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Bigcats News
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Forest dept orders probe into videos of lion harassment
tnn | Jan 25, 2019, 04:00 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author ViDEO: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...edium=post Rajkot: A pride of lion was allegedly harassed by some passer-by on a motorcycle, a video of which surfaced in the social media on Thursday and went viral. Another video of a group of lions being chased by people in a car also had gone viral recently on the social media. On Thursday, the forest department ordered a probe into both the videos. The first video shows a pride of lion with one adult lioness and four sub-adult lions being chased by bikers while recording their video on a mobile phone. The lions appear to be moving on a highway with a service road. One of the lioness is also seen jumping an iron grill separating the highway and the service lane (^above picture). When contacted conservator of forest Rajkot A C Patel said, “Primarily we believe that the video was taken somewhere near the Pipavav Port in Amreli. I have sent one team to the port to investigate about the incident. We are not sure how old the video is.” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...w&from=mdr
Tiger T-110 will be shifted to Seljar range of Mukundra Hills
TNN | Jan 24, 2019, 07:27 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author JAIPUR: Tiger T-110 which strayed from Ranthambore National Park (RNP) to Sultanpur range in Kota will be released in Seljar range of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) after tranquillising and fitting GPS-enabled collar. The forest official claims that a decision to shift the tiger to Seljar range of MHTR has been taken as department has already obtained the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) permission. Quote:An official said, “We already have one hectare enclosure at Seljar for the soft release. The department had earlier obtained the NTCA permission to shift the tiger in the northern part of the tiger reserve (Selzar area, Borawas Range) where prey base augmentation was carried out by translocating spotted deer and sambar,” he said. On Wednesday, the forest department made attempts to tranquillise the tiger which had created panic among villagers near Kherli Tawaran. The decision was taken as the big cat that was "lurking in the fields" charged at villagers. Reportedly, tiger even killed a "cow". “Operation to tranquilize and rescue the animal safely turned futile as villagers shouted when they sighted the tiger in the field. The forest department informed police and district administration about the operation. The team is continuously monitoring the tiger,” he said. Quote:The decision has elated the wildlife lovers the Hadauti region as its both range- Seljar and DarrahHowever, it remains a challenge to the forest department to provide safe environment for tigers in MHTR as a majority of villagers living inside the protected forest area are refusing to rehabilitation. Moreover, villages near the Seljar range including Borawas graze their cattle inside the forest. Quote:A wildlife lover said, “The state forest department proposal to release tiger in Sejar range is contradicting its own previous decision. Earlier, in 2017 relocation plan from the Seljar range to Darrah was altered as standing committee members on wildlife owing to security concern of the animal. Borawas villagers have more than 50 thousand cattle. They would be threat to wild cat, if their cattle is killed,” he added. Of the 14 villages inside MHTR, which was notified as the third tiger reserve in Rajasthan in 2013, only two have been rehabilitated so far. “Only two villages, Lakshmipura and Kharli Baori, have been relocated so far. Residents of 12 other villages are not satisfied with the compensation,” said a forest official. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...05nY8C2i_w
Forest department to change tiger landscape in "Maharashtra"
Tigers will be relocated from saturated landscapes like the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) to areas where they are less in number  *This image is copyright of its original author Tiger Written By  *This image is copyright of its original author Dhaval Kulkarni Updated: Jan 21, 2019, 06:30 AM IST With man-animal conflict on the rise in Maharashtra, the state government is planning to translocate tigers from saturated landscapes like the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Chandrapur in Vidarbha to areas where they are less in number. The state will rope in the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to identify sites prone to conflict and suitable locations for this shifting. Quote:Some probable areas where tigers can be relocated include Gadchiroli, the Navegaon Nagzira and Bor tiger projects and the Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary, though the final decision will be taken after a scientific study of the landscape and prey base. Once completed, this will be Maharashtra's first tiger relocation in the wild.More importantly, the over Rs 19.17 crore MoU will cover conflict mitigation in fragmented landscapes with human presence like Pandharkawada in Yavatmal, where a "problem tigress" nicknamed 'Avni,' who was blamed for 13 deaths, was controversially shot down by a private hunter hired by the state forest department in November 2018. A senior state forest department official said the WII would identify areas with man-animal conflict like Chandrapur and Yavatmal, and suggest minimisation measures. The official told DNA that while Gadchiroli had tiger presence till the 1990s, it was devoid of breeding tigers as Left-wing extremism made monitoring difficult. The Navegaon Nagzira tiger project has an adverse male to female tiger ratio, with around six males and three females compared to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), with about two to three females per male. Areas like TATR and the neighbouring Bramhapuri forest division, which had rising numbers of tigers, were witnessing a rise in conflict and human deaths due to habitat pressures. The TATR's core and buffer have over 80 of the estimated 203 tigers in Maharashtra, making it the most tiger-dense landscape in the state with the neighbouring Brahmapuri forest division (40), which caters to the spill-over population from Tadoba. This saturation makes it essential to curate and manage tiger numbers. Quote:He added that around 23 people were killed in attacks by tigers and leopards in this year in Chandrapur in 2018. https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-f...ra-2710229
2 tigers killed in 20 days in reserve: Is Telangana doing enough to protect wildlife?
This is the second incident in a month and the tiger was probably the last big cat spotted alive in the reserve. Priyanka Richi Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 11:57 Image: Twitter/VijaypTOI  *This image is copyright of its original author Kawal tiger reserve in Mancherial has lost two tigers, allegedly to poaching, in a span of 20 days. On Thursday, forest officials along with members of the Tiger End Hunting Association (TEHA), an NGO that works for tiger conservation, recovered the skin of probably the last big cat alive in the reserve. Kawal tiger reserve in Telangana has been in news for the dwindling number of tigers within the reserves. The tigers that migrate from the adjoining forests of Maharashtra come to Kawal reserve – a large portion of which falls in Adilabad – in search of new territories. Theories suggest that the tigers do not go missing but rather ‘return’ to their home territory. According to reports, since 1996, around 20 tigers have disappeared from Mancherial district. On Thursday, with the help of officers from the Mancherial forest department, members of Maharashtra based NGO TEHA recovered tiger skin from the house of one Lingaiah, who is a member of a larger gang who was planning to sell the tiger skin. Speaking to TNM, Nandu Pimple, the president of TEHA, said the gang members were local residents of Chennur town and weren’t regular poachers. “We got information from a middle man asking if we knew anyone who would want to buy the tiger skin. We pretended to be interested in the deal and asked for further details. The gang first insisted on getting the full amount but we told that we cannot pay unless we see the tiger skin. We then agreed to visit Lingaiah at his home and the deal was struck between Rs 15-20 lakh. Meanwhile, we informed the forest officials of Mancherial, and with their help, we busted the gang,” Pimple says. The tiger skin has been sent to a lab in Hyderabad for forensic analysis. Three accused have been arrested while the gang leader is absconding. According to members of the NGO, the gang members are not regular poachers or part of any smuggling nexus but villagers who make a living out of agriculture. “People in the villages often set snares to catch animals like wild boars that destroy their crops. Though it’s not clear if the gang intentionally hunted down the tiger, it is also possible that the tiger fell into one of the traps and villagers eventually decided to sell the skin,” Pimple says. Pimple and his team have been part of five such operations in the past in Telangana. The Mancherial forest officials faced much criticism after they had announced the arrival of the tiger in the reserve about a month ago. They disclosed the location of the tiger and had said that it was spotted in the Khadem forest range. Speaking to TNM, Ramalingam, District forest officer (DFO) of Mancherial, confirmed that it was probably one of the last tigers in the reserve seen alive while 4-5 others have been spotted in the neighbouring districts. “We were on an alert from the past 2 weeks after we got information about the gang selling the tiger skin. This is the second incident in a month. What we suspect is that the tiger fell into one of the traps set by the villagers or chances are also that it got electrocuted touching the live wires the villagers use to kill the wild animals that destroy their crops. Cops are yet to investigate if the gang has any connections with smugglers outside the district,” Ramalingam said. Considering the increasing cases of poaching, the Telangana government last week announced the setting up of a State Tiger Protection Force (STPF) to protect wildlife. The STPF would be constituted with 112 personnel and would be deployed in Kawal and Amrabad tiger reserve forest areas. There has been no confirmation from when the force would be functional. “We are working along with the electricity department to avoid instances of laying live wires to kill animals. We will be strengthening security around the reserve and taking strict action against offenders,” Ramalingam added. https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/2-...life-95704
Nepal Set to Become First Country That Doubles Its Wild Tiger Population
By Good News Network - Jan 18, 2019 Tiger populations are rebounding around the world, but conservationists are rejoicing over the big cat’s speedy recovery in Nepal. In honor of National Conservation Day back in September, Nepal announced that there are now an estimated 235 wild tigers in the country, which nearly doubles the record-low baseline of around 121 tigers in 2009. If these trends continue, Nepal could become the first of 14 countries to double its national tiger population since international agencies gathered together in 2010 and set the ambitious TX2 goal to double the world’s wild tiger population by 2022. “Our commitment to the Global Tiger Recovery Program gains new ground with Nepal’s growing tiger numbers and a successful implementation of Nepal’s Tiger Conservation Action Plan,” stated Bishwa Nath Oli, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment. “Protecting tigers is a top priority of the government, and we are thankful for the able support of our partners, enforcement agencies, local communities and the international community for a common purpose.” RELATED: India Saves Its Tigers Instead of Mining For $330M in Diamonds Nepal conducted its national tiger survey between November 2017 and April 2018 in the transboundary Terai Arc Landscape (TAL), a vast area of diverse ecosystems shared with India. Camera traps and occupancy surveys were used to estimate tiger occupancy and abundance, while line transect surveys were used to derive prey density. The last tiger survey in 2013 had estimated the tiger population at 198. “This significant increase in Nepal’s tiger population is proof that when we work together, we can save the planet’s wildlife – even species facing extinction,” said Leonardo DiCaprio, WWF-US board member and chairman of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which has funded tiger conservation in Nepal’s Bardia National Park and elsewhere since 2010. “Nepal has been a leader in efforts to double tigers within its own borders and serves as a model for conservation for all of Asia and the world. I am proud of my foundation’s partnership with WWF to support Nepal and local communities in doubling the population of wild tigers.” The success in Nepal has been largely attributed to the country’s political commitment and the adoption of innovative tools and approaches towards tiger conservation. Nepal was the first country to achieve global standards in managing tiger conservation areas, an accreditation scheme governed by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS). With four more years to go, the TX2 goal of doubling tiger numbers globally can only be achieved if all the tiger range countries step up and commit to a similar level of excellence. RELATED: The Best Environmental News of 2018 — Earth Seems to be in Good Hands After All Additionally, in May 2018, Nepal celebrated a new benchmark with the achievement of 365 days of zero poaching of rhinos on five occasions between 2011 and 2018. “Every tiger counts, for Nepal and for the world,” stated Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Country Representative, WWF-Nepal. “While Nepal is but a few tigers away from our goal to double tiger numbers by 2022, it also underscores the continued need to ensure protection, and improved and contiguous habitats for the long-term survival of the species.” https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/nepal-se...M-A72ESv6E Supermom: With 4 newborns, MP tigress sets record of delivering 30 cubs P Naveen | TNN | Updated: Jan 29, 2019, 08:34 IST The tigress with cubs.  *This image is copyright of its original author BHOPAL: Supermom ‘Collarwali’ – the incredibly fertile tigress at Madhya Pradesh’s Pench Tiger Reserve – has delivered four more cubs. This is her 8th litter and she has so far mothered an amazing 30 cubs — a record for any tigress in Madhya Pradesh. Nicknamed by visitors because of her radio collar, the latest litter is again a boost to the tiger introduction programme in the state that has lost 28 tigers in the last few months.  *This image is copyright of its original author “The tigress was spotted with her new cubs by tourists recently. They are all very small but in good health,” said a forest officer confirming that that this was Collarwali’s eighth litter.  *This image is copyright of its original author Referred to as ‘Queen of Pench’ and ‘Pench princess’, Collarwali was one of the four cubs of famous tigress ‘Barimada’, who was featured in the famous documentary titled ‘Spy in the Jungle’ by BBC network. She was also the first of Barimada’s cubs to establish her territory in the core area of her mother’s range, experts said.  *This image is copyright of its original author The tigress littered three cubs for the first time in May 2008. But, as an inexperienced mother, she could not protect them from the harsh climate. All three cubs died of pneumonia within 24 days, recalls a forest officer. In October 2008, she produced her second litter – four cubs including three males. All survived. Experts claim she has used 13 different sites to rear her three litters and most of the times it was caves.  *This image is copyright of its original author Between 2008 and 2013, Collarwali gave birth to 18 cubs, of which 14 survived. In 2015, the tigress gave birth to four more cubs in its sixth litter. Pench is now home to more than 60 adult tigers. A male tiger translocated from Pench reserve had also led to successful reintroduction project of tiger in Panna tiger reserve. Devoid of its tiger population that fell to poaching and other reasons, Panna is a model in tiger reintroduction, with a population of more than 25 big cats.  *This image is copyright of its original author “This is the 8th time she has given progeny which is the only known record. She was born in 2004-05 and in span of 15 years is still very healthy given 3-4 cubs. If we count her contribution along with progeny by her cub’s total number it may reach more than 50 tigers. Tiger is prolific breeder and future of tiger is bright if we manage our habitat with like I did while establishing the Pench tiger reserve during 2001-2004 as field director Pench tiger reserve. All praise to our staff from old to present in keeping habitat management in proper lines,” said Dr R G Soni. In Video: Madhya Pradesh tigress 'Collarwali' sets a record of delivering 30 cubs See the video in the description: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/supermom-with-4-newborns-mp-tigress-sets-record-of-delivering-30-cubs/articleshow/67729981.cms?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIMobile
Governments don't have political will to conserve forests, wildlife: M.K. Ranjitsinh (IANS Interview)
IANS | New Delhi Last Updated at January 28, 2019 14:01 IST He is a die-hard conservationist, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Wankaner, a wildlife expert and a former bureaucrat but most of all he was the principal author of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. So, when M.K. Ranjitsinh says that the "governments now do not have enough political will" to protect our wildlife, it highlights the threat to India's forests and wildlife. "In the revision of the 1972 Wildlife Act, no state government was ready to establish a new park or a sanctuary. Being the Forest Secretary for 2.5 years in Madhya Pradesh (1970-73), I established nine new national parks and 14 new sanctuaries. For the existing parks, I doubled their size. A little less than 6,000 sq km of parks and sanctuaries is the only area that is left where nature will survive," Ranjitsinh told IANS in an interview. He asserted that even 35 years after of his retirement in 1983, just 200 sq ft has been added to national parks and sanctuaries in two states and three little sanctuaries, that too 20 years "No political party wants any new national park and sanctuary, as a matter of fact, they want to reduce them," he said. In 2013, the Supreme Court had ordered the relocation of some of the lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh within six months to save them from extinction. It has been five years and the order is yet to be implemented. Asiatic lions are now found only in Gujarat, where their population jumped from 411 in 2010 to 523 in 2015. Crammed for space, a number of prides have ventured out of forests and occupied areas as far as in coastal Gujarat. In many areas, they scavenge for food and share space with feral dogs blamed for spreading Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) to African lions that killed nearly half the population in the mid-1990s. "During my visit to Saurashtra, I noticed that there was only a 3 per cent increase in five protected areas: Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary and Girnar Sanctuary. The government doesn't want to give them (animals) space... they simply don't want to establish a single protected area outside. "Does conservation of nature, forget wildlife, get you votes? Every other government is interested in votes and the next elections. I am sorry to say it but this is not governance. Is there nothing sacrosanct in this country? If you are not prepared to dig below the Taj Mahal for diamonds or Ajanta-Elora for oil then shouldn't Kaziranga, Kanha and others be sacrosanct as well?... because that is the last place where our natural heritage will survive. "If everything is to be used for greed and need of everybody, then the Environment ministry might as well shut shop and disband the national wildlife board," he opined. First Published: Mon, January 28 2019. 13:50 IST https://www.business-standard.com/articl...EHA6J8qf2w After Spending 5 Years and Rs 14 Crore, MP Govt Seeks Centre's Help To Get Lions From Gujarat Kriti Gupta Updated: Jan 27, 2019, 17:56 PM IST Gujarat’s Gir forest is the only abode of the Asiatic lions and in October last year, 23 of these magnificent wild cats died due to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV). Five years ago, the Supreme Court had ordered the shifting of a few lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh, where a second home was to be set so that the specie is saved from extinction, due to catastrophes like epidemics.  *This image is copyright of its original author The order which was announced on April 15, 2013 was never acted upon and now the Madhya Pradesh government has sought the Centre’s help in getting Asiatic lions from Gir. PTI reported that in a letter to the Ministry of Environment, the state forest department and Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) felt that process of shifting lions could be started immediately. A copy of the letter was obtained by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. According to some other documents which were accessed by Dubey through RTI request, the MP government has incurred Rs 14.84 crore in shifting 1,543 families so that lions could smoothly enter the sanctuary. Don't Miss Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Sheopur district of Gwalior division was selected by the M.P government as the second home for around 500 Asiatic lions. A thousand families were translocated from 24 villages of the particular area.  *This image is copyright of its original author Photo: BCCL/Representative However, since 2013 not a single lion has been shifted. The Gujarat government has been reluctant in shifting lions and reportedly have said that they would wait until the completion of studies as per the relocation guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), before any lions are sent to Madhya Pradesh. In September last year, when the initial deaths of Gir lions had started making rounds, a meeting was attended by representatives of Gujarat and MP governments besides a renowned wildlife scientist in which the issue of lion shifting had cropped up. As per PTI, the scientist had said Palpur-Kuno was ready to accommodate 40 lions from Gujarat.  *This image is copyright of its original author Photo: Reuters Lion population in Gir was estimated to be at 523 lions, including 109 male, 201 female, 73 sub-adults and 140 cubs in 2015 census. It is since estimated to have gone up to nearly 600. With nearly one-third of them living outside the core, which makes them susceptible to viruses relocating at least some of the lion population becomes crucial for the species. Congress Leader Atul Chouhan had told PTI last year, "The Vijay's Rupani government had admitted (in Gujarat Assembly) that in the last two years 184 lions died in Gir due to infighting, contagious infections, floods and railway accidents, among other reasons.” Despite this no lion was shifted. CDV can spread from dogs in the wild and had even killed around 1,000 lions in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park in 1990s. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/af...61137.html
India can’t handle more tigers, say experts
*This image is copyright of its original author Jacob Koshy New Delhi, January 28, 2019 22:40 IST Updated: January 29, 2019 01:45 IST *This image is copyright of its original author A tigress and her cubs at the Ranthambhore National Park. File | Photo Credit: Aditya ‘Dicky’ Singh As habitats shrink, country nears its capacity to manage the big cat, say experts While conservation efforts are aimed at increasing the tiger count in India, global experts and officials in the government suggest that India must also prepare for a new challenge — of reaching the limits of its management capacity. Officially, India had 2,226 tigers as of 2014. An ongoing census is expected to reveal an update to these numbers. But Rajesh Gopal, head of the Global Tiger Forum, said that India’s current capacity to host tigers ranged from 2,500-3,000 tigers. Moreover, said another official, 25-35% of India’s tigers now lived outside protected reserves. With dwindling core forest as well as the shrinking of tiger corridors (strips of land that allow tigers to move unfettered across diverse habitat), officials said there were several challenges — alongside the traditional challenges of poaching and man-animal conflict — to India’s success at tiger conservation. Recent attempts at translocating tigers to unpopulated reserves, such as Satkosia in Orissa, have ended badly, with one of the tigers dying. Mr. Gopal was speaking at a conference of representatives from a group of countries who’ve signed a declaration to double tiger numbers by 2022, organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Barring China, all other tiger-range countries — Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, India and Nepal — were part of the conference in New Delhi on Monday. *This image is copyright of its original author Another official, involved in the ongoing census said the report — expected to be made public in May — will also, for the first time, discuss challenges of having a thriving tiger population. “Overall, given the low availability of prey in some reserves, this is the capacity that can be supported. However, there are vast tracts of potential tiger habitat that can be used to improve prey density, develop tiger corridors and therefore support a much larger population,” said Y. Jhala of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). K. Ullas Karanth, director, Centre for Wildlife Studies, however, said, “I would estimate the potential carrying capacity for tigers in India at 10,000 to 15,000, not the 3,000 we already have. When tiger recovery efforts began 50 years ago we had about 2,000 tigers.. If after all this effort and expenditure, we are satisfied with just 3,000 tigers, it points at a serious management problem; needlessly huge amount of money is being dumped repeatedly on the same 25,000-30,000 sq. km area where tigers are already at saturation densities, while other areas with potential for future recovery are starved of key investments.” Since 2006, the WII has been tasked with coordinating the tiger estimation exercise. The once-in-four-years exercise calculated, in 2006, that India had only 1,411 tigers. This rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014 on the back of improved conservation measures and new estimation methods. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy...atsapp.com 
@Wolverine See? ^That's what i was talking.
It's like a separate guy who didn't even read the article wrote its completely misleading headline... or whoever wrote it has no understanding on what he's writing about & this guy is the Deputy Science Editor of "The Hindu" the most reputed newspaper of India! The quality of journalism in India has fallen to the lowest possible level after 2000.  (01-29-2019, 06:34 PM)Lycaon Wrote: @RishiThere you go man!!! @Lycaon At last Once coexisted two friends Lion and Tiger going to meet for the first time after decades or centuries of separation by humans. What a moment!!! After 1985, tiger spotted near Tapi district, forest officials on alert Written by Kamal Saiyed | Surat | Published: July 28, 2018 8:58:51 am  *This image is copyright of its original author The pug mark in Koknipada village Quote:According to Nandurbar range forest officials, two residents of Koknipada village spotted the tiger, the first since 1985, on July 22 in two separate incidents. The rare sighting of a tiger in Koknipada village of Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, barely 30 km from Tapi district, has put forest officials of both Maharashtra and Gujarat on alert. Looking at the pug marks of the animal, while Maharashtra forest officials have confirmed that it was a tiger, grass follicles from the hillock where the tiger was spotted, have been sent to a laboratory in Hyderabad to identify the species, its age and sex. According to Nandurbar range forest officials, two residents of Koknipada village spotted the tiger, the first since 1985, on July 22 in two separate incidents. In the first incident, the tiger was spotted by Jaysingh Kokni, a resident of Koknipada village. On spotting the tiger, Kokni called for help. By the time his employees arrived, the tiger had fled. After preliminary examination of the pug marks, Randive Ganesh, Assistant Conservator of Forest of Nandurbar range has said that they belong to a tiger. Ganesh and his team were able to trace the pug marks to a hillock where they spotted the tiger crouching under a rock. Quote:Talking to The Indian Express Ganesh said, “We were just 16 m from the tiger. We were not carrying cameras or else we would have taken photos. We had to use fire crackers to drive the tiger away from human habitat.” He further said, “We have collected the samples of the grass follicles and taken impressions of pugmarks. The follicle samples were sent to the Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology laboratory in Hyderabad for a DNA test. We are still waiting for the report. The pugmarks were sent to Nagpur wildlife laboratory, which confirmed that it was a tiger.” Nandurbar range Deputy Conservator of Forest S B Kewate said, “We have started patrolling the forest area in Nandurbar. We have also hired a drone camera to locate the tiger. Forest officials in Tapi, Narmada and Dangs have been put on alert as the tiger might enter their territory. Our officer Randive Ganesh and few others saw the tiger so we know for sure that it was a tiger.” Koknipada village is around 30 km from Uchhal taluka of Tapi district, 60 km from Subir taluka in Dangs and 120 km from Narmada in Gujarat. A tiger can cover a distance of 30 km in a single journey. Therefore, it is possible for the animal to cross over to Gujarat, which is why officials in these district have been alerted. A total of eight teams, divided in two groups with 46 officials are patrolling the area. Forest officials believe that the tiger strayed away from Yawal sanctuary in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, which has three tigers and tigresses, each. Quote:“We have sought details from Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary on the number of tigers and tigresses,” ACF Ganesh said. Tapi district divisional forest officer Anand Kumar said, “On the basis of the details given by Nandurbar forest department, we have alerted our officials in border areas to patrol the area round the clock and immediately inform higher authorities if either the pugmarks or the tiger itself are spotted. If the tiger enters our areas, our first preference would be try and prevent any kind of animal human conflict. The next step would be to protect the tiger. We are trying to generate awareness about the issue and have advised people in the villages bordering Maharashtra about the steps and precautions they should take if the animal is seen.” According to official forest records, there have been no tigers in the forests of Gujarat since 1985. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/...t-5280395/ Tiger Zinda Hai! First direct sighting near Gujarat (LoL  , it means "Tiger still alive!!!")Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Jul 27, 2018, 06:03 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author The big cat attacked Dinsingh Kokani, 38, on Wednesday AHMEDABAD: It may not be 'wagh aayo re wagh aayo', a Gujarati proverb for cry wolf, when it comes to tiger after all. While naysayers continue to remain in denial, a tiger has been spotted about 15 km away from Gujarat's Nijhar village in Tapi district. The big cat attacked Dinsingh Kokani, 38, on Wednesday, while it was trying to escape curious onlookers in Nandurbar's Nimgaon village. This is the first sighting here in the past 30 years, say forest officials. The big cat was last sighted in Gujarat along the Dang border in 1992. This is the first concrete sign of tiger reclaiming its corridor between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Deputy conservator of forests Suresh Kewate, who is in-charge of Nandurbar, says tiger pugmarks have been found around Nimgaon in Maharashtra in the past. Later, Nagpur wildlife laboratory confirmed the presence of the animal based on an analysis of the pugmarks. "The first direct sighting in three decades was recorded on July 25 following tip-offs by locals," says Kewate. According to Kokani's nephew Akshay, Dinsingh was among the group of villagers who had gathered to see the tiger. "The animal got intimidated and attacked my uncle before disappearing into the forest. He is under treatment at Nandurbar civil hospital," he said. Divisional forest officer of Dangs Anand Kumar says Gujarat has increased surveillance along the Gujarat-Maharashtra corridor to track tiger movement. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/65156794.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cpps Tigress, 2 cubs sighted in Dang: NGO Himanshu Kaushik | tnn | Jan 30, 2018, 06:53 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author (Representative image) AHMEDABAD: Even as the tiger census is scheduled to take place in Gujarat in February after a long hiatus since 1992, an NGO involved in tiger conservation — Empower Foundation — after its survey which concluded last week, reported, “there is a very fair probability of the presence of tiger or tigress along with two cubs the region of Dang in south Gujarat.” The findings along with statement of locals has been sent to PCCF Gujarat and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Jalpesh Mehta, the chairman of the foundation said, “There has been increased sightings in the last 1.5 years with locals saying tiger sightings happen within a range of one week to four months.” “Two years ago, there were no such sightings,” Mehta said.  *This image is copyright of its original author The forest department, however, is sceptical of the report. G K Sinha, principal chief conservator of forests said, “We have requested NTCA to carry out the census scheduled in February. The census will be conducted following all protocols required of a tiger census and the only after that will the department get a real picture.” Sinha added, “Three officials have already been trained for the census.” Quote:Latest Comment The report by the NGO further mentioned that locals were able to identify broadly the sizes of three animals and prima facie there is no confusion whether the sightings were of leopards and not tigers. Some locals said tigers have been present in the area for ages, though even till two years ago, there were almost no sightings of the big cat. The report submitted to PCCF and NTCA further states that the tribals are well aware of the difference between a tiger and a leopard. They have acknowledged tiger sightings for last 1-2 years and were able to show the size of the animal by their hands the report mentioned. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...701780.cms In land of lions, tigers making a comeback? Census to cover Dang Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Sep 18, 2017, 06:47 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author AHMEDABAD: The last time a tiger was spotted in Dang district's areas bordering Maharashtra was in 1989. Recently, however, scat (faeces of animals) analysis has revealed tiger presence right up to the border of Nasik district adjacent to Dang forests in Gujarat. This discovery has made the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) include the Dang jungles (bordering Nashik) in the upcoming Tiger Census in November. It was on No vember 2 last year that foresters had found the scat of a male tiger within the forest limits in Maharashtra but which was around 2-3 km from the Dang border (in Gujarat). This indicated movement of tigers between the states. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientist and eminent fi eld biologist, Y V Jhala, who is part of the 2017 tiger estimation study , says an all-India tiger estimation will be taken up in November this year. "Tiger presence has been noted adjacent to the Dang forest in Maharashtra," he said. "This has raised hopes that Dang can be a potential area for tiger habitat. We will ask the Gujarat forest department to carry out an extensive survey in Dang and, if they find any traces, the NTCA will install camera traps for the final November census," Jhala said. Principal chief conservator of forests, G Sinha, said Dang has a suitable climate for tigers."Dang only lacks a prey base," he said. "The last sighting of tigers was in 1985 in Bheskhatri area in Vyara taluka.In the 1989 census, there were reports of 13 tigers and, in 1992, it was zero.Till a few decades ago, Gujarat was the only state to have all the three big cats -tigers, lions and leopards.If we get a WII proposal we will initiate a survey," Sinha said. In 1979, following the Gujarat Tiger Census, the then Special Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Gujarat, MA Rashid, had warned that tigers in Gujarat were struggling for survival. In the September 1979 issue of `Cheetal'-a journal published by the Wildlife Preservation https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...726014.cms Aaannndddd... More evidences @Lycaon https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy...413777.ece https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...170710.cms https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...332055.cms (01-29-2019, 06:34 PM)Lycaon Wrote: @Rishi Field work of Tiger Census 2018 should have been done there by last December. I don't have any updates, but the report will be out by 1st March. We'll know then...
Tiger Poachers To Be Shot On Sight In Indian State
Following an upsurge in poaching, the government of Maharashtra state, Western India, says injuring or killing suspected poachers will no longer be considered a crime. More tigers have been killed so far this year than the whole of 2017. Just three days ago, the mutilated carcass of a tiger sans head and paws and chopped into 10 pieces was recovered. At the First Stocktaking Meeting of Global Tiger Recovery Programs in Delhi last week, India’s Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said that in the last four months, 30 tigers have been killed in India. Maharashtra forest guards will not be “booked for human rights violations when they have taken action against poachers,” the government said. Tiger numbers in India have dropped to 1,600 from 5,000-7,000 estimated in the 1990s, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Maharashtra has 169 tigers, including 36 cubs; most of them inhabit three tiger reserves in the Vidarbha region. Maharashtra’s chief wildlife warden, SWH Naqvi, said that more guards will be posted but hopes to curb poaching more effectively through a new fund to pay informants. The government’s plan also includes active participation of villagers. The announcements come a week after an alert was issued by the state Forest Department that poachers in neighboring Madhya Pradesh have been paid an advance to kill 25 tigers in Maharashtra. All leave sanctioned for forest guards has been cancelled till mid-June to ensure there is maximum protection for the tigers. Anish Andheria, director, Wildlife Conservation Trust told NDTV: When you find a jaw trap near a water body in a park, in our past experience we have seen, it is not a one- off event. If one (tiger) goes, you have to believe that twenty will go of you don’t take steps. In Tadoba recently, there were jaw traps found – 2 tigers were trapped. One died, the other is struggling. The department has become alert.  *This image is copyright of its original author http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2018/03/tig...2V9QySJpcw
Bengal villagers beat to death tranquilised leopard
Forest officials outnumbered by mob, which bludgeoned drowsy animal to death By Our Correspondent in Alipurduar Published 1.02.19, 1:46 AM Updated 1.02.19, 4:49 AM a min read  *This image is copyright of its original author The leopard after it was beaten to death. Picture by Anirban Choudhury A leopard that had strayed into a village in Alipurduar’s Falakata on Thursday and injured five persons was bludgeoned to death by villagers after forest officials had darted the animal to capture it. The incident in Raichenga village follows panic in the district after a spate of leopard attacks in recent weeks left three kids dead. Forest officials have concluded a single leopard was involved in the incidents and secured permission to “eliminate” it. On Thursday, the leopard in Raichenga is suspected to have sneaked in from a neighbouring tea estate, which is close to the Jaldapara National Park, sources said. Nripen Barman, a farmer, spotted the leopard and raised the alarm, prompting the animal to scamper away and take shelter in a drain. Foresters were informed and a team from Jaldapara arrived. Hundreds of villagers gathered, too, some of whom started teasing the leopard, causing it to attack the five persons. “We asked the villagers to go away and let us trap the animal. But they did not listen,” said a forest official. After some time, the animal was darted. As the leopard turned drowsy, some of the villagers started hitting it with sticks and stones. The foresters said they were outnumbered and could not control the crowd, a section of which jumped on the animal. “We rushed the leopard to a rescue centre but found it dead,” the official said. Ujjwal Ghosh, the chief conservator of forests (wild life), said it was “unfortunate that the villagers beat the leopard to death after it was darted”. “We will file a police complaint”. Trapped A female leopard was trapped in a tea estate in Alipurduar’s Madarihat-Birpara where foresters are in search of the lone killer animal. “It is not the one we are looking for,” Ghosh said. https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/we...Qk.twitter
Gujarat: When will 33 captive lions be set free?
Updated: Feb 1, 2019, 05:35 AM IST  *This image is copyright of its original author Lion Picture for representational purpose Almost five months after they were first captured as a precautionary measure, questions are being raised about the 'continuous' captivity of 33 lions. The lions had been isolated from the Dalkhaniya range after an outbreak of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) ended up claiming the lives of over 23 wild cats in Gir East. Lion lovers in the state say this is perhaps the only example of perfectly healthy lions being put in captivity. Abhisst Thaker, a lawyer said that it has been several months since the lions were captured. "They were captured as a precaution, were vaccinated. But there are no movements as far as their release into the wild is concerned," said Thaker. He said perfectly fine wild animals are being kept in captivity because the forest department is yet to take a decision on their release. "Of the 33 lions, several are cubs and it is important for them to be in the wild if they are to learn the ways of the wild. Keeping them in captivity will affect them," said Thaker. Thaker was also the counsel for a petitioner who had filed a PIL challenging the presence of windmills in Savarkundla as it would affect the lions. The forest department on its part reiterated that a decision will be taken and it will be done in the best interest of the animal. Akshay Saxena, PCCF, Wildlife said that a decision on the lions will be taken on the basis of several reports including technical, management and even blood samples. "Wildlife management decisions cannot be based on sentiments. We will decide on the issue on the basis of what is in the best interest of lion and as per the rules," said Saxena. Another activist who has closely worked in Gir Sanctuary and around lions said that prima facie it seems the forest department is worried about the consequence of releasing the lions. "They are concerned about the what if? Somehow they are also worried if the lions would be able to 'adjust' in the wild again," said the activist. He said in 2016 too the department had captured a pride in Ambardi after it turned maneater but had released all other members except the two male lions responsible for the attack on humans, "they too had been held in captivity for sometime and later released so why can't these lions be released," said the activist. He said this is perhaps the first instance of perfectly healthy lions born and bred in the wild being captured and held in captivity for long because a decision is stuck at the department level. WHY THE LIONS ARE IN CAPTIVITY After the outbreak of Canine Distemper Virus in Dalkhaniya range ended up killing 23 lions, the forest department as a precaution also rounded up the rest of the 33 lions in the range as a precautionary measure to check them for signs of infection. The lions were caged in a cramped facility before being moved to better facilities following an uproar. The lions continue to be in captivity. https://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/repor...XNXOcj_7eM |
can boast to have a tiger. 
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