Nature Conservation in India News & Discussion

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 30 Aug 2011 06:35

The government had appointed an expert committee to study the issue. According to its recommendations, the order to shoot and kill wild boars “will initially be implemented on a pilot basis in selected districts which have recorded heavy crop raids by wild animals viz, Wayanad, Malappuram, Palakkad, Idukki and Pathanamthitta, for a period of one year”.

The new guideline directs the forest officials to make sure that the culling is carried out in the presence of an official. However, it does not say that a forest official should shoot the animal. If needed, the service of a farmer with a valid arms licence can be utilised, says the guideline.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 30 Aug 2011 16:12

Project Tiger to get Rs 6.35 crore in 2011-12 in TN

The state also proposes to spend Rs 3.09 crore for implementing various schemes in Project Elephant. Of the 26,000 elephants estimated in India, Tamil Nadu had 4,015 tuskers.

DDM strikes, all the elephants in TN are Male.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 31 Aug 2011 07:13

good catch!

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 03 Sep 2011 06:56

Odisha coast no longer safe for oceanic creatures

When the western coast of India is narrow with several havens and creaks, the eastern coast is wider with deltas of several large medium rivers. About 70 to 75 per cent of the total biodiversities of oceanic lives are confined to the estuaries of this region.

Now, thirteen new ports are going to be established along the sea-shore in addition to the existing ports of Paradip, Gopalpur and Dhamra, which are to function very close to different river mouths, where mangrove forests are present. Mangrove swamps are known as Mangal. The Mangals protect the landmass from erratic actions of the ocean.

Shark lives on planktons spread over ocean, lake and river. During 2007, a huge skeleton of a shark was recovered from the Astarang coast in Puri district. The reason of death is not yet known. Probably, this was the first time such a huge skeleton was found so far in the Odisha coast. The death of dolphins is very usual in our case. The dugongs have vanished from the Chilika lagoon, which once was their homeland. This species is no longer noticed in the Odisha coast.

The shark is hunted mainly for extraction of oil from its liver. It has wide commercial market for preparation of medicines. This species feed upon planktons, which is a wandering drifted organism. So, it is easy to hunt this fish for commercial gain. The skeleton found from Astarang-shore has been now kept in the National Historical Museum in Bhubaneswar without proper protection measures.

It is high time the Odisha Government prepared plans to ensure that its long seacoast remains pollution-free and the oceanic animals live safely.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 07 Sep 2011 06:04

A baby elephant fell into a water tank in West Bengal's Kalimpong area. He was part of a herd of 100 wild elephants who stopped at a reservoir to drink some water on Tuesday. The elephants surrounded the water tank and trumpeted loudly to attract attention. Then they took off. Members of the the 16 Field Ammunition Depot were called into action with staff from the elephant squad of Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. Range officer Bijon Talkudar was in charge. A special machine drained the reservoir of its water; a crane tried to lift the elephant out; and finally, the walls of the tank were demolished. The baby elephant was not hurt; he has been released into the forest.

Baby of a wild elephant herd rescued from water tank

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 07 Sep 2011 14:23

Good to hear the Baby elephant is safe, hope it finds its herd soon.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 13 Sep 2011 05:34

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 962519.cms

ITANAGAR: Scientists at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development have discovered two new species of fish in rivers of Arunachal Pradesh.

"The discovery of two new species of catfish - Erethistoides Senkhiensis and Glyptothorax Dikrongensis was made by the institute's staffers Lakpa Tamang and Shivaji Chaudhry at Senkhi stream and Dikrong River in Papum Pare district, Institute's northeast unit in-charge, Dr Prasanna K Samal told reporters on Monday.

The new species which were named after their Arunachalee sources are ample proof the rich flora and fauna of Arunachal Pradesh, Samal said. Besides publishing about the discovery of Balitora brucei, Glyptothorax telchitta and Pseudolaguvia shawi, 88 species of freshwater fishes have been assessed and evaluated by the institute for the Red Data Book for International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Samal informed.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 14 Sep 2011 18:05

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 906583.cms

Wadoda range forest officer (RFO) DR Patil has been monitoring a tigress with a cub for the past three months. Patil also claims presence of a male tiger in his range. The tigers have made densely forested Purna backwaters their home.

"This is after 2001 that tigers have staged a comeback in Jalgaon division. In 2001, there was tigress with three cubs," Patil said. It seems tigers move from Melghat-Ambabarwa-Yawal-Western Ghats.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 27 Sep 2011 02:41

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... -who-cared

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in India's wildlife management...

In those days, I would eat whatever animal I could find. But once Dibru Saikhowa was declared a protected area, I decided to keep off hunting. That was also the time when the Army began to make its presence felt in Assam. Military offensives against the Ulfa had begun with Operation Bajrang in 1990, followed by Operation Rhino in 1991. That’s when I met a senior Indian Army officer—a colonel—whose name I don’t want to mention. He told me that he wanted a buffalo horn. I told him that a lot of buffalo skulls could be found lying in the forest. He could pick any of those. But he insisted that he wanted me to shoot a wild buffalo and procure its horn. “Hum itne aadmi ko maarte hain, tum ek buffalo ko nahin maar sakte (we kill so many people, why can’t you kill a buffalo)?” he asked.

That’s when I made the biggest mistake of my life—something that I live to regret. But you must understand what the situation was like at that time. Everyone was scared of the Army. Woh jo kehte thhe karna padta thha (We had to do whatever they said). We didn’t really have a choice. So I ended up going into the forest in search of a wild buffalo. But little did I know that the innocent animal that I would shoot was pregnant at the time. I can’t even begin to explain the remorse I felt. That’s when I decided to stay away from guns for the rest of my life.

It was also around that time that I met a man who would change the course of my life. In 1992, Narayan C Sarma came to Dibru Saikhowa as a forest range officer. He was completely fearless and dedicated to the cause of wildlife protection. There are countless lives across Assam that he touched and changed for the better. Mine was one of them. When he first arrived, he called all the locals and told us about the perils of hunting. He would spend hours showing me slides on various animals in the forest and their importance within the ecosystem.

Slowly, I began to develop a keen interest in conservation. My knowledge of the forest was finally being put to good use. I started going into villages to tranquillise rogue elephants. However, one fatal evening in 1998, Narayan Sarma told me to stay back at the forest camp to attend to some tourists, while he took my place to tranquillise the elephant. That was the last I ever saw of him. I was told that he was crushed under the feet of a rogue elephant while trying to calm it down. Those were extremely dark days for me. But instead of wallowing in self pity, I redoubled the conservation efforts in the area.

Today, those efforts are bearing fruit. The deputy commissioner of Dibrugarh district, Dr KK Dwivedi, and I have founded the Dibru Saikhowa Conservation Society, as part of which we conduct awareness camps and treks in neighbouring villages.

Unfortunately, hunting still takes place in the area; in fact, last year, it took place on a large scale. Each year, Assam witnesses huge floods during which time a lot of security lapses occur within the forests. That’s when poachers and hunters sneak in. I always tell officers of the forest department to focus on the education of locals. If they have the means of earning a decent livelihood, they will never resort to hunting.

I have employed 40 to 50 locals to work in my eco-tourism lodge. During the tourist season, they earn Rs 300 for each boating trip. Say, if one person makes four such trips a day, then he earns a minimum of Rs 1,200. Why would he then put his life in danger and go hunting in the forest?

But the impetus has to come from within the forest department as well. Often, forest rangers and officers themselves want a taste of the rare meat. When I was a hunter, I was never once caught by forest guards. And therein lies the tragedy of wildlife conservation. But I derive hope from the fact that there have been officers like Narayan Sarma. I truly believe that change will come, and I will do whatever it takes to see that it happens.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 27 Sep 2011 13:29

Good news, Hope to one day see continous Tiger Habitat from Brahmagiri Hills to Banerghatta.

Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuary expanded to 1.41 lakh hectares

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 27 Sep 2011 15:03

we actually need a "green quadrilateral" linking up forest regions across the whole of india - giving the main species a better hope of genetic diversification and so survival

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 18 Oct 2011 19:01

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 383247.cms

Amid debate over proposed release of three rescued tigers in Bor wildlife sanctuary, 60km from Nagpur, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, has submitted a positive report about their release.

After assessing the three tigers - two female and one male - a two-member WII team, consisting of scientist K Ramesh Kumar and veterinarian Dr Parag Nigam, said that the Bor tigers are good candidates for rehabilitation in the wild.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had sent the team only after principal secretary (forest), Maharashtra, Praveen Pardeshi continuously took up the matter before the authorities. This comes after the respective chief wildlife wardens and officials had written a series of letters to the NTCA but failed to elicit any response. This bureaucratic red tapism led to unwarranted delay in deciding the fate of these cubs, which were rescued from Dhaba forest range in Gondpipri in Chandrapur district in September 2009.

"Our first priority is to shift the Bor tigers to a bigger enclosure in Pench. Funds for this have already been sanctioned. Releasing the cubs into the wild doesn't come in our domain. The final decision in this regard will be taken only after consulting NTCA. Entire protocol will be followed," Saxena told TOI.

Wild life experts had claimed that the cubs were 14-months-old when found and hence, are over three years of age now. They look quite grown up. However, the WII team have fixed the age of the cubs at around two-and-half-years.

Initially, the tigers were kept in small cages for treatment in Chandrapur before being shifted to Bor on November 9, 2009, with an aim to rehabilitate them. It has been two years since, but neither serious efforts nor right steps were taken to see that the tigers were relocated successfully. The team also stressed the need for giving live feed to the tigers, which is not being made available.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 20 Oct 2011 18:20

not directly related to India but I am trying to see if there is any:

This is about a news from Zanesville, Ohio/US where a person was "owning" whole bunch of WILD animals. He was found shot and all the wild animals were left open from cages. These animals were later found to be running around all over in urban setting.
Many people reported sighting of these animals on highways.

you can get the rest of the story from the link. I was trying to follow but for the first two days I saw how circumspect the reporting was (that certain "dangerous" animal are out..schools were closed etc). But not until the photo which you will see in the link went viral, has the mass media actually spelt things clearly.

Further, these type of "private" ownership is common among high rollers in US and I can easily guestimate thousands such cases (if not tens of thousands). My passing interest is is there a racket to be busted where Indian wild animals (the likes of which we saw a few years earlier where whole lot of Tigers went missing from Sariksha) are smuggled to these private owners.

Sadness, resignation over Zanesville animals

Shankas · Post by **Shankas** » 22 Oct 2011 19:01

A People's Forest

A teacher, a postman, a grocery store owner and an ayurvedic healer: This is the team that inspired the reforestation of 700 hectares in Uttarakhand.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 25 Oct 2011 07:17

environmental awareness programmes for children in Ranthambore National Park

“We teach children about the riches of the forest early on. Working with the people is important because deforestation is one of the greatest dangers that the tiger faces today,” says Sharma. “The children grow up to be responsible citizens. And they shame their parents out of going into the forest for firewood.” Sharma uses songs, rhyme and even skits to get his message across in Hindi and Dhundhadi—the dialect of Rajasthani spoken in Sawai Madhopur.

Part of the foundation’s efforts to wean the locals away from depending on the forest for their livelihood has been to provide them with alternatives. In Padli, a village with around 130 families, farmers were given high-yielding Jersey and Hollister cows in the early 1990s, and the foundation facilitated a milk cooperative for farmers to sell milk daily. “We used to earn Rs. 400-500 a day. Poora gaon khush tha (the entire village was happy),” says Prithiviraj Minna, the retired sarpanch of the village. “With farming, we earn money once in six months. It’s a risky dhanda (business).” With the dairy pulling out, the programme has now concluded but the village still wears a look of prosperity. “These cows were like goddess Lakshmi. We all got silver when they came.” Minna is a progressive farmer: his two sons and one daughter are teachers today and he uses biogas in his kitchen.

With the new funding, the foundation hopes to expand its activities with the arts and crafts outfit Dastkar, anti-poaching training and capacity building at the Ranthambore School of Art. In 2000, Thapar withdrew from the foundation’s work because of his disenchantment with state politics and the failure to get different factions united in a singular effort. “We need a completely new model to save the Indian tiger. The government needs to make this a special project,” he says. “There needs to be better coordination with the government of India, the state and other NGOs to promote and support field activities.”

Meanwhile, things are changing slowly for the people of Sawai Madhopur. Every restaurant or dhaba you go to will have a tiger poster. And when you turn the menu card, the message is always the same: Save the tiger. Ranthambore Foundation:www.ranthamborefoundation.com

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 26 Oct 2011 00:54

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 486912.cms

Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has given administrative approval to the continuation of Project Tiger scheme in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) here at the cost over Rs 4.37 crore. Of the total cost, recurring cost of Rs 2.99 crore would be shared on 50:50 basis between union and state government, while remaining cost would be treated as 100% central assistance, official sources said.

Sources claimed that MoEF has sanctioned the release of Rs 1.56 crore as first instalment of central share towards grant-in-aid to Maharashtra government for financial year 2011-12. The balance amount of central assistance would be released in due course after review of progress of expenditure and the works undertaken. The authorities have been directed to see that the sanctioned grant is used within the current fiscal year strictly in TATR, sources said.

Out of total approved cost of the scheme, central government share would be Rs 2.88 crore. "Actual release of funds under grant-in-aid presently is Rs 2.30 crores. However, since Rs 74.61 lakh has been adjusted against previous balance of year 2010-11 with state government, the net release of grant stands at Rs 1.54 crore," sources explained.

The sum of Rs 1.23 crore would be spent on non-recurring items like anti-poaching measures, habitat management, strengthening of infrastructure, staff deployment and capacity building, procurement of equipment and ensuring human-wildlife coexistence in buffer areas of TATR. "Similarly, Rs 2.99 crore is going to be spent on recurring items. Apart from recurring expense on the expenditure heads stated above, the sum would also be utilized for fire protection, addressing man-wildlife conflict and maintaining elephant squad in TATR," sources explained.

Apart from this, Rs 15 lakh would be spent on eco-development activities in core and buffer areas of TATR, sources added. CCF, TATR, Vinaykumar Sinha confirmed the sanction of funds for centrally sponsored scheme Project Tiger in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 27 Oct 2011 10:47

Elephant tusks seized, one held

See the size of the Tusks, must have been a Magnificent tusker which was killed. Really feel like removing the teeth of these poachers with blunt instruments.

New amphibian discovered

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 29 Oct 2011 09:24

13.5 tonnes of red sanders seized at ICTT Vallarpadam

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 13.5 tonnes of red sanders from a container at Vallarpadom International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT) on Friday.

The sanders, valued about Rs 1.50 crore, were brought to Kochi from Andhra Pradesh by road.

Sources said the consignment was to be smuggled to Singapore. India has banned the export of red sanders.

Red sanders, or red sandalwood, is a small tree highly valued in China and is used for making musical instruments among other things. The tree is on the endangered species list because of its overexploitation.

The Chinese love for all things endangered continues.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 31 Oct 2011 11:30

Yes that is the key problem - the newly rich China and its vast appetite and arrogance in wanting to consume most of the world's resources. India being a neighbour is an easy target - everything from tigers to red sanders to iron ore.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 04 Nov 2011 12:26

Wild elephant population stable in Kerala: census

Tiger census at Arunachal reserves to start this month

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 08 Nov 2011 03:46

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15626993

Sad, and worth noting...

Members of a mountain tribe in India say one of their most important rituals may never be performed again, after the death of their spiritual leader.

The Lepcha community, in the state of Sikkim, pray every year to the world's third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga.

However, their 83-year-old priest, Samdup Taso, who used to conduct the elaborate ceremony, died last week leaving no anointed successor.

The Lepcha regard Kanchenjunga as their guardian deity.

They believe their earliest ancestors were created from the snows on the summit of the peak, which towers over their homeland.

Around 50,000 members of the Lepcha tribe live in the tiny Indian state of Sikkim, which lies in the heart of the Himalayas between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.

Although many have converted to Buddhism and Christianity, they still follow some of their traditional rituals.

The Lepcha have been praying to Kanchenjunga for hundreds of years, with the ceremony always led by descendents of their original priest.

However, Samdup Taso's son decided not to follow his father's profession, and there is no sign of any other family member stepping forward to take on the role.

Lost tradition
"The tradition has ended forever," a local resident, Sherap Lepcha, told the Times of India.

The Lepcha are regarded as the original inhabitants of the Indian state of Sikkim
"It is not possible for another person to learn the rituals and take Samdup Taso's place."

Jenny Bentley, an ethnographer specialising in the Lepcha, said: "He was the last one in an ancient lineage of shamans who could perform the royal Kongchen [mountain deity] ritual."

"With his death a large part of the oral tradition and memory is lost irrevocably," she told the Sikkim Express.

A local filmmaker, Dawa Lepcha, said it was a sad situation.

"Of course it's a great loss to us, because it's a part of our history and part of our identity that is being erased."

Kanchenjunga was first climbed by British mountaineers in 1955.

The first member of the team to complete the ascent, Joe Brown, stopped just short of the top, out of respect for the belief in Sikkim that the summit of the mountain is sacred.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 08 Nov 2011 04:53

http://www.openthemagazine.com/shorts/s ... 11-11-06#3

A new, damning report by the Intelligence Cell of Panna Tiger Reserve says that forest officials abetted poachers, and account for the speed with which Panna lost all its tigers: from 23 in 1994, to none by 2008. The confidential report, reported in Down to Earth, reveals that many officials including guards and sub-divisional officers suppressed cases of tiger deaths and even tried to destroy evidence of poaching.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 14 Nov 2011 13:55

Gangetic river dolphins on road to recovery?

Six including poacher arrested, leopard skin seized

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 14 Nov 2011 13:55

Gangetic river dolphins on road to recovery?

Six including poacher arrested, leopard skin seized

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 16 Nov 2011 09:13

Booking of corbett visit is now online

http://corbettonline.uk.gov.in/

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 16 Nov 2011 11:05

Murugan wrote:Booking of corbett visit is now online

http://corbettonline.uk.gov.in/

Why the UK govt. registered website involved in this?

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Nov 2011 13:37

uttarkhand?

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 16 Nov 2011 13:42

Aditya_V wrote:
Murugan wrote:Booking of corbett visit is now online

http://corbettonline.uk.gov.in/
Why the UK govt. registered website involved in this?

its gov.in

its not UK

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 16 Nov 2011 13:59

Sorry , my mistake

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 17 Nov 2011 00:40

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 757665.cms

India lost another tiger, this time to poachers in Chhattisgarh, who killed a six year old tigress and then pulled out her claws, whiskers and two canines, prized commodities in the international market.

While the body of the tigress was found in Chhattisgarh's Bhoramdeo sanctuary late Tuesday night, a post mortem established she had been killed four days ago. "There is an entry wound on one side, but no exit wound. It could be either a bullet injury or made by a sharp weapon," said Ram Prakash, the state's chief wildlife warden who travelled to the spot, 200 kms away from the state capital.

However, Meetu Gupta of the NGO Wildlife SOS, who also visited the site, claimed the fracture of the ribs indicated it was a bullet injury.

Located in Kawardha district, Bhoramdeo sanctuary is part of a wildlife corridor connecting the famous Kanha national park in Madhya Pradesh with the newly formed Achanakmaar tiger reserve in Chhattisgarh.

Forest officials said this tigress was first spotted in Bhoramdeo four months ago. "There were three cattle kills reported in this period. Our patrolling party was keeping a watch on her movements to avoid a situation like Rajnandgoan," said Ram Prakash.

Less than two months ago, a village mob in Rajnandgaon rounded up and killed a tigress after she killed a woman and two dozen cattle in the border villages of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. The forest department could have tranquilised the tigress, but if failed to do so.

In the latest case, it remained unclear why a specially formed patrolling unit of forest officials failed to detect poachers, or even the tiger killing for four days.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 17 Nov 2011 16:51

UK stands for Uttara Khand

Antoher UK that can confuse is Uttar Kannada in Karnataka

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 18 Nov 2011 02:54

http://moef.nic.in/report/1011/AR-Eng%20Vol2.pdf

Annual Report 2010-2011 - Ministry of Environment and Forests

Quite a comprehensive piece of work...

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 18 Nov 2011 10:02

Not wildlife but related - Fear of Bakerwali dog going extinct

According to experts, the Bakerwali dog is different from a common dog in many ways. It is vegetarian — it only feeds on milk and bread made of maize. This helps to keep it away from attacking the flock. Birth rate among the Bakerwali dogs is also low as compared to common dogs. TRCF secretary Javed Rahi said only few hundred such dogs are left now and if “due care is not taken the Bakerwali dog will disappear.” He said no proper survey has been conducted by the government or any of two Agriculture Universities in the State.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 18 Nov 2011 20:49

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-15786974

The Indian authorities have put on hold a plan to relocate wild elephants in the southern state of Karnataka.

This follows a court instruction to the government to seek advice from experts in India and Africa before moving up to 30 elephants from two districts.

Farmers have been protesting against growing attacks by the elephants. Two people have died in the attacks.

The court said the animals should live in their natural habitat and it is up to humans to adjust.

The government had planned to relocate between 25 and 30 elephants from the districts of Hassan and Kodagu, some 225km (139 miles) from the capital, Bangalore.

Forest officials had planned to capture the elephants and move them to the Bandipur-Nagarhole forest area in the state.

Wildlife groups had opposed the government's move, saying it was not a solution to man-animal conflict.

"Elephants are very sensitive and cannot be moved from their natural habitat. They will go astray if they are moved to another area," Yelappa Reddy, a former forest official, said.

One of the main reasons for the degradation of forests in India was the illegal felling of trees and removal of firewood by villagers, forcing animals to move out of their habitat.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 18 Nov 2011 21:26

That is true animal rights. They should have the right-of-the-way when it comes to habitat.

Very happy to hear such comments and judgement as they pay way for future policies.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 22 Nov 2011 13:00

RamaY wrote: That is true animal rights. They should have the right-of-the-way when it comes to habitat.

Very happy to hear such comments and judgement as they pay way for future policies.

Ditto!

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 25 Nov 2011 14:25

Indian army personnel use a bulldozer during a rescue mission to save a wild elephant trapped in a water reservoir tank at Bengdubi army cantonment area.

link

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 28 Nov 2011 04:41

http://www.openthemagazine.com/shorts/s ... 11-11-26#3

RIP B2...

B2, the famous tiger of Bandhavgarh National Park, passed away recently. B2 was much loved by the park’s guards and officers. Many had started calling him ‘Betu’, an endearment for ‘son’. B2 was camera friendly. He had no fear of humans, and park officials rightly feared that he was in perpetual danger from poachers. B2’s mother Mohini had succumbed to wounds from a vehicle accident—in effect, killed by men. Mohini was well known, but not as well as B2’s grandmother Sita. Sita put Bandhavgarh on the international wildlife tourism circuit. She had even made it to the cover of National Geographic, before poachers got to her. B2’s siblings, B1 and B3, were also killed by human intervention: B1 was electrocuted and B3 killed by poachers. Though B2 is now dead too, it must have come as consolation to his admirers that he died like a tiger—an old tiger who succumbed to injuries he took while trying to defend his territory from a younger tiger.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 28 Nov 2011 18:53

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-15915075

Animal rights activists have criticised a bounty of 500 rupees ($9.60) a head put on the capture of monkeys in India's Himachal Pradesh state.

They say allowing members of the public to capture monkeys and hand them over for sterilisation could be "traumatic".

Officials hope to cut monkey numbers by capturing and sterilising 200,000 in the next seven months.

The state says monkeys are a menace, destroying crops and attacking tourists and locals in holiday destinations.

But Rajeshwar Negi, a prominent animal rights activist, told the BBC the bounty plan was "not a good idea" and that capturing monkeys should be left to "experts who are far better equipped".

He said: "Monkeys will be captured in a crude manner. This can be very traumatic for the animals... many can get hurt in the process."

The state's chief minister and his cabinet colleagues, along with top officials, met recently and came up with the sterilisation plan.

A total of 25 sterilisation centres have been set a target of treating 200,000 monkeys by June next year and then returning them to the wild.

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 30 Nov 2011 11:26

Protecting the Himalayas

The ministerial declaration issued by India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh addressing food, water, energy, and biodiversity concerns in the Himalayan region is a welcome initiative to protect this biodiversity-rich mountain range. The vast area faces a variety of problems that directly affect the local communities, and threaten ecosystem services provided to millions of people in neighbouring countries. Some of the serious issues that need urgent attention are accelerated forest loss, soil erosion, resource degradation, and loss of habitat and biodiversity.

Climate change is a major source of worry, and needs intensive study because of its potential for severe ecological damage. It is a step forward therefore that four countries in the subcontinent convened the Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas in Bhutan and evolved a consensus-based mitigation effort primarily for the eastern part. The task before the signatories is to build institutions that will pursue research and share knowledge, beginning with a centre for the study of climate change. Sustained effort is necessary to achieve the key goals: access to reliable and affordable energy; food and water security; demarcation of connected conservation spaces; and sustainable use of biodiversity for poverty alleviation.

Thanks to sheer inaccessibility, this remote and difficult landscape has mostly escaped the ill-effects of the industrial farming system, such as pesticide and insecticide use and the introduction of hybrid or transgenic crops. Himalayan biodiversity provides a resource base for an estimated 80 million people, mostly subsistence farmers and pastoral communities.

India, for instance, acknowledged at the summit that an inventory of the Eastern Himalayas, the target region for protection, at the level of genes, species, ecosystem, and landscape is yet to be completed. This task can brook no delay. The Himalayas form part of global natural heritage, and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change must provide substantial funding for research, capacity-building, and preservation. It is also important to harness traditional knowledge and get local communities to participate in conservation programmes. A good example of this is the protection plan for snow leopards in India's Spiti valley. The Himalaya protection programme can achieve even more, if Pakistan, China, and Afghanistan join the initiative.

I think China and Pakistan are part of the problem. A nation that believes half of the animal kingdom is an aphrodisiac and a country that allows foreigners to hunt its endangered birds and animals for money couldn't be expected to know anything about nature conservation.