Poaching activities bring serious trouble for govt

Forest department is facing tough challenge of preventing poaching activities in Khanapur jungle, which is recognized as a major habitat for elephants. Taking advantage of poor vigilance of the forest department, breaking of law is unabated in this jungle by locals and poachers from outside.The arrest of 20 professional poachers from Maharashtra recently, provided the proof of ongoing unabated poaching activities in Khanapur jungle once again. Poachers had entered jungle along with tempo, in which they had dongs trained for poaching and sharp weapons to kill and cut the wild animals.

However, following the tip-off, local forest officials succeeded in nabbing them at Parwada-Gouliwada jungle near Kanakumbi by launching a well planned attack. According to department sources, knowledge about jungle and preparation of the poachers, they might have conducted their activities in past too.Speaking to the TOI, a senior officer of the department said poaching activities of such a magnitude were not possible without help from the insiders in department or local villagers. Recently, officials had caught a cook in one of the forest department resorts in Khanapur jungle, who used to poach wild animals and served their meat at high rates to the guests.

He was suspended after being caught."After arrest of 20 poachers recently, we have been increased security at check posts, from where one can take entry into jungle. The check posts at Hemmadaga, Jamboti, Krishnapur, Londa and Dorla are kept alert round the clock in order to keep eye on law breakers", Ambadi Madhav, deputy conservator of forests said.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-07/hubli/34972236_1_jungle-poachers-forest-department

Bhimgad will get range forest office

The forest department plans to open a range forest office to conserve Bhimgad reserve forest in Khanapur taluk of the district, which was declared a wildlife sanctuary' last year by the ministry of environment and forests.

Bhimgad forest is spread on 19,042.50 hectares in the core zone of Western Ghats. The area is free from biotic disturbances and forestry operations. However, poaching and smuggling continues in this area.

This forest is home to tigers, leopards, Indian gaur (bison), sloth bear, sambar, barking deer, cheetah, wild dogs, king cobra and variety of other mammals and reptiles.

Poachers and smugglers enter the forest easily from Krishnapur village area on the Goa route. In order to control this, the department plans to open the range office here.

Speaking to STOI, Ambadi Madhav, district conservator of forests, said the proposal has been sent to the forest department in the state and the Centre. A K Varma, state principal chief conservator of forest, who visited Belgaum a few months ago promised to sanction a range office for Bhimgad sanctuary at the earliest, by availing approval from the Centre. Varma was in Belgaum as DCF from 1984-87. "There are also plans to create awareness on the importance of Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary to villagers, who often collude with poachers and get involved in smuggling for a petty amount, without knowing the value of the animals and plants", the DCF said.

With the range office in the area, there would be more guards to man the forest.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-23/hubli/35981930_1_bhimgad-forest-district-conservator

Volunteers Needed

Dear All,

If anybody is interested to work as volunteers in wildlife conservation please contact me on girirk19@gmail.com.

Leopard Dies at Castlerock

This Leopard died of injuries after it was attacked by a Porcupine in Castle rock forest which were recently added to Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary.There can be two reasons for this death, first being is it may have fought  with the porcupine or else it may have tried to feed on it.The first possibility is very rare where as the latter one may be true which is truly indicating that prey base is decreasing in these forests which intern forcing the predators to feed on such species which can prove extremely dangerous for their life.

Indian park guards protecting wildlife awarded their own protection

A major victory for wildlife protection forces was made last week with the launch of a new government-operated insurance program to cover all forest guards employed in the Indian state of Karnataka, which holds the largest number of wild tigers in India, and serves as a stronghold for this highly endangered species.

Around the world, park guards are the keepers of the forests, protectors of wildlife, and serve as the front line of defence against poachers. Tigers, elephants, rhinos and other wildlife are being heavily targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife market – which is a booming 19 billion dollar a year insidious industry. Poachers are highly organized and heavily out-fitted, more so than the park guards, who are often poorly paid, ill-equipped, and yet risk their lives to protect the world's wildlife.

Recognizing the critical role government forest staff play in conserving tigers and other species, Sanjay Gubbi, the Tiger Program Coordinator for the big cat conservation group Panthera, spearheaded this program (the first of its kind to be offered even to temporary staff) to provide the much-needed insurance protection for nearly 2,500 wildlife park guards, anti-poaching patrol members, and other frontline enforcement staff working in extremely high-risk conditions throughout Karnataka's five tiger reserves and 38 protected areas.

"Karnataka's forest staff are on the front lines defending tigers and other wildlife from poaching, habitat loss, and overhunting of their prey. Their presence on the ground, patrolling these areas and mitigating key threats, is essential in protecting wildlife, and yet they often risk their lives doing so" Gubbi stated. "The adoption of this new insurance policy demonstrates the value that the Karnataka State Government places on the well-being of its forest staff and their commitment to wildlife conservation, and this program serves as a model for other states and countries around the globe."

The new policy was presented by Gubbi, who worked with the State Government for several months to implement this insurance scheme, and it was formally approved during the Karnataka State Wildlife Board Meeting on Saturday, December 15th. The meeting was overseen by Chief Minister, Jagadish Shettar, and attended by instrumental supporters of the initiative, including Karnataka's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dipak Sarmah, Forest Minister C. P. Yogeshwar, and former Indian cricket team captain, Anil Kumble.

Insurance is a critical security component and incentive for wildlife enforcement staff, and up until now there has been a significant dearth of such state-funded protection for fulltime and temporary workers. Without insurance initiatives, forest staff face illness, and a range of injuries from their jobs, some as serious as losing limbs, and even losing their lives. Worse yet, the families of guards who have perished, up until now, have been left without any form of government-funded social security.

Panthera's CEO, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, stated, "Today, the Indian subcontinent is home to the world's highest densities of tigers. If we are to see the species rebound from its current state of fewer than 3,200 individuals, the philosophy is simple: properly protect and equip the foot soldiers fighting to conserve the last viable tiger populations." He continued, "We applaud Karnataka's government for bolstering its wildlife protection forces and establishing a sound insurance model to be replicated across the tiger's range."

Above all, highly organized and well-armed gangs of poachers targeting and trafficking animals for their meat, skins and body parts serve as the number one threat to tigers, their prey and to the wildlife enforcement patrols themselves. Serving as a biodiversity hotspot, the threat of poaching is particularly real within Karnataka State. Nestled in southwest India's Western Ghats region, Karnataka is home to one of the world's largest remaining wild tiger populations and substantial populations of the leopard, Asian elephant, and other endangered species. Today, Karnataka's estimated population of 300 wild tigers primarily live within the region's five tiger reserves, including the Bandipur, Dandeli-Anshi, Biligirirangaswamy Temple, Bhadra, and Nagarahole Reserves.

Expected to be fully established within these reserves in the coming year, the State's insurance policy is currently being implemented on a pilot basis within Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where Panthera's Gubbi has played a pivotal role in convincing the reserve Director, Kumar Pushkar, to provide insurance for the 471 wildlife enforcement staff. Pushkar, a dynamic officer, took up the suggestion immediately and implemented the policy. In collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Gubbi and other field scientists are implementing Panthera's Tigers Forever program to reduce habitat fragmentation of India's tiger reserves, connect Karnataka's remaining tiger populations to ensure the species' genetic diversity, mitigate threats facing tigers and implement public awareness campaigns to galvanize local support for the future of this iconic species.

###

About Panthera

Panthera, founded in 2006, is devoted exclusively to the conservation of wild cats and their ecosystems. Utilizing the expertise of the world's premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global conservation strategies for the largest, most imperilled cats – tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera works in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments around the globe. Visit: www.panthera.org

About Tigers Forever

Launched in 2006 after decades of continuing tiger declines, Tigers Forever is changing the face of tiger conservation. Tigers Forever makes a unique commitment to increase tiger numbers at key sites by at least 50% over a 10-year period by relentlessly attacking the most critical threats to tigers – poaching of tigers and their prey. Utilizing rigorous science to maintain constant vigilance on conservation efforts and on the tiger itself, this transformative program is the only one of its kind to guarantee success – the recovery of the wild tiger. Visit Tigers Forever.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/p-ipg122112.php 

If animals could speak, perhaps they would gripe

India has some of the toughest and promising wildlife laws in the world that have been the cornerstone of species and habitat preservation. There are historical evidences of wildlife conservation in the country. However, several of independent India’s pioneering and new generation wildlife Acts and policies were enacted under the patronage of Indira Gandhi during the formative years (‘70s and ‘80s) of modern wildlife preservation. Significant among them was The Wildlife Protection Act that primarily provided protection against hunting, which was the biggest cause of concern at that time. Even our national animal, the tiger, could be hunted and ‘shikar safaris’ were a main attraction for Europeans to visit India. There were even rewards for ‘eradication’ of tiger, wild dog, Himalayan black bear, jackal and others.

Though direct killing of wildlife was largely for venison and trophies, the reasons for unnatural deaths of wild species have changed over time. However, hunting remains one of the primary causes of mortalities. Several other reasons have emerged as the market and economy progressed, threatening wildlife survival. One could categorise causes of mortality into two broad themes; direct and indirect. The fatality due to unnatural reasons varies from region to region, and at times even temporally.

Anatomy of unnatural deaths
Hunting, casualties due to speeding vehicles or trains, and retaliatory killing by people are perhaps the three main causes of direct mortality. Hunting is a nationwide phenomenon. Wildlife Protection Society of India, an organisation that works on wildlife trade related issues, documents 318 seizures and poaching incidents of leopards during the past two years, depicting the scale of poaching for trade. The country has only about 1200 tuskers of breeding age as per the 2010 report of the Elephant Task Force (ETF), again illustrating the severity of commercial poaching.

There are high numbers of elephant deaths due to trains in Assam, West Bengal and Uttarakhand. While speeding vehicles kill innumerable mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians on most highways that pass through protected areas, Dandeli in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala are classic examples.

In Kaziranga National Park, Assam several animals are killed by vehicles during monsoons when the Brahmaputra floods force animals to higher elevations. During their pursuit of crossing NH-37, high mortalities of wildlife occur. Linked to this is the spurt in rhino poaching when they move out of the safe zones of the national park during the monsoons. Both these examples depict temporal peaks in unnatural deaths.

Another cause of grave concern is the retaliatory killing due to conflict with farmers and livestock owners. In India annually about 100 elephants are exterminated in retaliatory actions by people as per the ETF report. Tens of leopards meet catastrophic fate due to conflict. However, the impact caused by conflict on livelihoods is bound to bring in animosity of affected people.

While the causes of direct mortality may be small, the roots of indirect threats are numerous and vary in nature. The key ecological reasons of this cause include total loss of habitat (due to agriculture, river valley projects, highways, mining), degradation of habitats (due to forest fires, extraction of forest products, pollution), introduction of invasive species and diseases. The relationship between mortalities due to indirect threats is fairly complex. Andaman crake, a bird from the Andaman Islands, is threatened by introduced predators such as rats, and sea turtle eggs and hatchlings are devoured by feral dogs.

The public response
The way public responds to unnatural deaths of wildlife greatly vary. Images of an elephant family killed in a rail accident in Jalpaiguri district in September 2010 raised public outcry. I and a senior forest official were able to convince the court to close vehicular traffic at night on the highways passing through Bandipur due to some impactful images of wildlife killed in road accidents.

Unnatural deaths due to poaching or vehicle mortalities brings in public sympathy and support in some instances. However, disappearance of species due to indirect perils is largely unnoticed and building sustained backing against this is not easy. The pressure of demographic and economic expansion is severe than ever before.

Despite strong policies, lack of implementation due to interventions, both political and economic, has been a serious limitation in wildlife conservation.  Nevertheless, several conservation victories in the country have brought in optimism. There is neither one size fits all nor a magic wand to save species. With committed political leadership, dynamic bureaucracy, importantly civil society organisations and individuals, who care and work rationally with Governments and social leaders, the unnatural deaths and disappearance of wildlife can be reduced to tolerable limits.

(The writer is a wildlife biologist working in the Western Ghats.)

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/300292/if-animals-could-speak-perhaps.html

Pangolin Poachers held in Haliyal

In addition to the recent arrest of notorious Hakki Pikki Poachers in Haliyal by the forest department here on Monday Haliyal Police have arrested two persons while they were trying to smuggle the Pangolin skin weighing around 4 and half Kg and one more person has been arrested in this connection.

Please find the attachment below for more details:

Notorious Poachers held in Haliyal

It is once again proved that Dandeli and surrounding forests are not safe from the poachers since notorious Hakki Pikki poachers who are infamous for their connectivity with the international poachers' gangs have been arrested by the Haliyal Forest Division Officials and staff recently.The said poachers were living near city outskirts and department had kept an eye on them and have been finally caught when they were trying to sell the nails and other body parts of leopard,civet,jackal etc.Forest department have seized nails, hand bombs,traps,cages and other accessories used for the poaching.

Please find the attachment below for more details:

'Mhadei must be declared tiger reserve'

Goa should declare the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary as a tiger reserve during its golden jubilee year of liberation as it would be a matter of pride for the state, and also help protect its lifeline, the River Mhadei, noted conservationist Prerna Singh Bindra said on Friday.

"Goa has lots to offer in terms of biodiversity and other things, and the tiger's presence is a matter of pride rather than shying away from acknowledging it," the national board for wildlife member said.

Speaking in Candolim on tiger conservation and referring to the elusive big cats of Goa, she said it was sad that their presence here had been beset by a denial syndrome.

Further, Bindra said that Goa can be the 18th tiger state in the country and if it happens, it would also help save the Mhadei as the state's lifeline.

Jairam Ramesh, then Union minister of environment and forests, had written to former chief minister Digambar Kamat on June 28, 2011, urging the state government to submit a proposal to declare Mhadei as a tiger reserve.

Environmentalists realized that this suggestion had been prompted by the estimated presence of 35 tigers in Karnataka's tiger landscape, comprising the Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary and the Anshi-Dandeli tiger reserve.

But successive governments have shied away from complying with the Centre's request. "We are aware about the tiger's presence in Goa, but there is also a strong mining lobby here," a member of the audience quipped.

Bindra felt that everybody can contribute to the cause of tiger conservation in their own way. "The teachers can teach kids, NGOs can help in documentation, others can motivate the forest department officials," she said.

Terming project tiger, initiated in 1973, as a major conservation exercise, she said that it was a matter of pride that India has 1706 big cats and that is more than half of the world's population of big cats. "But 12% of its habitat is being lost every year," she said. Poaching, fragmentation of forest and its habitat, and dwindling of its prey base were some of the reasons for the decline in tiger population, she added.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Mhadei-must-be-declared-tiger-reserve/articleshow/17069390.cms

Temples in sanctuaries may have to share revenue with Forest dept

The return of tiger tourism, following the October 16 Supreme Court order, has ushered in fresh regulations with regard to the management of religious places in tiger reserves across the Country.

Both sectors, which were earlier unregulated, are now expected to come under stringent government oversight.

Religious places such as the Biligiri Ranganatha temple in the BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, the Himavat Gopalaswamy temple in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and several other temples, typically witness a large influx of devotees. Under the guidelines proposed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), during the hearing of petition related to tiger tourism in the apex court, the temples will now be required to share a portion of their revenue with the Forest Department. 

In its guidelines, the Authority has suggested to all state governments to form a Local Advisory Committee for each tiger reserve to review the tourism strategy and make recommendations. The committee will also periodically review pilgrimage sites within tiger reserves in accordance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to prevent any further expansion.  

Accordingly, all these transit camps and places of stay for pilgrims shall be restricted to specially designated days in a year. The protected area managers will now be required to work with temple authorities to develop a system for controlling the number of pilgrims so as to maintain the ecological integrity of the area within three years of the notification of these guidelines. “This includes those temples which require to stay open for certain period of time for a temporary period in an year, (mela)” explained Dipak Sarmah, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden. 

As per the guidelines, all rules related to tourism facilities - noise, building design, use of alternate energy and free passage for wildlife  - will apply to pilgrimage sites. Temple boards will be required to negotiate terms of revenue sharing with local communities and channel a minimum of 10 per cent of their gross revenue collected to the development of local communities through the Gram Sabha. 

The guidelines also suggest that tourist operators, drivers and temple-controlling authorities be educated on the importance of forest ecosystem, their ecological services and dos and don’ts during their visits to forests and tiger reserves. The guidelines shall be applicable to the tiger reserves but the State government shall lay down norms on similar lines for tourism in other protected areas. “Contravention of any provision of these guidelines or conditions laid therein by any person or organisation will be an offence under sub-section (2) of 38-O of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,” the guidelines states.

New ruling

Karnataka State Forest Department officials, however, said that the new ruling would do little to generate revenue here as the State did not have major religious places capable of generating large revenue such as Kerala’s Sabarimala. “We have just small temples which do not generate revenue,” a forest official said. 

Wildlife enthusiasts, on the other hand, agreed that the regulations will do much good in curbing seasonal pilgrimages in tiger reserves such as Bandipur, Nagarahole and the Anshi Dandeli tiger reserve.

The Bandipur tiger reserve alone has ten temples including Himavat Goplaswamy temple in Gopalaswamy hills. The others are Tavarekatte Madappa in Bandipur range, Venugopalaswamy temple in Gopalaswamy Hills, Kanive Madappa in Gopalaswamy Hills, Marigudi in Maddur range, Ayanur Marigudi in Ayanur Marigudi, Beladakuppe Mahadeshwara in Hediyala Range, Alaganchi Marigudi in Moleyur Range, Basaveshwara temple in N Begur Range, Durga temple in Gundre Range and Devara Madu Madeshwara in Kundukere Range.

In Anshi Dandeli, visitors pass through the reserve to reach the Ulavi Chennabasaveshwara Shrine — the holy place of Veerashaivas. The Kavala caves within the park draws crowds during Mahashivarathri, while tribals around Nagarhole visit a temple Aiyangudi during a particular time.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/288288/temples-sanctuaries-may-have-share.html

Pangolin Poachers held in Joyda

Poachers who were trying to sell the Pangolin's skin have been arrested by the Joyda Police near Bapeli Cross on Sunday.Officials have seized the skin of approx.610 Grams along with an Indica Car and a weighing machine.The case has been registered in Joyda Police Station.

Please find the attachments below for more details:

Goa pitches for heritage list berth with rare bats in forests

Making its representation to get Goa region of Western Ghats included as world heritage site by UNESCO, the state forest department has said that its forests are the only home on earth for rare species of bat — The Giant Indian Mastiff.

The forest department, in its draft letter prepared last week, to be submitted to UNESCO, has said rare ‘Wroughton’s free-tailed bat’ (The Giant Indian Mastiff) has been recorded in this contiguous region, which is already declared protected.

The only known roosting site of this bat on this planet falls just outside the boundary of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, the department has said.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Richard D’Souza, who drafted the letter, has said “till date, the range of this bat is not known and it is almost certain that it falls inside the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.”

In July 2012, the Western Ghats along with 39 serial sites spread across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala got inscribed as world heritage sites by UNESCO.

However, the Western Ghats falling in Goa were not included in the UNESCO’s list.

The state forest department has said although Goa is the smallest State through which the Western Ghats pass, its forests are vital to maintain the contiguity of the northern and southern stretches of the Ghats.

The letter, which will be discussed with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar before being sent to UNESCO, has also sought declaration of Goa forests as ‘tiger habitat’, D’Souza said.

The presence of tigers in recent years indicates that these protected and contiguous forests of Maharashtra and Karnataka are one of the best potential tiger habitats in the Western Ghats, D’Souza said in the letter.

Besides, the Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve in Karnataka is also contiguous to the Western Ghats of Goa.

The Department has said “although the elevation of most of the peaks of Goa’s stretch of Western Ghats are barely 800-1,000 kms above mean sea level, the species diversity and density in core areas is relatively high”.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/article3945160.ece

Goa should be part of Tiger Reserve complex: Wildlife Institute of India

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has suggested inclusion of Goa as a part of the Tiger Reserve complex complimenting the sanctuaries in Maharashtra and Karnataka, which would help the coastal state in conserving wild cats.

The Dehradun-based Institute, which submitted its report on the status of wildlife in Goa to the state forest department has established that tiger occupancy in Goa is about 322 square kilometres.

Goa can be potentially be home to a small breeding population of tigers which would be sustained by immigrants from Anshi-Dandeli wildlife sanctuary (in Karnataka) as well as Sahyadri wildlife sanctuary (in Maharashtra).

The census conducted in 2010, and results of which were formally sent to Goa forest department few days back, notes that tiger presence is recorded in Mollem wildlife sanctuary and in forests of Ponda and Sanguem area.

Goa has five wildlife sanctuaries and a national park. The report states that Goa forms part of the corridor connecting Anshi-Dandeli in Karnataka and Sahyadri tiger reserve in Maharashtra.

"It would therefore benefit from being incorporated as part of tiger reserve complex," the WIIsaid.

State forest department officials said the proposal to declare Goa's forest areas as tiger reserve has been under consideration but final thought is not given to it.

"There are so many intricacies attached to it once the Tiger Reserve is announced. We have several human settlements in wildlife sanctuaries. But the process to relocate them is far from over," a senior forest department official said.

Environmentalists, however, claim that the state government's reluctance to declare wildlife sanctuaries especially Mhadei as a tiger reserve, is aimed at saving Goa's multi-crore iron ore mining industry.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-11/flora-fauna/33761813_1_anshi-dandeli-tiger-reserve-mhadei

90 jumbos electrocuted in 5 years

As many as 600 elephants have died in the state in the last five years, according to the records of the Forest Department. Among these, 90 pachyderms died of electrocution.

A few months ago, a tamed elephant at Balle Camp was electrocuted when it accidentally came in contact with a live hanging wire. Another elephant met with a similar fate in BRT Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district.

These two incidents are among the 90 cases which have been reported in the Mysore Elephant Reserve comprising Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Hassan and Kodagu districts.

Of late, such cases are reported from Ramanagaram district and Yellapur and Halyal taluks of Uttara Kannada district.

One of the main reasons for the electrocution of pachyderms is illegal drawing of electricity to the fences for protecting crops from wild elephants.

Besides, the sagging electricity line inside national parks and sanctuaries are also resulting in the death of wild elephants, the forest officials said.

Electrocution has claimed lives of nine elephants in 2007-08, 19 in 2008-09, 22 in 2009-10, 13 in 2010-11, 15 in 2011-12 and seven lives of elephants till July 31, 2012, they added.

Taking a serious note of these figures, senior officials of the forest department held a discussion with the officials of electricity supply companies (ESCOMs) and requested them for regular monitoring of the power line.

An 11 KV high tension (HT) line passes through Udbur and Bavali in Mysore district which has a large concentration of elephants. Upon request, the HT line has been being shifted. This line passes through in Nagarahole, Bandipur and BRT sanctuaries.

A few years ago, three elephants died in Hassan and Kodagu districts when they came into contact with an electric line. Another perennial problem is illegal drawing of electricity from the main line and connecting it to the fences.

The elephants die on the spot if they try to gatecrash into the fields. This is rampant in four districts which come under the Mysore Elephant Reserve.

Chief Conservator of Forests of Project Elephant Ajay Mishra told Express that National Board of Wildlife (NBW) has released draft guidelines and accordingly, the electric wire should be above 20 feet above the ground.

Apart from this, it has recommended putting the spike guard on every electric pole put up in forests so that the elephants do not go near it and there should be sagging of wire drawn between two poles.

The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) systematically follows while drawing the HT line. But the ESCOMs are little lax in regard to drawing LT line.

“If the LT wire is sagging, there is every chance of electrocution of pachyderms,” he stated.

Mishra said after the High Court took a serious note of unnatural deaths of elephants, the departments concerned have become alert.

Now, the police are booking cases against farmers who are drawing electricity illegally by adding sections under the IPC and CrPC. This has increased in the rate of conviction.

“Our intention is not to punish farmers but to create awareness that they do not resort to illegal means to scare elephants,” he noted.

An edited edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/90-jumbos-electrocuted-in-5-years/294644-60-115.html

Poachers held with Wild-pig flesh

Poachers who were trying to sell Wild-pig's flesh near Joyda have been arrested by Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve officials and staff.It was said that the accusers had set snares on the periphery of their agriculture fields and as a result two wild pigs were trapped.And after this they were trying to sell the flesh but finally got arrested by the forest staff.The main accuser Gangadhar Hegde is absconding and will be caught very soon, said Mr. Ashok Basarkod,Conservator of Forests and Director of Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve.

Please find the attachment below for more details:

Pride of Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, C R Naik selected for South Africa Tour

Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve's forest guard Mr.Chandrakant R Naik who is well known for his extraordinary research and conservation activities has been selected for a study tour to Republic of South Africa by Kumble Foundation, Bangalore.In this tour he will be visiting Mabula Game Reserve and Cruger National Park and will be trained on Anti poaching activities,Human-Wildlife Conflicts etc.

Mr C R Naik along with three others will be leaving to South Africa on September 23rd and will return on 5th September.I heart-fully wish Mr Naik and his team a safe and fantastic journey.

Please find the attachments below for more details:

Wild Animals turn towards human habitations

It is a known fact that in recent years India have lost most of its Tigers and their habitats.But even the protected areas which forms just 3% of the total geographical area of our country are also facing lots of disturbances from human activities and as a result now wild animals more oftently visiting nearby human habitations since encroachment,habitat loss and food-water scarcity became a big problem for herbivores like spotted deer,sambar etc.

And even our Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve is also not exceptional from this.Adding to this recently in a span of 5 days three spotted deers strayed into Human habitats in Joyda and Kumbarwada but forest staff along with help of local people could able to send them back into the forests safely.

Please find the attachments below for more details:

No Tourism in Core Areas of Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve

Armed with the Supreme Court directive banning tourist activities in core areas in tiger reserves,On Tuesday, Deepak Sarmah, PCCF, (Wildlife), Bangalore, issued a notice in this regard.The move follows the Supreme Court's interim order banning all tourist activities in core areas of Project Tiger forests.

It is important to know that tourism activities in core areas of Dandeli-Anshi forests have been also banned since it is a tiger reserve.Now we can expect a peaceful and restful time for the wild animals which were always under the great disturbance by tourism activities.As i got the information all the safaris have been cancelled in Kulgi and Phansoli on the day the notice has been issued by the PCCF(Wildlife).

For detailed information please follow the link below:

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Bangalore-stops-tiger-safaris/articleshow/15155772.cms

Supreme Court orders complete ban on tiger tourism across the country

The Supreme Court has ordered complete ban on any form of tourism that’s organised in the name of tigers in the core areas of their sanctuaries and directed the state governments where the sanctuaries house the big cats to put in place a notification setting up buffer zones.

“Tigers are practically on the verge of extinction whatever the statistics may be,” the top court observed on Tuesday while hearing a PIL filed by environmentalist Ajay Dubey.

The PIL has sought directions to the Centre and statesto protect tigers from poachers and to ensure necessary care to them.

The ban will remain in force until the court finally disposes of the PIL.

Tiger breeding takes place in core areas which are meant to be kept free of any disturbance, including tourism. Buffer zones are the areas which lie in the periphery of core areas also known as critical tiger habitats. The buffer zones constitute the fringe areas of tiger reserves up to a distance of 10 kms.

A bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and Ibrahim Kalifulla also imposed a fine of Rs10,000 on the governments of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,Bihar, and Andhra Pradesh for ignoring its repeated directives concerning buffer zones.

Karnataka is the lone government that has notified setting up buffer zones around its tiger sanctuaries.

Expressing concern over the authorities’ inertia in sincerely implementing the Wild Life Act and the Article 21 of the constitution that guarantees protection to environment, the court also warned that contempt action would be initiated against the offending states.

It also said exemplary cost up to Rs 50,000 would be imposed on each state and this amount would be recovered from the chief secretary concerned.

Union environment and forests minister Jayanthi Nataraj has welcomed the ban order and said she would personally write to all chief ministers asking them to strictly follow the top court’s mandate.

She also expressed concern over increased tourism activities in core areas in tiger reserves.

There have been reports about wildlife and cultural holidays that are called tiger tracking safaris in Kanha, Bandhavgarh or Pench National Parks and Asiatic Lion safaris and vacations in Sasan Gir National Park.

According to reports quoting the National Tiger Conservation Authority, about 48 tigers have died in the first six months of 2012 compared to 56 tiger deaths reported in the whole of 2010 and 52 in 2011.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_supreme-court-orders-complete-ban-on-tiger-tourism_1719277

For more detailed story please follow the links below:

http://www.iol.co.za/travel/travel-news/tiger-reserves-off-limits-to-tourists-1.1349929#.UBF6R2EqmHg

http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/court-suspends-tourism-in-tiger-reserves-20120726-22svk.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/07/25/world/asia/india-tiger-tourism/index.html

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10822349

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/karnataka/article3683454.ece?homepage=true

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48302493/ns/us_news-environment/#.UBF672EqmHg

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-25/flora-fauna/32847286_1_tiger-reserves-project-tiger-b-j-hosmath

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/supreme-court-to-the-rescue-of-tiger-reserves/1/210167.html

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/266874/curtains-safaris-state-reserves.html

http://www.eturbonews.com/30337/indian-court-bans-all-tourist-activities-tiger-reserves

Villager attacked by sloth bear near Diggi

Mahadev Mirashi from Dhoodmala village near Diggi has been fatally attacked by a sloth bear when he was returning home from Karanjoda.It was said that the sloth bear was with its cubs and suddenly attacked in order to save its cubs and as a result the said victim suffered severe injuries on his head, hands, legs.

It is important to note that the Dhoodmala is a remote village situated 40 Km from the Taluka Place Joyda and people need to cross Kali River several times to reach the town.Since the incident happened in the monsoon the flow of water was on rise and even the ambulance got damaged before it could arrived to the spot.So with great difficulty the victim was taken to Joyda and was given first treatment and then taken to SDM Hospital,Dharwad for further treatment.

Please find the attachment below for more details:

Tourist found dead in Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve

A group of tourists from Dharwad who were on a picnic to Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve became witnesses for a tragedy on last Sunday.

Chandregowda who was working in a Dharwad based private company had come for a picnic with his colleagues/friends to Syntheri Rocks which is situated in Phansoli Wildlife Range of Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and was found missing near Kaneri river bridge since Sunday afternoon and search for the body was in progress till Monday since heavy  rain tampered the operation.But however it has been said that by Monday evening police department personnel with the help of Forest department staff and local people could able to recover the body.

It is said that all these people were consumed alcohol and were celebrating a party near hanging bridge where the entry is strictly prohibited.And suddenly Chandregowda was missing by that time, probably might have been drowned in the deep water.
For more information please find the attachment below:

Tragedic Ends here are not new:

It is important to notice that six months before at the same place one more person was found dead.And even Syntheri Rocks is also not safe which has witnessed many deaths in this area.

Lesson for all who enter forests and other Protected Areas:

Whoever is entering the forests or protected areas such as Tiger Reserves,Wildlife Sanctuaries,National Parks should take a prior permission from the concerned department and should also accompany a guide who knows the area well.And neglecting such things has resulted in a Trekker's death who had trespassed the Bannerghatta National Park and trampled to death by an elephant on the same day.

Hence I would like to suggest some of the points for the trekkers.

1.Forests are home to wild animals so you are in their territory and we can never expect a mercy from them so anything can happen if you encounter them face to face.

2.Do not enter Restricted areas in the forests without prior permission from the concerned department and never forget to be accompanied by the guide who knows the area very well.And never be in such an assumption that you are totally safe if you have Google maps or GPS locations.

3.Wear the proper camouflage in the forests.

4.Never apply deodorants or some other body sprays which may attract elephants and some other animals which can smell from very far places.

5.Take the treks on designated paths.

6.Never try to swim in the lakes,streams,rivers which are unknown since there may be whirlpools or even may be infested with the crocodiles.

7.Never litter or play a music.

8.Always follow your trek team and make sure that you are not left behind since there are chances of losing the routes.

9.If you loose the paths never try to find some other paths instead stay in the same place from where you left behind so that your team members can track you easily.

10.Maintain a safe distance from the wild animals because just for a good photo shot you may even loose your life.
Important Note:
Tiger Reserves,Wildlife Sanctuaries,National Parks are not picnic spots as many people think.These places are meant for wild animals and not for humans.There is no wrong in visiting them since everyone should be aware of wildlife and their conservation but trespassing into the forests,littering,playing music and other such activities are punishable under Wildlife Protection Act.So please think and act properly before you visit any forests or protected areas in the future.

Black panthers are not that uncommon-Dandeli forests Heaven for Black Panthers

The long-term camera trap surveys being conducted by the forest department and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is beginning to show results as the cameras have captured more than 100 black leopards in the dense forest of the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve in the past three years.

These surveys are part of the long-term camera trap studies of tigers and leopards being conducted in the Malnad-Mysore Tiger Landscape of Karnataka for over two decades by the Centre for Wildlife studies, with support from the Wildlife Conservation Society. This project has generated several interesting captures of black leopards in this landscape, including some in drier forests.

During the current year of intensive tiger monitoring under phase IV of National Tiger Estimation in Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve, the project led by Ullas Karanth of WCS threw up a unique photo capture of a family of leopards that had two spotted and one melanistic member. These photo were taken at Satkhand-Kalamkhand Road in May 2012 by a team working under the guidance of Samba Kumar, joint director-conservation science, WCS, according to Karanth. At Bandipura, a black leopard was spotted in April 2008 along Chippana Halla Road and another on Danadari Camp Road in February 2010.

For more information on this please follow the link below:

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_black-panthers-are-not-that-uncommon_1713007
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/article3625739.ece

Tourism in Forests of Western Ghats - A case study in Dandeli

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forest formed the 14-member Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP)1, to recommend measures and assist the government in the preservation, conservation and rejuvenation of the environmentally sensitive and ecologically significant regions of the Western Ghats. The panel's mandate is to assess the ecological status of the Western Ghats region, demarcate areas within to be notified as ecologically sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and recommend modalities for the establishment of the Western Ghats Ecology Authority under the Act. EQUATIONS was invited by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) to submit a paper on “Tourism in the forest areas of Western Ghats” and join the consultative process started by the WGEEP.

Commissioned by the Western Ghats Expert Ecology Panel (WGEEP) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India , this paper attempts a rapid assessment of the impact of tourism growth in the Western Ghats. The paper is based on substantive secondary research , by EQUATIONS as well as other academicians and organizations. It also has a set of case studies demonstrative how unregulated tourism has led to significant environmental, social and cultural damage in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region – one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots of the world.  The three main sections of the paper are one on the trends in tourism development, the legal and policy regime that is flouted more than followed, and case studies. This is followed by a series of recommendations for sustainable tourism in the region.

About EQUATIONS:

Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS) is a research, campaign and advocacy organization. They study the social, cultural, economic and environmental impact of tourism on local Communities. They believe that tourism should be non-exploitative, equitable and sustainable. A question that has been central to their work and directs much of it is 'Who Really Benefits from Tourism?'.

EQUATIONS did case studies of several places in the western ghats including Dandeli also and submitted its report in January 2011.These are some of the facts of tourism and its Pros, Cons in and around Dandeli forests.

Dandeli

Dandeli is a town in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka in the Western Ghats, near to Goa. Dandeli is located 117 km from Karwar, 75 km from Hubli, 98 km from Sirsi, and 481 km from Bengaluru. Dandeli is promoted as a tourist spot for nature lovers. It is well known for the Tiger Reserve, paper mills, dams and tourism. A significant part of Dandeli's population consists of economic migrants from all over India. The Kali river which is the main water source, is also one of the most popular white-water rafting destinations in South India.

Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve

The Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary along with the Anshi National Park was declared as the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve. Recently, it has also been notified as a Hornbill Reserve. Both Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and its adjacent Anshi National Park house huge tracts of moist-deciduous and evergreen forests. Although a known habitat of the rare black panther, the large size and the density of the forest make spotting them very difficult. The forests of Dandeli and Anshi are home to over 200 species of birds and many large mammal species. The main tourist attractions apart from the safari and white-water rafting are the Kavala Caves, Syntheri Rock, Molangi, Sykes point and the Supa Dam. The reserve has a population of more than 20,000 people living within and on the periphery of its boundaries. There are pockets of revenue land within the reserve boundaries, where agriculture is practiced. The number of revenue settlements is 54. A Tiger Conservation Foundation has been set up in order to facilitate and support the management of the tiger reserve for conservation of tiger and biodiversity and, to take initiatives in eco-development by involvement of people. Tourism in the reserve has increased rapidly over the past 5 years. People visiting the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve alone has increased from 6000 in 2001 to more than 25,000 presently.69 This has also led to increased tourism revenues and the Tiger Conservation Foundation has funds of Rs.22 lakhs allotted for the 24 villages in the reserve. Each of the 24 villages has an Eco Development Committee (EDC) constituted of the local communities. These EDCs are engaged in tourism and forest management activities. The EDC at Syntheri Rocks has been particularly effective in managing the destination and utilizing the tourism revenue.70 However, many of the EDCs have not been functional and some locals allege that some of the office-bearers of the EDCs are influential people who are not bringing any benefits to the local communities.71 The DFO agrees that there are problems, and he is slowly trying to reform the situation and make the EDCs more effective.

Figure : Tourists Visitation data: Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve – 2001-2007

Source: http://www.dandeliwildlife.org/tourism.htm

The Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve has two tourism zones - Kulgi and Anshi camps. At the Kulgi camp, safaris are conducted in the mornings and evenings. Private Jeep taxis and private vehicles are allowed in the safari. The reserve does not own vehicles of its own for conducting the safari. Though, there are rules that the visitors should not disembark during the safari, it is openly flouted by the tourists and the guides. The Forest Department has tried to educate the tourists about this through their website, by asking the tourists to focus on the rich biodiversity of bird species, reptiles, amphibians, insects and trees. But this has not translated on the ground. Spreading the message to the tourists and the tourist establishments in the area has been challenging. The tourists can be regularly heard complaining about how they were not able to sight anything substantial. The manager of the Bison Resort, one of the many popular resorts in the region, when asked about the problems in the Reserve, cited that the “sightings are very poor, and the forest department should take necessary steps so that the situation is improved”, without understanding and appreciating the nature of the forest.

The Tourism Boom and the after-effects

Over the past few years, owing to the increased tourism activity, many resorts and homestays have sprung up around the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. Many of these establishments are cheek by jowl by the boundaries of the reserve. It was observed that some of the resorts situated in the forest were using noisy and polluting diesel generators for electricity backup. There have also been complaints about night safaris being conducted, where the tourists start either much ahead of the scheduled time at 5.30 a.m or continue late into the night, for a better chance of “sighting”.

Photo : Profusion of resorts jostling for advertising space near Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve

Some of the local people have come together and formed an association of homestays with a common set of guidelines focusing on eco-homestays. They have named it the Kali Parisara Pravasam Samasthana (Kali Eco-Tourism Organization). The homestays are situated at a farm house without the guests staying with the family or home. The basic idea behind this separation is to minimize the exposure of their families to tourists. Local youth have been employed as cooks cum house-keepers of the homestay. Kadumane, a homestay situated around 4 kms away from the Kulgi Nature Camp is run by Mr. Narasimha Chapkhand. He is one of the main persons behind the Kali Eco-Tourism Organisation. He is a farmer by occupation and also conducts street plays and awareness programs on environmental issues. Kadumane was started 2 years ago, with a strict focus on ecotourism. Narasimha accommodates his guests in a small farm-house which is surrounded by his own farm and plantations. He uses most of whatever he produces to prepare food for the guests. He also does bee-keeping and grows many fruit trees to attract the birds and mammals like the Malabar Giant Squirrel. He uses whatever solid and liquid waste generated as manure for his farm. He takes his guests on bird-watching walks, boating (on a raft made by him), treks and wildlife spotting.

Initially, when it started out, Kadumane had a strict no-alcohol policy. But Narasimha says that a very large majority of the tourists who come to Dandeli want to indulge in alcohol and he had to grudgingly tweak his policy and allow consumption to become financially viable. He noted that alcohol consumption and illegal activities like drug abuse were on the rise in the local communities and tourists. This view was vouched for by another local, who’s a jeep owner and driver. He also went on to say that there were stray cases of prostitution.

The DFO noted that tourists’ were being cheated by some of the tourist establishments and drivers. The DFO of Dandeli, Sunil Panwar, has taken a few initiatives to involve the local communities through EDCs and VFCs, and a mechanism to share the revenues generated by tourism with the communities through the Tiger Conservation Foundation. There are plans in place to test this model at the Kulgi Nature Camp. Also, the example set at Syntheri Rocks is planned to be emulated at other tourist destinations in the reserve. It is to be seen whether these plans will be implemented. But the larger issue of unregulated tourism continues unabated.

The Uttara Kannada district, one of the most forested districts in South India, is slowly waking up to both the benefits and negatives of tourism. Tourism around Sirsi has still not developed to the stage of being unmanageable like many other destinations, and it is the right time for policy makers and stakeholders to step in before it is too late.


For more information on this please log onto http://equitabletourism.org/readfull.php?AID=1246