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March 2012, Revived Volume 11

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TIGERLINKA Network of Concerned People and Organisations

Across the Globe to Save the Tiger

NEWSREVIVED VOL-11 MARCH-2012

From the Executive Director’s DeskDear friends,

In the last issue of Tiger Link published in November2011, I had expressed my anguish over the dilution ofthe Forest Conservation Act and Wildlife Protection Act.I have spent my childhood and a large part of my servicein remote tribal areas and have closely interacted withtribals. This includes many primitive tribes living in theState of Jharkhand and in other pockets of Bihar. WhatI experienced was that agriculture was never sustainablefor them. Protein requirement was supplemented bykilling small or large herbivores. Otherwise they werehappy with any fruit, flower, leaves or roots when ricestock in their homes proved to be inadequate to sustainthem. Requirement of firewood or small timber forconstruction of houses was met from the adjoiningforests.

No tribal village ever stored timber or firewood inexcess of their requirement. Non-tribal poor communitiesof course collected firewood from the forests and soldthem in the nearby market. Gradually the whole systemchanged. Families grew in number, agriculture landdivided, land holding became more unsustainable,aspirations of the younger generation increased,therefore families needed more cash and thus forestswere cut for commercial purposes. Timber tradersencouraged these illegal activities and truck loads ofsmall timber and firewood were transported to theadjoining townships. Dealers of illegal wildlife productsalso lured poor villagers to assist them in poaching orselling poached animals to them. Forest Departmentofficials compromised with the situation as they weremiserably out numbered. In many cases, whileobstructing illegal activities forest staff were assaultedor even killed. No recruitment was done of front line

staff in any state in the last 20-25 years which has madethe situation increasingly perilous. Insurgency has addedfuel to the fire and forest administration has virtuallycollapsed in those areas.

People thought the Forest Rights Act will bringforests ‘closer’ to the local people and rectify historicalin-justice, but it is proving to be just the other way round.No one has any knowledge of land being claimed ordistributed which is in total violation of the FRA.Everybody is applying for chunk of forest land and theirclaim is accepted by the Gram Sabha, without knowingwhether those are available for distribution. Manyeducated people from outside are charging fees for fillingup the forms and Gram Sabhas are forwarding themwithout scrutiny to the higher revenue authorities forissuance of ownership certificate. The District RevenueOfficials are taking credit of giving paper ownership tothousands of people. There are many cases where theland given doesn’t even exist. Even then we are claimingthat the Tribal Rights Act is bringing dignity to forestdwellers.

A case is pending in the Apex Court. Given theopportunity, I feel like filing a rejoinder with a prayer toconstitute a Committee headed by an Honourable Judgeto monitor at least one percent of cases where massscale distribution has taken place so that the purpose ofsuch an important act is not mishandled and the needycan truly benefit.

PK Sen

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EditorialIt’s another year—and even if it is a bit late in the day to betalking about the ‘new’ year, given that a quarter of it isalmost over, I cannot help but wonder if 2012 will be anydifferent for the tiger. Will it carry new hope? Or will thebattle get still more bitter?

What’s playing on my mind is the budget. The financialyear begins on April 1; and yes, all of us who thought theycared, that the tiger was a matter of priority, given that it isour national animal, were fooled. The tiger got Rs 170 crore(after a lot of wrangling), which is simply not enough to meeta key task critical to tiger conservation- the voluntaryrelocation of villages within core critical tiger habitats. Itoccurs to me that by way of comparison I could take up theCommonwealth Games-2010, whose opening ceremony itselfwas worth much more, any infrastructural project worth itssalt would add a zero to that figure. The other, and evenmore critical point is: why must voluntary relocation of peoplefrom within protected areas be the financial responsibility ofthe MoEF alone—given that it serves the equally importantpurpose, of welfare and advancement of people who aredenied basic facilities living in remote forests? Life outside,in the mainstream offers not just basic facilities like healthcareand education, but also opportunities denied in the foreststhat must remain pristine if we are to safeguard our ecologicalsecurity.

People want to move out (yes, there are alwaysexceptions as seen in the case of BRT WLS in Karnataka) offorests, and many have petitioned managements. Villages inthe heart of reserves want a different life—of mobile phones,roads, employment opportunities, away from the fear ofelephants and trampled crops. So why isn’t it a collectiveeffort of the MoEF, Department of social welfare. Ministry ofTribal Affairs., Rural development, given it meets the twinobjective of human welfare and conservation?

States don’t have a right to grumble on paucity of fundsfor relocation (or for that matter, delay payment of wages towatchers and daily wagers) since the CAMPA funds—whichhas enriched the state exchequer richer by thousands ofcrores—have been earmarked for the purpose of relocation,and wildlife protection. But few, if any state, has utilised itfor this purpose.

It is not just about money, of course. Priorities ofgovernments are reflected in their commitment—or the lackof it—to provide the big cats a secure future. Tigers don’thave a future, if we don’t give them a secure home. Therelentless obsession with growth, at the cost of reason andcaution, is ravaging tiger habitat. Everyone wants a slice ofthe pie—for highways, for mines, for roads, and it’s there forthe taking, as laws, and rules are bent, ignored, or side-stepped. The railway budget this year sanctioned a railwayline through the heart of a reserve, and not an eye blinked. A

hydel project was cleared on the river Lohit in ArunachalPradesh—it’s one among 13 planned in the river basin—thatwill cause havoc in the downstream ecology, livelihoods,and alsoDibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga and Manastiger reserves—inspite of opposition from MoEF’s regulatorybodies, civil society groups, conservationists and localpeople (refer National for details).

And five years on, we still haven’t been able to grant thetiger, it’s corridor through Kanha and Pench—we would ratherpush the road—NH 7, and damn the tiger, even though thereare alternate routes.

Coal is the most contentious issue today: India’s powershortage is being laid at the door of the MoEF. Greenregulations block power projects, mining is the outcry.Millions are at stake, and the country’s development is beingheld at ransom, because we care so much for the environment,and our tigers. They have it wrong. MoEF’s largesse in givingaway forests actually deserves to be applauded, if you areon that side of the fence. There is a detailed report inside, butin a nutshell, the rate of giving away forests is unprecedented.According to a study by Centre for Environment and Science,the pace of forest land diversion has doubled in the last fiveyears. In 2009, 87,883.67 ha of forest land was grantedclearance. About half of such diversion is for coal (followedby power). The coal ministry which has made forests—andwildlife- the scapegoat for its inefficiencies could do withsome accountability, and introspection.Most coal fields areoperating far below capacity. The estimated coal reserveswith Coal India Limited are 64 billion tonnes, and the companyproduces 500 million tonnes per annum. So where lies theblame? Why are we giving away critical tiger forests and wildhabitats to be ravaged for mining, when existing reserves arenot fully utilised? Since delving too deep escalates costs,miners just take the creamy layer, and move over—to thedestruction of other forests, without rehabilitating the minedareas, as per norms.

Let’s take Hazaribagh, so-called, according to local lore,because it was once, the “land of a thousand tigers”.Unfortunately, this land of the tiger has the richest coalreserves. Hazaribagh today is miles of ravaged forests—andbleeding rivers. The tigers are gone, and the odd one whichmany wander in—is denied existence, lest it come in the wayof mining, and other development projects.

I can hear the echo of Hazaribagh in other tiger habitats.Like the Tadoba landscape—fecund land of the tiger—tatteredbecause of coal mining—and still there are some 40 morepower and coal projects proposed.Will it go the Hazaribaghway?

I hope not. It had better not. It cannot.India is committed to save the tiger, and given that it

owes this natural heritage in trust for the world, it needs toput money where its mouth is.

Prerna Singh Bindra

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NATIONAL NEWS

Tiger poaching declinesRecords indicate that tiger poaching has dropped byover 50 per cent in 2011 as compared to theprevious year. According to the Wildlife ProtectionSociety of India (WPSI), 13 tigers were poached lastyear as compared to 30 in 2010. Adding other causesof death such as road accidents, infighting, electrocutionand rescued tigers dying under treatment, the overalltoll in 2011 was 61. Additionally, 11 tigers were ‘founddead’. In 2010, it was 58.

While there is a marked decline in poaching cases in2011 compared to 2010, it does not mean poaching isany lesser a threat. The illegal wildlife trade continuesto be a major threat to tigers. It has been reiterated, nowild tiger is safe, anywhere, in any range country, aslong as there exists a demand for its skins and bones.

Source: IANS, February 2012

Too little for the tigerThe Union budget this year gave green concerns a miss,particularly on the wildlife front. The country’s flagshipconservation programme, Project Tiger gotapproximately Rs 167 crore for 2012-13. Last year,the budget allocated Rs 159 crore, (though it is reportedthat an additional Rs 10 crore is expected by end March)which was a drop from 194 crore in 2010-11, andRs 204 crore in the financial year 2009-2010.

The expectation for the current financial year wasRs 1,267 crore, given that in the current plan period,which commences in 2012-13, the projected overlay ofProject tiger was 5,500 crore.

The biggest blow will be to the voluntary relocationfrom core critical habitats, which the Central governmenthas prioritised to make tiger habitats inviolate and alsoto give those living within core areas an opportunity toenter mainstream society with access to basic facilitiessuch as healthcare, education, connectivity andemployment opportunity. It was one of the keyrecommendations of the PM-appointed Tiger TaskForce.

But how will the government deliver with this budget,which will hardly cover basic vitals such as protection,habitat and crisis management leaving little room forrelocation.

NATIONAL NEWS

A TigerLink report

Tiger reintroduction: Comeback in Panna,uncertainty in SariskaIn what is being touted a ‘first in history’, a hand-rearedtigress has given birth to two cubs less than a year afterit was released into the wild at the Panna Tiger Reserve.

The hand-reared tigress from Kanha reserve,identified as T-4, was released in Panna on 27 March,2011. Its sibling, T-5, was also released on 13 December,2011. While T-4 gave birth to the cubs in mid-Novemberlast year, T-5 is also doing well, said officials.

Both T-4 and T-5, along with a male cub, were bornto a radio-collared tigress, called No. 9, in Kanha around2004-05. When they were less than one-month-old, themother was reportedly mauled to death by a male tiger.The cubs were then retrieved and were raised in anenclosure of about five hectares at Ghorela, Kanha.Interaction with humans was reportedly kept to aminimum.

Meanwhile, in mid-March, T1, the first tigress to bebrought to Panna had her second litter, and was spottedby forest staff with three cubs. There are now 16 tigersin Panna, including cubs.

While the reintroduction of tigers in Panna looks tobe a success in its objective of gradually repopulatingthe reserve, the tragedy of the tiger going extinct inPanna appears to be forgotten. Panna’s (and Sariska)tigers had been wiped out by poaching. Those responsiblefor this tragedy have not been held accountable.

While the two reintroduced tigresses of Panna havesuccessfully bred, the future of the Sariska tigers seemsa question mark. The first tiger was flown in fromRanthambhore to Sariska in June 2008, and subsequentlyfive more tigers were relocated, but there has been nobreeding success in Sariska. Only one of the Sariskatigresses is said to have conceived on two occasionsbut both times she is said to have aborted. The reasonfor their failure to conceive has been variously accountedto inbreeding and severe habitat disturbance, but noconcrete explanations have emerged yet.

It may be recalled that ST-1, the first tiger to bereintroduced to Sariska was poisoned in November 2010.

Meanwhile, the carcass of a leopard was found on10th March in Sariska. The leopard was killed, entrappedin a snare—proof that poachers are still operating in thereserve. This has again raised questions about the safetyfor the reintroduced tigers there.

Says Samir Sinha, head of TRAFFIC-India, “In

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NATIONAL NEWS

Sariska, there is something (like breeding!) for tigers todo and much more for us to do––managing roads,relocation, addressing mining and grazing. Instead thereis so much debate and discussion only about why thetigers are not breeding, as if a litter tomorrow willautomatically mean the end of all of Sariska’sproblems...”

Source: TigerLink, with inputs from “Tiger breeding:Panna strikes global first, Sariska fails”, HindustanTimes, 17 February, 2012, New Delhi, “Panna successstory: Hand-reared tigress gives birth to two cubs”,Abantika Ghosh, The Indian Express, 11 March, 2012

NTCA releases additional guidelinesThe National Tiger Conservation Authority has releasedadditional guidelines relating to new funding componentsof Project Tiger.

The guidelines have effected a change in thefunding pattern for northeastern states, which cannow avail an increased share of 90 per cent on theirrecurring expenditures from the Centre, instead of theearlier 50 per cent. For non-recurring expenditures, theCentre shall continue to provide 100 per cent support.This step has been taken keeping in view the delay incentral assistance to tiger reserves due to non-availabilityof matching state share in funding. The state share,therefore, is now reduced to just 10 per cent.

Given the increasing man-animal conflict, the NTCAhas advised for an increase in compensation. Therevised guidelines have raised compensation to victimsof man-animal conflict to Rs 2 lakh (doubled from theearlier Rs 1 lakh) for the loss of human life and 30 percent of the amount in case of grievous injury. This is acritical step necessary to prevent ‘revenge-killing’ oftigers with ever-increasing face-offs between large catsand human beings.

Central assistance is now available for statesto acquire private lands inside tiger reserves formaking critical tiger habitats inviolate. If such landscan be acquired, this will help secure inviolate habitatsin tiger reserves—especially in the southern stateswhere coffee estates are located in the heart of tigerreserves.

The guidelines also allow for funding theconstruction and management of tiger safaris,awareness centres through Panchayati Raj institutionsin buffer areas of TRs. The safaris—to be establishedin buffer zones—will provide for easy viewing of tigers

and may house orphaned, injured and other such rescuedtigers. They are aimed to take away the immense touristinflux into the critical tiger habitat for tiger viewing.

Source: National Tiger Conservation Authority( h t t p : / / p r o j e c t t i g e r . n i c . i n / w h t s n e w /Addl_%20guidelines_CSS.pdf)

PMO: Sacrifice pristine forests for mines,industryIn the continual pressure for ‘opening’ up of forests, forcoal, ecology has lost another round. The Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests (MoEF) has agreed todivert additional 25 per cent of forest land thatwas earlier categorised as no-go area for setting upprojects concerning infrastructure ministries such aspower, roads and coal.

This is after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)stepped in and pressured the ministry to fast-trackproject clearances. The immediate trigger to this isbelieved to be a meeting held with industry bigwigs ledby the ‘green’ industrialist Ratan Tata. Governmentsources said that with this move, around 30-50 projectscan now be taken up for consideration. It will also provideaccess to some of India’s ‘best’ sites for coal and othernatural resources—deep inside pristine forests, andforestland that is home to indigenous tribes. “We areworking on the finer print,” an official said. Moreover,the ministry has said environment clearance for projectswill come in 60 days and forest clearance in 180 daysafter all the documents are submitted.

The environment ministry has also listed priorityprojects for consideration of its Expert AppraisalCommittee (EAC), which is mandated to examine eachproject with respect to its environmental impact. Theagreement was reached at two meetings called by thePrime Minister’s principal secretary Pulak Chatterjeeon business projects after a group of CEOs led byindustrialist Ratan Tata met the PM and other centralministers in early February. Coal and power ministrieshad complained to the PMO that the environmentministry takes up to six years to clear projects, therebyleading to a shortage in coal supply and powergeneration. “Priority projects will be cleared within thedeadline,” an official said.

Conservationists, however, have raised doubts againstclaims of delayed clearances. A study by the Centre forScience and Environment (Refer: “Focus: Mining inTigerland”, TigerLink, November 2011) that has

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analysed recent environment and forest clearances foundthat the scale of clearances given by the MoEF inindustrial projects in the past five years is unprecedented.Between 2007 and August 2011, 8,284 projects weregranted forest clearance and 2,03,576 ha of forestlandhas been diverted––that amounts to 25 per cent of allforestland diverted to development projects since 1981.While the officials of coal and power ministries as wellas industrialists, are happy with the development,conservationists have expressed grave concerns aboutthe repercussions of this decision on forests andbiodiversity.

Inviolate forest for green clearanceThe Ministry of Environment and Forests plans todemarcate some ‘inviolate areas’ that will not beconsidered for green clearances.

The ministry had agreed to the recommendations ofthe B.K. Chaturvedi committee that all mining projectsshould be considered on merit. However, it has told agroup of ministers chaired by Finance Minister PranabMukherjee that the “MoEF will set up a mechanismwhereby coal mines falling in ‘inviolate areas’ wouldnot be considered for green clearances.”

A committee headed by the MoEF secretary willhelp identify the ‘inviolate areas’. It has been asked tosuggest neutral parameters for mining and alliedactivities, government officials present at the GoM said.Sources in the coal ministry say that Mukherjee andCommerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma arekeen that coal projects are not subjected again to thesame objections as during the ‘go-no-go’ regime. Bothare of the view that all projects in which substantialinvestments have been made, but are awaiting forestclearance, should be taken up in earnest.

Source: “More forest land for projects after PMintervention”, Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, 22February, 2012, New Delhi

“Jayanthi Rewrites Jairam, ‘No-Go’ Is Now‘Inviolate’”The Indian Express, 13 March, Inputs fromTigerLink

Comment: All forests are deemed inviolate underIndian law. ‘Go-No-Go’ was a concession made byallowing a major chunk of forests to be classifiedas “Go” areas, and this was done at the urging ofthe Coal ministry, who thereafter took up cudgelsagainst it. As was written in the earlier TigerLink,the ‘No-Go areas’ became something of a bitter joke,as under pressure from various ministries—including

the PMO— these were diluted drastically, to the tuneof about 50 per cent, and vital tiger and elephantcorridors are being sacrificed for coal and otherinfrastructural projects. One hopes that ‘inviolate’areas do not go the same way..

In effect, the term ‘go-no-go’ has been replacedby ‘inviolate’ area. The country’s is going througha power crisis—and there is lot of noise of all powerplants likely to shut down, Coal India Ltd, includingthe Ministry of Coal or at least the branch dealingwith coal is likely to be abolished. In all of this theMoEF is the scape goat. The message is thatenvironmental and forest clearances are delayed foryears, hence the power sector, and the country’sgrowth is at a standstill. But has the Ministry of Coalever tried to evaluate what proportion of the areaunder lease has actually been utilised? Secondly,there are rigid rules and regulations in the leaseagreement like rehabilitation of excavated area.What proportion of mined area in India has everbeen rehabilitated?

NHAI gets flak for violation of forest lawsViolations on the part of the National HighwaysAuthority of India (NHAI) while widening NH-6 andNH-7 have drawn the wrath of the Standing Committeeof the National Board for Wildlife.

As is well-documented, NH 7 will cut over 60 km ofcrucial tiger habitat that links Kanha, Pench and Satpuratiger reserves—a landscape with about 150 tigers. Tocarve out NH 6, NHAI ploughed through–cuttingthousands of trees in the process—the tiger corridorthat connects Nagzira Sanctuary and the NavegaonNational Park in Maharashtra, circumventing both theForest Conservation Act, 1980, and the WildlifeProtection Act, 1972.

The issue was brought up at the committee’s 24th

meeting, held on 13 December, by member Prerna SinghBindra in connection with the non-compliance by theNational Highways Authority of India to the FCAconditions for the construction of a four-lane expressway(NH-54E) through the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong tigerand elephant corridor.

“The NHAI’s violations of forest and wildlife lawsis a serious issue,” said Bindra while pointing outviolation of forest laws in the case of NH-6 and non-compliance by the NHAI in the Kaziranga-KarbiAnglong corridor. “Roads through PAs and wildlifecorridors have ecological impacts, and with demand for

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new roads and expansion of roads through ProtectedAreas, Critical Tiger Habitats and corridors coming upfrequently, it is important that NHAI takes on board theecological concerns,” she added.

Other members including Kishor Rithe and M.K.Ranjitsinh shared the view.

The members felt that in case of both, NH7 andNH6, as no action has been taken for FCA violation bythe state forest department, NHAI continues to takethings lightly. The Minister of State (IndependentCharge) for Environment and Forests assured action.

It may be pointed out that since January 2011, threeleopards have died in accidents on NH6 emphasisingthe importance of the corridors.

Source: “NHAI gets flak for forest law violation”,Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, 14 December, 2011, Nagpur, withinputs from TigerLink.

Forest rights, and tiger wrongsAs discussed in older issues of Tiger Link, TheScheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, continues towreck havoc in the tiger and other wildlife habitats (referTigerLink, April 2011 issue). Two of the habitats thathave suffered damage are Katarniaghat WildlifeSanctuary, which is part of Dudhwa Tiger Reservewhere villagers demanded blanket regularisation, evenof encroachments and Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary andproposed Tiger Reserve where thousands of trees wereaxed and over 600 acres of prime forest ploughed withinthe sanctuary the day FRA came into force.

Reports coming in across the country indicate thatunder the guise of giving recognition to forest dwellers,large scale intrusions and encroachments into forestsare taking place, encouraged by business interests. Forestland is reportedly being doled out for political gains andvotes, and also miners and real estate agents are grabbingland under the guise of the law. In the face of this,genuine community interests are being ignored andsacrificed in a rush to grab forest land under the guiseof the FRA. It is reported that gram sabhas, who arethe competent authority to authenticate the right holders,are blindly recommending cases.

According to some estimates, to date over 15 lakhhectares has been distributed under the Forest RightsAct. It may be remembered that when this Act waspromulgated, it was assured that only about two percent of the existing forest land would be required anddiverted for this purpose; however about five per cent

of forest land has already been given away—and theprocess is still on. States most impacted include AndhraPradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, UttarPradesh and Tripura.

It is learnt that the Director General of Forests andSpecial Secretary Dr P.J. Dilip Kumar has written tostates expressing his concern over the large scale illegalencroachments under the guise of the FRA. He hassaid that the forest department has extended full supportto the promulgation of the FRA, but that illegal orirregular grant of occupancy to ineligible candidates willattract the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.He noted that it is important to undertake a review of alltitles that have been granted under the FRA, so thatfresh encroachments by ineligible persons do not takeplace.

Source: A TigerLink report

MoEF : CAMPA for relocation from PAs & TRsUse of CAMPA funds continues to be a contentiousissue. There have been consistent reports from the fieldthat CAMPA funds are being misused, and arecontributing to the destruction of natural forests to makeway for plantations. There have also been reports thatCAMPA funds are being used for regular infrastructure,civil works–all of which is in complete contravention tothe Centre’s guidelines.

At a meeting chaired by former MEF JairamRamesh, where DG (Forests), Amicus Curie, CentralEmpowered Committee (CEC) Member Secretarywere also present it was decided that wildlife richdegraded habitats must be improved––where indigenousspecies should find priority––with the CAMPA fund.Keeping in view that protection is critical for flora andfauna conservation, CAMPA fund was to be utlised forprotection. This was communicated to the states—however none of the states submitted a plan for utilisationof CAMPA that benefitted wildlife, and most werehackneyed proposals for plantation and afforestation—that the department has been doing as a routine for nearlysix decades.The Relocation questionAt the same meeting a decision was also taken to utilisethe fund for the voluntary relocation of people fromProtected Areas, and core critical tiger habitats.

The MoEF had, vide its letter, F.No. 15-1-2101/CAMPA, said that the use of CAMPA funds for therelocation and rehabilitation of people can be allowed

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after approval of the same from the competent authority,given that this had assumed great significance for theconservation of forests and wildlife.

It is also well documented that many communitiesand tribals living within Protected Areas are eager tojoin the mainstream and avail facilities such as education,health, employment and other opportunities that aredenied to them in remote areas.

Sources in the NTCA admit that there is a paucityof funds to meet the funding requirement for relocationof people living within core critical tiger habitats fromvarious states, which have now stepped up relocationfollowing petitions from many gram sabhas, which haverequested for an enhanced relocation package.

In a letter dated 23 September, 2010, the NTCAquoted the above MoEF letter reiterating the use ofCAMPA funds for voluntary relocation and rehabilitationof people from tiger reserves.

The issue was also taken up in the meeting of theStanding Committee (NBWL) held on 13 December,2011. It was stressed by both the DG & SS (Forests)Dr P.J. Dilip Kumar and ADG (Wildlife) J. Kishwanthat provisions for resettlement of people from NationalParks and Sanctuaries including Tiger Reserves alreadyexist under CAMPA and that CAMPA funds could, andmust, be utilised for relocation of people from PAs.

Source: A TigerLink report

The Tiger Tourism dilemmaOne issue that has invited criticism is that of tourism inwilderness areas. The controversy erupted when thedraft tourism guidelines were put up for comments onthe MoEF website in June 2011. The draft (referTigerLink, August 2011) invited hundreds of commentsboth supporting and critiquing the crux of the guideline— that core critical tiger habitats especially those fromwhere voluntary relocation has taken place to createinviolate areas, be out of bounds for tourism.

To arrive at a consensus, and workable solution,MoEF constituted a committee with a mandate to finalisethe guidelines relating to ‘Eco-tourism in and aroundProtected Areas’.

At a meeting held on 23 February, the committeediscussed issues in the context of ecotourism in tigerreserves in the view of mushrooming of lodges andresorts in immediate vicinity of tiger reserves,fragmenting of revenue areas having corridor value,unregulated tourism causing disturbance to wild animals,

garbage, pollution, and the contentious topic of ecotourismin core areas vis-à-vis the policy to maintain inviolatecore through village relocation and the provisions of theWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, prohibiting constructionof tourist facilities inside a sanctuary without the approvalof the National Board for Wildlife. The recommendationof the TTF report ‘Joining the Dots’ which hasdeliberated in detail about eco-tourism around tigerreserves, was also referred to during the meeting.

It was agreed that the key objective of an eco-tourismpolicy should be to benefit the local communities so thatthey have a stake, and are partners in tourism. Currently,it is seen—and studies have supported-–that tourismaround protected areas especially tiger reserves is mainlyin the hands of outsiders, with local people largely inmarginal jobs. It was felt that the resort owners need toinvest in capacity building of local communities so thatthey can be part of management. Also, aid can beextended in the form of soft loans so that localcommunities can upgrade facilities for home stay. It wasagreed that part of (the exact proportion is to be decidedafter discussions with concerned stakeholders) the netrevenue of the resort owners be donated forconservation.

Equally important is that such tourism should besustainable. Unplanned tourism in wilderness can destroythe very environment that attracts such tourism. Thereis a need; it was stressed, to move towards a model oftourism that is compatible with these fragile landscapes.

Keeping the sanctity of core areas in mind, it wasdecided that in critical tiger habitat larger than 500 sqkm, 20 per cent may be made part of tourism zonesubject to the condition that 30 per cent of surroundingbuffer habitat must be restored for wildlife in five years.Those with less than 500 sq km core, 15 per cent will bepermitted for tourism provided 20 per cent of the bufferis restored to wildlife within five years.

Two important comments made by the tourism lobbywas that if the core critical habitats are made totallyinviolate, there will be no outside ‘eye’ on the forest.They also contend that they pay a considerable amountto the forest department for facilities such as gatecharges and fees for cameras, which should be ploughedback into conservation.

The issue of eco-tourism in core critical tiger habitatsnow rests with the Supreme Court.

Prayatna, a Bhopal-based NGO, had filed a PIL inSeptember 2010 seeking a ban on tourism in core areasof Madhya Pradesh’s tiger reserves. But, in January

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2011 the Jabalpur High Court rejected Ajay Dubey’s(Secretary, Paryatna) prayer for barring all kind ofcommercial tourism and other human activities in thecore and critical areas as notified in the tiger reservesof Madhya Pradesh.

Following the Jabalpur court’s rejection, Dubey fileda special leave petition (SLP) in the apex court.

Hearing the PIL in October 2011, a double bench ofJustices Dalvir Bharti and Deepak Mishra in Octoberasked the MP government to tell to what extent tourismis being carried out in core areas in its parks and what isthe situation in this regard in other states. The courtalso asked why tourism is not directed in buffer zonesof reserves.

The case took a new turn when Delhi-based NGOWildlife Trust of India (WTI) intervened in the matter.“Our plea demanding ban on tourism in core areas oftiger reserves has raised positive hopes with WTI filingan intervene application,” said Dubey, In the meantime,J.S. Chouha, Field Director of Kanha Tiger Reserve,filed an affidavit on behalf of the Madhya Pradeshgovernment supporting tourism in core areas. Theaffidavit further stated that wildlife tourism does notrequire exploitation of resources (biomass) on whichwildlife depends for its survival and propagation.

The NTCA has filed an affidavit prior to 13 March,when a final hearing was expected on the issue.

A TigerLink Report

Padma Shri for Dr K Ullas KaranthDr Kota Ullas Karanth has been awarded India’s fourthhighest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, for the year 2012for his outstanding contribution to wildlife conservationand environment protection.

Dr Ullas Karanth has conducted groundbreakingresearch on the ecology of tigers and other largemammals. He was the first person to conduct radio-telemetry of tigers in India. Dr Karanth founded theCentre for Wildlife Studies and is a senior scientist withthe Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, since 1988.He has published over 135 international peer-reviewedscientific papers and popular articles, and authored sevenbooks in English and Kannada.

He serves on the Indian government’s ForestAdvisory Committee, National Tiger ConservationAuthority and Karnataka Government’s TigerConservation Foundation and Tiger SteeringCommittees. Dr Karanth was the earlier Vice-Presidentof the Bombay Natural History Society and a Scientific

Advisor to several conservation advocacy groups inIndia. His work has been extensively featured in world’smedia including Nature, New York Times, NationalGeographic, BBC, CNN and Discovery.

On receiving the award Dr Karanth said that, “I amhappy that wildlife conservation has been recognised atthe national level. The award has been a collective effortof many people associated with me and the WildlifeConservation Society for the past 25 years and my twogreat inspirations: my father Shivram Karanth andrenowned wildlife conservationist Dr George Schaller,who were the ones because of whom I becameinterested and took up wildlife conservation as mycareer. The award will inspire me to work harder.”

It may be recalled that Shri P.K. Sen, former director,Project Tiger and Executive Director of RanthambhoreFoundation, was conferred the Padma Shri in 2011.

A TigerLink Report with inputs from The Hindu

River-linking: Panna in perilOn 27 February, the Supreme Court gave the go aheadfor the controversial inter-linking river project, seekingto transfer water from ‘surplus’ to water deficit areasin the country. In its final judgment, a three-memberbench, headed by the Chief Justice of India, expressedthe “pious hope of speedy implementation” to bring theproject to a success. Earlier this year, the apex courthad said that it would not favour interlinking of rivers ifit causes huge financial burden on the Centre. A decadeago the cost of the project was estimated at Rs 5,60,000crore; the true cost can only be known when the detailedproject reports of the 30 river link projects are drawnup, of which currently one—Ken-Betwa—has beencompleted.

If this scheme were to go through, Panna TigerReserve will be the amongst the first to be impacted, asthe Ken-Betwa river link is the only one for which adetailed project has been prepared. In this Rs 10,000-crore project water from River Ken in Uttar Pradeshwill be diverted into River Betwa in MP, and willsubmerge no less than 8,650 ha of forestland in MadhyaPradesh; a part of which is the Panna National Park.Yet the Supreme Court in its judgment has mandatedthat this be taken up on a priority basis.

In December 2009, speaking at a conference forwildlife conservation for journalists, MEF Jairam Rameshhad sharply criticised this project, and expressed hisdismay at the Ken-Betwa link, “it is unthinkable in atiger reserve.” He added that “we are not going to simply

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compromise ecology security in the name ofdevelopment.”

It is ironic that the same state that went all out tobring back tigers to Panna, after first losing them, isalso pushing for river-linking which will destroy Panna’stigers’ habitat.

The river-linking project has been severely criticised,by civil society groups, environmentalists, water expertsand even neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh,which will be impacted as the interlinking project includesthe Ganga and the Brmhaputra.

In fact, the apex court order that directs theExecutive Government to implement the project, andexpedite it, is in itself a violation of existing legalprocedures and stages that such a project is required togo through.

An editorial in The Hindu remarks that, “Achievinghuge inter-basin transfer of waters in the Himalayanand peninsular river systems is a complex goal for avariety of reasons, not the least of which is thedisplacement of a large number of people.” The impacton ecology will be devastating, as will be tiger habitats—large tracts of which may be submerged if this schemewere to go through. No studies to understand the scaleof impacts on forests, wildlife or even the displacementof people have been carried out. Interestingly, the projecthas also been criticised by Rahul Gandhi, who has beenquoted as being vehemently against the idea of large-scale inter-basin transfers.

The project has not received consent of all states.Due to reluctance of certain states, the Centre has notbeen allowed to undertake detailed surveys.

Source: A TigerLink report, inputs from ‘SupremeCourt go-ahead for interlinking rivers’, Bharat Lal Seth,Down to Earth; Editorial in The Hindu, 28 February,2012

Ranthambhore tiger is ‘Dad’ to cubsIn between the bleak news and tragedies that entailconservation—comes an extraordinary, unusual pieceof news from Ranthambhore: Daddy Tiger bringing upcubs—the first time that orphaned cubs are being broughtup by a tiger believed to be their ‘father’. Their motherdied in February 2011, when the cubs were just aboutthree-months-old. Ordinarily cubs that age cannotsurvive in the wild without their mother—they starve todeath, or are killed by other male tigers, to protect theirown genes.

But here, the cubs—and their ‘dad’––have made

history.In May 2011, camera traps revealed somethingextraordinary—one of the cubs walking astride an adultmale!

“It’s amazing how we learn new, extraordinaryaspects of tiger behaviour. These are pictures of theT25 looking after the two cubs that he fathered,” saidtiger expert Valmik Thapar. “This was unheard of in thetiger literature of the world.” Talking at the Carl Zeissaward function on March 24, he said that the tiger hasbeen known to even share his kills with the cubs. In hisrecently released book Tigers of the Emerald Forest,Valmik Thapar writes, “This is the most unique eventever known in the natural history of the tiger across theworld.” The book has pictures of the cub, now about ayear old, by Balendu Singh, the honorary WildlifeWarden of the park.

The state wildlife authorities, too, had been keepinga watch on the tiger and the orphaned cubs since theirmother died, and it was only in May when first indicationswere picked up that T25 could be doubling up as mother.

A TigerLink Report

MoEF delays notification of corridorThe Madras High Court on March 7th suspended, untilfurther orders, the operation of the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests’ office memorandumconstituting a committee to examine all matters relatedto the 4,225 acre Sigur Elephant (and tiger) Corridor inthe Nilgiris District.

The MoEF had constituted this committee to furthermatters on the Sigur corridor even though all membersof the Standing Committee of the National Board forWildlife unanimously endorsed the protection of thecorridor in Tamil Nadu, and had opposed the formationof such a committee. The Board’s independentmembers noted that, “in view of the observations of theHon’ble Supreme Court, whereby only the commentsof the Standing Committee have been solicited, whenthere is already a committee constituted by the Hon’bleHigh Court of Madras—and whose findings the Hon’bleHigh Court has upheld, it could perhaps amount tocontempt of court if another committee were to beformed.”

In 2010, the Tamil Nadu state government had issuedan order to declare the Sigur region an elephant corridorto regulate development and other activities affectingelephant and tiger habitat. But those with investmentsin the region went to court opposing the corridor thatconnects the largest contiguous population of elephants

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in the country, and also serves as a crucial tiger corridor.The petitioners include actor Mithun Chakraborti, whoalso owns a resort in the corridor.

The forest department had claimed before the HCthat the hotels and resorts were running in violation ofthe Tamil Nadu Preservation of Private Forests Act.

The validity of the government order (G.O.) declaringthe corridor was upheld by the High Court in its orderdated 14 October, 2011. The High Court also directedthat the area falling in the corridor be taken over by theforest department, and the resorts and other illegalconstruction be demolished. The HC remarked that theresort owners had indulged in eco-destruction in thename of eco-tourism.

The High Court concluded that the state governmentis empowered to declare such protected areas.

The resort owners, who reportedly constitute a veryinfluential lobby, moved a petition against the order inthe SC. The apex court asked the NBWL to reviewand comment on the HC’s expert panel report on theissue to aid a decision.

In the Standing Committee meeting held on 13December, 2011, non-official members unanimouslyagreed with the HC constituted expert committee andrecommended that the corridor should be created. Itwas pointed out that the apex court had only asked theNBWL to review the HC report, and not start anassessment from scratch. But, the Member Secretaryof the committee and the Additional Director-General(Wildlife), J Kishwan recommended setting up of anothercommittee for a site visit. He suggested that a sub-committee, comprising a senior forest official and onenon-official member of the board, visit the site. Followingthis, the MoEF issued an office memorandum dated 17February, by which another committee had beenconstituted to examine all matters related to thecorridor. A reading of the memorandum makes it clearthat it was intended to dilute the Tamil Nadu G. O. Itamounted to the Centre’s interference in the powers ofthe state government.

It is interesting to note here that the MoEF had in anearlier affidavit dated 25 February, 2010, supported theformation of the corridor.

Few regions in the world are more important for theAsian elephant and the tiger than the Nilgiri BiosphereReserve (NBR) in southern India. Located in the middleof the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot,this region harbours the world’s largest population ofAsian elephants (more than 6,000) and about 400 tigers.

The Sigur corridor is the only link between the remainingprotected areas in two major biogeographical zones (theWestern Ghats and the Eastern Ghats) and three states,and links large population of elephants, which is criticalto prevent inbreeding and isolation of populations.

Source: A TigerLink Report with inputs from“NBWL-MoEF conflict on tiger, elephant corridors”,The Pioneer, November 16,2011, New Delhi, “Turf warhelps jumbo corridor resorts”, Nitin Sethi, TNN,31 January, 2012, New Delhi, “Shut resorts in tuskercorridor: Experts”, Nitin Sethi, TNN, 20 February, 2012,New Delhi

Demwe cleared, wildlife damnedThe MoEF which holds the mandate of safeguardingcountry’s environment, and wildlife, gave wildlifeclearance to the 1,750 MW DemweLower Hydroelectric Dam on the Lohit River inArunachal Pradesh (http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/p u b l i c - i n f o r m a t i o nDemwe_Lower_Hydroelectric_project.pdf), in the faceof severe opposition from all independent members ofthe Standing Committee of the National Board ofWildlife, besides strident opposition from civil societyand environmentalists across the country.

Sources inform that the MoEF was under pressureto give the green nod because of the investments alreadymade by the government and private investors and dueto its ‘strategic’ location. The argument given is thatthese mega dams would counter China’s plans to comeup with similar big dams on the Lohit upstream in theirterritory. India has to establish its “first-user rights”, it issaid.

Aaranyak, an NGO based in Guwahati, and amember of the NBWL, had submitted to the MEFJayanthi Natarajan, the impact Lower Demwe, alongwith other dams in Arunachal and Bhutan would haveon World Heritage Sites, Manas and Kaziranga TigerReserves. The dams with the most direct (andcumulative) impact on Kaziranga include the 2,000 MWLower Subansiri, 2,700 MW Lower Siang, 3,000 MWDibang and 1,750 MW Demwe Lower. While Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is the first in the line of impactof Lower Demwe, the cumulative impact would reachas far as the Kaziranga and Manas.

Dr Asad Rahmani, Director of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society and member of the Site AssessmentCommittee constituted by MoEF, clearly stated in his

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report that the impact caused on wildlife and aquaticlife in the Lohit district of Arunachal and furtherdownstream in Assam is of critical concern. Hecategorically said in his report that “Under nocircumstances should wildlife clearance be given basedon current information assessment reports”. However,the other member of the committee, the ChiefConservator of Forests, (Wildlife) of Arunachal Pradesh,Pratap Singh, gave his own report, and has pushed forthe project, downplaying ecological concerns. He statesthat the downstream impacts of the project can bestudied simultaneously if the project is approved andcorrective measures can be taken. One wonders if oncethe project is sanctioned and power purchase agreementsare in place, will the project proponent agree to changein flow regimes, even in the face of damaging evidence?

It has been established that the project will causemassive water level fluctuations downstream of the dam.In the winter (lean season) daily fluctuations will rangefrom 70 cumecs for 20-22 hrs, followed by a hugepeaking flow of 1729 cumecs for barely 2-3 hrs. Thisimmense unnatural fluctuation will wreak havoc withthe downstream ecology and livelihood of communities.The downstream area consists of some of India’s mostthreatened ecosystems, the floating islands calledchapories, which are Important Bird Areas and DibruSaikhowa National Park in Assam, which is the lastrefuge of critically endangered species like BengalFlorican. The park also has the tiger, wild buffalo, dolphinsand a variety of rare orchid species. In fact, the statehad urged the Centre in 2003 to declare Dibru-SaikhowaNational Park as a tiger reserve. According to officialdata, the national park, with a total area of 765 squarekm, including the 340 square km core zone, had 31 tigersin 2001-2002. The park is also part of the EasternHimalayas Biodiversity Hotspot. The National AppellateAuthority had passed an interim order dated May 3,2010, where it has directed the MoEF to ask the NBWLStanding Committee to examine downstream impactson river dolphins and Important Bird Areas. The NBWLhad also stressed the need for a cumulative impact studygiven that there are no less than 13 hydel projects onthe Lohit River basin.

However, it appears that the Standing Committee, isonly of nominal value, given that there is little regard forits decisions as the MoEF serves as a conduit for thenation’s development plans with no regard for its ownmandate of safeguarding the environment, forests andwildlife.

Source: A TigerLink report with inputs from “Splitviews on Demwe”, Roopak Goswami, The Telegraph,27 January, 2012, Guwahati; “Giving a dam to forests,holy site”, Ratnadip Choudhury, Tehelka, Vol 9,Issue 06, 11 February, 2012

Project Tiger to remain separate entityThe Planning Commission proposal to merge ProjectTiger with other Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS)such as Project Elephant and Integrated Developmentof Wildlife Habitats into a single scheme has beenshelved after stiff opposition from members of theNBWL. This was confirmed by MEF Jayanthi Natarajanat the 24th meeting of the Standing Committee of theNBWL on 13 December, 2012.

Had it been implemented, the move threatened toseriously dilute India’s premier conservation initiative,Project Tiger. (Refer ‘Project Tiger: Extinct?,TigerLink, Revived Volume 10 November, 2011)

Source: TigerLink, with inputs from “No mergerof Project Tiger with other Schemes”, Vijay Pinjarkar,TNN, 27 December, 2011, Nagpur

Too many cats…The stage is set for the ‘return’ of the cheetah in India,with the approval from the cabinet, and all clearancesaccorded by the MoEF in face of stiff opposition fromeminent conservationists and even the Director Generalof Forests, PJ Dilip Kumar , who expressed hisreservations against the move.

One major reservation is whether there is long-termcommitment to the conservation of the cheetah, whenother big cats are struggling for survival. It is also feltthat resources earmarked for the cheetah would bebetter utilized in protecting indigenous and endangeredwildlife.

According to reports, the cheetahs will be apparentlybought from Namibia at about Rs 2 crore each. Theamount sanctioned for the Project is Rs 300 crore, whena mere Rs 80 crore (apart from the Project Tiger budget)is granted annually for our 600-odd Protected Areasand critically endangered indigenous species like theGreat Indian Bustard, Gangetic Dolphin, Great One-Horned Rhinocerous etc in the current plan period.

The cheetah introduction project is proposed underthe aegis of Project Tiger, but according to reports therearen’t enough funds under Project Tiger for this scheme,nor can the funds under Project Tiger be diverted forthe same.

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Interestingly, Rs 167 crores for India’s nationalanimal, the tiger, for the current financial year.

Another issue is that the habitat earmarked for thecheetah is Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh,which has fragmented connectivity with theRanthambhore Tiger Reserve, the only protected areawhere transient or ‘spill over’ tigers from RanthambhoreReserve can take sanctuary. Since the tigers wereunaware of the nation’s grand plan, two of them havetaken up residence in Kuno.

A TigerLink Report

MoEF approves white tiger breeding centreThe MoEF has given “in-principle” approval for thesetting up of a white tiger-breeding centre at Govindgarh,Rewa, with a view to reintroduce white tigers into thewild.

Currently, all known white tigers are in captivity,mostly descended from the Rewa lineage which beganwith a single wild-caught white tiger named Mohan, andthey are either highly inbred or have been hybridisedwith other subspecies. According to officials, fully-growntigers from zoo would be brought to Rewa for mating.The Conservation Breeding Centre is envisaged to ‘train’captive bred white cubs in forested enclosures to learnhow to ‘live in the wild’. Those with business interestsin tourism are suspected to be the drive behind the idea.

Source: “White tigers to get new home in Rewa”,Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, 1st January, 2012,New Delhi

Comment: Since when did breeding in captivitybecome the mandate of Project Tiger?

What conservation purpose will this exercise to‘conserve’ white tigers, essentially a freak ofpigmentation, serve? There are no less than 15,000tigers in captivity in the US and China? Do theyhave any value, except for the table, and to aidimpotent souls?

Panel urges ESA status for Western GhatsThe Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP),set up by the MoEF last year, has submitted a detailedreport recommending that the entire Western Ghats areabe declared “Ecologically Sensitive Area” with varyingdegrees of restrictions on development activity acrossthe identified talukas. It has recommended thatdevelopment in the region should be regulated by a‘Western Ghats Ecology Authority’ under the

Environment Protection Act, with regional sub-authorities of similar nature.

The report was submitted to the government a whileago but the massive implications for several states hadthe environment ministry keep the report under wrapseven though it was sent it to the state governments fortheir reaction.

The panel, headed by eminent ecologist MadhavGadgil, in its report, has classified the 142 talukas inthe Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically SensitiveZones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3. It recommended that “no newdams based on large-scale storage be permitted inEcologically Sensitive Zone 1”. No new pollutingindustries, including coal-based power plants, should beallowed in ESZ 1 and 2. The existing red and orangecategory industries should be asked to switch to zeropollution by 2016, with an effective system of socialaudit, the report said. A strict regulation of infrastructureprojects for roads have been recommended along witha stringent land use policy preventing changes ofagriculture land to non-agriculture use (with someexceptions).

This report has ramifications for tigers as the WesternGhats have been identified as one of the three mostviable tiger populations in the country. In fact, the singlelargest concentration of tigers in the world is in thislandscape, in the triangle of Kerala, Tamil Nadu andKarnataka.

For Goa, the committee suggested an “indefinitemoratorium on new environmental clearances for miningin ESZ 1 and 2, phasing out of mining in ESZ 1 by 2016and continuation of existing mining in ESZ 2 under strictregulation with an effective system of social audit.”

It is hoped that this will help strengthen the case fordeclaring the Mhadei Tiger Reserve, as proposed bythe central ministry in June 2011, which is being held uplargely due to the mining lobby, and also help regulate,and eventually cease mining in wildlife habitats in Goa.

The panel was asked to assess the current status ofecology of the Ghats region, demarcate areas withinthe region that were to be notified as ecologically sensitiveones and make recommendations for the conservation,protection and rejuvenation of the entire area.

Source: Nitin Sethi, TNN 8 March, 2012, EntireWestern Ghats ecologically sensitive’, KS Sudhi, , TheHindu, December 11 with inputs from TigerLink

CEC cracks the whip on illegal roadThree legislators, including speaker K.G. Bopaiah, MLCS.G. Medappa, and MLA Appachu Ranjan have been

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cited in a case of “destruction of wildlife habitat and forwillfully violating provisions of the Forest ConservationAct, 1980, Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and SupremeCourt orders pertaining to these laws within wildlifesanctuaries of the state” by the Supreme Court appointedCentral empowerment Committee (CEC). Thecommittee has recommended stern intervention by theSupreme Court against them.

The CEC examined a complaint and an interlocutoryapplication filed by Air Marshal (Rtd) KC NandaCariappa of Kodagu against them for allegedly fellingtrees and constructing illegal roads in Kadamkall forest areas falling under Pushpagiri,Brahmagiri and Talacauvery wildlife sanctuaries inKarnataka. This forms an important corridor linkingNagarhole Tiger Reserve with other tiger habitats ofthe Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and the Western Ghats.

These actions had been cited by Cariappa as wilfulviolation of forest and wildlife act whereby a road wasbuilt illegally inside the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.Cariappa pointed out that a road was constructed onforest land from Heggademane to the fringes ofthe Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and another road wasbuilt through the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary withoutprior permission.

The CEC repor t sa id Conservator ofForests, Kodagu circle, GS Sudarshanand and DeputyCommissioner Baladeva Krishna should also be madeparty to this offence for violating the Supreme Courtorder dated 12 December, 1996 and 14 February, 2000.The CEC has asked the Supreme Court for sternintervention against the accused.

Source: ‘CEC asks Supreme Court for stern actionagainst Bopaiah, Apachu, Medappa & others’, TonyChengappa, www.coorg.com, 1st March, 2012

NEWS FROM THE STATES

ANDHRA PRADESH

Kawal battles encroachmentsThe recently published Andhra Pradesh State ofForests 2011 survey has highlighted some alarmingstatistics on the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary, which isawaiting final notification to be declared as a tigerreserve. The publication reveals that in two decades,over 63 sq. km. of prime forest have been lost to humanencroachment, illegal wood felling and deforestation. Ofthis, 27 sq. km. of dense forest was lost between 2000

and 2010 alone. Illegal bamboo and teak felling, andsand mining are responsible for the degradation of theforest. The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary is believed tosupport a population of seven tigers and has connectivityto Chandrapur-Gadchiroli-Tadoba Tiger Reserve ofMaharashtra, and onwards into the Central Indian tigerlandscape.

The state forest department is expected to issue thefinal notification of Kawal Tiger Reserve in April thisyear. Andhra Pradesh had proposed Kawal as a tigerreserve in May 2011, which was given the in-principleapproval by the then MEF Jairam Ramesh. While thefinal notification was expected to come up soon after,tribal rights activists and the timber mafia have opposedit citing violation of tribal rights. However, according tosources, tribals living within the sanctuary are keen tomove out after the relocation and rehabilitation packagewas announced. In spite of the fact that tribals living inthe reserve cannot be relocated without voluntaryconsent, activists propagate that human rights are violatedwhen a tiger reserve is declared.

The AP Legislative Assembly Committee onEnvironment and Forest Protection, headed by SpeakerNadendla Manohar, will meet in April to discuss issuesaround Kawal Tiger Reserve. One of the main issueson the agenda is finding an alternative to the road linkingUtnoor, Kadem and Jannaram. The road passes throughthe sanctuary and the traffic has increased in the recentpast, posing a serious threat to the wildlife.

Source: “Andhra Wildlife Park loses 27 sq km toencroachment, deforestation in 10 yrs”, SreenivasJanyala, The Indian Express, 2nd January, 2012,Hyderabad; “Tiger reserve to be notified soon”, S.Harpal Singh, The Hindu, 13 March, 2012, Adilabad

ARUNACHAL PRADESH

Protection fails in NamdaphaReports about rampant hunting and poor protectionmeasures at the Namdapha Tiger Reserve haveprompted the National Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA) to send a five-member fact-finding team to the forest. The team, comprising twomembers from the National Board for Wildlife, will studythe effectiveness of the monitoring and protectionmeasures at the reserve, over and above looking intothe reasons behind the rise in poaching and huntingincidents. The team will examine the involvement oflocals in the protection and monitoring mechanism atthe reserve.

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The team, comprising A.J.T. Johnsingh and PrernaSingh Bindra of the NBWL, Gautam Narayan of thePygmy Hog Conservation Programme, Jyoti Das,consultant, NTCA Guwahati office, and Rajeev Sharma,AIG, NTCA, has been asked to submit its report bymid-April.

Sources said the situation has worsened in the pastfew days with reports coming in that poachers had shota senior official of the state forest department. Detailsof the incident were not available. Also, suspectedpoachers escaped with eight cameras and a few memorycards used for camera trapping tigers in the reserve.The equipment belonged to Aaranyak, an NGO, whichhad deployed 80 cameras in a 300 sq km area. Sourcessay that the protection network in the reserve was weak,giving hunters a free run. “The park needs to improveits protection mechanism from scratch,” said FirozAhmed of Aaranyak who was involved in the cameratrapping initiative.

One of the biggest threats to protection andconservation efforts in the reserve is posed bysettlements of the Lishu community in its core area.Altogether 84 families of the community, which migratedfrom Myanmar in the 1930s, have settled in five villagesinside the core area. Efforts were made to relocate theLishus, who had expressed their willingness to moveout. But, the exercise came to a standstill when theLishus rejected the relocation package. (ReferTigerLink November 2011, Revived Vol 10)

Source: “Probe team in Namdapha –– Reports ofhunting, ineffective protection measures spark move”,Roopak Goswami, The Telegraph, Guwahati

ASSAM

Tigress shot dead, no one held accountablePersonnel from the Assam Police armed battalion shotdead an adult tigress in a fringe village named Bosagaonnear the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, Assam, just about100m from the National Highway 37. The incidentoccurred in the morning of 5th December 2011.

The tigress had killed a pig in the village and thereafterwas hiding in a small thicket of bamboo near it. As acrowd gathered, she started getting agitated. Eyewitnesses informed that the crowd was noisy, startedstoning the thicket, bursting crackers and generallyturned into a rowdy mob. Rattled, the tigress came out,and attempted to cross the highway, presumably in anattempt to get back into the forest, when a reporter of a

news channel ‘News Live’ approached too close tocapture footage of the tigress. Accompanying him weretwo personnel, armed with AK-47s from the 11 AssamPolice Battalion. Panicking at the proximity, the tigressstruck at the reporter and the policemen, and turnedback, hurriedly heading back for the forest when thepolicemen opened fire, killing the tigress by pumpingabout 15 bullets into her from the automatic weapons.They claimed it was in ‘self-defense’.

This tragic incident leaves many questionsunanswered and demands accountability. Why was thetigress killed? Was there any compelling reason—theself-defense theory doesn’t really wash, given that thetigress was keeping away from the crowd and only hitback in self-defense. The situation wasn’t out of controlnor a ‘crisis’ as the forest department claimed. Whywas the forest department not prepared to handle thesituation? Why was no protocol followed, and why werethey unable to convince the crowd––which was not verybig––to keep a safe distance from the tigress? Whydid other agencies i.e. the district administration, police,etc not aid the situation?

The fact of the matter is: the tigress was provoked,as she was unobtrusively seeking refuge in the thicket.She was provoked and instigated by onlookers whowanted a closer look, to take photographs, and by themedia, obsessed with ‘exclusive, breaking’ coverage.The tigress was not a ‘problem’ animal, she had nohistory of killing livestock or people, and this was thefirst time she was seen in the village. Nor had sheproactively attacked anyone, only lashed out in self-defense. Even then she tried to get away, when shewas stopped in her tracks by a volley of bullets fromassault rifles.

Why then this brutal killing of our national animal?Why has no one been held responsible?

The NTCA report on the incident clearly points out,“Prima facie the tigress was provoked and disturbed inthe thicket (where it was hiding) by onlookers and peoplegathered to photograph the cat as soon as the newsspread. The Police Battalion personnel present did nothave any idea about their roles to play and were perhapsnot oriented about their responsibilities. Instead theywere seen leading a group of people, forest guard, andvideo journalist towards the tiger when she startedwalking east and attempted to cross the NH 37 in searchof a suitable cover.

It also points out that, the “situation unfolded veryrapidly on the spot and the park authority did not have

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enough support from district administration, police andcommunities––a section of which is misinformed aboutthe ‘bad impacts’ of Kaziranga being declared as TigerReserve.

It may be pointed out that this is the third suchtragedy: three tigers have been killed in as many yearsin similar situations. There is no crisis managementprotocol to manage and rescue tigers in such volatilesituations, and the report strongly urges the stategovernment to prepare a detailed protocol documentinvolving stakeholders and experts. It also recommendedstrategic training on crisis management, legal orientationworkshops for forest and police personnel as well aslocal youth around Kaziranga, the creation of a RapidResponse team and awareness and senstisation amongthe local communities.

This incident also highlights the not-so-obvious buttragic impacts of highways cutting through tiger habitatsand fragmentation.

Prerna Singh Bindra

Forest officials abducted, releasedChief Conservator of Forest Abhijit Rabha and RangeOfficer Ranjan Barua, who were abducted on March 3by the Karbi Peoples Liberation Tigers militants, werereleased near a highway at Bokolia in Assam’s KarbiAnglong district on March 6.

Abhijit Rabha, and Ranjan Borua were abductedfrom the foothills of Singhason hill when they, along with28 others, were returning from a six-day biodiversitysurvey.

Karbi Anglong deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumarsaid special arrangements would be made for allgovernment officials to ensure better security. “Gettingthe two senior department officers back is a relief,”said the vice-president of the All India Forest Officers’Federation, Rajendra Saikia, who stressed the need forsecurity for forest officers working in militancy-affectedareas.

Source: “Abducted forest officials released”, TheTelegraph, 7 March, 2012, Nagaon

Manas: 14 tigers camera-trappedFourteen tigers have been captured on camera in Manas,straddling India and Bhutan, on cameras that scanned650 sq km of protected area. Reports of the joint cameratrapping were discussed at a meeting at Bansbari inManas on December 28, attended by officials from both

Manas National Park and the Royal Manas NationalPark in Bhutan. Officials from WWF andrepresentatives from two NGOs, Aaranyak and ATREE,who had helped in camera trapping, were also presentin the meeting. Four tigers have been identified as“common”, meaning they were spotted in both countries.Of the 14 tigers, seven are male, six female while thegender of one has not been ascertained.

Royal Manas National Park field director TenzingWangchuk said that the figure will improve, “as we werenot able to work in all the ranges,” he said. The trans-boundary Manas conservation area straddles the Indo-Bhutanese border from the Ripu and Chirang reserveforests in India in the west to Bhutan’s Khaling wildlifesanctuary in the east.

Source: ‘14 cats caught on camera-India and Bhutanmeet to discuss Manas tiger count’, Roopak Goswami,The Telegraph, 28 December, 2011

BIHAR

‘Valmiki’ Tiger Dies in NepalA dead tiger that was found along a stream nearChisapani Grassland of the Chitwan National Park inNepal was identified as an individual that was camera-trapped in Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in India. Theanimal was identified by comparing photographs of thecarcass with photographs of tigers taken in Valmikiduring the second All India Tiger Monitoring exerciseconducted in 2010.

Part of the Chitwan National Park is adjacent to theeastern part of Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar.

Examination of the stripe pattern on the left flank ofthe tiger carcass confirmed the death of the tiger T-5,photo-captured in Manguraha and Gobardhana forestranges in the eastern sampling block, during the All IndiaTiger Monitoring exercise conducted in 2010 by theWildlife Trust of India in partnership with the WildlifeInstitute of India, National Tiger Conservation Authorityand state forest department.

Source: “Identification of tiger carcass recoveredin Chitwan National Park, Nepal”, Dr Samir K. Sinha,Wildlife Trust of India

More Grasslands for ValmikiThe Bihar Forest Department is planning moregrasslands to boost prey base in the Valmiki TigerReserve. At present only five per cent of the 880 sq km

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reserve is under grasslands, and is a constraint thatinhibits ungulate numbers. In order to benefit and boostprey species such as spotted deer, nilgai and sambhar,the reserve management, in collaboration with theWildlife Trust of India and Germany’s Nature andBiodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) is workingtowards reviving the reserve’s grasslands that haveturned into woodland over time due to impropermanagement and encroachment for agriculture.

The Management Effectiveness Report of thereserve also pointed out the dearth of grasslands andmeadows. Most natural grasslands have been degradedor under agriculture. For example, Done Valley has noless than 25 villages and the meadows are heavilycultivated. Done Valley is not included in the tigerreserve, though the MEE report suggested to include itin the buffer as it is surrounded on all sides by VTR.

Source: “Bihar ’s only reserve wants moregrasslands for its tigers”, The Financial World,9 January, 2012, New Delhi

Comment: The problem of Valmiki is not the dearthof grasslands, but that its meadows have beenencroached upon and exploited. Valmiki is a raretiger reserve where there are no recorded rights.Locals with political support are destroying existinggrasslands by grazing and encroachments. The needof the hour is not to ‘create’ more grasslands, but totake into management control the existinggrasslands, and include them in the core critical tigerhabitat, thereby extending it the protection needed.

Tiger visits PatnaA tiger caused much nervousness in Bihar when itcamped on a river island in the river Gandak just 20 kmshort of state capital Patna in early December. It hadwalked down about 300km from the Valmiki TigerReserve along the riverbank, feeding on wild boar andnilgai that inhabit the tall grasses on the river’s rich alluvialbanks. The tiger, most likely, had strayed out fromMadanpur, a part of Valmiki, which is almost delinkedfrom the reserve. The tiger steered clear of nearbyvillages, and even habitation, and has not caused anyharm.

The NTCA wrote to the Bihar chief secretaryrequesting him to ensure that villagers do not wandertoo close to the tiger, in order to prevent conflict, DrRajesh Gopal, member secretary of the NTCA, said,“Our main concern is he should not cause any harm, or

be harmed and should make his way back to the ValmikiTiger Reserve.”

However, the local DFO got mauled by the tiger whenhe tried to approach too close—barely ten meters away,on foot, reportedly, to photograph the animal. The tigergrowled in warning, but eye witnesses say that theofficer still tried to approach closer, and the panickedtiger attacked.

A trained veterinarian and an expert from the WildlifeTrust of India were called in to keep a close watch onthe tiger. Soon thereafter, the tiger slipped back into theforest.

Tigers coming up the river Ganga, through the chaurs,is a regular phenomenon; as the grasslands shrink, thetigers go back. The reason that they come here is thatafter monsoon, the islands facilitate growing of tallgrasses, in which large number of prey such as wildboar, blue bull and even feral cattle are concentrated.This lures tigers to move to the grasslands and surviveon these ungulates. It is only when they are disturbedthat it becomes a problem…if not a circus of sorts,causing harm to both people—and tiger.

Source: A TigerLink report with inputs from “Tigerparks itself near Patna, won’t budge”, The Asian Age,21 December, 2011, New Delhi

GOAOn 28 June, 2011, the then MEF Jairam Rameshsuggested that Goa’s Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary bedeclared a tiger reserve, but there has been noprogress as the mining mafia continues to block theproposal. In fact, there is a petition that seeks todenotify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. Paul Fernandes,along with other reporters follows up the story inThe Times of India, which is summarised below:

Almost six months after the then union minister forenvironment and forests, Jairam Ramesh, suggested atiger reserve in Goa’s Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary, thestate government has not moved a muscle.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,Shashi Kumar, said the Conservator of Forests (Wildlife)is “handling the matter”. Kumar, in the past, has assertedthat Goa does not have resident tigers and the merepresence of a tiger does not make the case strong todeclare the area, a tiger reserve. In early December heassured The Times of India, that they were in theprocess of consulting stakeholders and prepare a report,which would be forwarded to the government. He saidthe process would take two months.

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Activists fighting the cause of the big cat in Goa sincealmost two decades now are not surprised with theresponse, and believe this is another delaying tactic —not motivated by ‘interests’ of local people, but by mininginterests. It may be noted that there is an intense agitationby farmers and local communities against mining as it isaffecting their health, crops, and water. They point outthat the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary itself is hanging firesince it was notified in 1999.

Twelve years on, this vital wild animal corridorbetween sanctuaries in neighbouring Karnataka andMaharashtra is still to be properly demarcated, leavingthis part of the Western Ghats perilously porous toencroachments and poaching. Conservationists say themining interests in the sanctuary, and forests surroundingit encourage the lack of political will. Till a few monthsago reports of illegal mining within the sanctuary madeit to the press.

Prior to this, on November 6, 2003, seven miningleases operating within the sanctuary were ordered tobe shut down by the Central Empowered Committeeconstituted by the Supreme Court.

The spectre of mining continues to hang over theMhadei, as seven leases within it, issued during theerstwhile Portuguese regime are still pending. That themining leases are still valid, at least on paper, wasconfirmed by the former chief minister Digambar Kamat,who also held the mining portfolio, on 2 August, 2010. Atotal of 36 mines are valid in other parts of Sattari taluka,where tiger movement has been recorded.

“Successive governments have lacked the politicalwill to carry out the proper demarcation of the Mhadeiwildlife sanctuary’s boundaries. But given an opportunity,and lack of opposition, the politicians have no problemsabout allowing mining in the Western Ghats,” allegedClaude Alvares of the NGO, Goa Foundation.

Environmentalists believe that the government hasto terminate the leases within the sanctuary limitsimmediately to accord the sanctuary further protection.

Meanwhile, the former Health Minister of Goa,Vishwajit Rane moved the Panjim bench of the BombayHigh Court challenging the notification of Mhadei andsupporting the move to denotify the sanctuary saying itwas done without ‘following procedures’.

Source: ‘Reserve aside, sanctuary still awaitsdemarcation,’

Paul Fernandes & Murari Shetye, TNN, 11December, 2011; ‘Big cat caught along mining trail,’ PaulFernandes Murari Shetye & Rajendra P Kerkar, TNN,

12 December, 2011; ‘Political posturing, encroachmentsare eating into Mhadei’s tiger territory’, Paul Fernandes,Rajendra P. Kerkar & Murari Shetye, TNN,15 December, 2011

Note: The Environment and Forest minister of GoaMatanhy Saldanha passed away on 21 March, 2012.He was appointed minister on March 9 when thenew BJP government took over from the Congressin the assembly elections. Saldanha was seen as aray of hope-especially after mining, and the realestate boom have ravaged the state in the pastdecade. Saldanha was a ‘true son of the soil’, ateacher and an environmentalist. He hadparticipated in several agitations in the state,including the traditional fishermen’s struggle againstmechanised fishing, a move to seek diversion ofKonkan railway route through the state’s hinterlandand forests and other environmental issues.

KARNATAKA

State becomes first to set up STPFKarnataka has become the nation’s first state to raiseand deploy the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF)in its tiger reserves. The specially trained commandounit, raised under funding from the National TigerConservation Authority, is 54-member strong and wasformally deployed in January in Bandipur and Nagarholetiger reserves.

The STPF members have undergone training inweapon usage, jungle survival techniques, nightnavigation and ambushing poachers, in addition to theirnine-months training with the forest department. TheSTPF personnel will supplement the patrolling exerciseof the existing anti-poaching camp staff. The deploymenttook place from January 10, and the protocol mandatesthem to stay inside the forests for ten days at a stretchfollowed by two-days of break, to coordinate theiractivities with the forest guards and watchers andparticipate in mobile patrolling of the national park. AnAssistant Conservator of Forests and three rangeofficers shall supervise the force. The STPF is wellequipped with firearms, binoculars, wireless sets, etc.

“The STPF comprises 14 deputy range officers and40 guards who have completed a rigorous three monthcourse in jungle craft and the use of various types ofweapons at the State Police Training School atYelahanka, Bangalore. It has been divided into threegroups that have initially been stationed at three posts inthe contiguous Bandipur-Nagarhole reserves.

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Commandoes will be retired from the force and shiftedto other positions within the department when they turnforty,” said PCCF (Wildlife) B.K. Singh, who added thattheir personnel have been trained in unarmed combat,map reading, field engineering, disaster management,crowd control, etc.

In another important move, anti-poaching camps atBandipur and Nagarahole national parks in the state havebeen strengthened and the prime tiger and elephantreserves have been accorded priority in theimplementation of protection measures. The shortageof guards and foresters are now a thing of the past asmore than 90 per cent of the vacant posts at the field-levels have been filled.

Meanwhile, the state has also recruited forest staff.Eighty-four watchers have been recruited as full-timestaff at Nagarahole in addition to 18 foresters and 38guards.

Source: “Karnataka sets up special tiger protectionforce”, IANS, 4 January, 2012, WCS, CWS

Guards allege intimidation by kin of seniorpolice officialForest guards and other staff at the Nagarhole NationalPark threatened to go on strike against the growingintimidation and pressure being mounted on them whiledischarging their duties. An FIR filed against a RangeForest Officer (RFO) at the Beechanahalli police stationin HD Kote, allegedly, at the behest of senior policeofficers triggered the agitation. The RFO and a forestguard were booked under various sections of the IndianPenal Code, which included theft, assault and extortion.

Forest staff, however, claim that they were only doingtheir duty in warning the son of an Additional Director-General of Police from Kerala, who misbehaved withthem at the Balle gate of the park in the last week ofSeptember. He flashed his father‘s visiting carddemanding entry, but was allowed to proceed only afterthe completion of all formalities. He was also warnedagainst misbehaving with staff on duty.

The forest staff were thereafter, summoned to thelocal police station near Balle and an FIR was filedagainst them.

The staff has been under pressure, and intimidatedfor discharging their duties—for which they get littlesupport.

In another incident, a timber smuggler was injured,when forest guards opened fire in defence while doing

their duty. This has led to an allegation that forest guardswere trigger-happy and the local politicians threatenedto go on strike if the guards were not suspended.

Source: ‘Nagarhole guards threaten to go on strike‘,The Hindu, 14 October, 2011.

Research ‘banned’; scientists cry foulIn a move that has outraged wildlife biologists, KarnatakaPCCF B.K. Singh has said that field research will nolonger be permitted in the state’s tiger reserves. Singhhas invoked the fact that critical tiger habitats shouldbe ”inviolate” in justifying his decision to bar mostscientists from Karnataka’s tiger reserves. He pointsout that India’s tiger habitat has shrunk to a fraction ofthe area it occupied a century ago, leaving tigers “veryvulnerable”.

It is reported that the state forest department willnot grant any fresh research permits, nor will it renewexisting ones.

None of the 30-odd applications for research permitsin the past two years have been entertained. Only twoscientists, Dr K. Ullas Karanth and T.N.C. Vidya,elephant researcher from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centrefor Advanced Scientific Research have been permittedto conduct their research within TRs and ProtectedAreas. “Ullas is the real grandfather of all tiger researchin India,” said Singh noting that Karanth also has theendorsement of the central government to study tigersthroughout India. Karanth’s approval for research cameafter a rigorous scrutiny by the Wildlife Institute of India,MoEF, NTCA, and the state government.

Karanth told Science that he believes research inreserves should be regulated. “I do believe that while alot more research needs to be done, including in tigerreserves, some regulation of research permits in termsof qualification of students and scientists supervisingthem is needed. I know of some cases where ‘researchpermits’ have been given to unqualified people to makecommercial wildlife films, release hand-reared big catsand for commercial photography. So a ‘researcher inwildlife’ has to be defined as someone qualified. But healso feels that Karnataka’s policy has gone too far, ‘arestriction on the access to our natural laboratories.’

R. Sukumar, professor and chairman, Centre forEcological Sciences, IISc, said “This decision meansthat the Forest Department will now manage forestswithout scientific intervention”.

No other state in the country has put such a ban onresearch in tiger reserves. Field biologists have appealedto the federal government for help. “The spirit of the

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Wildlife Protection Act is to facilitate research, not banit. Genuine research aids conservation,” says RajeshGopal, member secretary, NTCA, who advocates thatresearch permits should be judicious and need-based.

In a letter to Singh last year, Gopal argued thatforbidding research based on the inviolate clause “wasnot a fair interpretation of the law.” Gopal said that theauthority to grant research permits rests with the statesand he planned to write to Karnataka state governmenton this issue.

Source: ”Tiger reserves out of bounds toresearchers”, The Hindu, 12 March, 2012, Bangalore,

‘India : Field Biologists Cry Foul Over Ban’, PallavaBagla, Science, 23 March, 2012

Comment: B.K. Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden,Karnataka must not have meant what has beenprojected through the media. Granting of researchpermits needs to be judicious, and need-based, sothat it can aid conservation and managementdecisions—and at the same time cause minimaldisturbance in core critical tiger habitat. Researchin tiger reserve needs to be in accordance with NTCAguidelines.

State expands PA network, declares newsanctuaryIn a welcome development, the Karnataka stategovernment has extended the boundaries of fourwildlife sanctuaries (Dandeli, Mookambika, Cauveryand Someshwara) and Bannerghatta national park,adding an incremental 1,255.64 sq km to the state’sprotected area (PA) network. This constitutes a 20 percent increase in the overall size of PAs in the state.This has been achieved by merging the existingsanctuaries with adjoining reserve forests.

Specifically, Bannerghatta’s area has increased from102.74 sq km to 260.51 sq km, Dandeli from 638.34 to886.41, Mookambika from 247 to 370.37, Cauvery from526.95 to 1027.53 and Someshwara from 88.40 to314.25.

“With adequate ecological, faunal, floral,geomorphologic, natural and zoological significance, itis suited for protecting, propagating and developingwildlife or its environment. These additional areas willact as barriers to the core area and will help in bettermanagement of wildlife habitat,” the notification datedDecember 27, 2011, reads.

The decision was taken during the State Wildlife

Board meeting chaired by then chief minister B.S.Yeddyurappa, on July 26, 2011, and seconded by theStanding Committee of National Board for Wildlife(NBWL), Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),which on 14 October, 2011, approved rationalisation ofboundaries of the forests.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary,Forests, Karnataka, Kaushik Mukherjee said: “TheBoard has analysed the proposal very critically, and hasapproved more areas to be reserved under wildlifeconservation. A holistic view of sanctuaries has beentaken to protect the forests better. Diversion of forestlandfor development projects will be very little.”

This connectivity will also help in reducing incidencesof human-wildlife conflicts.

It may be noted that this consolidation of the PAnetwork, by including certain forested areas to theexisting PAs involves no acquisition of private land andmost importantly it was proposed to declare the existingvillages, if any, as enclosures thus ensuring that therewould be no relocation unless the people themselveswanted to do so.

Source: “Karnataka wildlife sanctuaries to beexpanded”, Deccan Herald, 18 January, 2012,Bangalore, Conservation India

Minister hinders Pushpagiri extensionWith the good news, comes the bad. A major componentof the expansion of the PA network was increasing thearea of the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in the WesternGhats by merging 12 adjacent reserve forests to it. TheState Wildlife Board forwarded the plan to the stategovernment for approval of the National Board forWildlife (NBWL) in October. The government, however,sent it but only after removing the Pushpagiri expansionplan.

The proposal upset Union Corporate Affairs MinisterVeerappa Moily. On October 7, unaware of the deletionby the state government, he wrote to the MEF JayanthiNatarajan to reconsider the Pushpagiri expansion plan.Moily, who is from Dakshina Kannada district, said inhis letter that the residents of Shiradi, Uppinangady andSubramanya villages in the district feared losing theirland once the reserve forests are converted intosanctuary. The MoEF forwarded the letter to the stateforest department seeking a detailed report on the issue.The forest department stated that its proposal includesonly the reserve forests where the rights of people have

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been settled and does not include villages or agricultureland. “Some groups want to sabotage the proposal,” saidB.K. Singh, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests(Wildlife) of Karnataka, in his letter to the MoEF inNovember.

Spread over 10,000 ha, Pushpagiri sanctuary has agood number of tigers, elephants, sloth bears, leopardsand the endemic lion-tailed macaques. By merging itwith the reserve forests, Pushpagiri will becomecontiguous with other protected areas in the WesternGhats. Towards the south, wildlife corridors extend fromPushpagiri to Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala viaNagarhole and Bandipur tiger reserves. In the north,the twelve contiguous reserve forests act as vitalcorridors, connecting Kudremukh National Park and twoother tiger reserves in the state.

It is reported that declaration of the sanctuary wasopposed as it would hinder plans for mini-hydel powerprojects—the state has permitted 137 mini hydel projectsacross Western Ghats.

Fifteen mini-hydel projects have been grantedpermission in these reserve forests. Three are alreadyoperational, while a project by Maruthi Gen Ltd, aBengaluru-based power company, is under construction.The rest could not start work on their projects as theKarnataka High Court on 18 April, 2011 stayed theconstruction of all upcoming mini-hydel projects in theWestern Ghats. The stay will apply to about 60 mini-hydel projects, which have obtained ‘in principle’ sanctionfrom the state government and are yet to commenceconstruction of their projects.

A large number of hydel-projects in a particular areawill affect the river flow and lead to fragmentation offorests due to setting up of roads, power lines fortransmission and labour colonies, affecting biodiversity.The mining, timber and tourism lobbies operating in thearea are reported to have sabotaged the move. There isillegal mining for gems in these reserve forests.

Source: Reserved for exploitation, Kumar SambhavS, Down to Earth, Issue: 15 January, 2012, “Moily’sletter to delay extension of Pushpagiri WildlifeSanctuary”, Subhash Chandran NS, Deccan Herald,8 November, 2011

HC steps in to save wildlifeIn a victory for wildlife conservation, the Karnataka HighCourt has upheld a July 2008 order by the DeputyCommissioner, Mysore, banning night traffic on the

Mysore-Mananthavadi road (State Highway-17D)that passes through the Nagarhole National Parkand Tiger Reserve. The division bench dismissed apetition by Father Thomas Joseph Therakkam and othersfrom Wayanad, Kerala, to revoke the order after thegovernment submitted that there is an alternative roadfor vehicular movement. The court, however, directedthat the alternative road must be repaired and improved.

Meanwhile, in a derogate move, the MoEF, whosemandate it is to protect the nation’s wildlife, isconsidering moving court to lift the ban on nighttraffic on two highways passing through theBandipur Tiger Reserve (refer TigerLink, December2011). About 13km of NH-212 and 20km of NH-67 passthrough Bandipur. The Karnataka High Court hadbanned night traffic on these stretches.

The MoEF has asked the Chief Wildlife Warden ofKarnataka to ‘prove’ that the ban on night traffic is inpublic interest as well as of wildlife conservation, addingthat it might move the Supreme Court to restore nighttraffic through this prime wildlife habitat—and corecritical tiger habitat, deemed to be inviolate by the lawof the land.

Why is the MoEF, mandated for the conservation ofwildlife and forests, bending backwards, not to conservewildlife, but what is clearly an anti-wildlife step?

Additional speed breakers on road through BandipurMeanwhile, the state forest department has decided putup additional speed breakers on the highways runningthrough the Bandipur National Park. The move comesafter an elephant calf, barely a-year-old, was moweddown by a speeding truck on NH 212 inside the park inOctober last year. Though the speed limit for vehicleswithin the park is 40 kmph, it has been found that mostmotorists violate this. The number of cases booked bythe mobile patrol teams had increased in the last coupleof months and most of them pertain to either speedingor illegally parking vehicles inside the park.

Wildlife Conservation Foundation, which monitoredthe traffic movement on the two highways passingthrough Bandipur (17.5-km stretch of NH 212 connectingGundlupet with Wayanad and 12.5-km stretch of NH67 linking Gundlupet with Ooty), has observed that avehicle passes every 41 seconds and during the peaktourism season the number of vehicles passing throughexceeds 4,000 a day, thus emphasising the need tointroduce speed breakers at every 100-200m.

Source: “No night traffic in Nagarhole, rulesKarnataka High Court”, DNA, 7 January, 2012, Mysore;

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“Victory for conservationists who are against opening”,Subash Chandra NS, Deccan Herald, 7 January, 2012;Protected Area Update No. 95; “Centre pitches forKerala”, Kumar Sambhav Shrivastava, Down to Earth,1st November, 2011; More road humps on highwaysbisecting Bandipur park‘, The Hindu, 8 October 2011

Inputs by TigerLink

‘Bandipur’ tiger dies at ‘Mudumalai’There were reports of an injured tiger found on16 December, 2011, at Bokkapura adjacent toMudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu and sameanimal subsequently dying after being rescued (TheHindu, Indian Express). The tiger had puncture woundson its right hind leg and on its body, and its hind legsseemed to be paralysed. The injured tiger was capturedin a net without sedating it because of its weak condition.It was then taken to the forest veterinary centre atTheppakadu, inside Mudumalai Tiger Reserve formedical attention, where it did not respond to thetreatment and succumbed to injuries.

Researchers from Centre for Wildlife Studiescompared the stripe patterns of this injured tiger fromMudumalai area and identified it as BPT-156. Thisindividual was first camera trapped as a juvenile (withits siblings) in Bandipur TR in 2005. It is likely that BPT-156 dispersed into Mudumalai TR and established itselfbefore it was found injured and dead in December 2011.

Source: The Hindu, Centre for Wildlife Studies

Illegal quarry in tiger habitatDespite orders from the state environment and forestminister to evict a stone-crushing unit located at theboundary of Biligirirangana Temple BRT WildlifeSanctuary, also a proposed tiger reserve, a Tamil Nadu-based company has continued quarrying on encroachedgovernment land near Huthuri village in Hanur ofKollegal taluk.

Violating wildlife laws, Selvi Amman Constructonshas been using explosives to blast rocks in the area. Ithas been learnt that officials have not acted on theminister’s orders and the company continues itsoperations.

The local range officer said he could not initiate anyaction against the company, as it does not come underhis purview. But, quarrying and crushing units are notallowed within a 10-km radius of any PA without themandatory permissions from the National Board ofWildlife. According to officials, the stone-crushing unit

is located within five kilometers of the BRT WildlifeSanctuary.

Source: “TN stone crusher firm prowls the peripheryof tiger reserve”, Subhash Chandra, Deccan Herald,29 January, 2012, Bangalore

KERALA

Agitation planned against delay in relocationPeople living inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary areplanning an agitation against the delay in their relocationfrom the sanctuary. The Wayanad Sanctuary KarshakaSamithi and the Wayanad Chetti Service Society hasthreatened that their members would occupy revenueland and buildings in possession of the forest departmentnear the sanctuary in protest.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests hadsanctioned Rs. 80 crore for the relocation of 800 familiesinhabiting 14 villages in the sanctuary in November lastyear and had released Rs. 5.5 crore for the resettlementof inhabitants of the Golur and Ammavayal villages. Itwas also specified that the amount should be spent before31 March, 2012.

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests said theywere awaiting an order from the government increasingthe budgeted amount for the relocation scheme.

It is notable that the High Court had directed actionfor relocation of the people inside the sanctuary as farback as 1986. However, the Kerala governmentsubmitted a project for resettlement for Centralassistance only in December 2010.

The Wayanad sanctuary is contiguous to theprotected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur ofKarnataka on the northeast and Mudimalai TR of TamilNadu on the southeast, one of the three most vital andproductive tiger landscapes in the country.

Source: ‘Forest dwellers plan agitation’, The Hindu,27 February, 2012

MADHYA PRADESH

Blackbuck translocation goes wrongA blackbuck relocation experiment in Kanha has misfiredwith over half of the 50 translocated blackbucks losingtheir lives in the process. A decade after they wentlocally extinct in Kanha Tiger Reserve, fifty blackbuckswere brought in batches, with the first batch of fourbeing moved in on 14 November. The antelopes werebeing relocated from Seoni, where they thrive in the

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NEWS FROM THE STATES

agricultural fields, feeding on crops.The experiment has faced criticism from various

quarters as being unnecessary and wasteful since norelevant studies had been taken up to gauge the feasibilityof the operation and the availability of blackbuck habitatin the reserve. The operation had been carried out bythe state, with due permission from the Centre.

Source: TigerLink, with inputs from “Kanha TigerReserve gets 50 blackbuck”, The Indian Express, 28November, 2011, Bhopal

Panna update

Cubs in PannaPanna Tiger Reserve has seen success with its tigerreintroduction. The reserve now has 17 tigers, includingcubs of the five adult tigers that were reintroduced.

The latest cubs in the reserve are from a tigresscodenamed ‘T-1’. She was spotted with three cubs, saidfield director R.S. Murthy. Before her, T-4, a tigresswhich was hand reared in semi-wild conditions in KanhaTiger Reserve before being reintroduced to Panna,created history by giving birth in the wild, less than ayear after being released in Panna. Her sibling, T-5,was also brought to Panna in December.

The two cubs of T-1, one of the first two tigressesbrought into Panna, are now close to two-years-old. Thereserve authorities have put radio collars around theirnecks to track them.

A second male tiger is now on the cards for Panna,but authorities have put the reintroduction of a new maleon the hold when there are young cubs in the reserve.

Mining threatens reserve

While there is euphoria over the reserve’s recovery withincreasing tiger numbers, the future of Panna’s tigershangs in balance—with diamond mining and river linkingproject threatening to ravage and submerge the tigerreserve.

Madhya Pradesh has not yet demarcated a bufferzone for Panna, with the MP Chief Minister Shivraj SinghChauhan discounting its need. In October 2010, Chauhanannounced to a public gathering at Panna that “peopleare more important than tigers” and so “there will be nobuffer zone for Panna”. He was against declaring thearea as a buffer in ‘consideration’ of the local opposition,mostly comprising the mining mafia in the region. Thesame people were said to be responsible for firing atpolice personnel on March 9, an incident that culminated

in the arrest of dacoit-turned-sand miner Kuber Singh.Chauhan recently “corrected” his stand in an official

communication to the forest department and “allowed”for the demarcation of a buffer zone for the PTR.“Negotiations are currently going on with the 72 villagessince the Hon’ble CM wants all parties to be consultedbefore the notification of the buffer zone,” say officialsources, who also confirm that the messagecommunicated is to “delay the process”, under pressurefrom the mining lobby. The mining mafia involves a stateminister along with local politicians and even a journalistwith a national Hindi TV news channel, according tosources in the forest department.

There is large-scale illegal mining of stone and sandfrom Ken River, a key source of water in the forestedarea, and villages downstream. Illegal mining ofsandstone and flagstone is rampant in the forest areasbordering Panna and is carried out through severalmeans: mining outside and beyond the allotted area,improper use of the pit pass, extracting more than thesanctioned quantity and digging mines in protected andreserved forest areas.

The wildlife wing of the state government was keenthat the buffer be declared. The state government hasalready declared buffers around four other tiger reservesin the state – Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench and Satpura.However, Panna was kept in abeyance due to allegedresistance from local residents, which the wildlifedepartment has described as a “misconception”. In fact,the then Chief Conservator of Forests HS Pabla wrotein an internal note, “It will be kept in mind that no existingmine is closed due to declaration of the buffer zone”.He also claimed that if the buffer zone was not declared,the state government might face problems in gettingfunds from the Centre for relocating four villages in thecore area of the tiger reserve.

The lack of a buffer has left the surrounded forestsunprotected.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority hasrepeatedly asked the state government to declare thebuffer zone.

In 2009, Panna had suffered the ignominy of reportingzero tiger population, chiefly due to poaching.

Source: “Tigress gives birth to three cubs in Pannareserve”, PTI, 12 March, 2012, Panna; “Panna puts radiocollar on semi-adult tiger”, The Asian Age, 15 January,2012, Bhopal; “Now one more tiger to be translocatedto Panna”, The Pioneer, 20 December, 2011, Bhopal,‘CM, wildlife department differ on Panna buffer zone’,Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi,15 March, 2012 continued on page 27

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Ranthambhore Foundation has been engaged inconservation action in and around the RanthambhoreTiger Reserve since its inception. Here, we take theopportunity to update our readers with the latest fromthe foundation in its constant endeavours to protect theRanthambhore landscape for the tiger and to aid localpeople by taking steps to divert their dependence onthe tiger’s forests.

The foundation has signed an agreement with the RoyalBank of Scotland (RBS) Foundation to receive supportfor alternative livelihood programmes for people livingaround Ranthambhore National Park. This NationalPark has 96 villages within a five kilometre radius ofits boundaries. Statistics indicate that over 60 per centof the villagers’ daily requirements of firewood, thatch,timber, etc are extracted from Ranthambhore NationalPark and forests surrounding it. These livelihood supportprogrammes, it is hoped, will make the people lessdependent on the reserve and its limited resources,allowing relief from human exploitation of wildlifehabitat.

Various such activities have been taken up, which arelisted below:

• Motor driving training will be imparted to 150trainees.

• 200 women shall be trained by the Mahila DastkarUtpadak Shakari Samiti, Kudera.

• 100 farmers will be trained in improved farmingpractices

• 36 trainees will be taught by the RanthambhoreSchool of Art

• 75 people will be trained as tourist guides

• 45 people will be trained in anti-poaching activities

These vocations are expected to earn the trainees anaverage of Rs. 5000 a month once they complete andput them to practice. Those trained by theRanthambhore School of Art are expected to earn upto Rs. 10,000 a month.

In three years’ time, it is expected that about 500families will earn enough in a sustainable basis so thatthey do not depend on the reserve.

Training and inputs for improved agriculture, which atpresent suffers because of lack of proper knowledgeamong locals about productive, intensive agriculturalpractices, will further help strengthen local livelihoods.The programme also seeks to support education ofschool children and encourage higher education in orderto provide them better job opportunities.

Also with support from RBS, RanthambhoreFoundation is chalking out some support activities forvillages that have been relocated from core critical habitatof Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.

Ranthambhore Foundation’s partnership with the SaatSaath Arts (ARTIGER) continues and with their support,Ranthambhore Foundation has carried out educationand awareness programmes in 40 schools aroundRanthambhore National Park. This programme hasbeen lauded by one and all including the Governmentofficials of Rajasthan.

With financial support from WWF India, RanthambhoreFoundation has also revived the Artificial Inseminationand Improvement in Breed of Cattle programme invillages around Ranthambhore National Park. Thisproject started in 1987 with great success, howeverdue to paucity of funds, Prakratik Society took theresponsibility of running this programme with thesupport of BAIF and successfully continued tillDecember 2011. Ranthambhore Foundation hasassociated itself with its sister concern Prakratik Societyto continue with the same from 1st of January 2012.

A multidisciplinary 300-bed hospital is run at Sherpurvillage adjoining Ranthambhore by RanthambhoreSevika. Options of extending its facilities for starting anurses’ training school are being explored. If itmaterialises, this can be a great livelihood generatingavenue for local men & women. RanthmabhoreFoundation is in negotiations with its partners to generatefunds for this project.

RANTHAMBHORE FOUNDATION

RANTHAMBHORE FOUNDATION

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Girls from a Government School in Sawai Madhopur participate in an educationand awareness programme organised by Ranthambhore Foundation supported by

Saat Saath Arts

Local women embroider quilts cover at the Dastkar Society Campus

RANTHAMBHORE FOUNDATION

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Improved agricultural practices adopted byfarmers in village Kundera

Local women learning Dastkari in Village Kundera

RANTHAMBHORE FOUNDATION

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Valmik Thapar delivering the Fateh Memorial lecture on 1st March, 2012commemorating Fatehji’s first death anniversary

RANTHAMBHORE FOUNDATION

A TRIBUTEA TRIBUTE

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NEWS FROM THE STATES

Women to be trained as wildlife guidesThe Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to recruit25 tribal women as professional guides after trainingthem to guide tourists visiting the Kanha Tiger Reserve.The state’s Ecotourism Development Board will trainand educate women who have passed Class XII, onrelevant aspects of wildlife science, wildlife management,communication skills, hospitality, and on several aspectsof guiding tourists. If successful, the plan may beextended to other protected areas in the state.

A Guide Training Manual in Hindi, ‘Jungle kiKahani Guide ki Zubani’ has also been prepared bythe board, elaborating essentials of communication skills.

Source: Eco-tourism: 25 tribal women to be recruitedas guides in Kanha, The Pioneer 16 September, 2011

MAHARASHTRAThe state government has notified four new sanctuariesby adding around 350 sq km to the existing 8,100 sq kmalready under the Protected Area network inMaharashtra. The notifications were issued on 27 and28 February, and March 1, 2012. The areas that havebeen notified include Umarzari adjoining Nagzira WildlifeSanctuary (152.81 sq km); Navegaon sanctuary aroundNavegaon National Park (133.88) and new Borsanctuary around existing Bor Wildlife Sanctuary (61.1sq km).

The notification is expected to pave the way fordeclaring Navegaon-Nagzira as a tiger reserve and Boras part of the Pench Tiger Reserve. Official sourcessaid that the government has come up with four newareas as sanctuaries to compensate the reduction in areaof Nannaj sanctuary (for Great Indian Bustards) inSolapur district.

Wildlife experts have welcomed the move but sayit’s inadequate to compensate the loss of protected area.They said that it was decided that area to be deletedfrom Nannaj sanctuary would be compensated bynotifying equal area as sanctuaries in Maharashtra. ”TheGIB sanctuary area was reduced from 8,496.44 sq kmto 1,222.61 sq km, whereas government has onlydeclared approximately 350 sq km area as newsanctuaries. Hence, the effort is not enough,” saidKishore Rithe, of the Satpuda Foundation.

“As per the National Wildlife Action Plan, Indiashould reserve 10 per cent area under wildlifesanctuaries and national parks. After Nannajdenotification, the area in the state has drastically

decreased from 4.97 per cent to 2.6 per cent. Thegovernment needs to bring more areas under the PAnetwork,” said noted environmentalist Debi Goenka.

According to official sources, Bor sanctuary will beextended to 120.39 sq km. It will include existingsanctuary area of 61 sq km area and adjoining 60.70 sqkm. The 120.39 sq km Bor will be ‘satellite’ core of257.23 sq km Pench along with 172.86 sq kmMansinghdeo sanctuary. If entire area of these threePAs is clubbed, Pench will become 550.47 sq km. Asper the 2010 Tiger Estimation, there are 24 tigers inPench-Bor landscape.

Looking into these tiger-rich areas, formerenvironment minister Jairam Ramesh in September 13,2010, had made it clear that Navegaon-Nagzira and Borwould be declared as tiger reserves.

Source: ‘4 new areas notified as sanctuaries’, VijayPinjarkar, TNN, 5th March, 2012

MEGHALAYA

Meghalaya seeks tiger surveyThe Meghalaya Forest Department has requested theCentre to conduct a detailed tiger survey in the statethrough the Wildlife Institute of India in order to ascertainthe status of its tigers. Meghalaya was not included inthe All India Tiger estimation. According to the old tigercensus put out by the state in 2002, it is estimated thatthere are close to fifty tigers in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya does not have any tiger reserve.Source: “Govt seeks detailed tiger survey in State”,

The Shillong Times, 10 October, 2011; “47 tigers inM’laya”, The Sentinel, 29 October, 2011

ORISSA

Alarmed NTCA writes to StateAfter inspection visits to the state’s tiger reserves inearly March by DIG, National Tiger ConservationAuthority, SP Yadav, the Member Secretary, NTCA,Dr Rajesh Gopal has written to the Chief WildlifeWarden, Orissa, expressing serious concerns about theSatkosia and Similipal tiger reserves and listing actionpoints.

Regarding Satkosia Tiger Reserve, the letter asksthe state to expeditiously rectify the core and buffernotification in the reserve in order to explicitly mentionthe buffer zone. It also asks for the posting of a full-time field director in the reserve, which hasn’t had one

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in its five years since notification as a Project Tigerreserve. Currently, the RCCF, Angul has been servingas an interim field director, but there is a necessity for adedicated field director with both divisions of the tigerreserve under his control. There is also a need for a fulltime Deputy Director, in the form of DFO, SatkosiaWildlife Division––a post which has been lying vacantfor months.

Other key instructions regarding Satkosia given tothe state have been to take up relocation andrehabilitation of villages from the reserve’s core areaand to augment the reserve’s low prey base by habitatmanipulation and management.

Pointing out that Satkosia is a low density tigerreserve, NTCA has asked for the state to arrive at theminimum number of tigers in the reserve through scatanalysis in order to proceed with Phase-IV monitoringand has offered funding from the NTCA for the Phase-IV exercise in the form of “No Cost Deviation”.

With respect to Similipal Tiger Reserve, the statehas been instructed to expedite the setting up of theSpecial Tiger Protection Force, for which Rs 2.15 crorehas been released in the current financial year. Theestablishment of STPF becomes critical with therecurring mass hunting, which has been severely strainingthe prey base in the reserve. It also asks for intelligencebased informer and enforcement networks to be set upin all fringe villages to give advance warning of anymass hunting attempts.

Terming prey base in the reserve as “alarminglylow”, the letter has asked for the in-situ build up of preyon the lines of Kanha Tiger Reserve in the Jenabil andUpper Barhakamda areas in the core of the reserve.

Source: NTCAComment: Earlier, when the NTCA proposed in-

situ tiger breeding for reserves with lower thanoptimum tigers, it received much flak. Now, therecommendation is for in-situ breeding of preyanimals in the prime meadows of Similipal. This isnot a new idea. In early 1980s , GOI funded wildlifeenclosures in different sanctuaries and nationalparks, or their adjoining areas for in-situ breedingof prey animals. It flopped, and even now some ofthem are being maintained as animal enclosures formanaging orphan, diseased and dying animals, butthey are not suitable for prey-base.

Note: The park management undertook therehabilitation of the Jenabil village from the corearea of Similipal Tiger Reserve––the much overdue,

first such act in 30 years––over 2009-10. Therelocation was appreciated in the MEE report of thereserve, after taking feedback from rehabilitatedvillagers. In fact, wildlife has made a remarkablecomeback to 1.5 sq km of grassland now freed offhuman habitation, with sambar and elephant herdsbeing spotted, and regular usage of tiger andleopards also documented.

However, the momentum of this all-important taskof making critical tiger habitats of the state inviolateseems to have died down.

Kabatghai village in Similipal has given itsconsent for rehabilitation outside of Similipal, onthe lines of Jenabil, but little development on thisfront has been seen. In Satkosia, the village ofRaigoda has been requesting rehabilitation sincebefore Satkosia was even declared a tiger reserve.Now it has been almost five years since SatkosiaTiger Reserve has been notified and in the meantimerehabilitation and compensation package by theNTCA has been enhanced manifold. However, theresidents of Raigoda are yet to be given the benefitsof this package, and one of the prime tiger habitatsin Satkosia remains under human occupation.

RAJASTHAN

Villages relocated from Sariska, RanthambhoreEighty-two families from Umri village, in the SariskaTiger Reserve were relocated in early February. InSariska only one village, Bhagani, has been relocatedafter recommendation by the empowered committee,which was constituted after all the tigers in the reservewere poached.

There are 11 villages with a population of nearly 2,500people located in the heart of the tiger reserve that needto be relocated to provide inviolate habitat for tigers.Out of the earmarked 641 families, only 329 have beenrelocated. Relocation is on in six villages-Kankwadi,Umri, Dabli, Sukol, Rotkyala and Kraska. Officialsassert that voluntary relocation is a long drawn processthat requires careful handling and persuasion.

In Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, the forestdepartment planned relocation of 25 villages in 2009-2010, but just two villages, Indala and Machanki, wererelocated. After 34 families of Indala village were shifted,a tigress and her cubs are using the area. Experts opinethat a wrong village—Hindwar—was selected forrelocation in 2009-2010. Hindwar is a huge village, with

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more than 700 families to relocate andthis magnanimous task was left incomplete. Rs 70 crorewere sanctioned for the same, and Rs 23 crore havealready been spent, but all the villagers have notrelocated.

Currently, the state has made good progress inrelocating villages. A vital village - Padra, situated in thepark, which was left incompletely relocated in 2005-has been shifted out in February 2012. Mordungri andKathuli are almost 90 per cent relocated, these are thecrucial villages that need to be shifted in the presentphase. With Indala, Padra, Mordungi, Kathuli at least50 Sq Km area will be left inviolate.

Source: India village in Rajasthan relocates toprotect tigers, BBC, 15 February, 2012, one village inSariska, 2 in Ranthambhore relocated, TNN, 15 January,2012, TigerWatch

Genetic evidence of Ranthambhore tigersmigratingRanthambhore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan suffers anailment that threatens increasingly many tigerpopulations across the country: fragmentation andisolation of habitat within hostile, human dominatedlandscapes and genetic bottlenecks due severing ofconnectivity with other tiger populations.

A recently concluded study has used non-invasivegenetic sampling to establish movement of tigersbetween Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve and neighbouringforests of Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary and MadhavNational Park that are among its few remaining––andquickly vanishing––links with the Central Indian TigerLandscape. Individuals were identified based on geneticevidence collected from twelve locations within thesampled site and this was used to define populationstructure and identify first-generation migrants as wellas individuals of mixed ancestry from these forests.

The results of the study have been surprising withsignificant amounts of migration and inter-mixing ofgenes between Ranthambhore and Madhav NationalPark being found, showing that the population structureis still consistent with the Central Indian landscape.Individual tigers of mixed ancestry from both the forestsas well as first generation individuals fromRanthambhore could be identified migrating to Kuno-Palpur WLS and Madhav National Park. The study’sconclusions have provided a ray of hope forRanthambhore by inferring that even today, despite

NEWS FROM THE STATES

fragmentation of risks of poaching, genetic mixing existsbetween the tigers of Ranthambhore and the CentralIndian landscape. The authors note that substantialconservation efforts should be made to maintainconnectivity between these two subpopulations(Ranthambhore and Madhav) and also higher protectionstatus should be provided to Madhav.

Source: Genetic Evidence of Tiger PopulationStructure within and an Isolated and FragmentedLandscape in Northwest India, Reddy, et al, 2012,Centre for Molecular Biology, Hyderabad

Biosphere to link PAs notifiedThe cabinet at its meeting held in the first week ofJanuary at the Chief Minister’s office approved theproposal to create the Rajiv Gandhi Biosphere Reserve.The meeting was presided over by Chief Minister AshokGehlot.

The State Cabinet also gave nod to publication ofthe final notification for Mukundara Hills National Park.

The biosphere reserve will connect the forest blocksand waterbodies of Ramsagar WLS, Kesarbagh WLS,Ramgarh Sanctuary, Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve,Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhensroadgarh WLS,proposed Mukandara Hills National Park through awildlife corridor. Mukandara Hills National Park, whichincludes Darra, Jawahar Sagar WLS and Chambal WLS,has been given in-principle approval as a tiger reserveby the NTCA, and Ramgarh serves as a crucial tigercorridor connecting Ranthambhore and the proposedBiosphere Reserve. Experts believe this tract is crucialfor the ‘spill-over’ tigers of Ranthambhore and stepsmust be taken to strengthen this corridor and providefor better protection, which is currently inadequate. Theproposal would be sent to the MoEF for approval.

Source: “Rajasthan Cabinet gives nod to safecorridor for tigers”, Deccan Herald; “Rajasthan govtclear safe corridor for tigers”, The Asian Age, 5 January,2012, Jaipur

Comment: While this move is welcome, Rajasthanhas done little to protect connectivity within theRanthambhore Tiger Reserve itself. The statecommenced construction of a canal throughRanthambhore Tiger Reserve that will severe the linkbetween the Ranthambhore National Park and theSawai Man Singh Sanctuary. Work on this hadalready started (in fact almost completed), andhundreds of trees cut, even though an earlier order

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of the Standing Committee that categorically rejectedthis canal, not once, but twice, was ignored. No onewas held accountable. The NTCA’s advice was notsought either.

The foundation stone of the canal was laid byformer by MP from Sawai Madhopur, Namo NarayanMeena, who also, ironically, held the portfolio ofEnvironment and forests in the union ministry.

TAMIL NADU

Sathyamangalam WLS expandedThe Tamil Nadu government has expanded theSathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary’s area to 1,410sq km after adding another 887 sq km from sevenreserve forests in the Sathyamangalam division.The largest chunks of the additional area are fromGuthiyalathur (487 sq km) and Talamalai reserve forests(320 sq km). According to the notification, these sevenreserve forests, including the Nilgiri Eastern Slopes inSathyamangalam and Gobichettipalayam taluks in Erodedistrict are being declared a sanctuary due to theirecological, faunal, floral, geomorphologic, natural andzoological significance and for the purpose of protecting,propagating and developing wildlife and its environment.

The move has great significance for tigerconservation in the Nilgiris. DNA profiling and cameratrapping in Sathyamangalam have indicated the presenceof about 25 tigers in the sanctuary. Sathyamangalam iscontiguous to the Mudumalai, Bandipur and BR Hillssanctuaries. The Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuarywas declared in August 2011, and is proposed as a tigerreserve.

Source: “Sathyamangalam wildlife sanctuaryexpanded to 1.41 lakh hectares”, B. Aravind Kumar,The Hindu, 27 September, 2011; “WWF study confirmsat least 25 tigers in Sathyamangalam forests”, TNN

UTTARAKHAND

SOGs formed, operationalFor effective action against wildlife crime, dealing withhuman-wildlife conflict and rescue of wildlife fromcritical situations, the forest department has establishedSpecial Operation Groups (SOGs) on the lines of thepolice department. Four SOGs have been conceived––including one for Dehradun-Haridwar circle, one for theCorbett Tiger Reserve and another for the Kumaonregion. This initiative was done under the previous Chief

Wildlife Warden, Shrikant Chandola, and has beenstrengthened under the new Chief Wildlife Warden, SSSharma. The Dehradun-Haridwar SOG was set up inAugust 2011 and accomplished success by aiding aleopard-skin seizure within days of its inception. TheKumaon SOG was inaugurated formally in November2011 has been particularly active, with seizures of tigersand other wildlife derivatives. On January 11, the SOG,working with NGOs, recovered 9 kgs of tiger bones, 18tiger claws, three canines, and tiger whiskers from theKotabagh area near Ramnagar. It also successfullyrescued two leopards from conflict situations andreleased them into the wild. Initially, the SOGs willcomprise nine members who will be trained from centraland state intelligence agencies. Wildlife crime has maxedin Uttarakhand, and the toll on tigers and leopards ishuge—with the state topping in leopard poaching casesin the last few years. It is reported that in 2011, nearly70 leopards died due to poaching in Uttarakhand. Thisyear too, seizures indicate that about ten leopards havebeen poached in the state. Source: A TigerLink report

Kosi corridor heavily used by tigersCamera-trapping exercises have found that tigers areheavily using the Kosi River corridor linking CorbettTiger Reserve with the Ramnagar Forest Division, oneof the most critical linkages in the Terai Arc tigerlandscape. No less than 13 individual tigers have beenidentified using the corridor in an exercise done byWWF-India jointly with the state forest department.Among the tigers photographed as part of the exercise,is a tigress who has now been camera-trapped withtwo generations of cubs. In one image, she was seenfeeding on a cattle kill with two sub-adult cubs, while inthe second, most recent image, she is seen carrying aone-month-old cub between her jaws.

The All India Tiger Estimate, 2010, indicated a tigerdensity of 14 tigers per 100 sq km in the RamnagarForest Division which adjoins Corbett Tiger Reserve––surpassing most tiger reserves in India.

This reiterates the importance of conservation effortsin mitigating human-wildlife conflict in the region. Corbettand its surroundings see some of the highest instancesof human-wildlife conflict in India. Ramnagar ForestDivision, in particular, sees acute conflict as local peoplemove freely in the non-protected forest, and also trodinto Corbett National Park, for fuel wood and fodder. In2010-11, in this region about six people were killed bytiger, and a ‘man-eater’ was shot dead—then paraded

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by a jubilant crowd in Sundarkhal, an illegalencroachment established in the 1970s by the then ChiefMinister ND Tewari on the Kosi river corridor. (ReferTigerLink, revived Volume 5 ). Sundarkhal and anumber of tourist resorts block a vital tiger and elephantcorridor that leads to the Kosi River and the Ramnagarforests beyond — an issue that the state has failed toaddress, for vested political interests. Not only do thetourist resorts physically block the corridor, they engagein many illegal activities including changing the rivercourse, baiting tigers, playing loud music, night safarisand offering quad-bike rides on the riverbed, etc. (Report on Impact of Tourism on tigers and otherwildlife of Corbett Tiger Reserve, http://w w w. i n d i a e n v i r o n m e n t p o r t a l . o rg . i n / f i l e s /corbett_tourism_report.pdf & “Corbett: Tigers ordiscs?”, TigerLink, Revived Volume 6, May 2010)

Source: A TigerLink report, with inputsfrom WWF-India, 16 March, 2012

More tigers in RajajiThere is good news from Rajaji, even if it comes with acautious foot note: Tiger numbers here have shown asteady increase over the past eight years, thanks torelocation of people who earlier occupied the park. In2002-3, a massive effort was undertaken by the stategovernment to relocate Gujjar deras (193 families) fromChilla (and also from other ranges). At that time Chillawas a mess with nullahs being reduced to fetid pools,over-grazed, dead grasslands strewn with garbage andlopped trees and cattle everywhere, etc. But the forestwas rejuvenated within a year of the relocation asmeadows recovered; inviting prey and predators havefollowed.

The relocated gujjars, shifted to Gaindikheta, nowhave access to healthcare, education and other basicfacilities denied to them in the forest earlier.

A study to monitor the recovery of this area byscientists from the Wildlife Institute of India documentedbreeding tigresses within two years of the relocation.The ‘inviolate’ habitat, coupled with connectivity to theCorbett landscape had dispersing tigers spilling intoRajaji. By 2004, in about 150 sq km of the sampled areain eastern Rajaji, camera traps captured 14 photographsof four individual tigers. The good news got better: withinfive years the tiger density more than doubled from threeper 100 sq km to seven. Over the past eight years, 37individual tigers have been camera-trapped in the same

area. The population can now be said to have stabilised,but still remains precarious.

Rajaji has tremendous potential, with high preydensity of about 70 ungulates/sq km. Sambar deer, aparticularly favourite prey for tigers, have been recordedat a high 20 animals/sq km. Food availability, a key factorthat determines tiger density, is clearly not a constraint.This means Rajaji can have more tigers, especially inthe western part.

The western part, over 550 sq km, has an estimatedpotential to hold at least 30 tigers, but currently it hasjust two tigresses. There are no males here. There aretigers on the eastern side, but they are unable to crossover as the only link, the Chilla-Motichur corridor, is allbut eroded by roads, railway line, canal, Khandgaonvillage and an army ammunition dump at Raiwala.

The implications are ominous: unless this corridor isrestored, the tiger is doomed. Relocation of Khandgaonis a priority. Land has been earmarked for the purposeand the people are keen to move out. What comes inthe way is petty politics and a lack of will. Similarly,shifting of the Raiwala ammunition dump, in abeyancefor over two decades, must be expedited. Rajaji is linkedto Corbett through the Lansdowne Forest Division, andthis must be secured for the long-term viability of tigersin the Rajaji-Corbett landscape.

The alternate road through Rajaji that connectsHaridwar to Rishikesh must be closed for vehicles,considering that there is a national highway that connectsthe two. Protection is another serious concern. The parkstaff is unmotivated and few in number — wages fortrackers and watchers are delayed for months. The mostsignificant step that the government can take is to notifyRajaji as a tiger reserve. This would help bring in fundsfor urgent tasks and the required focus on wildlifemanagement and protection. NTCA has recommendedthat Rajaji be declared a tiger reserve. This was alsobrought up at a meeting attended by state forest officials,NTCA, members of the National Board of Wildlife andconservationists last year.

Source: Prerna Singh Bindra, Pioneer, 1st February,2012

Nandhaur to be declared sanctuaryIt has been proposed to make Nandhaur Valley—anuninhabited stretch of about around 850 sq. kms offorests—into wildlife sanctuary. The Nandhaur valleyhouses a healthy population of Asian elephants, leopards

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and sloth bears. It is also home to tigers but thepopulation is low with great potential of rebounding. Theoccupancy surveys and camera trapping by the forestdepartment and WWF-India in the region have shownthe presence of three tigers and a tigress with cubs.Also caught on camera were Himalayan black bearsand serow.

The total area of the Nandhaur landscape is around850 sq kms that makes the area practically viable forsustaining a thriving population of variety of mega-fauna.It also has large swathes of undisturbed forests thathave virtually no habitation. It is a critical link for thewildlife populations to move across the Terai ArcLandscape and therefore makes Nandhaur landscapea strong candidate to be declared as a national park orwildlife sanctuary.

It is believed that the creation of a Nandhaur WildlifeSanctuary will help conserve the link between easternand western Terai, and thus maintain the links withinthe Terai Arc, increase the protection of the area againstpoaching and habitat destruction by bringing it underthe PA network and conserve the rivers for irrigation,which results in very significant economic benefit. Eco-tourism options and eco-development activities couldalso help generate income for the local people.

The issue was taken up in the December 13 meetingof the Standing Committee of the National Board ofWildlife by Dr AJT Johnsingh, and strongly supportedby Prerna Bindra. Dr Johnsingh informed that Nandhaurarea is an excellent habitat for tigers and if protected, itcan become as successful as Corbett National Park.Protection is crucial, as a particular local communityinhabiting the area is known to indulge in hunting.Therefore, it has become important to notify this areaas a sanctuary soon. Ms Prerna Bindra agreed on theecological importance of this habitat and on the potentialof it as a tiger habitat. She said the proposal for thesanctuary had been put forward by the concerned DFOand CCF and was with the Chief Wildlife Warden, andrequested the MEF to write to the state authorities sothat the notification of the sanctuary could be expedited,which was agreed to by the MoEF.

It is learnt that the Forest Advisory Committee hadgiven approval of mining to Uttarakhand, on the conditionthat two PAs would be declared by the state. It is alsolearnt that a decision was taken that Nandhaur Valleybe declared a sanctuary and Pawalgarh also beconsidered for wildlife sanctuary or conservation reservestatus.

The concerned forest officials have already forwardedthe proposal to the Chief Wildlife Warden, but there hasbeen move thereafter.

Sources say that there is a move now that Nandhaurbe declared a conservation reserve, instead of asanctuary.

Source: A TigerLink report

UTTAR PRADESH

The new CM’s wild sideThe Samajwadi Party has come to power in UttarPradesh and Akhilesh Yadav, who was sworn in onMarch 15, is the new Chief Minister of the state. At 38,he is the youngest CM of India. Yadav held a meetingwith the forest department officials on March 21, andinterestingly first brought up wildlife. This in itself is asign of hope as priority is usually placed on forestry andother revenue-based programmes.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve was the first to be discussed.The CM remarked that he had been to Dudhwa, andthat it was a magnificent forest, and indeed a matter ofpride for UP. He expressed his interest in wildlife. Yadavhad been to Dudhwa for two days in early January, andhad been excited to see tigers. He asked to be appraisedof the situation in Dudhwa, and it was brought to hisnotice that the contribution of the state in funding forthe tiger reserve was only restricted to the salary andwage component.

One hopes that this professed interest in wildlife willtranslate into action. Some immediate tasks that he musttake up are to notify Pillibhit Tiger Reserve — whichhas been delayed for nearly a decade. Two otherproposed tiger reserves: Suhelwa and Amangarh —contiguous to Corbett Tiger reserve also awaitnotification.

One hopes too, that other PAs in UP, which arelanguishing will get some much-needed attention.

However, reports coming in suggest that among thefirst decisions that the new CM took was to revive hisfather’s, and the previous CM, Mulayam Singh Yadav’sdream project of setting up a lion safari in Etawah, hishome district. The grandiose project, which has beenmired in controversies in the last few years, is seen as a‘gift’ to the people of his home district as well as of thestate after becoming the chief minister. Nearly 150hectares of land in Fisher forest on Etawah-Gwaliorhighway, close to the National Chambal Sanctuary and

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ravines of the Yamuna had been acquired in 2005 forthe purpose. It may be pointed out that this area adjoinsthe National Chambal sanctuary, and is rich in wildlife.

While the move is populist, it is a no-brainer fromthe conservation point of view. A lion safari serves nopurpose except to entertain weekend crowds.

Prerna Singh Bindra

More rooms for tigersThe Central Seed Farm inside the core of KaterniaghatWildlife Sanctuary, part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve,has been handed over to the forest department followinga court order in February this year.

This success has been achieved after much effortby the forest department assisted by some NGOs.Dudhwa director Sailesh Prasad says that the handingover of the farm to the forest department has freed upa massive 39 sq. km. for wildlife. He adds that this areawas a prime grassland but anthropogenic pressure anddisturbance due to the Seed Farm had made the areaunsuitable for wildlife. Frequent movement of tigers hasbeen recorded in this area. By acquiring this land, theforest department has increased habitat area for wildlifeand it is hoped that this move will serve as a catalyst totiger conservation by boosting the prey base.

This move is long over due. Katerniaghat is home toabout 30-40 tigers and is an important link within theTerai Arc landscape, connecting Nepal’s Royal BardiaNational Park with our own Dudhwa.

A TigerLink reports

A tiger in Awadh: State calls shikari nawab,NTCA protestsA tiger has strayed into the 400-acre campus of theCentral Institute of Subtropical Horticulture (CISH), atRehmankhera under Awadh Forest Division, just 15 kmsfrom Lucknow. Believed to have walked down RiverGomti from Pilibhit forest division, the big cat haslocalised itself since January 2012 in the densely-woodedcampus that has ample water, cover and prey base,mainly nilgais.

The UP forest department has been on overdrivefor three months trying to capture the tiger. Attempts totranquilise and capture it have failed. Then, the statedecided to call in a self-styled hunter from Hyderabad,‘Nawab’ Shafath Ali Khan, to shoot the tiger. The sameman had been brought in to shoot another stray tigressfrom Pilibhit in 2009. That tigress had reportedly killed

five people—though this in itself is disputed—and theUP forest department had at that time too chosen tocall in the hunter, who shot the tiger. The ‘Nawab’exploited his ‘trophy’, posing over the tigress and gettingphotographs taken—which was circulated all over theweb. The NTCA directed the state to stick to NTCAguidelines for capturing ‘problem’ tigers, rather thancalling ‘hunters’, and to keep such operations low profile.

The current tiger at Rehmankhera cannot even becalled a ‘problem’ animal as it has kept to itself andhasn’t harmed people or even livestock. But again thestate sought to call the ‘nawab’. Allegations arose fromseveral quarters that the hunter used his influence inLucknow to get himself invited to shoot the tiger. Onbeing cornered, the state forest department said thatKhan had been invited to ‘tranquilise’ the tiger. NTCAguidelines clearly state that only a qualified veterinariantrained in tranquilising wildlife can do the job. S.P. Yadav,Joint Director, NTCA shot off a letter to the ChiefWildlife Warden stating that under no circumstances canthe tiger be killed and that the animal should be monitoredunobtrusively by trained personnel involving the WildlifeInstitute of India and tranquilised for subsequent releasein the wild after due medical checks.

However, fortunately, over the past three months,the pace of the operation seems to have slowed down,with some officials, including the CWW having retired.There has been no success in capturing the tiger. Thetiger, meanwhile, has kept to itself, choosing to stay awayfrom people.

A similar situation arose late last year on the outskirtsof Patna, where a tiger strayed in from Valmiki TigerReserve and slipped back unnoticed after a short stay,rendering knee-jerk reactions over it futile andpremature.

Note: On 21st March, officials from TheNational Tiger Conservation Authority visitedRahmankhera after the department wrote to NTCAfor help. Dr Rajesh Gopal, Member-secretary, NTCAasked the officials of the forest department to ensurethat the safety of the stray tiger in Rahmankhera onthe outskirts of the city is not jeopardised under anycircumstances. “Today, I sent a fax to the departmenttelling that under no circumstances should the lifeof the tiger be threatened,” said Gopal. NTCA,meanwhile, has already sent a new team of expertsto handle the situation.

Following orders from the state’s new ChiefMinister to expedite the tiger’s rescue, AssistantDirector of Nandankanan Zoological Park inBhubaneswar, Kamal Lochan Purohit has beenroped in for the tranquilising.

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Source: TigerLink, with inputs from “Row over prowlingtiger at CISH as shooter called in”, The Pioneer,February 13, 2012, New Delhi; “Tiger leaves trail, givestormentors the slip”, The Pioneer, February 28, 2012,New Delhi; “Slow operations a boon for stray tiger”,TNN, March 19, 2012, Lucknow, ‘Rahmankhera straytiger shouldn’t be killed, says NTCA’, TNN 21March, 2012

WEST BENGAL

New Sanctuary in SundarbansIt has been proposed that over 462 sq km of themangrove forests in the South 24 Parganas forestdivision will be protected as a newly proposedWest Sundarbans Wildlife Sanctuary, as per a decisiontaken by the State Board of Wildlife, on February 6.

Shortly afterwards, a report revealed the first evercamera-trapping exercise done here recorded thepresence of about 15 tigers.

The exercise, carried out by the state forestdepartment and WWF-India has photo captured eightindividual tigers in the Ramganga range and nine in theRaidighi range. Tiger presence was found inDhulibhashani and Chulkathi compartments inRamganga, while Ajmalmari and Herobhangacompartments in Raidighi range also reported good tigerdensity.

To carry out the exercise, the entire South 24Parganas forest division was divided into four squarekilometre grids to locate tiger pugmarks and scats. “Later,based on pugmarks and scat presence, 20 camera trapswere laid in the Ramganga range covering an area ofover 184 sq km and 21 trap camera stations were setup in the Raidighi range covering almost 216 squarekm,” sources said. The exercise for Ramganga wasdone between January 23 and February 21, while trapcameras were laid and taken out in Raidighi betweenFebruary 11 and March 12.

While eight tigers were found in the Ramganga rangewith a density of 5.24 tigers per 100 sq kms. Leopardcats, jungle cats and fishing cats too were photocaptured.

Source: “Cameras capture 17 tigers outsideSunderbans reserve area”, Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN,20 March, 2012, Kolkata

Stop Press: Train through Buxa?The railway budget of 2012 has sanctioned aRajabhatkhawa-Jayanti railway line that will run throughthe core of the Buxa Tiger Reserve in north Bengal.The move has political overtones. It appears the demandstems from a section of people from Jayanti, a village inthe heart of the reserve.

Interestingly, in 2008, the Forest Departmentconducted a survey of the forest settlements inside Buxaunder the voluntary village resettlement scheme. Thevillagers at Jayanti were keen to move out with the 10lakh-per-family compensation package. What helpedbuild this consensus was a rapid realignment of theJayanti river, which threatened to wash the village away.While the threat persists, Jayanti has not been able toshift to safety because it soon became a politicalbattleground. The tourist guides’ association of Jayantiaffiliated itself to the Trinamool Congress—the currentruling party in the state. They locked horns with theForest Department, and even demanded forest laws bebent to promote tourism. Relaying of the railway tracksto Jayanti from Rajabhatkhawa, cutting across the coreforests of the tiger reserve, was one such demand.

The railway track till Rajabhatkhawa was broadenedin 2001 and has claimed the lives of nearly three dozenelephants since. The Railways has been under pressureto stop night traffic along the stretch. The idea ofextending the same line to the interiors of a core tigerreserve seemed out of question, until Mamata Banerjee,the chief of the Trinamool Congress took over as therailways minister in 2009. Never to miss out on a chanceto cultivate a support base, she ordered a feasibility studyof the line.

In 2011, Banerjee became chief minister. With theUnion railways ministry also part of party’s portfolio, inthe recent budget, the Rajabhatkhawa- Jayanti line wassanctioned. However, RP Saini, Field Director, BuxaTiger Reserve says that, “I have not been intimated aboutany such project yet. This was not in the agenda of thelast meeting of the State Wildlife held in February. Arailway line through Buxa is certainly not good newsfor wildlife.” He added that he would, of course, carryout any government decision within the sanctions of thelaw.

Siliguri-based Soumitra Ghosh, convener of NationalForum of Forest People and Forest Workers, said thathis organisation never raised such a demand. He saidthe railway connectivity to Jayanti may add to the tourism

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mess in the area. It needs to be added here that intrusivetourism is the bane of this reserve.

Nobody has pointed out the irrationality of clearing anew line inside a tiger reserve, which requires a host ofstatutory clearances under the Forest (Conservation)Act, 1980 and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Thedecision to not proceed with the relocation of thevillage––under imminent threat of being washed off bythe changed course of River Jayanti, is baffling.

Source: ‘A Train to Nowhere’, Jay Mazoomdaar,Tehelka, Vol 9, Issue 12, March 24, 2012

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Thermal power plant threatens SundarbansOn 29 January, 2012, Bangladesh inked a deal with India(50:50 joint venture) to set up a coal-based thermal powerplant in Bangladesh’s Bagerhat district. Spread over 800hectares, the $1.5 billion project is being built just ninekms from the Sundarbans, the world’s largest delta anda UNESCO world heritage site, and four km from theecologically critical portion of the Sundarbans.

The project site is on the Bangladesh side of thevibrant mangrove delta but will impact the Indian sideof Sundarbans as well. The plant is going to be run onIndian coal by the National Thermal Power Corporation(NTPC).

The site, about 60 km from the Indo-Bangla border,was apparently chosen because of its proximity to theMongla port, convenient for importing coal required forthe plant.

The Department of Environment (DoE) issued aprimary location clearance, subject to an environmentalimpact assessment (EIA) study. Bangladesh had paidNTPC $2,50,000 in 2010 for conducting a feasibilitystudy. The report submitted in April 2011 did not includeany EIA. Bangladesh allocated the equivalent of Rs 25crore to acquire 1,834 acres in three villages ofLubachora in Rampal. Since January 2012, accordingto local media reports, Rs 1 crore has already beendistributed among 67 landowners.

Already, the authorities are preparing to dredge 10kmof the Poshur river for easier access to ships carryingcoal for the plant. However this will have negativeimpacts. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director of BangladeshEnvironmental Lawyers Association, said, “The riverhelps maintain balance of sweet and saline water neededfor the survival of the plant species of the Sundarbans.”

The plant will burn lakhs of tonnes of coal and spewmassive amounts of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide(Indian coal is very high on sulphur content) and flyash. It will discharge used hot water in the Poshur river,polluting the entire water system, the lifeline of theSunderbans, downstream. A coal plant’s sludge wastecontains hazardous metals such as arsenic, mercury andlead.

The cumulative impact will not just devastate theflora and fauna of the Sunderbans but will jeopardisethe livelihood and health of 20,000 local fishermen, andpossibly many more across the delta.

The project has been granted site clearance on thebasis of its initial environment examination (IEE). Siteclearance is a necessity in Bangladesh, after whichapplication work for environmental clearance starts. Asper IEE, an alternative site was considered for the projectin Khulna district, but was found unviable due to highpopulation density, unavailability of land and inadequatewater sources. Rizwana feels the alternative site isviable but the government is irrationally sticking to theBagerhat site because of easy transportation of coalfrom India via the Passur. “Shockingly, the IEE is silenton the Sundarbans. The report recognises that theproject site is located in a tidal delta and is largely rural.It states the area is characterised by scattered mangrovesand is exposed to extreme cyclones. The landowners inthe area whose land will be acquired are not supportingthe project, the report points out. But it is quick to mentionthat proper resettlement plans, adequate compensationand employment opportunity will make them“cooperative”.

According to the IEE report, a potential impact ofthe project will be loss of agricultural and homesteadland and air pollution. It vaguely mentions that disturbanceto dolphin colonies might be caused and that they mayreduce their surfacing time. It states temperaturedifferential, arising out of cooling water discharge, as athreat to marine biodiversity.

A public interest petition was filed in the Court ofBangladesh in early 2011 by a non-profit organisation.The petition sought the court’s intervention to preventsetting up of the power plant project near theSundarbans. The matter is now sub-judice.

The Sunderbans are perhaps the most dynamic, mostdelicate and most vulnerable tiger habitat on Earth. Theeffects of such massive industry on it can becatastrophic. “Indian laws will not allow such a projectso close to the Sunderbans or, for that matter, any tiger

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reserve or biological hotspot. This plant may have seriousconsequences for the entire Sunderbans ecology, whichis a shared heritage and cannot be managed in isolation.It is surprising that the project is moving ahead withouta thorough EIA,” said P.K. Sen, former director ofProject Tiger, India.

Source: “Sundarbans at risk”, Down to Earth,Sugandh Juneja, 15 March, 2012. “A Grand JointMisadventure”, Tehelka, Jay Mazoomdaar, 10 March,2012

Note: On 22 March, The High Court issued arule upon the government to explain in two weekswhy it should not be directed not to set up theproposed power plant in Rampal upazila of Bagerhatnear the Sundarbans. The court came up with therule following a writ petition filed on 31st January.Sheikh Siddique Ahammed, organising secretary ofan environmentalist organisation–Save theSundarbans, challenged the government’s move toconstruct the 1300-megawatt coal-fired power plantclose to Sundarbans.

Amur tigers for IranTwo pairs of Russian Amur tigers will reportedly soonbe sent to Iran to repopulate the country with the world’sbiggest cats. The last wild Caspian tiger—Iran’s originaltiger––was shot in 1954. Scientists associated withproject chose the Amur tiger as a replacement as it isgenetically very close to the Caspian tiger.

The Amur tigers will have their new home at Iran’sMiankaleh Wildlife Reserve on the Caspian Sea coast,where they are scheduled to arrive later this year.

It is not the first time that Siberian tigers are beingsent to Iran. In 2010, two tigers from Russia were housedat a zoo in Tehran for a multimillion-dollar breedingprogramme to repopulate northern Iran with the animals.Reportedly at the time, in exchange Iran gave Russia apair of Persian leopards.

One of the pair died soon after arriving in Iran, havingdeveloped a deadly respiratory infection. Some localofficials said the tiger was already sick when it arrived,but Russian officials and members of the World WildlifeFoundation strongly rejected the claim.

Source: “Russian tigers to take their stripes to Iran”,rt.com, 28 February, 2012

Comment: The wisdom behind the reintroductionattempt is questionable. Has Iran analysed andaddressed the threats and potential repercussionsawaiting the tigers? Will Amur tigers be able tosurvive in the different environs of Iran, even given

that other conditions are conducive? Besides, theMiankaleh reserve faces threats from industry andlarge-scale tourism. It is reported that manyindustries have been sanctioned in the region andthe government is also planning a massive hotel inthe middle of the reserve.

We must question the rationale behind thesemoves to translocate tigers—China wants toreintroduce the South China tiger, when its wild tigerpopulation is near extinct—and the scheme to have‘wild’ tigers in South Africa, which has never knowntigers.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spenton such projects. While it will be exciting to havetigers recolonise landscapes from where they havegone extinct, isn’t it wiser to focus funds, resourceson existing tiger landscapes, where tigers arestruggling to survive?

CHINA

World’s oldest tiger fossil foundScientists in northwest China have discovered what theybelieve to be the fossil of the world’s oldest extinctspecies of tiger. Researchers claim that the tiger fossildates back to 2.16 million to 2.55 million years, predatingother known tiger fossils by up to half-a-million years.The skull of this tiger, known as Panthera zdanskyi, issmaller than that of modern tigers but very similar to itin shape.

The fossils were discovered in 2004 on the easternslope of Longdan village in Gansu, China, giving it theinformal name of the Longdan tiger. The skull of theextinct animal has, well-developed upper canines and arelatively long nose––details typical of tigers.

Although the size of the skull is comparable withthat of the smallest females of living tiger subspecies,its overall shape suggests it belonged to a male. Despiteabout two million years of separation, the skull of theLongdan tiger appears surprisingly similar to that ofmodern tigers.

Source: “Fossils of world’s oldest tiger found inChina”, PTI, 2nd December, 2011, Washington

Tiger farms continue to flourishDespite a widely proclaimed pledge to boost tigerconservation efforts in the country, China’s captivebreeding facilities are continuing to boom. It is estimatedthat close to two dozen ‘tiger farms’ are in operationwith more than 6,000 tigers in captivity. That’s almosttwice the number of wild tigers in the world. The success

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of these ‘tiger farms’ is spurred by a heavy demand fortiger parts; Roaring sales of tiger meat and ‘tiger bonewine’ - which can cost as much as 1,000 Yuan (S$200)for a small flask – have turned China into the world’slargest market for such products.

Killing a wild tiger for its parts can attract the deathpenalty in China, but the sale of tiger parts from an animalthat died of natural causes is technically allowed. ‘Tigerfarms’ operate in this grey area of the law. Numerousundercover investigations have revealed that tigers inthese farms are kept in dismal conditions. They are keptcrammed in iron pens, struck with metal poles and whipsand fed very little.

According to a local media report, eleven tigers diedof starvation on a farm in Shenyang last year. Researchhas also shown that farm tigresses produce cubs at threetimes their natural rate and are often separated fromthe cubs even before they are weaned. Tiger farmowners and supporters are pushing the government tolegalise trade in tiger parts. This will be an added threatto wild tigers, as wild animal parts will be sold under thepretext of being farm-raised.

A number of international organisations are urgingChina to take action against the trade in tiger parts.

Source: “Rise of ‘tiger farms’ amid roaring trade”,Grace Ng, The Straits Times, 10 December, 2011, Beijing

INDONESIA

Trapped Sumatran tiger succumbs

A Sumatran tiger, rescued from a wire snare in aprotected Indonesian forest has succumbed to its injuriesat Jakarta, where it had been flown in for surgery, on14 January.

“Veterinary surgeons found a spear wound thatpierced it from the back to the chest, which proved tobe fatal,” said provincial conservancy agency chiefAmon Zamora.

“The tiger was also shot with an air rifle. Pelletswere found in its eyes,” Zamora said, adding thatauthorities were looking for those behind the attack. Thetiger was found in Bengkulu, entangled in a wire trapattached to a tree branch.

Officials said the trap was likely set by poacherslooking to sell the tiger’s body parts.The conservationagency found several similar traps in the province lastyear and was helping police track down a suspected

group of poachers.There are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left and

environmental activists say the animals are increasinglycoming into conflict with people as their natural habitatis rapidly deforested.

Source: “Rare Sumatran tiger dies in Indonesia”,AFP, 14 January, 2012

Range-wide Sumatran tiger surveyA pioneering, three-year-long survey of wild tigerpopulations in Sumatra was published in November 2011.The study was carried out by eight NGOs includingWildlife Conservation Society, WWF, Panthera, Fauna& Flora International in collaboration with the Indonesiangovernment. Researchers surveyed 13,500 kms of foresttransects for indirect signs of tiger presence.

It is estimated that Sumatra has lost nine per cent ofits forest cover in the past eight years. Despite this rapidrate of deforestation, the researchers found that tigersare still present in over 70 per cent of the forestssurveyed. The results of the study provide the mostreliable information ever collected on this criticallyendangered sub-specie and for the first time manyorganisations have worked together effectively.

The study also shows how resilient tigers are; oftenpersisting in heavily degraded forests, and helps tohighlight new priorities for tiger conservation inIndonesia. This survey will serve as a benchmark againstwhich to measure future conservation efforts.

Source: “First ever survey shows Sumatran tigershanging on as forests continue to vanish”, Jeremy Hance,www.mongabay.com, 10 November, 2011

APP continues pulping tigerlandA report released by Sumatra based NGO coalition ‘Eyeson the Forest’, revealed that paper industry giant APP(Asian Pulp and Paper) is instrumental in deforestingthe very sanctuary it claims to protect.

Using field investigations and comparative satelliteimagery, the report shows that the Senepis TigerSanctuary is being logged by one of APP’s woodsuppliers. The company had initially tried to stop thenotification of Senepis as a National Park and had thenquickly changed tone claiming to have played a leadingrole in creating the ‘Senepis Tiger Sanctuary’ in 2006.

APP’s suppliers are clearing forests and draining peatin prime tiger territory. It is estimated that APP has

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already pulped more than two million hectares ofIndonesia’s tropical forests since it started productionin 1984. These figures counter the image ofenvironmental responsibility that the company likes toproject. A number of leading global buyers have ceasedpurchasing from APP in light of the company’s actionsand are calling on others to follow their lead. Habitatdestruction and fragmentation remains one of the biggestthreats to the long-term survival of tigers.

Source: “APP’s tiger sanctuary ‘green wash’ ishogwash”, www.wwf.org.uk, 13 December, 2011

MALAYSIA

Tiger parts seized, man heldA district court in northern Kedah state, on the Malaysia-Thailand border, charged Malaysian citizen MohamadNor Sharmizam Nasir, 29, with possessing eight tigerskins, 22 tiger skulls and other bones, and nine pieces ofAfrican ivory.

The penalty in Malaysia for possessing the parts ofprotected wildlife is up to five years in jail and a fine ofup to 500,000 ringgit ($160,000). Investigations are stillunderway as to the origins of the animal parts and whoelse might have been involved.

Last month, Malaysia seized elephant tusks worth2.4 million ringgit ($760,000) from South Africa.Conservation groups say Malaysia has become a keytrans-shipment point for wildlife contraband such asivory, although the South African tusks were believeddestined for Malaysia itself.

Source: “Malaysian charged over tiger skins, ivory”,Agence France Presse, 15 February, 2012

NEPAL

Key corridor threatenedThe forest corridor that links Nepal’s Chitwan NationalPark to the Mahabharat mountain range, also known asthe “little Himalayas” is essential for the long termsurvival of Nepal’s tigers and rhinos. Yet, according toa new paper published in Mongabay’s open accessjournal Tropical Conservation Society, deforestation,a highway and inconsistent management policies imperilthe Barandabhar Forest Corridor (BFC).

Surveying the northern half of the BFC, researchersfound a complex mix of productive eco-systems - forest,grasslands and wetlands. They documented 25 mammal

species, not including rodents and bats; 96 birds; and233 tree species. Three tigers were discovered to beusing the area regularly, and the team sighted five rhinosduring the survey. Given these findings, the researcherswrite that the corridor “is likely an essential part of theecological network in Nepal, contributing to the habitatrequired to sustain populations of large mammals. Forthis reason, we advocate the retention and restorationof this corridor”.

The BFC is currently threatened by populationgrowth in the area and the expansion of agriculture. Inaddition, the East-West Mahendra Highway, which cutsthe corridor, may pose another serious threat. Finally,two different managing bodies, the Buffer ZoneDevelopment Council and the Department of Forests,oversee the forest. But to conserve the corridor, theresearchers recommend the establishment of a singleauthority that avoids top-down governance, allowingcommunity involvement.

Source: “Wildlife corridor key to conserving tigers,rhinos in Nepal,” mongabay.com, Jeremy Hance, 19March, 2012

Tiger skin traders nabbedThe District Police Office, Nawalparasi, nabbed foursuspected wildlife traders with a tiger skin at Badarghat.The suspects were caught at the TCN thoroughfare onthe basis of an anonymous tip off. It is suspected thatsmugglers poach tigers in the Chitwan National Parkand store their skins at Tribeni of Nawalparasi beforeferrying them to China, via Kathmandu, at night.

Source: “Four held with tigers hide in nawalparasi”,The Himalayan Times, 1 March, 2012, Parasi

THAILAND

Thai police bust wild meat racketThai police officers in northeast Bangkok busted a wildmeat racket in February quite by chance. Officials on aroutine patrol crossed paths with a man with bloodiedhands buying butchering equipment from a conveniencestore. They followed him home to find four other men,chopping up the carcass of a large male tiger. Zebra,crocodile, wild buffalo and elephant, along with 400kgof tiger meat, were also found in the building, ready tobe sold as exotic meat and trophies. “We found onetiger in an ice box, where it was being preserved withformaldehyde, and a lot of bones. On the floor, there

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were fresh cuts of white tiger, elephant and lion skins,”said the Thai nature crime police commander, ColonelNorasak Hemnithi.

Police have arrested eight people, in what theybelieve is a large smuggling operation, fronted byBangkok zoos. This case highlights a worrying trend inwhich the meat of endangered animals is sold in resortrestaurants in southern Thailand. Police suspect that thecarcasses of two male tigers found at the house camefrom a tiger zoo in Chon Buri’s Si Racha district, butthey have not yet obtained evidence. A zoo in Si Rachawas linked to a previous case when eleven tigercarcasses were found in Nakhon Phanom in 2008.

Many activists believe Thailand to be at the heart ofan estimated $10 billion global trade in endangeredspecies that is driving many plants and animals toextinction. In cases such as these, rewards are high butpenalties are negligible. The arrested men could facefour years in prison and fines of 40,000 baht (£820) forillegally processing wild and protected animals, however,prison terms are improbable.

Source: “Police suspect illegal tiger meat haul camefrom zoo”, Bangkok Post, February 7, 2012. “Trip to7-Eleven leads Bangkok police to tiger butchers”, KateHodal, guardian.co.uk, 2nd February, 2012

Anti-poaching efforts pay offVideo footage from numerous camera traps locatedacross Thailand’s Western Forest Complex reveals thatanti-poaching work in the region is making a positivedifference.

The footage captured over the past one year showsglimpses of tigers, elephants and sun bears amongst manyother species. The cameras also captured images ofother elusive species like clouded leopards and banteng.

Researchers have inferred from the footage that the7,000 square mile core area of the Western ForestComplex now has a stable population of tigers and preybase. It is estimated that the region is home to between125 and 175 tigers. The Complex also contains one ofthe largest elephant populations in Southeast Asia.

“The video represents a huge payoff for thegovernment of Thailand, which has invested considerableresources in protecting wildlife and preventing illegalhunters from plundering the country’s natural heritage,”said Joe Walston, director of the Wildlife ConservationSociety’s Asia Program. The results of the camera trapsurvey are surely a beacon of hope for tiger conservation

in Thailand.Source: “Rare wildlife caught by camera traps in

Thailand”, www.msnbc.com, 20 December, 2011

Smugglers try to post tiger skinsRoyal Thai Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle wildlifecontraband, worth an estimated $ 60,000, via commonpost. The four tiger skins and numerous bones wereposted at the city of Hat Yai and destined for the city ofMae Sai before agents intercepted the package. “Therewere four boxes, and each box contained one tiger skin,bones and a skull. Each one weighed around fivekilograms (11 pounds),” Somchai Poolsawasdi, directorgeneral of Royal Thai Customs, told a news agency.

Source: “Watch Out! Tigers in the Mail”, FreelandFoundation Press Release, 5 January, 2012, Bangkok

Maximum sentence for poachersOne of two tiger poachers in Thailand has been awardedfive years’ imprisonment ––the most severe punishmentsfor wildlife poaching ever given in the country.

After a lengthy trial, the court found the twopoachers, arrested last July, guilty on 19 February. Oneof the poachers, Thai Hmong, was given a five-yearsentence while the second, a Vietnamese citizen, wasgiven a four-year sentence. The case was widelyreported after a cellphone confiscated by authoritiescontained photos of a dead tiger (the accused were inthe photo sitting astride their trophy) whose stripe patternmatched an animal being tracked by the WildlifeConservation Society’s researchers in Thailand’sWestern Forest Complex. (Refer TigerLink, August2011)

Source: “Tiger poachers sentenced in Thailand”,upi.com, 7th March, 2012, Bangkok

VIETNAM

Wild tiger population plummetsThe Director of the Institute of Ecology and BiologicalResources in Vietnam has revealed that the number ofwild tigers in the country has shrunk from 100 individualsa decade ago to fewer than 50. He identified poaching,the illegal wildlife trade, deforestation and infrastructuredevelopment as the cause of this decline.

Wild tigers in Vietnam are now confined to a mere9,300 sq km in the provinces of Dien Bien, Nghe An,Ha Tinh, Quang Nam and Kon Tum and Dac Lac.

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Meanwhile, the country has 76 tigers in captivity, ofwhich 26 are on show in the provinces of Thanh Hoa,Thai Nguyen, Binh Duong and HCM City. The origin ofthese tigers is largely unknown.

At a meeting organised by the Department of ForestManagement, scientists said wildlife protection shouldbe stepped up, particularly for those listed in the RedBook of endangered species. They also suggestedmicrochips be implanted in wild tigers and that tigerprotection zones should be established in national parks.

Source: “Fewer than 50 tigers still left in the wild”,Vietnam News, December 30, 2011, Ha Noi

Restaurateur caught cooking tigerA joint inspection team in Hanoi raided the Tay BacQuan restaurant in Nhan Chinh Ward of Thanh Xuandistrict, and caught the restaurant owner directing staffto cook a tiger skeleton, weighing about 150 kg, to maketiger bone glue. The restaurant owner claimed that shebought the tiger’s carcass from a person in Thanh Hoacity. According to police, the subject is a repeat offenderhaving been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment in2007 for violating wildlife conservation regulations. Thepolice are tracking down the origins of the tiger.

Source: “Restaurant cooking tiger bone grueluncovered”, envietnam.org, January 9, 2012, Hanoi

WILDLIFE CRIME

Tiger poaching gang bustedIt is known that tiger skin trade is a thriving—illegalbusiness, and one of the biggest threats to tigerstoday. A seizure in February by the Wildlife CrimeControl Bureau (with the Special Task Force in UP)bust a poaching and trade network—that revealedshocking facts about the extent of the trade, andalso how inter-state networks are working in tigerpoaching and transboundary illegal trade of tigerderivatives.

The seizure went full circle, camera trappedpictures showed that the skin was once a youngtigress in Rajaji…

A network of traders involved in the illegal trade oftiger and leopard derivatives operating across four stateswas uncovered in early February this year. Elevenindividuals from three gangs have been arrested andfive big cat skins (tiger and leopard) and five kilogramsof bones have been seized in Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh

on February 8th. According to regional deputy director(northern region) of Wildlife Crime Control BureauRamesh Pandey, a joint operation involving the WCCB,UP STF and Najibabad police arrested five personsbased on intelligence provided by the bureau.

The five were arrested with one tiger and fourleopard skins, bones and two iron traps used specificallyfor trapping big cats. The kingpin of the gang,Dharmveer Kanjar, was also among those arrested. Therest have been identified as Sunil Nath and Omar ofNajibabad, Navi Singh of Dharchula and the car driver,Punit Chauhan.

The arrested persons confessed that the tiger, andtwo leopard skins were sourced from Rajaji NationalPark, while two leopard skins have been sourced fromKugadda in Kalagarh forest range in Uttarakhand,Najibabad is a convenient town with links to both thehills and the plains due to which Dharmveer was able tosource banned wildlife commodities from all parts ofthe State.

Shockingly, the men claim to have killed betweeneight and ten tigers in less than six months––an alarmingstatistic that amounts to approximately 40 percent ofbig cat deaths caused due to poaching during the period.“Their claim is alarming and we are verifying it,” said asenior Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) official.

The information about the seizure and thephotographs of the tigers were communicated with theChief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand, This informationwas used to arrest poachers.

The poached tigress was also identified as a youngtigress in the eastern range of Rajaji National Park byscientists from the Wildlife Institute of India. Dr BivashPandav, and Abhishek Harihar, who have beenmonitoring tigers in the national park, used their database of camera trapped pictures and put a ‘face’ to thepoached tiger.

WCCB continues to probe the case and has revealedthat the traders have sourced tiger skins and bones fromMadhya Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. The recentarrest of a person and the seizure of a tiger skin fromhim by custom officials in Siliguri, West Bengal, has alsobeen linked to the same network of poachers.

Source: “Crackdown on tiger poachers, 11 held”,Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, 9 February, 2012;“Huge haul of poached animal parts, 5 held”, ThePioneer, 9 February, 2012, Dehradun

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Bahelia poachers target VidarbhaThe two steel traps were found in Venkatapetha inPranhita range in Gadchiroli district on January 25th, bythe forest staff in Venkatapetha-Muyaboynapethaforests. Sources said the matter came to light when fieldstaff found a steel trap in a bag hanging on a tree. Furthersearch of the area led to another trap.

Over the past three years forest staff and volunteershave recovered a number of steel traps and ensnaredanimals from this area, including a tiger. The adult maletiger from Tipeshwar died in November 2011 aftergetting entangled in a steel wire snare suspected to beset by members of the Bahelia community.

Source: “Bahelia poachers enter Vidarbha in a bigway”, Vijay Pinjarkar, The Times of India, 23December, 2011, Nagpur; “Tiger traps in G’chiroli triggeralarm bells”, Vijay Pinjarkar, Times News Network, 31January, 2012, Nagpur

Tiger dies in snareOn 21st December 2011 an adult tiger was found deadat a place called Chekkadi in Tirunelli Village just twokilometers from the boundary of Wayanad WildlifeSanctuary in Kerala. The tiger was caught in a strongwire snare laid between two trees just beyond a thickhedge. Preliminary investigations by the forestdepartment have revealed that the land belongs to aresident of Apparapara village who is absconding. Acase has been registered and investigations areunderway.

Source: “Tiger killed by wire snare, Wayanad,Kerala”, Conservation India, 25 January 2012 ,Wayanad

Tiger parts recoveredIn a joint operation executed by the Special OperationsGroup (Kumaon Forest Range) and the WildlifeProtection Society of India (WPSI), a large consignmentof wildlife contraband was seized in Uttarakhand. Theteam recovered nine kgs of tiger bones, 18 tiger claws,three canines, and tiger’s whiskers from the Kotabagharea near Ramnagar in Uttarakhand on 11th January.

One individual was arrested and an additional twokg of leopard bones was later seized from the accusedduring the joint operation led by Paramjit Singh, ChiefConservator of Forests, Kumaon.

Earlier, on 9th January, seven steel jaw traps used

for trapping big cats and other wild animals were alsoseized from a village in Dauli Range near Haldwani.

WPSI’s wildlife crime database has recorded thepoaching and seizure of the derivatives of 43 tigers and365 leopards in the last two years. The state ofUttarakhand has the dubious distinction of havingmaximum wildlife crime activity and in 2011 accountedfor more than 30 per cent of all tiger and leopard deathsrecorded from across the country. Of course, it couldalso mean that more cases here are detected.

Source: “Tiger Bones and Claws Seized inUttarakhand”, WPSI, 17 January, 2012, New Delhi

Poaching fears at NSTROn 2nd Dec, 2011 DFO (Atmakur) Vijaya Kumar andhis team recovered a tiger trap placed by poachers inthe Vellugodu beat in the Gundla-BrahmeshwaramWildlife Sanctuary (GBM), adjoining NagarjunasagarSrisailam Tiger Reserve, India’s largest tiger reserve.Rahul Pandey, Field Director, NSTR took immediateaction, intensifying patrolling and apprehending theculprit.

A month later, a forest department team went on tonab a poacher laying traps in the reserve. Beat officersnear Daddanala forest junction, five km fromYerragondapalem, nabbed Munda moving suspiciouslyin the area and found equipment generally used to trapbig cats. After intense interrogation, the poacher,Parameshwar Munda, confessed to officials that aneight-member gang from Jharkhand came to theNallamala to hunt for tigers.

Markapuram DFO Saravanan rushed to the spotalong with additional staff. “We came across severaltraps laid by Munda and his associates in the forest.Our first task is removing all the traps laid by thepoachers before nabbing the other members of the gang,”Sarvanan said.

The good news is that authorities acted promptly inboth cases and ensured that the culprits were nabbed,thus acting in time to prevent wildlife crime.

Source: “51 Tigers Died in 2011–Report”, TimesNews Network, 10 December, 2011, New Delhi. “Arrestfoils tiger poacher’s plan”, Times News Network,2nd February, 2012, Markapuram

Alarms in Sariska again: leopard poachedPoachers seem to be back in action at the Sariska TigerReserve forest as the body of an adult leopard wasdiscovered in Tehla range of Sariska in early March.

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The carcass was found in an automobile clutch-wiresnare and was estimated to be around five-days-old.

In 2004-2005, the tragedy of Sariska came to light—the reserve was emptied of its tigers, hunted to extinctionby poachers.

The discovery of the leopard’s carcass has once againraised fears, and concern regarding the vulnerability ofthe tigers—translocated from ranthambhore—in Sariska.

Rajasthan forest and tourism minister Bina Kak hasasked the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF),A.C. Chaubey, to probe the incident.

It may be recalled that ST-1, the first tiger to bereintroduced into Sariska was poisoned in November2010.

Source: “‘Poached’ leopard raises Sariska tigeralarm”, India Today, Sudhanshu Mishra, 11 March,2012, Jaipur

Tiger poacher arrestedA poacher, believed to be involved in two cases of tigerpoaching in Sariska and Ranthambhore was nabbed inSawai Madhopur by the flying squad of the RajasthanForest Department with assistance from Tiger Watch,and NGO based in Sawai Madhopur.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of forest officials raidedan area near Sawai Man Singh sanctuary and arrestedSaalma. “He is wanted in two cases of poaching oftigers,” Dharmendra Khandal of Tiger Watch said.

Forest officials confirmed the arrest of the poacherand added that since 2005 he has been residing in andaround Dumaria village in Bharatpur district of the state.“Though he was keeping a low profile for the last coupleof years, he is an accused in two poaching cases in1992 and 2005,” a forest official said.

Source: “Notorious tiger poacher nabbed in SawaiMadhopur”, Times News Network, 29 February, 2012,Jaipur

High tiger mortality in MaharashtraSince December 2011, five individual tigers have diedin Maharashtra.

On 18th December, a four-year-old tiger was founddead in an open well near Ratnapur village in Sindewahiforest. On 24th January, the body of a dead tiger wasfound caught in an electric trap in the Zaran range ofthe Central Chanda Project Division. This was aparticularly gruesome case, with all its paws cut off.

Two more tiger deaths were reported in February,of which one had been caused by a speeding vehicle.

The last documented death, occurred in the TipeshwarWildlife Sanctuary. Forest officials discovered theputrefied body of a male tiger in early March. The catappeared to have died of natural causes. In Novemberlast year a full-grown male tiger had died in the sameregion after getting caught in a wire trap set just 300metres from the boundary of the sanctuary.

The fact that the majority of these deaths have beendue to poaching, and other unnatural causes is of serious.

Source: “Maharashtra loses its 7th tiger in 4 months”,Times News Network, Vijay Pinjarkar, 10 March, 2012.“Tiger found dead in open well”, The Times of India,19 December, 2012, Chandrapur. “Tragic tiger tale”,Afternoon Despatch & Courier, 12 March, 2012,Mumbai

Tiger: the death chronicles

20 November, 2011: Male tiger in TipeshwarWildlife Sanctuary, Maharashtra, killed by poachersusing wire snare near Bodhbahatar village

20 December, 2011: Tigress shot by police usingAK-47 assault rifle after being cornered by villagersin a human settlement near Kaziranga TigerReserve. (details in States)

14 December, 2011: Two tiger cubs found deadin Kilpuri range of the Terai East forest division inHaldwani area of Nainital district in Uttarakhand,forest officials said. In the same week, a one-month-old tiger cub was found dead at Dhela range of theCorbett national park

17 December, 2011: Old and ailing, paralysed tigerrecovered from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve; diedafter rescue.

18 December, 2011: Subadult tigers carcass foundin Ramnagar forest division, Uttarakhand.Reportedly killed by other tiger.

19 December, 2011: Tiger found dead in openwell near Ratnapur village, Bramhapuri forestdivision, Maharashtra.

21 December, 2011: Adult tiger found dead inwire snare at Chekkadi, near Wayanad WildlifeSanctuary, Kerala.

28 December, 2011: Carcass of adult tigressfound with injury marks in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve.

31 December, 2011: Tiger found dead in BandipurTiger Reserve. Suspected poaching case, notconfirmed.

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WILDLIFE CRIME

Source: www.tigernet.nic.in

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TIGER MORTALITY STATISTICS OF INDIA, December 2011 to April 2012

State Skin& Poached Found Shot by Killed In Fighting Died Electrocuted Fight TotalBone Dead FD/Police in Road during with

or killed accident rescue/ otherby villagers treatment animals

ASSAM 1 1 1 1 1 5

KARNATAKA 1 1 2

MADHYA PRADESH 1 skin 2 3

MAHARASHTRA 1 3 1 5

TAMIL NADU 1 skeleton 1

UTTAR PRADESH 1 skin 1 2

UTTARAKHAND 9kg bones, 2 3 5claws,canines

WEST BENGAL 1 skin 1

Total Tiger Deaths 5 2 8 1 1 7 1 24

Source: Wildlife Protection Society of India

Source: www.tigernet.nic.in

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24 January, 2012: Adult male tiger foundelectrocuted in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra.Teeth and claws missing. Poaching suspected.

11 February, 2012: Decomposed carcass of tigerwith portion of front leg torn apart found lyingbesides scattered remains of peafowl in Kanha TigerReserve. Infighting claimed, but poaching suspectedas the reason.

21 February, 2012: Adult tigress found run overby vehicle on Mul-Chandrapur road near Loharavillage near Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. She hada cub, who was observed next to its mother’s body,unable to stand, apparently in a state of shock.

1st March, 2012: Putrefied body of tiger foundby forest staff in Sunderbans. Reason of deathunknown.

2nd March, 2012: Tiger found dead in Moharlirange outside Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve,Maharashtra. Said to have died of old age.

14 March, 2012: Young tiger found dead inBandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh.Injuries indicate attack by other tiger.

AWARDS & EVENTS

FSR Awards-2012

One year after the passing away of legendaryconservationist Fateh Singh Rathore, wildlife lovers andconservationists from across the world gathered atRanthambore to pay tribute to India’s ‘Tiger Man’ orMr Ramthambhore as President Clinton called him onhis visit to India in 2000. The backbone of RanthambhoreTiger Reserve for over five decades, Fatji—as he wasaffectionately known––inspired generations ofconservationists during his lifetime. He passed away oflung cancer on 1st March, 2011.

Tiger Watch, an NGO founded by Fatji, organisedan event to honour his memory and to recognise thework of those who continue to fight for India’s wildlifearound Ranthambhore. Other than the board membersfrom Tiger Watch, officials from the forest departmentand students from the Mogiya Education Programme,friends and family of Fatji participated.

Dr Govardhan Singh Rathore, Fatji’s son, kicked offthe ceremony with a welcome note. He spoke about

Fatji as a father, as a role model and as an inspiration.“Ranthambhore would have had a different story andwe would not have gathered here if it was not for Fatji’svision and efforts,” he said. Dr Rathore also highlightedthe work done by Tiger Watch. Dr Rathore’s speechwas followed by a performance by the school band ofFateh Public School.

Ranthambhore DFO YK Sahu spoke about how hestarted his career in Ranthambhore and how Fatji hadshaped his vision for conservation. Dharmendra Khandalof Tiger Watch talked about the need to focus on otherprotected areas like Kuno and Kailadevi Sanctuary.Chief Conservator of Forests GV Reddy said that Fatji’s“common sense approach in the way he looked afterRanthambhore was more effective that the best sciencein protecting the tigers and the forest”. P.K Sen, formerdirector, Project Tiger and director of RanthambhoreFoundation highlighted the need to have a variedapproach towards conserving our forests.

The Wildlife Conservation Awards for exemplarywork in the field were given to ACF Bhagwan SinghRathore and Forest Guard Moolchand Meena for theirexcellent work in Kailadevi Sanctuary and to RajuBarber and Omprakash Sharma for their hard work andpersistence in protecting and conserving the forests ofKuno Sanctuary.

Fourteen individuals were also honored with Life TimeService Awards for their dedication to conservation. Thepolice department got the Extraordinary Service Awardfor their efforts against poaching in Ranthambhore. TheFSR Unique Wildlife Photograph Award was presentedto Wildlife Warden Balendu Singh for his photograph ofa male tiger rearing its cubs after the mother had passedaway and the Special Award recipient was RS Kala forhis continued unwavering effort towards the conservationof tigers in Ranthambhore.

The event concluded with the release of notedconservationist Valmik Thapar’s book, Tigers in theEmerald Forest and a moving presentation by him onRanthambhore and Fateh Singh. He shared previouslyunpublished photographs with the audience and remindedthe gathering of the power one person has to make adifference.

Fateh Singh Rathore’s larger than life personality andimmeasurable contribution to conservation will never beforgotten.

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Vanya Prani Mitra Awards for forest staffThe Assam state Forest Department and the World WideFund for Nature (WWF) -India recently presented twoinaugural ‘Vanya Prani Mitra Awards’ to four foreststaff of the Assam State Forest Department for theirexemplary service towards the protection of Assam’swildlife.

The awards were presented by Rockybul Hussain,Minister of Forest and Environment,

Assam. One award was given to a patrolling teamfrom the Kaziranga National Park, Assam. The teamcomprised Ganga Bora, Forest Guard; Rustam Timung,Forest Guard; and Bhupen Hazarika, Home Guard. Theywere given the award for showing great courage underfire by engaging with three armed poachers while on apatrol in the park. The encounter resulted in the recoveryof arms, ammunition and a rhino horn.

The second award was given to Salim Ahmed, RangeOfficer at the Rajiv Gandhi Orang

National Park for a slew of initiatives he took thatresulted in a sharp drop in rhino poaching there. Thetwo awards carried a citation and a cash prize of Rs25,000 each.

Source: WWF-India

Krithi Karanth receives NGC’s 10,000th grantConservation biologist Dr Krithi K. Karanth, has beenchosen for the National Geographic Society’s 10,000th

grant for research on human dimensions of conservationsuch as human-wildlife conflicts, land use changes andpeople-park relationships. With the National Geographicgrant, she will assess human-wildlife conflicts in fiveparks in the Western Ghats. The project aims to identifyand map risks for people and the implications of conflict-prone wildlife such as elephants, tigers, leopards andwild boars.

National Geographic, which began funding studiesin 1890 with a single grant to explore the uncharteredMount St Elias region of Alaska, has since then extendedto several programmes, including excavation of the lostInca city of Machu Picchu by archeologist HiramBingham, Jane Goodall’s ground-breaking study of wildchimpanzees, the pioneering exploration of the deep seaby Jacques-Yves Cousteau and many others. The grantsare given primarily for studies in anthropology, archeology,biology, ecology, geology, geography, oceanography andpaleontology.

Source: Deccan Herald, Bangalore, 11 December,2011

Sanctuary Wildlife Awards-2011A scientist who has walked with snow leopards andpandas, an earth hero who tried saving a tiger in a conflictsituation, a field biologist who walks, talks and studiesfrogs, are some of those recognized at the 12thSanctuary Wildlife Awards, 2011, supported by DSPBlackRock and Deutsche Bank. The awards wereconstituted to recognise the best in the field of wildlifeconservation and to shine a spotlight on the unsungheroes who are defending the wildernesses and thusthe food and water security of the Indian subcontinent.

The Lifetime Service Award was conferred uponDr George Schaller, one of the world’s preeminentwildlife biologists. Dr Schaller has been a force inhelping establish wildlife sanctuaries and reservesthroughout the world. Dr Schaller has worked toconserve some of the most endangered and charismaticspecies including mountain gorillas, snow leopards,jaguars, ungulates of the Himalayas, giant pandas andlions across the globe. He is best known in India forhis pioneering study on the tiger in Kanha in the 1960s.

Five Wildlife Service Awards was presented todiverse individuals for their contribution to wildlifeprotection. The awardees were:

Shekar Dattatri: He has successfully used film tospotlight the issue of our disappearing wildlife andhabitats.

Dr SD Biju: His mission has resulted in thediscovery of several amphibian species, including manyin the Western Ghats.

Gerry Martin: Founder and Director of the GerryMartin Project, his mission is now to help urban dwellersconnect with wildlife issues far removed from their dailylife.

Daulat Singh Shaktawat: Committed Range ForestOfficer of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, he hassurvived tiger and leopard attacks over the years butcontinues to work to protect the big cats.

P Suresha: Chief Administrative Officer at NammaSangha, his work has significantly improved therelationship of people with the Bandipur National Park,next to which they live.

The Wind Under the Wings Award: TheMaharashtra Government for enabling and encouragingPraveen Pardeshi, Principal Secretary (Forests) to

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reinvigorate wildlife conservation in Maharashtra.The Young Naturalist Awards went to Ramnath

Chandrashekhar (award-winning wildlife photographerand activist), Aishwarya Sridhar (writer, poet andpassionate conservationist) and Tengbat Sangma (skilledtracker, naturalist and budding field biologist).

A Joint Green Teacher Award was presented toPournima and Rajendra Kerkar. educators,conservationists and social workers, protectingwilderness areas in Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

The Sanctuary Wildlife Awards 2011 were presentedon 2nd December, 2011 at the Tata Theatre, NCPA,Mumbai. The spectacular event was executed flawlesslyby the Sanctuary team and included beautifulaudiovisuals and a stunning performance by the Siddicommunity from Gujarat. It was truly an evening tocelebrate nature and those who work tirelessly todefend it.

Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award–2012On a warm March evening, conservationists and wildlifeenthusiasts gathered at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre tocelebrate excellence in conservation at “ The Carl ZeissWildlife Conservation Awards 2012”. In what hasbecome a tradition over the past 11 years, Valmik Thapar,renowned tiger conservationist and author of over 20books on tigers and wildlife presided over the eveningin which awards were presented to five conservationistswho have made remarkable efforts –in their own uniqueways—to protect wildlife in different parts of thecountry.

This time—as you will see from the list given below,the awardees were an interesting mix—from thosetracking the tiger, to a young man working inLakshadweep with a passion for corals and spiders!

Salman Khurshid, the Union Law Minister felicitatedthe Award evening as the Chief guest.

The following is a list of the winners along with ashort description of the pioneering work they do.

Aditya Singh: a prolific photographer and passionateconservationist, he has been part of numerousconservation projects in the Ranthmabhore landscape. He has also assisted the forest department with anti-poaching measures and the NGO Tiger Watch withbiodiversity surveys.

Ananda Kumar: A wildlife biologist with NatureConservation Foundation, Ananda Kumar has been

carrying out research work in the Anamalai hills of TamilNadu for the past 17 years. His field research andconservation activities have been on elephant behavior,human-elephant conflict and rainforest restoration.

Joseph Vattakaven: Currently the ScienceProgram Coordinator, Tiger Conservation, for WWFIndia, Joseph’s efforts have brought about crucial policyinterventions to stop unsustainable development inwildlife corridors.

Arpit Deomurari–is the Deputy Manager,Bioinformatics, FES, Anand and has a keen interest inAvian Research. His work on the web portal IndianBiodiversity Information System is an exhaustivebibliography of different species and makes availablereliable information on biodiverity on a single platform.

Amod Mohan Zambre is pursuing a masterdissertation project assessing the impacts of globalwarming induced coral mortality on corallivorous fish inthe Lakshadweep archipelago, Amod has workedextensively on arachnids and reptiles, and is also apassionate wildlife photographer.

The award night also saw the release of ValmikThapar’s 22nd book, Tigers in the Emerald Forest, atribute to his favourite tiger ‘hunting’ ground,Ranthambhore, in the monsoon—or rather post a veryfecund rainy season when the park usually dry and dustywas awash with green. The lush greenery compelledthe author to pen the book - “In spite of my family whosaid, ‘not another one’,” laughed Valmik. But, says theauthor, had to write, had to because ‘his’ Ranthambhorewhich he thought he knew so well, had changed colour,and surprised him, ‘so lush, so wet, so green’..so wasborn yet another book, minus the angst and the anger(almost) , brimming with a breathless love, and wonderfor Thapar’s dearly beloved Ranthambhore.

MEDIA

MPs rally to save tigersThe Constitution Club of India organised a ‘Save theTiger’ car rally for Members of Parliament on 18thDecember in collaboration with Aircel telecom and JKTyres. Over 70 cars took part in the rally with footballerBaichung Bhutia endorsing it. The event was flaggedoff by Vice President Hamid Ansari.

The purpose of the rally was to raise awareness abouttiger conservation among the public in general and to

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show parliamentarians’ commitment to the cause.Minister of State for Environment and Forests, JayanthiNatarajan later felicitated the winners of the rally. Shereiterated the government’s commitment to save thetiger, and its habitat.

The event also saw the announcement of setting upa Tiger Forum of the Constitution Club, which had as itsMembers of Parliament across different political partiesas its members.

Source: “MPs rally with vintage beauties to savebig cats”, TNN, 19 December, 2011, New Delhi;“Parliamentarians get behind the wheel to ‘Save theTiger’,” Indian Express, 19 December, 2011, New Delhi

Tiger Dynasty wins national award

The film Tiger Dynasty directed by S Nallamuthureceived two awards at the 59th National Film Awards2011, for ‘Best Environment Film’ and ‘BestCinematography’.

The film follows the tigers that were relocated tothe Sariska Tiger Reserve in an attempt to repopulatethe park with the big cat, and gives us an intimate portraitof their lives as they fight for survival in a challengingnew environment. The focus is clearly on Baghani, ayoung tigress from Ranthambhore and a male tigerRanjore. During the course of the movie Baghani evolvesfrom an uncertain tigress in unfamiliar territory to askilled predator. Baghani is the daughter of ‘Machili’,perhaps the most famous tiger in the world and oncethe undisputed queen of Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.

This documentary is part of a five-documentary BBCseries on endangered wildlife. Director, producer andcameraman all rolled into one, S Nallamuthu has beenfollowing Baghani since she was a cub and is thus ableto make a wonderfully sensitive movie. This captivatingstory of the relocated tigers is enhanced by beautifulfootage, shot over two years at the reserve. It is both agentle reminder of our failure to keep our tigers safe aswell as cause for hope for their future.

Conservation India

Indian wildlife enthusiasts finally have an interactive,comprehensive and informative interface to examineconservation issues. Slickly designed and easy to

navigate, the Conservation India website is alreadyproving popular with amateurs and professionals alike.

Backed by a team of respected wildlife professionalsthe website can be trusted to publish only reliable newsand well-founded views. Users can register for freeand thus avail added benefits like directly uploadingimages to the site, being able to leave comments andreceiving information about off line events.

News updates, case studies, articles, conservationtool kits and photo galleries come together to converteven the most casual enthusiast in to a well-informedconservationist.

The website is still in its infancy and we can onlyexpect it to flourish and prove to be a useful tool forconservation. The CI coordinators write, “With wildlifeand wildlands now reeling under unsustainable demandsfrom all sectors––urban and rural, industrial andagricultural––there is little time left. Therefore, CIaspires to be a springboard for rational and practicalconservation action, rather than a platform fortheoretical debate.”

Visit CI at www.conservationindia.org

Secrets of Wild India, National Geographic

Icon films and the National Geographic Channel, bringsto viewers across the world a peek in to India’s mostspectacular wildernesses. Narrated by the legendarySir David Attenborough, each of the three episodes ofthis series focuses on a different landscape. The secondepisode, a 60-minute long classic documentary, titledTiger Jungles focuses exclusively on the Tadobalandscape. Spending over two months shooting in theheat of Central India, the film makers have truly donethe tiger justice by capturing extraordinary footage ofthe animal in its domain.The other two episodes titledElephant Kingdom and Desert Lions are equallyspellbinding. Reruns of all three episodes will be featuredon National Geographic through April.

Duncan Chard directs this series withSaravanakumar Salem as the director of photographyand Kalyan Verma as the additional photographer.Beautiful lighting, interesting graphics, Sir Attenborough’sdistinctive touch and of course, incredible wildlife willmake this series a definitive guide to India’s wilds.

MEDIA

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