(IN) Trapped by the zoo Leopard/Jaguar... Panther?

[Guest guest]

The Hindu called him/her a leopard in the previous articles and then a

jaguar and then mentioned panthers (Latin root word for Jaguar or Leopard).

 

Below are the two articles that refer to the incident. Photos of the

animal are in the links below and yes he has spots!

 

First the Forest Dept. was saying they would use live bait (a goat?) to

lure and trap the animal but then Pradeep Nath of Visakha SPCA wrote and they

backed off and used mutton instead. ---

 

 

Date:31/01/2008 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/31/stories/2008013158460300.htm

 

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Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

 

Development pushes them to the brink Focus

 

 

G. Narasimha Rao

 

 

 

Loss of habitat makes wild animals stray into the city and its

surrounding areas, say environmentalists

 

 

 

 

 

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Environmentalists sound a caution

 

Need to maintain ecological balance stressed

 

 

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A file photo.

 

Nowhere to go: The male jaguar that was caught and put in Indira Gandhi

Zoological Park in the city looks forlorn.

 

VISAKHAPATNAM: Vizagites are proud of their city’s naturally-endowed

beauty and tranquility. Development on big scale has further enhanced the city’s

reputation and the number of tourists goes up.

 

A Vizagite or a visitor is certainly impressed by the way the city and its

suburbs are developing. At the same time, they also see the panthers straying

into the city suburbs. This development is in fact a warning, say

environmentalists and animal lovers.

 

The warning is not about the threat the wild animals pose to people but

the damage people are doing to the naturally- endowed city and its surroundings.

The development is destroying the forests, hills and the greenery which are all

the natural habitat of wild animals forcing them to come out.

 

When a panther was spotted on the BHPV premises a decade ago, it was

attributed to the greenery and people also felt proud of the greenery the city

is endowed with.

 

But during the last few years there are many incidents of panthers being

spotted in the city and its suburbs. If the panthers are seen near Rushikonda,

Thotlakonda, Timmapuram, the GVMC dumping yard near Kapuluppada, and other

places and even in Akkayyapalem a few years ago it is due to their natural

habitat having been disturbed or even destroyed. The most recent one is the

trapping of a panther near Timmapuram on Tuesday night.

 

Dig at government

 

 

Man’s inherent fear about the wild animals makes him attack the animal,

which retaliates causing injuries or even death.

 

But this unfortunate development can be avoided if the wild animal’s

natural habitat is not disturbed. The Government has failed to keep its promise

that the hills in and around Visakhapatnam will not be exploited for commercial

use but handed over to the forest department or other agencies to improve green

cover.

 

But it is now busy disposing of the lands and hills. The result is

immediately felt.

 

Elephants from Orissa entering the Vizianagaram and Srikukulam villages

where they destroyed crops and caused some deaths, is also due to their natural

habitats having been disturbed, due to mining activity. No one opposes

development but it should not result in forcing an animal-man conflict.

 

A former secretary to the Union Government and convenor of Forum for

Better Visakha E.A.S. Sarma wants the Government to draw lessons from these

developments.

 

Panthers straying into the human habitat is only a small issue of the

major problem. Besides the panthers’ issue, the washing ashore of turtles,

Orissa elephants entering the Andhra border and sea surge due to construction of

a new port are all linked to the destruction of natural habitat.

 

Eco protection

 

 

Government and its agencies must explore ways and also consult the Forest

Department, horticulturalists, Andhra University and other institutions and

organisations, particularly the villagers and fishermen, to protect environment,

he says.

 

“Rushikonda forest area might not have been declared a Reserve Forest as

it is a place where the panthers live. An animal is not like a human being who

can adjust himself to any environment. It becomes aggressive if its life is

disturbed and show abnormal behaviour,” says Conservator of Forests P.V.

Padmanabham.

 

There are about 10 panthers living on the hillocks of Simhachalam,

Kambalakonda, Yerrakonda, Seetakonda and other areas in and around the city.

 

The panthers move to an isolated spot and colonise the area. There are

many such places around the city but now the same areas are being approached by

people and the animals are getting disturbed.

 

Divisional Forest Officer P.J. Vijayakar says: “The State Government,

VUDA, GVMC and other related agencies must hand over the forests to the Forest

Department or any other agency to improve the greenery so that the ecological

balance is maintained.

 

Visakhapatnam city has 16,000 hectares of Reserve Forest and if it is

protected, the greenery as well as wildlife will increase.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:30/01/2008 URL:

http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/30/stories/2008013057810300.htm

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Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

 

Forest staff trap leopard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: K.R. Deepak

 

End of the road: The leopard that was trapped by the forest officials in

Visakhapatnam on Tuesday night. —

 

VISAKHAPATNAM: A leopard was trapped near Thimmapuram late in the night of

Tuesday by the forest officials.

 

The leopard was trapped with the help of a cage and mutton as a bait.

 

It is around two to three years old, according to Divisional Forest

Officer P.J. Vijaykar.

 

Of late, leopards have been straying into the human habitat from the

Kambalakonda range for want of food.

 

A couple of days ago a poclain operator, V. Lakshman of Yellamanchili

mandal, was injured when a leopard, possibly from the Kambalakonda forest range,

attacked him near NVP Law College in Madhuravada and a 19-year-old girl faced

similar situation on a hill near Rushikonda.

 

A few days ago, Visakhapatnam range Conservator of Forests P.V.

Padmanabham said that there were at least seven leopards in the Kambalakonda

range.

 

Environmentalists, however, expressed their displeasure at the capture of

the leopard and opined that the government was busy encroaching the hills and

forest land to please MNCs without giving a second thought for the environment

and preserving the natural habitat of the animals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu