Illegal live Asiatic Lion Baiting shows in Gir: Locals in & around Gir Forest, Gujarat, India illegally Bait wild critically endangered Asiatic Lions with Cattle for paying Tourists and sell them these live lion shows on a regular basis wh

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr Nischal,

Live animal baiting is not only illegal but also

extremely cruel, especially if the animal is tethered and has no means to

flee an approaching predator. Have you contacted any animal organisations on

this issue?

Regards,

 

 

On 5/14/08, Atul Singh Nischal <atulsinghnischal wrote:

>

>

> Illegal live Asiatic Lion Baiting shows in Gir:Locals in &

> around Gir Forest, Gujarat, India illegally Bait wild critically

> endangered

> Asiatic Lions with Cattle for paying Tourists and sell them these live

> lion

> shows on a regular basis where wild lions are attracted to tethered live

> domestic cattle which they kill and eat in front of tourists

>

>

> ***ASIATIC

> LION NEWS***

>

>

> Five held for Lion

> Show in Gir

>

>

> May 10, 2008, Gujarat Samachar (Briefly

> translated from Gujarati)

>

> Yesterday five persons named Jagdish Rajsi, Sutar Anubhai,

> Ashok, Divyesh, Poonjal and Divyang Harshad have been nabbed by forest

> department for doing illegal lion show. The incidence happened at Babra

> Vidi

> near Sasan. They have been Fined Rs. 5000.

>

>

>

> http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/05/gir-held-for-lion-show-in-gir.html

>

>

> To

> stop 'Lion Shows' is hotelier's responsibility

> May 02, 2008,

> Gujarat Samachar (Briefly translated from Gujarati)

> Few

> days back 'Lion Shows' for tourist using live baits was published in news

> papers and TV Channels. As a reaction and to stop such shows PCCF – WL

> Pradeep

> Khanna rushed to Sasan (Gir).

> He

> called for a meeting of Hotel owners, Restaurant owners and Farm owners of

> Talala region. He strictly instructed them not to allow their guests to go

> out

> of the hotel during night. He also informed them to submit list of guests

> regularly to the forest department.

> He

> warned them that if such private lion shows are not stopped then he will

> stop

> all the hotels in the area. Hoteliers feel that such warnings and

> instructions

> of forest are just like shifting their responsibilities on to their

> soldiers.

>

> http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/05/to-stop-lion-shows-is-hoteliers.html

>

> Wildlife park visitors pay £100 to see lions kill tethered cattle

> Home News World News Asia News; Times Online UK

>

> April 27, 2008; Dean Nelson in Delhi; From The Sunday Times; Times

> Online UK

> British tourists are paying more than £100 to watch endangered Asian lions

> kill tethered cattle at an Indian wildlife reserve.

> According to local officials, some visitors eat lunch at dining tables as

> they watch cows and buffalo being devoured.

> Animal welfare groups have expressed outrage, saying such gruesome

> displays

> break the law and are not only cruel to cattle but also put the lions in

> jeopardy by bringing them closer to humans. They blame western tourists

> for

> encouraging the practice.

> According to conservationists, the shows are being organised by tour

> guides

> and farmers in collusion with junior park officials.

> Only about 360 lions survive in India from a subspecies that once ranged

> from Greece through the Caucasus and into China.

> It is now confined to the Gir national park in Gujarat,

> western India,

> where the incomes of villagers depend on frequent sightings.

> To ensure that tourists do not go home disappointed, tour guides are

> offering " baitwalla shows " , in which the lions are lured out of the forest

> towards villages on the outskirts of their sanctuary by cattle tied to

> tractors.

> When the lion picks up the scent, the cow is dragged towards the tour

> group

> waiting close by and finally untied so that the tourists can watch it

> being

> caught, killed and eaten from as little as 10ft away.

> The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta)

> denounced the tours and called on the Indian government's forest

> conservator to

> ban them.

> Jaya Sinha, a spokesman for Peta, called on western tourists to give up

> their " lion and tiger mania " , which, he said, was putting pressure on

> guides to

> guarantee big-cat sightings.

> " It's not just the Gir lions. It's the same in the tiger reserves: there's

> a

> tiger mania. The cats are shy animals, but the tourists go crazy if they

> don't

> see one, " he said.

> Using live cattle as bait for protected animals is prohibited under

> India's

> wildlife laws, but the fines are paltry. One act carries a fine of just

> £1.

> Nobody has ever been convicted of the offence.

> Domesticated animals such as cows and goats are also banned from the lion

> sanctuary because of fears that they may spread foot and mouth disease.

> The lions' hunting grounds have been shrunk in recent years by intense

> cattle grazing, which has led to a cycle of lions eating cows, and cattle

> farmers killing lions.

> According to Peta, local farmers were conspiring with officials to charge

> tourists for using their cattle as bait, and then claim government

> compensation

> under a scheme to protect the lions. For each cow sold as bait, many are

> also

> receiving an extra £60 in government compensation.

> Maniswar Raja, the official responsible for protecting the lions, said he

> was conducting an investigation to establish which officials and tour

> guides

> were involved in the shows.

> " We're responsible for the lions inside and outside the national park, so

> it's a matter of great concern to us, " he said.

> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3822607.ece

>

>

>

https://lists.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0805 & L=NATHISTORY-INDIA & T=0 & F= & S= & P\

=530

>

> Related News:

> WEIRD BUT TRUE

> By NEIL GRAVES, Wire Services, New YorkPost, USA

> April 28, 2008-- Don't

> hand him that bull.

> British tourists are dropping more than $200

> to watch endangered Asian lions make mincemeat out of tethered cattle and

> buffalo at the Gir wildlife reserve in western India.

> Local officials say visitors watch the gory goings-on from nearby picnic

> tables as they snack on lunch. Officials say villagers tie the Gir lions -

> there are only 360 of them left from a rare subspecies - to tractors in

> order

> to lure the animals out of the forest. Once the scent is picked up, the

> prey is

> let loose and the slaughter begins.

> http://www.nypost.com/seven/04282008/news/weirdbuttrue/weirdbuttrue.htm

> Bait may get Gir lions diseases

> 26 Apr 2008,

> Himanshu Kaushik, Times Of India, Gujarat

> Ahmedabad:

> Asiatic lions may have been known to feed on sambars and cheetals, which

> are

> fast moving animals, but lately some of them, in their last abode in Gir,

> seem

> to have been tamed to eat buffalo meat offered on a platter.

> The

> lion shows, organized to provide a feast to tourists during their visit to

> Gir,

> are not just spoiling the lions but also putting them under the threat of

> various diseases contracted from the cattle offered as bait, say experts

> from

> Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

> Experts

> say cattle can transfer bovine tuberculosis, which had once gripped the

> African

> lions at the Kruger National Park in South Africa, to lions in Gir also.

> Besides, they

> could also contract canine distemper, which had killed 800 of the

> 2,000-odd

> African lions within four months at Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

> The

> modus operandi of staging a lion show is to tie a non-productive cattle to

> a

> tree and let tourists watch lions prey on them on payment of a premium.

> Farmers,

> who gave their livestock as bait, also claim compensation from the

> government.

> The danger of these shows is that the cattle offered as bait are not

> checked

> for diseases.

> Moreover,

> these shows domesticate the lions. That the lions are getting used to

> eating

> buffalo meat is established from the fact that in 2007-08, 2,018 claims

> for

> compensation were made for cattle killed by lions against 1,464 in

> 2006-07.

> Dr

> PK Malik, head (wildlife health management) WII, says: " The bait is hardly

> checked in these situations, definitely some diseases can be transferred

> from

> bovine to carnivores. "

> Chief

> conservator of forest (research) Dr HS Singh says: " Although no such major

> outbreak has been reported from Gir, these activities could threaten the

> Asiatic lion. "

> The

> basic instinct of the lion to hunt will be affected by such shows, added

> Dr

> Singh.

> He

> says that the lions should be allowed to starve so that they become more

> active

> and hunt for food. RG Jani, associate professor, Anand Veterinary College,

> agrees with the view that lions should be allowed to hunt. Unchecked baits

> can

> harm the animal, he added.

> http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=T

>

> http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/bait-may-get-gir-lions-diseases.html

>

> 'Lion shows only outside Gir'

> 25 Apr 2008, Times of India, Gujarat

> Ahmedabad:

> The state forest department has admitted that 'lion shows' of the kind

> that TOI

> had exposed, could be going on, but outside the " protected area " .

> A

> report in TOI on April 22 and April 23 had exposed how villagers were

> networking with farmers to stage lion shows for tourists by tying unwanted

> cattle or goats as baits for lions to prey upon. And this was set up for

> tourists at a premium. Later, the farmers claimed compensation on the

> ground

> that the livestock had been killed by lions.

> A

> rejoinder sent by the principal chief conservator of forest on Thursday

> claimed

> that no farmer had resorted to such illegal baiting of lions for tourism.

> However,

> the official said: " It is believed that due to increased communication

> facilities in rural areas, people communicate fast about the natural

> livestock

> killed by lions and as the wild animals take some time to consume the

> kill,

> local people and occasionally tourists may be gathering at the site

> outside the

> Gir protected area to watch lions. "

> When

> TOI contacted Junagadh collector Ashwini Kumar, he said the forest

> department

> was yet to inform the collectorate about any such shows in the revenue

> area.

> " But definitely action can be taken against such people under the Wildlife

> Protection Act, " Kumar said.

> Meanwhile,

> the forest department has banned entry of over 30-odd jeeps taking

> tourists

> inside the Gir sanctuary for the routine lion sighting, which would mean

> nearly

> 100 drivers and guides would be rendered jobless while the touts remain

> untouched, said a senior officer.

> The

> ban was imposed after state forest and environment minister Mangubhai

> Patel

> rushed PCCF Pradeep Khanna to Sasan to inquire into the involvement of

> drivers

> and guides in lion shows.

>

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/Lion_shows_only_outside_Gir/articleshow\

/2980653.cms

>

>

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA & login=de\

fault

> Clips from a video footage of a lion show in Gir.

> (Encircled) The rope with which the buffalo was tied to the tree. These

> clips

> were sent to TOI by a reader after the expose.

> http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/lion-shows-only-outside-gir.html

>

> Guesthouses packaging 'lion shows' dot Gir

> 24 Apr 2008, Himanshu Kaushik,

> Times Of India, Gujarat

> Sasan:

> If you visit Sasan as a tourist, look out for those innocuous mud huts in

> the

> middle of a farm. They promise to show you a lion in the wild. These are

> guest

> houses that have sprung up around the Gir forest, that let out rooms at

> nominal

> rates, with an additional charge if a lion show is on the cards.

> These

> guest houses might lack the creature comforts, but their owners woo guests

> by

> marketing the bonanza of showing the king of the jungle at close quarters.

> The

> rates for these guest houses range from Rs 550 to Rs 1000 for a non

> air-conditioned room. The fact, however is, that there are hardly any

> air-conditioned rooms in these guest houses, which are conveniently

> marketed as

> enjoying wildlife " in the lap of nature " .

> The

> charges for the lion show is exclusive of the room tariff, but they are

> far

> lower for tourists. Sources say, majority of these guest houses are

> unauthorized.

> The

> modus operandi was that over three-fourth of the land was used for

> farming, while

> a small portion was used to build these mud huts with hay roofs.

> Apparently,

> the guest house owners are networked with the touts and safari drivers.

> " The

> safari driver comes to their guest house to pick up the guest and the

> owners

> keeps tabs on the location of the lions, " said a senior officer.

> Incidentally,

> after the poaching incident last year, the state government officials

> cracked

> down on such guest houses. Talala mamlatdar, Ami Doshi said, " After the

> poaching incidents, we had cracked down on such guest houses and found

> that

> these guest houses were operating on agricultural land without

> entertainment

> licences. "

> Officials

> said that, to build such guest houses, it was essential to convert the

> agricultural land into a non-agricultural land, and then utilize the same

> for

> commercial purposes, but in the name of the farm houses these guest houses

> were

> operating illegally without any check.

>

>

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA & login=de\

fault

>

>

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/guesthouses-packaging-lion-shows-dot.ht\

ml

>

>

> Gujaratgovt orders probe into 'lion shows'

>

>

> 24 Apr 2008,PTI – Press Trust of India

>

> VADODARA: Gujaratgovernment has ordered a probe after reports in a section

> of the media said that baits are being used to draw lions at particular

> spots

> to attract tourists in GirNational Park.

>

> Chief Conservator of the Forests (Wildlife) Pradeep Khanna said that an

> inquiry

> would be conducted into the " lion show " using baits for drawing

> tourists and action would be taken against those found guilty.

>

> According to recent reports, some gangs were allegedly charging hefty sums

> from

> tourists for giving them a glimpse of the lions at GirNational Parkin

> Junagadh district, by using baits to bring the beasts

> to a particular place, where tourists can easily see them, following which

> government swung into action.

>

> " I have asked top wildlife officials of the forest department to visit Gir

> to look into the allegations and find out the truth, " Principal Secretary,

> Forest and Environment Department S K Nanda said adding necessary steps

> will be

> taken after conducting an enquiry into the matter.

>

> Meanwhile, Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel said that there are no

> organised

> gangs involved in luring lions for tourists by using baits.

>

> He also added that it is a tendency among people to gather at spots where

> a

> group of lions are feeding on the cattle after they have killed one.

>

> However, Patel said that following the reports, two district forest

> officials

> in the area have been asked to keep a vigil on the activities in the park.

>

>

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Guj_govt_orders_probe_into_use_of_baits\

_for_lion_show/articleshow/2979378.cms

>

>

> Probe ordered into 'lion

> shows'

> April 24, 2008; Regional, The Hindu

> Vadodara (PTI): The alleged " lion

> shows " , in which baits are used to attract tawny coloured cats inside the

> Gir National Park to a certain place for tourists to see them, will be

> probed

> into, the Gujarat government on Thursday announced.

> Chief Conservator of the Forests (Wildlife)

> Pradeep Khanna said an inquiry would be conducted into the " lion

> shows " that use baits for drawing tourists and action would be taken

> against those found guilty.

> Some people were reportedly charging hefty sums

> from tourists for giving them a glimpse of the lions at the Park in

> Junagadh

> district.

> Baits like a buffalo or cow are allegedly used to

> bring the lions to a particular place, where tourists can easily see them.

> " I have asked top wildlife officials of the

> forest department to visit Gir to look into the allegations and find out

> the

> truth, " Principal Secretary (Forest and Environment

> Department) S K Nanda said.

> Meanwhile, Forest Minister Mangubhai Patel said

> there are no organised gangs involved in luring lions for tourists. He

> said

> there is a tendency among people to gather at spots where a group of lions

> feed

> on cattle after killing them.

> However, Patel told PTI that following the

> reports, two district forest officials in the area have been asked to keep

> a

> vigil on the activities in the park.

> http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200804241841.htm

>

> http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/probe-ordered-into-lion-shows.html

>

>

> Gir lion show:

> Sell cattle as bait, claim damages

>

> 23 Apr 2008, Himanshu Kaushik,TNN, Times of India, GujaratIssue

>

> SASAN:

> Call it the lion's share, twice over. For every " lion show " organised

> in Gir — using cattle to be attacked and eaten by lions as tourists watch

> —

> there is a bonus for those providing the bait.

>

> While farmers here organise these shows to

> earn money from tourists or sell their ageing cows and buffaloes to

> organisers,

> they also claim compensation from the government to pay for the loss of

> livestock. Statistics with the forest department shows the number of

> applications and the compensation paid have shot up over the years.

>

> On Tuesday, TOI reported how " live shows " are organised in and

> around the Gir sanctuary, where live bait is used to lure lions and groups

> of

> tourists pay anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 10,000 to watch.

> Forestofficials claim it is non-lactating cows and buffaloes that are sold

> the most,

> each fetching Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. As soon as the show is over, the

> farmer

> informs the forest department that his has been killed by a lion.

>

> " Not only are villagers in and around Gir earning from tourists by

> organising shows or by selling their livestock as baits, they are making

> money

> by fooling the government too, " said an official. While a compensation of

> Rs 5,000 has to be paid for a milch cow, non-lactating cows fetch Rs

> 1,100. A

> non-lactating buffalo would fetch Rs 2,100.

>

> Sources say an elaborate racket is in place, whereby a beat forest

> department

> guard certifies that the animal was attacked killed by a lion, despite

> knowing

> that bait was offered to the beast. The department then pays compensation

> on

> the basis of this certificate.

>

>

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Gir_lion_show_Sell_cattle_as_bait_claim\

_damages/articleshow/2973533.cms

>

> After lion show, make govt pay for bait!; Bonus For

> Villagers Who Sell Baits & Claim Compensation

> 23 Apr 2008, Himanshu Kaushik,TNN, Times of India, GujaratIssue

>

> Sasan: Call it the lion's share, twice over. For every " lion show "

> organised in Gir — using unproductive

> cattle to be attacked and eaten by lions as tourists watch — there is a

> bonus for those

> providing these baits. While farmers here organise these shows to earn

> money

> from tourists or sell their ageing cows and buffaloes to organisers, they

> also

> claim compensation from the government to pay for the loss of livestock.

>

> And, statistics with the forest department show that the number of

> applications

> and the compensation paid have shot up over the years.

>

> On Tuesday, TOI reported how " live shows " are organised in and around the

> Gir

> sanctuary, where live baits are used to lure lions and groups of tourists

> pay anywhere between Rs

> 500 and Rs 10,000 to watch them prey.

>

> Forest officials say it is the nonlactating cows and

> buffaloes that are sold the most, each fetching Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. As

> soon

> as the show is over, the farmer informs the forest department that the

> animal

> has been killed by a lion. " Not only are the villagers in and around Gir

> earning from tourists by organising shows themselves or by selling their

> livestock

> as baits, they are making money by fooling the government too, " said an

> official.

>

> While a compensation of Rs 5,000 has to be paid for a milch cow,

> non-lactating

> cows fetch Rs 1,100. A non-lactating buffalo would fetch Rs 2,100.

>

> Sources say that an elaborate racket is in place, whereby a beat guard of

> the

> forest department certifies that the animal was attacked and killed by a

> lion, despite knowing that the hapless bait was

> offered to the beast. The department pays the compensation on the basis of

> this

> certificate.

>

> Conservator of forest (Junagadh range) Bharat Pathak admitted that " there

> has

> been a rise of around 30 per cent in compensation paid " . " I am not aware

> of

> this practice and will look into it, " he said.

> http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=T

>

>

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/after-lion-show-make-govt-pay-for-bait.\

html

>

>

> Watch lions

> feast in Gir, for a price

>

>

> 22 Apr 2008, Himanshu Kaushik,TNN, Times of India, GujaratIssue

>

> SASAN:

> The setting sun has painted the sky a bright red. But, for a group of

> wide-eyed

> tourists, it's a different red that's attracting their attention. A

> bloodied buffalo is being torn apart by two

> lions while two cubs join in.

>

> This is right in the middle of the lion country, just 25 km from Sasan,

> the

> core of Gir lion sanctuary that is the last refuge of the endangered

> Asiatic lions. At Babra Virdi, around 8 pm, the feast was on. So was the

> show as tourists, including

> some foreigners, watched in wonder.

>

> The show is managed by locals by luring the lions with a live bait and

> costs

> anywhere between Rs 2,500 and Rs 10,000 for a group of five close to the

> core

> area. This is not an isolated incident. Lion shows are a rage in Gir, with

> several touts organising these shows in and around the forest. They are

> usually

> drivers of tourist vehicles who are hand-in-glove with forest department

> staff.

> These touts even have business cards and offer you a package which

> includes a

> meal while the lion is having a banquet.

>

> Since the lion has strayed far beyond the protected sanctuary and national

> park, shows are organised even in villages on the outskirts of the

> sanctuary.

> " These shows violate security for the lions and will only help guide

> poachers at a time when poaching turning out to be a big menace, " says

> Revtubhai Jadeja, former member of Wildlife Board. " We are looking for

> people who organise such shows, " says conservator of forest (Junagadh

> range) Bharat Pathak.

>

> What's on show?

>

> Venue: Sasan, core area of Gir

>

> Tourists who do not sight lions during a tour of Gir are the targets of

> well

> organised groups. They promise sure shot viewing at close quarters. They

> help

> you take your car up to a pride of lions. While the car is stopped barely

> 10

> feet from the lions, visitors are told not to take pictures as it would

> annoy

> the lion.

>

> Venue: Dhari, near the core area

>

> A buffalo or cow is let loose on the top of a hillock, with a long rope

> tied

> around its neck. The other end is tied to a tractor, which waits at a

> distance

> down the hillock. Around 7 pm, when

> lions approach the bait, the tractor pulls the bait down the hill with the

> lion

> in pursuit. The rope is cut off, leaving it to the mercy of the lion. The

> lion feeds on the cattle as the tourists

> watch.

>

>

>

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Watch_lions_feast_in_Gir_for_a_price/ar\

ticleshow/2969637.cms

>

> The Economic Times, Times of India, Gujarat

>

>

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Earth/Watch_lions_feast_in_Gir/articleshow/2\

969637.cms

> Lions doing " Human – Shows " in GirForest

> 7 Apr 2008, Divya

> Bhaskar (Briefly translated from Gujarati)

> Three decades back 'Lion shows' were

> arranged by forest dept. for Tourists. But now, in Gir East, it seems a

> pride of Asiatic lions is doing " Human-Shows " in Khilavad village of Una

> taluka.

> The

> pride visited the village three days back, killed two stray cows, eat at

> ease

> and went back. Again yesterday, same group came, killed five stray cows,

> eat at

> ease and went back.

> Now

> the question is how does the group get so much of animals for kill? It is

> heard

> that, on the onset of summer season, many Maldharis from outside come to

> Gir

> peripheral villages. Many farmers have animals which doesn't give milk.

> They

> sale their such useless animals to maldhari's and tip them with Rs. 200

> and 20

> kg grains. This way they manage to get rid of unwanted animals.

> This

> unwanted animals become easy pray for lions. Such activity is happening in

> Gir

> area since many years and has resulted in lions frequently visiting

> peripheral

> villages.

>

>

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/04/lions-doing-human-shows-in-gir-forest.h\

tml

>

> Kishore Kotecha's Comment: Are such stray animals are used

> as baits for private lion shows?

>

> Gir lion attacks 'Lion-show' viewer

> 21 March 2008, Gujarat Samachar & Divya Bhasker (Briefly Translated from

> Gujarati)

> Lion

> had killed a bullock in Old Janjariya village near Bagasara in Gir East.

> On hearing this people from surrounding area had gathered in large number

> to

> see 'Lion Show'. A small shop-keeper from Bagasara, Dadabhai Abdulbhai (50

> years) was also amongst them. But he tried to go too near the beast who

> got

> aggravated. It attacked the man on his back side.

>

>

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2008/03/gir-lion-attacks-lion-show-viewer.html

>

>

> 2007

>

> Now showing, night safari just for you

>

>

> 10 Apr 2007, Nayan Dave ,TNN, Times

> of India, Gujarat

>

>

> SASAN: Darkness has descended on Gir. A pride of lions walks

> up to a watering hole. While others watch, the male springs to its feet

> and

> attacks a buffalo. The rest of the group then feast their eyes on the

> catch.

> This is no fantasy.

>

> This 'night safari' could be for your eyes only, right in the heart of Gir

> sanctuary. The cost — anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 a night for

> a

> group packed in two or three vehicles.

>

> How to get there: Get the right contacts among the local populace who

> would

> arrange the private show. Conservationists may fume at this, but those

> staying

> in and around Gir seem to be doing a much better job hardselling the rare

> Asiatic lions than the mandarins in Gandhinagar.

>

> These Gir locals have created an alternative tourist circuit for people

> clamouring for a dekko at the lions in the wild.

>

> Sources say locals like Duru Baloch — detained under suspicion of being a

> part

> of the lion poaching racket — were pioneers of this parallel tourist

> circuit.

>

> Buffaloes and sheep are used as baits to lure the lions closer to where

> the

> tourists are stationed. Ask villagers in Babariya, Zakhia, Jambur, Bhaka

> and

> Dhoradi on the outskirts of the sanctuary and they will tell you how the

> night

> safaris have continued for years now.

>

> While it is the domestic tourists, mainly from Mumbai, that throng to such

> shows, foreign tourists also join in the thrill. The fact that the

> sanctuary is

> open from all sides, only makes it easier for the organisers of illegal

> night

> safaris to thrive.

>

> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1881343,prtpage-1.cms

>

>

>

> Atul Singh Nischal

> atulsinghnischal

>

> ASIATIC LION GROUP

> http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/

>

> Asiatic Lion Messages & Links are

> accessible to all:

>

> http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/messages

>

>

>

http://pets.Asiatic_Lions/links/Folder_Indian___Iran_0011\

58077222/

>

>

>

>

>