Bigcats News

[Apollo]

Forest department, NHAI plan speed bumps, signages to protect lions

During a recent meeting, state forest and NHAI officials have decided to set speed restrictions in the area where lions are found in groups along the coastal area in Saurashtra. The officials have also decided to put up signage and finalized a proposal to construct speed breakers in pockets where the lion movement is observed along the main road.The department held meeting with the senior NHAI officials from Rajkot after two lions were killed in a road accident. It was also decided that NHAI should explore the possibility of building fence along the road, like the one on either side of the expressway.

"We had held meetings with the local villagers from the either side of the highway. They said that there should be speed breakers on the highway to reduce the number of fatal accidents," said a forester.

The officer said for construction of the speed breakers and putting up fences, the NHAI authorities would need to seek permission. It may, however, prove difficult in the time of parliamentary polls. The forest officials said that the issue could now be taken up only after the formation of the new government at the Centre.

In the mean time, the forest department has decided to post its trackers on the night duty along the highway so that they can keep an eye on the movement of lions.

Speed bumps at regular interval may be of much help as the trackers also cannot keep a watch on the lions' movement throughout the day. He said these are wild animals and the tracker would not be able to do anything if all of a sudden a lion comes onto the road. He said that the department will have to seek permission from the election commission and it would immediately begin constructing speed breakers.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...458396.cms
 

 

---

Leopard enters Manipal university, caught

A leopard was trapped Manipal University campus in Karnataka on Wednesday. The big cat had apparently sneaked in on Tuesday night. 

Security guards say they had spotted it near the campus. The guards told forest department officials at 9am on Wednesday. Forest department personnel trapped the animal with a net at 1pm when it entered a house near the university building. It was trapped without a tranquilizer and not hurt, officials said. 

The news about the big cat on campus created panic among students and employees of the university. 

Assistant conservators of forest, Kundapur sub-division, Satish Babu Rai and Sheena Kottary, who led the operation, said the leopard would be released into the Kudremukh National Park. 

A large number of students and staff gathered around the leopard and took pictures.

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...529326.cms
 

  Reply