English language news articles from year 2007 plus find out everything about Asiatic Lion and Gir Forest. Latest News, Useful Articles, Links, Photos, Video Clips and Gujarati News of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (Geer / Gir Forest - Home of Critically Endangered Species Asiatic Lion; Gir Lion; Panthera Leo Persica ; Indian Lion (Local Name 'SAVAJ' / 'SINH' / 'VANRAJ') located in South-Western Gujarat, State of INDIA), Big Cats, Wildlife, Conservation and Environment.
There are close to 150 captive Asiatic lions in Europe.
(Keystone)
The recent death of 23 Asiatic lions in India
– including three from the highly contagious Canine Distemper Virus
(CDV) – has highlighted the risk of confining the species to a small
part of the country. In a worst-case scenario, can captive animals in
European countries like Switzerland help re-establish the species?
It
is lunch time and the suburban neighbourhood of Zurichberg reverberates
with the guttural call of a male lion. A 20-minute tram ride from
Zurich’s main station, Zoo Zurichexternal link
is by far the biggest attraction here, especially during the school
holidays. Visitors flock to the lion enclosure, drawn to the sounds of
the king of the jungle.
The Zurich zoo has four Asiatic lions: A 13-year-old male, a
15-year-old female and their two female cubs aged nine and eight.
The four lions – one male and three females – do not belong to
the African savannah but to deciduous forests of Gujarat state in
northwestern India. Just over 600 Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica)
in the Gir Protected Area and surrounding region are all that is left
of the wild Asiatic lion. The species once ranged from Greece in the
west to India in the east but is now confined to a corner of an Indian
state. Despite several proposals to relocate a few animals to other
parts of the country, including an order from the Supreme Court in 2013,
Gujarat has refused to part with “its lions”. It is a decision that
could prove costly for the species.
Within a span of two weeks in
September, 23 lions died in the Gir forest. Canine Distemper Virus
(CDV) was detected in five of 24 samples tested, which indicated at
least three of the dead lions were infected. Further testing of 80
samples from 27 lions that were placed under observation at the nearby
Sakkarbaug Zoo revealed that 21 animals had tested positive for CDV.
“This
indicates active disease transmission among the Gir lions,” confirmed a
statement from the Indian Council of Medical Research on October 9.
This
could have a serious impact on the population if history repeats
itself. In 1994, an outbreak of CDV in the Serengeti in Tanzania
decimated a third of the lions there.
“When you only have a small
population of Asiatic lions it would be a great risk to the survival of
the species if a third were wiped out,” Robert Zingg of Zoo Zurich told
swissinfo.ch.
According to him, the relatively large number of
lions in a small area means the risk of spread is high as more
interactions are likely.
Buffer population
Zingg is a
strong advocate of creating a second population of Asiatic lions in
India. The Zurich zoo had financially supported attempts to develop a
second home for the lions in the Kuno wildlife sanctuary in central
India. Funds sent by the zoo were used to create an inventory of plants
and animals in the sanctuary. Six years on, Kuno still hasn’t received
any lions despite being deemed a suitable habitat for the big cats.
“In
a country with so many people, every place prepared for wildlife should
be used. It is not easy to find large enough spaces to establish a
certain number of lions,” says Zingg.
Apart from disease, Zingg is
worried about the fact that many of the lions in Gujarat live near
villages where people graze livestock. He is afraid that people will
retaliate if lions kill many cattle or even attack people.
Zurich
zoo was one of three zoos – along with London and Helsinki – lucky
enough to obtain pure Asiatic lions in the 1990s from the Sakkarbaug Zoo
in Gujarat. A pair named Bhagirath and Mena were a gift to commemorate
the 700th anniversary of the founding of Switzerland. Along
with the London and Helsinki zoos, Zurich’s launched a European breeding
programme and two decades later, 43 European zoos have a total of
almost 150 Asiatic lions.
stats
Captive lions stats
“The programme was so successful that today, it is difficult to
find places for the lions. So we do not breed any more at the moment,”
says Zingg.
The females have a hormonal implant that prevents
them from getting into oestrus. If called upon, the zoo is capable of
resuming the breeding programme. But there is a slight hitch. The
breeding female was born in 2003 and her age makes it uncertain she
could have any cubs. The two younger females are the progeny of the
current male, hence no breeding is possible. The zoo will have to
exchange its females for another male to make it work. This is where
cooperation with India is required.
“They can help us in ensuring
the zoo populations in Europe are genetically healthy. This would mean
that additional animals are sent from India to European zoos when
necessary,” says Zingg.
The Indian authorities have said that
they don’t have enough animals to send to Europe but suggested
artificial insemination instead. According to Zingg, this method is
difficult to implement successfully, and it is much easier to exchange
animals.
Swiss lions in wild?
While it is the
responsibility of zoos to have animals that are genetically sound, can
they really offer the possibility of re-establishing a big cat species
that has been lost in the wild?
“The zoo populations of lions and
all big cats are relatively robust and serve as a backstop from
extinction – but the priority must be in ensuring the wild populations
like the Gir lions stay safe,” says Doug Cress, CEO of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariumsexternal link (WAZA).
That
said, Cress underlines the role of zoos in the successful
re-establishment of species that almost went extinct in the wild like
the California condor, Black-foot ferret, Corroboree frog and the Golden
Lion tamarin. Captive animals have acquired greater importance when
evaluating the overall chances of survival of a species.
“Any
population of wild animals could be re-established through the captive
populations cared for in zoos and aquariums, and that is one reason the IUCN Red List of Threatened Speciesexternal link will now include captive populations when assessing the extinction threat levels for species,” says Cress.
Despite the sufficient numbers it is notoriously difficult to re-establish big cats from zoos into the wild. A ten-year old studyexternal link
that examined over 45 attempts at re-establishing carnivores including
cheetahs and tigers found that the success rate of projects using
captive-born animals was a mere 13% compared to 31% from wild-caught
animals.
The lions at the Zurich zoo have managed to kill birds
like herons that entered their enclosure, but their hunting skills are
not good enough to survive in the wild. Zingg estimates that it will
take two generations to create animals that have these skills to
transmit to their offspring – a process that would require sacrificing a
lot of prey animals.
Depending on how India copes with CDV crisis, it might not come to that.
“It is important to be aware that when you are the only country with a species you have a great responsibility,” says Zingg. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/viral-disease_europe-offers-last-line-of-defence-for-the-asiatic-lion/44506140
The last population of the Asiatic lion is under threat from a virus outbreak. Can Switzerland come to the rescue? https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/podcast_the-king-of-the-jungle-battles-for-survival/44615306
TNN | Jan 28, 2019, 09:44 IST NEW DELHI: The Madhya Pradesh government has sought Centre's help in getting Asiatic lions from Gujarat's
Gir which has been delayed by over five years despite a Supreme Court
order, according to official documents. In a letter to the Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, it said the state forest
department and Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) feel
that the process of shifting of the lions can be started immediately.
Hence,
it is requested to issue necessary direction for the shifting of lions
from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh, the letter said. A copy of the letter
was received in response to an RTI query filed by wildlife activist Ajay
Dubey. The Gujarat government, however, has maintained that it would
wait for completion of studies as per the relocation guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) before releasing the lions, according to the communique.
The Supreme Court had in April 2013
directed shifting of some lions from Gir to Madhya Pradesh by October of
that year, saying the species "should have a second home to save it
from extinction, due to catastrophes like epidemic, large forest fire,
etc". Gujarat has been opposing Madhya Pradesh's request of seeking
lions from it.
The Madhya Pradesh government had chosen Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Sheopur district of Gwalior division
as a second home for over 500 Asiatic lions. But not a single lion has
been shifted so far. According to other documents accessed by Dubey
through RTI, about Rs 14.84 crore has been spent by the Madhya Pradesh
government in translocation of 1,543 families from 24 villages of the
area to pave way for lions entry into the sanctuary.
"The central government must issue a
direction to ensure that lions from Gir are shifted to MP at the
earliest," Dubey said. The matter of shifting of lions had cropped up in
a meeting, which was attended by representatives of Gujarat and MP
governments besides a renowned wildlife scientist, in September last
year. In the meeting, the scientist had said Palpur-Kuno is ready to
accommodate 40 lions from Gujarat. PTI
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/mp-seeks-centres-help-to-get-lions-from-gujarat/articleshow/67718691.cms
CHANDIGARH: Three Asiatic lion cubs in Rohtak zoo
are growing bigger and healthier. They have survived the vulnerable six
-month period, and have begun showing signs of wildness. One female and
two males were born to a pair of Asiatic Gir lions in Pipli zoo, who
were brought from Junagarh in Gujarat in December 2015.
Deputy conservator of forest (wildlife)
Deepak Alwadhi told TOI, “All three have begun taking minced chicken
diet of 2.3kg every day, as per the norms set by the Central Zoo
Authority (CZA). They are also growing to become mature and wild, and
showing related signs. The male cub has started roaring, expressing his
aggression and dominance.”
The cubs were named by forest minister
Rao Narbir Singh. Two of them are called Arjun and Gita, a reference to
Mahabharat, as they were born in Pipli zoo situated in Kurukshetra,
the land where the battle of Mahabharat was fought. The third one was
named after local MLA Sudha. Later, they were transferred to Rohtak zoo,
as the cubs could face problems due to the presence of rats at the
former zoo, besides the issue of space constraint, said Alwadhi.
The officials remain in touch with
lion experts from Gir for consultation. “In this biting cold, when the
temperature plummets to 7-8°C at night, we are using heaters to maintain
the temperature of Gir, which ranges between 18-30°C during winter. In
the daytime, they are taken out to bask in the sunshine,” he said.
Chief wildlife warden VS Tanwar said, “It is for the first time the lion cubs survived in Haryana
after birth. Two out of the five cubs died due to paralysis. These
three too had low immunity for not being fed their mother’s milk as she
was not lactating. She didn’t even lick them for 24 hours and discarded
them.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/3-lion-cubs-survive-6-vulnerable-months/articleshow/67664155.cms
With four big cats in the compound, the man,
said to be around 25 years old, climbed a 20-foot barrier at the zoo
before he descended on to the grass and was fatally attacked
Tourists at Chhatbir Zoo in Punjab, India, watched in horror
as a man was mauled to death after climbing into a lion enclosure at the
zoo.
With four big cats in the compound, the unidentified man, said to be
around 25 years old, climbed a 20-foot barrier at Chhatbir Zoo before he
descended on to the grass and was fatally attacked by two of them, the New York Post reports.
Upon hearing the man's haunting screams, zoo staff rushed to the
man's rescue. However, their efforts were in vain as he was taken down
by one of the lions.
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT
According to staff, Shilpa, a lioness, held the victim by his neck
while Yuvraj, a male lion, clamped his massive jaws around the man's
head. One of the lions is seen in recent footage dragging the victim
around like a rag doll within the enclosure.
Tourists tried to help the zoo staff in luring the animals away by
honking their car horns. However, their combined efforts proved futile.
Punjab Wildlife Chief Dr. Kuldeep Kumar said, "The man climbed the
[20-foot high] boundary wall right adjacent to the Ghaggar River. Our
patrolling team saw him at the top. They tried to engage him in talk and
make him come down. However, he jumped inside."
According to him, Shilpa and Yuvraj were released from their cages so
that tourists could have a better experience with the beasts in a more
natural environment. "Lionesses have a very curious nature and Shilpa
saw something falling from a great height inside their territory.
[Shilpa] rushed to take look and found her prey. She instantly attacked
the man, caught hold of his neck and then dragged him along," Kumar
said.
A female Asiatic lioness at Gir Forest, Gujarat, India. (Wikipedia)
Speaking to the Times of India,
a zoo official later said, "The rescue team saw lioness Shilpa holding
the man from the neck, while the lion Yuvraj, had got him by the head.
As soon as the lions left him, our team pulled the man inside the bus."
The carnivores that attacked him were Asiatic lions, a critically
endangered species known for their deadly ferocity. According to
reports, only 500 of them are left in the wild, with most of them
protected in the Gir Sanctuary in Gujarat.
While the victim's family is yet to be reached, the zoo has already
stepped up caution inside the premises. Visitors are advised to always
travel with a trained escort and adhere to instructions. https://meaww.com/man-25-climbs-fence-lion-enclosure-brutally-mauled-death-two-lions
NEW DELHI: An Indian man was mauled to death by a lion after he
scaled the wall of a zoo in northern Punjab state, officials said on
Monday.
The man climbed the 20-foot wall of Chhatbir Zoo, home to four
lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was attacked.
Hearing his screams, the staff rushed to try and rescue the man.
"He
was an intruder in the zoo. We took him to the hospital but he
succumbed to his injuries," said Roshan Sunkaria from the state forest
department.
The animal that attacked the man was an Asiatic lion
-- a critically endangered species and a major tourist draw. Only around
500 exist in the wild, all in the Gir sanctuary in the western Indian
state of Gujarat.
The authorities have not yet been able to
contact the victim´s family. The zoo has stepped up warnings inside the
premises and advised visitors to travel with an escort and keep vehicles
locked. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/421895-indian-man-killed-by-lion
The man climbed the 20-foot wall of Chhatbir Zoo, home to four lions, on
Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was attacked. Published: 21st January 2019 12:06 PM |
Last Updated: 21st January 2019 12:24 PM
Image of lions used for representational purpose only. (Shimoga Nandan | EPS)
By AFP
NEW DELHI: A man was mauled to death by a lion after he scaled the wall of a zoo in Punjab state, officials said Monday. The man climbed the 20-foot (six-metre) wall of Chhatbir Zoo, home to
four lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was
attacked.
Hearing his screams, the staff rushed to try and rescue the man.
"He was an intruder in the zoo. We took him to the hospital but he
succumbed to his injuries," said Roshan Sunkaria from the state forest
department.
The animal that attacked the man was an Asiatic lion -- a critically endangered species and a major tourist draw.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jan/21/punjab-man-killed-by-lion-after-scaling-zoo-wall-1928051.html
Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-21 16:07:20|Editor: xuxin NEW DELHI, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- A man was mauled to death by lions
inside a zoo in northern Indian state of Punjab, officials said Monday.
The incident took place inside Chhatbir Zoo, about 20 km west of Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab.
"Yesterday in the afternoon, a man scaled the boundary wall which is
around 30 feet high and jumped inside safari, an area meant for lions," M
Sudhagarb, Chhatbir zoo's field director said. "Right inside there, he
was mauled by the lions."
The zoo officials said his screams alerted the staff, who rushed to rescue the man.
"Though rescue teams immediately went inside and rushed him to the hospital, however he succumbed there," the official said.
The identity of the deceased person was not known.
Zoo officials said the man was attacked by an Asiatic lion, an endangered species.
As per the 2015 census, there were 520 lions in Gir forest in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
Following the incident the zoo was closed for visitors.
Authorities have kept the dead at civil hospital in Dera Bassi, Chandigarh, and were waiting for someone to claim it.
"Police have also advertised the body type, height and picture of the
deceased man to help them get in touch with his family," a police
official said. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-01/21/c_137762490.htm
dna Correspondent Updated: Jan 17, 2019, 06:45 AM IST The Gujarat High Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the state and
union governments after public interest litigation (PIL) demanding the
formation of a national level conservation authority for lions, like the
one formed for tigers, came up for hearing.
The PIL filed by Protection of Environment and Public Service
Committee through its president Bhagwan Solanki was taken up by the
division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren
Vaishnav, which immediately issued a notice to the Centre and state
directing them to file their reply in the matter by February 12.
Solanki has also sought the court's direction to the state and
Centre to formulate a comprehensive long-term conservation policy for
Asiatic Lions citing that the number of lions is less than the number of
tigers in the country.
The petitioner has also appealed that the authorities should also
frame a uniform policy and guidelines for tourism in the Gir forest area
in accordance with the guidelines of the ministry of environment and
forest. Sonanki has also sought a prohibition on the authorities from
declaring any tourism zone within the core area of the Gir Sanctuary at
Junagadh.
The petitioner has pointed out before the court that apart from
Asiatic Lions, Gir is home to 38 mammalian species, more than 300
species of birds, and 37 species of herpetofauna, which necessitates the
requirement for more sensitivity and protection to be accorded to the
wildlife sanctuary. https://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/report-gujarat-pil-seeks-lion-conservation-policy-2708869
TNN | Updated: Jan 17, 2019, 07:22 IST AHMEDABAD: Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued notice to the state
government and the Centre over a PIL opposing a proposed tourism zone in
the Girnar wildlife sanctuary in the interest of wildlife in the area, especially the Asiatic lions.
An
NGO – Protection of Environment and Public Service Committee filed the
PIL and sought the HC directions to the government authorities not to go
ahead with the plan to create tourism zone in the sanctuary, for the
proposed zone falls in the core zone of the sanctuary. This is against
the provisions of existing wildlife protection laws and the guidelines
issued by the government itself.
The PIL has urged the HC to direct the
governments to create a national level conservation authority for lions
and to frame appropriate policy for long-term conservation of the
Asiatic lions. It wants a uniform policy for tourism in the Asiatic lion
landscape in accordance with the 2011 guidelines issued by the Ministry
of Environment and Forest. It wants prohibition on declaration of any
tourism zone within Girnar sanctuary.
The
PIL has demanded that a national policy should be declared for lion
conservation as has been successfully undertaken for tigers.
The petitioner claimed that the
178-sq-km Girnar sanctuary harbours 38 mammalian species, more than 300
species of birds and 37 species of herpetofauna. It is rich in
biodiversity and any effort to create tourism zone will disturb
wildlife.
Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/67564614.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
With four-inch canines and a jaw capable of generating 4,450 newtons of force, lion bites are something most animals want to avoid.
But pangolins are not most animals. Though these creatures weigh no
more than 10 pounds, they are covered from head to tail in a natural
armor—a network of overlapping scales made of a tough protein called
keratin.
When a large predator comes calling, a pangolin need not run or try
to fight back. All it has to do is curl up into a tiny, impenetrable
ball.
And this is exactly what a guide with Safari Live witnessed earlier this month during a nighttime drive through Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.(See our favorite lion videos.)
“When curled, there really is nowhere that the lions can get purchase with their teeth,” says Tristan Dicks,
who discovered the duo with a spotlight. “That, coupled with the rain
that night, made the surface far too slippery for the lions to actually
do any damage.”
While this particular lion gave up after rolling the Temminck's
ground pangolin around for a while with its paws, Dicks says the
predators have been known to get the better of their prey on occasion.
Pangolin pups, whose scales have not yet hardened, are especially
vulnerable.
Today’sPopular Stories
A rare encounter Dicks has been a professional guide for a decade and says he’s only
seen pangolins in the wild eight times. And an interaction between a
lion and a pangolin? No one sees that.
“That coupled with a pride of lions in the Mara is a once in a lifetime sighting,” he says.
Pangolins are especially hard to see in part because their populations are naturally low, notes Dan Challender, chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Pangolin Specialist Group.
Due to this rarity, Challender says it’s unknown how frequently lions and pangolins interact. However there is evidence that Asiatic lions will sometimes try to prey upon Indian pangolins in Gir National Park, India. (Read how Indian pangolins are dwindling due to poaching.)
While the workers were crossing the track, they apparently did not see the approaching train and were hit by it.
New Delhi, News Nation Bureau
| Updated : 14 January 2019, 11:34 AM In a horrific incident, three contractual labours working on the
railway tracks were killed after being run over by the Mumbai-bound
Tejas Express in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Sunday, a police
official said on Monday. The incident took place around 9.30 pm when the
victims were working on tracks near the Jite railway station in the Pen
area of Raigad, located around 66 km from Mumbai, he said. While the
workers were crossing the track, they apparently did not see the
approaching train and were hit by it, he said, adding that all the three
men sustained head injuries and died on the spot. “The workers are from
Madhya Pradesh and were staying nearby. Two of them fell on side of the
track after being hit by the train while the third fell on the other
side,” an official said.
The deceased were identified as 30-year-old Ashok Bari, 40-year-old
Nimsingh Gulkar and 18-year-old Ajay Dandodiya, all belonging to Madhya
Pradesh, the railway official said. The bodies were sent to a state-run
hospital for a post-mortem examination, and an accidental death report
was registered at the Dadar Sagari police station in Raigad, the
official said. A Panvel railway station official said as quoted by TOI,
“The CR general manager’s visit is scheduled in the next two weeks.
Hence the works are being done at Panvel and other railway stations.
However, it is surprising how workers were working at night on the
tracks." Read More | Maharashtra: 3 dead, 1 injured after motorcycle collided with SUV in Parbhani
Tejas Express is a fully air-conditioned train which runs between
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Karmali station in
Goa.
In a similar incident in December last year, three lions died after
they were hit by a goods train near the Gir forest in Gujarat’s Amreli
district, around 250 km from Ahmedabad, an official had said. The
incident had occurred near the Borala village in Savarkundla taluka when
a pride of six lions was walking along the railway track passing from
the village, which is located near the Gir Forest.
“A goods train, headed to Pipavav port from Botad, hit three of six
lions of the pride during midnight, which led to the death of two lions
and a lioness”, Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh wildlife circle,
DT Vasavada had told PTI. https://www.newsnation.in/india-news/mumbai-tejas-express-maharashtra-raigad-district-mumbai-goa-chhatrapati-shivaji-maharaj-terminus-and-karmali-station--article-211375.html
A video going viral on social media featured an eccentric traffic
jam in Kruger Park, South Africa. Cars slowed down in the soft drizzle,
making way for four gigantic African lions to walk right in the middle
of the road.
First shared on Facebook, the video is now making rounds of social
media with people expressing their surprise at this grand sight.
The male big cats weighing upto 225kg walked invulnerable to fear, in
all their glory and with no ounce of botheration by humans or their
cars. Cars could be seen pacing down their speed or stopping completely
for the pride to pass.
Kruger National Park in South Africa has a lion census of approximately 1600.
This is not the first time that people around Kruger National Park
have witnessed an extraordinary site. But the wildlife here has never
failed to amuse. A video surfaced last year on Twitter where pride of
lion hunted an African buffalo, tore the prey apart on the road, fed on
it and then one of the lions came to rest against the cars waiting to
watch the episode. https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/watch-four-gigantic-lions-halt-traffic-at-kruger-national-park
Tigers, lions and elephants are being mowed down by high speed
trains in India with alarming regularity outraging animal rights
activists but the federal or state governments don’t bat an eyelid.
Last
month, three lions were run over by a goods train in at Borala in
Gujarat’s famed Gir forest. Fences were erected on either side of rail
tracks in Rajula-Savarkundla region of the western state after six lions
were crushed to death in 2014-2015 preventing more tragedies. But the
tracks are not fenced in Borala. Official reason: “Too costly”.
Last
month, two tiger cubs were mowed down by a train in the Chichpalli
forest of Maharashtra. A spate of protests on social media did not
elicit even a flicker of response from callous railway officials or
forest wardens tasked with protecting endangered wildlife.
And
when it comes to elephant deaths on rail tracks, India holds the world
record! Government statistics show that 150 jumbos were run over by
trains between 1987 and 2010. But in just eight years, from 2010 to
2017, the toll rose to 120.
In 2018,
trains crushed as many as 20 elephants to death in their habitats,
signaling a new low. Ordinary citizens are horrified by blood-spattered
television images of jumbos mowed down by trains hurtling thorough
forests in the dead of night.
Footage of
cranes removing elephantine carcasses from tragedy sites is
heart-wrenching. But the outrage and sadness hasn’t jolted officials
out of their stupor. Ironically, elephant is the mascot of Indian
Railways. But they are still falling prey to more and faster trains
running through elephant habitats in several states.
Queen of elephants
Parbati Barua is a wildlife conservationist and the subject of a BBC documentary Queen of the Elephants.
She told Al Arabiya English that while “human life is precious, it is
even more important to save majestic animals like elephants, tigers and
lions because they are becoming extinct even as human population is
steadily growing.”
“As a
conservationist, I firmly believe that shielding dwindling wildlife from
attacks by man is more important than saving man from animals. In the
so-called man-animal conflict, I am for animals.”
The
federal and state administrations are unmoved but scientists clearly
are more compassionate and doing whatever they can to help endangered
animals survive in the face of adversity.
Experiments
are underway with an electronic device which replicates the sound of
angry bees. Elephants are known to be so terrified of the sound of
buzzing that they take to their heels. Playing the recording will keep
jumbos away from railway tracks which have turned into death traps.
Another
device driven by a set of four sensors – the brainchild of a professor
at New Delhi’s Institute of Technology (IIT) - will alert train drivers
in the near future about the movement of elephants along the tracks. The
countdown for the implementation of these innovative gadgets has begun.
Last Update: Friday, 11 January 2019 KSA 10:26 - GMT 07:26
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/healthy-living/2019/01/11/Trains-in-India-crushing-elephants-and-tigers-as-officials-look-the-other-way.html
Times News Network | Updated: Jan 8, 2019, 09:58 IST
MYSURU:
Highlighting India’s stellar record in the conservation of endangered
species of animals, member-secretary of the Central Zoo
Authority (CZA), New Delhi Anup Kumar Nayak on Monday said, “India has
been trying its best in the conservation of 73 endangered species and
has been successful in conserving mouse-deer.”
Anup, who inaugurated the three-day national-level workshop for veterinarians
at Indian zoos, pointed to the difficulties involved in conserving
species classified as endangered and critically endangered. “These are
lengthy processes. Many different zoos and rehabilitation centres across
India are involved in this initiative. The objective is to breed
animals in these categories in captivity, and releasing them into the
wild since their population is declining at a rapid rate,” said Nayak.
Adducing the the success that the Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha and
Hyderabad Zoo had tasted in conservation of gharial and mouse-deer
respectively, Nayak said, “Unfortunately, gharial could not survive in
the wild, but mouse-deer did.”
In Karnataka, as many as six species including Indian Gaur, deer,
wild dog, wolves, and lion-tailed macaque are being conserved and being
bred at the off-display centre. “CZA is yet to decide on when to release
them into the wild,” Nayak added.
Meanwhile, the endangered chinkara is being bred at the Sakkabaug
Zoo in Gujarat, while efforts to increase the population of snow leopard
at Darjeeling Zoo and Golden Langur at Agartala Zoo.
‘Veterinarians determine status of zoos’
Meanwhile, highlighting the role of veterinarians to zoos, Nayak
said that the prestige of a zoo was contingent on the quality of its
veterinarians. “As long as veterinarians take good care of the animals,
the status of the zoo will never diminish. The role of the veterinarians
in zoos is crucial since they have to ensure that animals exhibited are
hale and hearty,” he said.
Pointing to CZA’s exemplary record in supervising zoos in the
country, he added, “If zoological institutions are found not to be
meeting the prescribed standards, licences are terminated immediately.
Recently, we suspended many such permits and some were renewed with
added stipulations.”
Vice-chancellor of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries
University HD Narayana Swamy said that challenges confronting
veterinarians in maintaining the health of animals had increased
significantly in recent times following outbreaks of viruses. “Recently,
there was an outbreak of the Distemper Virus that claimed the lives of
lions at Gir Forest in Gujarat. Other diseases such as bird flu and
Nipah virus too are equally challenging,” he said.
Member secretary of the Zoo Authority of Karnataka
BP Ravi, meanwhile, sought to focus on the increasing incidence of
human-animal conflict. “This is largely a consequence of shrinking
forest cover. Forest land is being chipped away at for other activities
including mining,” said Ravi.
The executive director of Mysuru Zoo Ajith Kulkarni was among those present.
‘Wild’ topics on the anvil today
*Chemical immobilization of large herbivores: giraffe, zebra, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and elephants
*Advancements in captive wild canine and feline anaesthesia
*Bird flu in Indian zoos and counteracting strategies
*Visual and physical evaluation of wild animals: A primary tool to diagnose diseases https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/india-has-successfully-conserved-73-endangered-species/articleshow/67427001.cms
Progressive
control pathways and procedures for international certification of
rabies-free status should be established to save our wild cats from the
madness syndrome
If you thought that rabies concerned only dogs, then one must look
back to the records at the King Edward Memorial Pasteur Institute and
Medical Research Institute, Shillong. It had published a scientific
article in 1950 recording two instances of a positive microscopic
finding in the brain — evidence of rabies — of the Bengal tiger in
Assam, the first in 1943 and the second in 1950. In the first case, the
tiger severely mauled 18 people in just over 24 hours before it was
killed but made no attempt to eat any of the victims. In the second
case, the tiger terrorised the inhabitants of five or six villages and
attacked 14 people, at least five heads of cattle and a dog, of whom one
person and the dog were killed on the spot and two others died in
hospital the following day. Subsequently, the animal was killed.
The rabies virus was found in both cases. And though these two cases
were examined following complaints of unseemly behaviour, several others
were ignored. A few cases of leopards dying ostensibly due to rabies
were also reported in south India during the British period. The
rabies-inflicted stray dogs, living on the boundaries of Kruger National
Park in South Africa and other reserves, are threats to predators such
as lions, leopards, hyena and wild dogs. Perhaps deaths of predators by
rabies do not get the exposure they deserve. The veterinary advisor for
the Siberian Tiger recommended the vaccination protocol for use in all
wild tigers to save them from viral disease.
Four years ago, a similar behaviour was observed in two lions — first
was a male lion in Girnar on May 31, 2011, and the second was a young
lioness in the Khamba range of the Gir forest on December 15, 2015. In
both cases, the frenzied felines chased people and attacked a few of
them, including the forest staff. The injured people were vaccinated and
saved but both lions died within a few days. Symptoms like biting of
tyres and frequent roaring in the daytime indicated the presence of
rabies but cases were never examined to know the truth. The extent of
damage by the fatal Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) attack, ostensibly a
mutation or aggravation caused by the rabies virus, was taken seriously
only when 23 lions died in September 2018 in the Gir forests.
In the past, deaths of the lion by virus attacks were detected but
ignored because the number was not high. Unlike the lion, tigers or
leopards do not live in groups. Thus, death of one or two of them at a
site by the fatal disease was ignored. It was recorded as a natural
disease but facts prove otherwise. Almost every other day, news reports
cite the recovery of dead leopards, tigers, lions and several other
carnivores from their habitats but the cases have never been examined by
virologists to confirm the cause of deaths.
In a study, four concomitant incidents of rabies related deaths were
recorded in Gujarat during 2012-2014. Brain samples were collected from
two buffaloes, nilgai and mongoose and rabies virus was found in all of
them. Further, the genetic relationship of these isolated specimens was
determined and the rabies virus transmission among the wild and domestic
mammals was established. In Deva village in Allahabad district, two
cows and a young buffalo cub were bitten by a rabies-infected dog. All
died within two weeks. Finally, the dog was killed and the carcass was
disposed off in a remote area of the village. What had happened to
carnivores such as jackals and foxes, which consumed the carcass, is not
known but the villagers confirmed that the carnivores had not been
spotted. Why is it that the jackals are fast disappearing from the
villages? Why are the hyenas becoming rare in the countryside? Why is it
that the population of the wild dog (dhole) declined drastically in its
habitats such as the Satpura Tiger Reserve and then recovered in a few
years and again declined drastically? Is it due to the spread of rabies
or any other virus? Has rabies’ presence in the domestic dog caused the
loss of wildlife in an unbelievable scale? Perhaps yes. Casualties of
the major wild carnivores in India due to transmission of rabies, CDV,
FIV or other viruses are high but it is impossible to provide facts
about the scale of the crisis. After the lion deaths due to a CDV attack
in the Gir forests, investigations indicated that like the African
lions, the CDV and other viruses are present in some wild lions in the
Gir forest. All of these become fatal when other diseases such as
Babesia protozoa are transmitted from an unhealthy prey.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that rabies is a
vaccine-preventable viral disease which occurs in more than 150
countries. Dogs are the source of a vast majority of human rabies
deaths, contributing up to 99 per cent of all rabies transmissions to
humans. Human deaths due to rabies are known and have been
well-documented but it is also primarily a disease of terrestrial
mammals, including dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals, big cats (lions,
leopards and tigers), mongooses, badgers, bats and monkeys. Rabies is
endemic to India and accounts for 36 per cent of the world’s human
deaths due to this disease. The true burden of rabies in our country is
not fully known; although as per a WHO report, it causes 18,000-20,000
deaths every year. Nobody knows how many wild carnivores die due to this
disease. India had over 19.1 million domestic dogs in 2007 and a
majority of them belonged to the category of feral or stray dogs. A
substantial number of this forms the prey base for carnivores,
especially for leopards, tigers, lions, hyenas, wolves and jackals.
In India, dogs play an important role in rabies transmission to
wildlife. However, little is known about the role of wild animals in
rabies transmission. As per a study in the US, the rabies disease
unexpectedly re-emerged in wildlife. Rabies is a viral zoonosis
associated with many species of carnivores, including cats, jackal,
hyena and bats, which are the primary hosts of the Rabies virus.
Although sporadic cases of rabies in wildlife have been documented
across the African continent, convincing evidence for the circulation of
rabies in populations of wild carnivores has been found only in south
Africa, where wild canids, such as jackals and bat-eared foxes, are
assumed to be primary hosts of the virus. Although wolves, wild dogs,
jackals and foxes are susceptible and readily succumb to the disease,
they can disseminate the disease in other wildlife.
The carnivores — lion, tiger, leopard, hyena, wolf, and jackal — are
susceptible to diseases as they largely prey upon domestic animals,
including dogs and pigs which are a carrier of pathogens. Domestic
livestock, including dogs, constitute major food for these wild animals.
Cases of tiger and leopard deaths are reported from time-to-time, but
the institute engaged in the field of wildlife research does not give
priority to such an important problem. In the absence of adequate
studies, it is difficult to assess deaths of wild carnivores due to
rabies but it seems a major hurdle, although not accepted till date of
wildlife conservation in India.
To eliminate rabies in wildlife, ‘progressive control pathways’ and
procedures for international certification of rabies-free status should
be established. To achieve this, wildlife managers should know the
extent of the problem. The sample of every dead animal should be
examined scientifically in institutes that deal with wildlife or
virology. Institutes, too, need to focus on the scale of natural deaths
rather than just concern themselves with environment impact assessment
(EIA). It has taken us long to maintain a healthy population of the big
cat. Let us not lose them to another threat. (The writer is Member, National Board for Wild life) https://www.dailypioneer.com/2019/columnists/rabies-threatens-our-lion.html
A lioness drowned in an open well in in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district, 400 kilometres from here, Forest department officials said Tuesday.
The
incident took place in Pandva village, around 40 kilometres away from
the outer limits of the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, in Veraval taluka and
the carcass of the lioness was retrieved Tuesday and sent for post
mortem, said Deputy Conservator of Forest Junagadh Division Sunil Berwal.
Berwal said the bloated condition of the carcass suggests it may have fallen into the well a day prior.
He ruled out foul play and said it was possible that the lioness fell into the open well while chasing prey.
"Since
the lioness tried to stay afloat, which was evident from her brushed
nails, we can say that it was not killed and then thrown into the well.
It appears to be an accident, not foul play," said Berwal.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/guj-lioness-drowns-in-open-well-in-gir-forest-119010801348_1.html
The Gujarat high court has rejected the bail application of Elyasbhai
Hoth, who is accused of baiting lions in the Gir sanctuary. Hoth, a
settler was arrested under various provisions of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972 after videos of him baiting lions with poultry
went viral. The matter came to the high court after his bail was
rejected by the trial court.
The court while rejecting the application said that after the
charge-sheet is filed, the punishment prescribed under the law is of
seven years, the court is required to consider the request of regular
bail.
It also said that the accused had sought bail seeking parity with
the co-accused in the case who had already been given bail. There were
not only oral evidence but electronic evidence against the accused.
The counsel for the applicant had sought bails on the ground that
since the trial in the case was not likely to be over in the matter soon
he should be granted bail. He further argued that there were many
others who had indulged in similar activity but no action was taken
against them.
Opposing the application, the state argued that Asiatic lions were
protected species under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Act and Hoth was
the kingpin in the case. The others who had been bailed out had very
limited role to play in the incident.
The state argued that Hoth had been indulging in such things for
quite some time as he had been allotted land near the sanctuary under
Tribal Settlement Act had he missed this. They also argued that video
recording evidence of the act was also available.
It said apart from baiting the animals, the video recordings also
show the presence of liquor bottles and other prohibited items which are
completely banned in the Gir Sanctuary.
With the ever increasing love of travel and
adventure, more and more Indians are now opting for vacations in and
outside the country. While some choose locations to relax and take a
break from their fast lives, others want to see new things, meet new
people, and try different cuisines. There’s another lot, the ones who
have an unquenching thirst for adventure.
No matter the kind of vacation you are looking for, coming back with
some memorable photographs is a must in every case. But when it comes to
wildlife safaris, people enter the forest reserves with high hopes of
spotting a tiger or a leopard, but often leave with disappointing having
seen none. Many call it luck, while others don’t go on safari tours in
the right time for spotting a big cat.
Solving this problem is WildTrails, a smartphone application which
gives details of sightings of all species (not just tigers), across most
of the top national parks and reserves in India.
This app gives complete details of sightings of all species through
data mining. After data analytics on these sightings they come up with a
Sighting Index metric which can predict well on what the chances are of
sighting a particular species in a given sanctuary for a given zone
during a given time period. This process will greatly enhance one’s
sighting probability. The app also reveals where and how recently big
cats were spotted in various parks in India.
Manjunath Gowda, the CEO of WildTrails, says, “The number of people
interested in wildlife tours looking for big cats has increased
drastically over the last few months. More so for the tiger and the
black panther and of course, most want to know which is the right
sanctuary to visit and how are the sightings in those respective parks.
WildTrails wildlife holiday app fulfills this customer need by analysing
sightings data that is gathered every day. We end up calculating the
Sighting Index (R) of a given species over a given period of time which
gives a good sense of which park, which zone to go to while looking for
these big cats. Of course, we also book the right trips using this
data.”
While most Indians know that the Bengal tiger is the national animal
of India what is less well known is that besides the Bengal tiger, India
is also home to a number of other species of big cats — Asiatic lion,
Indian leopard, snow leopard, and the Clouded leopard and some more.
However, these five species of big cats are relatively easy to see in
the 50 tiger reserves in India, yet many in India have gone on several
wildlife safaris without seeing even one big cat.
The most elusive big cats are snow leopards and clouded leopards.
While snow Leopards can be seen in the Himalayan mountains, specifically
in Ladakh and Dachigam in Kashmir, to spot a clouded leopard one must
visit the forests of the northeast such as Manas and Buxa. Despite the
remoteness of these regions, the Wildtrails app claims to be a helpful
companion that can increase the likelihood of seeing these most elusive
of big cats.
“If the sightings of the wild animals is made sure, then of course it
will be easier for a photographer to shoot pictures. Photographers wait
days and nights to capture a perfect shot, it will also save money.
But, however, it’ll also take away the thrill and anticipation from
wildlife photography,” opines Ujjal Debnath, a professional
photographer, upon about the application.
Those with the knowledge of wildlife have said that for every big cat
a person sees, 10 big cats see the person without being spotted! https://dbpost.com/look-before-you-book-this-app-helps-you-spot-tigers-during-safari-tours/
Lions and leopards aren't exactly best of friends.
They often fight over food and territory often killing or severely
injuring each other.
So,
it was quite shocking for the forest officials to know that a lioness,
Raksha was nursing a 2-month-old leopard cub named as Mowgli, in Gir Forest. It is not clear how the lioness came across the cub or where the mother of the leopard baby is.
Usually,
if a lion or a lioness finds a leopard or leopard cubs, they instantly
kill them. But, for this lioness, motherly instinct seems to have
overtaken the killer instinct because she adopted the baby into her
clan.
After
observing the behaviour of the lioness, the foresters started sharing
pictures and videos of the lioness feeding and nurturing the cub.
Don't Miss
Interestingly, the lioness is extra protective about the cub, Deputy Conservator of Forests Dheeraj Mittal said.
"Since
the leopard is smaller than her cubs, she ensures it walks ahead. She
stops and waits for it to come closer to her when moving around or if
they are near a water body," he added.
The lion family has also accepted the leopard baby, the lion cubs are quite fond of their younger brother. Foresters
said, "This arrangement is extremely unusual. So, we have decided to
observe the dynamics without intervening in any way." https://www.indiatimes.com/trending/environment/motherly-instinct-trumps-killer-instinct-lioness-in-gir-forest-adopts-nurses-a-leopard-cub-359824.html
A lioness in Gujarat’s Gir Forest has adopted a one-and-half-month
old leopard cub who has been separated from his mother. The Gujarat
forest officials are claiming this to be a "rare phenomenon".
The lioness is looking well after the cub and is also protecting him from other lions who might try to kill him.
“Along
with two of its own cubs, the lioness, spotted in the forests of
Gir-West division, is feeding the leopard cub,” says a report by PTI.
The forest staff spotted the lioness with the leopard cub some six days ago.
Don't Miss
"It
is indeed a rare phenomenon, as lions tend to kill leopards. In this
case, it is quite opposite to what we know about big cats. The lioness
is taking extra care of a leopard cub. The lioness is even protecting it
from lions present in the area," Deputy Conservator of Forest, Gir-West
division Dheeraj Mittal told PTI. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/unusual-bonding-as-gir-lioness-adopts-a-leopard-cub-separated-from-mother-in-a-rare-phenomenon-359853.html
There are a few heart winning images that make your weekend perfect. A
video of a cow feeding four orphaned puppies is being shared widely and
calming the senses of the people.
The
short video was recorded by the bystander who couldn’t help capturing
the emotional sight before him. A couple of days, the news of a lioness
adopting leopard cub had touched our hearts.
According
to some accounts, the mother of the puppies might have died after
giving birth and the four puppies were adopted by the cow who is seen
feeding them.
The video was an instant hit on social media.
Similar videos had surfaced recently on the internet where a pet dog and
cat were seen showering each other with love. The video on twitter had
won many hearts. The two species aren’t known to be best of friends, but
this was quite unique and the six-second video shows dog Maggie gently
petting cat whose name is Pumpkin on her back. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/video-of-a-cow-feeding-four-orphaned-puppies-is-the-best-thing-you-can-watch-this-weekend-359876.html
Kuno National Park is a protected area in Madhya Pradesh that received the status of national park in 2018.[1] The protected area was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary with an area of 344.686 km2 (133.084 sq mi) in the Sheopur and Morena districts. It was also known as Kuno-Palpur and Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary.[2] It is part of the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forestsecoregion.[3] for more... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuno_National_Park
More than 8500 tourists came to see the
Asiatic lion’s family including two lions and one lioness at the park
over the last three months.
January 3, 2019 4:30 pm Jaipur: Lion Safari at Nahargarh Biological Park visited by record number of tourists in Dec
Lion at Nahargarh Biological park of Jaipur.
Jaipur: Lion safari at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur recorded the highest number of tourists in December last year.
More than 8500 tourists came to see the Asiatic lion’s family
including two lions and one lioness at the park over the last three
months.
The Lion Safari at Nahargarh Biological Park started on October 3, 2018. A total of 1548 tourists visited the park in October followed by 2770 in November and 4475 in December.
Meanwhile, the biological park saw a rapid increase in the number of
tourists from December 21 to December 31, 2018. Around 459 tourists
visited the park during the last 10 days of 2018.
According to a senior park official, around 52360 tourists visited
the park in the 2017 and a total of 57919 tourists visited the park in
2018. As compared to 2017, the number of tourists visiting Nahargarh
Biological Park increased by 5559 last year.
The officials said that the reason for this increase could be the introduction of Lion Safari project.
According to the ACF of Nahargarh biological park Jagdeesh Gupta, the
park’s popularity has increased among local as well as foreign tourists.
An Asiatic lioness at the Prague zoo underwent artificial
insemination in the zoo's latest attempt to breed the lions since 2015
After two suitors failed to get a rare
Asiatic lioness pregnant, Prague zoo now hopes that artificial
insemination will finally plant the seed for her species' survival.
"Ginni, our female Asiatic lion from Gujarat in India, underwent artificial insemination on Wednesday evening," the zoo said in a statement on Thursday.
With some 600 Asiatic lions living in Gujarat and another 143 in
European facilities, zoo director Miroslav Bobek said he held "great
hope" in Prague's Asiatic lions to preserve the dwindling species on a
global scale.
The zoo has been attempting to breed its three Asiatic lions from India since they arrived in 2015, so far with no success.
Female Suchi proved to be sterile while Ginni repeatedly snubbed her nose at Jamvan, a male who zookeepers say was too passive.
Sohan, another male borrowed from a zoo in the eastern Czech city of
Ostrava, also failed to get Ginni pregnant but did manage to trigger
ovulation.
In the end, zookeepers opted to use Jamvan's sperm to inseminate
Ginni during Wednesday's procedure, which, if successful, should see
cubs born in about four months.
The procedure was carried out by a team from the Berlin-based Leibniz
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and Prague zoo vets.
They pegged the probability of success at 60-70 percent.
Last autumn, authorities in Gujarat reported dozens of dead Asiatic
lions, killed by the canine distemper virus and a parasitic infection
caused by ticks.
https://phys.org/news/2019-01-prague-zoo-rare-lion-insemination.html
The man climbed the 20-foot (six-metre) wall of Chhatbir Zoo, home to
four lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was
attacked.
The man climbed the 20-foot (six-metre) wall of Chhatbir Zoo, home to
four lions, on Sunday and entered the restricted area where he was
attacked.
The PIL filed by Protection of Environment and Public Service
Committee through its president Bhagwan Solanki was taken up by the
division bench of Acting Chief Justice AS Dave and Justice Biren
Vaishnav, which immediately issued a notice to the Centre and state
directing them to file their reply in the matter by February 12.
Rimjhim Jethani
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Jaipur: Lion safari at Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur recorded the highest number of tourists in December last year.