Guest guest Posted December 18, 2007 Report Share Posted December 18, 2007 Tiger News - December 2007 & Before **** Let’s save the tigers **** A Dozen Ways To Save The Tiger: A Blueprint Monday, 17 December 2007, www.scoop.co.nz Press Release: IFAW A Dozen Ways to Save the Tiger: Blueprint for conservation released by range states Following recent reports that the world's wild tigers have dwindled to as few as 3,000, one dozen of the 14 countries with remaining wild tiger populations recently publisheda unified global " roadmap " to save the tiger from imminent extinction. Vivek Menon, Director of the Wildlife Trust of India and tiger team leader for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org), welcomed the initiative: " Tigers are disappearing before our very eyes. The only solution is to tackle tiger conservation in a targeted and concerted way, as " Action Tiger " sets out, across all the nations where tigers still roam free. " " Action Tiger " contains the conservation plans of 12 tiger range countries and will be launched this afternoon by a forest guard from Sariska - the sanctuary which hit the headlines with the disappearance of all its tigers in 2005. The document, a compilation of the respective National Tiger Action Plans (NTAPs), contains comprehensive plans, strategies or blueprints of the tiger conservation measures to be taken by each country. Mr Menon comments: " This important document will help conservationists, law makers, supporters and others concerned to understand the differing requirements of the tiger countries. Comprehensive plans exist, for the first time in one place. The challenge now is to make sure countries act now before wild tigers are gone from the earth forever. " The event was jointly organised by the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which compiled and published the document. Fred O'Regan, President of IFAW, says: " The tiger is facing one of its worst periods of existence on this planet and it is pertinent that range countries put in all their efforts to saving this magnificent creature. Having these national action plans in one document will make it easier for conservation organisations around the world to understand the requirements of range countries - improving the chances of success in pulling tigers back from the brink of extinction. " Tiger conservation has experienced many highs and lows. While news such as the disappearance of Sariska's tigers have revealed shocking failures in conservation, other measures such as Russia's commitment to saving the Siberian tiger by increasing fines for poaching (from approximately US$50 to US$20,000) continue to provide some hope. Efforts to legalise the commercial farming of tigers for their parts were also defeated at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) meeting in June this year. Ramparsad Sharma, who has worked as a forest guard in Sariska reserve since 1980, comments: " While the loss of our tigers resulted in many forest guards feeling very dejected, it remains my sincere hope that, through good park management and strict vigilance in park patrols, Sariska will one day see tigers return. I am proud to launch " Action Tiger " because it has the potential to stop similar tragedies befalling tiger sanctuaries across Asia . " Approximately 3,000 tigers of five sub-species are estimated to survive in the wild today and India is home to more than half. Threats to wild tigers include poaching for skins, bones and derivatives, habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with humans and the reduction of prey species. ENDS http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S00903.htm For media-related inquiries, contact: Lynn Levine (IFAW, Headquarters) Tel: 1-508-744-2185 Email:llevine Rosa Argent Tel: +91 9958 127685 Email: rosa Monica Sood Tel: +91 9810 606228 Email: monica IFAW http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=224129 http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=457 Let’s save the tigers Monday December 17, 2007, Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd KUALA LUMPUR : Celebrities joined some 100 children at a tiger conservation campaign at the National Zoo here. Singer Ning Baizura urged people to do their bit to preserve the animal that is facing extinction. PHOTO: On a mission: Ning (second from left), Ooi (in white skirt), Ng (right) and Rina (front row left) penning their signatures at the campaign in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. With them are the Tiger Junior Rangers. “Tigers everywhere are in trouble and the Malayan tiger is no exception. “Forests are being cleared or reduced to small isolated pockets and this indirectly affects the tigers’ habitat. “Save the forests and jungles to save the tigers,” she said at the event, which is part of the Race Against Time campaign, an urban outreach component of the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT). The campaign aims to raise awareness and concern among Malaysians on the critical status of tigers. There are less than 3,000 tigers worldwide and Malaysia has only an estimated 500 of the animals. It was reported that over the last 70 years, three of the nine tiger sub-species have become extinct and Malaysia has one of the remaining six sub-species, the Malayan tiger. Actress Susan Lankester said: “Tigers deserve to live in the world just like human beings. Imagine coming home and not finding your house there and feeling desperate to find food. “The next thing you know, you get shot for trying to survive. It is the same with tigers.” Actress and TV host Aishah Sinclair hoped that more people would come forward and join the cause. She urged people to stop hunting tigers for traditional medicine and their meat. Local celebrities like Maple Loo, Chelsia Ng, Rina Omar, Yasin, Corinne Adrienne, Vince Chong and Xandria Ooi were also present. Those who want information can call the Tiger Crime Hotline at 019-356-4194. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/17/nation/19785767 & sec=nation Habitat loss forces India's tigers to high ground Mon Dec 17, 2007 By Bappa Majumdar KOLKATA, India, Dec 17, 2007 (Reuters) - Habitat destruction is forcing India's endangered tigers to new grounds, including high mountains which have a sufficient prey base but are not known to be the natural home of the big cats. With forests in the foothills being built over and cleared for farming, wildlife experts say tigers are being increasingly spotted in high altitudes in India 's northeast and west. But they say tigers could still be as endangered in their new environment and are not as adaptable as leopards. " Tigers can feel the effect of villages on the bio-diversity from miles, and move away, " said Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. " But they are not as adaptable as leopards in mountains. " India 's wildlife crisis, highlighted best by the dwindling tiger and lion population, has caused huge national concern, pushing authorities to declare new measures to save the cats. Experts say increasing human interference such as development, encroachment and destruction of habitat, as well as poaching, are the main threats to animals across India, from the Himalayas to Indian Ocean islands. India is thought to be home to half the world's surviving tigers, but according to a census in 2001 and 2002, their numbers have dwindled to between 1,300 and 1,500 from 40,000 a century ago. NEW HOME In an example of the tiger adapting to the threat to their natural habitat,experts have found at least 20 of them in the high mountains of Neora, tucked between Bhutan and India 's eastern state of West Bengal. " Until 1998, we found one or two tigers straying into the Neora from the foothills, but now they live there, " said Pranabes Sanyal of World Conservation Union, who conducted a study on tiger migration. The tigers moved to the dense cover of bamboo and oak at Neora from the Gorumara reserve in the foothills, their original habitat. In September, experts sighted up to 20 tigers in a hilly tropical rainforest in the western Maharashtra state, almost three decades after it was thought that poaching had wiped them out there. Tigers have also moved into the lower Himalayan range in Bhutan from the Buxa and Manas tiger reserves on the plains of adjacent India which have a large human population. Some conservationists have called for a proper study to find out how tigers were surviving in the unfamiliar terrain. " There needs to be a special study done to find how they are doing and to learn about the extent of disturbance in the habitat below that forced them to move up, " said Valmik Thapar, a leading tiger expert. (Editing by Krittivas Mukherjee) http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSDEL48997 Saving tigers needs more global money By ASHOK SHARMA, Associated Press Writer Mon Dec 10, 2007 NEW DELHI - Saving the world's remaining tigers will require as much as $500 million a year, but average annual international funding only comes to $5 million, a conservation group said Monday. Most of this was given to non-governmental organizations, while governments of 12 countries with tiger populations were expected to come up with funding themselves, S. C. Dey, secretary-general of Global Tiger Forum, told reporters. While Russia and India get up to 20 percent of money they spend annually on tiger conservation from international funding, for other countries it was as low as 1 percent, Dey said after the release of action plans for 12 countries with wild tiger populations. " As the world's wild tigers have dwindled to as few as 3,000, it is time for a concerted effort to save the big cat from extinction, " a Wildlife Trust of India statement said. Fred O' Regan, president of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said the tiger was facing one of the worst periods of its existence. " Having these national action plans in one document will make it easier for conservation organizations around the world to understand the requirements of range countries, " he said in a statement. The 12 countries where tigers live in the wild are Bangladesh , Bhutan , Cambodia , China , India , Indonesia , Malaysia , Myanmar , Nepal , Russia , Thailand and Vietnam . While Nepal and Bhutan did not require much international funding, countries like Russia , Thailand , Indonesia and Malaysia each need up to $20 million annually for their efforts to save the tiger, Dey said. India alone needs $200 million to relocate thousands of people from the vicinity of tiger reserves, Dey said. " China has been demanding compensation for stopping commercial farming of tigers for their parts, " he said. Tiger parts are prized in traditional Chinese medicine. In India , the wild tiger population is roughly half of what it was estimated to be five years ago, a government study has found. India 's tiger population may be in the range of 1,300-1,500, according to a survey by the Wildlife Institute of India. The institute's last study, in 2001-2002, estimated 3,642 tigers were left in India 's jungles and reserves. Wildlife experts have long warned that poaching and encroachment on the big cats' habitat has savaged their population, which a century ago was believed to number in the tens of thousands. http://news./s/ap/20071210/ap_on_re_as/disappearing_tigers http://news.aol.com/story/_a/global-funding-too-inadequate-for-saving/n200712101\ 05109990004 **** Tiger infighting **** Body of tiger found near Corbett 16 Dec 2007, Neha Shukla,TNN LUCKNOW: Is Corbett going the Gir way? A mutilated tiger body found near Corbett proves that infighting in and around the park is increasing. And, if the recent rise in infighting and death due to the same is an indication to go by, relocation of tigers from Corbett could be a choice coming up in near future. Corbett is touted as one of the best tiger reserves with good number of tigers present there. The density of tigers is pretty high in the park. But, as has been reported in the recent past, the cases of infighting are increasing in and around the area. The latest incident is of Wednesday, when a torn and mutilated body of a tiger was found in Raninangal block of Bijnore forest division, near Corbett national park. The death, said the forest officials from the area, was because of infighting between the two tigers. " After we investigated the matter we got to know that it was a case of infighting probably over a kill, in which adult tiger killed and also ate up the hind parts of the younger one, " said Atibal Singh, forest official from Amangarh range in whose territory the incident took place. The postmortem report that came on Saturday and examinations by a panel of doctors proved infighting as the cause of the death. Amangarh range is an area adjoining Corbett national park. In the past, the instances of infighting among tigers in the park and in adjoining areas have been on the rise. " In Corbett the density of tigers is increasing, consequently there is a rise in the cases of infighting for survival, " said Singh. The fact that is also supported by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) an organisation that is assisting forest staff in Corbett Park in conserving wild population there. " The recent case as has been told by the officials is the cause of infighting. And, in past few years there have been frequent cases reported from the park, " said Tito Joseph from the WPSI. Although infighting among tigers is natural as the wild animal to prove its supremacy over females and to claim a territory as its own tries to drive out the weaker male from the harem (the group that the animal moves in). The territorial infighting, as guided by wild nature, is more common in core area but the place where the body of a tiger was found is on the periphery of Corbett. This could be an ample indication towards increase in infighting for survival and not just for supremacy. " Infighting among leopards was also reported from areas adjoining Corbett which certainly necessitates better maintenance of the best national park. Relocation, however, is a far distant choice as of now, " added Joseph. Although, officials and experts agree that situation in Corbett is not as complicated as in Gir of Gujarat which houses all the Asiatic lions in India, but timely consideration is needed to maintain the thriving wild population. Director, Corbett Park, despite repeated attempts could not be reached for comments. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Body_of_tiger_found_near_Corbett/articleshow/\ 2625428.cms Saving the tiger from meat eaters By : R. SITTAMPARAM; www.nst.com.my/Current_News December 09, 2007 KAHANG, a hotbed for exotic meat trade, is home to the endangered Malayan Tiger. So is it any surprise that the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers is focusing its awareness campaign in this township? R. SITTAMPARAM finds out how successful Mycat's efforts have been. PHOTO: Tai Suk Peng pointing at her children's signatures on the wildlife protection pledge. THE very name sounds exotic, what more its location. Kahang, a township of some 15,000 about 180km from Johor Baru, is the gateway to the famous Endau-Rompin National Park . The park is a national jewel — home to a wide variety of plants and wild animals, including the endangered Malayan Tiger. “This park is one of the three priority areas for tigers in Malaysia in terms of worldwide conservation,” said Loretta Ann Soosayraj, the co-ordinator of Mycat, the Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers. “This is why Mycat is focusing its tiger conservation programmes in Kahang.” There are an estimated 3,000 tigers in the world, with Malaysia home to about 500. “We kicked off our programme in July with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, raiding 10 restaurants in Kahang. (Mycat’s other partners are the Malaysian Nature Society, The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (Traffic) Southeast Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society and World Wildlife Fund Malaysia. More than 300kg of meat of several protected animal species were seized and a couple arrested. They are currently on police bail. “Kahang has earned itself the dubious distinction of being the exotic meat connoisseur’s destination,” she said. “This little town is infamous for its wild meat restaurants which serve a variety of wildlife meat — some legal, some not.” But Kahang could very well turn into a vital wildlife protection station. “Our programme actually began in May with an outreach programme for the children of Kg Punan, an Orang Asli village near Endau-Rompin. The aim is to raise awareness and appreciation among the Orang Asli community, especially the younger generation, for the wildlife which shares their space.” Mycat’s first Mandarin language tiger conservation outreach programme for pupils of Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan (Cina) Kahang was held in August. “The aim of these programmes is to reduce the local trade in and the consumption of tigers and tiger prey species, “The day-long programme at SRJK © Kahang focused on teaching the children about tigers and why tigers need saving,” said Soosayraj. “The response from students and parents has been good.” “We managed to reach out to adults through the children who were put through tiger drawing competitions and other tiger-related activities. “The enthusiasm of the children brushed off on the parents and we saw them showing deep involvement in our programme.” The children signed a pledge on a giant card to love and conserve the wildlife population in the surrounding jungles, including the Endau-Rompin park. “There appears to be a big market for tiger bones for use in traditional medicines, while the meat is used to make a soup that is believed to cure illnesses and improve sexual prowess.” Tai Suk Peng, 37, who accompanied her three children studying at SRJK © Kahang to the Mycat programme, said she hoped Kahang would shake off its bad reputation as a destination for exotic meat. “I hope this Mycat programme can help to raise the awareness among our youth that endangered species of animals like the tiger should be conserved and not hunted and eaten to extinction. “Traders in Kahang need not depend on this illegal animal trade as the area is rich in agricultural produce.” Housewife, Yeo Sok Khem, 37, hoped the Mycat programme would be held annually as her two children enjoyed it very much. Standard Six students Lim Hao Jie and Chee Jun Hong praised the Mycat programme. “We learnt a lot about the tiger,” said Lim. “The tiger is such a majestic animal and I hope it can continue to live in our jungles. The killing of tigers must stop or all our tigers will be gone.” Racing against time MYCAT is organising “The Race Against Time” in collaboration with Zoo Negara on Dec 16 with the goal of empowering Malaysians to become conservation advocates. The event at Zoo Negara, from 9am to 5pm , is the urban outreach component of the nationwide awareness campaign. It’s three specific objectives are to: - Raise awareness and concern among Malaysians on the critical status of tigers and urgent need for action - Empower Malaysians, especially the youth, to take a proactive role in efforts to reduce the trade in tigers and tiger prey - Encourage Malaysian youth to take up careers in wildlife conservation The event will be launched by Mycat Tiger ambassadors Ning Baizura, Vince Chong, Yasin Yahaya, Susan Lankester, Rina Omar, Aishah Sinclair, Xandria Ooi, Chelsia Ng, Maple Loo and Corinne Adrienne They will also launch the Tiger Crime Hotline, which is a tool to enhance enforcement of wildlife laws, enabling Malaysians to report illegal activities to the authorities for timely action, and the Signature Campaign for the urgent amendment of the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972, the main legislation for wildlife in Malaysia. The 35-year-old act needs a major facelift to fight today’s crime against wildlife. http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Focus/20071209161207/Article/index\ _html Also see: http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/848 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/635 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/866 WARNING!!! New surge in demand for lion body parts in China has the potential of wiping out the only Asiatic lion population in the world. http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/670 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/647 May 2007 - ON TIGER CRISES IN INDIA, INDIAN TIGERS IN RAPID DECLINE & INDIA LOOKS AT TIGER FARMING TO BREED MORE TIGERS http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/635 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/567 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/474 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/414 http://www.savethetigerfund.org/am/customsource/tiger/mosaic/intro.cfm http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/392 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/398 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/295 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/289 Task Force caught Sabbir assumed to be involved in Lion Poaching 9-12-2007 Divya Bhasker (Briefly Translated from Gujarati) On Dec 8, Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh, headed by SP Amithabh, has caught defamed Sabbir and 15 others with 80 kgs of Tiger bones at Allahabad . To find out involvement of Sabbir in lion poaching and to verify possibilities of bones as the lion bones, three members of Gujarat Police and one member of Gandhinagar – FSL has left for Allahabad . Police is also investingating link of Sabbir with Sarakaslal, key accused in lion poaching. http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/1033 Tiger skin in bus stop bag A STAFF REPORTER, The Telegraph, Calcutta , INDIA Monday, December 17, 2007 A tiger skin was found in an unclaimed gunny bag at a bus stand near Ruby General Hospital , in Kasba, on Sunday afternoon. People waiting for a bus at the stand alerted police about the bag. “Officers from Kasba police station went to the spot. They asked people in the vicinity if the bag belonged to them, but nobody claimed it. They then opened the bag to find the skin, which is worth nearly Rs 7 lakh, wrapped in tarpaulin,” said South 24-Parganas police superintendent Praveen Kumar. “The owner must have left the spot briefly. When he came back and found cops inquiring about the bag, he fled,” said an officer of the police station. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1071217/asp/calcutta/story_8676970.asp 'I smuggled over 600 tiger skins' 7 Dec 2007, Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui,TNN LUCKNOW: Killing around 30-35 tigers in a season - beginning in November to end of March every year - Shabbir Qureshi confesses to having smuggled over 600 tiger skins during his two-decade-long poaching business. Wanted by the CBI, Shabbir Qureshi and 15 others were arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) from his house in Kareli locality of Allahabad on Tuesday after three tiger skins and their complete skeletons were recovered from his possession. Investigators believe that Shabbir was a pointman of Tsering Atup Tamang and Wong Kim-quee. " Ethnically Tibetan and a Nepalese citizen who happens to be a resident of Humla near the Chinese border, Tamag is accused in Ghaziabad and Khaga seizures of UP in 1999 and 2000. He was till now doing business with Sansar Chand and is supposed to be one of the biggest buyers of animal hides and bones from India, " said senior superintendent of police (SSP) STF Amitabh Yash. The signature of Tsering, found on skins seized at Ghaziabad and Khaga, was cross-referenced with the signature of guests staying in hotels in Siliguri and Fathepur at the time of the seizures. It was confirmed that the signatures on the skins were the same as that of a man calling himself Tashi Tsering. Wong Kim-quee is the main accused in Siliguri case where two rhino horns were seized during a raid. Kim stockpiled his goods in Bhutan and as apparently the man who allegedly supplied 22 rhino horns to the Princess of Bhutan (the King's sister). The 1999 seizure in Gaziabad was booked by Shabbir's son Sarfaraz and was to be delivered at Silliguri, apparently for Kim, believe investigators. Shabbir, during interrogation, is believed to have confessed that he was also present when the police raided the Khaga premises in 2000 and seized four tiger skins, 70 leopard skins, 18,000 leopard claws and 150 kg of bones. He, however, managed to slip away leaving his wife behind who was arrested. The Khaga seizure has been identified as the biggest seizure in a single raid ever in India. " Seizure from the house of Shabbir also shed some light on the latest modus oprandi of the poachers active in the field. Police recovered around 150 'burqas' (veils worn by Muslim women) from Shabbir's house and some very narrow strips of cloth stitched at one end and open at the other (like a pillow cover), " said deputy SP STF Arvind Chaturvedi, who led the ground operation. " This, according to Shabbir, was used to carry stacks of currency notes. It is noteworthy that in two of the cases lodged against Shabbir, thousands of US dollars were also recovered along with other items, " Chaturvedi said. The Ghaziabad 1999 consignment was sent from Allahabad to Delhi and was booked by Sarfaraz Ahmed for Siliguri. It was to be taken by Rajesh Kumar and Moti Lal. The information provides leads to the 2000 Khaga seizure. Shabbir also revealed that the gang used a special net which was spread over a ditch near the point where tigers generally come to drink water. The net is made of steel rings which tighten the moment pressure is put on them. The poachers preferred to kill the cat by hitting it with lathis to avoid any tampering of the skin as it would fetch less price in the market. One of the arrested women - a tribal from Madhya Pradesh - identified as Chillo was also being seen as a prize catch as she excels in killing a tiger by slashing its throat with a chopper in one ago, that too in a manner that the skin of the animal is not damaged. " She said she used to hit in the middle of the lower jaw - shoving the chopper up to cut the main vain. By looking at her, one would not suspect that she has such a skill, " said DySP STF Arvind Chaturvedi. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/I_smuggled_over_600_tiger_skins/artic\ leshow/2602604.cms Indian police break up major tiger poaching ring By Biswajeet Banerjee; ASSOCIATED PRESS; SignOnSanDiego.com December 6, 2007 LUCKNOW, India – Police broke up a major tiger poaching ring in northern India, arresting an alleged kingpin and 15 others, police and wildlife officials said Thursday. In a rare success for India 's embattled conservationists, police in the city of Allahabad raided a meeting Tuesday of suspected poachers, traders and couriers who were negotiating over three tiger pelts and skeletons, senior police official Arvind Chaturvedi said. Conservationists say the killing of tigers for their pelts and body parts to supply the Chinese traditional medicine market is a main factor in the sharp decline in wild tigers in recent years. There are no more than 1,500 tigers in India 's reserves and jungles – down from about 3,600 just five years ago and an estimated 100,000 a century ago, according to the Indian government. Police said they received a tip-off from conservation groups that Shabbir Hasan Qureshi, an alleged trader in banned animal parts, was taking part in the meeting. “He was the biggest buyer of tiger parts in India and used to sell them off to the Chinese traditional medicinal market,” said Belinda Wright, the director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. “The operation is a major breakthrough against wildlife crime,” she said, adding that her group and several others had been monitoring Qureshi since he was linked to a police seizure of four tiger skins, 70 leopard pelts and 221 black buck skins in a village near Allahabad in 2000. Allahabad is about 360 miles southeast of New Delhi . Chaturvedi said Qureshi was ready to pay $4,500 for each pelt and skeleton. That is a small fortune for impoverished villagers who trap the tigers, but almost nothing compared to the estimated $50,000 they would fetch on the Chinese black market. Trade in endangered species, including tigers, is banned under the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. But the high premium attached to tiger skins and the use of other tiger body parts in traditional Chinese medicines have created a thriving illegal trade. Chaturvedi said the gang used women as couriers. “These women are from a nomadic tribe known for hunting and poaching. They used to transport bones and skins from one place to another,” he said. Ramesh Ahluwalia, a senior forest official, said the tiger skins were fresh, indicating the tigers may have been killed as recently as one week ago. “We are looking for the location where the tigers were killed or skinned. Once we locate this, it will come handy in prosecuting the poachers,” he said. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20071206-0502-india-tigerpoachers.html Indian tiger trap nets notorious dealer wanted for smuggling animal parts December 6, 2007 ; From The Times Ashling O'Connor Police in northern India have arrested 16 people in one of the biggest raids on the illegal trade in smuggling tiger parts. Special agents intercepted a group of hunters in Allahabad on Tuesday who were selling three tiger skins and three skeletons to the country's most notorious trader in wild animal parts. Shabbir Hasan Qureshi, who is wanted in connection with at least four wildlife crime cases, was ready to pay 180,000 rupees (£2,250) for each set of skin and bones, which are highly prized in the traditional Chinese medicine market. Tiger pelts can fetch more than £6,000 from trophy hunters. Ten of those arrested were couriers — all female members of the Baheliya community, a nomadic tribe known for hunting and poaching. Animal rights campaigners hailed the operation as a breakthrough in the fight against wildlife crime in India . Mr Qureshi had evaded police since January 2000, when officers in Khaga seized four tiger skins, 70 leopard skins, 221 blackbuck skins and 18,000 leopard claws. In one of the largest hauls recorded, they also found 150kgs (330lb) of leopard and tiger bone, 132 tiger claws, 2 leopard teeth and one dried leopard penis. “Qureshi was probably handling a quarter of all the trade in India and many tigers have been through his hands this year alone. Taking him out is huge — a major breakthrough,” Belinda Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said. The Delhi-based organisation worked with the police in Uttar Pradesh by providing the whereabouts of the smugglers through its network of informers. Those arrested face up to seven years in prison. The haul comes days after a tiger suspected of killing four people and mauling two was shot dead by police marksmen in western India . It had strayed from a nearby reserve that is home to 44 tigers. The encroachment of people on their natural habitat, coupled with rampant poaching to supply the body parts market, has had a devastating effect on India 's fragile tiger population. An official report last month confirmed that the number of tigers in reserves and jungles in India — home to 40 per cent of the world population — had fallen below 1,500. The last survey in 2002 put the figure at 3,642, while it is estimated that there were as many as 100,000 a century ago. The dramatic drop has prompted the Government to establish a tiger protection task force, employing retired soldiers to guard sanctuaries from poachers. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3007058.ece Indian Police Bust Tiger Poaching Ring By BISWAJEET BANERJEE – AP - 6 days ago LUCKNOW , India (AP) — Police broke up a major tiger poaching ring in northern India , arresting an alleged kingpin and 15 others, police and wildlife officials said Thursday. In a rare success for India 's embattled conservationists, police in the city of Allahabad raided a meeting Tuesday of suspected poachers, traders and couriers who were negotiating over three tiger pelts and skeletons, senior police official Arvind Chaturvedi said. Conservationists say the killing of tigers for their pelts and body parts to supply the Chinese traditional medicine market is a main factor in the sharp decline in wild tigers in recent years. There are no more than 1,500 tigers in India 's reserves and jungles — down from about 3,600 just five years ago and an estimated 100,000 a century ago, according to the Indian government. Police said they received a tip-off from conservation groups that Shabbir Hasan Qureshi, an alleged trader in banned animal parts, was taking part in the meeting. " He was the biggest buyer of tiger parts in India and used to sell them off to the Chinese traditional medicinal market, " said Belinda Wright, the director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India. " The operation is a major breakthrough against wildlife crime, " she said, adding that her group and several others had been monitoring Qureshi since he was linked to a police seizure of four tiger skins, 70 leopard pelts and 221 black buck skins in a village near Allahabad in 2000. Allahabad is about 360 miles southeast of New Delhi . Chaturvedi said Qureshi was ready to pay $4,500 for each pelt and skeleton. That is a small fortune for impoverished villagers who trap the tigers, but almost nothing compared to the estimated $50,000 they would fetch on the Chinese black market. Trade in endangered species, including tigers, is banned under the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES. But the high premium attached to tiger skins and the use of other tiger body parts in traditional Chinese medicines have created a thriving illegal trade. Chaturvedi said the gang used women as couriers. " These women are from a nomadic tribe known for hunting and poaching. They used to transport bones and skins from one place to another, " he said. Ramesh Ahluwalia, a senior forest official, said the tiger skins were fresh, indicating the tigers may have been killed as recently as one week ago. " We are looking for the location where the tigers were killed or skinned. Once we locate this, it will come handy in prosecuting the poachers, " he said. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWEHKT35igVn9q1qjloQ3l_c8TJQD8TBVCG00 16 arrested for tiger skin trade in India: police Dec 6 2007 LUCKNOW , India (AFP) — Indian police Thursday announced the arrest of 16 people for poaching tigers and selling their skins and bones. The arrests come amid mounting fears for the country's dwindling tiger population after research showed their number had fallen to fewer than 1,500, from 3,642 in 2002 when the last survey was conducted. " We have recovered three tiger skins and 75 kilogrammes (165 pounds) of bones. We arrested 16 people, " police official Amitabh Yash told AFP. Twelve people were being held for trading tiger parts, he said, and the rest for hunting the big cats in northern Uttar Pradesh state. He said the pelts and bones were probably destined for China , where they are believed to have medicinal properties. Tiger hunting is illegal worldwide and the trade in tiger body parts has been banned since 1993. India has faced heavy criticism from wildlife experts for failing to stop rampant poaching. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j6obk6lBYPitO72IV4eFnmK-vhlA India tiger skin 'traders' held Police in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state say they have arrested 16 people in connection with hunting tigers and smuggling skin and bones. Wednesday, 5 December 2007; BBC PHOTO: The number of tigers in India has fallen drastically The police said they have recovered tiger skin, bones and hair from the arrested people in Allahabad city. A recent study found that the number of tigers in India had fallen to under 1,500 provoking the government to create a tiger protection force. India 's last major survey in 2002 put tiger numbers at 3,642. Wildlife activists blame poaching and urbanisation for the decline and say the authorities must do more. Senior Uttar Pradesh police official Amitabh Yash said that the police had seized four tiger skins, and 100kg of animal bone and hair from the 16 men arrested on Tuesday evening. He said a gang of 12 hunters, including 10 women, had come to Allahabad to deliver the tiger parts to four smugglers. Criticised In May, a census commissioned by the government showed that India had far fewer tigers living in the wild than had been thought. The study, conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India, showed tiger numbers falling in some states by two-thirds in five years. Wildlife experts have criticised the Indian government for failing to crack down on poachers and the illegal trade in tiger skins. Tigers are poached for their body parts - skins are prized for fashion and tiger bones are used for oriental medicines. Tiger pelts can fetch up to $12,500 in China . It is estimated that there were 40,000 tigers in India a century ago. The country is home to 40% of the world's tigers, with 23 tiger reserves in 17 states. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7128209.stm Injured tiger dies in Lucknow zoo, spurs debate news.in.msn.com Lucknow : A seriously injured Royal Bengal tiger that was rescued by forest officials in Bahraich district has died here in Lucknow zoo. The animal's death has triggered a controversy as some believe it died due to delay in treatment. The tiger had multiple fractures on its back. Officials said the beast sustained the injuries after it was hit by a speeding truck. They tranquillised the tiger to bring it under control. However, the authorities took more than 36 hours to begin treatment after it was rescued on Tuesday evening. It was only on Wednesday that officials decided to shift the injured tiger to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly , which has the expertise to treat such big cats. But strangely enough, when the truck carrying the tiger reached halfway to Bareilly , officials realised that the institute had no facility to house the animal. It was then decided to bring the tiger back to the Lucknow zoo, where the experts from the institute could come and treat it. But by Wednesday evening when the convoy finally reached the Lucknow zoo, the tiger passed away. All through it had remained sedated. The authorities are keeping mum on whether the tiger died due to the delay in treatment and sedation or its injuries. Tiger lovers, angered by the incident, have now raised questions about the wisdom of the officials transporting the injured tiger to Bareilly , and half way through bringing it back to Lucknow , losing precious time in the process. Chief Conservator (Wildlife) D N S Suman said the officials did their best to save the animal. " The entire incident has only exposed the lacklustre attitude of the officials, who should have been prompt, especially when they deal with rare and endangered animals such as the tiger, " said one of the wildlife enthusiasts. Source: IANS http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1133858 India tiger dies in road accident Thursday, 6 December 2007, BBC A tiger has died in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh after it was hit by vehicles while crossing a road. PHOTO: Tigers have less space to roam as their habitat shrinks The animal lay unattended by the roadside for 36 hours after being hit by vehicles in Bahraich district before being taken away for treatment. Forest officials told the BBC that the 10-year-old animal was roaming in the local jungles before crossing the road. They say that it is unusual for a tiger to be run over, even though other animals are often hit by vehicles. A zoo official in Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow , said doctors could not save the animal on Wednesday after it was brought to the local zoo with " serious internal injuries. " The BBC's Ram Dutt Tripathi in Lucknow says that the forest area - from where the tiger came out - is shrinking because of felling of trees and expansion of sugarcane farming. A railway track and busy roads pass through the forests endangering the animals living there. A recent study found that the number of tigers in India had fallen to under 1,500 provoking the government to create a tiger protection force. India 's last major survey in 2002 put tiger numbers at 3,642. Wildlife activists blame poaching and urbanisation for the decline and say the authorities must do more. SEE ALSO Indian tiger skins 'sold abroad' 22 Sep 05 | South Asia India to probe wildlife poacher http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7130128.stm Injured tiger dies in Lucknow zoo, spurs debate Thursday, 06 December , 2007 Lucknow: A seriously injured Royal Bengal tiger that was rescued by forest officials from a roadside in Bahraich district has died here in Lucknow zoo amid controversy whether it died due to delay in treatment. The tiger had multiple fractures on its back. Officials said the beast sustained the injuries after it was hit by a speeding truck. They tranquillised the tiger to bring it under control. However, the authorities took more than 36 hours to begin treatment after it was rescued on Tuesday evening. It was only on Wednesday that officials decided to shift the injured tiger to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly , which has the expertise to treat such big cats. But strangely enough, when the truck carrying the tiger reached halfway to Bareilly , officials realised that the institute has no facility to house the animal. It was then decided to bring back the tiger back to Lucknow zoo, where the experts from the institute could come and treat it. But by Wednesday evening when the convoy finally reached the Lucknow zoo, the tiger passed away. All through it had remained sedated. The authorities are keeping mum on whether the tiger died due to delay in treatment and sedation or its injuries. Tiger lovers, angered by the incident, have now raised questions about the wisdom of the officials transporting the injured tiger to Bareilly , and half way through bringing it back to Lucknow , losing precious time in the process. Chief Conservator (Wildlife) D N S Suman said the officials did their best to save the animal. " The entire incident had only exposed the lacklustre attitude of the officials, who should have been prompt, especially when they deal with rare and endangered animals such as the tiger, " said one of the wildlife enthusiasts. " Amidst the growing concern over the declining number of tigers in the country, the death of a tiger due to callousness of officials in Lucknow zoo is bound to create debate among the public, " he added. The tiger is believed to have strayed from the nearby Katerniaghat Tiger Reserve that spreads across the ravines in Bahraich district. http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14572109 Tiger injured in road accident; dies 6 Dec 2007,TNN LUCKNOW: An injured tiger that was brought to Lucknow zoo on Wednesday evening died despite forest officials making all efforts to save it. An adult tiger was discovered by forest officials lying injured on the roadside in Bahraich on Tuesday morning. As to what exactly happened and how the animal got injured is yet to be known, the tiger died of profuse bleeding. " It probably suffered a haemorrhage " , said, director, Lucknow zoo, Renu Singh as she also hinted on the incident being a " hit and run " case. A team of doctors from IVRI Bareilly was expected to arrive for treating the animal but as said forest officials, " it is not needed now " . " It was probably a tiger from Katarniaghat, crossing a road running between the forest and the animal might have got injured after being hit by a heavy vehicle. The fractured backbone of the animal point towards this possibility, " said, assistant conservator of forest, extension public relations, AK Pant. The forest department had initially planned to take the animal to IVRI but it was provision of better medical facilities in Lucknow that made forest department bring the animal to Lucknow. The incident, though cause of injury to the animal is yet to come, point towards the increasing problem of shrinking tiger habitat and a growing man-animal conflict. The roads running through exclusive animal sanctuaries have been the cause of death for many animals and the way people keep entering the animal territory is a cause of concern and worth a serious action against the offenders. " There have been many incidents reported from not only Katarniaghat but also other places in Uttrakhand as well where tigers and leopards have died in road accidents. Such instances are reported from all over the country. There have been many incidents like that taken place in the past, " said Tito Joseph from Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/Tiger_injured_in_road_accident_dies/a\ rticleshow/2599202.cms Bori, another Talodi in making? 11 Dec 2007, 0209 hrs IST,Vijay Pinjarkar,TNN BORI: Talodi or Chimur may have hit headlines recently because of problmatic wild cats attacking humans and livestock. But a similar man-animal conflict is raging in Bori (Kokate), a small village outside the Bor Wildlife Sanctuary near Hingni in Wardha district. The sanctuary is 70-km from Nagpur. The most vulnerable Bori villagers are a terrorised lot as tiger attacks on farmers and cattle kills have been frequent. In the past three years, at least five persons have been attacked a sizeable number of cattle killed. Among those injured in tiger attacks include Vinayak Nyahare, Alukabai Nyahare, Sukhdeo Kohar, Panjabrao Yeole and Deoraoji Waghade, who was attacked two months ago. " There are two to three different tigers involved in the attacks on both sides of Bori. Except for Kohar, who was a shepherd, all the other victims were attacked in farms. If this is not enough, cattle kills are reported every two months, " claimed villagers. Bor sanctuary covers an area of 61.10 sq km. It includes 3,237 hectares of reserve forest, 2,213 hectares of protected forest and 660 hectares of unclassed forest. Many villages surround the sanctuary which, according to official figures, is home to six tigers. Said Bori sarpanch Raju Kumhre: " Due to lack of water conservation inside, tigers stray outside the sanctuary in nullahs surrounded by scrubs which are also the farms. The movement of tigers is frequent and February to June are the peak months. Many times, we come across the carnivores but save ourselves by beating a hasty retreat. " " It’s high time the department takes congnisance. Several complaints to the Wardha collector, deputy conservator and foresters with Bor sanctuary have fallen on deaf ears. Many farmers do not grow tall crops like sugarcane and jowar. We take lot of risk while cultivating these crops. Besides, due to presence of tigers near the fields, getting labourers is a big problem. Moreover, procuring bullocks on hire for ploughing fields is also not easy following fear of being killed by tigers, " Kumhre says. When contacted, Dr Mohan Jha, field director and conservator of forests, says: " I’m aware of the problem. Injured Waghade was immediately given Rs 5,000 for treatment. A meeting of villagers was also called on September 26, and it was decided to activate village eco-development committee. To shun villagers’ hostility against animals, jobs would be provided to unemployed youths once eco-tourism activities begin in Bor. " Meanwhile, a feeling of hostility is growing among the Bori villagers. " We are fed up with the tiger menace and other animals that damage the crop. Are the officials waiting for a situation like Talodi to arrive? We’ve been seeing movement of tigers near the farms for the past six years and yet no steps have been taken to. In night, we venture out in groups, " say Subhash Patil, Vidyadhar Nyahare, whose faher was attacked by a tiger in the farm. Hingni forest officials claim, cattle kills have been reported in not only Bori but also in Garamsur, Navargaon, Sondi, Salai Pevat and Salai Kala villages in the territorial area. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Nagpur/Bori_another_Talodi_in_making/articles\ how/2612906.cms ‘Braveheart died saving his cattle’ Ashwin Aghor Monday, December 10, 2007 09:49 IST Raut paid no heed to his neighbours who warned him against venturing out alone after dark NAVTALA: Circumstantial evidence in the case where a youth was killed by a tiger, in Madnagad in the Chimur range on December 6, indicated that the wild cat was certainly not targetting a human. This is the first human the big cat has killed in the area. Tanaji Raut, a resident of Navtala village, was killed when he was grazing cattle at Madnagarh on Thursday. Villagers started searching for him after he failed to return home till late in the night, only to find his body on Friday. Probe revealed that Tanaji was killed by a tiger. Stating that the tiger had not eaten its kill, divisional forest officer of the Brahmapuri division Hrishikesh Ranjan said, “It may have attacked Tanaji when he tried to save his cattle.” Still apprehensive of venturing out alone after the sunset, the villagers had advised Tanaji against it. But Tanaji, known to be a brave-heart after having successfully saved his cattle from tiger attacks on a couple of earlier occasions, did not pay heed. A resident of Navtala range, Shridhar Patil, who accompanied the search party late Thursday night, said wild boars and rabbits were regularly poached in the area where the tiger killed Tanaji. An ideal tiger habitat, Madnagarh has dense forests but not herbivores, mainly due to rampant poaching. This creates a food deficit for the nine tigers that roam the Chimur and Talodhi range. Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) B Majumdar visited the spot on Saturday and ordered a speedy inquiry. a_ashwin http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1138338 Tiger claims another life near Nagpur Ashwin Aghor, DNA India Saturday, December 08, 2007 NAGPUR : A resident of Navtala village, Tanaji Raut, 30, was found dead on Friday in the Chimur range, barely 10 km away from Talodhi range near Nagpur where a killer tigress had wrought havoc in recent weeks. After a tiger was killed last week, in what was suspected to be case of mistaken identity, the villagers of Talodhi had heaved a sigh of relief thinking their troubles were finally over. Forest officials confirmed that it was a big cat – though it could not be confirmed if it was a tiger or a tigress — that killed Raut who had gone into the Chimur range to graze his herd of 10 cows and calves. The officials feel the big cat would have attacked his cattle first, and Raut probably went to their rescue. The villagers said that Raut went alone. Divisional forest officer Hrishikesh Ranjan told DNA there have been signs of the presence of a tiger in the Chimur area. A cow was killed a week back in the same area, he said. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1137935 Tiger Kills 4, Shot by Indian Police Dec 3, 2007 NAGPUR , India (AP) — A tiger that killed four people and mauled two others in the past six weeks was shot to death by police over the weekend, a forest official in western India said Monday. Angry villagers had demanded that authorities kill the tiger, which had been straying away from the Tadoba-Andhari sanctuary in the western state of Maharashtra since mid-October. " The problematic animal has been killed. This is the same tiger that killed four villagers, " said B. Majumdar, chief conservator of forests. " The pug mark (footprint) of the tiger killed matches the impressions taken earlier while tracking the tiger. " Officials had said that they would try to trap, tranquilize or drive away the tiger, which had been spotted in rice fields bordering the thick jungles. But on Friday, the tiger killed its fourth victim — a farm worker — dragging him into the forest and then fleeing when villagers shouted. The tiger later killed a buffalo in the same area near Mangrul village, 60 miles south of the city of Nagpur . Forest officials and police sharpshooters with rifles kept vigil near the buffalo carcass and shot the tiger early Saturday when it reappeared, Majumdar said. Animal rights activists have questioned the decision to kill the tiger. There are an estimated 44 tigers in the lush sanctuary often cited as a good example of tiger protection. Beyond the 241 square miles of reserve, the forest extends for another 497 miles and is densely populated with some 50,000 people who live in villages and work in surrounding rice fields. Wildlife activist Debi Goenka says forest officials should have tried harder to push the tiger back into the sanctuary and villagers should have been cautioned to go to work in groups. Goenka also said the protected sanctuary must be extended to include the surrounding forest area. " This situation will happen again and again unless the government decides that tigers are important and expands the sanctuary area. " While forest officials initially said a female tiger was responsible for killing villagers, police on Saturday shot a male tiger. Majumdar said officials were wrong about the tiger's gender at first. " If it's a mistake, no one is going to admit it, " said Goenka. " Unfortunately, the only way we will know is if there are no more kills over the next three months. " India 's tiger population is fast dwindling with a majority killed either by poachers or angry villagers competing with tigers for land. An official report last month confirmed a drastic drop in wild tigers confirming there are no more than 1,500 tigers in India's reserves and jungles — down from about 3,600 five years ago and an estimated 100,000 a century ago. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZjCm5j9pb0CnYDbRpINBu6UvHIgD8TA61PG2 They went to shoot a tigress, they got a tiger instead Ashwin Aghor, DNA India Saturday, December 01, 2007 Was it an encounter gone awry, or a case of mistaken identity? MUMBAI: Police and forest officials in Talodhi range, 120 km from Nagpur , on Friday gunned down a tiger in what was later suspected to be a case of mistaken identity. A team comprising forest officials and police sharp-shooters had been readying for an encounter with a killer tigress that had killed five humans and injured two more since the first week of October. However, it was a tiger that walked in at 8am when the team was about to take position. Says divisional forest officer Hrishikesh Ranjan: “Considering the possibility of the animal moving away from its last kill in the area, one of the shooters advanced towards the animal while the others covered him. The shooter fired at the animal but the bullet hit the tiger in its hind leg. Immediately after that, other shooters opened fire and eliminated the animal. In all, 39 rounds were fired, out of which five bullets hit the tiger,” Ranjan said. In sum, forest officials now believe that the killer tigress they were hunting for may, after all, have been a tiger — the one they killed on Friday. “Inspection of the area confirmed that only one animal was moving in the area. The same animal was responsible for cattle kills and human attacks,” Ranjan said confidently. Nitin Desai, director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said the question whether the right animal was killed would be answered only if the human attacks stopped completely. Surprisingly, there was no effort to tranquilise the animal before killing it. Harshawardhan Dhanwate of the Tiger Research and Conservation Trust had told DNA on Thursday that “scientific investigation of the man-animal conflict in the area using camera traps confirmed it to be a tigress.” On Friday, he retracted the statement. “There is every possibility of error as the camera-trap pictures provide a side view of the animal. The animal shot on Friday is the same we got on camera,” he asserted. The principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), B Majumdar, is convinced they got the right animal. “It is confirmed from the fact that the tiger was shot in the same area where the marauding “tigress” was moving,”he said. http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1136539 Minister’s midnight visit to tiger reserve Pradip Kumar Maitra , Hindustan Times Nagpur, December 07, 2007 Wildlife activists have criticized Maharashtra Finance Minister Jayant Patil for illegally entering the Tadoba National Park after midnight , even after forest officials apprised him of the rules. The tiger reserve permits visitors only between 6 a.m. and 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays except Tuesday. Patil, along with principal secretary (reforms) Sunil Soni and some friends, reportedly forced their way into the park early on Wednesday. “Barring the forest patrol, nobody can enter the reserve before sunrise and after sunset. Even after repeated requests from forest officials, Patil and company entered the park,” said a forest department official on condition of anonymity. SH Patil, field director of Tadoba, admitted the minister had been to the reserve after midnight . But he added: “He was attending meetings in Gondia and Bhandara and reached Chandrapur late. However, he did not move around the park at night.” “The minister is part of the government and he was given permission to take rest inside the premises. He also discussed several issues related to the park,” the forest officer added. Jayant Patil justified his visit, saying he was there for a meeting with forest officials. “The project requires funding and park officials approached me in this regard. My office subsequently fixed a meeting in Tadoba on December 4 at 6 p.m. However, I could not reach there in time as I had to attend a meeting at Gondia,” he said. “If ministers violate rules, how could anyone expect the common man to abide by the law,” tiger conservationist Kishore Rithe said. http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=facdfbac-0821-48d9-880\ 6-f9f6c32423cb & MatchID1=4604 & TeamID1=6 & TeamID2=7 & MatchType1=1 & SeriesID1=1157 & Mat\ chID2=4575 & TeamID3=8 & TeamID4=2 & MatchType2=1 & SeriesID2=1147 & PrimaryID=4604 & Headli\ ne=Minister%e2%80%99s+midnight+visit+to+tiger+reserve Death of tiger in Bhopal’s Van Vihar raises concern Anil Gulati , 10 December 2007 , Monday PHOTO: Gautam, a five year old male tiger died at Van Vihar, national park in Bhopal , capital of Madhya Pradesh. This is not the first death this year. Deaths of these ‘big cats’ have being happening at regular intervals since October 2006. GAUTAM, A five year old male tiger died at Van Vihar, national park in Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh. This is not the first death this year. If we look at the figures, two tigers and one white tiger have died this year in Van Vihar. Particularly disturbing is the fact that deaths of these ‘big cats’ have being happening at regular intervals since October 2006. A total of six ‘big cats’ have died here. This includes two white tigers, one tigress, two tigers and one lion. Post-mortem report conducted on Gautam’s body, which was shared with the media, states that the death could have been due to some parasitic disease namely ‘Bebesia’. This raises questions regarding the safety of other animals particularly tigers, lions and panthers in Van Vihar. The question is whether it can spread across to them? Though as a precautionary measure, blood samples of other carnivorous animals of the park has been sent for testing. But is that enough? Van Vihar is the pride of Bhopal and is home to a number of animals, including white tiger, panther, lion and tigers. But these deaths have raised concern in the state among wild life experts, media and animal lovers. There is a need to take steps to prevent these deaths. Some wild life experts feel that there is a need for wildlife health centre in the state and also create greater awareness within the state regarding wildlife. Gautam’s death has once again brought this discussion to the forefront. But let us hope that some positive steps are taken in this regard, lest we forget Gautam’s death. We may not get a second chance. http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=128436 http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/491 Atul Singh Nischal atulsinghnischal ASIATIC LION GROUP http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/message/1026 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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