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Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project
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Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project
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Lion translocation: Contempt petition filed in SC
Himanshu Kaushik| TNN | Updated: Oct 5, 2017, 12:44 IST  *This image is copyright of its original author AHMEDABAD: Ajay Dubey, a wildlife activists from Madhya Pradesh, has filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court demanding action against the government of India and the Gujarat government for not implementing the apex court order of April 2013 directing translocation of lions to Kuno Palpur from Sasan Gir. The petition was taken up for hearing on Wednesday. "We had mentioned in the court today, and the court after hearing the counsel has decided to hold a detailed hearing on the petition in November. The apex court has thus listed the matter in November," said Varun K Chopra, advocate appearing for the petitioners in the Supreme Court. The petitioner has highlighted the wilful non-compliance of the apex court order of April 15, 2013. The said order directed the respondents to constitute an expert committee to oversee and ensure re-introduction of Asiatic lions from Gir forest to Kuno Palpur. The respondents have not taken any action to implement the directions of the court and have instead raised technical objections challenging the very rationale of the directions, the petitioner submitted. The petition stated that the government of Gujarat through principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) & chief wildlife warden raised several contentions that were already dealt by the apex court in its April 2013 order. The petitioner submitted that Gujarat has contended that for translocation of lions to take place it must first be proved that Kuno is a suitable habitat in accordance with the IUCN guidelines. The petitioner submitted that a survey conducted by the Research Advisory Committee of Wildlife institute of India in 1995, Kuno Wildlife was found to be the most suitable site for reintroduction in establishing a free ranging population of Asiatic lions. He petitioned that Gujarat has in the letter raised a contention that prey density at Kuno is not adequate. The Supreme Court in its order has stated that several prey density surveys have been conducted by various experts, WII and the Government of Madhya Pradesh, including in 2004-2005, 2008 and 2012 surveys and the density was more than the existing prey base in Gir. The government of Gujarat in a letter to the expert committee has contended that the presence of tigers in the occupied area at Kuno is one of the major obstacles for the translocation project. However according to Dr Asad Rehmani of Bombay Natural History Society, sporadic presence of tigers in Kuno is in no case detrimental to reintroduction of lions, the petitioner has submitted before the apex court.  (10-27-2017, 09:38 AM)paul cooper Wrote: Lions have been replacing their mistress goddess in Gujrati altars...  *This image is copyright of its original author ...to expect them to give up that easily is what's retarded. Plus, more you read about the arguments & counter-arguments though, the less this relocation makes sense. Personally, i've completely switched camp by early-2017... (10-27-2017, 10:54 AM)Rishi Wrote:What is a gujrati altar? Bro you have been secretly worshipping lions?(10-27-2017, 09:38 AM)paul cooper Wrote:
Found this on the Facebook wall of Ajay Dubey, activist who filed the petition against Gujarat govt for contempt of court...
Madhya Pradesh at fault for delay in shifting Gir lion It is none other than delay in notification of Kuno wildlife sanctuary as a national park that has hampered the project of shifting Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh. At the sixth meeting of the expert committee on translocation of Asiatic lions, the MP government was asked to notify the area by February 2017, but to no avail. This was the last condition imposed by a Supreme Court-appointed committee. In January this year, Gujarat's forest department had placed its objections before this 12-member committee and demanded that 36 studies be completed before the endangered Gir lions can be transferred to MP. "Converting this wildlife sanctuary into a national park was the last condition MP was asked to comply with. But they didn't. Both MP and Gujarat governments are delaying procedural formalities", alleged RTI activist Ajay Dubey, who has filed a contempt petition against both governments for "undue delay in compliance of Supreme Court's order in shifting of lions". Issues like prey base, habitat, vegetation and weather are said to be conductive for shifting of lions to Kuno. The MP forest department had promised to complete all formal processes of declaring Kuno as a 'national park' by the end of February, but failed to do so following varied administrative problems, & red-tapes. The expert committee had visited Kuno last December. After spending nearly five hours at the sanctuary, the panel members had found the atmosphere in Kuno-Palpur suitable for shifting of lions. Gujarat, too, could not question much on MP's preparedness to host the lions, sources said. Gujarat government had moved a curative petition in Supreme Court as its last legal resort to retain its Asiatic lions. It was dismissed. When shortage of prey base was cited as one of the major objections, the state declared 700 sq km as a protected area to resolve the issue. Sources said the prey base, which was presented before the court in 2013, was from obly the intial 350 sq. km, which is the core-area. Gujarat was quick to notice it. While MP won the eight-year-long legal battle with Gujarat in 2013, the latter had been dilly-dallying compliance. Madhya Pradesh had been trying to mollify Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, after the loss Gujarat might feel following the Supreme Court directive for relocation of Asiatic Lions from Gujarat's Gir sanctuary to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary. MP government circles had gone to the extent of suggesting that they were not averse to retaining the tag of 'Gir' or 'Gujarat' to identify the relocated lions at their new home in Kuno-Palpur. The move for relocation of big cats, first mooted in 2000, had been hanging fire ever since because Gujarat had steadfastly refused to part with the majestic lions since that state held the unique distinction of being home to the natural habitat of the only surviving Asiatic lions. While conservationists insisted that diversifying the lions' habitat would ward off any natural, medical or man-made calamity that could wipe out the entire population of Gir's lions, Gujarat treated the issue as a matter of pride and wanted to retain its unique status to continue to attract the substantial tourist inflow to Gir. After the Supreme Court finally resolved the issue in favour of relocation, Gujarat is left with little choice but to comply.  
Tired of Gujarat reluctance on Gir lions, MP to release tigers in Kuno
The Times of India | Dec 5, 2017, 23:36 IST BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh seems to have given up the ambitious Asiatic lion translocation programme from Gir lion sanctuary in Gujarat to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in MP. After nearly two-decades of unsuccessful tussle with Gujarat over translocation of Gir lions to Kuno-Palpur sanctuary near Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday unofficially gave up hope on the project. A Supreme Court order mandating the translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir sanctuary to Kuno-Palpur in MP could not move the Gujarat government from parting with the big cat. Diluting its claim on the programme, MP government decided to release and rehabilitate tigers in the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary which they claim is ready. "As the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary is ready to rehabilitate the big cats, we will now release tigers in the park," announced chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan during State Wildlife Board meeting, hinting at a possible failure in getting the Asiatic lions from neighbouring state. Chouhan's decision came in the view of the delay by the Gujarat government. Both the states are BJP-ruled and Gujarat government considered the lions as 'heritage of the state'. The leaders had also maintained that a decision of handing over lions would turn into a big political issue in Gujarat. "A writ petition was filed in 1995 by the Centre for Environment Law and World Wildlife Fund India (WWF-I) in the Supreme Court to get the Gujarat government release 19 Asiatic lions for the Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary. The Supreme Court fast-tracked the case and delivered a judgement on April 16, 2013, permitting the reintroduction of lions to Kuno, over-ruling the objections of the Gujarat government. But, the order is yet to be complied," said a senior officer of MP Wildlife. When contacted, principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Animesh Shukla and PCCF (Wild Life) Jitendra Agrawal did not respond to the calls. Sources said the decision to release tigers in Kuno-Palpur sanctuary clearly indicated that Madhya Pradesh government has given up hope on getting Gir lions from Gujarat. "This is clear from the statement that Madhya Pradesh will not get Asiatic lions against Gujarat's will. Ironically, Asiatic lion is the nation's pride and do not belong to only one state. The decision to translocate the big cat was based on scientific research and to save the species from extinction as the single population faces threats of epidemics, natural disasters and other anthropogenic factors", retired IFS and wildlife expert Jagdish Chandra told TOI. Officials said that Madhya Pradesh government had notified and evacuated 345 sq km area for Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in 1981 and an additional 900 sq km of buffer zone was created in 2015 but, have made no mention of notifying the buffer zone area as a sanctuary, which is being contended by Gujarat government. Sources said, wildlife experts and officials of the ministry of environment and forests in a reversal position have also anticipated that without notifying the areas as a sanctuary, it would be detrimental to the breeding and survival of the lions as they lived in social prides. (12-06-2017, 11:29 PM)Rishi Wrote: Latest news!.. That's a big mistake. MP must not introduce tigers in Kuno!!! Better to leave Kuno empty, conserve it as a "no big predator zone" and wait a decade until a new more reasonable generation of Gujaratis grow up. Once the tigers established there that is gonna be the end of "Lion reintroduction project". Hope these are only political games before elections in Gujarat. 
I really don´t undestand the reason why Gujarat do not want to help introduce Lions in Kuno, maybe they think that they will lose many visitors to their Park. Kuno would be the only part in the world where you can find Lions and Tigers.
(12-07-2017, 07:21 AM)epaiva Wrote: Kuno would be the only part in the world where you can find Lions and Tigers. Absolutely. Kuno potentially could become the most interesting wildlife place in the planet, it could even overshadow Serengeti and Yellowstown. If Indians are enough wise they should understand this, even big Indian tourist business should join this idea. If first lions are introduced there and than a few tigers allowed to join from the north I am sure that all big international nature TV channels - Discovery, National Geographic, Animal planet etc will go to Kuno. Its a unique economic opportunity for India.
You actually think these cats can co-exist together, especially in the state that it is right now?
I on the other hand think it's a pretty sensible solution. A lot of money has gone into the resettlement of villagers & developing prey base.
Lack of predators for long, might cause serious problem now. Introducing tigresses would mean that the Ranthambore spillover tigers that visit Kuno-Palpur would settle down there & in time their progeny would heal Ranthambore's genetic depression. It is a 5000km² landscape, with lots of potential.. @epaiva Madhya Pradesh was contemplating rewilding zoo-bred lions anyway. Apparently Gujarat was planning to get rid of it worst inbred specimens with genetic deformities, by giving them to MP... (I'm very happy with how long it took me to find a genetically deformed lion)  *This image is copyright of its original author
(12-07-2017, 09:15 AM)Rishi Wrote: @Wolverine I on the other hand think it's a pretty sensible solution. A lot of money has gone into the resettlement of villagers & developing prey base. I disagree my friend. Saving of entire subspecie - Asiatic lion or Panthera leo persica is much more important task for science than helping to improve the gene pool of smallish Ranthambor tiger population (the genes of Ranthambore tigers could be freshed artificially also by importing there a tigers from other parks). Tiger is my favourite animal, but I think there are plenty of places all over of India where tigers could live, but there is only one potential new good habitat for Asiatic lions and that's Kuno wildlife sanctuary. It should be not lost. Basically you accept the position of Gijarati nationalists, their dream is tigers to colonise entire Kuno, I think some of them even plot secretly to throw a couple of tigers in Kuno and hence to destroy all Asiatic Lion reintroduction project.
Have you guys ever researched the arguments against the relocation? I have...& they make sense.
See, it was never a viable plan. Here's why: 1. People don't do charity. MP has never even showed any interest in proposing an exchange lions for tigers to release in Gujarat's old tiger landscapes. Check #1,280 for more... 2. Out of 650 lions, 400 live in the 2000km² odd Protected Areas, rest are spread over 20000km² of unprotected semi-habitat. That high competition, important for genetic purification, would be absent in MP. Thus, for the Relocation-Project to succeed, they would have to shift atleast 50 completely unrelated lions. Gujarat's Forest officers (who come from all over India) predicted that & resisted. 3. @ Or, maybe one party will push the other out depending on the vegetation pattern. It'll be knaive to risk EITHER, not this early. 4. @Wolverine (This one is personal opinion) I'd have tigers in Kuno-Palpur any day over lions. It's not just about the Ranthambore population. It's about connecting the whole "Western India Tiger Landscape" to rest of Central-India. PS: I'll make a detailed, seperate post on it elsewhere & tag you. 5. MP doesn't really have a great record as far as poaching is concerned. |
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