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Game Hunting by Maharajas to Bushmeat Poaching: Blackbucks killed in Thousands

Almost a quarter century after Bollywood star Salman Khan's blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) poaching case in 1998, shooting of five antelopes in Madhya Pradesh has brought the animal back in media glare. Murder of three policemen by the poachers and the politics that ensued made this case even more sensational. Lest the supreme sacrifice made by the police be forgotten, it should be an inspiration to the forest department and the police force to check the blackbuck poaching, still so rampant in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh which accounts for the maximum blackbuck killing. In the past maharajas of erstwhile princely states in India would indulge in game hunting killing thousands of blackbucks.Its meat was served then in royal weddings and it continues to be in demand even now leading to bushmeat poaching. Blackbuck Poaching and Murder of Cops Five blackbucks were killed by the hunters in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh when the cops challenged the poachers, the

Golden Tiger And Its Gloomy Roar In Kaziranga National Park

‘Golden tiger’ of Kaziranga National Park , sighted again, after a gap of two years, seems to be raising a serious issue that needs to be addressed urgently. First spotted in 2014 in this world heritage , it's repeated sightings should be treated as a warning. The tiger is saying something, lets decipher it.There is also a misconception among many that the golden tiger carries mystical qualities. In many parts of Asia, they are the subject of legends. But the fact remains that the colour variation is an aberration and not something to revere and rejoice. Protect Corridors: Major Genetic Variations In Indian Tigers The first to be photographed, in 2014 was a female that Kaziranga National Park authorities named Kazi 106 F. Instead of the usual bright black stripes on a shining orange background, this tiger had pale golden fur streaked with faded red-brown stripes, and a face that was mostly white. It was a ‘golden tiger’, an extremely rare .It looked like a soft toy in pictur

Why India Should Rethink Over Coal Mining in Hasdeo Arand Forest

Promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow in November 2021 seem to contradict actions taken by his government back home. Amidst protest and litigation, millions of trees are proposed to be axed for the projects including coal, diamond mining and river linking projects in Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. After protests against Ken Betwa River linking project threatening the very existence of a tiger reserve and voices against diamond mining in Madhya Pradesh, indigenous people in Hansdeo Arand , one of the richest bio-diverse Indian forests located in Chattisgarh, hold protests to save their “home”- a pristine virgin Sal forest. An estimated four and half lakh trees are expected to be axed to make way for coal mining in the jungle, an important wildlife corridor which is also the origin of the river Hansdeo. All this is happening when Climate Change has become a reality. The Environmental Warning India Should Have Not Ignored Fo

Super Moms Of Tiger Reserves In India

As the world observed International Mother’s day, we remember some super moms in the national parks of India. The tigresses are known for their fertility and have fascinated a large number of tourists across the globe. Speaking of super moms in the world of tigers, who can forget Sita of Bandhavgarh and Machli of Ranthambhore? Though mystery shrouded her death, Sita was, perhaps, the first among the super moms, a term created by the media. National Geographic immortalized Sita when she was featured on the cover of the magazine in 1997. The “tiger mother” attracted global attention. Like a sumer mom, Machli protected her cubs as she fought with a giant crocodile. Sita: The First Super Mom Companion of the famous tiger of the park ‘Charger’, Sita gave birth to 16 cubs in her lifetime before she was poached. The pair of Charger and Sita brought Bandhavgarh on the wildlife tourism map of the world. The jungle stories revolving around the duo kept the tourist footfall in the pa

It's Time to Radio Collar Urban Tigers of Bhopal

The tigers roaming around Bhopal, a phenomenon first of its kind in the world, are required to be radio collared. In all there is movement of 18 big cats in a tiger corridor near the state capital, six of them have become resident tigers of Bhopal. Termed as urban tigers by the state forest department, they are seen venturing near the campuses of the universities situated on city outskirts, government office building premises and parks. Tiger sighting is common on Kerwa and Kaliyasot roads in Bhopal. Radio collaring of these resident tigers would facilitate monitoring of their movements in and around the city. It is also necessary for the safety of the people. Unforgettable 180 Seconds of Watchman On February 6- night this year, a tiger sighting was recorded in Bhoj Open University in Bhopal, a terrifying nightmarish experience for the university guards. The tiger entered the bungalow campus of the university vice chancellor after scaling the boundary wall. However, which one of th

Frame By Frame: Tigers Fight In Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park reverberated with the roars of two fighting tigers. They stood tall on their hind legs and charged each other aggressively blowing the dust from the dry forest ground . Their deadly paws opened as the tigers pounced upon each other roaring loudly exposing their deadly canines .They apparently fought for a female. She later moved away from the sparring stripes and they too calmed down. As the roars echoed through the jungle, other wild animals were frightened. Such fights are major causes of tiger deaths in the wild. The Epic Fight It happened on April 27 mornings in the Mukki zone of Kanha tiger reserve. Some tourists shot the epic battle on their mobile phones. The two tigers -Neel Nalla Male and Bhoin Dabra fought ferociously. The tigress known as Jhila Lime was believed to be the reason behind the big fight. In India's tiger reserves, local guides and drivers give amusing names to the big cats . And these names are based on either the appearance

MP May Face More Human Elephant Conflict After Adani Gets Coal Clearance In Chattisgarh

Twelve years after Elephants were declared a national heritage animal with an aim to step up measures for their protection, a decision taken by Chattisgarh seems to have contradicted it. While clearing a coal mine,the state government is accused of ignoring the red flag raised by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Consequently human-elephant conflict (HEC) may rise to an alarming level in the neighbouring central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Instead of declaring the nonoperational-coal mining area of Hasdeo Arand Coal Field (HACF) a “no-go area”, as recommended by the WII, Chattisgarh granted clearance for the Parsa coal block . Dominated by extensive forest cover , the mineral-rich HACF is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the county with several rare, endangered and threatened species of flora and fauna. They also include a sizable population of elephants. The HACF is located in Sarguja, Raigarh and Surajpur districts of Chattisgarh. Situation is grave, don’t compli

Tiger Cubs In MP National Park Are Safe, But For How Long ?

Three tiger cubs orphaned by a speeding train in Sanjay Dubri National park are alive and kicking- thanks to huge efforts made by the park management. But the trains- not two, three or four but as many as 25 - hurtling across the tiger reserve- continue to pose threat to the life of the big cats and other wildlife in this beautiful ecological hotspot situated on the north eastern end of Sidhi district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh .Saving Sanjay Dubri means saving the beautiful Sal forest and other benefits linsked with the environment. Meanwhile, planning for the expansion of the existing tracks to double railway lines also continues. Cubs Monitored Round the Clock The beautiful tigress was hit by the speeding train in the third week of March leading to her painful death caused by multiple injuries. It was not only a loss of a breeding tigress but also that of orphaning of the four cubs. In the absence of the mother’s protection, one of them was killed by a t