Tiger breeding to restart at zoo.

Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN Dec 31, 2013, 02.42AM IST

KOLKATA: If 2013 took Alipore Zoological Gardens to new heights for its adoption scheme, the zoo is set to hit another high note in the New Year with its captive breeding programme for the tigers and lions.
While captive breeding of tigers in the zoo last happened almost a decade back in 2005, that of the lions took place even before that. Some even claimed that this will probably be the first time that two pure Asiatic lions will be bred in the zoo.

"The technical committee of the state zoo authority has already approved the proposal. It will be presented in its governing body meeting next month for a final nod," said zoo director K L Ghosh. However, member secretary of state zoo authority, TVN Rao, said the technical committee's say is final here.
So, when will the zoo authorities embark upon the project? As soon as the winter rush is over, said the zoo director. "We are planning to start the project with the captive breeding of the tigers. But unless the year-end and New Year rush is over, we can't start working on it because it needs a lot of planning. Besides, the mating pairs too will need time and isolation," Ghosh said.
According to Ghosh, they have a male tiger in the zoo that has the bloodline of Sunderbans big cats and is capable to mate. "We might consider it for the programme so that the cubs get a new gene pool," he said. However, he couldn't recall whether it was a rescued Sunderbans tiger.
The zoo at the moment has five Bengal tigers - three male and two female. Besides, it has three white tigers as well. On the lions, the zoo director couldn't confirm the date when they were bred in captivity for the last time. At present, the zoo has a pair of Asiatic lion, brought from the Hyderabad zoo three years back, and three hybrid lions, two male and a female.
Since the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI) has strongly recommended against the breeding of hybrids, the zoo cannot breed the hybrid lions and hence the Asiatic lions were brought from its counterpart in Hyderabad.
However, conservationists raised question over such move saying it won't serve the purpose of conservation and will only raise the footfall in the zoo.
The last captive breeding of tigers happened in the zoo in 2005 and two cubs were born then, of which one was reportedly sent to the Darjeeling zoo.
"Zoos should take up captive breeding programmes, but the idea is not to draw tourists only. We have to keep in mind that the tigers that we have now will not live forever. The generation should move on and this is where a zoo plays a crucial role," said Ghosh.
Cross breeding of tigers and lions brought the zoo in the eye of storm earlier. A cross between a Bengal tiger and an African lion, Rudrani - a 'tigon' born in 1970 - produced a litter of seven 'litigon' cubs after mating with an Asiatic lion in 1976. One of these 'litigons' were marketed by the zoo authorities as the largest living big cat in the world. It died at the age of 15 in 1991. The zoo stopped its hybrid programme in 1985, after there was criticism from the scientific community which claimed that such hybrids suffer from 'genetic abnormalities'.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-31/kolkata/45739089_1_zoo-director-hyderabad-zoo-state-zoo-authority

Lion territory doubles in three years.

Himanshu Kaushik,TNN | Dec 26, 2013, 12.55 AM ISTAHMEDABAD: The king of the jungle has conquered new territories. About one-third of the Saurashtra region has been marked as Asiatic lion-inhabited areas by the state forest department. A recent study based on frequent lion kills and compensation given to farmers says the big cats rule over a huge 20,000 sq km of area — almost double the 10,500 sq km recorded in the May 2010 census.

A detailed analysis reveals that there are about 1,500 villages in Saurashtra where lions regularly venture out to kill domestic as well as herbivorous animals. Most of these villages are located in Junagadh, Amreli and some even in Bhavnagar.

Experts say this is a result of good conversation efforts put in by the state government. The Gir national park and sanctuary is unable to contain the growing population of the lions — the numbers have consistently grown from 284 in 1990 to 304 (1995), 327 (2000), 359 (2005) and 411 according to the last census held in 2010. The first census of independent Gujarat state conducted in 1968 had put the lion population at 177.

The next census, due in 2015, will be carried out over an area of 20,000 sq km.

Forest department officials believe that out of 411 lions recorded in the last census, 114 have strayed into newer areas. Since the big cat can live close to friendly human habitations, it has even moved out of forest corridors where it feeds on domestic cattle.

Sandeep Kumar, deputy conservator of forests, who conducted the study, says, "The study does not take into account stray kills. We have identified areas where the lion presence has been continuous over longer periods."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Lion-territory-doubles-in-three-years/articleshow/27927845.cms

Akhilesh's search for mandi model ends in Gujarat.

Faisal Fareed : Lucknow, Tue Dec 24 2013, 03:36 hrs
After getting two pairs of Asiatic lions from Gujarat for Mulayam's dream project (Lion Safari), Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will now implement the state's model for development of mandis in UP.
Akhilesh, who heads the Mandi Parishad, had sent officials to Gujarat and several other states to study their development model for mandis. Officials zeroed in on Gujarat model as the most suitable for adoption what with many of its features being helpful to farmers, they said.
"We toured several states including Gujarat. The good features will be incorporated at our mandis here. We are even open to incorporating features from mandis in other countries, for which officials had travelled to Germany and France as well," R B Yadav, Additional Director, Mandi Parishad said.
Officials of Mandi Parishad said stalls in Gujarat's Mandi, which has separate stalls for fruits, flowers, vegetables and grains, are quite attractive. Another advantage is that they run round the clock. They have a soil testing lab and processing units for several items within the same campus. Besides, every gate has electronic weighing scale, and cold storage units and general stores are also present inside the complex.
Among other things, officials said, shops selling agricultural equipment are also available within the campus.
Gujarat mandis are visitor-friendly with features like farmers' retiring room and canteen facility. These will definitely be included in UP's mandis, an official said.
The implementation of Gujarat model will be done from March 2014 in 20 big mandis of the state, including Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Agra, Kanpur, Kannauj, Etawah, Auraiyya, Lucknow, Bareily, Hardoi, Sitapur, Lakhimpur Khiri, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Varanasi and Shahjahanpur.
The project for the modernisation of mandis will soon be prepared and placed before Akhilesh for approval.

http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/akhileshs-search--for-mandi-model--ends-in-gujarat/1211101/

Two pairs of Asiatic lions arrive at Lucknow Zoo.

Faiz Rahman Siddiqui, TNN Dec 21, 2013, 03.09AM IST

KANPUR: Lucknow Zoo will receive two pairs of Asiatic Lions from the Sakkarbag Zoo in Gujarat for the upcoming Lion Safari in Etawah. Two pairs of lions (two males and two females) are expected to arrive by Saturday under an exchange programme with Sakkarbag Zoo in Junagadh.
Sources said that by the end of January, the four Asiatic Lions would be shifted to the breeding centre at Lion Safari in Etawah.

"We have one pair each of Asiatic lions at Lucknow and Kanpur Zoos that were procured from Hyderabad and Rajkot zoos." said director Lion Safari Gurmeet Singh. With these two pairs that we are getting from Sakkarbagh Zoo in Junagadh in Gujarat, total numbers of Asiatic lions we have procured so far for Lion Safari will reach eight. "By the end of January or in the first week of February, these royal beasts would be shifted to Lion Safari in Etawah," he said.
"At present, we are focussing on the construction work at the enclosures for the wild beasts at the breeding centre, besides the erection of nearly 8 kms of outer boundary wall and setting up of a power unit and a water tank at the Lion Safari in Fisher Forest area," he added.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had visited Etawah on October 5, 2013 and took part in the last phase of the plantation drive at the Fisher Reserve Forest area where work on the Lion Safari is underway.
To give wild beasts a natural feel, nearly 1.5 lakhs saplings were planted on nearly 1,000 acres of land within the periphery of Lion Safari in Fisher Reserve Forest situated on Etawah-Gwalior national highway.
Once the facilities are in place, visitors can drive through a thoroughfare, spotting lions roaming in the safari. The safari riders will be provided caged vehicles and they will enjoy watching wild animals roaming in the open.
Meanwhile, minister of state for zoos Shiv Pratap Yadav, principal secretary, forests and environment VN Garg and principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) Rupak De, had visited London Zoo and Longleat Safari Park in England where safaris are developed.
Sources said that the safari will be developed on the pattern of London's Longleat Safari Park. The state machinery plans to develop enclosures for other wild animals such as elephants, tigers, cheetahs and zebras close to it, on the lines of the London's Park.
Some 150.83 hectares of land in Fisher Reserve Forest area was acquired and notified as lion safari in 2005.
However, it was shelved by the Mayawati government in 2007. It was again revived after Samajwadi Party came back to power in March 2012. The Union ministry of environment and forests had approved the master layout plan of the project in December 2012.
The state government had sanctioned Rs 89 crores for the Lion Safari project and authorized Uttar Pradesh Awas Vikas Parishad for the construction and execution work.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-21/kanpur/45443556_1_asiatic-lions-fisher-forest-lucknow-zoo

Gujarat gives four Asiatic lions to Lucknow Zoo under animal exchange programme.

Vadodara/Lucknow: Two pairs of Asiatic lions were shifted to Uttar Pradesh from the Sakkarbag Zoo in Gujarat as part of the animal exchange programme between the zoos.

20 Dec 2013, 11:47 AM

he four lions (two males, two females) were handed over to a 10-member forest team from Uttar Pradesh which arrived in the Junagadh zoo, VJ Rana Superintendent at Sakkarbag said.
   
Both pairs will be housed in the Lucknow Zoo for the next few days before they are shifted to the breeding centre at the upcoming Lion Safari Park in Etawah early next year, he said.

With this new pair, Uttar Pradesh has become the abode to three pairs of Asiatic lions. It had procured two pairs of Asiatic lions from Hyderabad and Rajkot zoos in the past. While a pair is kept at Lucknow Zoo and the other is housed at Kanpur Zoo.
   
Meanwhile, the work at Etawah Lion Safari has reached its final stages of completion, Rana said quoting Lion Safari Director Gurmeet Singh.
   
Last month, the plantation of grass and trees to develop the lion habitat was completed. Once the Safari gets developed, the Uttar Pradesh government would open the place for tourists, he said.
   
This would be the second-of-its-kind project after Gujarat with world-class facilities for the upkeep of the royal beast.
   
About 150.83 hectare land in Fisher Reserve Forest area on Etawah-Gwalior National Highway was acquired and notified as Lion Safari in 2005 but it was shelved by the Mayawati government in 2007. However, it was revived after Samajwadi Party returned to power in March 2012.
   
The UP government had sanctioned Rs 89 crore for the Lion Safari project which includes facilities like parking, toilet, ticket counter, children park, interpretation center, bus stay, rest-shed, cafeteria, rain shelter and souvenir centre.
(Agencies)


http://post.jagran.com/gujarat-gives-four-asiatic-lions-to-lucknow-zoo-under-animal-exchange-programme-1387520230

Dentist extracts teeth from Paignton Zoo's Asiatic lion.

Indu had a canine and pre-molar extracted during the operation

It is thought Indu chipped her teeth while biting on something hard, a zoo spokesman said

An adult Asiatic lion has about 30 teeth and weighs about 20 stone (130 kg)

19 December 2013 Last updated at 01:32 GMT An Asiatic lion at a Devon zoo has had two teeth removed by a dentist who normally treats humans.

Indu had a canine and pre-molar extracted by Dr Peter Kertesz at Paignton Zoo.
The dentist, who has a surgery in London, has worked with pandas, whales and gorillas.
A zoo spokesman said it was believed the female lion had chipped her teeth while biting on something hard and that she was recovering well.
'Serious business' An adult Asiatic lion weighs about 20 stone (130 kg) and has up to 30 teeth, including canines that can be many inches in length, a zoo spokesman added.
Dr Kertesz said: "Animals or people, it's all the same - they need treatment, they get treatment. The scale and the location is what varies.
"People ask if this is just a bit of fun, but it is a very serious business. The health and sometimes the life of a rare creature is in your hands."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-25435163

Uttar Pradesh gets four Gujarat lions for safari.

TNN Dec 19, 2013, 10.51AM IST
RAJKOT: Two pairs of Asiatic lions (two male, two females) from Sakkarbaug Zoo, run by state forest department, will leave for Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. The UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had sought four lions from Gujarat government for UP's proposed safari park in Etawah.
According to sources, a UP government team is in Junagadh to transport the four lions and they will be moved on Thursday.
The lions will be used for breeding at the safari park in UP. The proposed safari in UP has an enclosed area and requisite approvals from the Central Zoo Authority.
According to an official, there are around 150 Asiatic lions outside Gujarat in various zoos in India and the world.
The proposed safari at Etawah was mooted in 2005. It is going to have a breeding progamme for Asiatic lions.
Some 150 hectares in Fisher Forest on the Etawah-Gwalior national highway was acquired and notified as Lion Safari in 2005. A breeding centre, veterinary hospital along with water-bodies and approach road is being constructed for the safari.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-19/rajkot/45376418_1_etawah-gwalior-national-highway-asiatic-lions-lion-safari

Mumbai NGO roars against translocation of Gir lions from Gujarat to MP.

Tuesday, Dec 17, 2013, 7:26 IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Karishma Goenka

Last month, Mumbai NGO Empower Foundation wrote to a panel created to study and chart out translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir sanctuary in Gujarat to Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, asking them to stay the trans-location till various issues are not resolved.
The NGO has cited more than 29 violations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines and other points why the trans-location plan might be a failure. They highlighted MP’s gun culture and rampant poaching that makes conditions adverse for lions.
“Madhya Pradesh constitutes about 50% of the world’s tiger poaching besides the risky co-existence of the lion and tiger makes it unsuitable for trans-location...  Also, the expert panel does not consist of a lion specialist, only tiger experts. They should consult experts, maybe from Africa, to find out how lions might react to trans-location,” says Jalpesh Mehta, founder of Empower Foundation who has also written to the IUCN and Maneka Gandhi, seeking  intervention.
The last census of 2010 recorded the population of Asiatic lions to 411. Earlier this year,  the Supreme Court directed the MoEF to take steps to reintroduce the Gir lions in Kuno. A report by two senior members of the expert panel raised concerns on trans-location over tolerance of local communities in Kuno to man-animal conflicts might be lesser than Gujarat.
Experts say it is important to avoid concentration of a species in one place to eliminate risk of extinction from epidemics and natural calamities. “It is important to have a small number placed in a different area... Kuno sanctuary was our best option from many others. What we need now is the Madhya Pradesh government to come forward with assurances on how it will prepare for trans-location. We’ll discuss it at our next meeting,” said AJT Johnsingh, member of the expert panel and veteran biologist.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-mumbai-ngo-roars-against-translocation-of-gir-lions-from-gujarat-to-mp-1936359