Roaring success: Lion cub triplets celebrate their first birthday at Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford

Naomi Herring @OxMailNaomiH Reporter covering Bicester. Call me on 01865 425427

THE first lion cub triplets to be born at Cotswold Wildlife Park turned one this week – and it was only to fair for dad to get in on the action when it came to unwrapping presents.
Cubs Kali, Sita and Sonika, celebrated their birthday at the zoo, near Burford, on Thursday. And they received a pile of presents which mum Kanha and dad Rana couldn't resist a sneaky peek at.
Gifts included the cubs' favourite food treats.
The trio were welcomed to the wildlife park on May 25, 2016, the park's pair of rare Asiatic Lions making history with the park's first ever lion triplet litter.
Kanha gave birth to the three female cubs in seclusion in the park's birthing den. One year on, the lively litter are out playing and messing about in the lion enclosure.
Asiatic Lions, native to Gujarat, India, are one of the world’s rarest big cat species. Wild population numbers have declined drastically over the last century, almost to the point of extinction.
http://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/15313665.Roaring_success__Lion_cub_triplets_celebrate_their_first_birthday/?ref=rss

Near Gir Sanctuary: Youth held for holding ‘illegal’ lion shows

The accused knew of spots where lion pride could easily be spotted and used to conduct his operations after nightfall.

By: Express News Service | Ahmedabad | Published:May 7, 2017 5:25 am

A youth was arrested from near the Gir Sanctuary for illegally organising “lion shows” for tourists, forest department sources said Saturday.
The accused, Ashish Agrawat, a resident of Talala in Gir-Somnath district, was detained by the Range Forest Officer of Talala on Friday. The forest department has been searching for him, for his alleged involvement in a two-month-old case where a forest trekker was ‘stabbed to death’ by seven persons who were conducting an illegal lion show, near Dhari in Amreli district. “During the interrogation of the accused caught in the Dhari case, the name of Agrawat came up. We have been searching for him since then,” said a forest official who requested not to be named.
During the interrogation of Agrawat, he admitted that he used to conduct lion shows in the revenue area close to Hiran river between Mandor and Bherala villages of the district, the official added. The accused knew of spots where the lion pride could be spotted and used to conduct his operations after nightfall. “We have confirmed this from the villagers who lived nearby,” the official said. Agrawat is currently out on bail and will be called in for questioning in the presence of senior forest officials on Monday, the officer added.
These incidents of organising “illegal” lion shows have come to light in areas that lie in close proximity to the Gir sanctuary.
Earlier in March this year, a forest trekker, Dharmendra Vala, was killed on the spot after a forest patrol came under attack from a group of persons who were conducting an illegal lion show, near Bordi village, in Dhari taluka of Amreli district.

 http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/near-gir-sanctuary-youth-held-for-holding-illegal-lion-shows-4644302/

Records show shrinking of ESZs finalized before HC stay

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | May 9, 2017, 04.00 AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Even as the Gujarat high court on April 19 had ordered a stay on issuance of final notification by the Centre on declaring the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, it has emerged that the Expert Committee on ESZ had already cleared the area reduction of ESZs proposed in Gujarat and recommended them for final notification on April 11.

The committee chaired by Dr Amita Prasad, additional secretary of ministry of environment, forest and climate change, had apparently met on April 11 for the committee's 25th meeting in New Delhi. Minutes of the meeting show that the Eco-Sensitive Zone revisions had been cleared and sent for final notification.

Sources in the Union MoEF ministry said the April 11 meeting had cleared the revised proposals for Nalsarovar, Hingolgarh and Porbandar wildlife sanctuaries, besides the revision for Gir ESZ, following a proposal forwarded by the state government.

Sources in the ministry said that the April 11 meeting had been convened for taking up just one proposal of Maharashtra and eight proposals of Gujarat.

The other two proposals that were cleared included finalizing the ESZ limits of Barda and Velavadar wildlife sanctuaries. The ESZ expert committee shrunk the revised ESZ for Gir by increasing the near limit from 0 km to 0.5 km and slashing the far limit from 17.9 km to 9.4 km.

The committee had also reconsidered and cleared the revised proposal for Nalsarovar, Hingolgarh and Porbandar wildlife sanctuaries while it rejected the revision proposal for Gaga wildlife sanctuary and Khijadia wildlife sanctuary.

Ironically, the ESZ committee in its meetings held between October 19 and October 29, 2016, had already approved all these proposals for final notification.

The minutes of the April 11 meeting, while clearing the proposal for Gir, reads, "The Chairperson pointed out that the Gir Sanctuary possesses high visibility and has international recognition and therefore, optimization of the extent (ESZ boundaries) proposed by the state should not adversely affect the biodiversity of the protected area."

"However, the Chairperson emphasized to maintain minimum distance of 500 metre where zero extent is proposed and map to be revised accordingly," the minutes mention.

"After deliberations, the Committee recommended the proposal for final notification subject to submission of revised map with minimum distance of 500 metre so as to have minimum adverse effect," record the minutes.

Sources said that curiously the final gazette notification for the five proposals of Nalsarovar, Khijadia, Hingolgarh, Porbander and Gaga were not printed in the Gazette even as they were cleared in the meeting in October last year.

The publication of notification regarding ESZs around Gujarat's sanctuaries may have been stalled at the behest of Gujarat government, which therafter shrunk ESZ boundaries in almost all important sanctuaries, said sources.

The final gazette notification for majority of the sanctuaries from other states that were cleared in October, were published soon. For example, the final notification for Bir Shikargarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Haryana, cleared in the October 2016 meeting, was printed in the gazette on November 23, 2016.

Different yardsticks

Officials pointed out that the ESZ expert committee seemed to have different yardsticks for similar issues. In the proposal for Gir Sanctuary, while excluding the gramtal of Talala from ESZ, the committee accepted the argument: "In case of Talala town; the Gamtal (areas of villages) have been kept outside the ESZ for local development needs."

But in the same meeting. while taking up reconsideration for Khijadia, it declined to exclude one village citing that need for local development of the area was already addressed in the ESZ notification. "Therefore, the committee was of the view that the proposal which was earlier recommended shall remain same for final notification," the committee said, thus rejecting the change proposed by the state government.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/records-show-shrinking-of-eszs-finalized-before-hc-stay/articleshow/58582959.cms

Parliamentary panel worried about shifting of lions

Vijaysinh Parmar & Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | May 5, 2017, 01.34 PM IST
AHMEDABAD/RAJKOT: Contrary to the apex court judgement, the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, environment and forests, has in its recent report, expressed its apprehensions at the shifting of lions to Kuno Palpur from Gujarat.

The committee report, which was tabled in the Rajya Sabha


The report says, "During the meeting, the committee also expressed apprehension about the shifting of some extra lions from Gujarat to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh. In this context, the committee was informed by the ministry that carnivore populations restricted to a single site are prone to various epidemics as well as natural calamities or retaliatory killings, which may result in their extinction."


However, the committee report has noted the fact that lions were found in an area of around 22,000 sq km. The present distribution range of Asiatic lions, also called the "Asiatic Lion Landscape" (ALL) falls in the seven districts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. ALL is also known for high density of large carnivore population in many protected areas such as Gir National Park, Gir sanctuary, Girnar sanctuary, Pania sanctuary, Mitiyala sanctuary and many other reserved and protected forests.

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It would be better to relocate the human population encroaching in the Lion's habitat than relocating the lions into new area .The humans have totally more than halved the Air Jungle and they are th... Read Moreozind95

Officials in the Gujarat forest department said the report comes at a time when the 12-member committee, formed on the apex court's order of April 2013, ordered the translocation of lions to Kuno Palpur.

The committee in its last meeting in December 2016 at Kuno, had stated that the wildlife habitat was "ideally suited for a second home for lions". However, in principle, the Gujarat government had not opposed translocation, the minutes showed that Gujarat wants all 33 studies, mandated by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) in 2013 for wildlife relocation across the world, to be conducted to check whether Kuno was suitable for translocation or not.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/parliamentary-panel-worried-about-shifting-of-lions/articleshow/58522990.cms

‘Windmills in Gir can harm lions’

Ahmedabad Mirror | Updated: May 5, 2017, 11.31 PM IST

HC has issued notices to State govt, PCCF and the company

Claiming that windmills being set up by a private company near the Gir sanctuary will be detrimental for the lions, a public interest litigation was filed in the high court. After primary hearing on Friday, a bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice VM Pancholi issued notices to the State government, principal chief conservator of forest and the company that is planning to set up the project.

“We have filed petition challenging construction of large sized wind mills in the crucial lion habitat near reserve forest in Talaja Range. The com-pany has planned to construct 27 windmills in this area which would be detrimental to the existence of lions and other wildlife in the corridors of the last surviving Asiatic Lions in the world,” said Anand Yagnik, counsel for the petitioner, Lion Nature Youth Foundation. The plea stated that construction of the wind farm and movement of heavy vehicles would cause irreparable damage to the wild population of Asiatic Lions and other scheduled species of birds and animals.

“The land given to the company is a government wasteland and is surrounded by gauchar land in some areas,” it said. Petitioner submitted that 25 Asiatic Lions on an average and 121 leopards died due to unnatural causes, in which electrocution played a major part. “Transformers being set up in the area are an impending danger,” the plea claimed.
http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/windmills-in-gir-can-harm-lions/articleshow/58540346.cms

Queen lioness ‘Rajmata’ is back in wild

Ahmedabad Mirror | Updated: May 2, 2017, 12.13 AM IST

Rajmata, the lioness queen of her territory near Amreli, was released back into the wild on Sunday after a threeday treatment of the injuries she had sustained during mating with three lions. Chief Conservator of Forest (Junagadh range) A P Singh said she was being treated at Jasadhar Animal Health Center. The locals’ favourite lioness is recognised by the radio collar tied around her neck by the forest authorities. Her claim to fame is that she has lived in the surroundings of the Krankach village near Amreli for the most of her 15-year-long life and was among the first movers into the area.

She’s also the reason why the Krankach surroundings have the highest density of lions in the entire Saurashtra peninsula, the only place where Asiatic lions are found. According to forest officials, she has mated five different lions in the last 12 years (a lioness matures at age of three) and given birth to healthy cubs none of which had died over the years. An average lioness gives birth every three years (36 months) but Rajmata has delivered cubs every 28 or 29 months.

District Conservator of Forest Mohan Ram said: “She’s the largest lioness I have ever seen. She’s grandmother to several mature lions and lionesses in the area. However, exact number of cubs delivered by her is not on record.” Dr Jalpan Rupapara, radiologist, who has studied lions for over nine years, said: “Rajmata’s the most magnificent lion or lioness I have ever seen. She has mated five lions in her lifetime. In the last one month she mated with three different lions during which she received injuries and had to be admitted for treatment. I have myself seen her deliver 13 cubs, the highest ever by any one lioness, though the overall figure could be much higher. She looks much younger than other average 15-year-old lioness.”

Rajmata reigns as the ‘queen’ of Liliya-Krankach belt, about 42 km from Amreli town. About 28 lions reside in the area in the vicinity of the Shetrunji river. Out of 124 lions in Amreli, as per 2015 census, 80 were recorded in Savarkundala, Liliya and its adjoining areas. The area falls under the Bruhad Gir area which has been declared as eco sensitive zone by the forest department.

‘Her strength, grace is sight to behold’

Liliya-based wildlife activist Rajan Joshi said: “Rajmata traverses 100 km between Gondal and Botad. She is believed to be the mother and grandmother of almost all the 40 lions found in the area. Not only Rajmata’s strength, but even her size is impressive.”

http://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/queen-lioness-rajmata-is-back-in-wild/articleshow/58466415.cms

Lion cubs taken care by forest officials sent to rescue centre

• TOI
• Ahmedabad
• Tue,02 May 2017
  
  

  Summary: AHMEDABAD: The Forest officials of the Savarkundla division in Amreli were emotional when they had to shift two four-month-old cubs to the rescue centre in Gir forest . The officials said, "If the cubs are sent to the rescue centre, later they are sent to the zoo as they cannot develop hunting skills, but in this case, we wanted to bring them up in the forest only. The two cubs were being taken care for the last 12 days by the forest officials after their mother died of septicemia.The lioness had a wound and during the treatment, on April 18, it died of septicemia. The forest department officials aware of the fact that the lioness had mothered two cubs and both were too young to mend their own ways, decided to take care of the two cubs.The forest department wanted to bring up the cubs in the wild and ensure that they were not sent to the rescue centre. However, we began giving them liquid meat which they could digest," said a senior officer.Chief Conservator of forest AP Singh said, "The mother died and the department wanted to bring up the cubs in the wild, we fed them for the last 10 days with the hope that some other lioness probably her aunt would take care of the cubs and would accept them in the group, but there was no acceptance or any movement of any lioness in the area and hence the department decided to rescue the two cubs and sent them to rescue centre."

  AHMEDABAD: The Forest officials of the Savarkundla division in Amreli were emotional when they had to shift two four-month-old cubs to the rescue centre in Gir forest . The two cubs were being taken care for the last 12 days by the forest officials after their mother died of septicemia.The lioness had a wound and during the treatment, on April 18, it died of septicemia. The forest department officials aware of the fact that the lioness had mothered two cubs and both were too young to mend their own ways, decided to take care of the two cubs.The forest department wanted to bring up the cubs in the wild and ensure that they were not sent to the rescue centre.
  
  The officials said, "If the cubs are sent to the rescue centre, later they are sent to the zoo as they cannot develop hunting skills, but in this case, we wanted to bring them up in the forest only. However, we began giving them liquid meat which they could digest," said a senior officer.Chief Conservator of forest AP Singh said, "The mother died and the department wanted to bring up the cubs in the wild, we fed them for the last 10 days with the hope that some other lioness probably her aunt would take care of the cubs and would accept them in the group, but there was no acceptance or any movement of any lioness in the area and hence the department decided to rescue the two cubs and sent them to rescue centre.". .
  
  Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/lion-cubs-taken-care-by-forest-officials-sent-to-rescue-centre/articleshow/58477316.cms

Parliamentary panel pitches for ‘Project Lion’

Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Updated: May 3, 2017, 07.14 AM IST

Representative image

RAJKOT/AHMEDABAD: The central government must take up the conservation of endangered Asiatic lions on the lines of Project Tiger.

This is an important recommendation that the 31-member Parliamentary committee that visited Gir forest on January 17 has made in its report. The committee headed by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury has strongly pitched for a 'statutory support' to strengthen lion conservation efforts.

"The committee is of the view that the Asiatic lion is still endangered on account of its low population. A mechanism is already in place for providing statutory support for protecting tigers and elephants. In view of the decreasing number of the lions, the committee recommends that the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change must take necessary steps for providing statutory support for strengthening lion conservation and, on the lines of Project Tiger and Project Elephant, come up with a 'Project Lion' to protect lions and their habitat," the committee's report stated.

The committee had held discussion with NGOs, civil society organizations, state forest department and the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change on the issues relating to Gir forest.

The panel has also expressed apprehension about shifting of some extra lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh and lauded the state forest department's conservation efforts.

"The committee was informed by the state forest department that the Gir ecosystem can take legitimate pride in saving critically endangered Asiatic lion from the threshold of extinction at the beginning of the twentieth century by affording it a relatively safe habitat. With timely and prompt conservation efforts made by the Gujarat forest department, the Asiatic lion population increased and dispersed to other areas also and formed different distant populations in the landscape. The most important aspect of the Gir Protected Area is that it has become a very stable ecosystem with tremendous regenerating, self-supporting and self-sustaining capability due to its rich and diverse flora and fauna and intensive protection and management by the forest department. Along with lion, this region also supports many other rare and threatened flora and fauna," the report stated.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/parl-panel-pitches-for-project-lion/articleshow/58482822.cms