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Bigcats News
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 (03-02-2015, 10:40 AM)'Spalea' Wrote:(02-26-2015, 10:45 AM)'Apollo' Wrote: 3 lions overthrow 2 kings in Gir coupI only react now but that is rather worrying... You don't know that for certain, its definitely a possibility but the its not unheard of for a coalition to rule for a long period of time. Especially with Asiatic lions who form very small coalitions or are loners. Its probably rarer for a duo to be overthrown, especially a duo powerful enough to hold on to the best territory in the Gir, They wouldn't be push overs. Also, I don't see where it says the time they held the territory for? 
How important the Siberian tiger is to Iranian wildlife fans ??
Lately there has been much controversy whether to set free or keep quarantined a Siberian tigress which has gone four years in such conditions. Related organizations keep accusing each other. One side points the finger at the Department of Environment as the main culprit, while someone else accuses the Veterinary Organization; and yet a third one accuses the Health Ministry. Some say that the tigress is infected and has to be done with immediately. Yet, some others say that it is healthy and has to be turned to the zoo. Recently, Dr. Dariush Jahan-Peyma, the director of Livestock Diseases Department of the Veterinary Organization, in interview with Mehr news agency said that the only way to remove the animal from quarantine is to find an isolated place where there is no public visit. Whether it has been a good thing to import Siberian tigers to Iran is a long story which cannot be addressed here. But, besides all such controversy, and without regard for animal rights, the Siberian tiger is so important to Iranians that the officials may not know its limits. So, by knowing this, they may abandon their brawl and think more about the tigress. Nine species of tiger used to live around the world: The Caspian (also called Hirkan or Mazandaran), Bali, Java, Siberia (aka: Amor), Bengal, Indochina, Malaysia, Sumatra, and South China. The three former species have gone extinct. Jamshid Parchizadeh, an expert in zoology, tells the Tehran Times that researchers at Oxford found in 2009 that the Siberian tiger is only one nucleotide different from the Caspian tiger, and that the two had shared ancestors less than 10 thousand years ago. Parchizadeh says Kazakhstan is trying to launch its National Park of the Caspian Tiger in 2019 to revive the tiger subspecies in 15 to 20 years, and to use genetic engineering to raise some 200 tigers of the species. Abasalt Hosseinzadeh, faculty member at Mazandaran University, says reviving the Siberian subspecies is only at the verbal level for now, but maintains that it could be possible in the future provided that appropriate funding is there. Now, the question is while a little hope remains among wildlife fans to revive the Caspian tiger in Iran, and in case the tigress is healthy, would it be wise to do away with the tigress or keep it under quarantine? Maybe the best answer can be derived from related officials. credit to: http://tehrantimes.com/society/122252-ho...dlife-fans 
MP minister wants law allowing people to keep tigers as pets
In a bizarre suggestion, a senior Madhya Pradesh minister has sought a law that allows people to domesticate or keep as pets big cats like lions and tigers for their conservation. Animal husbandry, horticulture and food processing minister Kusum Mehdele, in a proposal sent to the state's forest department, has cited legal provisions in some African and South-East Asian countries like Thailand which have helped bring about an increase in the population of the big cats. Noting that there are various projects in the country for conservation of tigers, the minister, however, said that although crores of rupees have been spent on these projects, there has been no surprising increase in tiger numbers. In Thailand and some other nations, there is a legal recognition to people for keeping tigers and lions as pets, she said, adding the number of such animals is increasing in a surprising way in these countries.If such a possibility can be thought over, then necessary action should be undertaken and guidelines passed on, she said in the proposal sent to state forest minister Gaurishankar Shejwar in September last year. Following suggestions from the minister, Madhya Pradesh principal chief conservator of forests Narendra Kumar has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) seeking their comments on the proposal. "Kindly give your suggestion or comments in this regard so that the minister can be informed about it," Kumar said in the letter.The copy of the note sheet carrying the minister's suggestion and Kumar's letter were accessed by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey following an RTI appeal filed by him. Mehdele could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts by PTI."It is surprising that such a bizarre suggestion could be made by senior minister Mehdele. She hails from the Panna region of the state, which is known for its tiger population. I denounce such a proposal and request the central government not to give its permission for domesticating the tiger," Dubey said. six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh — Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri and Pench — have as many as 257 big cats.While the tiger population in the country was estimated to be at 1,706 in 2010, according to latest data, it has risen to 2,226 in 2014. http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/mp...948265.ece
What a MORON!
How about protecting the forest and habitat they live in? How about you stop destroying jungle and mining it all away? What a joke, this guy needs to be removed from office asap. I love how they try and say that captive big cats contribute to an "increase in population" Thats a complete lie, they increase to a captive population which has nothing to do with a wild one. More bureacratic bs spewed by politicians only seeking to help the big corporations that fund their campaigns.
Call to set up Tiger Task Force to save the endangered Malayan Tiger
The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (Mycat) has called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to take the lead in saving the endangered Malayan tiger. It was revealed in 2014 that there may only be 250 to 340 wild Malayan tigers left, down from the previous estimate of 500.Mycat warned that Malaysia would lose the Malayan tigers in most of its forests in the next decade if the country as a whole did not up its game very quickly. A key action, suggested Mycat, was to set up a Tiger Task Force that can mobilise resources to implement the National Tiger Conservation Action Plan, with the main priorities being to protect tigers from poaching and trade, while safeguarding tiger habitats from indiscriminate deforestation. There also needs to be more quality scientific research to inform decision-making; better management of protected areas and increasedinvolvement of business, local communities and citizen conservationists.“It is undeniable, however, that if not for a series of conscious conservation efforts by many quarters, the Malayan tiger might already be extinct in the wild,” said Mycat in press statement issued today. It also highlighted the efforts by wildlife rangers who worked on the ground, risking their lives to protect Malaysia’s biodiversity, as mentioned by Mycat general manager Dr Kae Kawanishi in the foreword to Mycat Tracks: The Malayan Tiger’s Struggle for Existence.Mycat Tracks is a report published by Mycat, comprising voices of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and government staff involved intiger conservation, as well as the Batek Orang Asli. “Across gender, racial, religious, cultural and national differences, the tiger brought us together.“More than being great wildlife rangers, they are great human beings.“Their spirit lives in me, so the fight must go on,” said Kawanishi. Mycat also credited the public for its support in helping to keep the tigers alive throughout a decade when other wild populations were lost.Mycat has 1,082 volunteers who helped spread conservation messages and protected tiger habitats, but it needs more help and has asked thesilent majority to stand up and be counted by giving their votes. http://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2015/0...ed-animal/
Tiger cub belonging to T8, found dead, killed by a Tiger. Not sure who the culprit is yet.
http://www.business-standard.com/article...788_1.html
Another 6-7 yr old male found dead in Bandipur from a territorial fight.
Ranth  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author 2 Tigers have been found dead ..One at Ranthambore the cub of tigress T-8 & the other around 6 years old at Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Both Tigers have died because of Territorial wars.1) Ranthambore :In yet another territorial fight at Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, a 12-month-old male cub was found mauled to death. The carcass of the cub of tigress T-8 was found in Kundal region (Zone 6) of the park."During a safari around 10 am tourists heard noises and spotted two tigers fighting. The next day when tigress T-8 was spotted with only one cub, we started searching for the other and found his badly mutilated body under a ficus tree in Zone 6. There were injury marks all over the body. The neck bone, the femur and the ribs were cracked and the kidney was punctured. T-8 had two cubs, one male and the other female and there is a possibility that the tigress could also be injured," said Y K Sahu, field director, Ranthambore National Park.The body has been cremated after post-mortem and samples were taken for forensic examination.2) Bandipur :Fierce fight leads to fatality and in this case also the story was quite predictable and shocking as a tiger was found dead in the core zone of Bandipur tiger reserve of Karnataka on Sunday following a scuffle with another one.The tiger was found dead in Bolegudda area of Bandipur Range of this ReserveThe tiger was found dead in Bolegudda area of Bandipur Range of this ReserveRuling out the possibility of a foul play, it was perceived by the forest department officials as an unfortunate incident of intraspecific fight between two adults that led to the tragic death of one of the combative tigers.On close examination, the age of the tiger was estimated to be around six to seven years.The tiger was found dead in Bolegudda area of Bandipur Range of this Reserve which is on the tourist trail.On the other hand, another tiger was also sighted in that area which bore injuries on its face and in all probability this was the tiger which had combated and killed the other tiger that was found dead in the same area, said an official.
It seems as though these Tiger fights will only increase int he years to come. While we have done a decent job of elimanating Poaching or at least protecting tigers better, we are not giving them what they truly need, LAND.
I fear that as tiger #'s grow unless we protect their habitat and the habitat of all animals, we will see an increase in battles for territory.Only 5 out of 47 reserves can sustain tiger population: Report
The preliminary findings of tiger estimation 2014 had recorded 2,226, a 30% increase since 2010, but sources say the final report to be released by end of March will highlight the danger for rising tiger population in India. “There are not enough green corridors for tigers to disperse and find a new home,” said Qamar Qureshi, co-author of Tiger Estimation 2014 and a senior scientist at the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India. “The report raises ecological issue about future of tigers who are territorial animals.” The final report has identified just five areas — Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand), Kanha Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh), Sunderbans (in India and Bangladesh), Kaziranga National Park (Assam) and Madhumulai-Nagarhole-Bandipur tiger habitat (Karnataka) — where tigers can survive on their own because of good female population. Tiger reserves having more than 20 adult tigresses can sustain good population on their own because of genetic viability. The other 35-odd tiger reserves of the total 47 need unbroken wildlife corridors to get gene pool support and sustain the big cat population. The condition of green corridors connecting tiger reserves have deteriorated in the last four years, the report says. Around 60% of the 2,226 tigers live inside protected areas -- tiger reserves and national parks. Sources said the final report will show that tiger population has not revived outside the reserves, mainly due to the government announcing a series of linear projects that create hurdle in the movement of animals in the green corridors. “If we don’t have the green corridors connecting tiger reserves, our protected areas could become glorified zoos,” a senior wildlife ecologist said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news...24207.aspx
Cheetah reintroduction hits roadblock for want of funds
An ambitious project to reintroduce cheetah in India in the forests of Madhya Pradesh has hit a roadblock for want of funds. The country's last spotted feline died in Chhattisgarh in 1947. Later, the cheetah - the fastest land animal - was declared extinct in 1952. "Madhya Pradesh forest department sought Rs 264 crore from the concerned departments in Delhi to import cheetah, that had become extinct in India, from Namibia to the state's Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in December 2013, but we have not received any response yet," Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Narendra Kumar told PTI on Friday. "In a prelude to cheetah reintroduction, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, tailored an action plan for Nauradehi in Sagar district and sent its initial blueprint of Rs 16.6 crore to us for execution in November 2013," he said. According to WII, the MP forest department needs to reserve 700 sq km area for the imported cheetahs to dwell in the sanctuary, spread over 1,197 sq km, forest officials said. Besides, 20 villages located in the 700 sq km area for cheetah project in Nauradehi need to be evacuated. A whopping Rs 264 crore would be needed to compensate around 2,640 families living in these villages, they said. The Centre paid some money initially, but later on the state government chipped in and incurred the expenses for shifting villagers and preparing a habitat for Gir lions, that are yet to be introduced in Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, they said. Kumar had sought finances from Ministry of Environment and Forests and NationalTiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to kick-off the project. Initially, the habitat for the fastest spotted animal was to be developed by shifting 20 villages from the sanctuary, building prey base, seven enclosures and fencing of 150 sq km area, Kumar said. But no headway could be made due to non-availability of funds, he added. The plan to reintroduce cheetah in India was conceived during the UPA-II government in 2010, under which Kuno-Palpur sanctuary, spread over an area of 344 sq km, was chosen for it, forest officials said. Some progress was made in this direction. But on April 15, 2013, the Supreme Court, while hearing a petition, ordered that cheetah should not be trans-located in Kuno-Palpur where lions from Gujarat's Gir sanctuary are proposed to be shifted. Following this, a meeting of Cheetah Task Force took place on May 23, 2013, which suggested that Nauradehi should be made the home of the spotted feline in India. Experts at the meeting suggested a scientific study of Nauradehi for trans-location of cheetah. Nauradehi has been found most suitable for the cheetah given that its forests are not dense to restrict the fast movement of the spotted animal. According to the action plan, around 20 cheetah were to be trans-located to Nauradehi from Namibia. The Namibia Cheetah Conservation Fund (NCCF) had also given its nod to donate the fastest mammal to India after inspecting Nauradehi three years back. However, MP was not ready to finance the project contending that it was the Centre's project. The MP government's past experience with the Central project's implementation in case of development habitat for Gujarat's Gir Lions in MP's Kuno-Palpur in Sheopur and Shivpuri districts of the state has not been satisfactory, officials said.
Crazy, another "roadblock" for a species reintroduction program.... [img]images/smilies/dodgy.gif[/img]
This political BS is so absurd and seems to always stand in the way of anything ever getting done.
https://www.facebook.com/TigerTimeNow/ph...=1&fref=nf
TigerTime - Save the Tiger More good news for Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh as the tigress known as 'T-6' is spotted with three young cubs. Having started a reintroduction programme following the lose of all its tigers in 2009 the new arrivals bring the total number of tigers to 26. Our photo shows one of Panna's stunning tigers, T2.  *This image is copyright of its original author A burnt Maasai village. Photo: InsightShare.org. More articles aboutIndigenous Peoples | Tanzania | Africa | conservation | hunting | corporations Related Articles
Quote:Land is the foundation of life. It holds everything together animals, people and culture Losing the land would mean losing everything. We would rather die than have our land taken.The Tanzanian government is illegally carrying out gunpoint evictions of Maasai pastoralists in an area surrounded by the Serengeti, Maasai Mara and Ngorongoro national parks, burning hundreds of homes.It's all part of a plan to make way for luxury game hunting in the area. Ortello Business Corporation (OBC) - a luxury hunting company based in the United Arab Emirates with close connections to the Dubai Royal Family - occupied a 1,500 square km area of Maasai community land in 1992.Since then OBC has built a private airport and exclusive hunting retreats - and deployed a range of tactics to prevent indigenous Maasai people from accessing their land: cutting them off from vital grazing land and water points; pushing the community ever closer to collapse.In 2009, a mass eviction of Maasai villages within the 1,500 square kilometres took place. Over 200 homes were burned, leaving over 3,000 people homeless. According to witnesses, the operation was undertaken by the Tanzanian Field Force Unit with assistance from private security guards representing OBC (see Olosho video, below).The plan for further evictions was apparently cancelled last year due to international pressure, including an Avaaz petition signed by over 2 million people. On 23rd November 2014 the President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete, tweeted:"There has never been, nor will there ever be any plan by the Government of Tanzania to evict the Maasai people from their ancestral land."President's promise soon brokenBut evictions are once again under way, this time in the areas of Arash and Loosoito / Maaloni. Maasai campaigners report that SENAPA (Serengeti National Parks) rangers burnt 114 homes burnt between the 10th and 14th February alone, leaving 2,000 to 3,000 Maasai, including many children, homeless and without food, medical supplies or shelter.The operation has involved forcing people from their homes at gunpoint and beating any that resist. Several women are said to have given birth in the open air. A series of photographs taken by the project team, who visited the area immediately after the evictions began, are reproduced with this article (right).According to local sources, on 21st February the community was issued with a government order to leave the 'hunting area' allocated to OBC within 14 days. In addition local NGOs have been threatened with de-registration, effectively terminating their right to exist and operate.In all over 40,000 Maasai are threatened with eviction from the OBC 'hunting area' which consists of around 20 villages, as well as several schools and other community infrastructure."It's all completely illegal", said Maasai representative Samwel Nangiria, coordinator of the local campaign group NGO-Net. "They are claiming that the Maasai villages are in the national park - but it's completely wrong. These communities have known and respected the park boundaries for 50 years."The group is now preparing a legal challenge to the evictions, he told The Ecologist last night. "We are putting together a legal declaration of the area to take to court so that the evictions must be halted!""We were very happy to hear President Kikwete's promise last November, but now it's happening again", he added. "Maybe he just said that to stop the campaign. But he never put it in writing in a legally binding way. I cannot take his tweet to court!"Nangiria also spoke of how Tanzanian officials favour foreign companies as 'investors' and promote their activities as 'conservation'. Meanwhile the indigenous Maasai are labelled as 'foreigners' - often accused of migrating from Kenya - and their traditional lifestyle criticised as a threat to the environment and wildlife.And he concluded by saying: "Will the world please ask President Kikwete to keep to keep his promise - stop all evictions now and make a legally binding commitment that we will be allowed to remain on our land!" Three things are inseparable: land, animals and people There are no alternative pastures for the pastoralist Maasai of Loliondo, who were already once evicted from their ancestral lands in 1959 by the British colonial government to make way for the Serengeti National Park.Herding is an integral part of Maasai cultural identity and the loss of indigenous traditions cannot be compensated by either cash payments or promises of 'development'.The Tanzanian Government frequently argues that the area needs to be used as a 'wildlife corridor' for nature conservation. Given their continued support for hunting operations in the same area, this argument appears highly contradictory.By contrast, the Maasai have herded their cows and co-existed in the area with the wildlife for centuries. Kooya Timan - a Maasai woman from the Purko clan who lives in Olosokwan Village - was interviewed for the film Olosho (above) and described the background to the situation today:"For generations, we have protected all of the animals in our territories. We are pastoralists our way of life depends on the land. The land we are living on now is where the British resettled us when they created the Serengeti National Park in the 1950s. It was divided into villages after independence giving us legal and customary ownership. "This is where our sacred sites are found and where we hold our cultural camps It's where we conduct our youth training I am talking about Maasai culture. We don't keep livestock just for food. There is a strong connection between our animals and culture. If you don't have cattle you must find a way to acquire them. In our lives, three things are inseparable: land, animals and people. These lands are out lands - we would rather die than leave them"The area you are seeing is where we live. These are the Maasai houses that our government refuses to recognise. These are the plains on which we have practiced our system of pastoralism, until now. The land is carrying everything trees, rocks, water ... everything. "Land is the foundation of life. It holds everything together animals, people and culture Losing the land would mean losing everything. We would rather die than have our land taken. They want to take all this land Where do they expect us to go? We are not moving from this land because it is ours. "We, the Maasai of Loliondo were evicted from our ancestral land in what is now the Serengeti National Park. Since that time we have struggled for our land rights. Why do you have to defend this land? We defend it because we know it is the foundation of everything. Our ancestors lived and were buried here. Our settlements, schools and water sources are all here. The land is everything we own. "I can never forget 2009. They came to burn down our houses. I was there when they were burning houses. The people suffered greatly particularly my husband. When he returned to find our home burnt. He said he would rather die would sooner drink poison than witness the cattle suffering. They burned my house and my cattle. When they burned my house I had to move to another place and start again from nothing. "There are people without even one cow. We know them. Those companies burned their houses and displaced their cattle. It has broken my heart. These are the plains they have taken from us. People have given their lives to protect it yet still we cannot find peace. We have sought help at different times, in vain. Now we have no choice but to fight!" http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_an..._hunt.html
These gorgeous cat videos come from camera traps -- the motion-sensing cameras that researchers are using to monitor endangered and elusive animals.
In this sobering exposé of the illegal trade in tiger parts in South East Asia, world renowned investigative journalist Karl Aman uncovers the truth about the underworld of tiger trading and to what end these magnificent cats are now being used. It also appears that another of Africa’s iconic species is being targeted as a cheaper supplement in this disgusting industry, and lion parts are being exported to the region in order to be passed off as highly sought after tiger products.
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