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RE: Bigcats News - Pckts - 08-18-2018

Surprised they released her since they halted the program due to threats from the local villagers.


RE: Bigcats News - Rage2277 - 08-18-2018

Will Tigers Burn Bright Again In Satkosia?
CITY LIGHTSLIFESTYLE


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Monalisa Patsani 29 Jul 2018

*This image is copyright of its original author


Odisha made a splash recently when it became the first state in the country to undertake an inter-state tiger translocation with Madhya Pradesh as part of its tiger supplementation plan for Satkosia. As part of the programme, Madhya Pradesh agreed to send in three pairs of tigers to Satkosia and the first pair has already been shifted. One of them, the male, has already been released into the wild.


*This image is copyright of its original author

The highly-publicised programme was the outcome of a long-drawn planning by the Forest and Environment Department of the State Government after Satkosia threatened to become a tiger-less reserve with just two large cats left, one of them well beyond its breeding age. It needed repopulation which was possible only through reintroduction of tigers.

Odisha, with two notified tiger reserves, is considered a low-density tiger habitat in the country despite the fact that Similipal was established in 1973 when Project Tiger came into being. Satkosia came much later. Now 40-odd years later, tiger population in Odisha is considerably low compared to other states.

According to the 2004 census, as many as 192 tigers were estimated in the State whereas in 2016, the total tiger count was pegged at 40 by both camera trap and pugmark methods. Effectively, it means the State lost in 14 years.

During this period, Similipal had around 94 tigers which now stood at 26 in 2016. Similarly, Satkosia Tiger Reserve had around 11 tigers in 2004 where as by 2016, it was left with only two old female tigers. Sunabedawhich is yet to be notified as a Tiger Reserve though it has received in-principle consent from the Ministry of Environment and Forests since ten years now, had nine tigers in 2004 but census was not possible in 2014 because of Maoist threat.Tigers from other wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forest areas of the state have in the meantime practically vanished. They were widespread across the state even in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Though much water has flown under the bridge between 2004 and 2018 in terms of tiger enumeration, one thing is clear – tiger population in Odisha has not given any signs of encouragement. And Satkosia is a grim reminder because it reported a rapid loss of tiger population, thanks to declining protection measures, rampant poaching, degradation of habitat and increasing human pressure in the habitat.


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MB2 at Kanha Tiger Reserve

This alarming drop in tiger population prompted the State Government to think of a tiger re-introduction plan in Satkosia. It was a bold move given the history of wildlife conservation strategy in the state but it was worth the risk.

Last year, the Wildlife Wing of Forest and Environment Department scouted for tigers and zeroed in on Madhya Pradesh, a state known for its strong tiger conservation practices and flourishing tiger tourism. After a series of dialogues, the MP Government agreed to provide three pairs of tigers for supplementation in Satkosia. A first of its kind, the translocation was directly monitored by the National Tiger Conservation Authority while Wildlife Institute of India was roped in by the State Government for providing expert assistance.

On June 21, with the transfer of MB2, a three -year-old male tiger from Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha made conservation history by undertaking the first ever inter-state tiger translocation. The male tiger was kept in a specially erected enclosure and later released into the forests of Satkosia. Within a week, a 27-month-old tigress named Sundri was moved to Satkosia from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Around 30 officials from Satkosia and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves successfully carried out the second phase of the relocation project.

Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve Sanjay Shukla recounted how the relocation was made possible. “This was the first time a tiger from the wild was translocated from one state to another. After due permission from the State Government, Government of India and NTCA, we selected a tiger for translocation in accordance with the SOP of NTCA which says that the animal should be about three years of age and a transient one who has not made its territory yet. We also wanted to give a tiger which possessed superior traits for good genes of the offsprings. MB2 was one of the best specimens of Kanha," informed Shukla.

A mock drill was conducted by the officials of Kanha Tiger Reserve before the capture of the animal. “The entire process was executed without any stress to the animal. The capture, radio-frequency collaring and translocation were done by a team of two of our most experienced vets and they accompanied the tiger till he was safely released into the enclosure in Satkosia," he said.

FRESH CHALLENGE

The successful relocation of two tigers has brought hope for forest officials, wildlife experts and conservationists for an increase in the tiger population in Satkosia. However, there is a glitch. Recently, a group of villagers residing within and near the tiger reserve surrounded the district collectorate office in Angul and threatened to shoot the tigers if they were not put inside the enclosure. They alleged that the forest officials had not informed them about the release of the tiger from Kanha Tiger Reserve into the forest.


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MB2 with other tigers at Kanha Tiger Reserve

The villagers say that their dependence on forests forces them to enter the tiger reserve for cattle grazing and other forest produce. Such were the protests at Angul that it led to emergence of reports that the Madhya Pradesh Government has put the Tiger Relocation Project on hold till the matter gets resolved.

However, PCCF Sandeep Tripathi denied hearing any such thing from the MP Government and told MCL, “We have not received any such news about the Madhya Pradesh government shelving the Tiger Relocation Project for the time-being."

While Sudersan Panda, Additional PCCF and Field Director, Satkosia Tiger Reserve refused to comment on the situation at Angul, wildlife conservationists in the state are worried about the future of the project.

Interacting with MCL, wildlife conservationist Aditya Panda, shared, “It is a state embarrassment that we have allowed such a situation to arise where our ability provide protection to a Schedule I species has been found questionable and at the mercy of politically motivated rabble rousers.”

He further added, “These elements have always been active in Satkosia and their nuisance mongering should have been anticipated. They have always sought excuses to protest the implementation of wildlife and forest protection laws in the Protected Area.

He added “Till the late 2000s, timber smuggling and wildlife poaching was rampant in Satkosia. The anti-social elements involved in misinforming local communities and creating hostility towards the Forest Department could only be the ones aggrieved by the clampdown on such lawlessness in recent years and those with petty political motives. The spreading of silly rumours such as those stating that these tigers were maneaters in MP are testament to the ill intentions of the so called campaigners. This is also a wake up call for the park management which has failed to earn the trust of local communities and in spreading awareness amongst them..”


*This image is copyright of its original author
Speaking on threats issued by the agitators to shoot the tigers, Panda said, “Those openly threatening to poach a Schedule I species and take the law into their own hands must be taken into preventive custody. Cases must be built against them for instigating a riot. The district administration and police must come in support of the park management in this. At the same time, serious confidence building measures need to be taken up to win the support of local communities for wildlife conservation. The best examples exist in MP itself where responsibly organised wildlife tourism has become the primary source of livelihood and social development for communities living around their tiger reserves. There is no reason why similar tourism in Satkosia can’t provide the same benefits to communities present there. Unless these facts are communicated properly and acted upon, earning the support of locals for wildlife conservation will remain a challenge.”

Meanwhile, the state government needs to give out a strong statement of reassurance that it is committed to the revival of Odisha as one of India’s prominent tiger states and that it will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the tiger reintroduction project is a success and a stable tiger population is re-established in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.

“The re-establishment of a stable, breeding, thriving tiger population in the heart of Orissa in Satkosia will lay the foundation of tiger recovery across the state. Satkosia is contiguous to vast tiger landscapes of northern and southern Orissa that will get occupied by future spillover tigers if these habitats are protected well. However, this is easier said than done. Satkosia still suffers from immense biotic and law and order pressures. The state government made a massive mistake in denotifying huge villages in the middle of the reserve from the tiger reserve. This will fragment the reserve from within. The relocation of Raigoda was long due and kudos to the current park management for achieving it but many other villages and settlements remain within and need to be offered the option to relocate. Chief amongst these being Tulka, the settlement at Labangi, Baghmunda, etc,” said Aditya.

Voicing his opinion on the issue, wildlife expert BiswajitMohanty said, "Satkosia will remain a man-animal conflict zone until the villagers are relocated which is possible only if they volunteer to do so. As most of these villagers keep cattle, the tigers would prefer going for easy prey instead of hunting in the wild. Though inhabitants of Raigoda village situated in the core area of the tiger reserve were relocated, villages in the buffer zone continue to exist and relocation of these villagers would be impossible."

Mohanty holds the pathetic tiger conservation practices by forest officials responsible behind the dwindling tiger population in the state. "How else is it possible that the state which had around 192 tigers a few years back is left with just 40?"

Questioning the decision of moving the last known male tiger from Satkosia in 2013, Mohanty further said, "It was a young, wild tiger and the decision of putting it inside a zoo was wrong. I don't understand why more than two to three tigers are kept inside the zoo? That male wild tiger needs to be released into the wild."

Meanwhile, expressing anguish over the reaction of villagers about the tiger being a man-eater, Sanjay said, “MB2 is yet to be three years old and was the major attraction back home because of its looks and physique. When visitors, tourists and experts heard about MB2 moving to Satkosia Tiger Reserve, many protested the idea of giving our best breed to another state."

On whether the Madhya Pradesh Government had put the project on hold for the time being, Sanjay said, "This project will take a few years to complete as three pairs will be shifted to Satkosia. We are observing how the officials keep a track on the animal in the wild and its security, after which the other tigers will be moved too. The first tiger relocation took three years. We will be monitoring the status of the tigers for a minimum of six months. The male tiger from Kanha has already been released into the wild and another female tiger is waiting in the enclosure."


*This image is copyright of its original author
MB2 with other tigers at Kanha Tiger Reserve

However, Sanjay is concerned about the threats from villagers about killing the tiger. He said, "The forest department of Odisha was in a hurry to initiate the project. Why did they go for it without taking the villagers into confidence? They should have had a proper dialogue with the villagers and created awareness among them about tourism. The coordination and cooperation of the villagers is essential as these tigers will remain in the wild, and there will always be chances of them searching for easy prey. They will search for cattle in nearby settlements. So, villagers need to be trained to deal with such situations."

Pictures by: Sanjay Shukla, Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve



RE: Bigcats News - Jeffrey - 08-20-2018

South Africa: Gov't gives permission for seven leopards to be hunted

South Africa has opened hunting season on leopards after two years of grace.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has given permission to shoot two leopards in KwaZulu-Natal and five in Limpopo.

The leopards must be males of seven years or older. This decision comes after a zero quota during 2016 and last year and is the result of a determination by the Scientific Authority that leopard hunting in certain areas is now sustainable.

Source: https://www.iol.co.za/ios/news/department-gives-permission-for-seven-leopards-to-be-hunted-16625803


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RE: Bigcats News - Jeffrey - 08-21-2018

Leopard hunting quota was issued despite official report showing significant population declines - Africa Geographic

Opinion post: Written by Maxine Gaines, wildlife biologist
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has just this past week announced that it has lifted the countrywide two-year moratorium on leopard hunting in South Africa. They announced a quota for hunting of leopard to be allocated as follows: Five male leopards in Limpopo Province and two male leopards in KwaZulu-Natal. The leopards, according to the announcement, have to be males seven years or older. They claimed to have made this decision based on a determination by the Scientific Authority.
The information and data behind their decision has not been made public, although I do believe that under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), it should be made available to all interested and affected parties. I had the opportunity to examine some of the science behind the DEA’s decision – via an official report from the Scientific Authority to the DEA. I have to say that I am flabbergasted at the DEA’s decision. The Scientific Authority has done an incredible job of obtaining accurate population estimates and trends across much of the country in a very short space of time. The amount of money, effort and time that went into this study must have been monumental, and the scientific authority are to be commended. But the news is not good.
The official report states that leopard are in serious trouble in this country. A brief summary of the scientific report follows:
1. The population has shown an overall decline of 11% year on year.  And this is in areas that are considered suitable leopard habitat, and where leopard are considered to be relatively well protected. The situation in more marginal habitat and where leopard are not adequately protected will in all likelihood be far worse. The reality is that these marginal and unprotected areas, form a large part of leopard range in South Africa.*
2. Of the reserves surveyed during the two-year study period, 70% showed declines in leopard populations, with 42% of them showing dramatic declines. Only 15 % showed stable populations.
3. In KwaZulu-Natal, where quota has been allocated to hunt 2 leopard, 71% of the reserves studied showed declines in leopard populations, with 43% showing dramatic declines. Only 29% of reserves sampled showed stable populations, although these were of small populations.
4. The situation in all other provinces is just as sobering, with the Limpopo Province also showing declines in leopard population density in 100% of Limpopo sites monitored during the study period (July 2017 to June 2018), with 38% of these sites exhibiting dramatic declines. And yet Limpopo has been allocated 5 leopards to be hunted. Given that the government said in its statement to the public that “It is important to note that the hunting of leopard is only undertaken in specified hunting zones where scientific evidence indicates stable leopard populations” I wonder where exactly in Limpopo they intend to hunt those five leopards?
How on Earth did the DEA decide that this was a good idea?
The report goes on to say that poaching for leopard skins for cultural and traditional uses has been the main cause of the population declines witnessed in KwaZulu-Natal and possibly throughout South Africa. They suggest that this problem receives urgent attention. One religious group in South Africa (which has over 4 million members/voters), uses leopard skins in their ceremonies. What does the government plan to do about this identified cause of leopard population reductions?
So, the DEA are told that poaching has had a dramatic effect on leopard populations across the board, and that the population has continued the alarming decline during the two years of the hunting ban. And yet they see fit to place further pressure on the population by reinstating trophy hunting?
After having worked through this official report, I am concerned that the DEA seems to have little interest in the conservation of leopard in this country. Thankfully there are some true conservationists in government and at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), who have the best interests of our leopards at heart and have taken heed of the concerning results of the study undertaken by the Scientific Authority. I have to assume that they are under pressure pressure from the DEA and the trophy hunting industry, and had no choice but to play a role in the reinstatement of the quota. These good people have ensured that the initial quota is low, but who is to say that this will not change for the worse next year, as they come under increased pressure?
I also believe that many conservationists (some in the Scientific Authority) who certainly have the best interests of leopard conservation at heart, have been held to ransom for too long by the hunting industry. We hear so many stories, from hunters, game farm owners and conservationists alike, that if leopard hunting is not allowed, and farmers/hunters cannot make money from the leopards that pass through their properties by hunting them, then they will shoot them anyway and bury the evidence (the “shoot and shovel” mentality). This is a very real threat. Many of these game farmers deal in the death of wildlife all the time, so would think very little of getting rid of a leopard that is killing their wildlife stock and eroding their profit margins. Understandably, many conservationists are scared senseless by this scenario, and are consequently bullied into coming up with ways to justify quotas for the trophy hunting of leopard.
The damning conclusion I come to, after thoroughly analysing the official leopard population research report, is this: The science produced by world-renowned, respected conservation biologists that clearly shows a leopard population in dire straits, has been ignored completely by the government in determining leopard trophy hunting quotas.


https://africageographic.com/blog/leopard-hunting-quota-was-issued-despite-official-report-showing-significant-population-declines/


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RE: Bigcats News - parvez - 08-26-2018

https://www.nelive.in/arunachal-pradesh/news/dibang-valley-arunachal-pradesh-will-be-highest-site-2018-tiger-census


RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 08-31-2018

NANDHAUR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY APPROVED AS TIGER RESERVE
Thursday, 30 August 2018 

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author

After Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserves, Uttarakhand is gearing up to have yet another one with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) giving in-principle approval recently for the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary in Nainital district to be notified as tiger reserve.  
The total area of the Nandhaur landscape is around 850 sq.kms which makes the area practically viable for sustaining a thriving population of variety of mega-fauna.

However, the Hill State will have to wait more for the Surai range bordering Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh as NTCA has sought more details in the matter from the Trivendra Rawat Government which wants it to be developed as the home of big cats.

However, the State officials claim that the Nandhaur sanctuary, notified recently in 2012, is brimming with over 40 tigers while Surai range has 12. Primary a Sal forest, Nandhaur is home to about 25 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 15 species of reptiles and 20 species of fishes. The major mammalian species include Asian elephants, leopards and sloth bears besides tigers.

Jim Corbett's home turf, Nandhaur sanctuary which is part of Terai Arc landscape stretches till the Nepal border. It has a healthy prey-base, said NTCA. Located to the east of Nainital, majority  of Nandhaur's core landscape lies in Haldwani Forest Division, while it's buffer is Champawat Forest Division to the North.

To make the area inviolate and safe for the tigers, the board has also given green signal for increasing the ex-gratia amount for kin of those killed due to human-wildlife conflict to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. In case of severe injury, a victim will get a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. Earlier it was Rs 50,000.

Forest department officials have attributed the increase in tiger numbers to enhanced and effective security measures.
The NTCA sources said that we have asked the State Government to submit a detailed plans on how it intends to protect the big cats. They also pointed out that illegal logging and boulder mining, poaching and the diversion of forest land for non-forestry related developmental activities are the major threats that the State Govrenment will have to take care of.





PDF: Status of Tiger Leopard & Prey in Nandhaur Valley


RE: Bigcats News - Roflcopters - 08-31-2018

that was long overdue, so glad they decided to go ahead with it. Tfs!

here is a big male from Nandhaur Valley caught in camera trap (2012), Parvez posted this pic a while back. 


*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 09-01-2018

(08-31-2018, 09:10 AM)Roflcopters Wrote: that was long overdue, so glad they decided to go ahead with it. Tfs!
It was almost cancelled. Locals were strongly objecting in fear of being relocated & having their access to forest produce cut off.
The forest already was a protected area & had reached its carrying capacity of tigers despite being populated (very sparsely). Not wanting to risk unnecessary complications, FD was having second thoughts about it. The only difference now would be extra funds.

Buxa Tiger Reserve is also making good progress. 
©Tridib Choudhury

*This image is copyright of its original author

Habitat improvement work is being done and steps are being initiated to improve the prey base to make the situation conducive for tiger relocation. As part of the prey base augmentation programme initially spotted deers were introduced from other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, followed by sambars.

Special protection camps were set up to keep a vigil and monitor the situation in BTR.

Camera-traps have not recorded a single tiger anywhere in Buxa over the past three to four years, although scat and prey (gaur) remains indicate there are still few of them left. These tigers are possibly restricted to the northern hilly terrains at Bhutan border & transient males from Bhutan.

NTCA has approved relocation of half a dozen tigers (two males & four females) from Assam's high density populations of Orang & Kaziranga.

Chief Wildlife Warden of Bengal, Pradeep Vyas & Field Director of Buxa, Ujjal Ghosh assessed & chose the area for "soft release enclosures" of the first reintroduced tigers.

*This image is copyright of its original author

All going well, it may be done within this year!


RE: Bigcats News - Wolverine - 09-03-2018

(08-31-2018, 07:20 AM)Rishi Wrote: NANDHAUR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY APPROVED AS TIGER RESERVE
Thursday, 30 August 2018 

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author

After Corbett and Rajaji Tiger Reserves, Uttarakhand is gearing up to have yet another one with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) giving in-principle approval recently for the Nandhaur wildlife sanctuary in Nainital district to be notified as tiger reserve.  
The total area of the Nandhaur landscape is around 850 sq.kms which makes the area practically viable for sustaining a thriving population of variety of mega-fauna.

However, the Hill State will have to wait more for the Surai range bordering Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh as NTCA has sought more details in the matter from the Trivendra Rawat Government which wants it to be developed as the home of big cats.

However, the State officials claim that the Nandhaur sanctuary, notified recently in 2012, is brimming with over 40 tigers while Surai range has 12. Primary a Sal forest, Nandhaur is home to about 25 species of mammals, 250 species of birds, 15 species of reptiles and 20 species of fishes. The major mammalian species include Asian elephants, leopards and sloth bears besides tigers.

Jim Corbett's home turf, Nandhaur sanctuary which is part of Terai Arc landscape stretches till the Nepal border. It has a healthy prey-base, said NTCA. Located to the east of Nainital, majority  of Nandhaur's core landscape lies in Haldwani Forest Division, while it's buffer is Champawat Forest Division to the North.

To make the area inviolate and safe for the tigers, the board has also given green signal for increasing the ex-gratia amount for kin of those killed due to human-wildlife conflict to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. In case of severe injury, a victim will get a compensation of Rs 2 lakh. Earlier it was Rs 50,000.

Forest department officials have attributed the increase in tiger numbers to enhanced and effective security measures.
The NTCA sources said that we have asked the State Government to submit a detailed plans on how it intends to protect the big cats. They also pointed out that illegal logging and boulder mining, poaching and the diversion of forest land for non-forestry related developmental activities are the major threats that the State Govrenment will have to take care of.





PDF: Status of Tiger Leopard & Prey in Nandhaur Valley

So probably in this area roamed notorious Champuwat man-eating tiger and were the hunting grounds of Jim Corbett. Probably Corbett is very happy for this achievement watching us from paradise (where I'm pretty sure he is now). Does his winter home in Kaladhungi is included in the park? In such a case the park would be twice more attractive - for wildlife tourism and as a place for pilgrimage of Corbett fans.


RE: Bigcats News - Rishi - 09-03-2018

(09-03-2018, 01:14 PM)Wolverine Wrote: So probably in this area roamed notorious Champawat man-eating tiger and were the hunting grounds of Jim Corbett. Probably Corbett is very happy for this achievement watching us from paradise (where I'm pretty sure he is now). Does his winter home in Kaladhungi is included in the park? In such a case the park would be twice more attractive - for wildlife tourism and as a place for pilgrimage of Corbett fans.

Not really... Kaladhungi lies near Nainital, on the corridor between Corbett & Nandhaur. Corbett's ancestral cottage has already been converted to a museum.
Champawat is to the north of the new tiger reserve.

*This image is copyright of its original author

However, Nandhaur has seen Jim Corbett. He went there to fish...

Corbett and his friend Sir William Ibbotson, Nainital’s district commissioner, apparently visited the Durgapeepal Forest Rest-House in 1938 searching for the "Thak maneater". This travelogue to Nandhaur says, Incredibly enough, I even found a faded ink entry made by Ibbotson in 1938, as he waited for Corbett to join him, in the remarkably preserved old register at Chorgalia, dating back to 1933.

Seriously, you should read it: The woods are lovely, dark and deep: Nandhaur’s heritage in Uttarakhand.


RE: Bigcats News - parvez - 09-04-2018

Is nandhour India's 51st tiger reserve?


RE: Bigcats News - Rage2277 - 09-05-2018

Wildlife
Tiger found dead in canal in Andhra’s Kurnool

A post-mortem has been carried out to ascertain the cause of the tiger’s death.
  • TNM Staff
     
  • Monday, September 03, 2018 - 13:31
Share @Facebook Share @twitter ?Subject=TheNewsMinute&Body=Tiger%20found%20dead%20in%20canal%20in%20Andhra%E2%80%99s%20Kurnool%20https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/tiger-found-dead-canal-andhra-s-kurnool-87704Share @google+ Share @reddit



Image: Twitter/Uma Sudhir

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A tiger was found dead in a canal of Telugu Ganga near Mittapalle Cheruvu of Allagadda in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh earlier this week.
According to forest officials, as the tiger’s carcass was floating in the canal, villagers informed local forest beat officers.
Speaking to TNM DFO Nandyal, Siva Shankar Reddy said, "We have received information about the cub floating in the waters. We have recovered the dead body and a post-mortem has been conducted. We are yet to receive the report."
Official said that the tiger was 3 years old and female. “No major injuries were spotted but we can't ascertain the reason before report comes," he said. TV reports, however, showed the tiger bleeding from its nose.
Siva Shankar has also said another tiger was found dead floating in another canal of the Telugu Ganga project in the same region. Reports also suggested that the tiger may have died hours before it was found.
The post-mortem was conducted as per the Wild-life Protection Act 1972.
In December 2017, forest officials  captured a tiger using a tranquiliser near Veligodu in Kurnool area as it started venturing into the human settlements.
The forests fall under the limits of Nallamala forests which is one of the biggest in Andhra's Eastern Ghats. Earlier in March another tiger died in the Nallamala division. At that time officials have claimed that it died following an attack with another tiger. In the last six months as many as four tiger or leopard deaths were reported
According Mid-Day's report data released by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), in the first quarter of the 2018 as many as 162 leopards and 36 tigers have died across the country. 
While 37.04% of cases of leopard deaths was due to poaching, around 35% of tiger deaths occurred due to unnatural reasons, which include poaching, accidents and electrocution.



RE: Bigcats News - Jeffrey - 09-08-2018

DNA database helps Nepal’s officials monitor tigers, punish poachers

Nepal’s Centre for Molecular Dynamics has developed a DNA reference database containing genetic and geographic information on 120 of the country’s estimated 200 wild tigers.

Law enforcement officials used the database to identify the species, sex and estimated geographic origin of confiscated animal parts suspected to be tigers, pinpointing most of them to individual national parks.

Such databases have the potential to support not only forensics, but also disease research and monitoring population dynamics, particularly if countries can share genetic data.

Source: https://news.mongabay.com/wildtech/2018/09/dna-database-helps-nepals-officials-monitor-tigers-punish-poachers/


*This image is copyright of its original author



RE: Bigcats News - Rage2277 - 09-13-2018

Tiger ‘kills’ woman, Satkosia Tiger Reserve tense 
Tension ran high near Satkosia Tiger Reserve after locals torched a beat house and a range office angered by the alleged killing of a woman by a tiger on Wednesday afternoon.

Published: 13th September 2018 02:39 AM | Last Updated: 13th September 2018 06:46 AM | A+A A-


*This image is copyright of its original author

By Express News Service
ANGUL: Tension ran high near Satkosia Tiger Reserve after locals torched a beat house and a range office angered by the alleged killing of a woman by a tiger on Wednesday afternoon.
The irate locals ransacked and torched Tikarpara range office, beat house at Hatibari and the crocodile office. They also set all the boats at Tikarpara on fire and even ransacked the local guest house. Later, hundreds of agitators blocked Angul-Tikarpara road demanding removal of the tigress from Satkosia and compensation to the woman’s kin.
Sources said 35-year-old Kalisahi Soya of Hatibari village was killed at around 1 pm when she had gone to a nearby rivulet for taking bath when the tiger attacked her.When Soya did not return, her husband along with some villagers searched the nearby forest and found her mauled body. As the news spread, people of nearby Majhipara, Tikarpara, Goindia and Behera Sahi villages gathered and went on a pillaging spree.

“Our worst fears came true. We have been repeatedly informing the Forest department about the threat posed by the tiger to the local,” said Biraj Jani, an activist of Satkosia Praja Surakhya Samiti. Satkosia DFO SMT Rahman said a forest team was tracking movement of the large cat for the last few days and the villagers had been warned against venturing into the forest.

The woman had gone to the forest and she might have been killed by the feline which is believed to be a tigress that was brought from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, Rahman said.Recently, the Forest department had released a tiger and a tigress, from Madhya Pradesh, into Satkosia as part its plan to boost big cat population in the State.

Till reports last came in, the road blockade continued as no police or Forest officials reached the spot to pacify the irate villagers. Sources said Forest officials and staff have abandoned their offices following the incident.


RE: Bigcats News - Pckts - 09-13-2018

Sad news and very dangerous for the two translocated tigers.

The FD really should have done a better job here, their negligence and rush to translocate before fully investigating could be very costly to man and beast alike. 

Sarita Subramaniam
Eyewash from the lying PCCF and Forest Minister.
How can the Maharashtra Forest department order a hunter to shoot the Tigress even before their so called efforts at tranquilsation?
The order to shoot her down mentions the name of Shafat Khan as the shooter even before the requested MP elephants and veterinarians arrive at Pandharkhawda.
Not a single attempt at capturing the Tiger family has been done since the order to capture her and the hunter is called to hunt the Tigress.
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?

Shows clearly the malafide intentions of the useless and inefficient Forest department and their lack of management capabilities.


So who is paying the corrupt babus and the greedy politicians for this legalised hunting party? 
Who is engineering situations and paying off the politicians and bureaucrats to do legalised hunting in India instead of paying to hunt in Africa?


A columnist for the Asian Age has indicated in a February 2018 article that the Hunter actually pays huge sums (“upper seven-figure range”) to be invited to hunt - no wonder our greedy forest officials and politicians rush to call him every time! 
https://www.google.co.in/…/tipeshwars-tigers-doomed-by-succ…

The PCCF’s order says no reward will be given to the hunter. Aren’t such images rewarding enough for a megalomaniac hunter?

*This image is copyright of its original author


*This image is copyright of its original author