A lion claw made out of buffalo horns, dog skin!

Ahmedabad: Make fake claws using body parts of dogs, goats, mongoose, cows and buffaloes and pass them off as original claws of the king of the jungle! This was the modus operandi of 25 tribals arrested by forest department on charges of poaching and cheating.

The gang of 25 tribals from south India was arrested on Tuesday morning with fake claws by the forest department, acting on a tip off from volunteers

of Prakruti nature club.

This is the second incident in recent times where fake claws are recovered from tribals who gain entry from nearby areas in the sanctuary as casual labourers. Earlier, on January 9, the Amreli police had used a decoy and arrested two people in connection with selling fake lion claws. Two fake lion claws with nine nails were recovered. The couple had demanded Rs 1.5 lakh from the decoy for the two claws.

Officials said that a case of cheating will be registered against the gang as they were found cheating people by selling fake claws. Sources in Sasan said that the math is simple: a single fake lion paw made from a buffalo horn would cost just about Rs 2,500 - Rs 3,000. But if a paw is shown to the prospective buyer, a single nail would cost anything between Rs 10,000 and Rs 12,000 per nail.

And if any one wanted the claw with all five nails, it would be anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 75,000. This prompted the cheats to go to great lengths to craft together a paw with claws using hair, skin and bones of different animals.

Officials said lion’s claws are sold like gemstones in parts of Saurashtra. These claws are worn for virility and as a status symbol. Fishermen venturing out to sea wear it to make them ‘lion-hearted’. The fishermen and members of a particular community are known to encase these claws in gold and wear them as pendants.

Sources said that the manufacturing of the paw with nails was complex. First a nail like structure was prepared from the horns of the buffalo and then it was fitted into the paw using the skin of dog

or mongoose. The paw was filled with dried flesh of a dog. Hairs from the mongoose and goats’ tail were used to give it an authentic look.

Officials said that to a trained eye, the claws were obviously fake. The final report, however, will be submitted by the Forensic Science Laboratory. Ramesh Katara, the deputy conservator of forest, said that prima facie the seized paw appeared artificial and definitely not that of a lion’s.

Katara further said that the 25 tribal people arrested from Kodinar town of Junagadh district hail from Shimoga in Karnataka. The arrested people include 10 men, 10 women and five children. "During interrogation, we found that these people have made it their business to sale fake body parts of lions and other endangered animals," Katara said.

Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) R Asari said, “These are fake claws. The gang has even used adhesives and oil colours to make them look real. The gang has used domestic cattle along with skin of dog and goat. But we are not taking any chances. The FSL team has arrived to check the veracity of the seized material.”
 
By :times of india

HC stays land deals in Gir periphery

Issue involves possession of land by non-Maldharis

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat high court has stayed land deals in the periphery of the lions’ den – the Gir sanctuary – as the issue of possession of land by non-Maldharis in the surrounding forest reserve is to be resolved before the division bench.

Earlier, a single-judge bench held that the land was allotted to Maldharis towards rehabilitation purpose. But since the land was sold to other people, it frustrates the purpose of conservation of forest and hence should be taken back by the forest department as per the Indian Forest and Wildlife Protection Act.

After declaring Gir forest as sanctuary, the government in 1977 began shifting 845 Maldharis from the forest to the outskirts and allotted plots for their rehabilitation. Some 588 families were given land in the periphery of the sanctuary. However, revenue department later allowed them to sell the land to non-Maldharis and 292 plots were sold out.

The forest department said, those Maldharis who sold their land actually went back to the forest. Hence the purpose for allotting the land was defeated. As per the state government’s declaration of the area as reserve forest, nobody except Maldharis should be allowed to stay or carry out non-forest activity on this land, which largely falls under the Mendarda block of Junagadh.

When the forest officials restricted one Anil Chudasama from construction on a land purchased in this area, he approached the authorities and later the high court. While the forest department insisted that such people who have purchased land from the Maldharis should be evicted, the revenue department had another take on it.

Last year, justice MR Shah appointed advocate Amit Panchal as amicus curie, who submitted a report that such land needs to be taken back. Accordingly, justice Shah held that Chudasama had no right to carry out construction or agriculture activity on the plot, though he was the third purchaser of the plot after the Maldhari sold it long ago.

The HC accepted that the land falls under reserved forest category. Moreover, justice Shah also directed the chief conservator of forest to inquire into the cases of 292 plots and decide as per the provisions of the forest act, which means that the land holding would be declared as illegal.

This had also an indication that the decision to allot land to the tribals in 1977 could be declared null and void. When this decision was challenged by Chudasama before a division bench, it ordered to maintain status quo on the land and clarified that the plot would not be sold without prior permission of the court.

Don’t become prey to lions: CJ
Ahmedabad: While ordering a stay on land deals in the reserved forest surrounding the Gir sanctuary, chief justice SJ Mukhopadhaya called for maintaining a balance between development and nature. The forest department has been maintaining that the increased grazing has resulted in decrease of prey for lions in the forest. Moreover, the forest officials have also been insisting that the sale of plots allotted to Maldharis be declared illegal, and non-Maldharis be evicted from the place. However, the petitioner claims that he has been deliberately harassed by forest officials due to other social consideration and his ownership of the plot is legal. To this, the chief justice commented, “Lions’ place has to be protected. You shift from the place before you become prey to lions.

By: TIMES NEWS NETWORK