Sibte Hussaqin Bukhari
Posted online: Saturday , December 15, 2007 at 12:00:00
Updated: Saturday , December 15, 2007 at 01:26:16
Junagadh, December 14 After the lions, now it's the turn of other wild animals to be hunted along the periphery of the Gir sanctuary. The poaching racket – running rampantly in the revenue area, adjoining Gir forest, and unearthed by the forest officials – was involved in the killing of spotted dear, wild boar, porcupine and the peacock.
"A hunting racket was running in the revenue area – on the outskirts of Aankolwadi village falling under the Aankolwadi range some 25 km from Talala town in Gir West forest division," said B P Pati, deputy conservator of forest (Gir west).
He said the gang was also found involved in illegal wood cutting deep inside the forest. Three persons, including a woman and the owner of the agriculture land, where all poaching activities took place, were arrested in this connection on December 10 and 11, but some eight-nine involved in this crime are still at large.
"During interrogation the accused revealed that some eight-nine people are also involved in this racket. We have carried out raids at different locations but they are still at large. Efforts are on to nab them soon," Pati said.
Forest officials recovered deer skin and venison, wild-boar teeth, peacock feathers, knives used in slaughtering the animals, hunting materials including traps and electric wire, and teak wood from the three accused. They have now been booked under various provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and sent to two days custody.
According to Pati, the three admitted to having killed till date, four deer, two porcupines and one wild boar. "We have recovered spotted deer skin, venison, wild-boar's teeth, traps and material used in electrocuting wild animals, from their possession," he said.
Jayram Akbari, owner of the land said, he along with Rani and Dinu Devipoojak, the other two arrested, killed the animals by electrocuting them. After the kill, the carcass was handed over to the other gang-members. He said most of the people involved in the crime belong to the Devipoojak community and were locals.
Rani and Dinu are also resident of Aankolwadi village. Authorities have recovered peacock feathers from their possession. "We have recovered peacock feathers from them. It is presumed that they have poached the national bird," Pati said, adding that these locals don't have any connection with professional poachers, unlike Madhya Pradesh's tribal gang. "They are not involved in poaching of big cats. It seems that, basically, their aim of killing deer, wild boars, porcupines and peacocks are, to use and sell its meat and for trophy. During the raid conducted on Jayram house at Aankolwadi village, we also recovered some 35 CFT teakwood - worth rupees 35 thousand," said Pati.
The punishment for these offences is imprisonment between three to seven years and fine or both, he added.
Source: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Poaching-racket-unearthed-in-Gir-revenue-area/250604/
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Woman caught with animal carcasses in Gir
Times of India, Ahmedabad.
Junagadh: The animals and birds of Gir forests in Gujarat, the habitat of Asiatic lions, have come under scanner due to widespread poaching by unscrupulous hunters. A woman was caught on Wednesday with meat of peacocks, partridge, kites, wild pig etc kept in captivity. She was also found holding a net, bows, arrows, knife, ball bearings, wooden saw, some wires used to hunt animals.
It was just a casual enquiry by forest guards on a lady moving suspiciously that unearthed the illegal poaching prevalent in Gir area. The forest officials are also on the hunt for other people poaching animals and birds in the guise of conducting ‘devi poojas’.
According to sources, Rani Bachu, a Devi worshipper was found moving suspiciously near Vij sub station of Ankolvadi village. The forest guard P G Apaarnath made casual enquiries and found her carrying meat of wild animals. He immediately reported the matter to higher authorities.
SOURCE :SANDESH
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default
Junagadh: The animals and birds of Gir forests in Gujarat, the habitat of Asiatic lions, have come under scanner due to widespread poaching by unscrupulous hunters. A woman was caught on Wednesday with meat of peacocks, partridge, kites, wild pig etc kept in captivity. She was also found holding a net, bows, arrows, knife, ball bearings, wooden saw, some wires used to hunt animals.
It was just a casual enquiry by forest guards on a lady moving suspiciously that unearthed the illegal poaching prevalent in Gir area. The forest officials are also on the hunt for other people poaching animals and birds in the guise of conducting ‘devi poojas’.
According to sources, Rani Bachu, a Devi worshipper was found moving suspiciously near Vij sub station of Ankolvadi village. The forest guard P G Apaarnath made casual enquiries and found her carrying meat of wild animals. He immediately reported the matter to higher authorities.
SOURCE :SANDESH
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default
Thursday, December 13, 2007
MEDICAL FACILITIES TO ZOOS AND WILDLIFE WINGS
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Lok Sabha
The Government provides medial care and health investigation facilities to Indian zoos and wild life wings of various sate governments in the country.Central Zoo Authority provides funds for creation and improvement of veterinary facilities including disease diagnostic facilities across the country in recognized public sector Zoos and Veterinary departments / institutes, viz. at Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Anand (Gujarat), Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The Central Zoo Authority has provided financial assistance to the Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Chennai to the tune of Rs. 1, 19,693/- during the financial year 2006-07 for strengthening the diagnostic facilities.
In addition, the Central Zoo Authority has also established a National Referral Centre at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly for providing super specialty services and diagnostic facilities to all Indian Zoos. The above facilities are adequate to meet the current requirements.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Sh S.Regupathy in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
KP:PM
Source: http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33769
Lok Sabha
The Government provides medial care and health investigation facilities to Indian zoos and wild life wings of various sate governments in the country.Central Zoo Authority provides funds for creation and improvement of veterinary facilities including disease diagnostic facilities across the country in recognized public sector Zoos and Veterinary departments / institutes, viz. at Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Anand (Gujarat), Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh), Guwahati (Assam), Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Kolkata (West Bengal) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The Central Zoo Authority has provided financial assistance to the Tamil Nadu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University, Chennai to the tune of Rs. 1, 19,693/- during the financial year 2006-07 for strengthening the diagnostic facilities.
In addition, the Central Zoo Authority has also established a National Referral Centre at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly for providing super specialty services and diagnostic facilities to all Indian Zoos. The above facilities are adequate to meet the current requirements.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Sh S.Regupathy in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.
KP:PM
Source: http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=33769
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Camera trapping for tiger census in Orang.
By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 11 – For the first time in Orang National Park, camera trapping — the most reliable method of tiger census used all over the country and Asia — has been initiated successfully to estimate and monitor the tiger population. Significantly, the method has already yielded five tiger pictures during its trial run in the park. Orang, as per the last census in 2002, had 19 tigers.
The research initiative has been undertaken by Aaranyak in collaboration with the State Forest Department.
Camera trapping is the preferred method over the pugmark method for conducting estimates of tiger. The camera traps, equipped with an electronic switch and a camera, record tigers or other animals that walk in from of the camera as a photograph of the animal.
“Tigers have natural markings (stripes) and stripes of each individual are different. Using photographs obtained from the cameras can be compared to identify each individual tiger, thus making estimates reliable and easier, especially for animals like tiger, leopard, etc.,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak said.
Ahmed said that the data from the camera traps would be available by early next year and the park managers would have information about the number of tigers in Orang by March. However, Aaranyak plans to make it a long-term monitoring to compare tiger populations in Orang across years, which will be vital for proper management of prey animals and habitats in the park.
Monitoring tigers and prey animals through the use of modern scientific techniques has become the need of the hour, as the tiger population throughout the country is rapidly dwindling. Though official estimates had put the country’s tiger population around 3,500-4,000, present data indicate that there could be only 1,300-1500 tigers left.
Assam recorded a tiger count of 265 as per the last pugmark census carried out by the Forest Department in 2002.
The camera trap was inaugurated recently by BS Bonal, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), in presence of S Momin, DFO Mangaldoi Wildlife Division, Jayanta Deka, FRO, Orang NP and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general, Aaranyak.
Earlier, Aaranyak had carried out a tiger presence absence study in Manas National Park, and a detailed tiger-monitoring programme in collaboration with the Forest Department in the offing.
Aaranyak organized a three-days training programme on ‘Monitoring Tigers and Prey Animals: Advanced Training for Biologists and Managers’ in Orang recently as part of the ongoing collaborative initiative of the Forest Department and Aaranyak to monitor tigers and its prey animals in Assam.
The three-days training was meant for the biologists and forest managers and it covered different aspects of tiger and prey animals monitoring. These included general introduction on tiger, its ecology and current status, concepts of population monitoring, sign survey for tiger and prey animals, distance sampling and line transect survey, capture-recapture sampling and camera trap survey, lab and field exercises and data analysis.
The training was attended by seven wildlife biologists from Aaranyak and seven Forest Department staff, which was inaugurated by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) MC Malakar.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1207/at06
GUWAHATI, Dec 11 – For the first time in Orang National Park, camera trapping — the most reliable method of tiger census used all over the country and Asia — has been initiated successfully to estimate and monitor the tiger population. Significantly, the method has already yielded five tiger pictures during its trial run in the park. Orang, as per the last census in 2002, had 19 tigers.
The research initiative has been undertaken by Aaranyak in collaboration with the State Forest Department.
Camera trapping is the preferred method over the pugmark method for conducting estimates of tiger. The camera traps, equipped with an electronic switch and a camera, record tigers or other animals that walk in from of the camera as a photograph of the animal.
“Tigers have natural markings (stripes) and stripes of each individual are different. Using photographs obtained from the cameras can be compared to identify each individual tiger, thus making estimates reliable and easier, especially for animals like tiger, leopard, etc.,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak said.
Ahmed said that the data from the camera traps would be available by early next year and the park managers would have information about the number of tigers in Orang by March. However, Aaranyak plans to make it a long-term monitoring to compare tiger populations in Orang across years, which will be vital for proper management of prey animals and habitats in the park.
Monitoring tigers and prey animals through the use of modern scientific techniques has become the need of the hour, as the tiger population throughout the country is rapidly dwindling. Though official estimates had put the country’s tiger population around 3,500-4,000, present data indicate that there could be only 1,300-1500 tigers left.
Assam recorded a tiger count of 265 as per the last pugmark census carried out by the Forest Department in 2002.
The camera trap was inaugurated recently by BS Bonal, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), in presence of S Momin, DFO Mangaldoi Wildlife Division, Jayanta Deka, FRO, Orang NP and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general, Aaranyak.
Earlier, Aaranyak had carried out a tiger presence absence study in Manas National Park, and a detailed tiger-monitoring programme in collaboration with the Forest Department in the offing.
Aaranyak organized a three-days training programme on ‘Monitoring Tigers and Prey Animals: Advanced Training for Biologists and Managers’ in Orang recently as part of the ongoing collaborative initiative of the Forest Department and Aaranyak to monitor tigers and its prey animals in Assam.
The three-days training was meant for the biologists and forest managers and it covered different aspects of tiger and prey animals monitoring. These included general introduction on tiger, its ecology and current status, concepts of population monitoring, sign survey for tiger and prey animals, distance sampling and line transect survey, capture-recapture sampling and camera trap survey, lab and field exercises and data analysis.
The training was attended by seven wildlife biologists from Aaranyak and seven Forest Department staff, which was inaugurated by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) MC Malakar.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1207/at06
Camera trapping for tiger census in Orang.
By A Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Dec 11 – For the first time in Orang National Park, camera trapping — the most reliable method of tiger census used all over the country and Asia — has been initiated successfully to estimate and monitor the tiger population. Significantly, the method has already yielded five tiger pictures during its trial run in the park. Orang, as per the last census in 2002, had 19 tigers.
The research initiative has been undertaken by Aaranyak in collaboration with the State Forest Department.
Camera trapping is the preferred method over the pugmark method for conducting estimates of tiger. The camera traps, equipped with an electronic switch and a camera, record tigers or other animals that walk in from of the camera as a photograph of the animal.
“Tigers have natural markings (stripes) and stripes of each individual are different. Using photographs obtained from the cameras can be compared to identify each individual tiger, thus making estimates reliable and easier, especially for animals like tiger, leopard, etc.,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak said.
Ahmed said that the data from the camera traps would be available by early next year and the park managers would have information about the number of tigers in Orang by March. However, Aaranyak plans to make it a long-term monitoring to compare tiger populations in Orang across years, which will be vital for proper management of prey animals and habitats in the park.
Monitoring tigers and prey animals through the use of modern scientific techniques has become the need of the hour, as the tiger population throughout the country is rapidly dwindling. Though official estimates had put the country’s tiger population around 3,500-4,000, present data indicate that there could be only 1,300-1500 tigers left.
Assam recorded a tiger count of 265 as per the last pugmark census carried out by the Forest Department in 2002.
The camera trap was inaugurated recently by BS Bonal, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), in presence of S Momin, DFO Mangaldoi Wildlife Division, Jayanta Deka, FRO, Orang NP and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general, Aaranyak.
Earlier, Aaranyak had carried out a tiger presence absence study in Manas National Park, and a detailed tiger-monitoring programme in collaboration with the Forest Department in the offing.
Aaranyak organized a three-days training programme on ‘Monitoring Tigers and Prey Animals: Advanced Training for Biologists and Managers’ in Orang recently as part of the ongoing collaborative initiative of the Forest Department and Aaranyak to monitor tigers and its prey animals in Assam.
The three-days training was meant for the biologists and forest managers and it covered different aspects of tiger and prey animals monitoring. These included general introduction on tiger, its ecology and current status, concepts of population monitoring, sign survey for tiger and prey animals, distance sampling and line transect survey, capture-recapture sampling and camera trap survey, lab and field exercises and data analysis.
The training was attended by seven wildlife biologists from Aaranyak and seven Forest Department staff, which was inaugurated by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) MC Malakar.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1207/at06
GUWAHATI, Dec 11 – For the first time in Orang National Park, camera trapping — the most reliable method of tiger census used all over the country and Asia — has been initiated successfully to estimate and monitor the tiger population. Significantly, the method has already yielded five tiger pictures during its trial run in the park. Orang, as per the last census in 2002, had 19 tigers.
The research initiative has been undertaken by Aaranyak in collaboration with the State Forest Department.
Camera trapping is the preferred method over the pugmark method for conducting estimates of tiger. The camera traps, equipped with an electronic switch and a camera, record tigers or other animals that walk in from of the camera as a photograph of the animal.
“Tigers have natural markings (stripes) and stripes of each individual are different. Using photographs obtained from the cameras can be compared to identify each individual tiger, thus making estimates reliable and easier, especially for animals like tiger, leopard, etc.,” Firoz Ahmed of Aaranyak said.
Ahmed said that the data from the camera traps would be available by early next year and the park managers would have information about the number of tigers in Orang by March. However, Aaranyak plans to make it a long-term monitoring to compare tiger populations in Orang across years, which will be vital for proper management of prey animals and habitats in the park.
Monitoring tigers and prey animals through the use of modern scientific techniques has become the need of the hour, as the tiger population throughout the country is rapidly dwindling. Though official estimates had put the country’s tiger population around 3,500-4,000, present data indicate that there could be only 1,300-1500 tigers left.
Assam recorded a tiger count of 265 as per the last pugmark census carried out by the Forest Department in 2002.
The camera trap was inaugurated recently by BS Bonal, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), in presence of S Momin, DFO Mangaldoi Wildlife Division, Jayanta Deka, FRO, Orang NP and Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, secretary general, Aaranyak.
Earlier, Aaranyak had carried out a tiger presence absence study in Manas National Park, and a detailed tiger-monitoring programme in collaboration with the Forest Department in the offing.
Aaranyak organized a three-days training programme on ‘Monitoring Tigers and Prey Animals: Advanced Training for Biologists and Managers’ in Orang recently as part of the ongoing collaborative initiative of the Forest Department and Aaranyak to monitor tigers and its prey animals in Assam.
The three-days training was meant for the biologists and forest managers and it covered different aspects of tiger and prey animals monitoring. These included general introduction on tiger, its ecology and current status, concepts of population monitoring, sign survey for tiger and prey animals, distance sampling and line transect survey, capture-recapture sampling and camera trap survey, lab and field exercises and data analysis.
The training was attended by seven wildlife biologists from Aaranyak and seven Forest Department staff, which was inaugurated by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) MC Malakar.
Source: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=dec1207/at06
Saturday, December 1, 2007
State denies new home to lions.
Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN
New Delhi: The Centre’s grand plan to relocate some of the Asiatic lions from their only home at the Gir forest in Gujarat to the forests of Madhya Pradesh has run into serious opposition from stategovernment. The plan, to save the lions from a disaster that could wipe them out in one go, involved relocating five of them from Gir to a 300 sq km forest at Kunopalpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
As many as 30 villages falling within the identified area were relocated in 2003, but the plan mooted by the Wildlife Institute of India and accepted by the Centre is still hanging fire.
A petition filed by Bio-diversity Conservation Trust of India through counsel Ritwick Datta alleged that the main reason for the stalling of the plan was due to the U-turn by the Modi government.
When amicus curiae Raj Panjwani brought this matter to the notice of a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran, it sought the views of both the state governments as well as the National Board for Wildlife within four weeks.
Appearing for the Gujarat government, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said the state’s opposition to the plan is based on solid environmental grounds. He said even wildlife experts feel that lions could not be relocated to experimental surroundings already habited by tigers.
“The experts feel that tigers and lions can never co-exist in the wild,” he said, rejecting the argument of the petitioner that the state government had changed its stand due to Assembly elections.
Madhya Pradesh’s counsel Vibha Makhija said that she would ascertain the views of the state government and file a response even as the Bench said, “The plan appears to safeguard the Asiatic lions from perishing altogether as they live in groups within Gir forest.”
The study for the relocation of some of the Asiatic lions took into account the disaster at Seringeti forest in Africa where a disease, canine distemper, wiped out 80 per cent of the lion population.
dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com
Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default&AW=1196481886640
New Delhi: The Centre’s grand plan to relocate some of the Asiatic lions from their only home at the Gir forest in Gujarat to the forests of Madhya Pradesh has run into serious opposition from stategovernment. The plan, to save the lions from a disaster that could wipe them out in one go, involved relocating five of them from Gir to a 300 sq km forest at Kunopalpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.
As many as 30 villages falling within the identified area were relocated in 2003, but the plan mooted by the Wildlife Institute of India and accepted by the Centre is still hanging fire.
A petition filed by Bio-diversity Conservation Trust of India through counsel Ritwick Datta alleged that the main reason for the stalling of the plan was due to the U-turn by the Modi government.
When amicus curiae Raj Panjwani brought this matter to the notice of a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice R V Raveendran, it sought the views of both the state governments as well as the National Board for Wildlife within four weeks.
Appearing for the Gujarat government, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi said the state’s opposition to the plan is based on solid environmental grounds. He said even wildlife experts feel that lions could not be relocated to experimental surroundings already habited by tigers.
“The experts feel that tigers and lions can never co-exist in the wild,” he said, rejecting the argument of the petitioner that the state government had changed its stand due to Assembly elections.
Madhya Pradesh’s counsel Vibha Makhija said that she would ascertain the views of the state government and file a response even as the Bench said, “The plan appears to safeguard the Asiatic lions from perishing altogether as they live in groups within Gir forest.”
The study for the relocation of some of the Asiatic lions took into account the disaster at Seringeti forest in Africa where a disease, canine distemper, wiped out 80 per cent of the lion population.
dhananjay.mahapatra@timesgroup.com
Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default&AW=1196481886640
Friday, November 30, 2007
Memories of Lt. Shree P P Raval Saheb (DFO-Wildlife, Gir-West, Sasan)
Lt. Shree Praduman P. Ravalsaheb
I happened to meet Raval Saheb just few weeks before Lion’s Census 2005. Before my first interaction with him, Frankly speaking I had no different opinion about him, that other rough and tough forest officer. Because, even a bit guard in forest department, considers himself not below the rank of DFO!
But Raval Saheb was an exception to it. A simple and sober personality and an idol of simplicity. When I saw him for the first time, it was difficult to believe that the DFO, Sasan Gir was standing before me! But as the conversation went on with him while he was giving instructions to the subordinates over telephone regarding the Census, I was rest assured that he was none other than Raval Saheb!
He was a man of number of sterling qualities at one place. Honest, Hard-working and dashing! Nothing was impossible for him below the sky! Taking part into Lion’s Census 2005 was the rare and memorable period of my life. But he was Raval Saheb, who made it possible for me and for that I am indebted to him!
I realised it later on that Raval Saheb was popular and familiar, not because he was DFO but apart from that, he always stood by the staff and carried them with him. He introduced insurance scheme for his employees and as one of the welfare measures! He also helped the effected persons of Barda Mountain during the drought! He was not simply a bureaucrat but a kind-hearted noble man, which made him beloved Raval Saheb! Local people of Gir also call him Raval Dada or Raval Aata with due respect!
It will be worth to mention here that, despite his sickness, before, during and after the census, his face was always found smiling & heart always filled with love and kindness. I remember one such incident:
One day during the Census Raval Saheb came up directly on the field at Rampari (near Kankai of Gir - one of the most beautiful places of Gir – though entire Gir is very beautiful!) on a fact-finding mission, on one critical issue. As he was badly suffering form kidney and other problems. He had just undergone dialysis at hospital in Junagadh and straightway rushed at Rampari, without taking complete rest! As after dialysis one cannot have the strength to stand property. But this Lion man was moving on the rough roads of the Gir, with whatever stamina available in his body / his lungs and veins were filled with the blood of Gir and Gir Lions (Asiatic Lions), which had absolutely made him mad for the welfare of wildlife.
He had strong desire to conduct the Census of Lions accurately and successfully under his supervision and observation during his tenure. And as such he was not doing all these movements as part of his duty, but he enjoyed it throughout, because his first love was Gir and Asiatic Lions and not his family!
Raval Saheb put Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh on the map of the world, during his service, with tremendous efforts & zeal. He almost put his body and soul behind it. Because at the point of time, number of illegal activities were carried out by notorious elements on the hand, falling between Sakkarbaug Zoo and Girnar Mountain, like mining, preparing liquor, cutting trees, grassing etc. All these activities were going on openly without any check on it. In such a situation Raval Saheb was going on a round of this area on his bajaj scooter. One day, someone annoyed with him, hit his head from the back with a heavy wooden stick. His head was bleeding but reached the hospital alone for treatment in that bleeding condition! This was his daring!
With the same dedication and enthusiasm he developed Indroda Park at Gandhinagar and made it a place worth to see and sit peacefully in presence of Nature and Wildlife! He was moving on his bicycle with one pair of clothes and ‘Kathi no khatlo’ (Traditional bad – char pai) to sleep. Today aged Gardner of Indroda Park is the eyewitness of Raval Saheb’s vision and mission.
During the drought situation in Barda he left his house, without a word to his family and with the cloth’s on his body! He wandered here and there for 15 days, collected donations and arranged for food, medicines, dinking water, clothing etc. for the effected and needy and poor residents of that area. His motto was “Service to mankind is service to God!”
He had also submitted number of case studies paper singly and jointly there are endless such stories moving around Raval Saheb, which if narrated, could not be covered in even next twelve issues of Zoo’s Print!
Subsequent to Census 2005, I had come close to Raval Saheb’s family. His wife Cahndrikaben often told me that Saheb was always longing for someone to come, sit for hours together and talk with him about Gir, Asiatic Lions and Wild Life. While talking of Lions, he was getting new energy in his body, roaring in his voice and light on his face. I also came across such experiences number of times. Hence fore, I had formally decided to go to Junagadh from Rajkot, once or twice a week, to meet Raval Saheb, listen him, ink his ‘jungly’ experiences and publish them for the benefit of wildlife lovers. But hardly I had visited two times then Raval Saheb passed away!
And see I received the ‘coincidence news of Raval Saheb’s sad demise in Aji Zoo at Rajkot, when I was standing before the lioness given by Raval Saheb when he was at Sakkarbaugh Zoo at Junagadh and watching the matting. News flashed on my cell phone and drove straight to Junagadh from there itself to pay homage to such a towering personality. When I reached, his body was laying on the woods of Gir Forest, which I am sure must be of those trees, planted by Raval Saheb! Fire was lit and Raval Saheb travelled for heavenly abode, leaving his family, relatives, friends, staff, wildlife lovers and all present there crying forever. Despite strong desire to condole his wife, I could not gather courage to see Mrs. Chandrikaben, after the funeral.
Life has become poor by the love that has been lost!
I take pride in the sense that for Ms. Sally Walker’s Zoo’s Print, I had opportunity to contact lots of people belonging to various fields of the society who had one or the another story of Raval Saheb, to tell. Though I had hardly came in touch with Raval Saheb for the last one and a half year, I had become instrumental in doing at least something for him, through Zoo’s Print!
-Kamlesh Adhiya
Founder President
Asiatic Lion Protection Society, Rajkot.
I happened to meet Raval Saheb just few weeks before Lion’s Census 2005. Before my first interaction with him, Frankly speaking I had no different opinion about him, that other rough and tough forest officer. Because, even a bit guard in forest department, considers himself not below the rank of DFO!
But Raval Saheb was an exception to it. A simple and sober personality and an idol of simplicity. When I saw him for the first time, it was difficult to believe that the DFO, Sasan Gir was standing before me! But as the conversation went on with him while he was giving instructions to the subordinates over telephone regarding the Census, I was rest assured that he was none other than Raval Saheb!
He was a man of number of sterling qualities at one place. Honest, Hard-working and dashing! Nothing was impossible for him below the sky! Taking part into Lion’s Census 2005 was the rare and memorable period of my life. But he was Raval Saheb, who made it possible for me and for that I am indebted to him!
I realised it later on that Raval Saheb was popular and familiar, not because he was DFO but apart from that, he always stood by the staff and carried them with him. He introduced insurance scheme for his employees and as one of the welfare measures! He also helped the effected persons of Barda Mountain during the drought! He was not simply a bureaucrat but a kind-hearted noble man, which made him beloved Raval Saheb! Local people of Gir also call him Raval Dada or Raval Aata with due respect!
It will be worth to mention here that, despite his sickness, before, during and after the census, his face was always found smiling & heart always filled with love and kindness. I remember one such incident:
One day during the Census Raval Saheb came up directly on the field at Rampari (near Kankai of Gir - one of the most beautiful places of Gir – though entire Gir is very beautiful!) on a fact-finding mission, on one critical issue. As he was badly suffering form kidney and other problems. He had just undergone dialysis at hospital in Junagadh and straightway rushed at Rampari, without taking complete rest! As after dialysis one cannot have the strength to stand property. But this Lion man was moving on the rough roads of the Gir, with whatever stamina available in his body / his lungs and veins were filled with the blood of Gir and Gir Lions (Asiatic Lions), which had absolutely made him mad for the welfare of wildlife.
He had strong desire to conduct the Census of Lions accurately and successfully under his supervision and observation during his tenure. And as such he was not doing all these movements as part of his duty, but he enjoyed it throughout, because his first love was Gir and Asiatic Lions and not his family!
Raval Saheb put Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh on the map of the world, during his service, with tremendous efforts & zeal. He almost put his body and soul behind it. Because at the point of time, number of illegal activities were carried out by notorious elements on the hand, falling between Sakkarbaug Zoo and Girnar Mountain, like mining, preparing liquor, cutting trees, grassing etc. All these activities were going on openly without any check on it. In such a situation Raval Saheb was going on a round of this area on his bajaj scooter. One day, someone annoyed with him, hit his head from the back with a heavy wooden stick. His head was bleeding but reached the hospital alone for treatment in that bleeding condition! This was his daring!
With the same dedication and enthusiasm he developed Indroda Park at Gandhinagar and made it a place worth to see and sit peacefully in presence of Nature and Wildlife! He was moving on his bicycle with one pair of clothes and ‘Kathi no khatlo’ (Traditional bad – char pai) to sleep. Today aged Gardner of Indroda Park is the eyewitness of Raval Saheb’s vision and mission.
During the drought situation in Barda he left his house, without a word to his family and with the cloth’s on his body! He wandered here and there for 15 days, collected donations and arranged for food, medicines, dinking water, clothing etc. for the effected and needy and poor residents of that area. His motto was “Service to mankind is service to God!”
He had also submitted number of case studies paper singly and jointly there are endless such stories moving around Raval Saheb, which if narrated, could not be covered in even next twelve issues of Zoo’s Print!
Subsequent to Census 2005, I had come close to Raval Saheb’s family. His wife Cahndrikaben often told me that Saheb was always longing for someone to come, sit for hours together and talk with him about Gir, Asiatic Lions and Wild Life. While talking of Lions, he was getting new energy in his body, roaring in his voice and light on his face. I also came across such experiences number of times. Hence fore, I had formally decided to go to Junagadh from Rajkot, once or twice a week, to meet Raval Saheb, listen him, ink his ‘jungly’ experiences and publish them for the benefit of wildlife lovers. But hardly I had visited two times then Raval Saheb passed away!
And see I received the ‘coincidence news of Raval Saheb’s sad demise in Aji Zoo at Rajkot, when I was standing before the lioness given by Raval Saheb when he was at Sakkarbaugh Zoo at Junagadh and watching the matting. News flashed on my cell phone and drove straight to Junagadh from there itself to pay homage to such a towering personality. When I reached, his body was laying on the woods of Gir Forest, which I am sure must be of those trees, planted by Raval Saheb! Fire was lit and Raval Saheb travelled for heavenly abode, leaving his family, relatives, friends, staff, wildlife lovers and all present there crying forever. Despite strong desire to condole his wife, I could not gather courage to see Mrs. Chandrikaben, after the funeral.
Life has become poor by the love that has been lost!
I take pride in the sense that for Ms. Sally Walker’s Zoo’s Print, I had opportunity to contact lots of people belonging to various fields of the society who had one or the another story of Raval Saheb, to tell. Though I had hardly came in touch with Raval Saheb for the last one and a half year, I had become instrumental in doing at least something for him, through Zoo’s Print!
-Kamlesh Adhiya
Founder President
Asiatic Lion Protection Society, Rajkot.
P P Raval - addtions to memorials
P P Raval - addtions to memorials - in Zoo's Print - volume XXII, Number 12 -December 2007.
Please Visit below links:
http://www.zoosprint.org/ZooPrintMagazine/2007/December/19.pdf
http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazine.asp
Please Visit below links:
http://www.zoosprint.org/ZooPrintMagazine/2007/December/19.pdf
http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazine.asp
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