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Bigcats News
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Disgusting...
This whole story happening in Zimbabwe, i.e. a country that suffers a complete crisis since Mugabe is in power. In these circumstances of course we're speaking about the most iconic killed animals, but that's the whole wild life in the country that is in danger of extinction. The wild animals doesn't mean very much when some stupid rich barbarians (in the etymological sense of this word: an invader coming from far in order to slaughter the local wealth) are ready to pay the price. 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...554867.cms
Yet another tiger found dead in Satpura reserve, Madhya Pradesh, toll rises to 42 BHOPAL: A tiger was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. With this, the tiger toll in MP in the last 14 months has gone up to 42. Since January 2017 state has lost 12 tigers. Forest department sources said the tiger, 4 years in age, died of poisoning or electrocution. An autopsy would be conducted on the carcass, said a senior forest officer. Meanwhile, sources in the forest department have blamed the incident on the negligence of STR officials. Earlier, a tiger was run over by a train between Budhni and Midghat area in Sehore district. Another tiger and a leopard were found dead under mysterious circumstances at the same spot on February 23. Sources said that a wrong chain-fencing around the Midghat railway track might be causing frequent deaths at this spot. Conservation expert Vaibhav Chaturvedi says tiger populations can have mortality rates as high as 20% annually (as per some studies). "This means lot of tigers die every year but the population is replenished by newborns. This also means, with higher population, more tigers will die naturally," he said. But in Madhya Pradesh, other than natural reasons, lot of tigers died of electrocution in 2016. Almost all the electrocution occurred due to the illegal electric fences that famers had put to protect their crops. In some cases, tigers were poisoned through water holes. Four tigers died in accidents on railway tracks and roads in 2016. Poaching is a serious threat. However, in past few years there seems to a decline in poaching involving tigers directly. "This means lot of tigers die every year but the population is replenished by newborns. This also means, with higher population, more tigers will die naturally," he said. But in Madhya Pradesh, other than natural reasons, lot of tigers died of electrocution in 2016. Almost all the electrocution occurred due to the illegal electric fences that famers had put to protect their crops. In some cases, tigers were poisoned through water holes. Four tigers died in accidents on railway tracks and roads in 2016. Latest Comment Cows will help win elections; not tigers.Balbhadra Dhagat Poaching is a serious threat. However, in past few years there seems to a decline in poaching involving tigers directly. In majority of accidental killings of tigers in MP during 2016, the perpetrators did extract the body parts like claws, canines and hide. This was largely done for occult practices. 
The collection of the big cat's canines and claws have recently turned into a fad among many private collectors.
Maybe they should set the regulation that even the possession of the fresh body parts of the wild animals should be considered illegal, except the fossilized ones. 
Lion cub rescued from an 80 feet well in Gir National park
Watch the rescue operation video and read the full story at the link below. http://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/caught-on-ca...?site=full 
The count of tigers in Uttarakhand has gone up to 242 with an increase of 63 big cats this year, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said. Also 11 cubs were found in the two tiger reserves, he had said yesterday releasing the latest figures for the year 2016 -17. Uttarakhand has two tiger reserves – the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Chief minister Rawat congratulated the forest department for the great work being done for the conservation of tigers and added that in terms of area and tiger population ratio, Uttarakhand is the number one state behind Karnataka which has 400 big cats. According to the data, at least 208 tigers have been identified in Corbett Tiger Reserve, up from last year’s 163. Also, six cubs were identified there. At least 34 tigers have been identified in Rajaji Tiger Reserve in 2016-17, up from previous year’s 16, he said, adding five cubs were also found there.
Around 535 cameras were installed in Corbett Tiger Reserve, while 562 cameras were put at strategic locations in core areas of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in collaboration with the Indian Wildlife Institute and World Nature Fund (WWF).
WWF marks 'Global Tiger Day' with rare video of tigers in Bhutan
To mark Global Tiger Day, WWF have released rare camera trap images highlighting the need for greater protection of ‘wildlife corridors’ across tiger range states. Rare video and photo evidence of wild tigers in Bhutan, the mountain kingdom nestled in the Himalayas in between India and Tibet, has been captured in a camera trap set at high altitude and released today by WWF to mark Global Tiger Day 2017. With only around 100 tigers in the wild in Bhutan, these images verify that the endangered big cats are actively using stretches of land that connect protected areas - ‘wildlife corridors’ - stressing the need to protect them. The images were captured by photojournalist and filmmaker Emmanuel Rondeau who undertook a three month expedition in Bhutan to capture images of wild tigers. He faced torrential downpours, snowfall, high altitudes and extreme terrain to capture images of a tiger in a wildlife corridor - with the goal of demonstrating these corridors are used by tigers moving between protected areas in Bhutan. There were thought to be around 100,000 wild tigers at the beginning of the 20th century, and now there are only around 3,900. Hunting and habitat loss have been key drivers of this overall population decline, and over more recent years, poaching habitat loss and deterioration have continued. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/29/wwf-marks-global-tiger-day-rare-video-tigers-bhutan/ 
Lion Population Gir Sanctuary Reaches Record High
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Updated: Aug 4, 2017, 11:57 AM IST A MATTER OF PRIDE: The steady rise in lion population is an indication of robust conservation measures.  *This image is copyright of its original author AHMEDABAD: In the forest near Liliya-Krakach , noisy little cubs are seen sauntering around a small pond. Some are playfully pouncing on their mother who sits relaxed but watchful. These scenes in Asiatic lion's abode are not limited to Amreli district. Several forest areas outside the Gir National Park are brimming with lions, mostly in the age group of one to two years. According to a recent internal lion count by the forest department in July this year, there are nearly 650-odd lions in the reserved forests and even outside the national park in Amreli, Bhavnagar and Gir-Somnath districts. Gir tract is filled with cubs between one and two years of age.  *This image is copyright of its original author "Gir and its periphery have recorded a count of nearly 650 lions. This is record high number of big cats in the state since 1936 as per the available records. There are around 180-odd cubs between one and two years of age," said a top forest official. The roaring rise of 125-odd lions in two years -- the lion population was pegged at 523 in 2015 lion census -- was revealed in the lion population counting exercise now undertaken every full moon day. The counting is done using 100-odd CCTVs and direct sighting method for effective monitoring of Big Cats. The monthly full moon counting is matched with the records of kills and daily reporting by beat guards, the official said. Yadavendradev Jhala, lion expert and member of the 12-member team formed for translocation of lions from Gujarat to MP as per an SC order, said, "The number is actually much higher than 650 projected by the state forest department. A systematic count should be initiated in the entire region for effective planning for lion management." Priyavrat Gadhvi, member of the state board for wildlife, said, "The expanding lion population is a sign of strengthening of the satellite population of big cats outside Gir National Park. It is a welcome sign indicating risk mitigation and robust growth of lions." In 2010 census, there were 411 lions. In fact, lions were categorized as 'critically endangered' in year 2000 after only 304 lions were recorded in Gujarat's Gir in 1995 census. The fact that there has been an increase in the population not just in Gir but its periphery areas as well is of significance because in 2015, there were concerns about the growing number of lions without adequate management by wildlife authorities, after a number of man-animal run-ins were reported. According to a 2017 report published in science journal Current Science, between 1995 and 2015, more than 40 per cent of the total number of lions in Gujarat were spotted outside Gir landscape. Despite the increasing numbers, there have been worries that the growth in the lion population cannot be sustained in Gujarat in the coming years. "Not just lion-human conflicts but other problems too, like unnatural deaths and genetic disorders, will surface. Keeping lions only in Gujarat is also against international norms," told Ajay Dubey, the secretary of Prayatna, an NGO. 
T28, T85 hurt in territorial battle at Ranthambore
JAIPUR: In a territorial fight atRanthambore Tiger Reserve(RTR), 10-year-old T28 alias Starmale was injured by his own progeny T85 aka Packman. The clash left T28 severely injured with bruises in several places in the front and rear legs. Both the tigers are inhabitants of the Rajbagh area which falls in zone 3 of RTR. The forest department, in a medical intervention, tranquilized the tiger to clean the infection from maggots by pushing an anti-maggot injection. "The two have been indulging in fight over the territory for some time. First, we noticed T85 limping but in a recent brawl over the territory between the father and the son, T28 was badly injured. He was treated and is doing fine now," said Y K Sahu, field director at RTR. T28 is a dominant male tiger that raised two generations of tigers of the park through tigresses T17 and T19, daughters of the legendary tigress Machli. Locally known as 'Sitara', T28 bears a five point star mark on the left eye which gave the tiger his name. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/T28-T85-hurt-in-territorial-battle-at-Ranthambore/articleshow/55714221.cms (08-06-2017, 08:25 PM)Diamir2 Wrote: T28, T85 hurt in territorial battle at Ranthambore It's six months old news..really got me for a while. (Spoiler: T-28 drove out Pacman, it was his last victory.)
Amur tiger killed by Bengal tiger in a Chinese zoo.
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bengal-tiger-chokes-siberian-rival-death-chinese-zoo-during-mating-season-1634025 
The King of Cats
Billionaire conservationist Tom Kaplan is pursing an audacious quest to save the world’s great cats from extinction. But can one visionary defeat poachers and protect the world’s last wild places? Link: http://www.worth.com/the-king-of-cats/ Good article, I recommend it. 
Breeding Indochinese Tiger Population Discovered
In his book of 2015 "Wild Cats of the Word", Dr Luke Hunter made a very sad confirmation about the tiger populations:  *This image is copyright of its original author This means that based in the last population studies in Indochina, only Thailand and Malaysia hold breeding populations of tigers. The other countries may only have a few specimens with no reproduction (functionally extinct) or even no tigers at all. However, good news give new hope to other populations, interestingly, also in Thailand, check this article: Breeding Indochinese Tiger Population Discovered 1st May 2017 For the first time in 15 years, evidence has been found of breeding tigers and cubs in eastern Thailand – and thanks to camera traps they’ve been caught on film. Here, we share with you the news from Panthera along with the breathtaking, intimate photos of these secretive cats. Link: http://conservationjournal.world/editori...iscovered/ Check the pictures from the article, there is the mother, the father and the cubs!!!  This are good news for tiger conservation, which means that Thailand is making a good effort to conserve its tigers. Finally, check this link with a video of an interview with Dr John Goodrich: There are still hopes for the tigers of the world. Greetings to all. 
Around 225 animals found dead in Kaziranga national park in the recent flood in Assam.
 *This image is copyright of its original author Just look at the chaos.even this looks like a healthy male. If facing poachers isn't enough now the nature is taking toll on our big cats.hope the flood situation ends and brings some good days for everyone 
Lions in Kenya could be extinct in two decades, experts warn
TUESDAY JUNE 27 2017 By GEORGE SAYAGIE Lions feast on a wildebeest at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Experts have warned that lions in Kenya are being driven to extinction by humans who are encroaching on their territory. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP  *This image is copyright of its original author In Summary
For anyone visiting the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, the thrill is to see the ultimate king of the jungle. However, the lion’s future is now threatened by the destruction of its habitat as man spreads into the king’s frontiers in search of space to live and farm. Conservationists and wildlife groups have warned that lions in Kenya could be gone in two decades. Land conversion in the Maasai Mara is suffocating the ecosystem that is vital to the survival of many species, including lions. So serious is the situation that plans are afoot to have the lion placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). SAVANNAH DIMINISHED Narok Wildlife and Environment Forum chairman Nick Murero recently said the savannah had diminished by 75 per cent, following massive human encroachment. “Grasslands have shrunk to a quarter of the size they used to be. With that, the areas that lions call home have been replaced by farms and grazing fields,” he said. He added that as lions are pushed out of their shrinking space, they come into contact with livestock, resulting in their killing by pastoralists. Mr Antony ole Tira, a lion research expert at Matira camp, agrees with Mr Murero. ROAM TERRITORIES He said a lion’s roar can be heard 10 kilometres away and the big cats naturally roam territories as vast as 260 square kilometres. “There is a very big problem. Members of the surrounding community have leased their lands to conservancies are now encroaching on protected area in the game reserve, interfering with lion territories,” said Mr Tira. “Lions are now killing one another in territorial disputes while others are being pushed to the Serengeti in Tanzania or privately-owned lands, for survival.” Last week, Governor Samuel Tunai’s administration announced a ban on livestock grazing in the world-famous reserve and imposed a Sh10,000 fine for every cow impounded. ADULT LIONS “Twenty years ago, one could encounter more than 250 resident adult lions when visiting the reserve but you will be lucky to come across 120 today. Unfortunately, the number is still falling,” Mr Murero said. His forum has been assessing the distribution and status of wild animals in the reserve. “The king is walking into oblivion and very few people seem to be getting the message. People see lions in tourist hotspots and think they are everywhere,” he said. VAST AREAS “The truth is the animals need vast areas to roam. Only a few parks and game reserves can satisfy their need for space, prey and protection. Outside protected areas, conflict with pastoralists is inevitable.” According to a 2009-2014 report by the Kenya Wildlife Service on conservation and management strategy for lions in Kenya, the big cat’s population on the continent has gone down by 30 to 50 per cent. It is estimated that the population stood at between 23,000 and 39,000, a terrifying dive towards extinction. In 2015, four lions from the Marsh Pride which featured in the world-famous documentary Big Cat Diary, were killed by herdsmen whose cattle were grazing illegally in the park. FOUR ANIMALS “Post-mortem examination on the four animals and more than a dozen vultures that fed on the carcases indicated that they were poisoned,” he said. The spear In recent years, the lions’ rapid population fall has been hastened by the use of the pesticide Furadan. Production of the pesticide has stopped but it is still widely available in Kenya. Pastoralists lace meat or carcases with the poison to kill the lions. Herders have learnt that the poison is more lethal and effective than the spear. The KWS report estimated that the population of lions in Kenya in 2002 was 2,749 but dropped to 2,280 in 2004. |
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