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.
RAJKOT: A 52-year-old forest tracker was attacked by an injured adult male lion at the Vadal Animal Care Centre near Palitana in Bhavnagar
district on Wednesday morning. The tracker suffered injuries on his leg
and other parts of the body and is admitted to Sir T Hospital in
Bhavnagar. The incident took place when forest tracker Tila Nanji
Dodia had gone to feed the lion who was brought to the centre with
injury in his legs.
According
to forest officials, the male lion about nine-years-old was brought to
this animal care centre for treatment after he was found injured by
forest officials. Sources said that Dodia after placing the food
inside the lion’s cage forgot to close the gate after coming out. The
lion followed Dodia out of the cage without him knowing and attacked him
from behind. Assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Bhavnagar V R
Rathod said, “The lion’s instinct was to get away out of the cage. When
it saw cage door open it came out and the first person in saw was
tracker Dodia whom it attacked believing it to be a potential threat.” The
tracker fell down and tried to save himself with a stick that was in
his hand. The lion then left Dodia and started to look for a way out
into the open forest. But since centre is has a hight compound wall
the lion could not find an opening. Meanwhile, the tracker ran to his
cottage nearby and informed others. The 2-3 persons inside the campus
who came to help Dodia also informed the 108 emergency ambulance
service. The ambulance entered the premises from back gate and took
Dodia to the hospital. However, the lion kept moving inside the
campus. The veterinary doctor called to tranquillize the lion took
nearly two hours reach as he was engaged in similar work far away. The
doctor and other foresters came in two vehicles inside the compound and
fired the tranquillizer shot on the lion. The wild cat was caged after
it got unconscious. In November last year, two lions had killed a forest labourer and injured one other in Devaliya Safari park of Gir forest. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/injured-lion-attacks-forest-tracker-inside-animal-care-centre/articleshow/69568640.cms
The leopard crept into the woman’s house and
attacked her when she was asleep in her house. Her dead body was later
recovered from her house.
Vijaysinh Parmar | News18 Updated:May 28, 2019, 2:04 PM ISTAhmedabad: A 52-year-old woman was mauled to death by a
leopard when she was asleep at her house near Gir forest in Gujarat’s
Junagadh district on Monday night.
The victim has been identified as Shardaben Vavaiya, a resident of
Kangshiyada village in Visavadar taluka, said forest department
officials.
“The incident occurred in Ghodasan beat in Grass round of Visavadar
forest range in Gir forests. The leopard crept into the woman’s house
and attacked her when she was asleep in her house. Her dead body was
later recovered from her house. We have placed cages to nab the leopard
from the area that attacked the woman,’’ said a senior forest official.
“Our forest staff is on the spot and the process of initiating the
ex-gratia for the kin of deceased has begun,’’ said D T Vasavada, Chief
Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Wildlife Circle, Junagadh.
According to 2016 leopard census data of Gujarat forest department, there were total 1395 leopards in the state.
The incidents of human-wildlife conflicts in and around Gir wildlife
Sanctuary occur regularly as wild animals venture out into the human
habitats in search of food and expand their territory as their numbers
are increasing every year. https://www.news18.com/news/india/52-year-old-woman-mauled-to-death-by-leopard-while-she-was-asleep-near-gujarats-gir-forest-2162477.html
Editor's Picks By Ravi Valluri
“Trains are wonderful ...to
travel by train is to see nature and human beings, towns and churches,
in fact see life,” wrote the iconic author Agatha Christie.
The Royal Orient is an Indian luxury tourism train which scorches the tracks, traversing the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan,
its arid desert neighbour. The sojourn covers tourist attractions of
paramount interest in the two states. This train has been fashioned on
the lines of the celebrated Palace on Wheels, the country’s premier
opulent train. The Royal Orient Express offers the tipper a taste of
royal luxury while showcasing myriad facets of Indian culture and
heritage.
The train commenced commercial operations in 1994 as a
joint venture of the Tourism Corporation of the government of Gujarat
and the Indian Railways. The regalia adopted is an azure blue scheme to
distinguish it from that of the Palace on Wheels.
Initially there
were the proverbial hiccups and the train did not quite fire the
imagination of the bag packer with passenger occupancy plummeting from
25 percent in the first year to 15 percent in the next years. However,
there was a major rejig in 2007, and soon Lady Luck smiled on the
fortunes of the train and it began to generate surpluses.
Royal
Orient Express consists of 13 coaches that have been christened after
the erstwhile kingdoms of the battle scarred and famous Rajputana.
Guests
luxuriate in the astonishing comfort and luxury of the carriages. The
cabins were refurbished in a palatial manner, including the provision of
spacious baths attached to them. There are multi-cuisine restaurants
which provide delectable Rajasthani, Gujarati, other Indian, Chinese and
Continental cuisine to tickle the taste buds of the tripper.
The
Royal Orient commences its voyage from Delhi Cantonment station, with
stoppages at Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Junagarh,
Veraval, Sasangir, Mandvi, Palitana and Sarkhej.
During the
course of the voyage it covers the Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Jama Masjid
in Delhi, Chittorgarh Fort and Rani Padmini's Palace in Chittorgarh,
Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Gir Wildlife
Sanctuary in Gujarat and the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar in Jaipur.
Every place mentioned is steeped in history and depicts the pluralistic
culture of Indian history.
The traveller is enriched with the
sublime and tranquil atmosphere pervading Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram; the
lofty Qutub Minar of Sultanate period of medieval India, the grandeur of
the Red Fort and the valour of Rajputana at both Mewar and Marwar never
fail to impress. The lucky ones encounter the canine species gnawing
its teeth in all majesty at humans who attempt to capture the moment in a
camera.
The journey begins on a Wednesday. As the signals are
lowered at fifteen hundred hours the train chugs away. Sightseers are
served with tea and dinner on board and stay on the estimable train
overnight.
At crack of the dawn this luxury trains weaves its way
into the historic town of Chittorgarh. Guests visit the famous
Chittorgarh Fort which to date seems to resonate with the bravery of the
Rajput Ranas and the sacrificial Jauhar of their womenfolk.
As
the magical history slowly sinks and settles into the mindscape of the
out-of-towners, the splendorous train circumvents the curves and bends
towards Udaipur; the city named after the famous Rana Uday Singh. After
lunch, tourists visit the City Palace and a spot of boating in Lake
Pichola followed by a visit to Shilpgram - a crafts village- and round
off the trip with a visit the Royal Gardens.
As night falls the train leaves for Mehsana in Gujarat.
At
Mehsana, the guests are escorted to striking destinations of Mehsana
and Ahmedabad. Among them are a visit to the Sun Temple at Modhera, the
Rani ki Vav and the Patola weaving centre at Patan.
At Ahmedabad
they visit the Adalaj Vav, Sidi Sayyad Mosque, Calico Textile Museum,
and last but not least the sublime Gandhi Ashram. At Junagarh the
tripper revisits ancient India as they have a glimpse of the Ashokan
Rock Edict of the 3rd century B.C. Upon arrival at Veraval, travellers
visit the famous Somnath temple that was plundered on several occasions
by the Portuguese and Muslim invaders. This famous Jyotirlinga temple
which was reconstructed by Sardar Patel is situated on the shores of the
Arabian Sea.
From Somnath the train travels to the Gir Forest
reserve. Guests depart for a tour of the Gir Lion sanctuary, where one
can spot the famous Asiatic Lion. Thereafter tourists are taken to
Delwada from where they witness the spectacular, unalloyed beauty of
famous Ahmedpur-Mandvi beach, Diu Fort and St. Paul’s Cathedral.
On
Sunday the magical train arrives at Palitana where they are escorted to
the fabled Jain temples at Shatrunjaya Hills. Subsequently they begin
their journey to Sarkhej and visit the Vishalla village.
Overnight as the guests sleep in the luxurious cabins, the plenteous train motors to Jaipur.
It
is dawn and the Pink City is still to awake as the train drops anchor
the next morning. Tippers are set for a memorable tour of Jaipur. They
witness the grandeur of Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and Jantar Mantar. A
joyous ride seated on elephants, up to Amber Fort is the icing on the
cake.
Travellers are left spellbound by the majesty of the train
and the astonishing places they visited as they try to recapitulate it
in the amphitheatre of their mind as they chug back home.
At Delhi
Cantonment guests are treated to a sumptuous breakfast onboard before
they disembark. As they attempt one last time to memorise the feel and
touch of the train, tourists cannot but wonder that a journey of
lifetime has come to an end.
“Railway termini are our gates to the
glorious and the unknown. Through them we pass out into adventure and
sunshine, to them, alas we return,” wrote the talismanic author, E. M.
Foster. https://english.sakshi.com/editors-picks/2019/05/27/the-majestic-royal-orient-express
Request participation in Haritha Haram to compensate for forest destruction three decades ago
Over three decades ago, adivasis of Girjai had destroyed a good
extent of forest cover under the influence of Maoists to convert the
clearings into agriculture fields. Now, they are hoping to make amends
by regrowing the jungle around them and protecting it, in what is being
viewed as a turnaround in their attitude towards the environment.
The
village was established by the then active Boath dalam of CPI
(Marxist-Leninist) People’s War, now known as CPI (Maoist), with the
settlement of landless poor aboriginal families from different parts of
erstwhile united Adilabad district. The habitation at present has 85
families tilling the forest clearing on which they were given
cultivation rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional
Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
For extra income
The
Raj Gond inhabitants of this remote village in Bazarhatnoor mandal on
Wednesday told a team of visiting Forest officials, led by Ichoda Forest
Divisional Officer M. Barnoba and Forest Range Officer R. Sheelanand,
that they want to participate in the Telanganaku Haritha Haram this year
by raising forest nearby. They requested the department to supply to
them plants, especially of fruit-bearing variety, which will help them
earn supplementary income.
“We will have the villagers pass a
resolution committing themselves to planting as many trees as possible
and protecting those. This will happen on the occasion of World
Environment Day on June 5,” said Adilabad District Forest Officer B.
Prabhakar who took the initiative of including the Girjai adivasis in
the plantation programme.
Villagers’ resolve
“We
want work. We will plant trees in our homes, in the village and around
the fields, apart from bald patches in the forest,” said Thodasam
Devidas, a resident.
“The government should develop a proper road
for us to reach the mandal headquarters. We also need to develop water
sources locally,” demanded Kumra Shankar, another villager.
Mr.
Barnoba assured the villagers that their commitment would earn the
department’s support in development. “We will get our officers to
examine the feasibility of constructing a check dam on the local stream
in addition to small tanks and percolation tanks,” he asserted.
Mr.
Prabhakar said the forest staff are making a list of families residing
there and the species of plants they require. “The villagers will be
given whatever plant types they demand even if it means purchasing those
from outside,” he added.
MOHALI: The Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park popularly known as Chhatbir Zoo is all set to import a set of exotic animals from Africa. The zoo will have zebra, giraffe, chimpanzee and gorilla imported from Africa. Apart
from this, it is also going to get a pair of Asiatic lions and white
tiger from other zoos in the country. Recently, Punjab chief minister
gave permission to the wildlife department to initiate the process of
importing wild animals such as zebra, giraffe, chimpanzee and gorilla
from African countries for Chhatbir zoo to improve the animal collection
and footfall there.
Chhatbir
zoo field director M Sudhagar said, “The consent for import has been
given by the Punjab government and the process is already underway and
may get expedited after the code of conduct is over. The animal exchange
will also take place after the poll results.” It will for the first
time that Chhatbir zoo will get giraffe, chimpanzee and gorilla which
will improve the animal collection and footfall at the zoo. Sources said
the CM had directed the additional chief secretary forests to send a
comprehensive proposal for transferring the revenue generated from
Chhatbir zoo to the accounts of Punjab Zoo’s Development Society instead
of the state treasury so as to ensure smooth functioning of the zoo and
upkeep of the wild animals. The Union ministry of environment and
forests (MoEF) has given another clearance to get animals under animal
exchange programme. Under this, Chhatbir zoo will get a female white
tigress and a pair of Asiatic lions. At present the zoo has only two
male white tigers and there was need of a female white tigress to
complete the family. The two male white tigers were bred and born at the
zoo and are between age group of 6-7 years. The white tigress to be
brought is also around seven years old. An officer at the zoo said,
“We need to complete the pairing of the animals for proper mating
defying the atrocities to the animals of being alone.” A pair of Asiatic
lions, a male and a female will also be added to the strength of four
lions, one female and three male at the zoo. Three out of the four
Asiatic lions were bred and born at Chhatbir zoo and are aged between 8
to 9 years. A pair of Asiatic lions being exchanged are also aged
between 8 to 9 years, said the director. Last year, ahead of the
National Wildlife Week, seven new members belonging to three species
were brought under animal exchange programmes at Mahendra Chaudhary
Zoological Park. They were Indian wolf, Royal snake, Chukar partridge,
grey pelicans, star tortoise, ostrich, otters and mouse deer. Importing of African lions proved fatal for zoo Chhatbir
zoo once had the highest strength of Asiatic lions in the country,
nearly 80 lions, faced a very bad phase after importing of African lions
in the 80’s. As on experimental basis the zoo authorities mated African
lions with Asiatic lions causing some genetical infections leading to
death of huge number of lions. After that, at one time the zoo remained
without a lion. Since then the importing of African animals was
stopped. Now, the Punjab wildlife department has approved the importing
of African Animals.
Latest Comment
Many political animals shall be free after election result to be added in the zoo cages,
Verma Suresh
See All CommentsAdd comment
According
to the report titled Regional Action Plan for the conservation of
western lowland gorillas and central chimpanzees 2015-2025 issued by the
World Wide Fund for Nature, an international non-governmental
organization (WWF), outlines the growing number of threats to these
great apes across six range countries, including the finding that nearly
80% of great apes in the region occur outside of protected areas. While
national and international laws protect the critically endangered
western lowland gorillas and the central chimpanzees, both sub-species
continue to be threatened by hunters and traders seeking to supply the
illegal commercial market and demand for bushmeat, particularly in urban
areas. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/chhatbir-zoo-all-set-to-get-exotic-animals-from-africa/articleshow/69418297.cms
The grant of environmental and Coastal
Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the extension of breakwater at
Chhara Port came up for consideration before the National Green Tribunal
(NGT) on May 15, 2019.
According to a case field by the residents of the area — Chhara
Sarkhadi village of Kodinar taluka in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district
— the extension would affect the aquatic life and eco-sensitive
area, which has not been taken into account. The same holds true for the
quantity of minerals, construction material, forest and timber.
No requisite public hearing was conducted
for the project by M/s Simar Port Pvt Ltd; the Asiatic Lion conservation
plan has also not been prepared. The NGT directed the Union Ministry of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Gujarat Coastal
Zone Management Authority, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Simar
Port to submit a report within a month.
Compensation for Faridabad damage
According to a report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) before the NGT on May 16, 2019,
untreated waste water from Badkal village as well as from drainage
system of Sainik Colony near Sectors 48-49, Faridabad was being disposed
into the open and the sewer line was chocked. The sewage network has
not been cleaned for long; solid waste and demolition waste were also
being dumped on open land. The Municipal Corporation Faridabad and the
Haryana Urban Development Authority were accountable in the issue.
The NGT sought a report detailing the
damages to be recovered, identification of polluters and erring
officers, from whom compensation for the damage to the environment and
cost of restoration should be recovered.
Central Monitoring Committee responsible for elephants
The NGT on May 16, 2019 said
the Central Monitoring Committee constituted by the MoEFCC was
responsible for coordinating with states home to elephants regarding the
safety of the animals in protected zones. The NGT had taken up
an application by Pradip Kumar Bhuyan, seeking adequate steps for
conservation of free passage for elephants in Assam. Railway tracks,
national and state highways and transmission lines should be declared
elephant protection zones, similar to ecological sensitive areas, Bhuyan
said.
Lackadaisical attitude on Almora SWM
The NGT on May 16, 2019 directed
Uttarakhand to furnish a performance guarantee of Rs 10 lakh to the
CPCB to ensure timely compliance of its directions on the issue of
unscientific disposal of municipal solid waste at Almora. The state's
chief secretary has been directed to monitor the situation; the MoEFCC
has been asked to explain why orders were not complied with.
It was pointed out that the matter has been
pending before the tribunal for four years. The NGT had directed
through on September 12, 2018 that the waste processing and treatment
facility must commence before December 15, 2018, which would be the
responsibility of the state's additional chief secretary for urban
development. A direction was also issued to the MoEFCC to take steps to
implement Extended Producer’s Responsibility in accordance with Plastic
Waste Management Rules, 2016. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/environment/daily-court-digest-major-environment-orders-may-20-2019--64645
The dismembered body of a lion cub was found in the Tulsishyam Range of Gujarat's Gir, D T Vasavada, Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Wildlife Circle said Friday.
He
said pug marks of lions were found on the spot and it appears the cub,
around 4-5 months old, was killed in a territorial fight, he added.
With this latest death, as many as five cubs, three lions and two lionesses have been found dead in Gir forest since February.
The
Gir forest, the last abode of the Asiatic lion, is home to around 600
big cats according to the latest estimate by the forest department.
(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/lion-cub-found-dead-in-tulsishyam-range-of-guj-s-gir-forest-119051701330_1.html
A lion was found dead in Dalkhaniya range of Gir forest in Gujarat, an official said on Wednesday.
The carcass of the lion was found in a forest patch of Dalkhaniya range under the Gir-East division, an official said, adding that reason of death was not known immediately.
"We have not found any visible injury marks on the carcass during
our primary investigation. It appeared that the lion died a few days
ago. We will conduct its post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause,"
said Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Junagadh, D T Vasavada.
Notably, this is the same range of Gir forest
where at least 10 lions had died last year due to a deadly combination
of canine distemper virus and protozoal infection.
With Wednesday's death, as many as four cubs, three lions, and two lionesses have been found dead in the Gir forest since February.
Gujarat,
the last abode of Asiatic lions, is home to around 600 lions in Gir
and surrounding areas as per the latest estimate by the forest
department.
(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/lion-found-dead-in-dalkhaniya-range-of-gir-forest-119051501640_1.html
TEHRAN – The
recent activities of Tehran Zoological Garden have sparked a heated
debate between advocates of animal rights and zoo directors, on whether
or not zoos endanger wildlife species for their own interests or they
have educational and protective objectives.
Do wildlife species find contentment living in standardized zoos or in nature?
During the past years, Tehran Zoological
Garden has succeeded in becoming a member of the European Association of
Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA). Moreover under the population management
program aiming at endangered species reproduction, the Persian leopard
and Asiatic lion have been transferred to the Zoo for captive breeding.
In this regard, a male Persian leopard was
sent to Iran from Portugal last year in an attempt to revive the
species, who mated naturally at the Zoo with a female leopard and at the
moment, the leopard is pregnant.
Subsequently, the Zoo transmitted a male
Asiatic lion from Britain’s Bristol Zoo under the supervision of EAZA to
implement a revival plan for extinct , while the female one will also
be sent to the country from Ireland within the next few days.
No natural habitats, no chances of bringing animals back from extinction
However, animal rights defenders blame
Tehran Zoological Garden for keeping the wildlife species, such as
Asiatic lion, who once have been pushed toward extinction in the country
under the unfavorable conditions, believing that when their natural
habitats have been destroyed and there is no possibility for them to
return back to the nature, keeping them is violating their right.
Breeding species in captivity will not
definitely ensure a stable population in the country once again,
therefore, why not allocate the captive breeding costs to protect those
animals in the nature from extinction?
Sepehr Salimi, an animal rights advocate,
criticizing the Zoo said that the restoration of Asiatic lion or any
other extinct species in captivity is impossible, because the most
important issue for the species’ survival is living in the natural
habitat, and when it is destructed, then the species eventually will
disappear, as well.
He further points out that if we are to
breed extinct species in the zoos, we should not use the term revival
because the revival of an extinct species occurs when a species is found
in its original habitat without human interference for survival, so
reviving species in zoos is meaningless.
Over the recent years, Tehran Zoological
Garden did not have a good record on wildlife conservation, as 14
African lions have lost their lives due to inappropriate nutrition, and
two tigers who were relocated from Russia for captive breeding lost
their lives due to an outbreak of glanders (an infectious disease occurs
primarily by ingestion of contaminated food or water), which is mainly
related to not meeting the standards, he explained.
Given that the Asiatic lion’s original
habitat no longer exists, why should it be reproduced? Their revival
only serves the zoos’ interests, Salimi stated.
The transfer of endangered species to the
country takes place under the supervision of the EAZA; an association
that has given Tehran Zoological Garden five years to fully standardize
all animal habitats to become a member of the union, although, it does
not mean that no violation will happen, he explained.
Time Magazine reported that many European
zoos cull animals or violate their rights, and that EAZA keeps records
of this, but won't release them.
In 2012, Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark put down, via lethal injection, two leopard cubs whose genetics were over-represented.
In 2010, the decision by officials at Edinburgh zoo to put down two hog piglets named Sammi and Becca sparked protests.
David Williams Mitchell, communications
and membership manager for EAZA, in this regard said that “as a
conservation organization, we realize that there's a crisis in the
natural world, and that we have an obligation to protect species in the
wild from human actions,” adding, “one of the ways we do that is through
breeding programs. But we have limited space within EAZA to carry out
that, and we need to prioritize animals that can contribute to future of
the species.”
Keeping animals in an unfavorable
condition results in mental illness and depression, he lamented, adding
that zoo is a purchase and sale center, because the number of animals
are not determined.
Referring to the zoo’s positive attempts,
he noted that zoos can be a great habitat for those injured animals not
able to live in natural habitats, while they are not permitted to
reproduce the species.
From the animal right advocates point of
view, zoo is not a proper place for all the wildlife species, and all
must be shut down, he concluded.
Zoos improve wildlife conservation
This is while, Iman Memarian, Tehran
Zoological Garden director, said that zoos should be run for cultural
and educational purposes as well as wildlife conservation.
Standard zoos are one of the most
important bases for wildlife conservation, being used to educate people
about wildlife protection, he said, adding that also, many
wildlife-related sciences, such as veterinary are expanding in zoos so
that veterinarians can control animal diseases in nature.
On the other hand, people are
contemplating how our ancestors destroyed the wildlife, and what we
should do today to preserve the remaining species, he also added.
Currently, 80 percent of the animal
habitats in the Zoo is living up to the internationally defined
standards, and it must be completely in line with the necessary
standards during the next 5 years to become a permanent member of EAZA,
he explained.
Memarian further noted that some thinks
that when an animal is in the cage, it is not feeling well at the
moment, however, one should bear in mind that animals have different
needs, all of which can be provided at standard zoos.
Today, it is possible to measure the
amount of hormones in the body through the urine and faeces of animals,
so researches show that the level of wildlife satisfaction in standard
zoos is even higher than their level of satisfaction in nature, he
added.
“Tehran Zoological Garden has gone far to
meet all the standards required to keep Asiatic lion and leopard, he
said, the condition is improved, the Zoo is living up to the required
standards, and take safety measure strictly,” he further highlighted.
“No habitat is yet determined for the
Asiatic lion to live in, and there is no possibility to re-introduce it
to the nature,” he lamented, adding, there is no plan for releasing the
Persian leopard in nature, but we are ready to work with the EAZA in
this regard.
Defending the EAZA operation in response
to the recent criticisms, Memarian said that the union has so far
succeeded in captive breeding of endangered species in zoos and has
reintroduced them to their habitat. Although, there are people who are
generally opposed to the zoo, ignoring the positive functions of zoos.
He further called on the role Department
of Environment play to help improving the zoos’ condition, as the
country’s zoos are far below the global standards.
Zoos’ function is not defined properly;
those not aiming at educational and protective plans are violating
animal rights, he concluded.
While worldwide animals are being kept in
zoos for various purposes it is not easy to decide whether the decision
will suit the animals in conserving them or they are rather being
tortured cruelly. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/435957/Animals-in-captivity-Is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-good-zoo
While forest officers said that an
enquiry had been initiated in the matter, sources said that the man in
the video was a lion tracker and that he was removing the carcass from
the public gaze.
A video showing a man dragging an animal carcass behind his motorbike
and an Asiatic lion following the trail went viral on Wednesday. While
forest officers said that an enquiry had been initiated in the matter,
sources said that the man in the video was a lion tracker and that he
was removing the carcass from the public gaze.
In the 15 second long-video, a man riding a motorbike is seen
emerging from a dirt track. A carcass tied to his motorbike and being
dragged leaves a plume of dust in its wake. Just a few seconds later, a
male Asiatic lion emerges from the dust plume, apparently following the
carcass even as bystanders are heard saying, “There comes the lion!”
Dushyant Vasavada, the chief conservator of forests of Junagadh
wildlife circle, said that the forest department had taken cognisance of
the incident.
“Today, one video has gone viral in which a person on a motorbike is
dragging dead body of an animal which is being followed by a lion.
Forest department has already started an enquiry,” Vasavada said.
Vasavada further said that the enquiry had already made a head-start.
“The person (dragging the carcass) has been identified and so is the
spot. Strict action will be taken against all offenders involved in the
crime,” added Vasavada. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-video-showing-man-dragging-carcass-behind-his-bike-and-followed-by-lion-goes-viral-5729844/
More than 208 lions have been given to various zoos in exchange, of which 31 were sent to zoos outside IndiaAHMEDABAD: After chief minister Vijay Rupani approved the transfers of 14 lions to zoos in Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab and Maharashtra, at least 14 more zoos across the country are
waiting for the CM’s approval to get Asiatic lions, for which the number
of lions involved could touch 25. Nearly three years since the last set
of lion transfers to zoos, the state government recently approved the
exchange of 14 lions. The transfers of 25-odd animals more are lined up
for approval from the Central Zoo Authority of India and a final nod
from CM Rupani. Principal chief conservator of forests A K Saxena
said, “We have given in-principle approval for translocating zoo-bred
lions to 10 zoos and these proposals are awaiting approval from the
CZAI. The department is yet to decide on moving lions to Jammu and
Kashmir, due to concerns that they may not survive the cold weather.
Proposals from four other zoos are yet to be processed.” He said that
the rules do not allow for wild lions to be given to zoos. Only
second-generation captive-bred lions can be exchanged for other animals.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/14-lions-to-roars-at-indian-zoos/articleshow/69332582.cms
A count of ungulates gives the forest
department an idea of the availability of prey-base for the top predator
lions as well as other predators like leopards, hyenas, wolves etc.
Every year, the forest department of Gujarat conducts a census of
herbivores in Gir forest and other protected areas, the last abode in
the world of Asiatic lions.
The census covers wild ungulates like spotted deer, blue bulls
(nilgais), sambars, Indian gazelles (chinkaras), four-horned antelopes
(choshinga) and wild boars. Additionally, the forest department also
counts Indian langurs as well as peafowl.
Wild ungulates and langurs are the main prey of Asiatic lions, the
endangered big cat species whose only wild population in the world is
surviving in 22,000 square kilometre area, known as greater Gir area and
spread across Junagadh, Gir Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in
Saurashtra region of Gujarat.
Census of herbivores at Gir: Why in summer?
During summer, foliage is reduced to its minimum levels in dry and
deciduous tropical forests like Gir. Such a forest affords the best
visibility and by extension, opportunities to spot maximum number of
wild animals in the forest.
Advertising
During this time of the year, availability of surface water in Gir
goes down significantly. Consequently, wild animals concentrate around
water points, more than 450 of them artificial, and filled up by the
forest department. These water points are mainly located along forest
tracks and thus makes it easy for forest staff to access areas with a
higher concentration of wild animals.
Forest department divides the Gir forest in generally 19 routes and
forest divisions for the purpose of the census. Teams transact routes
thrice — morning, afternoon and evening, and mainly remain dependent on
direct sighting of animals. The field trips are conducted for two days
for collecting sample data. Results are announced after analysing data.
Why is census of herbivores in Gir forest important?
A count of ungulates gives the forest department an idea of the
availability of prey-base for the top predator lions as well as other
predators like leopards, hyenas, wolves etc. Such a count helps the
forest department to notice any changes in the food availability for
lions and also indicates the health of the forest in general and of
fauna in particular.
A strong base of ungulates can reduce depredation of livestock by
lions within Gir forest as well as on the periphery of the forest and
thus can reduce the man-animal conflict. Incidentally, Gujarat
government had argued against translocation of Asiatic lions to
Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh stating prey-base in that
sanctuary needed to be studied more rigorously.
What has been the herbivore population trend in recent years?
Since 1974, the population of herbivorous in Gir forest has been on
the rise. In 2013, the population of ungulates was estimated to be
1,26,893 or 76.49 animals per square kilometres. That translates to 8000
kg of biomass available to carnivorous, very close to the levels in
Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The population of ungulates was
1,07,172 in 2010. Incidentally, lion census is due in May next year. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-does-gujarat-conduct-census-on-herbivores-in-gir-forest-5725757/
With the complete genome of royal Bengal tiger, African Cheetah and
Jaguar available, comparative studies of all these big cats would be
possible.
For the first time, the entire genome of Asiatic lion, an endangered
species, has been sequenced by scientists from CSIR-Centre for Cellular
and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.
De novo sequencing and
annotation have resulted in a draft assembly of the entire genome of a
male Asiatic lion. “This firsthand information would help us to better
understand the evolution of Asiatic lions and also make possible
comparative analysis with other big cats,” says Dr. Ajay Gaur, the lead
author of the study, which was recently published online in BioRxiv, the
pre-print website.
Comparitive study
With the
complete genome of royal Bengal tiger, African Cheetah and Jaguar
available, comparative studies of all these big cats would be possible.
He said only partial genomic information of the African lion was
available now. Comparative genomics between African and Asiatic lions
could be undertaken once the complete genome of the African lion is
sequenced.
The population of the endangered Asiatic lion is very
low — only 523 animals are present in the Gir forests. The genome
sequencing would enable scientists to develop specific markers to study
population genetics (the
differences at the gene level within a population) and get newer
insights into its population status and subsequent management.
Comparative
analysis with other felids and mammalian genomes unravelled the
evolutionary history of the Asiatic lion and its position among other
felids. The study noted that the evaluation of genetic diversity placed
the Asiatic lion in the lowest bracket of genomic diversity index
highlighting the gravity of its conservation status.
The genome is estimated to be 2.3 Gb (Gigabase) long and is found to have 20,543 protein-coding genes.
Multi-pronged approach
Dr.
Gaur says that they found several candidate genes which are
up-regulated in Asiatic lion and a few of them were specific to males.
As
regards the crucial aspect of conservation of Asiatic lions, he says
there is a need to adopt a multi-pronged approach and the study will
enable better disease and population management of the endangered big
cat by identifying characteristics which are specific to Asiatic lions.
CCMB
Director, Dr. Rakesh Mishra says candidate genes which are specific to
Asiatic lion can be identified by comparing with other big cats. The
final objective is to understand the species at DNA level and study if
there are any specific problems with regard to adaptability to
environment or behaviour vis-à-vis other big cats.
May 10, 2019 M Lokeswara Rao IFS (Rtd) Director, Protect Our Species, Earth Day Network; Former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services’ (IPBES) warned on 7 May 2019 of one million
species at the risk of going extinct at least in part due to humankind’s
activities. The report’s findings were carefully examined and
negotiated by representatives of 132 governments before it was finalised
and approved. The landmark report is a cumulation of nearly 15,000
studies, government reports as well as reports from indigenous and local
communities. It is also the first appraisal of the earth’s biodiversity
of global scale since 2005, and shows alarming statistics about species
loss alongside strategies to overcome them. It’s grim stuff.
The Earth has seen five mass extinctions so far, where species
were lost in the millions. The largest mass extinction took place some
250 million years ago, and drove 90 percent of sea life and 70 percent
of life on land into extinct in what’s now being called “the Great
Dying”. A domino effect triggered by a volcanic eruption triggered
extreme changes to the environment that ended in the bulk of natural
diversity dying off. The planet is undergoing a sixth mass extinction –
the sixth time in the history of life on Earth that global fauna has
experienced a major collapse in numbers. Earlier mass extinctions have
been caused by catastrophic events like asteroid collisions. This time,
however, human activities are to blame such as deforestation, mining,
and carbon-dioxide emissions that cause the planet to heat up.
The new UN report the IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment Report on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services looks at how the unprecedented
global destruction and rapid reduction of plant and wildlife populations
are directly linked to causes driven by human activity: climate change,
deforestation, habitat loss, trafficking and poaching, unsustainable
agriculture, pollution and pesticides to name a few. The impacts are far
reaching.
The UN has proclaimed 22 May the International Day for Biological
Diversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity
issues. The theme of the 2019 edition will be ‘Our Biodiversity, Our
Food, Our Health’. This year’s celebrations of the International Day for
Biological Diversity, on 22 May 2019, focus on biodiversity as the
foundation for our food and health and a key catalyst to transforming
food systems and improving human health. The theme aims to leverage
knowledge and spread awareness of the dependency of our food systems,
nutrition, and health on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. The theme
also celebrates the diversity provided by our natural systems for human
existence and well-being on Earth, while contributing to other
Sustainable Development Goals, including climate change mitigation and
adaptation, ecosystems restoration, cleaner water and zero hunger, among
others.
We are celebrating biodiversity day at the time of releasing of
UN report — the IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services. We have more responsibility to protect the
biodiversity to decelerate the sixth extinction. Severe stress on wild
habitat, over exploitation, fragmentation of habitats, climate change,
invasive species etc. Ministry of Environment and Forests and climate
Change, Government of India has launched ‘Recovery programme for
Critically Endangered Species’ is one of the three components of the
centrally funded scheme, Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats
(IDWH) started in 2008-09. Seventeen (17) species have been identified
under the recovery programme. These are the Snow Leopard, Bustard
(including Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles,
Dugongs, Edible Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode,
Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros,
Asiatic Lion, Swamp Deer and Jerdon’s Courser.
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently added four
species- the Northern River Terrapin, Clouded Leopard, Arabian Sea
Humpback Whale, Red Panda- to a Recovery Programme on the recommendation
of a Standing Committee. Totally 21 species are identified under
recovery programme. Department of Posts has released 17 critically
endangered species stamps which are in recovery programme.
Earth Day Network a global environment NGO that grew out of the
first Earth Day (April 22nd, 1970) and today, 48 years later engages
with over 50,000 organizations in some 190+ countries.Earth Day theme
for global focus for this year is 2019 theme is Protect Our Species.
Earth Day Network has begun work protecting and conserving biodiversity
and on helping protect the critically endangered species like Hangul in
Kashmir the Gangetic Dolphin in Varanasi etc.
Earth Day network India has show casing these stamps in social
media and website to create awareness under it’s “protect our species
campaign” under its programme Know our species some of the critically
endangered species stamps from the collection of Mr Rao are shown here.
India has issued first stamp on Wildlife Great one horned Rhinoceros in
1962. It is our duty to protect our species by spreading the message the
importance of flora and fauna by protecting habitat and adopting
ecofriendly habits on the occasion of International Biodiversity Day.https://morungexpress.com/protect-our-species/
TEHRAN —
Iran’s Department of Environment (DOE) has no specific plans for
reintroduction of Asiatic lion into the wild for the time being, Majid
Kharrazian-Moqaddam, director of the wildlife conservation and
management at the DOE, has said.
Species reintroduction is the
deliberate release of a species into the wild, from captivity or other
areas where the organism is capable of survival. The goal of species
reintroduction is to establish a healthy, genetically diverse,
self-sustaining population to an area where it has been extirpated, or
to augment an existing population.
Species that may be eligible for
reintroduction are typically threatened or endangered in the wild.
Because reintroduction may involve returning native species to
localities where they had been extirpated, some prefer the term
"reestablishment".
Disappeared for 80 years, Persian lion
once prowled from the Middle East to India, while currently only a
fraction of these magnificent animals survive in the wild, which range
is restricted to the Gir National Park and environs in the Indian state
of Gujarat.
A male Persian lion, born 6 years ago, was
sent to Tehran Zoological Garden from Britain’s Bristol Zoo on May 1,
under a population management program aiming at endangered species
reproduction by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Iran will soon host a female lion of the
same subspecies from Ireland to accompany the recently returned male
lion through the conservation program.
And now speculation are running rampant,
as some are starting to predict that the animal will be reintroduced
into the Iran’s wild once again after long decades of extinction
On the International Union for
Conservation of Nature Red List, Asiatic lion is listed under its former
scientific name Panthera leo persica as Endangered because of its small
population size and area of occupancy.
Conflicts with humans, wildfires,
poaching, habitat loss, canine distemper virus, decreases in population
sizes of native ungulates were among the threats pushed the lions toward
extinction in Iran, while lack of protection measures and plans is not
deniable either.
“DOE welcomes Asiatic lion’s return to the
country after decades of disappearance, however, we have only permitted
the return of the animal to the zoo and will monitor its condition and
have no plans for its reintroduction for the moment,” IRNA news agency
quoted Kharrazian-Moqaddam as saying on Wednesday.
Currently the only purpose of the return of the animal is keeping it at the zoo, he highlighted.
DOE’s priority is to protect the species
which are already existing in the country [and not reintroduction of the
extinct ones], he stated.
The DOE official went on to say that in
order to reintroduce a species into the wild it is essential to restore
its former habitats meaning minimizing human conflicts, increasing prey
population, and in general omitting current threats to the animals.
Maybe in the future we decide to plan a
reintroduction scheme for Asiatic lion in the country, however, making
the necessary arrangement may take years, he concluded.
Historical records in Iran indicate that
the Asiatic lion ranged from the Khuzestan Plain to the Fars in steppe
vegetation and pistachio-almond woodlands. It was widespread in the
country, but in the 1870s, it was sighted only on the western slopes of
the Zagros Mountains, and in the forest regions south of Shiraz.
Some of the country's last lions were
sighted in 1941 between Shiraz and Jahrom in Fars province, and in 1942,
a lion was spotted about 65 km northwest of Dezful. In 1944, the corpse
of a lioness was found on the banks of Karun River in Khuzestan
province. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/435694/No-plans-for-reintroduction-of-Asiatic-lion-DOE-official
By 10am on the first day of voting in India’s marathon general
election, the village of Malogam had already recorded a turnout of 100
per cent.
Lying in the Himalayan foothills of Arunachal Pradesh
state, near the borders with Burma and China, Malogam has one registered
voter. Sokela Tayang, 39, arrived early at the tin shed serving as a
polling station a month ago. She cast her ballot and her finger was
marked with indelible ink... https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/india-election-poll-staff-brave-crocodile-and-trek-jungles-to-deliver-one-man-one-vote-ccv6qm8wg
Eram Zoo in Tehran is now home to the Asiatic Lion, which has been
extinct in the country for almost 80 years. The last remaining Asiatic
lion was sighted about 80 years ago in Iran. Before and after the
Islamic Revolution (1979) Iran made attempts to bring back Asiatic lion
to Iran, but Indians did not cooperate.
The National
Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Gujarat government to submit a
report of environmental damage due to illegal limestone mining in Gir
Somnath and Junagadh districts of the state after an NGO filed an
application that these mines were operating without the required
permissions.
The NGT had set a precedent in the Meghalaya “rat-hole” mining cases
of the polluter pays principle. Its order had led to the creation of the
‘Meghalaya Environment Protection and Restoration Fund’ to which those
violating the law had to contribute, and has Rs 410 crore credited to it
so far, for the restoration of the environment. The Tribunal had
directed the State of Meghalaya to deposit a sum of Rs 100 crore as an
interim measure which would be recovered from the violators of the law,
including the colluding officers of the government. It had also
appointed a committee to address issues of restoration of the damage to
the environment and rehabilitation.
Representational image. Reuters
In the present case in Gujarat, Ms Sreeja Chakraborty, the lawyer for
the applicant, said the leased areas varied from two to 15 hectares and
the closest mine is within 5 km of the protected area, the Gir Forest
National Park. However, a stay in 2017 by the Gujarat high court on the
draft eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around protected areas has compounded the
matter. While none of the leased mines appear to be within the zone as
demarcated, there are mines which are not officially leased in
existence, as the NGO has found out by surveying the mines and comparing
royalty figures. There is already an issue of limestone mining near the
Gir sanctuary as the National Board for Wildlife has cleared limestone
mining in the eco-sensitive zone around Gir in March 2018 despite the
stay. A public interest litigation challenged the reduction of the area
of the eco-sensitive zone from 3.33 lakh hectares to 1.14 lakh hectares
to possibly include the mining villages. The final notification reduced the buffer zone
range from the proposed minimum of 8 km and a maximum of 17 km from the
boundary of the sanctuary, to a mere 500 m to 4 km, and some of the
villages where the mining was proposed were 4 km from the sanctuary. As a
result, with no finality on the eco-sensitive zone and the
overpopulation of lions in Gir, and some living outside the protected
area, there is no saying where these animals can stray.
The NGO - Protection of Environment and Public Service Committee,
contended that these limestone mines were operating since many years
without environment clearance from the state authority or consent to
operate from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and repeated
complaints have been ignored. As a last resort, it approached the
Western Zonal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune.
The NGT, in an order of 1 May 2019, was of the view that further
action is required to be taken by the concerned authorities on the same
principle as passed in a batch of cases, one of them being the threat to
life from the coal mining case in South Garo Hills in Meghalaya that
involved similar factual positions as in this case.
Accordingly, the NGT has asked the Gujarat authorities to assess and
submit a report on damages on account of (i) Net Present Value (NPV)* of
the ecological services forgone forever, (ii) cost of damage to
environment and pristine ecology, (iii) cost of mitigation and
restitution of the environment and (iv) deterrent environmental
compensation distinct from the earlier three heads. The report is to be
submitted by email before the next date of hearing on 24 July.
During the hearing, Dhruv Pal, counsel for Gujarat government,
submitted that the government would not permit the mining and that
appropriate action has been taken against erring parties. He also said
that all illegal mining of limestone in the area in question have since
remained un-operational, some of which date back to about two years.
Earlier, in the first hearing in February 2019, despite notices by the
NGT, no reply was filed by the Gujarat State Level Environment Impact
Assessment Authority (SEIAA), the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB)
and concerned collectors of the Mines Department of the State of
Gujarat.
The members of this NGO through
information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in 2018 found that
the mining was taking place without environmental clearance from SEIAA
or even consent to operate under the Air (prevention and control of
pollution) act, 1981 and the Water (prevention and control of pollution)
act, 1974, from the GPCB. The application was filed in August 2018
against some 14 miners and the NGT first heard the case in February
2019. In that hearing, the NGT ordered for a joint inspection report
from the Gujarat SEIAA, the GPCB and the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEF) particularly with reference to the grant of
environmental clearance and consent under the Air Act and Water Act.
On 1 May, the NGT after considering the joint inspection report filed
by Gujarat SEIAA, GPCB and the MoEF, directed an assessment of damage
due to mining as mentioned above. However, the mining has not been
stopped and in fact, the major issue is that the miners have, in some
cases, not mined from the areas where they claim to be extracting the
limestone. Instead, they are operating in other areas, according to Ms
Chakraborty. The application to the NGT raised substantial questions of
the environment and impact from large-scale, illegal and unauthorised
mining by 14 lease-holders in about 90 hectares.
While the applicant during his investigation found little mining
activity in the leased areas, royalty was being paid to the government
as the RTI showed and it is suspected that the mining is happening in
other areas which are not leased. This was verified from the royalty
that is paid to the government which totals over Rs 1.6 crore from 2001
to 2015. In a case by case analysis, the application has shown that
mining is not taking place in the leased area as there is no activity
visible after photographs were taken of the area. For example, in
Jasadhar village in Somnath Gir district, in one of the leased areas of 2
hectares, 2,96,918.556 tonnes of limestone was excavated till 2015-16.
Yet the area shows no evidence of this and the royalty amount paid was
quite high.
Illegal mining is in violation of the Environment Impact Assessment
Notification of 2006, under the Environment Protection Rules 1986. To
operate such mines, the owners should have got environmental clearance
and consent to operate from the GPCB.
The limestone extracted is being sold to the cement factories in the
two districts. It is classified as a major mineral and mining is in the
red category of industries which are hazardous.
The illegality was detected in 2014 by the NGO which is facing
threats for this exposure. In July 2018, after it obtained information
under RTI from the mining and geology section of the Industries and
Mines department in Gujarat on these illegal mines, the NGO had
submitted them to the relevant authorities demanding action but nothing
was done. The NGO raised the issue of the royalty being paid to the
government when the actual leased areas where not being mined, pointing
to the possibility of mining outside of those leased areas. In any case,
no permission seems to have been sought or granted for any of this
mining activity.
The GPCB did launch prosecution against the offenders but there is
little action on the ground. Limestone mining has many reported
environmental impacts including habitat destruction, contamination of
groundwater, dust pollution, and mines need to comply with certain
environmental measures. However, when mines are illegal it becomes
difficult to assess and quantify them or enforce anti-pollution
measures. *Traditionally, the benefit-cost analysis uses the net present value
(NPV) formula, which adds up revenue and expenditures over a period of
time and discounts those cash flows by the cost of money (an interest
rate). The NPV calculation effectively states the lifetime value of an
investment in present terms. https://www.firstpost.com/india/illegal-limestone-mining-near-gir-forest-ngt-orders-state-govt-to-submit-report-on-environmental-damage-6606761.html
An artificial water point in Gir forest. Gujarat Forest Department
Gir National Park and Sanctuary, which is the core habitat of the
endangered Asiatic lions, is spread over 1,453 sq km across Junagadh,
Gir Somnath and Amreli.
WITH NATURAL water holes drying up early this summer due to deficient
monsoon last year, the forest department has started filling up
artificial water points in Gir forest and other protected areas, which
are the only natural abode of Asiatic lions in the world.
“The rainfall was good in Gir (west) division, but somewhat deficient
in Gir (east). Therefore, we started filling up the artificial water
points from last December. Presently, we are filling up 452 artificial
points to make water available for the wild animals,” Dushyant Vasavada,
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of Junagadh Wildlife Circle said on
Wednesday.
He added they usually start repairing and restoring the artificial
water points from November. “This season, we restored 30 such points,”
Vasavada said.
The CCF added 205 labourers had been engaged to manage these water
points and that various methods were being used for filling up these
holes. “We are filling up 104 artificial water points by windmills, 60
with solar pumps and 26 by diesel engines. We have also pressed 57
tankers,” he said.
Advertising
Gir National Park and Sanctuary, which is the core habitat of the
endangered Asiatic lions, is spread over 1,453 sq km across Junagadh,
Gir Somnath and Amreli.
Seven rivers — Hiran, Saraswati, Datardi, Shingoda, Machhundri,
Ghodavadi and Raval — are the lifeline of the precious forest, while
four dams, including Kamleshwar and Shingoda, are also important water
sources. But forest officers said that stretches of these rivers as well
as many other rivulets have run dry this summer, warranting artificial
water points. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/gujarat-natural-sources-running-dry-gir-artificial-water-holes-animals-5720189/
It might be worth
the NTCA’s while to study how the problem was said to have been
addressed in Gujarat ~ there too an increased population had resulted in
the lions spreading beyond the protected zones.
Editorial | New Delhi | May 9, 2019 12:27 am
It might be worth the NTCA’s
while to study how the problem was said to have been addressed in
Gujarat ~ there too an increased population had resulted in the lions
spreading beyond the protected zones.
Editorial | New Delhi | May 9, 2019 12:27 am
Poachers have also been active since the sale of body parts to China
remains as lucrative as ever. (Representational Image: iStock)
Five years ago a collective sigh of relief was breathed when a
census put the number of tigers in the wild at 2,226 ~ it had dwindled
to a three-figure level a little earlier.
land is running out. The malaise is
nation-wide: with 148 deaths Madhya Pradesh topped the unhappy list,
followed by Maharashtra (107), Karnataka (100) and Uttarakhand (82).
Even the death roll in the current year is headed by those two
states. Poachers have also been active since the sale of body parts to
China remains as lucrative as ever. Rail and road accidents are other
factors too, but electrified fencing remains the “number one enemy”.
It might be worth the NTCA’s while to study how the problem was said
to have been addressed in Gujarat ~ there too an increased population
had resulted in the lions spreading beyond the protected zones. Yet,
what works in one region need not necessarily work in another, “local
expertise” needs to be tapped.
The key to all conservation lies in the priority it receives from the
Central government down to the local forest management staff. While in
the last few years a number of grandiose schemes have been announced,
the protection of flora and fauna have hardly been mentioned. Even the
cleansing of rivers has failed to attain targets: the ministry for
environment and forests simply muddles along.
Even Maneka Gandhi has opted to play a token role. The government is
so focused on “nationalism” (which translates into giving Pakistan a
bloody nose) that the unique riches of the Indian jungle are
consistently overlooked. The jungle is sorely in need of an energetic
minister for environment and forest ~ regardless of his/her party\
affiliation.
"As part of the animal exchange programme, two lions and six
lionesses from Sakkarbaug will be shifted to a zoo at Gorakhpur in UP.
The Central Zoo Authority has allowed the transfer of eight big cats," Junagadh wildlife circle's chief conservator of forests Dushyant Vasavada said.
However, it was not yet decided as to which animal will be transferred from Gorakhpur to Gujarat under the exchange pact, he said.
"We are ready for the transfer. Now, it is for the Gorakhpur zoo to decide on the time," Vasavada said.
He
said after governments of the two states agreed for the shifting of
lions, a proposal was sent to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) which
recently gave its nod for it. Sakkarbaug zoo
said to be the second oldest in the country -- is the nodal centre for
providing Asiatic lions to other zoos and safaris in the state and the
country.
The CZA permits exchange between zoos after checking
whether the host has proper health facilities and enclosures for the
animals.
The Gir wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat is the last abode of Asiatic lions in the world.
As
per the last census in 2015, there were around 523 lions in the state,
mainly in the forest areas of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Amreli and
Bhavnagar districts.
(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/8-lions-from-gujarat-to-be-shifted-to-up-zoo-119050700518_1.html
Gir forest and other protected areas spread across Junagadh, Gir
Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in Saurashtra region are the
only natural abode of Asiatic lions in the world. But a number of lions
freely roam through revenue areas surrounding the protected forest
areas.The accused were detained by the staff
of Junagadh forest division on Sunday while they were watching and
harassing an Asiatic lion on the bank of the Hiran river in Mandor
village on Sunday. Revenue areas are not considered part of the wildlife
sanctuary.
SIX Persons, including a juvenile, were held by the forest department
on Monday after they were allegedly caught red-handed organising an
illegal lion show in revenue area Veraval taluka of Gir Somnath
district.
The accused were detained by the staff of Junagadh forest division on
Sunday while they were watching and harassing an Asiatic lion on the
bank of the Hiran river in Mandor village on Sunday. Revenue areas are
not considered part of the wildlife sanctuary.
Dushyant Vasavada, in-charge chief conservator of forests of Junagadh
circle, said that five of the six accused were formally arrested on
Monday and produced in a court in Veraval town.
Five of the six accused were identified as Aniruddha Nathani (30),
Hiren Vaishnav (28), Milan Shukla (31), Abhishek Shukla (33), Suraj
Trivedi (18) and a 17-year-old boy from Visavadar town of Junagadh
district. Forest officers said that Aniruddha, Milan, Abhishek and Suraj
were residents of Bhavnagar district while Vaishnav was a resident of
Visavadar.
Advertising
“They were caught while Vaishnav was staging an illegal lion show,
and booked under sections related to the hunting of Schedule-I animal of
the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,” SK Berwal, deputy conservator of
forests (DCF) of Junagadh forest division told The Indian Express.
“We produced them before a magistrate in Veraval in the evening
(Monday) with a remand application. But the court granted bail to four
of the accused while Vaishnav was sent to judicial custody. We shall
produce the minor before he juvenile justice board on Tuesday.”
The DCF also said that Vaishnav, who lives in Rajkot, was the prime
accused as he had staged the illegal lion show. “We shall probe the
trail of money paid for the show,” he added.
Berwal said that some locals had protested action by the forest
department saying that the lion had been roaming in the revenue area.
“But Wildlife (Protection) Act applies where wild animals range. The
matter was brought to the notice of Gir Somnath district police and the
police have filed a case of deterring public servants from performing
their duties,” he said.
Gir forest and other protected areas spread across Junagadh, Gir
Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts in Saurashtra region are the
only natural abode of Asiatic lions in the world. But a number of lions
freely roam through revenue areas surrounding the protected forest
areas. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-six-held-for-illegal-lion-show-in-gir-5713822/
TEHRAN —
Tehran Zoological Garden, also known as Eram Zoo, will be home to
Asiatic lion, which was extinct in the country for almost 80 years, a
veterinarian at Eram Zoo has said.
According to Iman Memarian the last
remaining Asiatic lion was sighted about 80 years ago in Iran. He went
on to explain that before and after the Islamic Revolution (1979) Iran
made attempts to bring back Asiatic lion to Iran, but Indians did not
cooperate.
Tehran Zoological Garden has put in
efforts to bring back Asiatic lion to Iran for 6 years, he said, adding
that, “we submitted our request to the European Association of Zoos and
Aquaria (EAZA).”
“We also developed a lion pen which complied with EAZA's standards,” Memarian highlighted.
According to the National Geographic
nearly all wild lions live in sub-Saharan Africa, but one small
population of Asiatic lions exists in India's Gir Forest. Asiatic lions
and African lions are subspecies of the same species.
European Endangered Species Programme
(EEP) recommended that a male and a female lions will be brought to
Iran, however, U.S sanctions against Iran has complicated the transfer.
And now after years of collective attempts
on Wednesday morning Tehran Zoological Garden will celebrate the return
of the Asiatic lion to the country, Memarian concluded.
Asiatic lions once prowled from the Middle
East to India. Now, only a fraction of these magnificent animals
survive in the wild. Its range is restricted to the Gir National Park
and environs in the Indian state of Gujarat. The Gir Forest's dry teak
woods were once a royal hunting ground. Today they are a reserve where
these at-risk big cats are heavily protected.
On the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is listed under its former
scientific name Panthera leo persica as Endangered because of its small
population size and area of occupancy. It was also known as "Indian
lion" and "Persian lion".
Until the 19th century, it occurred in
eastern Turkey, Iran, Mesopotamia, and from east of the Indus River to
Bengal and Narmada River in Central India. Since the turn of the 20th
century, it is restricted to the Gir Forest National Park and
surrounding areas.
Historical records in Iran indicate that
it ranged from the Khuzestan Plain to the Fars in steppe vegetation and
pistachio-almond woodlands. It was widespread in the country, but in the
1870s, it was sighted only on the western slopes of the Zagros
Mountains, and in the forest regions south of Shiraz. Some of the
country's last lions were sighted in 1941 between Shiraz and Jahrom in
Fars province, and in 1942, a lion was spotted about 65 km northwest of
Dezful. In 1944, the corpse of a lioness was found on the banks of Karun
River in Khuzestan province.
Conflicts with humans, wildfires,
poaching, canine distemper virus, decreases in population sizes of
native ungulates are of the threats to the lions.
Photo: Getty Images
In the present case in Gujarat, Ms Sreeja Chakraborty, the lawyer for
the applicant, said the leased areas varied from two to 15 hectares and
the closest mine is within 5 km of the protected area, the Gir Forest
National Park. However, a stay in 2017 by the Gujarat high court on the
draft eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around protected areas has compounded the
matter. While none of the leased mines appear to be within the zone as
demarcated, there are mines which are not officially leased in
existence, as the NGO has found out by surveying the mines and comparing
royalty figures. There is already an issue of limestone mining near the
Gir sanctuary as the National Board for Wildlife has cleared limestone
mining in the eco-sensitive zone around Gir in March 2018 despite the
stay. A public interest litigation challenged the reduction of the area
of the eco-sensitive zone from 3.33 lakh hectares to 1.14 lakh hectares
to possibly include the mining villages. The final notification reduced the buffer zone
range from the proposed minimum of 8 km and a maximum of 17 km from the
boundary of the sanctuary, to a mere 500 m to 4 km, and some of the
villages where the mining was proposed were 4 km from the sanctuary. As a
result, with no finality on the eco-sensitive zone and the
overpopulation of lions in Gir, and some living outside the protected
area, there is no saying where these animals can stray.
