VADODARA: An Asiatic lioness was allegedly electrocuted by a farmer in his sugarcane field in Mathasuriya village along Gir forest in Gujarat, department officials said on Wednesday.
"Postmortem of the lioness confirmed that she died of electrocution,"
said District Conservator of Forest (Junagadh) Aradhana Sahu, adding no
external injuries were found on the big cat whose carcass was found on
Tuesday.
Officials suspect that the farmer Bhimbhai Bhagavan
Zankant was behind the incident and they are conducting inquiry against
him under the Wild Life Act. "He will be detained after inquiry", they
said.
The Asiatic lion,
also known as the Indian lion, is a lion sub-species that exists as a
single isolated population in Gujarat. It is listed as Endangered by
IUCN based on the small population size.
According to Deputy
Conservator of Forests (West Division), Gir Forest, K Ramesh, this is
second such incident from Giri Somnath district in last one month. A
lion was also killed in a similar fashion by a farmer at Moti Monpuri
village in Junagadh district.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Asiatic-lioness-killed-by-farmer-in-Gujarat/articleshow/22485486.cms
Friday, September 13, 2013
Illegal hotels in Gir sanctuary face action.
AHMEDABAD: Hoteliers eyeing business opportunities around Gir sanctuary
may not have many options left. The state forest department has banned
such activities within the two-km radius of the sanctuary and is now
planning to crack down on the illegal hotels operating within the
sanctuary.
The increase in the number of tourists in the sanctuary has led to an increase in commercial activities. The forest officials said that while there only 25-odd hotel properties before five years, they have increased to 34 in 2013.
The officials said with the spurt in the hotel business around the sanctuary, there has been an increase in illegal activities as well. Several farm houses which were registered for individual use have converted themselves into hotels and guest houses.
"The department during the surveys found that there were 15 such farm houses which had been converted to guest houses. The officials have informed the district administration which has issued notices to these farm houses," said a senior official.
The official said the department had recently issued a notification restricting the setting up of any new hotel business in the two-km periphery of the sanctuary. The decision is aimed at giving Asiatic lions' free access to the Sasan Gir sanctuary and to protect their natural corridor.
The sanctuary witnessed a rise of 21 per cent in visitors during October 2012 - June 2013 season. The October-June season witnessed 21 per cent increase in number of visitors, 28 per cent rise in arrival of foreign tourists, and 19 per cent rise in revenue.
The officials said that a total of 4,16,000 tourists arrived in this season. The revenue of sanctuary was Rs 5.1 crore in this season. According to 2010 census, there are 411 lions in Gir jungle.
The officials said that ever since the advertisement featuring Amitabh Bachchan was aired, there has been an increase in the number of tourists in the sanctuary.
"This has also led to an increase in the number of hotel rooms in the region," said an official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Illegal-hotels-in-Gir-sanctuary-face-action/articleshow/22424687.cms
The increase in the number of tourists in the sanctuary has led to an increase in commercial activities. The forest officials said that while there only 25-odd hotel properties before five years, they have increased to 34 in 2013.
The officials said with the spurt in the hotel business around the sanctuary, there has been an increase in illegal activities as well. Several farm houses which were registered for individual use have converted themselves into hotels and guest houses.
"The department during the surveys found that there were 15 such farm houses which had been converted to guest houses. The officials have informed the district administration which has issued notices to these farm houses," said a senior official.
The official said the department had recently issued a notification restricting the setting up of any new hotel business in the two-km periphery of the sanctuary. The decision is aimed at giving Asiatic lions' free access to the Sasan Gir sanctuary and to protect their natural corridor.
The sanctuary witnessed a rise of 21 per cent in visitors during October 2012 - June 2013 season. The October-June season witnessed 21 per cent increase in number of visitors, 28 per cent rise in arrival of foreign tourists, and 19 per cent rise in revenue.
The officials said that a total of 4,16,000 tourists arrived in this season. The revenue of sanctuary was Rs 5.1 crore in this season. According to 2010 census, there are 411 lions in Gir jungle.
The officials said that ever since the advertisement featuring Amitabh Bachchan was aired, there has been an increase in the number of tourists in the sanctuary.
"This has also led to an increase in the number of hotel rooms in the region," said an official.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Illegal-hotels-in-Gir-sanctuary-face-action/articleshow/22424687.cms
Pride of the jungle.
Come October, and season begins in Gir, the home of the fabulous Asiatic lion. Zerin Anklesaria was there recently and, thankfully, lived to tell the tale.
Updated: September 6, 2013 19:51 IST
On a quiet night, so they say, the roar of an adult male lion can be heard five miles away. No such roaring welcome greeted us as we drove into Sasan Gir with the moon riding high, but we were certainly in lion country, with road signs pointing the way to Mane Land Jungle Lodge, Lion’s Paw Resort, Pride of Gir, Elsa’s Lair, and so on.
On a quiet night, so they say, the roar of an adult male lion can be heard five miles away. No such roaring welcome greeted us as we drove into Sasan Gir with the moon riding high, but we were certainly in lion country, with road signs pointing the way to Mane Land Jungle Lodge, Lion’s Paw Resort, Pride of Gir, Elsa’s Lair, and so on.
For
me, this was a sentimental journey, for my father had served under the
Nawab of Junagadh before Independence and as children we had visited
Gir, staying in palatial grandeur at The Royal Hunting Lodge. The Nawab,
a great animal lover, rarely hunted and it was chiefly maintained for
Indian rajas and British VIPs for whom a lion was a prized trophy.
A
party of 20 of us stayed there for four memorable days in sybaritic
luxury. This was soon after the then Viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, had left.
The cellars were still stocked with the choicest wines, and the larders
with cheeses, jams and canned fruit from Australia. The chefs cooked up
mind-boggling meats, game and desserts.
Six of us
little girls were allotted the master bedroom where the centrepiece was
an enormous double bed with an 8-inch box-spring mattress imported
especially for the Viceregal couple. Far from prying adult eyes, we
spent our evenings using it as a trampoline to see who could jump the
highest. The bed survived the onslaught. The mattress did not.
The
world outside presented a harrowing contrast. A single tarred road led
to the hunting lodge, and the Forest Officer occupied the only other
building. Jeep tracks meandered through the forest and the Maldhari
herdsmen merged with the hard, brown earth, living in poverty with their
cattle in villages scattered across the 1400 sq. km of the sanctuary.
In this semi-desert region agriculture was impossible.
Coming
here now what a difference I found. We drove in from Rajkot on
ribbon-smooth roads to the peripheral areas of the sanctuary — all neat,
well-planned and free of garbage. With tourism has come unimaginable
prosperity. Accommodation ranges from dharamsalas and budget hotels to
the lordly Taj; canals supply water for gardens and cultivation; and
local children study at an English medium school.
Our
first safari started off rather tamely. I had the front seat in the
jeep and couldn’t hear what the guide was saying. My information came
solely from the grumpy driver who pointed out ‘snake’, ‘deer’,
‘mongoose’ and other uninspiring fauna in a single word. ‘Budd’ had me
stumped, till he amplified. ‘Peacock’, he said.
It
was just half an hour to closing time when we got the exciting news. A
tracker came and whispered to the guide, who passed along the magic word
‘lion’. We took our place in a line of jeeps and waited in reverential
silence as if in church. At last it was our turn to enter the sanctum
and we moved down a track deep into the jungle. There, under the shade
of a tree, we came upon them, two lionesses and five cubs, feasting on a
nilgai. A thrilling sight but a poor photo-op, for the evening sun cast
too many shadows and the lionesses were sitting low in the long grass,
while bits and pieces of cub flashed in and out of the frame
three-quarters two pointy ears, half a puckered face, a raised paw, a
tail tip.
Later we encountered two angry lionesses
rearing up on their hind legs, clawing and snarling at each other.
Photo-op? Alas no! They were so enraged that our jeep had to keep a safe
distance.
Back at the resort, everyone was envious.
Some unfortunates had spent a packet on as many as three safaris, and
seen only monkey, deer, and, of course, ‘budd’. Tourists often think
that a lion sighting is guaranteed and, when disappointed, are vocal in
their displeasure. A manager was once rudely roused from his slumbers by
angry guests who had been out in vain since 5 a.m. They staged a gherao
and shouted slogans, ‘Paisa vasool, paisa vasool’, demanding their
money back.
The kings of the forest are as lazy as
feudal monarchs. The male has only to guard his territory and propagate,
which he does with maniacal zest. Everything else is left to the
lioness. She must hunt for prey, feed and train her cubs and protect
them from predators, including other lions. An adult male is the lord of
his territory and eliminates all future rivals including his progeny,
knowing that otherwise they will kill him when in their prime. The
‘sons’ in a pride are therefore highly prized, pampered and protected,
both by their mothers and the Forest Officers. Patriarchy is as
invidious in the jungle as outside it.
Lions are far
more human-friendly than leopards or tigers, but only as long as one
keeps within limits. In earlier days, the ‘pagis’ or traditional
trackers, ever eager to display their affinity with the animal to
visiting dignitaries, would place a handkerchief on the mane of a
sleeping lion with the help of a stick, while another would retrieve it.
However, one day, legend has it that the lion suddenly woke up, and
both entertainment and entertainer came to a gory end.
Then
there was the biker on his way to a local temple. Seeing a gorgeously
maned specimen sitting quietly by the roadside, he whipped out his
phone-camera and edged closer and closer until the lion took umbrage,
and with a mighty swipe of its paw dispatched the foolish young man to
the other world. In the jungle this lordly animal is king, and mere
humans who disrespect his royal status pay a heavy price.
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/pride-of-the-jungle/article5100585.ece?homepage=true
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/pride-of-the-jungle/article5100585.ece?homepage=true
Lions, temples, mangoes, Gir Somnath gets them all.
Gopal Kateshiya : Rajkot, Sat Aug 31 2013, 03:21 hrs
The creation of Gir Somnath by bifurcating Junagadh district, the land of Asiatic lions in Saurashtra, has not gone down well with some in Junagadh, but those falling in the new district are gleeful at the prospect of new possibilities.
Gir Somnath has been created by axing Una, Talala, Kodinar, Veraval and Sutrapada talukas away from Junagadh. However, small-scale protests are going on in Talala to retain Sasan Gir, the headquarters of state forest department which handles lion safaris, and a few other villages in Junagadh.
Even as the Gujarat government is fighting a legal battle against the translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh, the protesters fear Junagadh will lose its identity if Sasan Gir, a village of Talala taluka, goes to Gir Somnath. Besides the famous Somnath temple, all major industrial complexes and a coastline, measuring 110-kilometre and dotted by eight ports, have already become part of the new district. The cement plant of Ambuja in Kodinar, arguably the biggest industrial establishment in the undivided Junagadh district, is now in Gir Somnath. Similarly, the cement plant of Gujarat Siddhi Cement Limited is also located in Sutrapada taluka. Indian Rayon, a major producer of viscose filament yarn of Aditya Birla Group, is based in Veraval town. Veraval also hosts a number of sea-food processing units.
However, without Gir forests as its part, the nomenclature of the new district will sound somewhat irrelevant. Local Congress MLA Jashubhai Barad is also against dividing Talala. "There is politics behind these protests. Those protesting the annexation of Sasan Gir, Bhalchhel, Haripur, Hiranvel and Bhojde villages into Gir Somnath are demanding not to divide Gir and Girnar. However, the residents of these villages want to be part of the new district and they are also demanding that Gir can't be taken away from them. So, the entire Talala taluka has to be with Gir Somnath," Barad says.
Incidentally, Talala is the largest producer and market of Kesar mango in the state. Barad says the creation of new district will augur well for the region. "There is tremendous potential to promote eco and religious tourism here. A tourism circuit covering Sasan Gir, Somnath and Diu needs to be developed with better infrastructure. While the cement industry has scope for further expansion, ports also need to be upgraded," the MLA says.
The new district has eight ports and harbours ?Veraval, Hirakot, Mul Dwarka, Madhvad, Kotda, Nava Bandar, Saiyad Rajapara and Dhamrej. It is likely to give a unitary identity to fisherman communities of Kharvas and and Kolis and facilitate their organisation as a political constituency. "So far we have been under-represented in politics and government. However, the new district will have a concentration of around 1.5 lakh Kharvas. This will help us get recognition as a political constituency," says Velji Masani, vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association.
Masani is also hopeful that the new administration will pay attention to the development of ports. "As of now Veraval port has the facility to harbour 1,000 fishing trawlers. However, there is a scope for its development and the expansion of its capacity to 2,500 trawlers. Dredging also remains a problem at this port. We hope the new administration addresses these issues," he adds.
Meanwhile, the new administration has identified cleanliness in Veraval town, the headquarters of the new district, as its top priority. "Besides being a port town, Veraval also sustains the rush of pilgrims at Somnath. So, cleanliness is a major problem. We shall put in place a system for solid waste management and lay under-ground drains on priority basis," Chandu Patel, collector of Gir Somnath, says.
Shree Somnath Trust, which manages Somnath temple enshrining Aadi jyotirling of Lord Shiva, expects improvement in connectivity to the temple. "We would welcome improvement in highways leading to the temple. We also need to develop some solutions to counter the smell emanating from fish drying yards of Veraval. They are sometimes hung near the temple premises," Pravin Laheri, secretary of the trust says.
According to Laheri, 30,000 pilgrims on an average visit the temple everyday.
Whether Sasan Gir stays with Gir Somnath or goes back to Junagadh, the collector of the new district will likely host a number of VIP visitors, including LK Advani, who comes to the shrine frequently for darshan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lions-temples-mangoes-gir-somnath-gets-them-all/1162615/0
The creation of Gir Somnath by bifurcating Junagadh district, the land of Asiatic lions in Saurashtra, has not gone down well with some in Junagadh, but those falling in the new district are gleeful at the prospect of new possibilities.
Gir Somnath has been created by axing Una, Talala, Kodinar, Veraval and Sutrapada talukas away from Junagadh. However, small-scale protests are going on in Talala to retain Sasan Gir, the headquarters of state forest department which handles lion safaris, and a few other villages in Junagadh.
Even as the Gujarat government is fighting a legal battle against the translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh, the protesters fear Junagadh will lose its identity if Sasan Gir, a village of Talala taluka, goes to Gir Somnath. Besides the famous Somnath temple, all major industrial complexes and a coastline, measuring 110-kilometre and dotted by eight ports, have already become part of the new district. The cement plant of Ambuja in Kodinar, arguably the biggest industrial establishment in the undivided Junagadh district, is now in Gir Somnath. Similarly, the cement plant of Gujarat Siddhi Cement Limited is also located in Sutrapada taluka. Indian Rayon, a major producer of viscose filament yarn of Aditya Birla Group, is based in Veraval town. Veraval also hosts a number of sea-food processing units.
However, without Gir forests as its part, the nomenclature of the new district will sound somewhat irrelevant. Local Congress MLA Jashubhai Barad is also against dividing Talala. "There is politics behind these protests. Those protesting the annexation of Sasan Gir, Bhalchhel, Haripur, Hiranvel and Bhojde villages into Gir Somnath are demanding not to divide Gir and Girnar. However, the residents of these villages want to be part of the new district and they are also demanding that Gir can't be taken away from them. So, the entire Talala taluka has to be with Gir Somnath," Barad says.
Incidentally, Talala is the largest producer and market of Kesar mango in the state. Barad says the creation of new district will augur well for the region. "There is tremendous potential to promote eco and religious tourism here. A tourism circuit covering Sasan Gir, Somnath and Diu needs to be developed with better infrastructure. While the cement industry has scope for further expansion, ports also need to be upgraded," the MLA says.
The new district has eight ports and harbours ?Veraval, Hirakot, Mul Dwarka, Madhvad, Kotda, Nava Bandar, Saiyad Rajapara and Dhamrej. It is likely to give a unitary identity to fisherman communities of Kharvas and and Kolis and facilitate their organisation as a political constituency. "So far we have been under-represented in politics and government. However, the new district will have a concentration of around 1.5 lakh Kharvas. This will help us get recognition as a political constituency," says Velji Masani, vice-president of Gujarat Fishermen Association.
Masani is also hopeful that the new administration will pay attention to the development of ports. "As of now Veraval port has the facility to harbour 1,000 fishing trawlers. However, there is a scope for its development and the expansion of its capacity to 2,500 trawlers. Dredging also remains a problem at this port. We hope the new administration addresses these issues," he adds.
Meanwhile, the new administration has identified cleanliness in Veraval town, the headquarters of the new district, as its top priority. "Besides being a port town, Veraval also sustains the rush of pilgrims at Somnath. So, cleanliness is a major problem. We shall put in place a system for solid waste management and lay under-ground drains on priority basis," Chandu Patel, collector of Gir Somnath, says.
Shree Somnath Trust, which manages Somnath temple enshrining Aadi jyotirling of Lord Shiva, expects improvement in connectivity to the temple. "We would welcome improvement in highways leading to the temple. We also need to develop some solutions to counter the smell emanating from fish drying yards of Veraval. They are sometimes hung near the temple premises," Pravin Laheri, secretary of the trust says.
According to Laheri, 30,000 pilgrims on an average visit the temple everyday.
Whether Sasan Gir stays with Gir Somnath or goes back to Junagadh, the collector of the new district will likely host a number of VIP visitors, including LK Advani, who comes to the shrine frequently for darshan.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/lions-temples-mangoes-gir-somnath-gets-them-all/1162615/0
Attacked by lions man lands in hospital.
Express News Service : Rajkot, Mon Aug 26 2013, 03:08 hrs
A man was injured after he was attacked by lions near Savarkundla in Amreli district on Sunday afternoon.
Savarkundla police said that Chandu Patadia (30) was injured after a lion attacked him near the town. After primary treatment at a local hospital, Patadia was referred to the Civil Hospital in Amreli.
Confirming the attack on Patadia, deputy conservator of forest (DCF) of Gir East, Anshuman Sharma, said, "A lion pride with cubs is roaming in the area. We have asked our staff to track the pride and lure the lions to a safer area."
Leopard found dead
A male leopard, believed to be three to four years old, was found dead in Piplav village of Khambha taluka of Amreli on Saturday afternoon.
"The leopard was stuck in a bush near a farm. A post-mortem has concluded that the leopard died of multiple organ failure. We have sent samples to veterinary college of Anand Agricultural University in Anand to know the exact cause of the death," Sharma said.
There was no injury mark on the leopard's body but its lungs were clotted and lever was also not functioning properly, Sharma said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/attacked-by-lions-man-lands-in-hospital/1160127/
A man was injured after he was attacked by lions near Savarkundla in Amreli district on Sunday afternoon.
Savarkundla police said that Chandu Patadia (30) was injured after a lion attacked him near the town. After primary treatment at a local hospital, Patadia was referred to the Civil Hospital in Amreli.
Confirming the attack on Patadia, deputy conservator of forest (DCF) of Gir East, Anshuman Sharma, said, "A lion pride with cubs is roaming in the area. We have asked our staff to track the pride and lure the lions to a safer area."
Leopard found dead
A male leopard, believed to be three to four years old, was found dead in Piplav village of Khambha taluka of Amreli on Saturday afternoon.
"The leopard was stuck in a bush near a farm. A post-mortem has concluded that the leopard died of multiple organ failure. We have sent samples to veterinary college of Anand Agricultural University in Anand to know the exact cause of the death," Sharma said.
There was no injury mark on the leopard's body but its lungs were clotted and lever was also not functioning properly, Sharma said.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/attacked-by-lions-man-lands-in-hospital/1160127/
Endangered Asiatic lion cub born at French zoo.
AFP |
Paris
August 22, 2013
Last Updated at 22:32 IST
A rare Asiatic lion cub, whose species is endangered with only about 350 in the wild, has been born at a zoo in the French city of Besancon, officials said today.
"It's a baby girl, she is in great shape. We are observing her in the big-cat house from a distance thanks to a system of cameras," Gerard Galliot, chief conservationist at the zoo at the Citadel of Besancon, told AFP.
The cub was born on August 14 and weighs about 1.5 kilogrammes (3.3 pounds). She is expected to reach a weight of 130 kilogrammes (285 pounds) within two years.
Her father Tejas, born at a zoo in the British city of Bristol, arrived in Besancon, in eastern France, in 2008, while her mother, Shiva, was born in Besancon in 2005.
Listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Asiatic lion (panthera leo persica) was once widely distributed across southwest Asia but is now restricted to a single population in India's Gir Forest.
A rare Asiatic lion cub, whose species is endangered with only about 350 in the wild, has been born at a zoo in the French city of Besancon, officials said today.
"It's a baby girl, she is in great shape. We are observing her in the big-cat house from a distance thanks to a system of cameras," Gerard Galliot, chief conservationist at the zoo at the Citadel of Besancon, told AFP.
The cub was born on August 14 and weighs about 1.5 kilogrammes (3.3 pounds). She is expected to reach a weight of 130 kilogrammes (285 pounds) within two years.
Her father Tejas, born at a zoo in the British city of Bristol, arrived in Besancon, in eastern France, in 2008, while her mother, Shiva, was born in Besancon in 2005.
Listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Asiatic lion (panthera leo persica) was once widely distributed across southwest Asia but is now restricted to a single population in India's Gir Forest.
'Shift lions from farms to forest'
RAJKOT: Members of the BharatiyaKisanSangh (BKS) in Amreli district have strongly demanded shifting of Asiatic lions and leopards that have ventured in the revenue areas in order to avoid man-animal conflict.
The BKS members sat on a dharna at the mamlatdar office in Khambha on Thursday.
The demand to shift the lions stems from the arrest of five farmers after a lion was electrocuted in Moti Monpari village of Junagadh's Visavadar taluka recently. A magisterial court in Visavadar has refused bail to Jaman Dobaria, Vallabh Dobaria, Balu Dobaria, Ratial Dobaria and Jenti Dobaria.
They were arrested after the forest officials found the lion's body stuck in a pipeline of a causeway near the village on August 6. Forest officials said that the wild cat was electrocuted in the farm of Vallabh Dobaria who had installed a live electric fence around his farm to keep wild animals from damaging crop.
"The farmers are being victimized by forest department and we are helpless because wild animals enter our fields which don't fall under forest areas. When they die accidentally, farmers are being punished. Therefore, we have demanded that wild animals like leopard and lions be moved from our farms to forest areas," said Labhubhai Gajera, BKS president in Khambha.
The forest department along with Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (PGVCL) has also launched a drive to disconnect power supply to farmers who use the electric fencing to ward off wild animals because lions often become victims.
There are nearly 100 lions in Amreli district alone.
'We will continue our agitation till our demands are accepted by the government," said Gajera.
BKS leaders also submitted a memorandum to the mamlatdar in Khambha in this regard.
Leopard killed by Asiatic lion in Semredi area of Gir forest.
Press Trust of India |
Vadodara
August 25, 2013
Last Updated at 20:56 IST
An 11-year-old leopard is believed to have been killed by an Asiatic lion in the Semredi area of the Dalkhania range of the Gir forest in Amreli district few days ago, a senior official said today.
"The carcass was recovered yesterday," Deputy Conservator of Forest (Dhari West) Anshuman Sharma told PTI today evening.
Sharma suspected infighting between the lion and the leopard to be reason for the leopard's death.
The post-mortem report has confirmed the cause of death, Sharma said, adding that lions are known to kill leopards in territorial fights.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/leopard-killed-by-asiatic-lion-in-semredi-area-of-gir-forest-113082500379_1.html
An 11-year-old leopard is believed to have been killed by an Asiatic lion in the Semredi area of the Dalkhania range of the Gir forest in Amreli district few days ago, a senior official said today.
"The carcass was recovered yesterday," Deputy Conservator of Forest (Dhari West) Anshuman Sharma told PTI today evening.
Sharma suspected infighting between the lion and the leopard to be reason for the leopard's death.
The post-mortem report has confirmed the cause of death, Sharma said, adding that lions are known to kill leopards in territorial fights.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/leopard-killed-by-asiatic-lion-in-semredi-area-of-gir-forest-113082500379_1.html
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