(IN) Tiger breeding program at Sariska in doldrums!

[Guest guest]

A better way to kill or atleast to make all of the tigers prone to various

genetic diseases couldn't have been found! I wonder, why on earth didn't the

Scientists and experts carry out the DNA tests BEFORE airlifting the animals in

haste!!!!!!!! Now are they going to be again re-located to Ranthambore or would

they be left to their fate there at Sariska? To be poached or die of some

genetic disease…whichever is earlier..right? Or even if they did survive….the

mortality rate within-litter would be…???

Species survival is critically dependent on reproductive performance which in

turn seems to correlate with genetic heterozygosity. I guess it wouldn't be long

when the entire species is wiped out if such hasty measures are put into action

without realizing the dire consequences!

 

Talk about Sibling revelry..eh?

 

Warm Regards

Radhika Singh

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6612174.ece

 

From The Times

July 1, 2009

 

Bengal tiger breeding plan at Sariska in doubt over fears that new mates are

siblings

 

Jeremy Page in Delhi

When Indian wildlife authorities took three Bengal tigers by helicopter to an

empty reserve in Rajasthan last year it was hailed as a groundbreaking

experiment to revive the country's flagging tiger population.

Now, some experts fear that the male and two females relocated to the Sariska

reserve could all be siblings — reducing their chances of a successful long-term

breeding programme.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which is in charge of the project, began

testing DNA samples from the three tigers yesterday to decide if they need to

introduce others from different parts of the country. It already had blood

samples from the two females but had not taken a sample from the male until it

was briefly captured on Monday to have its broken radio collar replaced.

" We're to blame — we should have done this earlier but everything was done in a

hurry, " K. Sankar, a WII tiger expert who is overseeing the project, told The

Times. " Now we have the samples, the analysis is under way and after that we

will be able to say for sure. We're keeping our fingers crossed. " Results are

expected this weekend, when the Indian Environment Minister is due to visit

Sariska.

If the tigers are proven to be siblings it would be the latest in a series of

embarrassments for Indian wildlife officials, who were forced to admit in 2005

that all of Sariska's tigers had been killed.

Sariska used to be India's most famous tiger sanctuary and was at the centre of

the Project Tiger conservation programme launched by Indira Gandhi, the late

Prime Minister, in 1973. But the programme has failed to prevent India's tiger

population plummeting to 1,411 as of February last year — down from 3,642 in

2002 — largely as a result of poaching.

Last year's relocation, the first of its kind, was part of a £93 million

emergency plan to revive the tiger population, which was estimated at 40,000 a

century ago.

Dr Sankar said that Wildlife Institute experts knew the females were likely to

be sisters, or half-sisters, because they were relocated from the same area of

the Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan. The male was selected from a

different part of Ranthambore and there was no evidence that the females were

his siblings, he said.

However, critics say that the institute should have carried out DNA tests to

confirm its analysis before airlifting the tigers to Sariska. " It's a very

simple procedure, " said Dharmendra Khandal, a field biologist based in

Ranthambore.

He said that the WII's census data showed that one adult male occupied the

entire territory where the three relocated tigers were born. Inbreeding is

common in the wild — even between a male and daughter. But it could create

problems by perpetuating genetic weaknesses.

[Guest guest]

Stud Books of endangered species especially at Zoos must be maintained and a

proper breeding plan be made. In most of Zoos and Parks there are genetic

abnormalities due to inbreeding of animals.

Lions at Chatt Bir Zoo Near Chandigarh(in Punjab) suffered a lot as the young

cubs started developing deformities and abnormalities.as a result all males have

been castrated. The Zoo which has 100 + lions in 98 is having about 10 old

animals. They are now planning to get a pair to start breeding a fresh or

bringing exotic (African Lions).

 

 

Dr.Sandeep K.Jain

Member Punjab State Board for Wildlife

--- On Wed, 1/7/09, Radhika Singh <princess_rads10 wrote:

 

 

Radhika Singh <princess_rads10

(IN) Tiger breeding program at Sariska in doldrums!

aapn

Wednesday, 1 July, 2009, 9:34 PM

 

 

 

A better way to kill or atleast to make all of the tigers prone to various

genetic diseases couldn't have been found! I wonder, why on earth didn't the

Scientists and experts carry out the DNA tests BEFORE airlifting the animals in

haste!!!!!!! ! Now are they going to be again re-located to Ranthambore or would

they be left to their fate there at Sariska? To be poached or die of some

genetic disease…whichever is earlier..right? Or even if they did

survive….the mortality rate within-litter would be…???

Species survival is critically dependent on reproductive performance which in

turn seems to correlate with genetic heterozygosity. I guess it wouldn't be long

when the entire species is wiped out if such hasty measures are put into action

without realizing the dire consequences!

 

Talk about Sibling revelry..eh?

 

Warm Regards

Radhika Singh

 

http://www.timesonl ine.co.uk/ tol/news/ world/asia/ article6612174. ece

 

From The Times

July 1, 2009

 

Bengal tiger breeding plan at Sariska in doubt over fears that new mates are

siblings

 

Jeremy Page in Delhi

When Indian wildlife authorities took three Bengal tigers by helicopter to an

empty reserve in Rajasthan last year it was hailed as a groundbreaking

experiment to revive the country's flagging tiger population.

Now, some experts fear that the male and two females relocated to the Sariska

reserve could all be siblings — reducing their chances of a successful

long-term breeding programme.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which is in charge of the project, began

testing DNA samples from the three tigers yesterday to decide if they need to

introduce others from different parts of the country. It already had blood

samples from the two females but had not taken a sample from the male until it

was briefly captured on Monday to have its broken radio collar replaced.

" We're to blame — we should have done this earlier but everything was done in

a hurry, " K. Sankar, a WII tiger expert who is overseeing the project, told The

Times. " Now we have the samples, the analysis is under way and after that we

will be able to say for sure. We're keeping our fingers crossed. " Results are

expected this weekend, when the Indian Environment Minister is due to visit

Sariska.

If the tigers are proven to be siblings it would be the latest in a series of

embarrassments for Indian wildlife officials, who were forced to admit in 2005

that all of Sariska's tigers had been killed.

Sariska used to be India's most famous tiger sanctuary and was at the centre of

the Project Tiger conservation programme launched by Indira Gandhi, the late

Prime Minister, in 1973. But the programme has failed to prevent India's tiger

population plummeting to 1,411 as of February last year — down from 3,642 in

2002 — largely as a result of poaching.

Last year's relocation, the first of its kind, was part of a £93 million

emergency plan to revive the tiger population, which was estimated at 40,000 a

century ago.

Dr Sankar said that Wildlife Institute experts knew the females were likely to

be sisters, or half-sisters, because they were relocated from the same area of

the Ranthambore reserve, also in Rajasthan. The male was selected from a

different part of Ranthambore and there was no evidence that the females were

his siblings, he said.

However, critics say that the institute should have carried out DNA tests to

confirm its analysis before airlifting the tigers to Sariska. " It's a very

simple procedure, " said Dharmendra Khandal, a field biologist based in

Ranthambore.

He said that the WII's census data showed that one adult male occupied the

entire territory where the three relocated tigers were born. Inbreeding is

common in the wild — even between a male and daughter. But it could create

problems by perpetuating genetic weaknesses.