Rubble fences to replace barbed wire.

TNN | Nov 30, 2011, 05.33AM IST
AHMEDABAD: The forest department, taking the death of a lioness in Una range seriously, has plans to propose a ban on the use of barbed wire fencing in and around the Gir National Park. The department is planning to propose rubble fences in the periphery of Gir Sanctuary and also in the corridor which has lion movement.
A senior forest department official further said the department will also propose that the government give farmers a subsidy to replace barbed-wire fence.
Since October 2007, over eight lions have been killed in incidents of electrocution. The incident at Una was the second such occurrence in Ghttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Rubble-fences-to-replace-barbed-wire/articleshow/10925909.cmsir this year.
Chief conservator of forests R Meena said, "The government gives a subsidy for construction of barbed wire fencing in the state. Hence, at least in Gir region, we will propose a shift to construction of rubble fencing."
He said that the matter will be proposed to the government keeping in view the incidents of electrocution.
The department along with the police and the electricity department officials have been carrying out regular search and raids. "Recently, a farmer was fined of Rs 50,000 by the forest department after officials found a live electric wire connected to his fence," said Meena.
The electricity department has also ensured that if a farmer is caught indulging in this dangerous practice, he will not be given an electricity connection any further.
A senior official of the forest department said that the modus operandi was simple. Unscrupulous farmers connect the barbed-wire fencing around their farms with high tension wires passing over his field or with the power connection given to draw water from his bore well. The naked wire would then be left on the barbed-wire fence to create the impression that the wire was left there by accident.
The department said that this was done to keep away Neelgai. But lions fall victims to such live wires. Forest officials said rubble fences would be the way to ensure this practice doesn't continue.
Source: 

Two held for electrocuting lioness near Gir sanctuar.y

PTI | 01:11 PM,Nov 29,2011 Vadodara (Guj), Nov 29 (PTI) Two farmers were today arrested from Dhokdawa village in Junagadh district after a lioness was found electrocuted in their farm located on the periphery of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, a senior forest official said. "Jashabhai Bhagwan Badhaniya and his brother Jana Bhagwan Bandhaniya were arrested on the charges of electrocuting a lioness in their farm located at Dhokadwa village in Una taluka of Junagadh district under the Wild Life Act 1972," said Manishwar Raja, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Gir (east) division. The seven-year-old lioness was electrocuted at Dhokadwa village in Una taluka located on the periphery of the Gir sanctuary in Junagadh district on Monday night, he said. "The wild cat was found hanging inside a well located in the farm," Raja said. The arrested accused had erected an electric fence at their farm, apparently to prevent wild animals from entering and damaging the crops. Preliminary investigations have revealed the lioness had stepped on a live wire inside the farm when it strayed out of the forest area in search of food, Raja said. According to B T Ahir, Range Forest Officer, the Forensic team rushed to the spot after learning about the incident and conducted postmortem of the feline there. The charges could invite imprisonment ranging from 3 to 15 years
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/two-held-for-electrocuting-lioness-near-gir-sanctuary/918346.html

Lioness' carcass found, farmer held.

TNN Nov 28, 2011, 11.17PM IST

AHMEDABAD: Carcass of a seven-year-old lioness was found from Jasadhar forest range area of east division of Gir wildlife sanctuary in Una taluka on Sunday, following which a farmer, suspected of electrocuting the big cat, was detained on Monday.
Forest officials detained farmer Jasabhai Baldana of Sanosari village from whose farm a live wire was found around the fencing. The farm is just five km from the range forest area. Sources in the forest department said that the lioness bore electrocution mark on her feet, and after the live wire was found from the field the farmer was detained on the ground of suspicion.
"We have detained the farmer for questioning as the death is suspected to have been caused by electrocution. However, post-mortem report is being awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death. We are also taking the help of forensic science experts in the investigation," said deputy conservator of forest (Gir east) Manishwer Raja.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-28/surat/30449907_1_lioness-carcass-forest-officials

Gir's plastic heap worries foresters.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Nov 29, 2011, 05.55AM IST
AHMEDABAD: The day is not far when an Asiatic lion chokes on a plastic bag in the only place it calls home - the Gir forest. Environment activists have removed six tonnes of plastic from around Mount Girnar, which is home to 24 lions on the edge of Gir sanctuary.

Every year, lakhs of devotees come for the four-day 'Lili Parikrama' that begins and ends at the Bhavnath temple on Mount Girnar. This year the parikrama began on November 6. In the process, devotees leave behind pouches of country liquor, gutkha packets, water bottles and wrappings of wafers and biscuits.

The fair, organized by local people, sadhus, police and forest department officials, has now been curtailed to 9.6 km from the original 19.3 km that it was spread across. But the mountain of plastic only seems to be growing in size every year, especially since it has become a huge tourist attraction due to the 'Khushboo Gujarat Ki' ad campaigns. M A Kant, the Junagadh range forest officer , said they loaded more than 15 tractors with garbage after cleaning the forest.

Junagadh MLA Mahendra Mashru , who helped in the clean-up , said, "We will need at least three to four more rounds to ensure all the plastic is removed from the forest." Forest officials are worried after post-mortem revealed there were plastic bags in the stomach of many of the herbivores that died in the forest. Herbivores like Chital, Sambhar and Nilgai are the main prey base of the big cats. The plastic waste when consumed by herbivores clogs their intestine, which results in death. An officer said lions usually don't eat plastic waste but there was a fear they may consume it while feasting on a herbivore. Dr Meena Venkataraman , a member of Wildlife Institute of India said, "The central government has already banned plastic bags and should definitely be kept out of a delicate ecosystem like Gir." 
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Girs-plastic-heap-worries-foresters/articleshow/10913182.cms

Different strokes Joy of nature

Monday 28 November 2011 Different strokes

Joy of nature

M Y Ghorpade believed that a good photograph of wildlife conveyed directly the joy and beauty of nature. The ace lensman will forever be remembered for his photographs of birds and animals in the wild, writes Giridhar Khasnis

For many wildlife enthusiasts as well as lay readers, Murarirao Yeshwanthrao Ghorpade’s Sunlight and Shadows: An Indian Wildlife Photographer’s Diary is a venerable tome. First published in 1983 in London by Victor Gollancz, a revised and enlarged version of the book was released by Penguin Books India in 2004. The book, which carries a Foreword by Indira Gandhi, is packed with a host of nature photographs shot by the ace lensman in different locales and natural reserves like Bandipur, Nagarahole, Kanha, Gir, Kaziranga, Sawai Madhopur, Bandhavgarh and Bharatpur. Ghorpade tells the reader how he covered forest trails on foot as well as in ‘a decrepit, old, rattling van’. Many of his pictures were also taken riding on the back of elephants. Those were the days of analog photography and not digital. That necessitated his filling his specially tailored pockets with four loaded Hasselblad magazines to enable 48 exposures without having to load. The range of subjects is vast: from leaping monkeys, dancing peacocks, fuming wild buffaloes, tongue-lashing monitor lizards, to sambar stags with big antlers, wild boars with twisted tushes, big bulls with impressive horns, herds of elephants wallowing in mire and rolling in slush, and wild boars feeding on the carcass of their kill. His attraction to birds is quite evident, especially those approaching their nests and feeding their young ones. For him, a bird song at dawn was its way of gearing itself up to meet the world with joy and light; for most birds, according to him, daylight was very important to feed, play and to make love. In Sunlight and Shadows, Ghorpade supports his pictures with interesting commentaries. For instance, while capturing prides of lions on ground, on rocks and on trees, sitting with majestic grace and dignity, he writes, “The tail is an important indicator of how alert a lion is and what is passing through his mind.” And speaking of regal and ferocious tigers, he observes that, among other habits, they are “meticulously clean animals in spite of the messy business (of killing) they have to indulge in twice or thrice a week to satisfy their hunger.” As curiously, we are told that one of his celebrated photographs — ‘Tusker in Rain’ — was taken with no plan or preparation. In fact, the situation was far from ideal. His jeep was firmly stuck in monsoon slush of a forest road in Bandipur when the grand animal walked into the scene. Sitting in a jeep which looked like a wet canvas hide from behind, the photographer had nothing else to do but take as many shots as possible with his Hasselblad while the tusker scrubbed itself with the trunk, plastered itself with wet mud and rubbed his sides vigorously against a strong tree. Only after the animal left the scene and receded into the forest were Ghorpade and his men able to pull the jeep out of the mire and proceed towards their camp. In his enthusiasm for shooting wild animals, Ghorpade does not turn a blind eye to seemingly less exciting situations. He describes with warmth and wonderment about the evening forest (in Nagarahole) when glow-worms in perfect consonance and breathtaking patterns perched themselves on every branch, twinkling with amazing unison at regular intervals. “I sat there watching this marvelous play of light until the mosquitoes, who are no respecters of beauty, drove me in.” In another instance, he explains how nobody could take undue liberties with the tiger; and how even the mahouts, who are used to seeing these tigers quite regularly, would fold their hands in salutation when they sighted a tiger for the first time during the day. Sandur connection Ghorpade’s name is intrinsically linked with his home town Sandur (Bellary district), which he describes in the book as “a peaceful little place in the heart of an ancient valley which Mahatma Gandhi described as an oasis when he visited it in the early 1930s.” He compares Sandur valley to a giant fortress, encompassed by a striking range of hills with two natural gateways or narrow gorges on either side, connected by a temperamental forest stream. He recalls how as a schoolboy, he would happily roam the jungles of Sandur; how one had only to step out of the classrooms to be in the company of birds and animals; and how snakes, lizards and various invertebrates, including scorpions, often found it quite convenient to climb on to the veranda of the school and sometimes even into the classrooms. He also cheerfully reminisces that nature study was a popular subject in school, and students benefited from teachers who took them on regular birdwatching trips to identify birds, record their habits and behaviour, and collect botanical specimens. According to him, in the 1930s and ‘40s, Sandur was full of wildlife, but the following decades turned dangerous for it. He also recounts that it was in Sandur that he took his first nest-site photograph of a bird — that of a female purplerumped sunbird. Before proceeding to capture it for posterity on his camera, he watched the indefatigable little bird, smaller than a sparrow, bringing strand after strand of dry grass to construct her nest, single-handedly. Many roles Ghorpade, whose father too was a nature lover and wildlife enthusiast, was born in 1931 as a direct descendant of a royal family. He was initially educated in Sandur and later in Bangalore, before obtaining his MA at Cambridge University in 1952. He had an active political career and was finance minister, Government of Karnataka, from 1972 to 1977. He was elected as a member of Parliament in 1986, and was minister for rural development and panchayat raj for about seven years in Karnataka. Recipient of a honorary doctorate from Mysore University in 2006, he was the chairman and managing director of Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Limited. Although he took on many roles, it is quite obvious that his heart was with nature photography and conservation. “Wildlife photography and wandering in unspoilt natural environments are activities which I will not voluntarily give up,” he wrote in the author’s note of Sunlight and Shadows. “They are an inseparable part of my life.” Ghorpade’s achievements and accomplishments in the field of photography were well recognised. His photographs were featured in national and international salons and won prizes. He was awarded the fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (FRPS) and the Excellence De la Federation Internationale De L’Art Photographique (EFIAP) in 1976. In 1983, he became the first wildlife photographer to receive the prestigious international award of Master Photographer (MFIAP – Master Federation Internationale De L’Art Photographique). He also became the driving force behind the setting up of the Daroji Bear Sanctuary near Sandur. Many challenges Ghorpade believed that a good photograph of wildlife conveyed directly the joy and beauty of nature. He considered wildlife photography to be a continuous process of learning and adapting to field conditions, the nature and temperament of different species, and the mood of particular animals in a given condition. “There is always a certain amount of risk in wildlife photography, specially when one has to get close enough to take a picture; but a combination of ignorance and arrogance can be fatal.” Ghorpade consciously chose the medium of black-and-white photography because of its relative permanence compared to colour, and the scope it gave for artistic expression. For him, the outstanding quality in a photograph was not just a matter of technical perfection; it was not only what the human eye saw while taking a picture but what the eye of the camera saw and recorded on the negative, and the total effect of the photograph after it was printed and enlarged. In his book, Ghorpade reveals several challenges faced by a wildlife photographer. One of them was patience and the ability to remain perfectly silent for a sufficiently long time. Another was to remain ever alert to every developing situation. He recalls, for instance, the ruthlessness and ravenous swiftness with which a kill was made by a wild animal and its victim eaten; and the blood-curdling cry of a chital done to death by a pack of wild dogs is remembered with a tinge of anguish. One also comes to know how many worthy photographers, in their honest moments, have committed common errors, including the classic one of forgetting to remove the lens cap while using a range-finder camera and discovering the omission only after the film was developed blank. Ghorpade asserts that after photographing a panther at Sandur in 1968, he never used a flash again to photograph a wild animal. ‘Belaku Neralu’ The Kannada translation of Sunlight and Shadows is almost ready and publisher N Ravikumar of Abhinava Prakashana is heartbroken that it could not be released when the author was still alive. (Ghorpade died at a private hospital in Bangalore on October 29 of complications arising out of acute pneumonia.) “We have been associated with Shri Ghorpade for quite some time,” recalls Ravi. “Abhinava has brought out Kannada translation of several of his books including Abhivruddi, Aalike mattu Maanaveeya Moulyagalu (Growth, Governance and Human Values) / 2009, Rekkeya Mitraru (Winged Friends) / 2010, Muktiya Rahasya (The Secret of Salvation) /2010, Sahasada Ondu Seemarekhe (A Profile in Courage) / 2011 and Kanchiya Paramacharyaru (Paramacharya of Kanchi) / 2011. We were keen to release the Kannada version of Sunlight and Shadows at the earliest. Ghorpade was also very enthusiastic and co-operative. I only wish things had worked out sooner than later. Even a week before his death, I had spoken to him about the book, and he was as excited as ever. There was no indication that he would go away so suddenly.” The Kannada book is now slated for release on December 7, which happens to be the 80th birth anniversary of Murarirao Yeshwanthrao Ghorpade.Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/207520/joy-nature.html

The Scandal of India's Human Rights.

Too much of this in India

Written by Neeta Lal

Friday, 25 November 2011

Activists are too often killed, ‘disappeared’ or intimidated
India scarcely has a human rights record it can be proud of. Killings of human rights activists, intimidation and `disappearance’ of those who question the state’s ways, widespread use of torture by law enforcement agencies and the Parliament’s continued inability to enact enabling legislation to prevent human rights violations, underscore a disregard for basic humanitarian laws.

The recently-released Asian Center for Human Rights Report, 'Torture in India 2011' further reinforces this reality. The report states that between 2001 and 2010, 14,231 persons – or more than four persons per day -- died in police and judicial custody in India. This includes 1,504 deaths in police custody and 12,727 deaths in judicial custody. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh leads the tally in judicial custody with 2,171 deaths, followed by Bihar (1,512), Maharashtra (1,176), Andhra Pradesh (1,037) and Tamil Nadu (744).

According to the ACHR’s director, Suhas Chakma, 99.99 percent of deaths in police custody can be ascribed to torture and occur within 48 hours of the victim being taken into custody. Denial of medical facilities and sub-human conditions in jails are the other reasons for these alarming figures according to the official.

However, these deaths, Chakma told the media, reflect only a fraction of the problem as not all deaths in police custody and prisons are reported to the National Human Rights Commission, the country’s premier body for the protection of human rights.

As far back as 1997, the UN human rights committee expressed its anxiety about the widespread use of torture by law enforcement agencies in India. But despite the grim scenario, the Ministry of Home Affairs has failed to introduce the Prevention of Torture Bill, 2010 that is designed to address the problem. Neither have existing laws been modified to hold perpetrators accountable.

The landmark torture bill, say legal experts, is the preliminary step towards ratification of the UN Convention against torture adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1975. But India has not yet ratified the convention although has been a signatory since October 1997. The ratification requires enabling legislation that would be necessary to give effect to the Articles of the Convention which is currently not in place.

The parliament has ignored calls from Amnesty International to ensure fair trials at international standards while organizations like the United Nations and the European Union have consistently voiced their unease at India's disregard for humanitarian laws.

To make matters worse, India has recently witnessed a surge in human rights violations. India’s transparency law — Right To Information — came into force in 2005. But while the legislation has given India a new crop of citizen activists who have lobbied successfully for transparency and change, police raids on human rights activists, their intimidation and killings underscore another murky reality.

The violations also spotlight the state’s impotence in protecting activists. According to the National RTI Forum, at least 12 information seekers have been killed across the country since 2008. The gunning down of Shehla Masood, 36 in broad daylight in Bhopal in front of her house on Aug. 16 raises fundamental questions about the safety of activists in a multiparty democracy. Masood had questioned the Madhya Pradesh government’s policy of favoring certain individuals with her information queries. Her killers are yet to be arrested.

Police sources say the possible cause of Masood’s assassination was her right to information crusades. The activist had been protesting illegal diamond mining in her state in connivance with top government officers. She was also instrumental in highlighting tiger and leopard killings which are transpiring right under the noses of forest officers.

Another activist, Amit Jetwa, 36, who had used the information act to expose illegal mining and encroachment near Gir forest in Gujarat, met with a gory end in July 2010. Satish Shetty, 38, a whistleblower, credited with exposing major land scams in the southern Talegaon and Lonavala regions, was assassinated in January 2010. He had exposed corrupt land deals in and around the country’s first expressway, the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

“These acts of violence underscore a larger governance crisis and the failure of the government to protect its citizens,” says Abbas Mehkri, a New Delhi-based civil lawyer. “It is also a chilling statement on the State’s growing intolerance towards dissent.”

Activists have pointed to the need for legal protection for information seekers by strengthening the current public interest and disclosure bill currently tabled in Parliament.

But legal protection alone isn’t the panacea to protect activists. “After each killing there’s media pressure and the government promises us `better security’. But instead of gun-toting policemen, shouldn’t we have a secure environment where ordinary citizens can take up social issues sans fear? There is simply no strong forum for addressing popular grievances in the country," says Sumati Mehta, an NGO worker.

Besides physical attacks, Mehta says, activists are routinely harassed and slapped with fraudulent cases. Frequent cases of illegal detention, torture, extrajudicial execution and forced disappearances are also quite common, she says.

Unfortunately, India doesn’t acknowledge the occurrence of such torture. Officials routinely attribute these custodial deaths to "illness/natural death, escaping from custody, suicides, attacks by other criminals, riots, due to accidents and during treatment or hospitalization”.

It is well-known that the country’s burgeoning armed opposition groups, the Naxals or Maoists have an appalling human rights record of killing, torturing and mutilating ordinary citizens. Cadres of the Kanglei Yaol Kanna Lup of Manipur also have been accused of widespread torture including deliberately mutilating the victims by bullet wounds to the legs. In a democratic framework, any extralegal activity by police undermines not only the established procedural set-up, but also the fundamentals of governance.

Human Rights Watch had sent a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh some time back making specific recommendations “to improve accountability of the security forces for human rights violations, to strengthen civil society and support for free expression, and to protect the rights of women and other vulnerable groups”.

The body noted that "security forces in India have been responsible for abuses such as extra-judicial killings, disappearances and torture, especially in Punjab and Nagaland in the 1980s, and currently in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Manipur, and in states where there is a Maoist insurgency". It further noted that "impunity is a major problem in India; serious crimes perpetuated by security forces are rarely investigated or prosecuted".

The UN has also recommended that the draconian Armed Forces Special Forces Act, (which effectively guarantees impunity by stipulating that central government permission is needed before security personnel can be prosecuted for abuses) also be repealed. The provisions of the Act were sanctioned by India's Supreme Court.

Says Pratham Prakash, an RTI activist, “In India, torture is seen as a part of the police package to extract confessions. This practice has its provenance in British colonial rule when laws governing police functions were framed as an oppressive force to keep the population terrorized.”

However, some senior police officers justify the use of torture as a means to “extract confessions”. A retired police official once told this correspondent that the police forces in India are under tremendous pressure to produce quick results despite limited infrastructure. “The proliferation of 24/7 news channels,” said the official, “has put us under immense scrutiny. So to expedite proceedings, we often have to pick up and interrogate a lot of people and sometimes things do get out of control.”

Top legal experts have for long underscored a glaring paucity of an impartial mechanism in India for addressing complaints against torture. The complaints, as per current law, have to be made to the police authorities themselves which allows the latter to pressurize and harass the victims and skew things in their favor.

Ideally, rights bodies and commissions should be empowered to take steps to protect activists by creating formal procedures to report threats and intimidation and monitoring follow-up action by authorities to protect activists.

Several countries have already put in place laws to protect whistleblowers or are in the process of doing so. The US was one of the earliest to have the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, while the UK has the Public Interest Disclosure Act of 1998 and Norway has a similar law in place since January 2007.

Just like anti-corruption laws, whistleblower protection laws in India have been long and conveniently ignored by the government. This leaves men and women who question the state’s ways at the killers’ mercy.

(Neeta Lal is a New Delhi-based senior journalist.)
Source: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3983&Itemid=404

Gujarat govt approves $2 billion theme park in Surat.

21 Nov, 2011, 04.43PM IST, ET Bureau

AHMEDABAD: Mumbai-based Atlanta Infrastructure Development and Real Estate has received in principle approval from Gujarat government to set up a $ 2 billion theme park in Gujarat.
The Gujarat Industrial Development Board and Gujarat Tourism Board has already cleared the project and state cabinet is expected to give a final nod in a few weeks, official sources associated with the project told ET.
Development of various components has been envisaged in the four phases. The first phase of the project will start in April 2012. The project will be spread across 13 square kilo-meters, the proposed leisure and one stop entertainment city near Surat.
The site identified at Suvali Beach, which has a 3.3 km stretch along the Arabian Sea coast, is located around 20 km from Surat will have five theme parks like nature park, amusement park, water park, beach park, ice skating and skiing dome, restaurants, hotels, studios, forest villas, beach villas, studio lagoon and apartments and villas among others.
The initial investment in the theme park will be about $2-billion, which comprises of land development cost, building facilities, transport, technologies, design and planning. The project cost also includes interest during construction. Market research and financial model is being done by Ernst & Young. The conceptual plan is done by Morphogenesis.
The project will be financed by a mix of equity and debt. The fund would be constituted by infusion from promoters and debt from financial institutions, advances and deposits received from franchises of hotels, commercials, residential, food plazas and revenues from villas and apartments. 

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/gujarat-govt-approves-2-billion-theme-park-in-surat/articleshow/10816906.cms.

Tourist Pressure Forces Gujarat To Start New Lion Safari

By: Priya Aggarwal| Published in Travel News|
Gujarat has decided to start a new lion safari thanks to increasing tourists to Sasan Sanctuary. The Amitabh Bachchan ad campaign has boosted tourists to Sasan Sanctuary that head forced Gujarat govt to set up a new lion safari.

Today Gujarat is the only home of Asian lions in the world. Smart marketing strategy by Gujarat tourism department has lead to sharp increase in tourists to lion safari like Sasan Sactuary. Forest officials fear the sharp increase in tourists could have negative impact on the wildlife.
Alone in the Diwali week, more than 30,000 tourists visited Sasan to see Lion. On average around 3000 tourists visited Sasan every day comparing to the daily limit of 1,200 for the Sasan.
The second safari would be near Tulsishyam. The 30km area between Tulsishyam check post to Rawaldam is perfect place to spot lions said the Forest Department. The department has also decided to cordoned area at Ambardi. These two proposed sites will ease pressure from Sasan.
Apart from that new safari would bring major cities in Gujarat close to the lion safari. This way tourists won't have to go as far as Gir. It would help in attracting more tourists from the cities. Being close th cities like Ahmedabad would mean that more foreign tourists can visit the safari as well.
Source: http://www.easydestination.net/blog/index.php?itemid=2462

Save the forest for rare wild cats, says top charity.

Posted Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:40:00 GMT by Adrian Bishop

Sumatran Tiger; © WWF-Indonesia/PHKA

A plea is going out from a top wildlife charity to protect an Indonesian forest where five rare wild cats have been seen. Sumatran tigers, marble cats, golden cats, clouded leopards and leopard cats have been pictured on the island of Sumatra, says WWF-Indonesia.
The wild cats that are threatened with extinction were caught on camera in the Bukit Tigapuluh or Thirty Hills forest area at risk from large-scale clearance.
Karmila Parakkasi, the WWF-Indonesia Tiger Research Team Coordinator, says, "Four of these species are protected by Indonesian Government regulations and are listed as threatened by extinction on the IUCN Red List. This underscores the rich biodiversity of the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape and the forest corridors that connect to it.
Golden cat; © WWF-Indonesia-PHKA "These amazing cat photos also remind us of how much we could lose as more of these fragile forests are lost to logging, plantations and illegal encroachment."
WWF-Indonesia is calling on industry and key authorities to help save the forest, which is rich in biodiversity.
In just three months, more than 400 photos of wild cats were taken featuring 226 Sumatran tigers, 77 clouded leopards, 70 golden cats, 27 leopard cats and four marbled cats. In addition, in May, video was taken of three tiger babies playing.
Aditya Bayunanda WWF-Indonesia's Coordinator for the Global Forest Trade Network Programme, says, "Unfortunately much of the natural forest area in the landscape is threatened by large scale clearance for industrial logging, pulp and paper, as well as illegal encroachment for palm oil plantation development.
Clouded leopard; © WWF-Indonesia-PHKA "The abundant evidence of these five wild cat species suggests that the concession licenses of companies operating in these areas, such as Barito Pacific, should be reviewed and adjusted according to Indonesian Ministry regulations, which state that concession areas with the presence of endangered species should be protected by the concessionaire."
He also called for areas around the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park to be expanded or protected with special management.
Zulkifli Hasan, the Indonesian Minister of Forestry, backed the idea of a forest ecosystem restoration scheme at a WWF event in Jakarta in early November.
The area is already a "global priority Tiger Conservation Landscape" and the Indonesian government promised to protect it at the 2010 International Tiger Forum, attended by world leaders in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Most big cats are found in the forest corridor between Rimbang Baling and Bukit Tigapuluh, surveys have found.
Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/conservation/save-forest-rare-wild-cats-top-charity/1640/

CEC visits proposed Girnar Ropeway project site in Guj.

PTI | 04:11 PM,Nov 20,2011 Vadodara, 20 Nov (PTI) The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has been on a two-day visit to the proposed Girnar Ropeway Project site in Junagadh since yesterday and is likely to submit a report on it soon. In February this year, the Ministry of Environment and Forests had given its "in principle" approval to this proposed project. However, CEC's clearance is necessary to start the construction work for the project. "The committee members have visited the site and are expected to submit a report on it within three weeks," Sudeep Kumar Nanda, Principal Secretary to the Environment and Forests Ministry to Gujarat government told PTI over phone. Nanda, along with the Chief Wildlife Conservator of Forests (Gujarat) Pradeep Kumar Khanna and other senior officials of the Forest Department provided details regarding the project to CEC members. After meeting the committee members, they said they are hopeful about CEC clearance for Usha Breco company's proposal to build Girnar ropeway. "This clearance is a must for starting the construction activity in the sanctuary area," a company official D Kalps said. The project was being opposed by the environmentalists on the grounds that it would threaten the near-extinct species of the long-billed vultures, as the Girnar region alone accounts for about 10 per cent of the total vulture population in the state. 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. About 20 Asiatic Lions were estimated to have opted out of the adjacent Gir forest and were living in the Girnar sanctuary. Former Union Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh had said that 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."
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/cec-visits-proposed-girnar-ropeway-project-site-in-guj/907830.html

These shutterbugs find their models in the wild.

November 9, 2011
HALLEY NONGMAITHEM
The Shutter Season exhibition in Bangalore had on display 130 photographs of rare and beautiful birds and animals. Photo: Special Arrangement
The Shutter Season exhibition in Bangalore had on display 130 photographs of rare and beautiful birds and animals. Photo: Special Arrangement

Four men who share a passion for wildlife photography came together to showcase 130 images of rare and beautiful birds and animals at ‘Shutter Season', a wildlife photography exhibition-cum-sale held in the city recently.

Clement Francis (47) has travelled to places such as Kenya and Sri Lanka in search of that perfect shot, besides leaving his footprint in almost every jungle in India. He has photographed more than 600 bird species over 25 years.

Varun H.B. (30), from Ooty, has captured on camera the endemic species of the Western Ghats, including the Nilgiri laughingthrush. For a photograph of a male crested treeswift, Varun says he climbed a precarious tree and waited for 10 hours at his perch about 30 feet from the ground for a good shot.

Ramesh Anantharaman (32), winner of the Photography World Cup 2010, has photographed over 400 species of birds and mammals. Among his works is one of the blue-fronted robin, found in the Purvachal Hills in Sikkim and said to be very difficult to spot.

The youngest of the lot, 27-year-old Sanket Reddy's work was featured in the award-winning series The Pack by wildlife filmmakers Krupakar and Senani. His collection includes images of a leopard in the grasslands of Masai Mara in Kenya and a tiger in all its glory at Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

In the coming months, the Shutter Season team plans to conduct wildlife photography workshops: ‘tiger season' will be at the Bandhavgarh National Park during November; ‘winter migrant experience' in Ooty and Kotagiri (Tamil Nadu) in December; ‘lion madness' at the Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat, in January; and ‘birding in never never land' for an experience of the Rann of Kutch and Banni Grasslands Reserve Belt.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/art/article2611839.ece

Lion safari loses its king.

Abhijit Prashar, TNN Nov 16, 2011, 06.23AM IST

MOHALI: The ambitious plan of reviving the lion safari at Chhatbir Zoological Park has taken a hit with the death of two-and-a-half-year-old Gagan, a male Asiatic lion, at the zoo here on Tuesday, due to congenital defect in the kidneys. The pair of Asiatic lions, brought to the zoo in March this year, had been procured after great difficulty from Gujarat, which has time and again refused to send these lions to other states.

It has taken a one on one talk between the chief ministers of Punjab and Gujarat to swing the deal. The then forests and wildlife minister Tikshan Sud had landed up at Rajkot in Gujarat to fetch the lions in March this year.
A team of three veterinary doctors, Dr M P Singh, senior veterinary officer and veterinary officers Dr P K Bansal and Dr Rajkumar conducted the post-mortem and their report stated that the likely cause of death was generalized septicaemia, which occurred as a result of rupture of urinary bladder.
The report states that the rupture of urinary bladder is attributed to congenital defect in the kidneys. The left kidney was of normal size, but the right one was very small, atrophied and almost non-functional.
Speaking to TOI, Chhatbir zoo director Basanta Rajkumar said, "Gagan had been having problems off and on after his arrival and this was in sharp contrast to the female brought along with him from Gujarat. In fact during July, the lion had shunned food for about four days, but recovered after treatment by zoo doctors in consultation with doctors and experts from around the country."
However, wildlife experts do not believe this theory and stated that if there was a congenital disease affecting the lion, then those charged with bringing the lions to the state should have conducted a thorough health check of the lions before bringing them here.
Rajkot zoo in charge Dr R K Hirpara told TOI over phone that at the time of exchanging animals the veterinary doctors of the respective zoo examine the beast and then only the transfer is allowed.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-16/chandigarh/30405298_1_pair-of-asiatic-lions-lion-safari-rajkot-zoo

Sayajibag Zoo gets pair of Asiatic lions.

PTI | 03:11 PM,Nov 15,2011 Vadodara, Nov 14 (PTI) After a period of more than two decades, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) owned Sayajibag Zoo has got a pair of young lions from its counterpart in Junagadh district. The lions were brought from the Sakkarbaug zoo after due permission from Central Zoo authorities, C B Patel, Sayajibag zoo incharge told PTI. Despite Gujarat's Gir being the only abode to Asiatic lions, Sayajibag did not have lions. So the VMC approached the Sakkarbag zoo in Junagadh for getting a young pair, he said. Patel. The Sakkarbag authorities parted with the lions in exchange of one pair each of Indian Piad Hornbills, imperial Phena sant, a golden phena sant, and a female blue crown pigeon, Patel said. The name of the female lion aged two years is Jale and male lion aged over three years is Kunvar. Both of them have been kept in separate enclosures at present. The Sayajibag zoo has three male hybrid lions but having Asiatic lions, is a matter of pride, he said adding this will increase tourist inflow.

Gagan was brought to revive lion safari.

TNN | Nov 16, 2011, 06.10AM IST
MOHALI: Gagan was one of the four Asiatic lions brought to the Chhatbir zoo to revive the lion safari, the main attraction of the zoo which had virtually started losing steam due to the death of hybrid lions put up for the show.

It was after much persuasion by wildlife department that the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI) had approved the shifting of lions to this zoo for the revival of the safari.

According to CZAI rules the details of animals' health and bloodline are provided to the zoo where animals are transferred under exchange programme or breeding programme.
The cub survival rate of the Asiatic lions of Gujarat is higher than their African counter parts. A study has revealed the cub survival rate of Gir forest was about 56%. A recent study, conducted by V Meena of Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, named Reproductive Strategy and Behaviour of Male Asiatic Lions, revealed that the survival rate of the cub was the lowest in the first year of birth. The study says cub survival depends on factors like infanticide (which results in death of 60%), abandonment (13%) and other natural causes (26%). Early mortality of cubs due to infanticide was the chief factor limiting their survival. The study said until the cub turns three years old (sub adult age), the survival rate is only 56%.

The website of Africa-based Kalahari Predator Conservation Trust, quoting International Union for Conservation of Nature, has stated that as a result of the food shortage, negligence and takeover of power by other males, only 20% of lion cubs live to experience more than two years of life. About 27% of all cubs die from the hierarchy invasion.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Gagan-was-brought-to-revive-lion-safari/articleshow/10749557.cms

Kartik Purnima celebrated with fervour across Gujarat.

PTI | 03:11 PM,Nov 11,2011 Vadodara, Nov 11 (PTI) Thousands of devotees from Gujarat and neighbouring states participated in the famous 'Girnar Parikrama' held in Junagadh district on the ocassion of Kartik Purnima. For the Girnar mountain parikrama, the Junagadh Municipal corporation had yesterday set up posts at various points on the 36 km-stretch which witnessed tight security arrangements for the convenience of the pilgrims. Two persons reportedly lost their lives due to cardiac arrest during this parikrama and one of them died due to drowning in a pond. Fairs were held at Vautha, Shamlaji, Bhadarva, Somnath and other places across Gujarat, which saw tribals and people from various walks of life participating in the festival and the animal trade fairs held on the day. About 20 lakhs people took part in the five-day fair concluding on Kartik Purnima, which was celebrated with large livestock fair in Vautha, where large number of donkeys and camels were auctioned. At Shamlaji, scores of pilgrims from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Mahrashtra and Rajasthan carried flags and sang devotional songs and took bath in "Nagdhara Kund" as a ritual on the occasion. Many other took a holy dip in Sabarmati. In Somnath, thousands took part in the Mahadeo Fair which ended yesterday. The fair is held to celebrate the birth of Katikeya, the son of Lord Shiva. Stage shows, folk dances and instrumental music recitals were held in the spectacular settings of the temple on the occasion, which attracts a lot of tourists and foreigners. PTI COR
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/kartik-purnima-celebrated-with-fervour-across-gujarat/895932.html

Two lions among 12 sick animals at zoo.

Hyderabad | Posted on Nov 09, 2011 at 08:47am IST
HYDERABAD: About 12 animals, including two Asiatic lions, one Royal Bengal tiger and an Indian rhino, are undergoing treatment for various ailments at the Nehru Zoological Park here in the City. Though zoo officials say it’s nothing to be worried about, the number has had animal rights activists worried as 32 animals have died in the State zoos in the past seven months.

“On an average, every week about 10 animals out of the 1,334 at the zoo park fall ill,” said� P Srinivas, veterinary assistant surgeon of the Nehru Zoological Park. According to him, it is very common at the zoo as it houses 143 species, including 702 birds, 215 reptiles and 417 mammals.

Of the sick animals, a two-and-a-half-years old tamed bear has been suffering from multi-organ problems for the past one year. It’s the only major case. The rest are suffering from minor ailments, the zoo officials said. Two sambar deers have had bruises which they sustained during one of their regular clashes. As for the two Asiatic lions, both aged 8, the officials said they too had bruises. The rest, including a two-and-a-half-year old spotted deer, a seven-year-old sloth bear and a male nilgai, too are suffering from minor wounds. The injuries of the rhino, however, seem to be a cause of concern. Its leg was wounded during transit from Pune to Hyderabad in August. It’s yet to recover and has been kept off the enclosure since its arrival in the zoo.

The veterinary doctor said, “All the time the zoo has been taking measures to control diseases among animals. The animal mortality rate at the zoo has been steadily decreasing every year. In 2010, 20 animals died, in 2009, 21 died, in 2008 25 died and in 2007, 28 had died.”

All the animals are being given medical treatment by retired animal pathologist Dr K Ramakrishna (presently a consultant with the Hyderabad Race Course) and senior veterinary doctors Dr GL Khan� and� Dr� L Naveen. The animals have been kept off display for observation, said M Mallikarjuna Rao, AP zoos director.

Officials of the Central Zoo Authority and curators and directors of other zoos in the country visited the Hyderabd zoo last week and praised its hygienic maintenance.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/two-lions-among-12-sick-animals-at-zoo/200555-60-121.html

Gujarat to tell world its best conservation stories.

Himanshu KaushikHimanshu Kaushik, TNN | Nov 9, 2011, 03.59AM IST
GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat is all set to tell its successful stories of conservation to the whole world. Be it Asiatic lions of Gir, the wild ass of Little Rann of Kutch or the whale sharks from Saurashtra coast, the conservation stories made successful with people's participation will soon find place in some of the best national and international wildlife journals. The details of the state's six most successful conservation stories have been documented by additional principal chief conservator of forests, social forestry, HS Singh.
The exercise will be kicked off at the National Forest Congress to be held in Dehradun next month.
THE FIVE BEST STORIES:
LION
AREA: Gir and periphery
POPULATION:
In 1968 : 180
In 2010: 411
LIVE STOCK: Sambar, chital, blue bull, four-horned antelope, chinkara and wild boar
Early 1970's: 6,400
2011: 64,850
Conservation: Any talk about relocating Asiatic lions from Gir meets with a vehement protest from the local maldharis. Despite the wild cats preying on nearly 3,500 domestic animals in the forest, satellite areas and in villages, locals consider the lions to be a part of their family. Gir forest was declared as wildlife sanctuary in 1965 with Acore area being declared as a national park. Gradually, more lion habitats in adjoining regions were also declared as sanctuaries and ultimately Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 2007. Several ecological studies were also conducted to identify the problems and prepare a conservation project. This was followed by implementation of the Gir Lion Sanctuary Project in 1973 to resettle maldharis. The measures to reduce biotic pressure, protection and improvement of habitats implemented in 1970s and 1980s, also resulted in the concentration of prey and big predators being the highest among all the protected areas in the country.

WILD ASS:
 AREA: Little Rann of Kutch
 POPULATION:
 In 1969: 362
 In 2008: 4,040
 CONSERVATION: Once of the brink of extinction, the wild asses in Little of Rann Kutch have only seen their numbers increase in all these years, thanks to major conservation measures undertaken. The major part of the Little Rann of Kutch was declared as Wild Ass Sanctuary in 1973, which was expanded to an area of 4,954 sq km in 1978. The conservation measures began after it was declared a sanctuary. Wild asses responded well to the habitat protection and improvement works, including creation of water facilities. Their numbers increased consistently from 720 in 1976 to 2,070 in 1990, 3,860 in 2004 and 4,040 in 2008. In other words, the number of the Indian wild ass has increased by over five times since it's first counting after the notification of the sanctuary.

WHALE SHARK:
 AREA: Saurashtra coast
 Population
 Before 2001, about 200 whale sharks were killed every year
 2008-09: 102 rescued.
 2004-2010: 257 rescued.
 Conservation: Treat whale sharks as your daughters, who have come to their father's house for delivery. This was the fervent appeal made to fishermen in Saurashtra when the conservation of whale sharks was taken up. They earned as much as Rs 100,000 for killing one whale shark as its meat and oils extracted from fins and liver is in great demand. The sea-water of Saurashtra is globally known as breeding site of whale sharks. The state banned its hunting in 2001 after it became the first fish to be listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. Save the Whale Shark campaign became as a role model for conservation. Their efforts got a further impetus with renowned spiritual preacher Morari Bapu being roped in as an ambassador for the project. The state paid Rs 25,000 to fishermen for each rescue and till May 2011, a total of Rs 35 lakh have been paid to them as compensation amount.

MANGROVES:
 AREA: Kutch, Jamnagar and South Gujarat.
 COVER:
 1997: 397 sq km
 2009: 1,046 sq km
 Conservation:
 Mangrove restoration and conservation started in 1983 with plantation of Avicennia marina on a small scale by the forest department. The plantation was scaled up later. Apart from meetings, activities on nature education were taken up to enlist support of the people. At present, Gujarat supports about one fifth of total mangrove cover in India. Apart from the department, other institutions like Gujarat Ecology Commission, and other industries also had an important contribution. People's support in restoration and protection of tidal forests continued over the period. At present, mangroves grow in the eleven coastal districts in Gujarat but a mostly in the Gulf of Kutch in Jamnagar and Kutch districts. At present, the extent of mangrove cover in Gujarat is the second highest in India after Sundarbans in West Bengal.

TREES OUTSIDE FOREST:
 Cover:
 2003: 25.1 crore
 2009: 26.9 crore
 Conservation: The state government initiated social forestry as a people's programme in 1969-70. Social forestry divisions, first of their kind in the country, were established in the state. The World Bank expressed its readiness to fund social forestry activities. As a result, the cover of trees outside the forest of 8,390 sq km is 4.3 per cent of geographical area outside forest and the second highest in the country. In terms of density also, Gujarat stands second after Kerala, although major part of the state is in semi-arid and arid-zones. Canal irrigation and social forestry programmes completely changed the face of the landscape in Nadiad, Anand, Mehsana and Gandhinagar where trees were scarce in 1970s. Now they have a tree density of over 50 trees per hectare outside the forest. Anand has a tree density of 68 trees per hectare, against state's average of 16.1 trees per hectare. The programme will be replicated in districts irrigated by the Narmada canal. As a part of agro-forestry programmes under the Greening Gujarat Campaign, the state plans to have 35 core trees by 2022.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Gujarat-to-tell-world-its-best-conservation-stories/articleshow/10661322.cms

Villagers play host to tourists in lion land .

Tuesday, 01 November 2011 21:56 

Rathin Das | Ahmedabad

Keeping the tradition of hospitality alive in modern times, villagers around the famous Asiatic Lion Sanctuary in Gir, recently hosted the tourists who flocked there during the holidays starting Diwali.
The tourist influx into the Gir National Park and Sanctuary was so much that local hotels and guest houses all were fully booked, leaving many visitors stranded.

The villagers of the area came to the rescue of the tourists due to insufficient facilities in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary.

The day after Diwali being the Gujarati New Year and the next day being Bhai Dooj followed by Saturday, Sunday and Sardar Patel’s birthday on Monday has given people nearly a week-long holiday.

Those who could not afford the expensive locations in Kerala or Andamans or foreign sites generally settled for nearby destinations like Gir which can be clubbed with a visit to the ancient Somnath Temple. Thus the tourist inflow into Gir was so much this time that the villagers had to step in to accommodate the extra rush of people, Mango Orchard owner Natwarsinh told The Pioneer from Talala in Gir region.

The villagers around Sasan, the headquarters of the Gir sanctuary area, quickly made arrangements for the tourists and also cooked for them at nominal charges, added Natwarsinh. The room rents charged ranged from `750 to `1,000, at par with the average low cost hotels.

Sensing the high inflow of tourists, the regular hotels made a fast buck by hiking their tariffs, said a local social worker Allahrakha Khan. One prominent hotel had hiked its rate from `3,000 to `30,000 per night and still visitors not getting the rooms, he added.

Such a rise in the popularity of Gir as a tourist destination can be attributed to superstar Amitabh Bachchan endorsing it in the “Khushboo Gujarat Ki” advertisement series, said Allahrakha.

President Pratibha Patil’s visit to Gir few months’ back and the media reports about the rise in the Asiatic lion population to a record 411 have also contributed to increased people’s interest, he surmised. But hotel rooms have not increased proportionate to the rise in tourist inflow resulting in such a situation, lamented the social worker.

Some low budget tourists had spent the night at bus stations in places like Veraval, Somnath, Una and Junagadh, only to return home by the next available service at day-break, said Natwarsinh.
Source: http://dailypioneer.com/nation/17172-villagers-play-host-to-tourists-in-lion-land.html

London Zoo's animals get into the Halloween spirit.

• By Ruth Doherty, Oct 25, 2011
• Filed under:

RexLondon Zoo's Margaret the giraffe got into the Halloween spirit this week by sticking her neck out for a pumpkin.

And she wasn't the only animal to get involved in a pumpkin platter breakfast. Lucifer the Asiatic lion and his daughter Rubi also got their canines into the tasty Halloween treats.

Especially for children during half term, the animal sanctuary is celebrating Halloween with Boo at the Zoo, a new exhibition that is home to 16 critically endangered Rodrigues fruit bats, which opened on 22 October.

Rex

Visitors can investigate the dark and eerie habitat of the nine male bats and seven females.

Along with the new bat cave, families who visit during October half term can get involved with Boo at the Zoo Halloween activities, which run from Saturday 22 October, until Sunday 29 October.

You can catch a special Halloween-themed animal demonstration featuring the zoo's vulture, a skunk and a burrowing owl, which will be taken over by the evil Prince Igor.

Kids can get messy by making creepy crafts in the zoo's Animal Adventure exhibit, and frightening tales will be told in the terrifying tepee.

There will also be something fishy happening in the zoo's 158 year-old Aquarium. Known for its spooky goings on, guides will be on hand to tell visitors real-life ghost stories and to take them into the murky depths of the exhibit.

And for the adults? There'll be Halloween Ghost Tours during the evening on Friday 28 October, where you can experience the spookier side of the zoo by visiting three of its most haunted buildings.

Gujarat govt to introduce new lion safari.

Thursday, November 03, 2011, 13:00 Hrs [IST]

By TBM Staff Mumbai

 

In order to ease tourist pressure triggered by the Amitabh Bachchan ad campaign on the Sasan sanctuary, Gujarat forest authorities plan to start a second lion safari near Tulsishyam in Amreli district, according to a Times of India report by Himanshu Kaushik.

Forest officials believe too much of tourist pressure can have an adverse impact on wildlife. “During Diwali,about 30,000 people thronged the jungle to get a glimpse of the lion .Between October 25-31, 2011; an average of 3,000 tourists visited Sasan every day and about 5,000 went to Devaliya zone, a cordoned area which has a sizeable number of lions. However,only about 1,200 tourists could take the safari at Sasan every day. This safari starts from two spots at Bhambhabore and Kankai Naka. We have decided to have a second safari on the lines of Sasan. This will be near Tulsishyam,” said SK Nanda, Principal Secretary, Forest, Govt of Gujarat. “The new safari,proposed from Tulsishyam check post to Rawaldam,covers about 30 km. This site is the perfect location for lion-spotting,” he added.

“The Forest Department is also readying another cordoned area at Ambardi on the lines of Devaliya. Together,the two initiatives will ease pressure on Sasan,” Nanda stated.

Tourism Department officials believe a new safari will bring the lion closer to cities like Ahmedabad and Vadodara. Tourists will not have to go all the way to Gir. “Also,people heading towards Diu will get an opportunity to go for lion safari in Amreli,” said an official.

Source: http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/gujarat-govt-to-introduce-new-lion-safari-14855

African by origin, Indian by nationality and Gujarati by speech.

Priya Sheth 

The Siddi beat: Members of the Siddi tribe perform a tradional African dance to entertain tourists in Gir, Gujarat. — Priya Sheth

Small jobs in the day; dancing to African tunes at night

Mumbai, Nov. 2:

Their faces are painted in shades of red, blue and green with designs symbolising traditional African body art, they wear bright orange tiger print skirts, straw caps and breathe fire. We are not talking about a circus troop, but of the Siddi tribe who don different avatars at different times of the day.

African by origin, Indian by nationality with Gujarati as their lingua franca – the Siddi tribe lives in a village called Jambur in the heart of Gujarat. Just like any other village, Jambur has red mud by lanes, houses with thatched rooftops and a few small local shops. Located approximately hundred kilometres from Junagadh, the village is surrounded by the forest of Gir, which is home to the last of the remaining Asiatic lions.

“We have completed 300 years in Gujarat and this is our fourth generation in Jambur,” said 60- year-old Siddique, speaking in heavily accented Afro-English.

Brought by Nawab's wife

This settlement did not happen out of choice but by force. According to the tribals, there is a long history to their presence in India. “The Nawab of Junagadh had once visited Africa where he fell in love with an African woman. They got married and she moved to India with him,” said Siddique. “She came to India with a hundred slaves and since then we have been based in Gujarat only,” he added.

Their claim to fame is their origin and they cash-in very well on this. They have a dual profession – although they do small time jobs in the day, they dance to the African beats at night. “There are many tourists visiting Gir and we entertain them with our performance. This helps us make some extra money,” said a member from the tribe in fluent Gujarati.

The Siddi tribe has seen much stardom. They have been a part of the Gujarat tourism video called “Khushboo Gujarat Ki.”

“The peak tourist season is from October 16 to June 15. We get several invitations from resorts and hotels in this region to come and perform the African dance. We had been invited to Iraq to perform but the event got cancelled,” said Siddique.

On a daily basis, the tribals are engaged in various occupations. They work on the fields, in the forest department, and some as tourist guides and truck drivers. “With the meagre salary it is very difficult to manage. This extra money helps us tremendously,” said Rasheed who is a truck driver. While many members of the tribe work in the forest, there are some who are in government jobs, earning up to Rs 5,000 a month.

And as the night sets in, the Siddis once again dress up in their tiger prints and set out to perform another spectacular tribal tradition.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/article2591916.ece

Good news for tribals: SC frees 7,700 ha land from forest Act.

Published Monday Oct 31, 2011, 14:31 IST
By Paras K Jha Agency DNA Ahmedabad

This will come as good news for hundreds of tribals living in four districts of Gujarat - Narmada, Vadodara, Dahod and Panchmahals. A long pending issue of deleting more than 7,700 hectare of land from the forest land records and transferring it as revenue land has been solved.
The supreme court has given green signal for the transfer. People claim that the land was used for non-forest purposes for long. Sources in the state environment and forest department confirmed the development and said, "The SC has given the order on September 23, but we are yet to get the final copy of the order. The state government had approached the SC in August 2010 by filing an application for speedy clearance of the issue."
According to sources, since the formation of the state, when forest land was notified under section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, some of the land was used for public facilities, grazing and cultivation.
"Now, as per the act, once the land is declared as forest land, it is covered under the forest act and no non-forest activities can take place there. So from 1960s to 1980s there were many claims over the land by local people. There is 7746.5406 hectares of such land distributed in four districts," said the official.
Now, the land can be utilised like any other revenue land. SK Nanda, principal secretary, state environment and forest department said, "The issue has been finally resolved after constant follow up by the department at the level of SC. This will ensure that these areas benefit from infrastructure and other welfare schemes.
The forest department will initiate the process for de-notifying these lands in concerned districts."
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_good-news-for-tribals-sc-frees-7700-ha-land-from-forest-act_1605501

Adequate arrangements being made for 'parikrama' around Girnar.

PTI | 05:11 PM,Nov 01,2011
Rajkot, Nov 1(PTI)Junagadh district authorities today said that they have made adequate arrangmets for the famous "Lilee Parikrama" (Green walk) around Mt Girnar, starting from November 6. Nearly 30 lakh people from various parts of the country are expected to take part in the five-day long walk across the 36 km long route. Nearly 800 policemen would be deployed along the route, B K Srimali Junagadh range IG told mediapersons. While nearly 100 personnel from the forest department would also be put on duty as the route is passing through the forest and the forest guards would keep close track of wild animals. Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation would press over 150 buses in service, officials said.

Leopard sighting rise in lion's lair.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN Nov 3, 2011, 02.26AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Leopards are giving a tough competition to lions in Gir sanctuary. With population of leopards increased to 380, tourists are getting the twin bonanza of sighting the spotted members of the big cat family along with the king of the jungle!
More than half of the visitors who embarked on the lion safari before Diwali were successful in sighting leopards. However, as the tourists inflow increased during the Diwali vacation, leopards moved out of the tourism zone and only 30% of the visitors could spot them. In the last two years, leopard spotting was barely 5%.
Not just tourists, but even the guides and jeep drivers who frequently visit the sanctuary have reported the increase in the number of leopard sightings. "We had initial reports of large leopard sightings and this was because their number in the sanctuary area was growing. The Gir and periphery have around 500 leopards," said Anshuman Sharma, the in-charge of deputy conservator of forest, Sasan.
Another senior forest official said that the besides increase in their population, the availability of prey in the tourism zone was more than any other part of the sanctuary.
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-03/ahmedabad/30354745_1_leopard-sightings-big-cat-family-sanctuary-area

Maldharis threaten agitation against eviction.

TNN Oct 26, 2011, 06.09AM IST

AHMEDABAD: The Maldhari community in Sasan Gir has threatened to launch an agitation if the state government tried to forcibly evict them from Gangadiya and Alavani ness.
At a meeting held in Gir on Monday, the community members resolved to stage dharnas and fast-unto-death if officials don't reverse their stand. The members, who met under the banner of SETU, expressed anguish over forest officials warning them to move out of Gangadiya and Alavani ness or face action. The community will also submit a memorandum to the officials.
Ashok Shrimali, a social activist working with the Maldhari community in Gir, said forest officials informed 30 families of Gangadiya and Alavani ness that they were staying illegally in the forest. "Since decades, these families are living at the same place. They also have a legal pass given to them as a permanent permit. But now the forest department is terming these passes illegal," he claimed. tnn
The community members alleged that officials were also harassing the Maldharis in other ness and have stopped them from carrying milk out of the forest area.
"Usually, vehicles of contractors come to the forest to collect milk. But, forest officials have issued a directive to the contractors not to collect milk from Gangadiya and Alavani ness to harass the 30 families," Shrimali said.
Junagadh CCF R Meena said, "We have intensified the search for families living illegally. There may be a few who want to resist the move and are, therefore, threatening to make an issue out of this."
Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-26/ahmedabad/30323777_1_maldharis-forest-officials-ness

Lions’ den draws nature-loving tourists after monsoon break.

24 October 2011

The Gir wildlife sanctuary near Junagadh in Gujarat, the only home of Asiatic lions, has just opened for nature-loving tourists after a four-month monsoon break and the call of the wild has already been drawing day-trippers in droves.

Ever since the gates to the 1,450-square-kilometre leafy park were unlocked on October 16, holidayers from South Africa, Ireland, Australia, Brazil and various parts of the country, especially West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Punjab, have enjoyed close encounters with the jungle king in natural surroundings.

The quick ride in special vehicles through the dense forest between dawn and dusk for a glimpse of the roaring royals gives them a breathtaking experience in the protected woodlands which house as many as 411 majestic lions, besides countless leopards, jungle cats, rusty spotted cats, spotted deer, four-horned antelopes and the wild boar.

In fact, all the 200-odd hotels and guest houses around Gir have been booked to capacity much before next week’s Diwali celebrations and the rush is so heavy that forest officials, who hitherto allowed entry to only 90 vehicles every day, have this year eased the number of vehicles to 150. According to tourism minister J N Vyas, during 2010-11, Gir received 271,745 tourists, 31 per cent more than previous year when 2,06,563 visited the sanctuary blessed with rich bio-diversity. And before the jungle was closed in June last for the monsoons coinciding with the mating season of the beasts, some 1,08,996 adventure lovers have already been to the picturesque park.

Kamlesh Patel, chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited, admitted that the advertisement campaign featuring superstar Amitabh Bachchan had also created awareness about improved facilities at Gir, leading to influx of tourists from all over the globe.

The Gir visitors, however, complain of poor infrastructure, transport and air connectivity. Some also express concern over death of 30 lions in the none-too-distant past. The fact that tigers walk away with a lions’ share, literally, of the federal government funds also worries the Gujarat’s forest department.

The government of the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh has been desperately trying to acquire at least eight of Gir’s 411 lions, saying that their location in just one abode makes the rare big cats, smaller than their African counterparts but equally aggressive, vulnerable to extinction. Wildlife experts have been arguing that a disease outbreak or a disaster like forest fire or cyclone has the potential to erode conservation achievements of the past 100 years. It is also said that a scientific conservation plan for translocating a few lions to establish a second free-ranging population of lions in the country has been languishing due to the lack of political consensus and stewardship.

Indeed, 25 villages have already been relocated and hundreds of families resettled at enormous human and financial cost to prepare the forest of Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh as the second home for lions in India.

Chief Minister Narendra Modi and the people of Gujarat have been opposing the Madhya Pradesh proposal for just eight lions required to start the Kuno conservation initiative. Well, the matter is now in the Supreme Court as a conservationist has filed a public interest petition over the delay.

— mahesh@khaleejtimes.com

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/October/international_October972.xml&section=international&col=