Lioness found dead in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.

PTI | 05:12 PM,Dec 03,2011

Vadodara, Dec 3 (PTI) A lioness has been found dead in Paniya forest range of Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat's Junagadh district, Forest Department officials said today. The carcass of the eight-year-old wild cat was spotted yesterday in the sanctuary, the last abode of Asiatic lions, said Manishwar Raja, Deputy Conservator of Forest. "Post-mortem revealed that she died after being attacked by a lion," he told PTI by phone. According to the last Census conducted in 2010, there are 411 lions in the Gir region. PTI COR RSY HK
Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/lioness-found-dead-in-gir-wildlife-sanctuary/921744.html

223 lions, 193 leopards died in Gir in last four years.

Published: Monday, Dec 5, 2011, 8:09 IST
By Roxy Gagdekar | Place: Ahmedabad | Agency: DNA 

Even as Gujarat prides itself as the only home to the Asiatic lions in India at Gir National park, as many as 223 lions and 193 leopards have died in the sanctuary since 2006-07. The last census of lions in 2010 revealed that there were 411 lions in the Gir Sanctuary.
In reply to an application filed under the Right to Information Act (RTI), the office of the chief forest conservator informed out of 223 deaths, seven were the result of poaching while others died of natural causes or accidental deaths. The number of death due to natural causes stood at 182, while 33 have died due to accidents.
The last lion killed by poachers was in 2009-10. SK Nanda, principal secretary of forest and environment department, Gujarat said he was not aware of any poaching cases in the last couple of years.
When DNA pointed out that this data was revealed under the RTI, he said they could be ‘alleged poaching cases’. He insisted, “There has been no poaching death in Gir. Local people are aware, and poachers can’t function in the region without their support.”
According to the information made available under the RTI, most of the natural deaths were caused by brain hemorrhage. A source close to the development said usually a lion suffers from brain hemorrhage when it collides with a tree or a rock after running tirelessly, especially when it hears a sound or sees a light in the midnight.
The RTI activist, who didn’t want to be named, said it was puzzling to find that most of the lions have died due to brain hemorrhage. “It could only happen if the lion runs because of fear and collides with a tree or rock,” he said.
The activist also claimed the state government’s figures related to the lions population are misleading.
The activist claimed the number of deaths mentioned in the RTI reply only takes into account the lions whose post-mortem have been conducted. “There are many lions whose autopsy is usually not conducted and they are directly immersed,” he claimed.
Pointing out the reason behind the unnatural or accidental death of 33 lions, in last five years, the activist said, “Lions have either fallen into the open pits or in the open well”.
Principal chief conservator of forest, Pradip Khanna could not be reached for comment.
Source: http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_223-lions-193-leopards-died-in-gir-in-last-four-years_1621407

Is Gujarat's pride taking a beating?

Source: Roxy Gagdekar, DNA   |   Last Updated 02:52(05/12/11)

Ahmedabad: Gujarat prides itself as the only place in the world where Asiatic lions are found but since the year 2006-07 as many as 223 lions and 193 leopards have died in the Gir National park and sanctuary. According to 2010 census, there were 411 lions in Gir.
In reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI), the office of the chief forest conservator revealed that of the 223 lion deaths in the region, 182 had died due to natural causes while 33 had died in accidents. Seven lions had died because of poaching.
The last time a lion was killed by poachers was in 2009-10. However, SK Nanda, principal secretary, forest and environment department, Gujarat said that he was not aware of any poaching cases in the last couple of years.
When DNA pointed out that the data on lion deaths in Gir had been acquired under RTI, he said the data could be about 'suspected poaching cases'.
"There has been no poaching death in Gir. Local people are alert and poachers can't operate in the region without their support," Nanda said.
According to the information made available under RTI, most of the lions which died because of natural cases had suffered brain hemorrhage.
An RTI activist close to the development said that a lion usually suffers from brain hemorrhage when it collides with a tree or rock after running tirelessly on hearing a sound or seeing light late in the night.
Source: http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD-is-gujarats-pride-taking-a-beating-2615802.html

Gujarat government orders insulation of high tension cables to save flamingos.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Dec 2, 2011, 05.05AM IST

AHMEDABAD: Insulate high tension cables or put them underground when they run close to the breeding grounds of the migratory greater flamingos in the Khadir region of Kutch. The state forest & environment department issued this order to the Gujarat Energy Transmission Company (Getco) on Thursday after TOI reported that 400 flamingos were electrocuted in the past 10 days.

Principal secretary, forests & environment, SK Nanda told TOI, "Getco will have to complete the work before September 2012, before a new batch of flamingos arrives." He also asked senior forest officers to identify other such sites where the birds may be in danger. "We will ensure the cables are laid underground at all sites used by the flamingos." The officials have already identified an eight km stretch in Khadir where maximum birds have been killed.

TOI had reported on Thursday that the largest number of birds may have been killed at night. They may have been startled by a passing vehicle or an attack by a predatory bird and flown straight into the high tension cables difficult to see in the dark. On Thursday, Gujarat principal chief conservator of forests S K Goyal held a series of meetings with Getco officials to find out ways to reduce flamingo deaths. Surinder Kumar Negi, Getco's managing director, said, "We are sending a team of experts to the area to find a solution."

Until the cables are put underground, Getco will cover them with reflector tape which will shine at night and hopefully keep the birds at bay. 

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-government-orders-insulation-of-high-tension-cables-to-save-flamingos/articleshow/10951688.cms

400 flamingos die in Gujarat .

1 Dec, 2011, 12.20AM IST, Himanshu Kaushik,TNN 

AHMEDABAD: Greater Flamingos, which fly thousands of miles from Siberia to breed in the warm marshes of the Khadir region in Kutch, are landing into a death trap. In the past 10 days, at least 400 of these graceful birds have been electrocuted by high tension cables near their breeding grounds.

D K Sharma, chief conservator of forests, admitted to at least 130 deaths, but locals and ornithologists have been recording much higher numbers. The flamingoes have landed in record numbers this year, with one estimate putting their strength at five lakh, the highest ever.

Experts said the deaths were taking place at night, when the birds disturbed by passing vehicles would fly straight into the wires. The 220-400 kilowatt cables can kill a human being instantly.

Bharat Jethawa, census coordinator for Asian Water Birds, said, "It is difficult to estimate the number of deaths, but I saw dead flamingos at three or four places during a recent visit."

This is the second instance of mass electrocution of the birds in Gujarat this year. In June, a large number of flamingoes were similarly killed in Bhavnagar. The dead birds became an easy meal for stray dogs in the area.

Experts said the problem had grown in recent years. In their recently published study titled 'Flamingo mortality due to collision with high tension electric wires in Gujarat', ornithologists Anika Tere and B M Parasharya mapped seven sites in Kutch, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar where high tension cables run close to flamingo sites.

Jugal Tiwari of the Centre for Desert and Ocean said birds of prey like harriers also contribute to the deaths by creating a flutter in flamingo colonies, leading to the birds flying into the cables.

"I have suggested that the cables should be insulated with rubber coating to protect the birds," Tiwari said.

The forest department has written to the state government's energy department, asking for the cables to be either insulated or put underground at places where they run close to flamingo breeding grounds. 
Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/400-flamingos-die-in-gujarat/articleshow/10936754.cms

Night flying costs flamingos their lives.

Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Dec 1, 2011, 02.57AM IST
AHMEDABAD: For some winged visitors a journey of over 2,000 km from Siberia comes to a deadly end just when they swoop in to land in the shallow waters of Kutch. Electric wires char their feathers and even result in death.
This phenomenon has been documented in a study 'Flamingo mortality due to collision with high tension electric wires in Gujarat' by Anika Tere, now with MS University and B M Parasarya of Agriculture University Anand.
The study published in the last week of November 2011, revealed that the flamingoes who are known to fly at night and in low light collide with the near invisible overhead wires because of the negligible reaction time to make evasive manoeuvres.
The study, also concluded that freshly dead flamingos were found in the morning hours suggesting that these overhead wires are not visible at night and in the dark hours of late evenings or early morning.
The study also points out that along the international border, the presence of the electrified barbed wire fence and the electricity lines powering the fence as well as villages on the frontiers make formidable obstructions to the birds. The study takes note of a soldier's narration of how flamingos get trapped in the electric fence on the international border.
The study further reveals that compared to the large population of flamingos and other factors causing mortality, the mortality caused by collision with high tension wires is low.
The duo noted that bird deaths due to collision with power lines at temporary and permanent sites should not be neglected and management plans are required to be drawn up to reduce these threats.
The study reveals that the incidences of collision with utility structures in these parts of Gujarat have remained unnoticed. Flamingos visiting the Rann of Kutch during their breeding season are exposed to such wires only for a short period of the year, however, at other feeding sites such as salt pans and the sewage ponds of urban areas like Bhavnagar and Jamnagar they continuously face the risk of collision as they spend more time there.
Recommendations:
* Technical modifications of such high tension wires will help in regulating collision.
* Wrap wires with colored radium tags, at least in collision sensitive areas. This would make the wires visible during day time and shine during the night hours also. Hence, a marking device could limit the collision threat by improving visibility.
* Power lines should be removed from the sites of frequent collisions and the routes can be altered or underground cables can be laid.
* Maintain critical distance between the wires and the areas inhabited by birds.
* Research and monitoring should be implemented by state governments and electricity companies, in consultation with relevant experts.
* A cooperative effort is required among biologists, authorities within the state forest department and electricity board engineers.
* A further detailed case study can be done to evaluate examples of conflict resolution, case law, or trends.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Night-flying-costs-flamingos-their-lives/articleshow/10937831.cms

Coming soon: Six new zoos .

Wednesday, 30 November 2011 23:36

Moushumi Basu | New Delhi

Much to the delight of children and animal lovers, at least six new zoological gardens are being proposed in the country. Among the major attractions in them will be the first ever Night Safari in the country at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Panther Safari at Raigad in Maharashtra. The new zoos will be in addition to the already existing 22 in the country.
According to sources in the Central Zoo Authority, out of the six proposed zoological gardens that have been granted approval three are in Uttar Pradesh alone. Out of the other three, two are in Maharashtra and one in Madhya Pradesh.
The most awaited is, however, the Greater Noida Night Safari which will be the fourth of its kind in the world after Singapore, China and Thailand. CZA has granted approval under Section 38H(2) of the Wildlife Protection Act. It has also got the mandatory approval by the Supreme Court.
The Lion Safari proposed in Etawah, though having received clearances from both the CZA and the SC, has remained a non-started due to a power tussle between SP and BSP.
Yet another zoo proposed at Ramgarh Tal Development Area in Gorakhpur is expected to house animals from derecognised zoos of the State.
Two other similar proposals for Agra and Muradabad have, however, been shot down on the ground that the proposed sites were within the flood plains of Yamuna and Ram Ganges rivers and thus not suitable for creation of zoos.
Maharashtra being one of the worst-hit States in man-leopard conflicts, CZA has also granted approval for setting up a leopard rescue centre at Ahmednagar. Further, Madhya Pradesh is also expected to have a zoo and animal rescue centre at Satna.
Among the existing top five zoos, the Alipur Zoological Gardens (West-Bengal) is home to rare captive breeding projects involving the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer.
The Allen Forest Zoo (Uttar Pradesh)  is created out of natural forest and its main attractions include white tigers and Asiatic lions. Aringar Anna Zoological Park (Tamil Nadu) is an Avian paradise and roosting ground for migratory birds. It is also home to a wide variety of species of monkeys. While the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park/ Chatbir Zoo (Chandigarh) has Lion Safari and Royal Bengal Tiger as its main draws, the Guwahati Zoo (Assam) has one-horned rhino, Himalayan Black Bear, stump-tailed Macaque and the Hoolock gibbons as its major attractions.
Source: http://dailypioneer.com/nation/24434-coming-soon-six-new-zoos.html

2-km buffer zone to check new constructions at Gir.

Express news service

Posted: Dec 01, 2011 at 0437 hrs IST

Ahmedabad The parallel successes of lion conservation in the Gir sanctuary and a strong tourism promotion drive there has forced the state forest department to establish a no-construction zone within a two-km radius of the protected area.
Top forest officials said they have been “silently” working towards looking at Gir as “Greater Gir”, which not only includes this two-km buffer zone but a thorough mapping of grasslands and scrub-grassland combinations in Amreli and Bhavnagar.
At a biodiversity conference organised jointly by the state’s Environment and Forests (E&F) department, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) here on Wednesday, a top official said that a notification for the two-km buffer zone has already been passed.
“There are pressures from excessive tourism (in Gir), and tourism of course needs a standard infrastructure to sustain it. But the carrying capacity of the region cannot be stretched beyond a certain extent,” said Bharat Pathak, director of the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (Geer) Foundation, an autonomous body set-up by the E&F Department in 1982.
“That’s why we have prohibited the construction of any new tourist resorts in this two-km buffer bordering the protected area. It has been notified already. But the existing structures will remain,” he added.
Pradeep Khanna, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and head of the state’s wildlife, said all commercial structures are prohibited under this new rule.
Replying to a question by CEE’s Kiran Desai on how the department is bracing for possible man-lion conflicts because of the department having “succeeded too much” in its conservation efforts, Khanna said, “Silently, we have added Greater to Gir. Hardly anyone has noticed this.”
“This Greater Gir consists of areas in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts. We have mapped the whole area. Silently, the grasslands have been dedicated to lions. So when you hear about lion sightings there, it’s because we have in a sense paved the way for them to be there,” said Khanna.
Pathak added that the entire Saurashtra region has non-contiguous patches of adequate grasslands and scrub-grasslands where lions can thrive, and it is a possibility, even if unlikely, to have lions “all over Saurashtra”.
Tourist inflow on the rise
Forest department figures show the number of visitors to the Gir has increased tremendously after the tourism department roped in actor Amitabh Bachan to help promote tourism in the state.
Christmas and Diwali festivals, considered the main tourist seasons, have especially shown impressive gains — 58,078 visitors were registered during these two seasons in 2009-2010, which increased to 86,590 in 2010-2011.
The latest count of the Asiatic lion population, released in May 2010, showed an increase of 52 lions from the last count five years ago, taking the total to 411.

The count had also established the presence of lions outside the Gir National Park and Sanctuary area, in the four districts of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Porbandar and Junagadh. Altogether, 76 lions — 21 females and 26 males — were recorded in the greater Gir region.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/2km-buffer-zone-to-check-new-constructions-at-gir/882703/