| The drop in numbers of the Great Indian hornbill in the forests of Uttara Kannada has been a cause for concern among naturalists... | |
 Today very few hornbills have been spotted in Dandeli, Joida, Castlerock and Khanapur forests.Due to heavy biotic interference, the Western Ghats of Karwar and Belgaum district have been degraded. Owing to habitat lost and hunting in some areas, the Great hornbill is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Forest dwellers of Western Ghats threaten the Great Indian Hornbills. The beaks and head are used in charms and the flesh is believed to be medicinal. The squabs are considered a delicacy. Naturalist Gangadhar Kallur says that several development projects including Kali dam has caused great harm to the habitat of these hornbills in the region. A decade back, the Centre for Green Earth submitted a report on the status of the Great Indian hornbill in Joida and Dandeli forests. The report was sent to Principal Conservator of Forests of Karnataka urging authorities concerned to take necessary steps for conservation. Volunteers of Dharwad Open School have also taken keen interest to study the present status of Hornbills and conservation programmes related to these birds. | |
Dandeli-Anshi is the fourth tiger reserve of Karnataka state,located in Uttara Kannada district.It got Tiger Reserve status in January 2007.It is spread over 1365 Sq.Km which includes Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi National Park and has satisfactory remarks about tiger density.It is also a home for endangered Hornbill species and rare black panthers.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Great Indian hornbill in peril:
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Bears kill farmer in Khanapur
Two sloth bears killed a farmer on Sunday night at Godholi village in Khanapur taluk. The name of the victim was given as Motis Thomas Cholnekar (60).
The bears stray into the area to eat cashew. On Sunday night, when Motis was on the way to his farm, two bears reportedly attacked him. His right thigh was injured. He bled to death, it is said. Although his family members shifted him to a hospital in Haliyal it was too late.
His body was handed over to his family after a postmortem.
Assistant Conservator of Forest Prasanna K. Naik, Range Forest Officer S.M. Sankolli, and forester K.I. Gurav were present.
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