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Solar lights to ward off tigers at Sundernbans' villages

After nets and firecrackers, here's another novel attempt at preventing tigers from straying into Sunderbans villages — solar lights.

WWF-India has launched the project — 'Lights for Stripe' — to install solar lights along the edge of villages on the fringe areas of the tiger reserve. It has been working on the initiative since 2009 and has installed 78 lights at a cost of Rs 19.5 lakh (58 of these were co-funded by WWF-Australia and Aircel). This is the first time it is using crowd funding to raise Rs 660,000 for 20 community solar lights.

WWF-India climate adaptation programme head Anurag Danda told TOI that they aim to cover all 46 vulnerable fringe villages of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve. "Lights have proved to be an effective deterrent. Not a single tiger straying has been reported at the solar light installation sites," said Danda.

Between 1986 and 2009, 279 tiger strayings were reported in the fringe villages. With Sunderbans tigers capable of swimming long distances at a speed of 16 km/hr, the 50-150metre creeks that separate villages from Bagna Forest Range are no hurdle to the big cats. Straying is the highest in areas where the creek is narrow. For example, in Kamalakhali creek, there are stretches where Samsernagar village of Hingalganj is only 15m from Arbesi. This is one of the villages most affected by tiger straying.

In places where the lights were installed, straying stopped, say sources. Shakila Bibi of Kalitala village, one of the beneficiaries of the programme, said: "I am a victim of human-animal conflict. My husband was killed by a crocodile while patrolling for the forest department. A combined solar light (street light and home light) connection was provided to me in 2009. Since then, straying has reduced."

However, tigers quickly adapted and moved upstream or downstream to enter villages from an area that was not lit up. "That led to the realization that the entire coastline has to be lit up by a chain of lights. Since these lights are usually on the embankment, they also serve as community streetlights," said Danda. With hundreds of lights needed, WWF-India is banking on crowd funding.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...811474.cms
 

 

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Lakhimpur’s killer tigress caught, released in Dudhwa

In a first for the UP forest department, a tigress that had killed a man in Lakhimpur Kheri district, was tranquilized, trapped and released back into the wild on Monday. The healthy, two-year-old tigress was released in Dudhwa tiger reserve after being medically examined. 

Forest department officials believe the February 20 killing by the predator was a chance encounter. The 35-year-old victim's body was found at least 4km off the forest boundary in Bhira range of South Kheri forest division. 

"Even 18 days after the killing, there have been no fresh attacks," said DFO, South Kheri, Neeraj Kumar, adding that the department would keep monitoring the situation. 

"It cannot be said for sure that the animal wouldn't kill again," he said, but added that the animal now has the opportunity to stay away from humans. 

Since the killing, the department had been tracking the animal. On Monday, it was spotted in a sugarcane field, some 50 metres from the boundary of the forest. It was tranquillized and then released in the Chandpara beat of Dudhwa tiger reserve, some 20km away. 

Officials said the site of the release was chosen with care. Since the tiger census is on at Dudhwa, a team from WWF had surveyed the Chandpara beat area and found the area unoccupied by other big cats. "Therefore, there's little chance that the tigress would come in conflict with other tigers. The site is deep inside Dudhwa and has ample prey base," said the official. 

The official said it is also difficult to say if it actually strayed out of south Kheri. "There is a regular movement of tigers from Kishenpur to south Kheri. To say this one strayed out of south Kheri is therefore difficult," he added. 

However, relocation carries a risk, say wildlife biologists. The predator may get disoriented in the new place and show aberrant behaviour. Relocated tigers have in the past tried to return to their original habitat. 

Forest department officials said they were faced with increasing cases of young tigers straying out of the protected area in Uttar Pradesh. 

"In most cases, tigers come into sugarcane fields chasing nilgai and wild boars," said former director, Dudhwa, GC Mishra. 

Meanwhile, wildlife enthusiasts applauded the forest department's swift move to release the animal in the wild. "We will write to the government appreciating the department's quick action," said green activist Sanjay Narayan.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...813464.cms
 

 

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Tiger found dead in Kanha

A male tiger was found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday night, a senior forest official said. 

Forest officials found its carcass near Kisli range. Veterinary experts were called from Jabalpur to carry out the post-mortem. "It was a two-and-half-year-old male tiger with multiple fractures and deep wounds on its limb. Excessive bleeding caused its death," a forest officer said, adding the tiger was killed in a territorial war with another male tiger. 

Both tigers were radio collared and their locations were found very close a few hours before one was killed. There are more than 90 tigers in Kanha.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...917613.cms
 

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