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Tigress Abandons Two Cubs Near Bandhavgarh National Park

A tigress abandoned her two cubs in a farm field of a small village of Katni district .After waiting for their mothers for about a week, the forest departent transferred the cubs-about two and half months old- to White tiger Safari, Mukundpur in Rewa. The big cat seems to have dispersed from Bandhavgarh national park , about 65 kms away from Jhiriya village of Katni where the cubs were located. Katni is strategically located between Bandhavgarh and Panna tiger reserves. Wildlife experts fear for the life of both -the tigress and her cubs. Tigress , Cubs Unsafe The tigress was spotted by some villagers on December 12 night in Jhiriya village. She was accompanying her three cubs. But in the morning, the two cubs were found in a farm but the tigress was missing with the third cub. When villagers first spotted the cubs, they were shivering in cold in the absence of the warmth of their mother. A senior forest department official said ...

Elusive Cats of Panna, As Threatened As The Park

Panna national park , famous world over for its successful tiger relocation programme, has added another feather in its cap. During a night safari, an Indian desert cat was spotted in the park which itself is threatened by the controvertial Ken Betwa river linking project. The cat was photographed by a tourist in Akola buffer, once famous for two tiger brothers- Heera–Panna. One of them died of poaching recently. Desert Cat and Rare Sighting Also known as Asiatic wildcat , the Indian desert cat inhabits the Thar Desert (pic courtsey NiF Hive) and is associated with the scrub desert. Soon after its sighting in Panna, the the tiger reserve tweeted " In 1999, it was still reported as common in Bikaner, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Pali and Nagaur districts of Rajasthan .Only four sightings were reported from the Thar Desert between 1999 and 2006". Though its sighting was recorded in Nauradehi wildlife sanctuary of Panna landscape , in Madhya Pradesh and Mirzapur fo...

Are Tigers denied Honourable Death?

Should a wild tiger be allowed to die its natural death in the jungle when injured after aterritorial fight or in natural course or it should be given medical treatment when found injured.For long, this question has baffled the wildlife managers, many of whom are of the opinion that a wild tiger should not be denied an honorable death. Let the law of the jungle prevail and there should be no interference with nature. Treat or Not to Treat: Dilemma Continues So a tiger carrying an injury in its natural course of life in the jungle (not due toany human action) – should it be treated with medicines? Though this question has been raised for the past many years, NTCA guidelines prohibit such intervention(of medication). A one-word answer for the question seems to be difficult ,especially in the times when most of the people are concerned moreover thetiger numbers. India along with other 13 tiger range countries has been workingfor the past few years to double...

Bird Festival Begins in Bhigwan

Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary (BBS) has come alive in a riot of colours. Thousands of resident and migratory birds have flocked the backwaters of the Ujani dam built downstream of river Bhima. For years, flamboyance of flamingos has been attracting a large number of tourists . The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family. It is found in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and in southern Europe. As the birds stand on the pink lanky legs, wildlife photographers click in frenzy to catch the best of the moves made by them. Local guides call flamingo the “tiger” of Bhigwan as most of the people come here especially for this bird. Charm of B&W : Black Headed Ibis Vying for the attention of the tourists, there are over 300 species of birds - both residents and migratory- in Bhigwan. Winter beckons birds' migration to the backwaters of the dam as they chirp, cheep , si...

Midst Extinction Fear, Search Begins for Caracal in MP

Madhya Pradesh is searching for carcal, a cat fastheading towards extinction in India. Known for its elusive nature, caracal is foundmostly in Rajasthan, Kutch in Gujarat and perhaps, parts of Madhya Pradesh around Chambal ravines. Though nocaracal has been sighted for long in MP, efforts are on to spot them in and around Kuno Palpur National Park in Sheopur district bordering Rajasthan. CameraTraps in Kuno The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and thestate forest department are trying to locate caracal by placing cameratraps in the jungle. Few years ago, there were reports in Hindi media in Sheopur about sightings of caracal but it couldnot be confirmed. However, theneighbouring Ranthambhore national park is home to some of these fascinatingcats. The park is located in Sawaimadhopur district .Besides, the cat isbelieved to be spread in Karoli and Dholpur districts of Rajasthan also. In October this yearphotographic evidence o...

Corbett Controversy: Misplaced Priorities of Politicians

One of the most celebrated tiger reserves of the world, Jim Corbett national park was in the news last week, albeit for the wrong reasons. Union minister of state for forest and environment Ashwini Kumar Choubey had expressed his intentions to rechristen the reserve as Ramganga national park when there are a number of environmental issues pending in Uttarakhand . But the minister chose for renaming of the park which was almost immediately turned down by the state government. This is one of the top safari destinations of the country and very popular among tourists. When the state forest minister Harak Singh Rawat declined the Union minister’s idea on name change, he had in mind the potential threat to tourism activities. “A name change will hit tourism in Uttarakhand as the park is popular, among international tourists, as Corbett,” the minister said. Interestingly, both the ministers, it seems, did not have on their priority list the issues pertainin...

Cheetahs' Flight to India Delayed

Translocation of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) to Kuno Palpur national park in Madhya Pradesh has been delayed. Though the government has been highlighting covid19 spread in Africa as the prime reason, India has yet to receive the permission of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna), an international agreement between governments to preserve plants and animals of the planet to ensure that the international trade in their specimens does not threaten their survival. India’s application to bring this spotted at is yet to be cleared by this international organisation. India 's Application With CITES Pending Cheetah was scheduled to have been transported from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno in November this year. In all 8 cheetahs were scheduled to be translocated from the two places. But India applied “quite late” for the relocation of cheetah leading to delay in the processing of the application. Now this fastest animal on...

Awesome Assam : Commitment to Conserve its Biodiversity

For the past few months, Assam has been buzzing with positive news stories of environment and wildlife conservation activities. Three months ago, two new national parks came into existence while burning of rhino horns has grabbed international headlines. Assam has set the agenda for the conservation of some of the most endangered species including the greater one -horn rhino and golden langur, one of the world’s most endangered primates endemic to northeast India and Bhutan. Unique, Unmatched Transboundary Biodiversity Famous for golden langur, Raimona national park , became sixth national park of Assam on June 5 this year followed by Eastern Assam’s Dehing Patkai national park and elephant reserve on June 9 2021. The five national parks that existed prior to the 422 sq km Raimona are Kaziranga, Manas- both world heritage sites-, Nameri, Orang and Dibru-Saikhowa. Assam now stands third in the list of the states in India with the most national parks after 1...

Rhino Horns Consign to Flames but Will it Check Poaching?

Amidst chanting of rhymes and vedic rituals, the “world’s largest stockpile” of rhino horns was burnt to ashes in Assam. The ceremony was held in a stadium of Bokakhat, the headquarters of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve , a world heritge site, on the occasion of the World Rhino Day on September 22. It was aimed at dispelling myths leading to an illegal horn trade and the poaching of the majestic animal. But the question raised by the environmentalists is , “ Will it check the rhino poaching”? " A World Record" A large number of people witnessed the “ world record” made at the Bokakhat stadium when 2,479 horns stored in 12 district treasuries since 1979 were burnt in six large iron furnaces especially designed for the purpose. These were lit remotely through drones . The weight of the horns destroyed was 1,305.25 kg. Before the horns were consigned to flames, experts had verified the horns using "scientific methods" at...

Big Step Towards Conservation of Kaziranga Rhino

The World Rhino day (WRD) – September 22- is going to witness an unprecedented happening in Assam. The state government has decided to set ablaze nearly 2,500 confiscated rhinoceros’ horns on this day to spread a message against the illegal multi-million dollar trade of the horns. The pachyderm, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list , is killed for its horns. Preparations are underway at Bokakhat in Assam's Golaghat district, near Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), to destroy 2,479 pieces of rhino horn housed in state treasuries. This will be done publicly. These horns confiscated from poachers have been piling for years in the government treasuries . Home to these beautiful animals, Kaziranga is a world heritage site. It is a major wildlife tourism attraction. Myths of Aphrodisiac and Illegal Trade of Horns Long ago, North-East India’s active conservation group Nature’s Beckon had claimed that the state forest department used to sell ...

Are Lion Tailed Macaque More Fortunate than Panna Tigers: A Tale of Two Projects

Almost a year after the Karnataka high court stayed the project that had further threatened the already endangered lion tailed macaque (LTM) ((Macaca silenus), endemic to the Sharavathi river valley nestled in the Western Ghats; the sword of Damocles continues to hang over the primates. The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) had launched a geothermal survey with heavy machines to ascertain if the 2000 MW underground pump storage hydro-electric project was feasible. Besides LTM, the Sharavathi river valley is also home to a diverse array of species and sustains very rich biodiversity. Though the court stay continues, the south Indian state has not yet withdrawn the project. For the time being, the power project may not have been in the priority list of the government after the change in the political guard, it continues to stare at LTM menacingly. Sharavathi Valley, a Jewel in the Western Ghats The project was proposed within the core area of 902 sq km in the Sh...

Victims of Drones and Selfie Seekers, Jawai Leopards on the Brink

Leopards found in the famous granite hills of Jawai are in deep trouble. Encroachers at the Jawai Leopard Conservation Reserve (JLCR) in Rajasthan have reportedly crossed almost all the limits threatening the very existence of the spotted cat, about 60 to 65 in numbers. There is a history of 150 years of coexistence of the elusive cat with humans in the region but overdose of wildlife tourism is all set to disturb the environmental equilibrium. Drones fly over the big cats and gypsies are driven right in front of the caves of the leopards as the tourists take selfies, a report prepared by a sub divisional officer ( SDO) in July 2020 revealed. The SDO also annexed pictures of drones flying over leopards and a number of gypsies parked in front of the animal caves. Wildlife experts fear that increased human activity may push leopards away from the reserve or the human interference may lead to man-animal conflict. Water Body with Spectacular Surroundings Jawai is a ...

Which animal is on the brink of extinction after increased demand from china

If you think tiger is the only animal in India which is poached to fetch millions. You are mistaken. As the big cat received all the attention, the wildlife poachers shifted their focus to other animals. Huge demand for Red-crowned roofed turtles in China and the far east nations has led to a situation when only about 500 of them remained in the river Chambal . Besides, pangolin scales are also in demand. Recent conviction of wildlife smugglers by a court in Sagar further emphasized the importance of conservation of other species. Turtle with Courtship Coloration There was a time when the habitat of this beautiful multi-colored turtle would stretch to a great length in central Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh and probably Burma where they flourished in deep flowing fresh water rivers .But their numbers declined drastically after rampant poaching for their meat and shells from countries like China. But the major attraction also ...