57 endangered species in India but no recovery plan for most.

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, March 10, 2011

Jerdon's Courser, White Backed Vulture, the Forest Owlet, the Bengal Florican, the Siberian Crane, the Pygmy Hog and the Malabar Civet are among the 57 species of animals listed as critically endangered in India. While Environment ministry now has the number of species under threat, courtesy the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN), it still does not know the number of species that have gone extinct in the country.
"As far as mammals go, I know only one species, Cheetah, that has gone extinct," Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said, while admitting that India has poor record on the database of the animal and bird species it has. Ramesh has approved an ambitious plan to translocate Cheetahs from Africa in four different locations - one each in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and two in Rajasthan.
The Zoological Survey of India and Botanical Survey of India are entrusted with the job to keep record of species in India but they don't have database of more than half of Indian wildlife. "We have never build capacity to have do scientific taxonomy," he minister said.
It has been international organizations such as IUCN, which is now headed by Ashok Khosla and Conservation International, which has provided funds to do research on lost species in India.
In February this year, S D Biju of Delhi University had successfully rediscovered five species of amphibians, including one lost 139 years ago, from different parts of the country. One such frog species Chalazodes Bubble-Nest Frog, rediscovered in Western Ghats, had found mention in the list of 57 critically endangered species in India.
Apart from them, there are 132 endangered, 317 vulnerable, 301near risk category and 2,448 least concern species in India.
The Environment ministry in collaboration with the Zoological Survey of India has prepared a comprehensive document on 'Critically Endangered Animal Species of India' for the first time.
The area of concern for many wildlifers is that the government has no recovery plan for many of these species unlike big carnivores such as tigers, lions, leopards and elephants.
Except, Vultures, Jerdon’s Courser, Leatherback Turtle and Malabar Cevit, reviving the population of any other species is not covered under any central government plan. For most of these species, the government has also failed to conduct an census or population estimation as done in case of tigers, lions and elephants.
Ramesh said that the National Coastal Zone Management Authority has been asked to prepare a plan to protected endangered marine species, as most of them are not in any of the marine sanctuaries in India. But, for other the government apathy would continue.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/57-endangered-species-in-India-but-no-recovery-plan-for-most/Article1-671764.aspx

Lioness killed by crocodile?

TNN | Mar 28, 2011
AHMEDABAD: A nine-year-old lioness may have been killed in a crocodile attack, suspect forest officials. This is the second big cat to die in the last two days in Khambha, the eastern part of the Gir sanctuary.
On Sunday morning, the forest department found the lioness' body. Primary investigation revealed that the lioness could have died due to drowning as the body was found floating in the pond. The possibility of poisoning was ruled out as the body had not turned black.
R L Meena, conservator of forest said that the recovery of the body floating in the lake, which is about 150-metre long reveals, shows that the animal may have drowned. He said that the lake also has some crocodiles; hence, the possibility of a crocodile attack cannot be ruled out. However, only a post-mortem would reveal the exact cause of death.
In a similar incident a lioness was found dead in the same area on Saturday. The officials said that it had died of old age.
Meena, however, added that a major cause of worry for forest department was that same water hole was being used by wild as well as domestic animals. He said that the post-mortem report of a lion revealed that the death was due to infection of worms.
"There was large presence of worms in the animal which were commonly found in domestic animals," said Meena. This was only due to sharing of a water hole by the lion and some domestic animals. 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Lioness-killed-by-crocodile/articleshow/7802167.cms

Lioness found dead in Amreli district .

Monday, Mar 28, 2011
Ahmedabad: The carcass of a lioness was found from a pond in the Gir (East) forest region in Khamba taluka of Amreli district on Sunday, Forest Department officials said.
The officials said no marks of injuries were found on the big cat, which could be about nine years old. The carcass has been sent for post-mortem.
A fire, which was reported from the Sirsiya range of the Gir (east) region, was brought under control, the officials said. — PTI
Source: http://www.hindu.com/2011/03/28/stories/2011032857620100.htm

Bachchan promoted Gujarat for free: Govt.

TNN, Mar 26, 2011, 06.05am IST

GANDHINAGAR: The state government has made it clear that superstar Amitabh Bachchan was not paid any remuneration for acting as Gujarat's brand ambassador. This is the first time that the government has made an official statement in this regard.
In a written reply to the Jodiya MLA, Raghavji Patel's query, the state government said that the superstar had agreed to be the state's brand ambassador and for advertisement campaigns for which he was not paid any fee or remuneration.

State tourism department officials said that Bachchan had visited the state twice. While in the first trip, he shot in Somnath, Girnar, Bhuj in the second one he shot at Ahmedabad, Porbander and Dwarka.
Tourism officials said the super star also proposed to have a light and sound show for Dwarka, Ambaji and Somnath and had agreed to lend his voice for the same.
Government officials said that in 2009 and 2010 the government spent nearly Rs 37.66 crore on the advertisement campaign for the state's tourism department. The amount spent in 2010 was over Rs 20 crore which included lodging and boarding expenses of the superstar and his crew members who were in the state for the campaign - Khushboo Gujarat Ki.
Officials said that as a result of the advertisements and aggressive campaigns by the state government, tourism had risen. The last months of the year 2010 had seen a huge rush at Sasan Gir, the only abode of the Asiatic lions.
source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-26/ahmedabad/29192016_1_brand-ambassador-asiatic-lions-khushboo-gujarat-ki

Mobile van to keep an eye on man-lion conflicts in Gir.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Mar 26, 2011,

AHMEDABAD: With an increasing number of man-animal conflicts being reported from the periphery of Gir sanctuary, efforts are being made to bridge the gap between villagers and the state's forest and environment department. A mobile van has been introduced to roam in the villages along the boundary and help in rescuing and conservation of the big cats.
Conservator of forest R L Meena said that this mobile van has been launched to understand the problems of the locals and issues related to the local beat guard and forest department. Apart from the bridging exercise, the mobile van will also have trackers, who will be helpful in case of emergency and rescue.
Deputy conservator of forest Gir sanctuary (headquarters) Sandeep Kumar said the mobile van will have two foresters, one guard and two trackers, along with a driver. The team, apart from talking to sarpanch and local residents, will also keep an eye on the movement of the lions and leopards in the particular areas.
Kumar said the team will be staying in the open fields. Importantly, the team will survey the number and location of the lions in the periphery. "If the team finds that the pride in the area is new and has migrated from the nearby area, they will look for the reason of the shift. The team will also tell villagers about do's and don'ts if they spot a lion sitting in their fields," said Kumar.
"We also want to create a local network so that if anything major happens, this team should be the first to get the information," Kumar said, adding that if the team got complaint of some serious conflicts between the big cats and the people, they would call a rescue team and shift the lion to the sanctuary.
The team would also maintain a register of their visit the village and will also be accompanied by the local staff from the area. It would also take down the details of the killing of domestic animal and learn if the compensation was paid in all such cases. If there is any case pending, it would be brought to the notice of the higher officials and the same will be paid immediately.
The forester said that based on the feedback and the reports of this team, the department will have another two vans deployed before the beginning of the monsoon. He said that this addition of two van will increase the area of coverage and frequency of visit to the particular village.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Mobile-van-to-keep-an-eye-on-man-lion-conflicts-in-Gir/articleshow/7796073.cms

Gujarat cops take custody of poacher.

March 2, 2011  DC  Bengaluru

March 1: Notorious poacher Durru, who was lodged in the city central jail for the last two years, was handed over to Gujarat police on Tuesday for an investigation into cases of killing of lions in Gir National Park.
A CID Forest Cell official said the accused was arrested for having links with Prabhakar Gajakosh, a forest contractor-turned-hunter. Gajakosh is behind bars ever since he was caught in 2007 with a whopping 23 leopard pelts.
Following investigation, it was revealed that Gajakosh had links with poachers in north India, including Sansar Chand, who was responsible for killing a number of tigers in Sariska and other tiger reserves up north. Officials from the CID Forest Cell said that accused Durru was arrested in 2007 and he will be brought back to the central prison in Bengaluru on March 16.
The Gujarat police had sought Durru’s custody in connection with the investigation into the poaching of 10 lions in a span of two months in a peculiar fashion in Gir. The lions were not shot, but were trapped using snares.
The operation was such that once the lion was trapped, women would close in on the trapped animal and kill it animals using spears and wooden clubs.
“The investigations revealed that the crime was done by members of Katni tribe in MP and it was also found that the tribesmen had contact with smugglers such as Gajakosh and Durru, who also hail from MP,” said a official.
Meanwhile, CID Forest Cell ADGP KSN Chikkerur said that DNA mapping of seized pelts is being handled by scientific agencies and soon there will be considerable amount of DNA data on tiger and leopard pelts available with CID. “It’s important to trace the origin of the pelt and where the animal was hunted. Several wildlife institutes and central investigating agencies are creating a DNA bank of tigers and soon this will hold the key to investigations in case there is a death of tiger,” Mr Chikkerur added.
Source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/bengaluru/gujarat-cops-take-custody-poacher-938

Govt mulling increase in compensatn for lion attack victims.

PTI | 09:03 PM,Mar 25,2011 Ahmedabad, Mar 25 (PTI) The state government is considering a proposal to increase the compensation granted to the kin of victims of lion attacks, Gujarat Forest Minister Mangu Patel told the state Assembly today. Patel was replying to a question asked on a recent death of a woman in lion attack near Gir sanctuary. "We are contemplating increase in the compensation amount for the victims of lion attacks," Patel said. Presently, state gives Rs 1 lakh. Last week, Sarojben Mohanbhai, a 45-year-old woman, was killed by a lion near Moruka village of Talala taluka, in Junagadh district. "The lion has been caught by the state forest officials and has been sent to Animal Care Centre in Sasan Gir," Patel said. The village is near Gir Sanctuary. Incidents of lion- attacks on humans and domestic animals have increased in the last few years. PTI VKB PD
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/govt-mulling-increase-in-compensatn-for-lion-attack-victims/623833.html

Girnar ropeway: State to stick to original plan.

Adam Halliday  

Thu Mar 24 2011, 04:33 hrs Ahmedabad:

 The state government has decided to stick to the original alignment of the Girnar Ropeway Project, rejecting alternatives suggested by the the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
“We have stuck to the original alignment because no other alignment is viable,” said S K Nanda, Principal Secretary, State Forest Department. He said the decision was reached after a detailed study. The original alignment is through Bhavnath Taleti, which lies on the foothills of Mount Girnar and is not far from Junagadh.
Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had suggested the state government to study possible alternative routes in the ropeway’s alignment so it would pose less threat to the critically-endangered Girnari Giddhs (Long-billed Vultures).
On February 7, the Minister had granted in-principle approval for the ropeway, but subjected it to six specific conditions. The first of these was that the state would “conduct a study to consider alternative alignment of the ropeway project, preferably along the Dattar/Bhesan side to ensure that it does not cut across the prime vulture habitat and minimises disturbance to the nesting, roosting and ranging sites of birds and other wildlife species...”
Nanda said, Usha Breco Limited, which has been awarded the ropeway project, submitted it’s report on an alternative alignment on March 23. They were carefully studied, but were found non-viable. The state Forest Department will forward the report to MoEF in some days, Nanda added.
Incidentally, soon after Jairam granted in-principle approval to the project, experts expressed their apprehension over the viability of the alternative alignment.
Nanda said the Bhesan alignment was tedious because it was too far, and would have necessitated forest land acquisition (Bhesan is surrounded by a thick forest area). Besides, the town is far from Junagadh city, the main tourist area from where pilgrims approach the mountain. To reach Bhesan from Junagadh, pilgrims will have to trek 35 kilometres through Gir Sanctuary. Driving would mean an even longer journey from Junagadh city — first to a village called Vadal, and from there another 26 km to Bhesan. 
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/girnar-ropeway-state-to-stick-to-original-plan/766617/0