followed by Madhya Pradesh with eight deaths while 28 tigers died due to natural causes. The last all-India tiger population estimation in 2010 had placed the number of tigers at 1,636. Wildlife conservationist Belinda Wright blames government apathy.
“The NTCA has put a Phase 4 monitoring protocol in place. While some states are following it, others are lagging. Tiger densities in Karnataka and TN are high but the situation in Kerala is very bad with the state coming up with exaggerated numbers, especially for Wayanad Reserve,” said tiger biologist Ullas Karanth.

Tiger populations have gone down in some reserves in the Maoist belt, but the big cat is thriving in parts of the Western Ghats, central India and Terai, he added.

 

Green lobby protests tiger’s killing in Kerala

Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: December 04, 2012 13:05 IST

http://www.ndtv.com

 

Kochi: Environment activists are protesting the shooting of a tiger by forest officials in Kerala on December 2. The tiger had killed 14 domestic cattle heads in several villages of Wayanad district.

The Kerala chapter of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, in a missive to the state government, has threatened to move court against the killing, saying “there was no evidence to substantiate that the animal was a threat to life and property of human beings”.

The society cited the Wildlife Protection Act to push its argument on the clause that “chief wildlife warden issues an order to hunt tiger, a national animal (Schedule 1 animal and part of Schedule 2 animals) only if it is proved that it is a threat to life and property”.

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“Even if it is a man-eater, it should be proved authentically. Until then, no such order should be issued. The order to hunt the animal was illegal,” S Guruvayurappan, a senior functionary of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said in a statement.

The green lobby is up in arms because Kerala and Karnataka governments, which jointly conducted the operations, killed the tiger after they failed to tranquilise it.

A section of green campaigners challenged the governments’ decision to kill the tiger “instead of neutralising it with tranquilisers”.

Wayanad District Collector K Gopalakrishna Bhatt said “though the forest department officials had tried to tranquilise the tiger, shooting down the animal was the only option left”.

The 12-year-old tiger had spread terror in villages of Naikatty, Kottamkara and Muthanga on the Kerala-Karnataka border, killing as many as 14 domestic cattle heads.

Karnataka forest officials said the Kerala Forest Department could not bring the tiger down with two rounds of tranquilisers initially because of the agitated mob, forcing forest officials from Karnataka to kill the animal.

A petition by senior representatives of wildlife organisations in Kerala demanded urgent action from Tiger Conservation Authority and the Prime Minister so that tigers were not killed anywhere else in the country.

The signatories included S. Guruvayurappan of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, Tony Thomas, director of the legal cell of One Earth One Life, Aravindakshan P. of Aashrayam Rural Development Society, Arumughan Pathichira, chairman of Haritha Development Association, and Prasanth Randedath, Kerala coordinator of Nirmuktha.

Seeking answers to posers, the petitioners demanded that “even after shooting two tranquiliser darts, why did the staff kill the tiger?”

They wanted to know the “identity of the shooter”, and asked whether it was his intention “to murder the animal and who authenticated that the tiger shot down was the cattle lifter”.

“What will be the future of remaining tigers in the Wayanad landscape?” the petition said.

 

Task force kills Wild Tiger in Wayanad

cee4life -WARNING GRAPHIC DEATH OF KERAL TIGER – BUT WAIT!!! Theres more… Someone had the presence of mind, and time to film the death of this BEAUTIFUL CRITICALLY ENDANGERED TIGER… BUT DIDNT HAVE THE PRESENSE OF MIND TO CALL THE PROFESSIONALS IN TO SAVE HIS LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Task force kills Wild Tiger in Wayanad

(Click on Title to View Video)

Report on the tiger killing at Wayanad

Man-animal conflict has led to the killing of a male tiger near the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in north Kerala on Sunday. The forest officials shot dead the beast which apparently had been attacking d

omestic animals of the human settlement near the sanctuary.

Under pressure from the locals and their political representatives, a team of forest officials with the help of their counterparts from Karnataka have been trying to capture the tiger for the last one week. The personnel had placed four cages with live baits in different places but could not capture the beast. They even placed surveillance cameras and used trained elephants to tour the forest areas.

On Sunday morning, the forest team spotted the tiger in a private land and shot a tranquilising dart. But it could not tame the tiger. So they fired another one, following which the animal turned against the team. Sanctuary wildlife warden S Sreekumar said at this stage the team, comprising veterinary surgeons, had little option but to fire the killer shot.

“We have invoked the section 11 (1) A of Wildlife Act for self-defence. Otherwise, the animal would have attacked the men,” he said.

crtsy: indianexpress/asianet

 

Bandipur Tiger Reserve becomes first tiger reserve to notify its ESZ

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Bandipur-Tiger-Reserve-becomes-first-tiger-reserve-to-notify-its-ESZ/articleshow/16787030.cms

Read more:State Board for Wildlife|Environment (Protection) Act|Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Saswati Mukherjee, TNN | Oct 12, 2012, 09.42PM IST

 

BANGALORE: Bandipur Tiger Reserve became the first tiger reserve in the country to notify its Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZ) a week ago, on October 4. These eco-sensitive zones can be treated as ‘breathing spaces’ for wildlife and are demarcated based on their ecological importance which reigns in developmental activities inimical to wildlife and their habitats.

While these zones are completely compatible to livelihoods of local communities living around Protected Areas, they bring with them the order on the mushrooming of tourist resorts, mining activities, industries and other footloose developmental activities disrupting wildlife corridors outside reserve boundaries.

This assumes importance since Bandipur is in a very crucial part of the tiger conservation landscape connecting other wildlife habitats such as the Nagarahole and Mudumalai Tiger Reserves and Waynaad Wildlife Sanctuary. These continuous areas host the highest density of tigers, their prey species and Asian elephants in the world.

The delineation of the ESZ was mandated under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and a Supreme Court order in WP No. 460/2004. Accordingly, an initial draft ESZ plan was drawn through thorough analysis of wildlife corridors, ecologically important areas and needs of people. Further extensive public consultations were held with MLAs, MLCs of the area, village communities, and local body members before drawing up the final ESZ plan. No restrictions are imposed on existing agriculture, livestock rearing and the other activities of local communities.

The Bandipur ESZ was a result of efforts put in by H S Mahadeva Prasad – MLA of Gundlupet, Additional Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee, B J Hosmath – Field Director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Sanjay Gubbi – Member of State Board for Wildlife and B. K. Singh, the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).

This success story is a good example of how synergistic efforts between elected representatives, government officials and cvil society members can result in a win-win situation for both people and wildlife. Local communities can use the ESZ to protect their lands from being acquired for industries, mining and other similar activities that are also incompatible with wildlife conservation.

“The ESZ is a critical tool to wildlife conservation and Karnataka has set an example by declaring it around Bandipur Tiger Reserve. It is fervently hoped that other Protected Areas follow suit which would result in strengthening our efforts in protecting our wildlife and wild lands,” said Sanjay Gubbi.

 

Karnataka Government – Don’t destroy #Hesaraghatta Grasslands

 

http://www.change.org/petitions/karnataka-government-don-t-destroy-hesaraghatta-grasslands#share

Karnataka Government – Don’t destroy #Hesaraghatta Grasslands

http://www.change.org

300 acres of pristine nature might soon make way for a theme park, film city and a golf course. The Karnataka Government has approved the proposal to…

 

Leopard caught in wire snare dies

 

Read more:Vijaya Mohan Raj|Veterinarian|Special Tiger Protection Force|Kumar Pushkar|Director|Bandipur Tiger Reserve|Bandipur Tiger

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Leopard-caught-in-wire-snare-dies/articleshow/16404842.cms

TNN | Sep 15, 2012, 05.32AM IST

MYSORE: A leopard trapped in a wire snare inside Bandipur tiger reserve died on Friday. This comes two months after a gang of poachers was arrested for placing jaw traps inside the Biligiri Ranga Tiger (BRT) wildlife sanctuary.

Authorities suspect that the trap was laid by locals to catch a boar or a hare. The leopard, around 8 years, was found dead in a snare in N Begur forest range near Katwalu village. The feline died because of the injuries sustained while trying to claw out of the snare, said forest officials. A Special Tiger Protection Force team has been asked to probe the crime along with jurisdiction forest officers, said Kumar Pushkar, director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

Authorities have intensified checks inside the forest and said that they have not discovered any other snares in the reserved area

Pushkar ruled out the role of any organized gang laying the trap. “Going by the way the trap was laid we are sure that it was done by the locals,” he added.

In July BRT reserve authorities had arrested a six-member gang from Haryana for laying jaw traps for tigers inside the reserve area. The jaw traps would be activated in the night. In the morning they would be dismantled and stowed away.

Following their arrest, patrolling was intensified and checks were conducted to discover traps.

Former Kumki Kavita unwell

Kavita, an elephant from the K Gudi elephant camp, a regular at the Dasara celebrations since years is battling for survival.

The 75-year-old kumki (accompanying) elephant has poor vision in one eye because of which it has been a victim of minor accidents in the forest. Recently it stumbled in the forest injuring herself badly.

The elephant is weak and unwell from the past 15 days. No veterinarian from the department has visited K Gudi camp to treat the elephant. “It is aged and there is no point in treating it,” allegedly said a doctor when he was told of the elephant’s suffering.

However, Biligiri Ranga Tiger (BRT) wildlife sanctuary director Vijaya Mohan Raj denied that elephants in the camps are being neglected . He denied allegations that Kavita was not being treated. “In fact, we have started giving special food to the elephant so that she gains energy. She is responding to treatment.” he said.

 

Follow Up…….. Captured tiger is not a man eater, 14th sep 2012

 

 ROARrrrr for Jungle Tiger

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

 

A lab report has found no trace of human flesh from the faecal sample of the male tiger captured from H D Kote some three weeks ago.

The sample had been sent to Lacones

(Laboratory for the conservation of endangered species), Hyderabad, for cross verification to determine whether the animal was responsible for killing and consuming a woman.

Mysore Zoo sources said that there are chances that the corpse of woman had been eaten away by other wild animals.

The tiger, which had suffered multiple injuries during its capture, is now out of danger. The 10-year-old animal had suffered multiple wounds which had become infected. Pus had accumulated in the left forelimb and around the base of the tail. It was also suffering from inflamed regions in the right shoulder and right thigh region.

It had also sustained a compound fracture of the middle phalanx bone of the fourth digit of the right forelimb. This area had become infection and has suffered tissue loss. While the tiger continues to be treated at Mysore zoo, it has started consuming ‘regular food as a healthy animal.’ However, a part of right thigh, which was injured, is yet to heal completely, officials said.

Zoo authorities said that they are still awaiting final word from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests about whether the tiger will be released into the wild or whether it will be held in captivity to breed at the Bannerghatta Rescue Centre,?Bangalore or at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological?Gardens in Mysore.

‘Goa should be part of Tiger Reserve Complex’

 

Press Trust of India | 11-Sep 13:03 PM

m.ibnlive.com

Panaji: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has suggested including Goa as part of the Tiger Reserve complex complimenting the sanctuaries in Maharashtra and Karnataka, which would help the coastal state in conserving wild cats.

The Dehradun-based Institute, which submitted its report on the status of wildlife in Goa to the state forest department, has established that tiger occupancy in Goa is about 322 square kilometres.

Goa can be potentially be home to a small breeding population of tigers which would be sustained by immigrants from Anshi-Dandeli wildlife sanctuary (in Karnataka) as well as Sahyadri wildlife sanctuary (in Maharashtra).

The census conducted in 2010, and results of which were formally sent to Goa forest department few days back, notes that tiger presence is recorded in Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary and in forests of Ponda and Sanguem area.

Goa has five wildlife sanctuaries and a national park.

The report states that Goa forms part of the corridor connecting Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka and Sahyadri tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

“It would, therefore, benefit from being incorporated as part of tiger reserve complex,” the WII said.

State forest department officials said the proposal to declare Goa’s forest areas as tiger reserve has been under consideration but no final word has been taken on it.

“There are so many intricacies attached to it once the Tiger Reserve is announced. We have several human settlements in wildlife sanctuaries. But the process to relocate them is far from over,” a senior forest department official said.

Environmentalists, however, claim that the state government’s reluctance to declare wildlife sanctuaries especially Mhadei as a tiger reserve, is aimed at saving Goa’s multi-crore iron ore mining industry.

Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar alleged that the mining industry has been pressuring the state government against declaring the wildlife sanctuaries as tiger reserve.

As per the recent Justice MB Shah Commission report, which probed the illegal mining industry of Goa, there are 33 mining leases which are operating within one kilometre of the wildlife sanctuary.

Goa exports 43 million metric tonnes of iron ore annually and is the largest exporter state in the country.

 

Goa should be part of Tiger Reserve complex: Wildlife Institute of India

 

Read more:Wildlife Institute of India|WII|Tiger Reserve complex|Sahyadri wildlife sanctuary

PTI | Sep 11, 2012, 11.57AM IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Goa-should-be-part-of-Tiger-Reserve-complex-Wildlife-Institute-of-India/articleshow/16348435.cms

PANAJI: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has suggested inclusion of Goa as a part of the Tiger Reserve complex complimenting the sanctuaries in Maharashtra and Karnataka, which would help the coastal state in conserving wild cats.

The Dehradun-based Institute, which submitted its report on the status of wildlife in Goa to the state forest department has established that tiger occupancy in Goa is about 322 square kilometres.

Goa can be potentially be home to a small breeding population of tigers which would be sustained by immigrants from Anshi-Dandeli wildlife sanctuary (in Karnataka) as well as Sahyadri wildlife sanctuary (in Maharashtra).

The census conducted in 2010, and results of which were formally sent to Goa forest department few days back, notes that tiger presence is recorded in Mollem wildlife sanctuary and in forests of Ponda and Sanguem area.

Goa has five wildlife sanctuaries and a national park. The report states that Goa forms part of the corridor connecting Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka and Sahyadri tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

“It would therefore benefit from being incorporated as part of tiger reserve complex,” the WII said.

State forest department officials said the proposal to declare Goa’s forest areas as tiger reserve has been under consideration but final thought is not given to it.

“There are so many intricacies attached to it once the Tiger Reserve is announced. We have several human settlements in wildlife sanctuaries. But the process to relocate them is far from over,” a senior forest department official said.

Environmentalists, however, claim that the state government’s reluctance to declare wildlife sanctuaries especially Mhadei as a tiger reserve, is aimed at saving Goa’s multi-crore iron ore mining industry.