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Bigcats News
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 (02-13-2015, 04:59 PM)'Apollo' Wrote: Nepal Achieves Huge Milestone: Zero Poaching for a Whole YearGreat news, maybe in a few decades we can see the likes of Hairyfoot and Madla sized tigers back there. I know the tigers are all transient from other areas, but Nepal obviously can produce big cats, hopefully poaching and deforestation didn't take too much of a tole on the rest of the herbivores. 
Pckts, at irst glance I thought it was a lioness, however a closr look, seems as if has a very small fluffy mane, maybe a young male? At 19 seconds you can see longer hair under neck. So lad it was saved without injury, wish would could have seen it being pulled up, looks as if they used the vehicle to help.
Fall in Pilibhit tiger count despite rise elsewhere stumps foresters
Despite the special task force (STF) launching a drive against poachers active in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, located on India-Nepal border, a sudden fall in tiger population in the forest area has left wildlife conservationists and tiger lovers bewildered. While the last count, carried out in 2010, registered 43 tigers, the latest tiger census released in January showed the number of tigers in Pilibhit forest reserve area dwindling to 27. The minister of state for khadi and rural industry, Riyaz Ahmed, wrote to the chief minister asking for inquiry into the fall in the tiger count. Talking to HT, Ahmed, who represents Pilibhit seat in legislative assembly, said, “The latest tiger census shows that the country has registered an increase of 30% in tiger population in the past three years. While tiger count has increased in wild life sanctuaries and tiger reserves across UP, it has dipped in Pilibhit.” On January 24, the STF team led by assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Dr Arvind Chaturvedi busted a gang of tiger poachers in Pilibhit. Six poachers were taken into custody and tiger bones, teeth and meat were recovered from their possession. “Geographical location of Pilibhit has converted it into a prized destination for poachers. After making the kill, poachers carry the tiger organ across the border from where it is transported to China,” Chaturvedi said. During investigation, STF found that rather than making the kill through trap or electrocution, the poachers preferred to poison the tigers http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news...16617.aspx
Once upon a time tigers roared in Bhitarkanika
Many years ago, tigers' roars would often rip apart the unnerving silence of Bhitarkanika. If one was lucky, one could catch a fleeting glimpse of a big cat's black and gold flashing against the forest's verdant green. The autobiography of Jonn Beames, who was the commissioner of Odisha in 1873, clearly suggests the presence of tigers in the country's second largest mangrove forest in Kendrapada district. "From the top of the lighthouse about sunset one would look down into the dense jungle that spread for miles and frequently see tigers crawling across the open passage...," writes Beames in "Memoirs of a Bengal Civilian." If one doubts the Britisher's account, a tiger trap, found from the palace of Kanika royal family and kept on display at the interpenetration center in Dangamal within Bhitarkanika National Park, can be regarded as a clinching evidence of the big cat's preence at the Ramsar site. "The tiger trap proves that the mangrove forest was an abode of tigers and leopards during the Raj era. However, more research needs to be done to establish the exact period when tigers lived here," says Kedar Kumar Swain, divisional forest officer of the park. Biswajit Mohanty, a wildlife campaigner, says tigers are believed to have stayed in the area till early part of 20th century. "The fear of tigers would keep villagers away from the interiors of the forest till as late as the 1960s, long after a big cat was last sighted. People would never venture out in the dark and tell stories about tigers told to them by their forefathers," he adds. While the Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest is still home to a large number of big cats, Bhitarkanika seems to have lost its big cat population owing to its smaller expanse and increased port activities, Mohanty says. Lala Ajit Kumar Singh, a wildlife researcher, says in recent memory, there was no information about tigers in Bhitarkanika. Leopards, which were frequently spotted in the area, have also disappeared. But there is strong possibility that tigers once stayed here." Former principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) Saroj Patnaik says leopards were sighted till the 1970s. "But I have not come across reports of tigers being sighted," he adds. The existence of a century-old hunting tower in the core areas of Bhitarkanika testifies the fact that the Rajas of Rajkanika were passionate about hunting and presence of a strong prey base. Rajendra Narayan Bhanjadeo, the king of Rajkanika from 1924 to 1948, was a famous hunter. The history of Rajkanika is replete with accounts of his hunting expeditions. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...153584.cms (02-13-2015, 11:24 PM)'TheLioness' Wrote: Pckts, at irst glance I thought it was a lioness, however a closr look, seems as if has a very small fluffy mane, maybe a young male? At 19 seconds you can see longer hair under neck. So lad it was saved without injury, wish would could have seen it being pulled up, looks as if they used the vehicle to help. Ill need to look at it again, it definitely looked like a large Lioness for either african or asian, so being a young male is also a definite possibility. Edit: I think you're right Lioness, i did notice long hairs on the neck.
Man-eater tiger shot dead near Kerala-TN border
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The man-eater tiger that killed a Kerala farmer and a Tamil Nadu woman within a week was shot dead by Tamil Nadu forest officials at Susampadi forest area in the neighbouring state on Wednesday. The tiger was killed after five rounds of shots were fired at the animal. The body of the carnivore has been taken to Gudalur by Tamil Nadu officials. The news comes as a relief to the villagers in the border area closer to Wayanad of Kerala. The area also has a sizable Malayali population. A joint combing operation by officials of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka was launched to capture the tiger that was sighted in the forest areas of Tamil Nadu. South Wayanad DFO's team was leading the hunt. An order was issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden to shoot the tiger down immediately on sight after it strayed into a private estate and killed Mahalakshmi, a woman estate worker in Pattavayal near here. On the same day, a youngster too was attacked and luckily, he escaped with minor injuries. The villagers had blocked the road with Mahalakshmi's body for several hours at Bidirkadu town demanding that the tiger be shot dead.Photographs from the hidden cameras suggested that the tiger was injured and was unable to hunt for prey. The incident had triggered widespread protest from locals, resulting in torching of three Forest Department jeeps and also injuries to three women police personnel.
4 MP Pench tigers traced to forests across NH-7 in Bhandara
Here's more evidence in favour of wildlife mitigation measures in NH-7 road widening. Two NGOs have proved corridor migration of four tigers across this highway, from MP Pench reserve to Tumsar and Nakadongri forest ranges under Bhandara division. Shahid Parvez Khan of Save Ecosystem And Tiger (SEAT), Bhandara, and Sawan Bahekar of Sustaining Environment & Wildlife Assemblage (SEWA), Gondia, recorded two females and two males with direct and indirect evidence. Their volunteers have been monitoring tigers with the forest department here since October 2014. The report released on Sunday, 'Monitoring & future management prospect of Tumsar subdivision', highlights need for strong mitigation measures on NH7. "Tigers had been reported here, but there was no data," said Vinay Thakre, deputy conservator of forests, Bhandara. "We first learnt about these tigers in August 2014. In October, we launched a survey with the two groups and our staff using camera traps, transect lines, pugmark and scat analysis, and recorded the tigers." Khan and Bahekar said, "We were jubilant when tigers (referred to as B2, B3, B4 and B5) were recorded." Another tiger B1 was recorded in Adyal range. The stripe patterns matched tigers from MP Pench, whose field director Alok Kumar said this was a good sign for the gene pool. Tumsar and Mohadi talukas consist of four well-connected ranges, Nakadongri, Tumsar, Lendezari and Jambkandri. Thakre said similar survey will be conducted in Lendezari and Jambkandri ranges too, which are contiguous and have better connectivity with Pench reserve. Naheed Parvez, Sandeep Kalbande, Mangesh Maske, Tejas Parsionikar, Ankit Thakur, Rizwan Hasan, Manish Halmare, Parag More and Dr Girish Nikhade were part of the monitoring teams. Tigers crossed menacing NH7 Pench MP and Maharashtra forms a well linked corridor with the forest of Tumsar, which is linked with Kohka in MP via Karwahi and Tangla on Maharashtra side. It also connects from Kurai via Piparwani in MP to Bawanthadi. This corridor holds special importance on its own and forms an integral link with Kanha-Pench. Another link to Tumsar is with Koka and New Nagzira wildlife sanctuaries. It is more likely that the tigers used the corridor from Kohka via Karwahi and Tangla to forests around Nakadongri. Tigers in Tumsar must have used stretches from Kurai via Piparwani forest to Bawanthadi. Considering the centre of Pench as the origin of the tiger movement, the estimated distance travelled by these tigers on average must be around 50-75km. Pench tiger reserves, Paoni range of Nagpur and Kurai range of Seoni together form a huge landscape, inevitably significant for tiger conservation and other wildlife in Central India. This huge premier forest landscape is bisected by the NH-7. 'DON'T BLOCK MIGRATION' The migration of four tigers gives a clear indication that the corridor witnesses heavy animal movements and obstructing it would be criminal. It is really unfortunate that the safety of wildlife is being ignored blatantly. They also have the right to live in a safe environment like us and widening of NH7 is not a feasible decision. Vineet Arora | Avid birdwatcher and Wildlife enthusiast I don't support the widening of NH7 as it will have a very negative impact on tiger migration. Not only this, it will also create hardships for other wildlife animals who cross the corridor. The best option is to construct flyovers and underpasses so that there is no threat to wildlife of the area. Harshwardhan Dhanwatey | President, Tiger Research and Conservation Trust We are not realizing it now but the NH7 tiger corridor will contribute a lot in maintaining ecological balance in the coming years. Both sides of the highway are equally important and thus the corridor should remain untouched. Migration of animals is very important and good for the gene pool. Development should not take place at the cost of putting wildlife in danger. Sanjay Deshpande | vice-president, Srushti Paryavaran Mandal NH-7 witnesses regular animal crossings and is India's most important tiger corridor. The migration of four tigers all the more calls for the implementation of proper mitigation measures for the protection of wildlife. Migration is beneficial for tiger gene pool. They should rather improve the condition of existing road. Himanshu Bagde | Wildlife enthusiast The issue of widening NH-7 is getting politicised. Animals have a tendency to find their own way. Developing NH-7 is important for the convenience of public. I don't think it will pose a threat to the safety of animals in the area. The road is crying out for repair and thus needs to be developed by the authorities. Dhananjay Bapat | Resort owner near Tadoba http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...256556.cms
Asiatic lion census will begin in May
 *This image is copyright of its original author Read more at http://zeenews.india.com/news/sci-tech/a...33424.html (02-19-2015, 04:23 PM)'Apollo' Wrote: Man-eater tiger shot dead near Kerala-TN border They actually removed this tiger numerous times and every time, it came back to the village. I saw on FB the Forrest gaurd defending their move, he was being attacked and it was clear that they had no real other choice. He was very saddened but defended his actions. I of course don't agree, but I see his and the FD's side and don't really judge in this particular case.
3 lions overthrow 2 kings in Gir coup
Three sub-adult lions in the Gir sanctuary have carried out a coup in the jungle and have dethroned their rulers. These sub-adults — aged between three and four years — have conquered a huge territory right in the middle of the tourist zone. The three, all kids of the same father but of different lionesses, ganged up against a couple of 10-year-old lions, vanquished them and drove them out of their territory. Now the trio rules over four groups of lions consisting of six lionesses and several cubs. Senior officials from the forest department who have documented the takeover say that even today the two exiled lions visit the territory every now and then. Sandeep Kumar, the deputy conservator of forests, who is keeping a watch on proceedings along with field officials, says that the new rulers are moving in on other prides as well. "The behavioral change in Asiatic lions related to the optimization of male reproductive period, association among males, enhanced physical and reproductive fitness, and better survival rate are all manifestations of broad genetic base," Kumar says. "The three took over the territory from lions which were strong enough. Two of the tree lions had first made an attempt to attack the older kings." But when they found the two adult males to be tough opponents, the third sub-adult was brought in as reinforcement. The three now share six lionesses for mating. Usually a lion is ready for mating at the age of three but the first mating takes place only after a territory is conquered. "Gir forest earlier had one lion capturing territory, but later the social fabric changed and with the male population growing, two lions began capturing territories and even sharing lionesses for mating," Kumar says. He said that three lions taking over a pride at a very young age represented a rare wildlife event. H S Singh, a member of the national board of wildlife and a former IFS officer, says: "Usually lions capture territory at the age of five and it is normally two sub-adults who become kings. I would say that this new capture is abnormal behavior as these lions have captured territory despite their age." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...542721.cms
Seems to be the normal with big cats.
10year old is past their prime 3-4 is just coming into their own. Nice to see normal circumstances being the cause of a new Reign and not poaching.
Flawed estimation method behind rise in India's tiger count?
In a finding that could dishearten thousands of wildlife lovers, a team of scientists has warned that the big cat populations in India may not be on the rise after all, owing to inaccurate estimation method. The India's national tiger survey, which was carried out in in January suggested a 30% rise in tiger populations in just four years (with numbers rising from 1,706 in 2010 to 2,226 in 2014). Now, a team of scientists from the University of Oxford, Indian Statistical Institute, and Wildlife Conservation Society have for the first time revealed the shortcomings in 'index-calibration' method used to determine the wildlife populations suggesting that it can produce inaccurate results. The team believed that the statistics could be wrong due to flawed counting method as the India's tiger estimations was done using index-calibration. The 'index-calibration' technique involves using camera trapping and other methods to measure animal numbers in a relatively small region, and then relating this measure to a more easily obtained, inexpensive indicator such as animal track counts by means of calibration. The calibrated-index is then used to extrapolate actual animal numbers over larger regions. “This study exposes fundamental statistical weaknesses in the sampling, calibration and extrapolations that are at the core of methodology used by the Government to estimate India's numbers, thus undermining their reliability,” Dr Ullas Karanth, a co-author from the Wildlife Conservation Society, was quoted as saying. To investigate index-calibration the team created a mathematical model describing the approach and then tested its efficiency when different values, representing variations in data, were inputted. Under most conditions the model was shown to lose its efficiency and power to predict. The team then tested this mathematical model on a real world example: attempting to derive tiger numbers from fieldwork data. The index-calibration model was shown to be unreliable again, with any high degree of success shown to be down to chance. To investigate index-calibration, the team created a mathematical model describing the approach and then tested its efficiency when different values were put in. They found the model lost its efficiency and power to predict most of the time. The mathematical method was proved to be inaccurate even when tested on real world examples. The findings, published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution, aim to help ecologists and conservationists to address the global challenge of counting rare and elusive animals. http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/f...51593.html 
The flawed model could be a better explanation to why tiger numbers all so suddenly jumped. Wasn't something simlar to his the case a decade ago, whereby the population was estimated to be over 4000? Errors like this are extremely dangerous to the specie's survival.
Why wouldn't they just count camera trap images and that is it?
Why add these other factors to come up with what may just as well be a guess? There is a reason why we stopped using pug marks to count tigers, why go back to the guess game. Just use Camera traps, it will only help the species since the # will surely be higher but its better to use this to increase protection. Better to cautious than not cautious enough. Then we can also continue to see growth via camera traps only, its the best way IMO.  (02-26-2015, 10:45 AM)'Apollo' Wrote: 3 lions overthrow 2 kings in Gir coupI only react now but that is rather worrying... Would it be the lack of competition which would have allowed these two "old kings" to keep their pride for so long before to be dethroned ? Till they were too weakened to rebel against three too young opponents ? Not a good news. |
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