Nature Conservation in India News & Discussion

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 27 Mar 2014 17:44

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 715280.cms

MORIGAON: A rhino was shot dead and its horn taken away by a gang of poachers, two of whom were killed in an encounter with forest guards in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in central Assam on Wednesday.

A gang of about eight heavily-armed poachers entered Pobitora in Morigaon district and shot dead the adult rhino near Tuplung forest camp and sawed off its horn, forest officials said.

Hearing gunshots at around 1am, the forest protection force personnel rushed to the spot and an encounter took place there and two poachers were shot dead, while the rest fled under the cover of darkness with the horn.

This is the second poaching incident and the first encounter this year in the 38.8 sq km Pobitora, located about 30km east of Guwahati.

The sanctuary has a dense population of the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros and its population of about 93 rhinos inhabit only 16 sq km area of the wildlife reserve.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 02 May 2014 18:51

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 444093.cms

The Kaziranga National Park lost another rhino to poachers on Wednesday, taking the toll to 12 this year so far in the World Heritage Site.

Park officials suspect involvement of militants in the latest killing at Kukurakata in Kaziranga's Burapahar forest range.

Officials said 14 empty cartridges of AK-47 rifle were found from the spot where the female rhino was killed. The horn of the rhino is missing.

"The involvement of militants is corroborated with the empty cartridges of AK-47 rifle because poachers usually do not use such arms to kill a rhino," a senior park official said.

The militants might have come from Kaziranga's neighbouring Karbi Anglong district, where armed groups are active.

Soon after the killing, there was an encounter between poachers and forest guards at three different places after park officials sealed all probable exit routes. One of the killers was killed.

"One of our teams was ambushed when they tried to cordon off the area where the rhino was killed. There was exchange of fire, but the poachers managed to move to another location where some of our men were attacked. There was another encounter. We are still combing the area," the official said.

Kaziranga has about 2,000 rhinos.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 06 May 2014 17:42

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 684400.cms

It seems to be open season on the poor Rhinos... about time that tables were turned with a vengeance ...

GOLAGHAT, ASSAM: In an unabated killing of rhinos at the Kaziranga National Park, a female adult rhino was gunned down and its horn taken away by poachers taking the toll to 11 this year at the World Heritage Site.

Park personnel had heard gun shots late night and recovered the carcass of the rhino from near Bonoloni Camp in Bagori Range of the park during an operation on Monday, forest department officials said.

The horn was sawn off and taken away by the poachers after gunning down the animal, the officials said.

The carcass was recovered near river Brahmaputra and the poachers were suspected to have come from across Biswanath Chariali side on the north bank of the river, they said.

On Friday, a male adult rhino was killed and its horn taken away by poachers from near Arikati camp, under Agaratoli Range of the park close on the heels of the killing of another rhino on April 30 near Borgung Camp of Burapahar Range.

Earlier on March 19, another rhino was killed and its horn taken away by poachers near Louduli camp, under Kohora Range of the 430-square-kilometre Kaziranga National Park.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 06 May 2014 22:04

During times of floods, the Rhinos and others take to higher grounds in the Park. It seems infiltrators have set up all year camps at these very same places where it does not flood within the park.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 06 May 2014 22:29

We were there recently and the area is mostly open grasslands with watch towers visible. The fact that the poachers operate with ease, tells you some insiders could be involved in this ring. The rivers are dry in this season.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 09 May 2014 18:02

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-27330603

Scientists say they have discovered 14 new species of so-called "dancing frogs" in southern Indian forests.

The frogs get their nickname from the unusual kicks males make in breeding season.

However, the scientists have warned that 80% of the frogs from the newly discovered species live outside protected areas and that their habitats are being depleted.

The findings come after 12 years of research in the forests.

"It's quite an unexpected discovery of a large number of species," lead scientist Sathyabhama Das Biju told the BBC Tamil service.

"The uniqueness of these new species is what we can scientifically call 'foot flagging' behaviour to attract the female at the time of thee breeding season," he said.

The "foot flagging" consists of the male stretching, extending and whipping their legs to the side.

The team's findings were published on Thursday in the Ceylon Journal of Science and follow research in the Western Ghats mountain range which run south from the state of Maharashtra, parallel to India's western coast.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 18 May 2014 21:36

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 313326.cms

JORHAT/GOLAGHAT: A rhino and a poacher were killed in Kaziranga National Park in Assam on Sunday.

A female adult rhino was shot dead and its horn sawed off by six poachers near Debeswari Camp in Agratoli Range of the World Heritage Site, Forest Department officials said, taking the toll of rhinos killed to 11 this year and three so far this month.

In an encounter that ensued, one poacher was killed by forest guards who are still on the hunt for the others, believed to be hiding in the jungles of the Park. {Hoping that the park officials do a search and destroy Op. on the poachers - only way to send out a no nonsense message}

Hearing gun shots early today, KNP personnel launched a search operation and recovered the carcass of the rhino with its horn removed, officials said.

The gang of illegal hunters exchanged fire with the park personnel and one poacher, Ganesh Mili (27) was killed, they said.

On searching the area, the sawed off horn, 14 empty cartridges, an axe and some food items were recovered, sources said.

The poachers, who had entered the park through its northern bank of Brahmaputra river, were suspected to be hiding in its jungles, they said, adding, the area has been cordoned off to track them out.

On May 5, an adult female rhino was killed and its horn taken away from Bagori Range of KNP.

On May 2, a male adult pachyderm was gunned down and its horn taken away by poachers near Arikati camp, under Agaratoli Range.

This was close on the heels of another Pride of Assam falling to poachers bullets in Kaziranga National Park on April 30 and its horn taken away from near Borgung Camp on the western side of Burapahar Range of the Park.

On March 19, another rhino was killed and its horn taken away in Kohora Range of KNP.

... On a side note - this incident is eerily similar to the one i posted earlier on May 2 - same # of cartridges recovered, same casualty figure... What's really going on??? And who is doing the math on the dead rhinos? The # seems to hover around a dozen, even though so many seem to be butchered...

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 19 May 2014 06:11

Time for NaMo to put someone in charge to really go at these poachers and the animal parts market wherever it maybe.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 27 May 2014 12:52

Yawn, they will keep killing until there are no rhinos left. if we can farm them, we should. Same with the tiger.

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 28 May 2014 08:41

Prasad wrote:Time for NaMo to put someone in charge to really go at these poachers and the animal parts market wherever it maybe.

Namo cannot do everything. Citizen action needed

Nikhil T · Post by **Nikhil T** » 29 May 2014 14:34

Jarita wrote:
Prasad wrote:Time for NaMo to put someone in charge to really go at these poachers and the animal parts market wherever it maybe.
Namo cannot do everything. Citizen action needed

Bang on target. I will advise everyone who wants to help the environment to consider this fundraising cause: Project Monsoon Wedding - planting trees in NCR.
Disclaimer: I am not associated with this project in any way.

Also if anyone has any similar suggestions for environment-focused NGOs, please consider sharing. TY.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 30 May 2014 19:23

Dreaming Loud:

1/ Declare 300-1000mtr green belt (fenced) on both sides of all River Systems and develop forest corridors for migratory animals. Build 2-3mtr paved paths for trekkers & cyclists near around major cities.

2/ Define (fenced) connecting corridors (~5KM wide) between national forests across the country.

3/ Build elevated road/railway network when passing thru national forests as the technology is already there (PVNR elevated express way in Hyderabad is 20KM long)

4/ Divide the forest area in to 5KM (diameter) grid and setup (mobile connected/monitored/operated) Solar Powered Bore wells with (natural setting) small lakes/ponds so animal kingdom has access to drinking water.

5/ Train Tribals in eco-forestry, eco-tourism, eco-management and form/operate self-sustaining cooperative groups (forest product sales)

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 03 Jun 2014 02:41

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 962275.cms

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh forest officials on Monday arrested three poachers and recovered the radio collar that was ripped off a tigress after electrocuting it to death outside Bandhavgarh National Park (BNP) in Umeria district on May 26.

Those arrested were identified as Kishori Baiga, Indrapal Yadav and Vijay Yadav — trio residents of Umeria district, said sources.

"Radio collar was axed to pieces and buried 1km from the spot where tigress was killed. It has been recovered," BNP field director Murli Krishnan told TOI. They are being interrogated for more details.

Carcass of the tigress - BT2 was found by a patrolling squad near Khitoli range at around 8am on May 27. Its tooth was missing and the radio collar around its neck ripped off. The four-year-old tigress was an orphaned tiger and had been raised in a semi-wild condition in an enclosure in the national park. It had been released into the wild about five months ago.

RamaY - One thing i digress with is the (fencing) part. I'm a strong believer in the cliche that "Locks are there to keep the honest people out - the "bad guys" will get in - no matter what" - Nature should be nature - not zoos on mega doses of steroids. Just imagine what would have happened if the Gir National Park was fenced?? It would have been a bonanza for the fence industry - but it would have actually prevented the natural dispersal of the lions that is currently taking place and no amount of fencing will prevent a very poor person - poaching - from getting to his target.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 03 Jun 2014 02:43

^ may be you are right.

I was trying to ensure that there is minimum interaction between animal kingdom & humans... But your fears are true too...

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 17 Jun 2014 19:51

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 684910.cms

AHMEDABAD: The Wildlife Institute of India with the sanction of Gujarat's forest department has radio-collared some lionesses which live outside Gir sanctuary to track their movements and behaviour.

This is the first time that the apex wildlife body will use the global positioning system to tag and track 10 lionesses in various pockets outside the sanctuary. Sources said, "This mode will enable us to keep track of each and every movement of the lions. Even by logging in once a week, we can get data regarding the big cats' movements and behaviour."

READ ALSO: Poachers blamed for killing Gir lion cub

Yadvendradev Jhala, scientist and researcher of the WII, said the study is also aimed at knowing the behavior of Asiatic lions near villages. "The study will help us ascertain how much area a breeding female requires for prey-hunting and rearing her cubs. The radio collars will enable wildlife managers to keep track of the entire lion population. Which will mean better protection for them," Jhala said.

READ ALSO: Madhya Pradesh tests Modi's lion-transfer mood

Jhala added, "The study will reveal the movement pattern of lions and whether they return to the sanctuary frequently. Recently we collared four lionesses in different prides. We now plan to collar another six lionesses. We will keep watch over these 10 lionesses with their cubs. This will enable us to know movements of the entire group."

The study is being undertaken by Jhala along with Stotra Chakrabarthy, research biologist of WII with the help of Anshuman Sharma, DFO Dhari and a team of four expert trackers and research assistants of WII.

As per the May 2010 census, there are 130 lions outside the sanctuary. But this number has increased since May 2010.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 19 Jun 2014 20:36

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 813794.cms

NAGPUR: In the first such conviction in recent times, three poachers were sentenced to five years imprisonment by an Achalpur court on Wednesday for killing a tiger at Dhakna in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR). The convicts were also fined Rs 50,000 per head.

This is the first ruling in the tiger poaching cases being fought in Achalpur and Nagpur courts since last year. The poaching had first come to light with the arrest of two poachers Mamru and Chika, belonging to the Baheliya community, from Mansar near Ramtek.

The Dhakna tiger is among the 25 feared killed in the region in 2012-13. Arrested tiger skin trader Sarju Bagdi had told TOI that different gangs of poachers trafficked more than 20-25 skins from here. There have been revelations about 18 individual tiger poaching cases, though material was recovered in only a few cases.

The Dhakna judgement comes just 16 months after the tiger was poached in February 2013. Principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Sarjan Bhagat said, "The judiciary is sensitive to wildlife cases. There have been a series of workshops between the two departments in the recent past."

Senior forest officials hope that the Achalpur court ruling will boost prospects of cases against poachers in Nagpur. Recovery of steel trap and tiger organs was considered a crucial point in the Dhakna case, and similar evidence is available here, putting the forest department on a strong footing.

A preliminary offence report (POR) in Dhakna case was registered on March 4, 2013 and a red alert was sounded. However, despite the alert, four more tigers were poached at one go at Masondi in East Melghat division in May. At least 25 notorious poachers were arrested by forest officials over the last year and over 30 are still absconding.

Deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) for Gugamal division Ravindra Wankhede said there were three complaints registered in the Dhakna case. This verdict is in first complaint where seven accused were involved. Of them, Madhusingh Leharsingh Rathod, Chintaram Leharsingh Rathod and Vinod Premlal Pawar, all residents of Sindhbandh in Dharni tehsil of Amravati district, were found guilty and were sentenced to five years in jail and a fine of Rs 50,000 each.

Approver Anesh Chhatarsingh Rathod, who turned hostile in court, will face a fresh trial, while three other accused — Sagar Pawar, Nakhilal Pawar and Mishrilal Chavan — all residents of Mothakheda in Dharni, who were charged with abetment, have been acquitted. The department has decided to appeal against the acquittals.

Principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi said this may perhaps be the first conviction in tiger poaching cases, where advanced forensic science was used to collect DNA of seized tiger flesh and matched with samples collected from nails of the accused.

The Dhakna case had exposed the poaching links of dreaded poacher Ranjisingh Bawaria from Haryana, who is languishing in jail now. Ranjit and his two associates were arrested on December 15, 2013, by a team from Melghat from Golukonda village in Vijayanagram district of Andhra Pradesh. Ranjit is also wanted by the CBI in another poaching case. The Dhakna tiger was poached on the orders of Ranjit.

jamwal · Post by **jamwal** » 26 Jun 2014 11:19

Vava Suresh
Popularly known as Vava Suresh (born 1974), is an Indian wildlife conservationist and a snake expert. He is known for his missions for saving snakes straying into human inhabited areas in and around the district of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. He is believed to have captured and rescued more than 30,000 straying snakes. He is widely known for his conservation activities like rescue and release of endangered species of snakes, preservation of collected eggs till hatching periods and creating awareness among people about snakes and their behavior. He releases his reptile collections into natural habitats at regular intervals of time. His efforts to capture poisonous snakes from human populated areas and to educate the people about snakes and their behavior is widely acknowledged. He has a verified FB page too - https://www.facebook.com/IAmVavaSuresh/info

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 07 Jul 2014 22:16

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... 969465.cms

An elephant that was kept in chains for 50 years and abused by a drug addict who used the animal to beg has been freed.

Raju had been beaten and starved since being poached from the wild as a baby and resorted to eating paper and plastic to fill his stomach.

The chains and spikes wrapped around his legs had left him with chronic wounds and arthritis and he was in almost constant pain.

But now he is walking free for the first time after a daring rescue by conservationists with a court order by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to take the elephant from his abusive owner.

The charity took Raju in the middle of the night on Thursday, supported by police and state officials.

The elephant's mahout and previous owner tried to stop him being taken by adding more chains and having people block the roads for the rescue lorry.

Experts worked for hours to gain the elephant's trust with fruit and encouragement until they could get him into the van that would take him to a sanctuary.

When Raju was being rescued, volunteers said they saw tears rolling down his face.

Pooja Binepal, from Wildlife SOS UK, said: "The team were astounded to see tears roll down his face during the rescue. It was so incredibly emotional for all of us.

"We knew in our hearts he realised he was being freed.

"Elephants are not only majestic, but they are highly intelligent animals, who have been proven to have feelings of grief, so we can only imagine what torture half a century has been like for him."

Kartick Satyanarayan, the charity's co-founder, said the mahout tried to make the elephant charge by shouting commands.

He added: "We stood our ground and refused to back down - and as we did so, tears began to roll down Raju's face.

"Some no doubt were due to the pain being inflicted by the chains, but he also seemed to sense that change was coming.

"It was as if he felt hope for the first time in a very long time."

Almost two days later and 350 miles away in Mathura, the chains were removed after 45 painstaking minutes.

A video showed the moment they cut the painful spikes and chains binding the animal's legs so he could walk freely for the first time.

Mr Satyanarayan said: "We all had tears in our eyes as the last rope which held the final spike was cut and Raju took his first steps of freedom."

Other elephants at the Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura came to watch the new arrival.

He is being fed to restore him to a healthy weight and vets are treating his many wounds and abscesses from beatings and chains.

Rescuers at Wildlife SOS believe Raju started life in the wild but was caught as a baby by poachers and sold as a working elephant.

Ms Binepal said: "The poachers either slaughter the mother, or they drive the herd into traps that are small enough only for the babies to fall into. The mother cries for her baby for days after he's been stolen - it is a sickening trade.

"The calves are then tied and beaten until they submit to their owners - their spirits are effectively broken."

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 08 Jul 2014 18:22

King Cobras get that big? Omg...Pangolins are interesting animals. We don't here about them too much.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 10 Jul 2014 12:56

RoYG- Male King Cobras have been known to get 18 feet long, they have huge venom glands, the make up with quantity for less potent venom. Are intelligent and rarely attack humans

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 11 Jul 2014 13:56

Aditya_V wrote:RoYG- Male King Cobras have been known to get 18 feet long, they have huge venom glands, the make up with quantity for less potent venom. Are intelligent and rarely attack humans

Yep, their size is certainly shakinah. Exclusive diet of other snakes. The super predator in snakes.

And there is no anti-venom available

At least none for the Indian sub-species, have heard something is available for the Thai one, may not work here.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 22 Jul 2014 18:36

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home ... 773902.cms

LUCKNOW: Dudhwa tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district has been made ready to be new home for rhinoceros.

At present the entire rhino population of the reserve is sheltered in a fenced 27 sq km area in Sonaripur range of the reserve.

There are at least 30-odd rhinos in Dudhwa. Some of these rhinos can now be shifted to a new 14 sq km fenced area in the adjacent range of the reserve. Proposal to shift some of them is a part of Dudhwa management plan and has been pending for a long time.

Sources said that it would be done under the guidance of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) after getting permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Putting all rhinos in one place puts them at risk of being wiped out in a single calamity. Sources said young ones will be transferred to the new location.

State government had been planning to shift some rhinos since 2001 but there were several considerations to be made before it was done as the patch also has a railway line passing through it.

Five rhinos were brought to Dudhwa in 1984 after being captured in the forests of Assam surrounding Kaziranga under the Rhino Rehabilitation Project.

An Indian rhino in Kaziranga National Park. (Getty Images photo)

Out of these only three survived—a female and two males. In 1985, four more rhinos were brought. The initial herd of seven rhinos has grown in size manifolds, hence the need to shift some of them to a new shelter.

UP lost its last rhino in 1878 in Pilibhit forests. After that, rhinos were extinct from Indo-Gangetic plain.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 02 Aug 2014 03:13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2jHs1Nbrqw

Nagarhole National Park - Great narrative and photography. (In Kannada)

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 07 Aug 2014 02:48

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LKBQ18 ... X-pgpyDnlC

Broken Tail - A Tigers last Journey...

Great documentary!!

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 21 Aug 2014 23:14

I had no idea dudhwa had rhinos !

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 05 Sep 2014 02:10

The Truth About Tigers - Great documentary with some unique footage... Pointed message given.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoGuud-vIaU - Part I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkok39VUlJg - Part II

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CkJhFjsLOE - Part III

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 14 Nov 2014 11:11

The evil acts committed after capturing and "training" elephants by idiots in Thailand :

Same sh8t happening in India :

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 14 Nov 2014 13:57

Neshant-> Taming an Elephant is always a cruel process, the Kraal method is supposedly more Humane than tying it by ropes, but nonetheless getting a behamouth to take orders from a puny Human cannot be done without some pain. But these bozoos overdo it.

Neshant · Post by **Neshant** » 23 Nov 2014 12:11

looks pretty brutal to me

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 24 Nov 2014 14:38

Yup it is very Brutal, next time people who visit tame elephants should remember. Though the Kraal method is supposedly better.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 12 Dec 2014 00:18

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 421356.cms

Now, Barda Dungar has a lion gene pool
Himanshu Kaushik,TNN | Dec 9, 2014, 12.51 AM IST

AHMEDABAD: After the success of the gene pool experiment at Rampara Virdi, the forest department has started one more gene pool at Barda Dungar, situated on the boundaries of Porbandar and Jamnagar.

So far, six new cubs have survived in the last couple of years at Rampara Virdi. These cubs belong to a separate gene pool. The gene pool was set up after experts had earlier sounded an alert, saying that inbreeding had weakened the unique wild cat's genetic structure.

Officials said that two pairs of lions from completely different areas were captured and brought to Rampara and now to Barda to ensure that the genes differed. "If the lioness is from Sasan, the lion would be from a far-off area of Tulsishyam and even Bhavnagar," a forest official told TOI.

Officials said the Rampara Virdi was the first in the gene pool experiment series and after successful documentation, the state government decided to have one more gene pool at Barda Dungar. In Barda also, the two pairs have already been shifted and they have come close to each other and are also engaged in mating. Officials are keeping a close watch on the development in Barda.

Officials said that among concerns raised by experts, a study by Stephen J O'Brien, chief of the laboratory of viral carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute in Maryland, revealed: "A limited sample of Gir lion from Sakkarbaug zoo revealed high levels of spermatozoal abnormalities. These results affirm the hypothesis that genetic diminishment of natural population may have unfavourable physiological effect such as increased spermatozoal abnormalities."

Experts say inbreeding and loss of genetic variation decrease the ability of wild populations to adapt to climatic changes and make them vulnerable to new diseases, parasites and pollutants.

Officials said that the gene pools are a long-term measure to help conserve genetic diversity. This is captive conservation of lions.

According to them, inbreeding has always been a concern. This could lead to deterioration in genes and rise in diseases harming the animals. "The gene pools will help us monitor and create healthy specimens," said a senior official involved in the project

.

member_29013 · Post by **member_29013** » 09 Mar 2015 16:48

Hello Gurus, my first post in BR after years of lurking.
Not sure where this would go and the best fit I could find is this thread.

MNREGAs to include afforestation. MNREGA is being expanded in its scope beyond the digging and filling holes job to one that is fruitful to the workers in form of improving their skills and to the nation in terms of increasing green cover.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 497785.cms

The Centre has decided to extend its flagship rural jobs scheme to include afforestation as part of a move to create more durable assets through the programme that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently derided as a living monument to the previous UPA government's failures and promised to overhaul.

Officials said the National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) will now converge to facilitate afforestation on 10 million hectares of land over the next decade.

This would, in turn, help provide forest-based livelihood income to three million households. Budget 2015-16 has made an initial allocation of Rs 34,699 crore for MGNREGA, with a possibility of an increase of Rs 5,000 crore if buoyancy in tax collection allows, making it the highest allocation to the scheme since it was launched in 2006.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Mar 2015 16:21

This topic is to discuss animal and wildlife welfare in India.

The Indian civilizational concern with animal welfare is commonly associated with the cow; but has extended to all animal life. As India changes and "modernizes", it is important that this ancient ethos not be allowed to decay away.

Much more can be written, but I'm in favor of brief introductions.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Mar 2015 16:22

Donkey welfare with a western partner:
http://www.thehorse.com/features/35434/ ... wo-donkeys

“I’ve just recently been to India … to look at a community that The Donkey Sanctuary has been engaged in for some time,” Brown says. “We spent the day with them while they were doing really hard work from 4 or 5 in the morning, and finishing at 11 (at night)—the whole family, even the children. It’s a tough life.

“And yet, as a consequence of the work that we’re doing in that particular project, the donkeys are in absolutely fantastic condition, despite the number of hours that they’re working,” he continues. “The owners have decided on a maximum load of bricks per donkey, which is related to the weight of the donkey, so they’re carrying 20 bricks. They’ve learned how to move their donkeys from Point A to Point B without (unnecessary) physical contact.

“They have a system where they’ve incorporated developments in harnesses and their backpacks and padding to protect the spine. They even have community animal health workers who take responsibility for a first-aid box (that includes things such as pain relievers, eye medication, antibiotics, and dewormers). They recognize their animals are valuable.”

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 27 Mar 2015 18:15

Thanks - nice read

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 28 Mar 2015 00:25

OT here, just for the record, a blog report about global destruction. link

There is no proper way to say we have destroyed over half of 10,000 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, ..

Another report about USA link

there has been a significant loss of pollinators, including honey bees, native bees, birds, bats, and butterflies, from the environment.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 28 Mar 2015 09:01

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-ma ... ld-2072328

Two mangers of a circus agency were held on Friday in Nanded district of Maharashtra after police rescued endangered birds and animals from a circus.

The police were acting on a complaint filed by the Animal Welfare Board against the Moonlight Circus and have registered a case under Section 11 of the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act. "When we found that the animals were tortured, after that we registered a case under Section 11 of the Prevention of Animal Cruelty Act. In this, two managers were arrested," Deputy Superintendent of Police Vijay Kabade said.

The rescued animals, including elephants, horses and dogs along with several birds, have been sent to the city zoo.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 28 Mar 2015 10:07

Is there any bread of Dakkani horses now under protection???

Kashi · Post by **Kashi** » 29 Mar 2015 09:15

The return of the one-horned rhino

A painstaking effort is on to bring the one-horned rhino back to Assam's Manas National Park, the place it once inhabited

Once upon a time in the Northeast, there was a vast forest next to a river. Its grasslands were home to the one-horned rhinoceros and the pygmy hog, while giant hornbills nested on its treetops. Till the mid-1980s, the Manas National Park in Assam was known for its excellent biodiversity and the multitude of rare fauna it housed. The Bodoland agitation and the socio-political conflict in the area took attention away from forest management. Consequently, by 2000, Manas was almost completely stripped of its rich flora and fauna, including all its 100 rhinos.

It was at this time that the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) along with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) decided to intervene. "While there were no rhinos left in Manas National Park, our assessment was that it was still capable of being a healthy habitat for rhinos," says Vivek Menon, executive director, WTI. In conjunction with the Bodoland Territorial Council and the forest department of Assam, WTI-IFAW created a unique programme in 2002 to revive Manas and its biodiversity, embodied by the one-horned rhino.

"We set up India's first rescue and rehabilitation centre, Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, near a protected area -- in this case, Kaziranga," says Menon. Here, orphaned rhino calves are hand-reared (some even bottle-fed) for up to three years. "Then we transport them to Manas, allow a one-year period for acclimatisation in controlled but wild conditions and then release them into the jungle," he says.

That seems like a lot of trouble to go to for a handful of rhinos, but Menon says it is worth it. The presence of the one-horned rhino, the largest herbivore of the grasslands, is a sign that the habitat is in good ecological health. "This augurs well for smaller, lesser-known grassland animals such as the pygmy hog," he says. Also, the rhino is an evolutionary marvel that can do with some human intervention for its continued survival in the wild. "Unlike other species that have adapted to diverse habitats, rhinos can only survive in grasslands, that too on very specific grasses," Menon explains.

Crew that executed rehabilitation, transportation and release of rhinos from CWRC to Manas National Park Moreover, its breeding habits are so slow that it's a wonder that rhinos reproduce at all. Males attain sexual maturity at nine years while the notoriously choosy females become mature at four. Mothers rear their calves for three years before they literally push them away. To make mating matters harder, the sex ratio of one-horned rhinos is skewed in favour of females. "This makes it incredibly tragic when we lose a couple of them to poaching, accidents or illness," says Menon. "Also, if the dead rhino has a calf with her, it stands little chance of surviving on their own in the wild."

In the last four years, three of the eight rhinos that WTI-IFAW bred in captivity and relocated to Manas have given birth in the wild. "We are thrilled," says Menon. "This shows they've completely adapted despite being hand-reared. Also, their age of calving has ranged from nine to eleven years, which is similar to free-ranging one-horned rhinos." The first to give birth was Jamuna, rescued as a three-month-old calf during the annual floods in Kaziranga in 2004 and relocated to Manas in 2007. The other two proud mothers are Ganga and Mainao. Last year, three male calves were released from their temporary enclosure in Manas, taking the total number of calves rescued, reared and relocated to 10. "We plan to scale up as far as possible, but our programme depends on how many calves we are able to rescue and nurse back to health in a year," says Menon.

The ghar wapsi, so to speak, of rhinos to Manas has had positive connotations not only for wildlife conservation but also for the communities around the protected areas. For the Bodos, rhinos in Manas have come to symbolise a resurgence of their ethnic pride, which has taken a battering in the last few decades. In many ways, the Bodos' fight for their ethnic identity echoes the rhino's fight for survival in a rapidly shrinking habitat.

In 2011, Manas National Park was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger and was commended for its efforts in preservation. To lay people, the idea that an entire forest can be regenerated and even repopulated with its lost endemic species, is incredible. But Menon has always believed otherwise.

"When we began this project, I never doubted nature's resilience for a minute," he says. Today, Manas represents hope -- hope that it is possible to reverse some of the depredations of poaching, social unrest and climate change on nature; hope that in spite of, and with some help from, mankind, the law of the jungle can prevail once more.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 29 Mar 2015 10:06

merged.