Twin lion cubs born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in Clifton.

By SimonPeevers | Friday, February 25, 2011, 16:33
Twin Asiatic lion cubs have been born at Bristol Zoo Gardens in Clifton, which is fantastic success for all those involved at the city zoo.

1.  
   A new born lion cub at Bristol Zoo captured by photographer Shaun Thompson
2.  
   The new-born twins at Bristol Zoo Gardens, pic by Bristol Zoo
   
   

The cubs - a boy and a girl - are just 10 weeks old and were born on Christmas eve to first time mum, Shiva, and dad Kamal. The news is even more welcome as these magnificent creatures are critically endangered in the wild.
There are only around 400 Asiatic lions left in the wild and since their birth, the cubs have been monitored in the cubbing den via a CCTV system by Bristol Zoo’s experienced mammal team.
Keepers caught the moment of the cubs’ birth on video – an extremely rare occurrence. To watch the video of the cubs’ birth and their first few days of life, click here.
The cubs are tricky to spot as they still spend a lot of time in a quiet, cubbing den not on view to the public, with their mother, or hiding in the undergrowth of their outdoor enclosure.
Assistant Curator of Mammals, Mel Bacon, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the birth of these lion cubs. Asiatic lions are critically endangered and on the brink of extinction, so every birth is extremely valuable for the captive breeding programme for this species.”
This is the first time Bristol Zoo has bred cubs in 10 years - previous cubs were born in 2001 and 1998.
Mel added: “Both cubs are fit, healthy and strong and have been suckling well, and Shiva is proving to be an excellent first-time mother. The cubs have recently started to eat meat and are getting more adventurous, exploring their enclosure. However, they are still quite shy, so visitors will need to be a little bit patient to catch a glimpse of these beautiful animals.”
Although only 400 animals remain in the Gir Forest Sanctuary in northern India, 2000 years ago they once roamed the whole of the Middle East. More recently they were widespread throughout northern India and Pakistan, but their numbers have been drastically reduced by hunting and habitat destruction.
To help protect the Asiatic lion from extinction, Bristol Zoo Gardens is participating in an internationally co-ordinated conservation breeding programme. There are fewer than 100 Asiatic lions in captivity throughout the world and it is important to ensure that all lions are pure bred and that pairs are not closely related to one another. Bristol Zoo’s cubs will eventually be introduced to new, un-related, animals as part of the breeding programme.
Source: http://www.cliftonpeople.co.uk/groups/bristolzoogardens/Twin-lion-cubs-born-Bristol-Zoo-Gardens-Clifton/story-10744356-detail/story.html

Power corp dropped Kodinar project over green concerns.

Hiral Dave  

Thu Feb 24 2011, 04:14 hrs Rajkot:

 * Now a consortium is working on greendfield port and power plant project at site
The Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) had dropped a site in Kodinar taluka of Junagadh district last year for a proposed thermal power plant for two reasons: the site fell under the Coastal Regulatory Zone(CRZ) and the land was agricultural. But the same site has now been allocated to Shapporji Pallanji Energy (Gujarat) Private Limited (SPEL) for a power plant and a coal jetty project.
There are also three reserved forest areas and five water bodies within a radius of 9 km from the proposed site. These reserve forests at Sarkhai, Nanavad and Chhara, located in the periphery of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, are the migratory routes for the Asiatic lions.
The site in question involves five villages in Kodinar taluka – Sarkhadi, Chhara, Kaj, Velan and Kodinar. GSECL was planning two 800 MW coal-based power plants, while SPEL has proposed to set up two 660 MW plants and a coal jetty for which the public hearing on environment clearance was held in November 2010.
In a letter to Kodinar MLA Dhirsinh Barad, dated May 27 2010, D J Pandiyan, Principal Secretary, Energy and Petrochemicals said: “Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited had considered Chhara and Sarkhadi for two 800 MW power plants, but the project has been dropped as these villages fall under CRZ and has rich agricultural land.” A copy of the letter is with The Indian Express. The letter also contained an attached letter by P H Rana, Managing Director, GSECL, which said: “For two 800 MW power plant that GSECL had been considering to build, a proposal to the collector had been sent to acquire land at Sarkhadi, Kaj and Velan villages. But as large part of site comes under CRZ, the proposal was dropped. Later on, site at Chhara village was considered but as a large part was found to be agricultural land, the proposal was again dropped.”
Nevertheless, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) conducted a public hearing last November in connection with the development of Greenfield Port at Chhara by the SPEL – AFCONS – Forbes consortium for the proposed thermal power plants of 1,320 MW capacity within the revenue limits of Kaj village. The distance between the proposed coal-based thermal power plants and the Greenfield Port at Chhara village is about three km.
Villagers have alleged that Junagadh MP Dinu Solanki and District Collector A M Parmar did not allow them to raise environment issues. They have since filed a PIL with the High Court demanding re-hearing of the matter. The HC has issued notice to the state government and the Centre in response to the PIL.
Barad said: “The land is very fertile and the villagers grow two crops per season, which includes groundnut, wheat, coconut, sunflower and sugarcane. I don’t have any idea why permission has been given to SPEL, when the state government’s own company did not feel right to go ahead for environment reasons. We are not against industrialisation, but blind progress.”
Industry Commissioner G G Swain denied having details of the project with his department. Pandiyan said: “Shapporji Pallanji Energy Limited have proposed a power plant at Kodinar. But I have no knowledge that earlier GSECL had considered the same site. Land acquisition is a matter between the collectorate and the private parties when a company purchases it from farmers.”
When SPEL reportedly began purchasing farmland from the locals, Parmar maintained that the site does not cover agricultural land or comes under CRZ.
Jagu Kamaliya, deputy sarpanch of Charra village, however, said: “The company contacted us for some 1,000 bigha in our village near the sea. It is very much under CRZ. The company also contacted us to buy our farms. So it is wrong to say that it is not agricultural land.” The villagers claim they have been offered Rs. 2 to 5 lakh per bigha for their agricultural land.
Parmar added: “This time, the survey has been done from a different angle. The site no longer falls under CRZ or includes agricultural land.”
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/power-corp-dropped-kodinar-project-over-green-concerns/754190/0

Whistleblowers Pay With Their Lives

By Sujoy Dhar
NEW DELHI, Feb 22, 2011 (IPS) - On a winter evening this January, Amarnath Pandey was returning home through a low-lit alley of a suburban town in India’s heartland state Uttar Pradesh when a motorcycle-riding gunman suddenly appeared and fired at him.
"The bullet luckily missed the target and grazed my ear. I felt the searing sensation in my ear and fell down," said 55-year-old Pandey who is back from hospital but is still in a state of shock.
It was his second brush with death. A week earlier, a lorry tried to run him over.
A local coterie of corrupt government officials apparently want Pandey dead. And all he did to anger them was file an Right to Information (RTI) application inquiring about the details of a local project in which huge sums of money were reportedly embezzled.
Pandey is one of India’s growing RTI activists, a new breed of whistleblowers taking advantage of the landmark Right to Information Act of 2005.
The law empowers citizens to access almost any government information, a move that is aimed apparently at curbing India’s spiraling corruption and making people aware of their rights.
In Pandey’s case, his RTI application tried to track the use of funds of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), a project that supposedly guarantees a hundred days of wage-employment yearly to rural households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
The petition exposed the collusion between the government official and village head of Ghorawal block in Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh in embezzling funds from the project, and helped the government recover three million rupees from the officials involved.
Five years since the RTI law was passed, however, activists continue to incur ire and reprisal from influential wrongdoers exposed by RTI petitions, with many activists paying the price with their lives.
Pandey was among the lucky ones. There have already been eight recorded deaths of RTI activists.
One of them was wildlife activist and environment crusader Amit Jethwa of Gujarat, who was shot dead by gunmen opposite the Gujarat High Court in the western city of Ahmedabad last July.
The 33-year-old Jethwa had filed a suit against a lawmaker from Gujarat, his second after having filed an earlier one against politician Dinu Solanki whom he accused of involvement in illegal mining activities in the protected Gir Forest in Junagadh, home to the endangered Asiatic Lions.
Belinda Wrights, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) and Jethwa’s associate, said, "Amit was a fearless activist who stood up to the mining mafia.
"We must continue to protest his murder and demand that the perpetrators - whatever their status or connections - are arrested and brought to trial," she said.
Well-known wildlife activist Bittu Sahgal, editor of the Sanctuary Asia magazine which worked closely with Jethwa, said, "He was both visionary and courageous and his abiding faith in young conservationists was reflected in his efforts to mentor and support them.
"We continue to fight his battles," said Sahgal.
According to Nupur Thakur, convener of the National RTI Forum, one of the problems of whistleblowing in India is the delay in the justice system.
"There are no quick arrests or fast-tracking of cases. Even police often call the incidents a result of personal feud of individuals," says Thakur.
"There is actually nothing called an RTI activist. Anyone can be an RTI activist by filing an RTI petition. So all individuals filing a petition are vulnerable," she says.
RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal recently petitioned and obtained the bio-data submitted by India’s embattled Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC).
Agrawal’s petition showed how the CVC, the chief of India's highest anti- corruption body, had himself concealed a tainted track record.
Known for his series of RTI petitions, Agrawal said he has been advised by friends to take security.
"My friends are worried about me. But I see it more as a technical battle with the system than with any individual," he says.
"Being in Delhi, the national capital, perhaps I am less prone to attacks. The fact is there is no tool to provide security to an RTI activist," said Agrawal who carries on petitioning, aided by his wife Madhu Agrawal.
"People in India have no faith in the government or even the clamouring opposition parties which are like the other side of the same coin when their turn comes to rule. So the only way to fight corruption is to take recourse to this law," he says.
According to Danish Raza, a senior journalist at India’s public policy magazine Governance Now which reports extensively on whistleblowing, the threat level of an activist can be reduced with some meaningful measures.
"One way of fighting it is dissemination of the information. As soon as you receive sensitive information through the RTI Act, spread it among others. More people having the information reduces the threat risk to an individual," he says.
Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, who is one of the officials responsible for implementing the act and facilitating the petitioning, said the law in itself is adequate.
"It is now upon the citizens to implement it with greater participation," he told IPS. "The citizens should come together and put pressure on the government on issues. That will make it difficult for the exposed officials or groups to target RTI activists."
For the likes of Pandey or the young followers of the slain Amit Jathwa, the threats and killings are not a deterrent to whistle-blowing.
"I survived twice by God’s grace. I will keep fighting corruption, come what may." (END)
Source: http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54566 

Wild, wild world...

SRAVASTI DATTA

Ravu Chellam

Two conservationists bust myths and educate wildlife lovers on lions and the Western Ghats

“In the end, we conserve only what we love, we love only what we understand, and we understand only what we are taught.” This quote by Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum inspired wildlife photographer and filmmaker Sandesh Kadur to discover the wonders of wildlife. Following a course in wildlife conservation in the United States, Kadur visited the Western Ghats. His two-year research on the phenomenal mountain range, culminated in his critically-acclaimed book, “Sahyadris”.

Ravi Chellam, Country Director, Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program, quit his career in marketing to pursue his passion for wildlife. Both Chellam and Kadur shared their experiences, work and opinions at a Wildlife Talk organised by PageTurners Bookstore.

The images Kadur captured of the Western Ghats, extending from Maharashtra to Kerala, are breathtakingly beautiful. Most of the world's amphibians and reptiles are found here. It is home to one of the rarest species of frogs: the pig-nosed frog.

Kadur showed life-like photographs that he had taken of the frog.“This frog,” Kadur says pointing towards a huge, black frog “is one of the coolest frogs ever. It was discovered only in 2003. It spends almost all its life underground and comes out only for two weeks throughout the year.

Ravi Chellam's talk, “Tales from the Lion Country- Conservation of Asiatic Lions” was an educative session. Chellam's PhD research was in the Gir forest in Gujarat. “I took my first picture of a lion in December 1985,” Chellam reminisces.

“Most people associate the lion with Africa and the tiger with India. But the Asiatic Lion is one of India's most important animals. Between 1880 and 1915, lions in India had a close brush with extinction. The numbers then were less than 50. Now however, due to human efforts, the number of lions has increased to about 411.”

Lions eat up to five to seven kg of meat per day, but when hungry, they can eat up to 40 kg of meat.

To communicate with other lions and defending territory, lions roar (long distance, short duration) and mark their scent on trees and stones (short distance, long duration).”

Chellam also spoke of translocation programmes where free-ranging lions (those found outside the forest) are transported from Gir to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. “These programmes will manage the success of conservation. It's like buying insurance for free-ranging lions.” Due to political pressures and management issues, however, the translocation programmes are still under consideration.

Talking about conservation, Chellam said: “There are many enthusiasts who want to work in a sanctuary. The problems for conservation, however, don't occur within a sanctuary, but outside it. So conservation really begins at home. If citizens, particularly in cities, behave in a socially-responsible manner then conservation is possible. By social responsibility I mean, the kind of lifestyle you lead, the decisions you make on what and how much to consume.”

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article1477366.ece

Endangered Jerdon''s Courser on Centre''s priority list.

13/02/2011

New Delhi, Feb 13 (PTI) With Jerdon''s Courser, a nocturnal bird from Andhra Pradesh which is one of the 50 rarest birds of the world, facing the threat of extinction, Government has decided to take special steps to protect it.
A high-level committee of the Environment Ministry decided to include the Jerdon''s Courser as the 16th species in its Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats'' (IDWH) scheme under which measures are taken for protection of the endangered species.
The standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, took the decision following a request from Andhra Pradesh Government.
The list of endangered species for whose protection special steps are being range from snow leopard in Kashmir to the brow antlered deer in Manipur and the megapode from Nicobar. It also includes the Asiatic lion, which is now only found in Gir wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat.
Bustard (including floricans), dolphins, hangul, Nilgiri tahr, marine turtles, dugongs and corals, edible nest swiftlets, Asian wild buffalo, vultures, Malabar civet, great one horned or Indian Rhinoceros and swamp deer are the other species included in the list.
The Jerdon''s Courser, discovered by surgeon-naturalist Thomas C Jerdon in 1848, is a restricted-range endemic bird found in the state''s Eastern Ghats.
The bird was thought to be extinct till its rediscovery in 1986 in the state''s Sri Lankamaleswara Wildlife Sanctuary. The bird is endemic to scrub jungle habitats in the state and is listed in the Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
According to BirdLife International, a global alliance of conservation organisations working together for the world''s birds, "The Jerdon�s Courser inhabits sparse, thorny and non-thorny scrub-forest and bushes, interspersed with patches of bare ground, in gently undulating, rocky foothills."
Studies using tracking strips have revealed that the species has a strong preference for certain densities of scrub-jungle habitat and is active mainly at night. MORE PTI TGB
Source: http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4915826

Not lions, but vultures cause of worry.

KapilDave  

Posted: Wed Feb 09 2011, 03:59 hrs Ahmedabad:

The reserved forest is a sanctuary to the surviving Asiatic lion species, but it is the Long Billed Vulture locally known as Girnari Giddh, a critically endangered species, whose concern affects the ropeway project.
Now scattered across Sindh in Pakistan and various parts of India, they are found to be surviving mostly in Gir in Gujarat. Use of dicolfenac in cattle feed is considered one of the main reasons behind their extinction.
In September 2009, environmentalists came around in Junagadh to raise awareness for their survival on the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day, while constant lobbying by wildlife enthusiasts to protect the bird is on.
Former Gujarat minister of state for environment and forest Kiritsinh Rana, had in reply to a question on February 20, 2009 during Question hour in the Assembly, admitted that the vulture population in Gujarat had reduced from 2,647 in 2005 to 1,431 in 2007.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Not-lions--but-vultures-cause-of-worry/747829/

Jairam clears Gujarat ropeway project with vulture rider

TNN, Feb 8, 2011, 06.17am IST
AHMEDABAD: Union minister for environment and forests (MoEF) Jairam Ramesh approved the Girnar ropeway project proposing a roundabout route to reach the Ambaji temple on Girnar mountain, the highest point in Gujarat.
Ramesh allowed the project on the condition that the state government will explore an alternate route for cable cars to reach the top from Bhavnath Taleti near Junagadh town, skirting vulture nesting sites. Environment activists had been opposing the project because it would disturb the nesting of the endangered Girnari giddh (vultures).
The Gujarat government would have to set up a 'vulture cafeteria', a feeding site for vultures on one section of the mountain, Ramesh said. So, municipal authorities would have to dump animal carcasses here for vultures to feed. 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jairam-clears-Gujarat-ropeway-project-with-vulture-rider/articleshow/7449442.cms

Ramesh's plan not feasible, say government, contractor

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN, Feb 8, 2011, 12.40am IST

AHMEDABAD: The state forest department and the ropeway operator have found faults with Union minister Jairam Ramesh's alternatives proposed for the Girnar ropeway. They say that if it launches from Datar, the pilgrim will have to climb up to Bhavnath Taleti to get on to a cable car. This will hinder the vulture nesting site. In case of the second alternative, if launched from Bhesan, this cable will pass through the home of the Asiatic lions in Gir Sanctuary.
"The purpose is to give a smooth ride to the pilgrims. If we were to start an alignment from Bhesan, it would mean that the pilgrims after visiting Bhavnath, an important destination, will have to travel 35 km to catch the ropeway. From Datar, they will have to climb halfway before catching the ropeway," said Deepak Kapilesh of Usha Breco, the contractor for the project.
For starting from Bhesan, the authorities will have to construct a road for pilgrims which will create trouble for lions in the protected area and dolis will have to be used to carry elderly pilgrims in case of a Datar connection, said forest officials. Kapilesh added that Bhesan was too far from the hill to connect by cable. "An earlier survey had found the proposed Bhavnath-Ambaji route to be more suitable. The present alignment passes 50 meter from the nesting site. The noise pollution is minimal as the cabins are closed. The distance between two cabins is going to be around 500m on a routine day and 150m on a Sunday or during peak hours," said Kapilesh
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Rameshs-plan-not-feasible-say-government-contractor/articleshow/7448075.cms

MoEF nod for Girnar Ropeway project.

Manas Dasgupta

It will reduce chances of man-animal conflict in Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary: Ramesh

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has given an “in principle” approval to the long-pending Mount Girnar Ropeway project in Junagadh district in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat.

The order, pending since 1995, was signed by the Minister of State for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh on Monday soon after a delegation of the State Congress, led by its president Siddhartha Patel, the mayor of Junagadh, and other leaders of the party-controlled Junagadh Municipal Corporation, called on the Minister requesting him to clear the project.

The project was being opposed by some environmentalists and others on the ground that it would threaten the near-extinct species of the “Girnari Giddh,” the long-billed vultures, as the Girnar region alone accounts for about 25 per cent of the species and about 10 per cent of the total vulture population in the State.

Mr. Ramesh said giving “in principle” approval to the project would reduce the chances of man-animal conflict in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, which also provided abode to the Asiatic Lions. About 20 to 25 Asiatic Lions were estimated to have come out of the adjacent Gir forest and were living in the Girnar sanctuary. Besides, it would also provide a convenient transportation to thousands of pilgrims visiting Mt. Girnar and end the “socially unacceptable” system of men carrying pilgrims in “dolis.”

On the allegation of the Narendra Modi government that the Centre was deliberately holding up the ropeway project, Mr. Ramesh said the State administration was primarily to be blamed for the delay as it failed to implement the project in 13 years after the proposal was mooted in 1995, when no Central clearance was required.

The Centre's approval became mandatory only after the Girnar reserve forest was in May, 2008 declared the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, a new habitat for the Gir lions.

Mr. Ramesh, who visited the site on January 27 and discussed with some experts, State government officials and others, has laid down some half-a-dozen conditions to minimise the risks to the long-billed vultures. 

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article1165676.ece

Environment ministry clears ropeway in Gir sanctuary.

2011-02-07 16:30:00
New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS) The environment ministry Monday gave its clearance for the construction of a ropeway in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat, the only home to Asiatic lions, despite objections that it could lead to the extinction of Girnari vultures, a critically endangered species.
The ministry accorded the clearance to the ropeway from Bhavnath Taleti to Ambaji temple within the sanctuary in Junagarh district after imposing six conditions.

'I have received numerous representations against the ropeway on environmental grounds, primarily adverse impact on vultures. I have seen for myself the strong reasons to build the ropeway. It would minimise man-animal conflict in the Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary,' Ramesh said.

'It would also provide a convenient way of transporting thousands of pilgrims daily to the holy spot on Mount Girnar. It would also put an end to socially unacceptable modes of transportation (the dolis) that are being used at present,' he said.

The ropeway project on Mount Girnar in Junagarh has been pending since 1995. The clearance from the ministry was sought in 2008 after the Girnar reserve forest - covering around 180 sq km area including Mount Girnar -- was declared Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to environmentalists, the project would harm the nests of vultures that roost on the mountain crannies.

The conditions include - a study to consider alternate alignment of the ropeway project, increasing height of some of the towers, putting cameras to monitor movement of vultures, construction of cafeteria for vultures, imposition of a cess of Rs.5 per ticket or 2 percent of the ticket turnover to carry out conservation related activities, and setting up a technical committee to monitor implementation of these conditions.

Ramesh, however, said that the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) will take a final decision based on the report submitted by the Gujarat government.

A technical group of the NBWL standing committee, which visited the site in December last year, has advised against the construction of a ropeway, saying it could lead to local extinction of the 'Girnari Giddh', a critically endangered species listed in Schedule I under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Ramesh visited the sanctuary, home to 20-25 Asiatic lions and the site of the proposed ropeway, last month.

'The Girnari Giddh population that is going to be affected by the ropeway project is between 20-25 percent of the total population of long-billed vultures in Gujarat, but less than 10 percent of the population of vultures in the state,' he said.
Source: http://www.sify.com/finance/environment-ministry-clears-ropeway-in-gir-sanctuary-news-default-lchq4ihcbgb.html

The green brigade.

Komal Sharma.

Saving tigers, reducing the carbon footprint, arguing with policymakers, living in forests, researching in labs—meet the crusaders who are trying to make the world a better place

 

Environmentalists, activists, biologists—these green warriors have taken a different career path. Their jobs may not pay well but for these activists, the assignments compensate in a much bigger measure. That’s the point all these people want to drive home anyway—that we don’t really need as much as we’re taking from the earth.

Lion king: Ravi got interested in conservation at a young age. (inset) Chellam (right) and his PhD supervisor A.J.T. Johnsingh with a tranquillized lion, in 1988.

Ravi Chellam, 50Country director, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)—India Program, Bangalore
How he got here: Ravi has been involved with wildlife and biodiversity research, with the purpose of conservation, since the 1980s. With a master’s degree in wildlife biology from Anbanathapuram Vahaira Charities College, Bharathidasan University, Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, and a doctorate from Saurashtra University in Gujarat, he is a pioneer in the study of Gir lions.
“No romantic shikar-type childhood introduced me to nature. But my father used to subscribe to a lot of magazines and newspapers. I remember M. Krishnan’s column “My Country Notebook” in The Statesmane and it was a huge influence on me.”
In his early 20s, Ravi joined the Madras Naturalists’ Society and became a life member of the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society). “I remember going to Gingee, a rocky and forested site about 150km from Chennai, with my friend Preston Ahimaz of WWF. It was here that I realized that my observational skills were pretty good. I could spot a bird before Preston could, even though I had no clue about its identity. This is when I felt that this was something I could do for the rest of my life.”
Eventually Ravi joined a master’s programme in 1983, after which he joined the Wildlife Institute of India to study the Asiatic lions. In early 1986, he headed to Gir for his thesis and spent the next four years in the forest, living with lions.
Ravi wrote a proposal for the translocation of lions from Gir to improve their chances of survival. “Over the years, Gir lions have thrived wonderfully. But it’s like all our eggs are in one basket. In case of any natural calamity, or any unforeseen reason, we’re risking the remarkable conservation gains over the decades by restricting it in one place. So translocation to Madhya Pradesh is imperative. But of course politics has complicated matters.”
Ravi has interesting trivia about how the behaviour of Indian lions differs from African lions. “The girls and boys tend to hang out together a lot more in Africa. The Indian male and female lions primarily come together during mating. The Indian lion is a forest animal, lives in dense foliage and hunts alone or in very small groups. The African lions live in open grasslands and hunt in much bigger groups.”
A day in the life of: I like to be up by 4-4.30am and get some work done from home, before the family wakes up. By 8.30am or so, office begins and at my level, there is little fieldwork and more organizational work. You have to think for your team, look after primary objectives, look for finances and human resources. I am constantly in touch with the public, donors, the government and other partners.” His work involves travelling for seminars, research, field visits and talks.
What the job has to offer: Sleepless nights, also plenty of excitement and intense satisfaction. “You’ve got to be very proactive. When you see how your contribution has made a difference, it’s very satisfying.”
Is education important? In Ravi’s opinion, training helps. “Conservation is not just standing in front of a bulldozer and preventing deforestation. It can also involve serious academic work and hence good education certainly goes a long way.” At the bachelor’s level, a degree in biology, zoology or life sciences is helpful, and at the master’s level, a specialized course in conservation can give one a solid foundation for the future.
Facing challenges: “It’s difficult to find enough people committed to the cause. Retaining talent is a huge task.”
Money matters: Directors of one of the bigger conservation organizations in India can expect to make about Rs. 80,000 a month while at international organizations, such as WWF and Greenpeace, pay can run over Rs. 1 lakh.
ON JAIRAM RAMESH:
‘He’s accessible, seeks the best available expertise and is keen on reforming the policies and institutions to make them more effective.’

Building bridges:Kohli prefers being out in the field and does not enjoy her stints in Delhi much. (inset) At a mobile biodiversity festival in Medak, Andhra Pradesh.

Kanchi Kohli, 34
Member of core team at Kalpavriksh, an NGO for environmental and social issues, New Delhi
How she got here: Kohli, a graduate in social work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, worked in Sirsi, in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, in 1999-2000. Working among the forest-dwelling and fishing communities and looking at their livelihood issues, she realized how intrinsically people and nature were connected. “I was on a fellowship from Oxfam India Trust and working with NGOs and community groups on issues of environment and development. The district is extremely diverse, ecologically fragile and is home to a variety of communities. I was supporting the struggle against dams, ports and power plants on essentially two rivers, the Aghnashini and Sharavati. The loss of a forest or a stretch of an estuary meant loss of not only livelihoods but also the cultures people have evolved. In many ways, it is losing oneself. It made me look at environment in a much broader sense than linear notions of pollution.”
Kohli met members of Kalpavriksh at a meeting in Uttara Kannada, and when she moved to Delhi, it seemed like an organization she wanted to be associated with. Kalpavriksh is a 31-year-old environment action group based in Pune and Delhi. It was set up by students as a voluntary membership-based organization.
A day in the life of: “There is no routine at all. Some days you start at 7am and don’t finish before midnight and other days it’s relatively easy. A life like this requires a lot of self-disciplining because it depends on you how much work you take on.”
Kohli also works with the Millet Network of India (MINI)—a network of farmers, civil society groups, scientists and nutritionists. “Millets like jowar, bajra and ragi are the food of the poorest and indigenous communities and are a critical basis for nutrition, ecosystem protection and are linked to people’s cultures and traditional farming practices.” Kohli has been working with MINI in the Medak district of Andhra Pradesh. Her work involves research and campaigning for MINI.
While in Delhi, Kohli’s work can vary from the most mundane of report writing to the more challenging tasks of policy analysis and writing about issues in the local and national media.
What the job has to offer: “In other career options, there may be a disconnect between what you believe in and what you do with your life. For me, that disconnect is absent in this field.”
Is education important? Kohli has not studied environment or conservation formally and does not consider it a disadvantage. “There’s a flip side to it. Not being specialized, like a botanist, helps you in ways because you look at things more holistically.”
Facing challenges: “There’s often a sense of insecurity and the fund-raising challenge is huge. In the last decade, infrastructure and industrial expansion has been happening at such a rapid pace, there’s been large-scale investment in India. So the conflict points have increased drastically. And there are very few people doing nuanced work.”
Money matters: “It’s not a lucrative career option per se. Though it depends on which organization you’re working with. In small consultancies such as Kalpavriksh, the upper limits are Rs. 25,000. But in an international organization, which works with much funding, it could go up to Rs. 50,000.”
ON JAIRAM RAMESH:
‘It is good that he has managed to get environment-related issues on the front page but the ministry is still not touching policy at all, and that’s where long-term change can be made.’

Explorer at heart: Velho hopes that her family and friends will be able to visit her more often when she is working in the field. (inset) Crossing the Dehing river in Namdapha, Arunachal Pradesh, with other field assistants.

Nandini Velho, 25
Intern at the Union ministry of environment and forests, New Delhi
How she got here: Velho is quite thrilled about her short stint as an intern in the office of Union minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh. “I had attended a lecture by Jairam Ramesh and made up my mind to work in his office. So I sent them my resume and they got back to me. There was an interview and other screening processes, but I finally made it.”
Velho attributes her decision to take up wildlife biology as a career to being born and brought up in Goa. “As kids, our weekends and summer holidays were spent trekking and in nature walks. Beaches apart, Goa is green and abundant in wildlife, so we were forever intrigued and learning,” says Velho.
After completing her bachelor’s in life sciences from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, in 2006, Velho did a master’s programme in wildlife biology and conservation, Bangalore, run by the Wildlife Conservation Society—India Program and National Centre for Biological Sciences. As part of the programme, Velho spent a year and a half in Arunachal Pradesh. “I spent time studying the effects of logging in the Pakke tiger reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.”
Velho has recently been accepted for a PhD in tropical ecology with professor William Laurance, a conservation biologist. In April, she will head to James Cook University in Queensland to work with the scientist. ”I will be studying the effects of hunting in North-East India as my PhD thesis. I want to understand to what extent is hunting done for trade or sustenance, how it’s affecting the animal population, also the cultural and social aspects of it.”
A day in the life of: “There is no typical day actually. The nature of my work is such that every day is variable.” When she was in Arunachal, her day began early with a quick rice-based meal and then she would head off to the field for data collection. Evenings were spent with children from the local community, forest managers or sometimes just unwinding with apung (rice wine) with other field assistants. “After data collection, I would spend a substantial amount of time analysing and making sense of the data I had collected and writing it in the form of a manuscript for a journal.”
As part of her internship at Ramesh’s office, Velho is working on a review of conservation plans written for tiger reserves and assists in several outreach efforts. Velho is particularly happy about the work she managed to do, along with herpetologist Romulus Whitaker, on the gharial, an endangered crocodilian species in the Chambal valley.
What the job has to offer: There is a promise of meeting new people and going to new places. “I’ve spent so much time in the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, I hope to explore forest areas in places like Thailand or Brazil. It’s something that you wouldn’t be able to do in other careers.”
Is education important? “If you are rooted in some science, it informs you and equips you for your work.” She believes it is not important whether your degree is from a foreign or local university as long as you do the best you can.
Facing challenges: “Dealing with people is challenging to me.” You set out to do a particular task but it doesn’t always turn out that way. There’s a difference between what you aspire and what you achieve. But at the end of the day you have to learn how to stick it out in a happy-go-lucky way. Also, usually unforeseen disasters seem out of the blue, but more often than not they are caused by lack of planning. People tend to take a lot of things for granted.
Money matters: Starting salaries are about Rs. 14,000-16,000 as a junior research fellow. As a PhD student, this stipend is higher and accommodation is usually taken care of by the institution.
ON JAIRAM RAMESH:
‘It’s the promise of working with such people that inspires and motivates me and keeps me going.’
komal.s@livemint.com
Source: http://www.livemint.com/2011/02/06190421/The-green-brigade.html?h=B

The Story Of The Accession Of The Princely State Of Junagarh.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba

31 January, 2011
Countercurrents.org

The story of the integration of the Princely States of India continues to fascinate the researchers and authors who diligently wade though the piles of manuscripts and record books kept in the archives to reconstruct a picture of the bygone era.

The latest addition to such literature is a booklet on the Princely State of Junagarh by SM Pasha, an academic and journalist based in Chennai. The author is engaged in a self assigned project to write afresh the story of the controversial Princely States of India that had problem with signing the instrument of accession. This is the second in the series, the first being on the Princely State of Hyderabad.

The author feels that the present generation is unaware of some hard facts of the contemporary and they should be fed with correct information so that can develop their perspective on such issue and help them make their own judgment.

SM Pasha has named his booklet “The Princely State of Junagarh Dead or Alive.” This is because the princely state which is geographically dead in India, is politically alive in Karachi, Pakistan, where at “Junagarh House” the Junagarh state flag flies on its mast.

The Pakistan government still recognizes Nawab Mohmmad Jahngir Khanji, the grandson of the last Nawab Mohmmad Mahabat Khanji as the present Nawab of Junagarh and installed him with all pomp as the eleventh Nawab of a State in exile on October 9, 1991. It has an official website http://www.junagadhstate.org/home.html

Junagarh State was located at the foot of the Girnar hills, 355 km south west of Ahmedabad and is currently, the district headquarters of Gujarat state. It had an area of about 3,336 sq. miles and was bounded on the south by the Arabian sea and had sixteen ports of which the main one was Veraval. It had a population was about five lakhs and forty five thousand, of them 80% being Hindus.

The ninth and the last Nawab Mohmmad Mahabat Khanji III ascended the throne as a minor on the January, 22, 1911. He was educated at Mayo College, and ruled under regency until his formal accession on 31 March 1920. He was at the helm of affair till 1947, when the drama of the instrument of accession unfolded at Junagarh.

Nawab Mohmmad Mahabat Khanji was known for his extreme love of animals, particularly dogs. At one point, the Nawab possessed over 300 canines. His love for animals extended to the regional wildlife, particularly the Asiatic lion, and is credited for preserving vast tracts of the Gir forest to provide the lions with a stable habitat. He was also interested in animal husbandry, and made efforts to improve the breeding stock of the local Kathiawadi stallions and of the Gir cows. The Nawab also saw the opening of the Willingdon Dam, the construction of the Bahadur Khanji library and the Mahabat Khan College. During his reign, not a single Hindu-Muslim clash occurred in Junagarh.

When the letter of instrument of accession was sent to the Nawab with choices to opt between India and Pakistan, he on August 15, 1947, announced the accession of Junagarh state to the newly created country Pakistan.

The rulers of the adjoining States particularly the Hindu Rajah of Dharanggadhra protested against Junagarh state’s decision to the accession to Pakistan as serious threat to its security. The Government of India also described the accession as a threatening cloud over the western horizon of India.

Rabidly communal Hindus went about delivering lectures and writing articles that it was a unpardonable act and called upon their co-religionists to beware of the “modern-day Mahmood Ghaznvis and to save Somnath”.

To all such criticism, the Nawab curtly replied: “The Indian Independence Act did not and does not require a Ruler to consult his people before deciding on Accession. I think we are making unnecessary fetish of the argument of geographical contiguity. Even then, this is sufficiently provided by Junagarh sea with several ports, which can keep connection with Pakistan.”

Pasha writes that for diplomatic and strategic reasons, Indian forces did not entered Junagarh State and chalked out a different plan to action to avoid criticism of naked aggression.

Under such plan, on September, 17, 1947, V.P. Menon, the then Secretary of States rushed to Junagarh with a special message from the Government of India that advised the Nawab to withdraw his accession to Pakistan. However, Menon could not meet the Nawab as he was indisposed, but construed this ruse to avoid him and expressed his displeasure to the Dewan of the State of Junagarh, Shah Nawaz Bhutto.

Bhitto explained to Menon that since the Instrument of Accession was duly signed, and the accession was complete and cannot be withdrawn, the proper course could be to talk to the Government of Pakistan on this issue.

Menon left Junagarh fuming and warned the Dewan of dire consequences. He went to Bombay from there and called for a press conference to announce the formation of Provisional Government of Junagarh that was formally formed on September, 25 1947 with Saamar Das Gandhi, a relative of Mahathma Gandhi, as its president.

Meanwhile, the Government of India made preparations for the annexation of Junagarh asking the army of the States in Kathaiwar to be suitably dispersed around Junagarh. On the 4th of October, the Chiefs of Staff were directed to instruct the Commander of the Kathiawar Defence Forces to prepare a plan for the occupation of Babariawad and Mangrol, the two pockets inside Junagarh state but outside its suzerainty and had acceded to the Indian Union.

As a part of the preparation for the annexation of Junagarh, the Government of India constituted a “Kathiwar Division” of the Indian Army with Brigadier Gurdial Singh as the Chief with Rajkot as Headquarters. Besides, three War Ships were anchored at the port of Porbunder and eight Tempest War planes were stationed at the Rajkot Airport.

Babariawad and Mangrol were first to be reclaimed on November 1, 1947 and the civil administration was quick to march to occupy the ‘Junagarh House,’ at Rajkot.

While all this was going on, Shah Nawaz Bhutto, wrote to the Government of India, on November 8, 1947 to avoid bloodshed, hardship, loss of life and property and to preserve the dynasty seeking assistance to maintain law and order before a settlement of the Junagarh’s accession to Pakistan was reached.

The Government of India did not care about such request and took over ‘Sardargarh,’ a neighboring town of ‘Bantava’ first and then ‘Bantva’ on November 9, 1947, before completing the occupation of Junagarh state on the same date. Many Muslims by then had fled to Pakistan and that included the Nawab of Junagarh, his dogs, and his Dewan.

A plebiscite was organized by the Government of India on February 29, 1949 where out of 2, 01,457 registered voters, 1,90,870 exercised their franchise, of which only 90 cast their votes in favor of Pakistan.

Psasha writes that two things are little known to the public of this high voltage drama, one, the Government of India at that time was strongly in favor of a plebiscite to be held in Junagarh, so that it can lay its legal claim over the state, second, the case between Pakistan and India, a prop of the accession of Junagarh to Pakistan, is still pending before the United Nations for disposal and is not formally withdrawn as in the case of Hyderabad state.

Pasha further writes that India’s move to annex Junagarh was just and fair, however he rues that India’s decision to hold on “Kashmir” is morally wrong and legally unjust. He cites a cable note by the American Embassy, New Delhi on October, 28, 1947, to its State Department that says: “the obvious solution before the governments of India and Pakistan is to agree to the accession of Hyderabad and Junagarh to India and of Kashmir to Pakistan.”

Pasha says had the then government of India headed to such an advice, the “Kashmir problem” that fangs with its entire vicissitudes today may have long been put to rest. He prophases that carrying the baggage of history too far may momentarily halt the process, it no way can stop the ‘inevitable.’

Any queries regarding the booklet “The Princely State of Junagarh Dead or Alive” can be obtained by directly writing to SM Pasha to his E mail ID syedmuhammadpasha@yahoo.com

Syed Ali Mujtaba is a journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com 

Source: http://www.countercurrents.org/mujtaba310111.htm

Jairam Ramesh asks Narendra Modi to part with some Asiatic lions.

Published: Friday, Jan 28, 2011, 20:32 IST
By DNA Correspondent | Place: Ahmedabad | Agency: DNA

In his maiden visit to Gir since he took charge of the environment portfolio, minister of state Jairam Ramesh stirred the hornet's nest by stating that Gujarat needs to part with some lions and that they need to be shifted to a second home in Madhya Pradesh.
Ramesh is on a two-day visit to the state, primarily to take a call on the Girnar Ropeway Project on Girnar Hill, allegedly passing through 26 endangered vultures' nests. During the day, Ramesh had a short closed-door meeting with forest officials and local leaders. Principal Secretary, environment and forest, SK Nanda said, "He has received the information he needed and has asked us to meet him in Delhi on February 2, where he will take the final call on the ropeway project."
Speaking to the media, Ramesh said the Gujarat government should consider translocating some lions to a second home in the Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in MP.
The Gujarat government has already rejected the proposal several times before on grounds that the Gir lions were the 'pride' of the state.
During his visit to the sanctuary, Ramesh also visited the Maldharis nesses which are inside the sanctuary. He told the forest officials that the Maldharis should be moved out of the forest at the earliest and that the central government was willing to bear the rehabilitation expenses.
According to Nanda, the sanctuary houses some 1,200 Maldhari families and the cost of moving each family is approximated at Rs10 lakh. "He will put the proposal in front of the planning commission and seek a sanction of funds," Nanda said.
The issue of sharing Gir lions is a bone of contention between both the governments and the Centre. "More than 1,000 lions have died due to diseases in Tanzania. Here in Gir, the lions have an inbred population and the genetic diversity of the lionsis also limited," Ramesh said after a visit to the sanctuary.
"Many scientists are of the view that the lions should have a second home. Several international scientists have written to me to create a second home for the big cat. I have written several times to the Gujarat Government to transfer some lions to MP. But the government here thinks lions are their pride possession," Ramesh said, adding that someday the proposal will be accepted by the state government.
Ramesh also praised the forest department's conservation efforts and the plan to create a genetic diversity mapping project.
(With Agencies)
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_jairam-ramesh-asks-narendra-modi-to-part-with-some-asiatic-lions_1500219

A passion for saving the animal kingdom.

Carla Litchfield, animal behavioural psychologist at Monarto Zoo chimpanzee enclosure. Source: The Advertiser

 

Penelope Debelle  From: The Advertiser  January 29, 2011 12:05AM

ADELAIDE animal psychologist Carla Litchfield travels the world as a passionate defender of animals.

In the 27 days Dr Carla Litchfield spent inside an animal cage at the Adelaide Zoo, strange things began to happen. The open enclosure had been used for chimps in the 1970s, and had a glass frontage. After a while, the people inside looking out at the crowds who were staring in found it increasingly difficult to know who was watching whom.
"We were miked up and people were yelling out to us, people just wouldn't shut up," says Litchfield, who in 2001 completed a PhD at the University of Adelaide in psychology (animal behaviour). "At the end of the day I think I was quite exhausted from being around people whereas I'm used to being around animals."
It became increasingly obvious to Litchfield that humans, like other primates, have a weakness for unhealthy food and some of the caged group began begging passers-by for treats. They were being fed a nutritious diet but from behind the glass they would gaze at the crowds devouring ice cream and chips.

"People in the enclosure were struggling with that and they were food-begging from the public," Litchfield says. "People were throwing chocolate bars over and we were observing every item that went past."
The 2007 Human Zoo project in which four groups of six people were caged during daylight hours, was partly a fundraising idea for the now-completed chimp enclosure at Monarto Zoo. But for Litchfield, an academic and animal welfare activist, it was a chance to know more about being a caged animal in a zoo.
Although she stayed for the full 27 days, the project had limited human ethics research clearance and was not classified as a behavioural experiment. But Litchfield was able to make some general observations which in some cases have triggered change.
The most significant finding was that parts of the enclosure were uninhabitable in the summer due to the heat. While reptile keepers pay close attention to temperatures, no one had examined systematically the temperatures of different parts of the zoo's enclosures to assess their suitability for mammals. Litchfield has since co-written a paper with other scientists from the University of South Australia called Lessons in Primate Heat Tolerance; A Commentary Based on the "Human Zoo" Experience. It is due to be published in April in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.
"I realised that no matter how big a zoo enclosure is, if it's not the right temperature a lot of the space is unusable," she says. "We could be heat or cold-stressing animals without realising it."
Litchfield also appreciated to a greater degree the importance of handling food around animals. When a treat was thrown into the cage, some of the group members would stash their share to eat later, just as the cleverer primates do with food given to them by their keepers.
"That made me realise that you really shouldn't eat in front of animals as well," she says. "If an animal sees you with food - and they don't usually have it - they will try and get it off you."
Over the past 15 years of her research career, Litchfield has come to realise that small steps in the improvement of animal welfare are all that can be realistically hoped for. No single person can save animals from mistreatment and harm, even though some animal lovers might wish otherwise. In the 1990s she began visiting zoos around the world to see the conditions in which animals were held. Her first instinct was to run and hide from the pitiful sight of bored gorillas in European zoos huddled in cramped, cold, indoor enclosures.
"I thought I could never visit another zoo because it was so depressing, the conditions in which animals were kept," she says. "I thought this was hideous, I didn't want to do it."
Instead, she made a conscious decision to try and better the lives of animals in general by working with zoos. She works with all animals, from bears to lions and wombats, but she admits she became addicted to chimps after spending a year observing them in Uganda. She was the first Australian to study wild chimps in the Kibale National Park and it was an introduction to what Litchfield calls "the heaven and hell" of animal conservation. No one prepared her for the fact that a third of these chimps, supposedly living in the wild, would have missing hands and feet from being trapped in poachers' snares.
"Here I was thinking wild chimps had this amazing life all free and out in the wild and protected and a lot of them were disabled," she says. "The poachers put out wire snares for other animals, small antelopes mainly, and if the chimp steps into it the wire snare pulls tight and embeds in their flesh. They either die from gangrene poison or they lose a limb."
But she spent incredible days with them, watching the community leave their night nests and set off for a day in the forest. The chimps knew the researchers were there and, when she first arrived, they stopped and peered at the sight of a new face.
"An incredible day would be where you spend the whole day with them, the youngsters are with them, you rest when they rest and you belt around after them when they are moving quickly and stay while they build their night nest," she says. "Then the next day could be hell. It's very much an emotional roller-coaster."
Litchfield came to terms with what she calls the myth of the wild created by animal documentaries that purport to show animals interacting beyond the reach of humans. In fact, everywhere there are tourists and poachers and frequently farmers, as well, who are trying to preserve their crops from animal damage.
"We have this myth in our head that there is pristine wilderness but there just isn't," she says. "When, for example, you see those snow monkeys in those natural hot-spring baths in Japan, there are actually people in there with them but the documentaries don't show that. It's the same with the bears catching the salmon. There are loads of people watching on the banks or in hides."
Realistically, it is not possible for animals to live away from human contact which means solutions have to be found in compromise and cooperation. Even national parks have roads. By way of a sad example, Litchfield mentions the seven elephants who died in India last September when they were mowed down by a speeding goods train. They died after two calves became stuck on a railway line and the adult elephants surrounded the young ones to protect them. "That was in a national park through a forested area," she says. "How is that different from Monarto or an open-range zoo?"
Litchfield is a crusading scientist committed to communication in an age when science likes to separate itself from everyday practice by speaking through peer-reviewed journals and research outlets. She prefers to get involved. Her approach is a far cry from the 1960s when scientists frowned on the idea of befriending animals. Litchfield, a single mother whose young daughter Kaitie travels with her around the world, accepts life as it is and works with that.
"If someone says, 'I don't have favourites', that wouldn't be true because there is always some special animal that has meant more to you perhaps than 50 other ones you have worked with," she says. "So I think it's being honest that you can be a good scientist, collect data and be objective but acknowledge that you have feelings - and you have to be prepared to feel."
Science is also slow to respond and she believes direct action can short-circuit a problem while the process catches up. Her Human Zoo paper on cage temperatures
is about to be published three years after it happened but why should animals be left to suffer in the meantime?
"I could be telling that message and I do, in talks, from the day that it happened," she says. "Science is slow but you can still talk to people, and you can do other kinds of publications."
She knows she has raised eyebrows in the scientific community by writing three children's books. The first two were essentially simple science stories about gorillas and chimps with a strong message about everyday things people can do to help conservation. More recently she has written for five-to-seven-year-olds about pandas and tigers with an overriding message about love and respect. Kaitie, 12, has also written a book, The Little One, about caring for an orphaned red-tail monkey when she was four. The monkey was brought in after a farmer had killed its mother and Kaitie, in Uganda with her mother for a project, became its surrogate mother.
"People frown sometimes at writing children's books because it's not a peer-reviewed journal article but it's better if 20,000 children read something than if three academics read stuff that they know anyway," she says. "So I think it's really important to talk to anyone."
Litchfield, who was invited to speak at a recent TEDx event, Ideas at the Edge, at the Royal Institution in Adelaide, is best known for her work with chimps. In Uganda she helped develop guidelines for eco-tourism, favouring a restrictive model where travel is expensive and visitors are few. She also campaigns against the lucrative bush-meat trade that sees illegally traded primate and other wild animal meat served in trendy UK and European restaurants. In 2002 she helped conduct a series of problem-solving experiments with chimps on Ngamba Island, Uganda, where the chimps, many of them bush-meat orphans living in a sanctuary, would queue every morning at the door because the experiments were such fun for them. "They loved the contact," she says. "They thought it was playtime. We would piggy-back them around and tickle them and play with them and they absolutely loved it."
While chimps have captured her heart - she led a tour group last year to Uganda and Tanzania to visit gorillas and chimpanzees, and to Borneo to visit orang-utan projects and this year she will visit Rwanda and Uganda - she goes wherever she is needed. She lists as one of her life-changing experiences her work with a leopard seal, Brooke, at Taronga Zoo and in 2012 she hopes to see a colony of 300 Asiatic lions surviving in India's Gir Forest.
Scientists have known for years that animals have personalities and feelings but it has taken them a long time to admit that a passion for animals can coexist with scientific rigour. Litchfield tells the story of rhesus macaque monkeys who will tolerate all manner of laboratory experiments only if they have another monkey "friend" with them. Laboratories keep them in pairs because scientists know the rhesus macaques are social and need friends to survive.
Litchfield, who happens to look like a rock star, was awarded the Unsung Hero of Australian Science in 2000 by the Australian Science Communicators for her work with the African Great Apes. Her passion is animal welfare and human-animal interaction but she's a proud animal lover as well. "Animals are smart and they have personality and feelings but not every scientist would admit to that yet," she says. "But I certainly do."
Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/a-passion-for-saving-animals/story-fn3o6wog-1225995391024

Asiatic lion in Gir under threat from disease, says Jairam.

Kapil Dave  | Ahmedabad, January 28, 2011 | Updated 09:51 IST 
Asiatic lions are not safe in the Gir forest and sanctuary in Gujarat and need to be shifted from there, Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh said on Thursday.

Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh

"Scientists from all over the world have written to me expressing apprehension over the spread of a disease, akin to what killed thousands of the big cats in Tanzania. It needs to be relocated partially," the minister said. "The animals can be shifted to Madhya Pradesh. I have written to the state government in this regard and it should consider the transfer," he said.
The Gujarat government, however, is not willing to shift the lions and it has made clear to the Union minister that it is taking all necessary steps to protect the animals, sources close to the development said.
The Union minister was also told about the lion gene pool programme, the sources said.
Source:  http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/127924/india/jairam-ramesh-says-asiatic-lions-unsafe-in-gir-forest.html

Jairam wants a few Gir lions for MP.

Posted: Fri Jan 28 2011, 03:09 hrs Rajkot:

Union Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh on Thursday called for the transfer of lions from Gir to Palpur Kuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. He said this is necessary to prevent the possible inbreeding among the surviving Asiatic lions at Gir.
“We will be happy to see a second home for Asiatic lions in MP. I have written to the state government. They should consider this,” said Jairam. He said his arguments are based on inputs provided by scientists, who have raised the threat of inbreeding among the species. He said Gujarat’s sentiments for lions are understandable, but the threat should not be ignored.
“They (the state government) think that lion is a state animal. They might not be the wrong. But there is a threat. Here in Gir, the lions have an inbred population and their genetic diversity is also limited. Many scientists are of the view that the lions should have a second home. Thousands of lions have died in Tanzania and Africa and inbreeding can become a possibility here too. I have written to the Gujarat government to transfer some lions to MP. But the government here thinks lions are their pride possession,” he said. 
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/jairam-wants-a-few-gir-lions-for-mp/743086/

MP, Guj govts must fight it out: Jairam.

TNN, Jan 28, 2011, 12.32am IST

AHMEDABAD: The union minister for forest and environment Jairam Ramesh added a fresh chapter to the Asiatic lion controversy by first suggesting that as per experts' suggestions, the Asiatic lions should have a second home in Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The minister was quick to retract from his earlier statement and later told TOI that he did not want to get into the dispute and that "the two governments - Gujarat and MP - should sort the issue on their own." The minister visited Sasan Gir Sanctuary in Junagadh district on Thursday. Ever since 1986, the two governments have been fighting a battle over whether or not to relocate lions to MP for the Kuno Palpur project. A petition is also pending in the Supreme Court seeking directions for relocation of lions.
Talking to TOI over phone from Junagadh, he said "the Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has made three to four representations to me asking to pressurise the Gujarat government to hand over lions. I have on one occasion asked the State Government to allocate lions, but now I have made it clear that it was between the two governments to fight it out and the union forest and environment ministry has no role to play. I have asked Chauhan to take it up with Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi."
Jairam said the main concern is bio diversity. "The state has created new sanctuaries like Girnar, Mitiyala among others. The center is supporting the conservation project and Rs 50 crore in the next five years will be allocated to the state to open new sanctuaries. The allocation was under the Brihad Gir Development project." He said that the centre will support the Gujarat government to establish a genetic laboratory to develop a gene pool for the Asiatic Lions. The state has already formed three gene at Sakkarbag Zoo, Rampara Sanctuary and the forest area near Devaliya interpretation zone. Principal secretary, Gujarat forest and environment, SK Nanda said: "We informed him of the gene pool measures taken by the government, which he lauded and promised to support in future." 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/MP-Guj-govts-must-fight-it-out-Jairam/articleshow/7375210.cms

Fearing inbreeding, Jairam wants Asiatic lion relocated.

Express news service  Posted: Fri Jan 28 2011, 01:24 hrs Rajkot:

Saying there was threat of inbreeding among the Asiatic lions at Gir, Union Environment Minister and Forest Jairam Ramesh, who is on a two-day visit to the sanctuary, Thursday called for relocating them to Palpurkuno Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Gir is the Asiatic lion’s only home.
“We would be happy to see a second home for Asiatic lions in MP. I have written to the state government about this. It should consider this,” Jairam said.
The minister maintained that though Gujarat’s “sentiments for the lions are understandable, the threat should not be ignored”.
“They (the Gujarat government) think the lion is a state animal. They might not be wrong.... But then there is a threat. Scientists have written to me (about the threat of inbreeding). Thousands of lions have died in Tanzania and Africa (due to inbreeding). And it could be possible here also,” he said. 
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Fearing-inbreeding--Jairam-wants-Asiatic-lion-relocated/742953

Ramesh again favours M.P. as ‘second home' for Asiatic lions.

AHMEDABAD, January 28, 2011
Manas Dasgupta

Says in the case of an epidemic, it is risky to keep the felines in one place

Despite the repeated refusals by the Gujarat government, Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh on Thursday re-opened the controversy over providing a “second home” for the Asiatic lions.

Mr. Ramesh, who visited the Gir forest, the only abode of the Asiatic lions in the Saurashtra region, told journalists that he was in favour of a “second home” for the threatened species in Madhya Pradesh.

He said he was aware that the Asiatic lions were a proud possession of Gujarat and the State was not willing to share it with any other State, but it was “too risky” to keep them all in one place. According to Mr. Ramesh, they were already a threatened species and in case of any outbreak of an epidemic, the entire population could be wiped out.

Mr. Ramesh said he had written several letters to the State government in this regard and hoped that it would realise the danger of keeping the entire pride together and accept the proposal to send a few to Madhya Pradesh.

The Union Minister was thrilled to see a pride of 14 lions and cubs together and discussed with the forest officials and local villagers about problems in the Gir forest, the threat due to poaching and other issues.

A proposal to spare at least five lions for the proposed second sanctuary was made to Gujarat several years back and the issue was also taken to the level of the Supreme Court but the State government had refused to accept the suggestion stating that it was taking all necessary steps to protect the species in its only abode, including checking the threat of poaching.

The government had also pointed out that from a mere 180 animals, the number of Asiatic lions had increased in the last three decades to 411 as per the latest census which was a proof of the State government's positive steps to protect the lions. 

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article1131342.ece

Tigers’ number can grow by three times; lions’ share going to them.

CB Citizen Bureau January 27, 2011

A study by Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) says that if efforts are made to preserve tigers’ breeding areas and it is ensured that they are connected by habitat corridors, the number of tigers can triple.
At present, about 3,200 tigers live in the wild, down from 100,000 a century ago, and those that remain face a losing battle with poachers who supply traders in India and China with tiger parts for traditional medicines and purported aphrodisiacs.
The study says that Asia's tiger reserves can support more than 10,000 wild tigers – three times the current number – if they are managed as large-scale areas that allow movement between breeding sites.
‘In the midst of a crisis, it's tempting to circle the wagons and only protect a limited number of core protected areas,’ Eric Dinerston, chief scientist at WWF and one of the study's authors, said in a statement.
‘We absolutely need to stop the bleeding, the poaching of tigers and their prey in core breeding areas, but we need to go much further and secure larger tiger landscapes before it is too late,’ Dinerston added.
The study says that about 20 tiger conservation landscapes with the highest probability of survival can support more than 10,500 tigers, including about 3,400 breeding females.  
Lions’ share going to tigersThe union conservation funding for lion conservation in India is now being transferred to tiger conservation programmes across the country.
The Asiatic Lion subspecies, also called Panther Leo Persica, were once found in Central Asia, Middle East, and even Eastern Europe, but today their numbers have been restricted to just about 411 within a restricted area of the Gir Forest National Park.
The Gujarat state government made enough efforts to sustain the numbers of lions. Considerable promotions also brought a nearly 55 per cent jump in the number of tourists to the park.
However, global pressure seems to have prompted the central government to be more partial towards tiger conservation over lion conservation.
‘We are unable to understand why the central government is being so tightfisted with lions when the tigers are being allocated huge amounts regularly. Though the state government has allocated funds for now under the Lion Conservation Society of India, several mega projects are on hold,’ a senior Gir forest official told the media on condition of anonymity.
Source: http://www.causebecause.com/news-detail.php?NewsID=271

Lion Share Goes to the Tigers.

By: Rang7 Team January 25, 2011
What was to belong to the king of the jungle is now being handed over on a platter to the Royal Bengal Tiger. The union federal conservation funding for lion conservation in India is now being transferred to tiger conservation programs across the country.
The Asiatic Lion subspecies also called as Panther Leo Persica is today found only in the Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat. Though once the majestic species roamed Central Asia, Middle East, and even Eastern Europe, today their numbers have been restricted to just about 411 within a restricted area of the Gir Forest National Park.

Due to efforts of the Gujarat state government, there has been a steady rise in the numbers of Asiatic lions at Gir Forest National Park over the past few years. In fact tourism too has increased by 55% at the National Park in the last year, thanks to good promotional activities by the state government.
In contrast the number of tigers across National Parks in India have decreased drastically with the count being just 1411. Even the worldwide count of tigers has reduced to just 3200 thanks to poaching, deforestation an wildlife habitat loss.

The plunging global tiger population was brought more in focus with the Chinese celebrating The Year of the Tiger last year. As such India too may be under international pressure to save its tigers. A number of tiger summits were held last year at an international level and this may have prompted the central government to be more partial towards tiger conservation over lion conservation programmes.
"We are unable to understand why the central government is being so tightfisted with lions when the tigers are being allocated huge amounts regularly. Though the state government has enough allocated funds for now under the Lion Conservation Society of India, several mega projects are on hold," a senior Gir forest official said.

A member of the Union Forest and Environment Ministry said, "The lions are safe in Gujarat and multiplying. We were impressed by the way Gujarat dealt with the poaching problem. The forest dwellers in Gir are tolerant towards the big cat, while the tiger is being killed in other states. That is a burning problem,"
However the lions too have installed fear in the villagers staying close to the periphery of the National Park. The lions often roam close to the villages and kill their livestock. But thanks to the conservation efforts at least poaching and poisoning of the big cats have lessened considerably.

A year ago, there were suggestions to transfer some lions to the National Parks in Madhya Pradesh who in exchange would transfer their tigers to Gir forest in Gujarat. According to wildlife conservationist such a move is necessary as it would lessen the threat of death due to in breeding and diseases among the species. Also since the whole Asiatic lion species, who are listed as endangered by the ICUN Red List are concentrated in one place only, any misfortune of a forest fire or viral disease may wipe out the species in one go.

The Gujarat government had however refused to part with any of their lions, who are considered the Pride of Gujarat.
Source: http://www.rang7.com/news/national-park/lion-share-goes-the-tigers-857.htm

Asia's last lions lose conservation funds to tigers .

Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
January 24, 2011
Gir lions become more popular with tourists, but threaten livestock of adjacent villages.

The last lions of Asia and the final survivors of the Asiatic lion subspecies (Panthera leo persica) are losing their federal conservation funding to tiger programs, reports the Indian media agency Daily News & Analysis (DNA). While the Asiatic lion once roamed Central Asia, the Middle East, and even Eastern Europe, today the subspecies survives only in India's Gir Forest National Park in the north-western state of Gujarat.
"We are unable to understand why the central government is being so tightfisted with lions when the tigers are being allocated huge amounts regularly. Though the state government has enough allocated funds for now under the Lion Conservation Society of India, several mega projects are on hold," a senior forest official explained to DNA.
The lion population has been increasing and today numbers 411 individuals, whereas India's tiger population continues to plunge due to poaching and habitat loss. Last year, the Chinese year of the tiger, brought global media attention to the plight of tiger's worldwide, while the world's last population of Asiatic lions remains largely unknown.
However, that may be changing. Last year saw visitors to Gir Forest National Park increase by 55% after the state of Gujarat effectively promoted tourism.
Still, India appears—perhaps due to international pressure to save its tigers—to have selected tiger programs over lion conservation.
"The lions are safe in Gujarat and multiplying. We were impressed by the way Gujarat dealt with the poaching problem. The forest dwellers in Gir are tolerant towards the big cat, while the tiger is being killed in other states. That is a burning problem," a source told DNA.
Even though lion poaching and poisoning has lessened, as top predators Asiatic lions are quite capable of causing considerable distress to adjacent villages. A report by NTD television states that local villagers are in 'constant fear' of the lions, which frequently kill local livestock.
Given its tiny population and the fact that it survives in a single location, the Asiatic lion continues to be threatened by in-breeding, disease, fires, and illegal mining. As well, conflict with villagers continues, and lions have been poached and poisoned in the past. The subspecies is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. 
Source: http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0124-hance_asiaticlions.html

High Price for India’s Information Law.

By LYDIA POLGREEN Published: January 22,2011.

KODINAR, India — Amit Jethwa had just left his lawyer’s office after discussing a lawsuit he had filed to stop an illicit limestone quarry with ties to powerful local politicians. That is when the assassins struck, speeding out of the darkness on a roaring motorbike, pistols blazing. He died on the spot, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. He was 38.

Mr. Jethwa was one of millions of Indians who had embraced the country’s five-year-old Right to Information Act, which allows citizens to demand almost any government information. People use the law to stop petty corruption and to solve their most basic problems, like getting access to subsidized food for the poor or a government pension without having to pay a bribe, or determining whether government doctors and teachers are actually showing up for work.
But activists like Mr. Jethwa who have tried to push such disclosures further — making pointed inquiries at the dangerous intersection of high-stakes business and power politics — have paid a heavy price. Perhaps a dozen have been killed since 2005, when the law was enacted, and countless others have been beaten and harassed.
In many of these cases, the information requested involved allegations of corruption and collusion between politicians and big-money business.
“Now that power people are realizing the power of the right to information, there is a backlash,” said Amitabh Thakur, an activist and police official who is writing a book about people killed for demanding information under the law. “It has become dangerous.”
India may be the world’s largest democracy, but it remains dogged by the twin legacies of feudalism and colonialism, which have often meant that citizens are treated like subjects. Officials who are meant to serve them often act more like feudal lords than representatives of the people.
The law was intended to be a much-needed leveler between the governors and the governed. In many ways it has worked, giving citizens the power to demand a measure of accountability from bureaucrats and politicians.
When the law was passed, Mr. Jethwa, a longtime activist who nursed a lifelong grudge against those who abused official power, immediately seized upon it as a powerful new tool.
His objective was to stop illegal quarries near the Gir National Park, 550 square miles of scrubland and deciduous forest near his hometown, along the southern coast of Gujarat, India’s most prosperous state. The preserve is the only remaining habitat of the rare Asiatic lion. The animal is featured on the national emblem of India, and is considered by Hindus to be a sacred incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
But the forest sits in a mineral-rich area of coastal Gujarat dotted with cement factories that churn out building materials to fuel India’s near double-digit economic growth. The limestone that lies just beneath the soil in and around the Gir Forest is an ideal component of cement. By law, the forest and a three-mile boundary around it are off limits to all mining activity. But quarries the size of several football fields have been cut deep into the earth in the protected zone.
This mining has had serious consequences not only for the forest preserve, but also for water used for drinking and farming. The thirsty limestone is a natural barrier between seawater and fresh groundwater. A recent state government report concluded that limestone mining had allowed seawater to flow into the aquifer, causing an “irreversible loss.”
Balu Bhai Socha, an environmental advocate who worked with Mr. Jethwa, said the pace of mining rapidly increased as the local economy boomed.
“The speed with which the illegal mining was going on, we realized, within 10 years they will clean out the whole forest,” Mr. Socha said.
Mr. Jethwa repeatedly filed information requests to unearth the names of those operating the quarries and to see what action had been taken against them. He discovered there were 55 illegal quarries in and around the preserve. One name stood out among the records of land leases, electricity bills and inspection reports: Dinubhai Solanki, a powerful member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs Gujarat.
Mr. Solanki, who had risen from the State Legislature to Parliament, was a local kingmaker and an imperious presence. He had the backing of the local police and bureaucrats, activists here said. Mr. Jethwa and many others suspected that he was the mastermind and principal beneficiary of the illegal mining operation.
In February 2008, Mr. Jethwa was attacked by a gang of men on motorbikes. He was beaten so badly that he had to be hospitalized. He immediately suspected Mr. Solanki.
“If someone attacks me, or kills me in an accident, if my body is injured — for these acts the Kodinar MLA Dinu Solanki will be responsible,” he wrote in a letter to Gujarat’s chief minister, Narendra Modi, after the attack.
His father begged him to stop.
“I cautioned him several times about the danger,” the elder Mr. Jethwa said. “But he used to say: ‘Forget that you have three sons and say you have two sons. Let me do my work.’ He would say, ‘My religion is rule of law.’ ”

Bhikhu Jethwa sifts through photographs of his son, Amit, who was killed after filing a lawsuit to stop an illicit, multimillion-dollar limestone mine run by powerful local politicians.

Mr. Jethwa’s information requests found sheaves of correspondence between forestry officials and local bureaucrats showing that despite repeated efforts to shut down the quarries, the practice continued.
By last June, he felt that he had amassed enough evidence to file a lawsuit to stop the mining. He filed the papers on June 28. On July 20, late at night, he was gunned down, leaving behind a wife and two children.
Because of his activism and the place where he died, practically on the doorstep of the state high court, political pressure forced an unusually swift investigation. Detectives used cellphone records to link Shiva Solanki, the nephew of Dinubhai Solanki, to the killing, and he has been charged with conspiracy and murder. He is accused of hiring a contract killer to murder Mr. Jethwa.
But few people believe that Shiva Solanki, who works for his uncle, could have carried out and paid for a contract killing on his own.
Anand Yagnik, a prominent human rights lawyer in Gujarat, said that the police had made no effort to investigate Mr. Solanki.
“The message that has gone out is that if you resort to your right to information to try to harass a political person, even after your murder, that man will go scot-free,” Mr. Yagnik said, seated below a portrait of Gandhi in his basement law office in Ahmedabad.
The police did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the investigation into Mr. Jethwa’s death. Mr. Solanki told reporters at his office here that because the case was under investigation he would not answer questions.
“You are welcome to sit here, have a cup of tea,” he said. “I will not say a word.”
Mr. Jethwa’s death has sent a chill through the community of activists here. Mr. Socha, the environmental activist, said that he now thought twice before challenging powerful interests and that he wondered if the risks were worth it.
“Our hearts are broken after his death,” Mr. Socha said. “You cannot fix the system. Everybody is getting money. If I give my life, what is the point?”
 Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/world/asia/23india.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2