Great Indian bustard may soon be extinct

Ahmedabad: It may not be long before we lose the great Indian bustard forever.The very existence of the bird, which was once touted as a strong contender to replace the peacock as the national bird in the 1960s, is in crisis. As its only habitat in Naliya in Kutch grasslands is being converted to agricultural land and thus would be lost for the bird forever.

Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh,in an letter to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on June 9, wrote that the grasslands of Kutch were one of the last remaining pockets that hold promise for recovery of great Indian bustard (GIB).

“Conservationists and researchers working in Kutch have brought to my attention the opening of areas in Abdasa grasslands in Naliya (Kutch), a prime breeding ground for the bustard, for agriculture. I am writing to request you to immediately intervene and prevent the diversion of revenue gauchar land (grassland) to agriculture, and to ensure that the district officials support the Naliya conservation initiatives.If we do not intervene, the possibility of the bustard becoming extinct in Gujarat is very real and high,” Ramesh wrote.

He further mentioned, “A researcher also forwarded a photograph that clearly shows the marking for new agricultural plot.”

There are 22 species of bustards in the world, 16 of which are found in Africa. Indian subcontinent had six species: GIB, houbara or Macqueen’s bustard, lesser florican and Bengal florican, but in the last 80 years, there has been no record of the existence of the Great and Little bustards.Houbara bustard is purely migratory and seen in arid parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat during winters.

A recent study by Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (Geer) foundation had revealed that bustards were distributed over 996 sq km with a core area of 97 sq km. However, only 2 sq km was protected as a sanctuary. The study suggested that Kanothia, Kalatalav,Bhachunda,Vinghaber and Parjau, which are revenue areas, be acquired under forest land rules.

Destruction of GIB’s habitat was the major cause, apart from hunting, of their dwindling numbers. Grasslands, the bustards prime habitat, were under tremendous pressure from overgrazing, expanding agricultural fields and urbanisation. The state till date does not have a clearcut grazing policy. If grasslands were protected under bustard protection, they would provide fodder to livestock once the bustard breeding season is over.


THREAT PERCEPTION

INDUSTRIALISATION
Windmill installation has been taking a toll on important habitats in Lala, Budia, Jakhau and Vanku, Parjau villages. Fencing by windmill as well as erection of allied electric wire networks has caused loss of grassland areas.
ENCROACHMENT
Agriculture encroachment on revenue village land of Kanothia, Bhachunda, Kanatalav, Bhanada and Vinghaber. This activity led to more movement of vehicles and people.
UNDESIRABLE HABITAT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
Number of grassland management activities carried out by forest department and NGOs in the area lead to loss or change of GIB habitat. TRENCHING AND BUNDING
Many grass or fodder plots have been developed by forest department and NGOs by trenching areas in middle of large grassland patches. Being a bird of flat grasslands, Indian Bustard prefers areas with high visibility. Therefore, these plots result in undesirable habitats.

PONDS FOR MOISTURE CONSERVATION IN PRIME GRASSLAND AREAS
Forest department and NGOs have prepared many small ponds for rainwater harvesting structures to conserve moisture in the middle of grassland patches. These structures disturb topography of grassland habitat.

PLOUGHING OF GRASSLAND DURING BREEDING SEASON
It was observed that some grassland areas were ploughed during monsoon and post-monsoon season for planting better species of grass and their growth. Such activities create a great disturbance to nests, eggs or chicks of Indian Bustard.

PLANTATION OF ANOTHER GRASS SPECIES
In some areas, grass plots for fodder are being developed by planting palatable species in Indian Bustard range.

REMEDIES SUGGESTED BY GEER FOUNDATION

RESEARCH ON MOVEMENT PATTERN
The birds are likely to move from Thar desert along edges of Great Rann of Kutch and reach open, sparse grassland patches of Little Rann of Kutch and some degraded grasslands in Surendranagar district. They are then likely to move to grasslands of Velavadar National Park.

INVOLVE LOCAL COMMUNITY
Since bustards move over a large area, local communities should be mobilised and involved in conservation efforts.

HABITAT MANAGEMENT

Bustards thrive in a grassland, scrubland ecosystem. To improve their habitat, trees could be planted to maintain savannah characteristics. Also, excavation of ponds and trenches should be stopped and Prosopis Juliflora, commonly known as gando baval, be removed as the thorny shrub injures the bird.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS PROGRAMMES

They are needed to garner support and enlighten people about the sentiments of various stakeholders interested in conservation of the bird and grassland ecosystem.

15 held for selling fake wildlife skin, bones in Bhavnagar

Rajkot: Bhavnagar district forest department on Sunday arrested around 15 men and women — mostly married couples — from the outskirts of Bhavnagar for selling fake lion and tiger skin and bones. All accused are from Karnataka.

According to range forest officer (RFO) Bhavnagar KK Bharwad, the department was tipped off by volunteers of a Bhavnagar-based nature club. The accused were selling the skin and bones to common people. “The accused sold these skins by going from house to house. They happened to sell an item to a member of nature’s club, who alerted the forest department. Following this, we organised a trap and arrested them from their makeshift houses,” Bharwad said.

“We have arrested 15 people, including eight women. All those arrested are from Karnataka. They arrived in Bhavnagar just two days ago. The forest department has seized all the materials that the group was selling. They used their network to reach residents and sold the skins and nails of tigers and lions,” he added.

The skin and bones were sent to the department for a thorough examination, where it was verified that none of them were original. The accused purchased skins of dogs and goats from around the place where they lived. The skins were then painted and tampered with chemicals and made to look like those of tigers and lions.

“We have confirmed that all the material seized is duplicate,” Bharwad said.

According to officials, it was the women’s job to get clients and sell them while the males were the ones who reworked the skins. Taking note of lion poaching incidents earlier in the state, state forest department officials did not want to take chance and arrested all the people involved.

Lioness gives birth to 3 cubs in Gir forest .

Amreli (Gujarat), Jun 15 (PTI) A lioness has given birth to three cubs in the Gir forest region of Jafrabad taluka in the district, forest officials said today.


The cubs were born last night in the forest region near Nageshari village, they said.

Lions are enlisted as a Schedule-1 animal under the (Indian) Wildlife Act, whose existence is considered to be on the verge of extinction.

The Gir forest is spread in three districts of Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar, and is considered to be the last abode of Asiatic lions.

According to the lion census conducted between April 24- 27 early this year, there were 411 lions in Gir forests, which included 162 females and 97 males, 77 cubs less than one-year- old and 75 cubs aged between one to three years.

Environment ministry has no intention of banning tourism in tiger reserves

Tourists are not the problem

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has got this one right. He has said that his ministry has no intention to ban tourism in tiger reserves, as demanded by some sections of the environment department. Those in favour of the ban have argued that an increased number of tourists and tourism-related construction was proving to be disastrous for tigers and their habitat, resulting in dwindling numbers. This is a flawed argument.

Indeed, the only way to save the tiger is to ensure that the economic

value of a live tiger is much higher than the profit to be made from killing it for body parts. This can be done primarily by making tigers and tiger reserves a tourist draw.

The worrying fall in the number of tigers in India – which stands at around 1,400 – has little to do with tourists. This has happened because of poaching and encroachment of the tiger habitat. These are the real issues that need to be tackled. Our ill-equipped and poorly paid forest guards are fighting an uphill battle against poachers. Besides, forest conservation laws are regularly flouted.

All over the world tourists flock to see animals in their natural habitat without any adverse impact. Indeed, the money from tourism is funnelled back to protecting the animals. In India, some of the mostvisited national parks such as Corbett also have the highest number of tigers. However, no one is arguing that tourism

in national parks should be unregulated. Tourists in tiger reserves must be accompanied by trained guides. Tourism-related infrastructure should not be allowed inside the core area of national parks and activities in wildlife resorts must be strictly regulated.

The Indian tiger is in dire straits. The only way to save it is to highlight how precious it is. Encouraging more tourists to tiger reserves will only help this cause.

So, the lid’s been put on the tiger tourism fracas. Official talk about turning ecologically sensitive tiger reserves into no-go zones irked the tourism lobby. That lobby’s won this round. None of this alters the fact unregulated wildlife tourism is a migraine for conservationists the world over. Yes, we love to look at untamed animals; if we can be billed for it, it’s a business to boost like any other. Only, right now, there’s a bigger priority: staving off tiger extinction. Just about 1,400 remain in natural habitats. Who knows how many will go the Sariska and Panna way?

Tiger tourism, some say, can be micro-managed. But if it’s been a neardisaster till now, what’s the chance we’ll change stripes? We all know the scandal of hotels and lodges being built on tiger corridors, damaging grasslands and causing loss of precious habitat. We all know unsupervised tourists turned picnickers and wedding guests harass the big cats and disperse their prey. As for tourism as a tool against poaching, law enforcers must net poachers anyway. If anything, serious issues like poaching and encroachment risk getting obscured in the wildlife tourism spat.

It’s argued that tiger protection needs money, and foreign tourists especially bring top dollars. That’s sophistry drawing on economic reductionism to give animals their due. It’s like saying non-human species have a ‘right’ to exist only if bred for food or fur, hunted for sport or shackled in zoos and amusement parks. Without ‘value’ extraction, who’d care for crocs or dolphins? Here’s the counter-argument. Species need conserving for their intrinsic worth. They have a life, a subjectivity and a purpose that are irreducible and inalienable. So, their ‘value’ doesn’t depend on how many of us will pay to exploit them.



By : Times of india

74 big cats outside Gir sanctuary

Gandhinagar: The 2010 census has found 74 lions in the revenue areas of Amreli, Bhavnagar and Junagadh.


Forest department officials said that the figure could have gone up to about 85-90 as those in the revenue area around Sasan were included in the count for Gir National Park. They said the state government is in process of developing new sanctuaries, including the Barda Dungar in Porbandar.

Apart from the Gir National Park, the government has declared Paniya, Mitiyala and Girnar as sanctuaries in 1984, 2004 and 2007 respectively. The area of these three sanctuaries put together is around 235 sq km. Another 190 sq km is the area of Barda, which is ready and lions would soon be moved in there.

Officials said the department was waiting for the lions to move to Barda on their own. This has delayed completion of the Barda Dungar project.

Senior forest officials admitted that the human interference was causing problems for the wildlife. With 90-odd lions moving outside the Gir Sanctuary, the attacks on the human and animal were also on the increase.

Revtubha Raijada, former member of the Wild Life Board, said, “Gir’s carrying capacity is just 270-odd lions and as of now it has well above 400 lions. The lions are moving out because they need food and also there may be a fight for the territory.”

He said that for lions, getting prey in the sanctuary was becoming increasingly difficult and it is easier to get a catch outside. “Once the animal gets used to easy killing, it will not move back to the sanctuary. Even if the lions are caught and forced back to the sanctuary, they will sneak out and come closer to the human habitat,” he said.

A senior forest official agreed with him that the animals were moving out of the sanctuary for food and territory. An adult lions requires an area of 30-40 sq km and, hence, there is always a fight for territory which results in the weaker lion coming out of the sanctuary and coming in direct conflict with the human beings, he said

NO LIONS FOR MADHYA PRADESH: MODI

Chief Minister Narendra Modi made out emotion pitch against giving some Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh lions in his first ever official statement on the issue.


While announcing the latest lion census figures on Sunday he said, “After the 2007 poaching incident in Gir, I had visited lion territory and wanted to talk to the people in and around the sanctuary. But they refused to talk to me until I promised them that not a single lion would be given to Madhya Pradesh. When I told them that the lion was killing their cattle, they said they were ready to suffer the loss as the wild cat had become part of their family.”

Modi added that even the Maldharis were ready to sacrifice their cattle to ensure that the lions stay in Gujarat. The Gujarat government has even opposed a PIL in the Supreme Court asking for some wild lions to be shifted to Madhya Pradesh. The court is slated to hear the issue later this week.

Madhya Pradesh government’s argument has been that three to four per cent per cent of the Gir lions die of unnatural death every year. Given these circumstances, there was no harm in shifting five lions to the Kuno-Palpur forest. The counter affidavit filed by Madhya Pradesh has stated that many lions were dying by falling into open wells, poaching and were even getting electrocuted.

However, Modi made it clear that only one unnatural death was reported in the last year and that too a cub had died after falling in a well.

The Gujarat government has been opposing the move on technical grounds as well, stating that tiger and lions cannot stay together. Gujarat has stated in the Supreme Court that relocating lions from the Gir sanctuary could cause irreparable damage to the sociology of lions and asserted that Madhya Pradesh could not manage the relocation as it had failed to protect its own tigers.

Roaring success: Lion numbers leap in Gujarat

Gandhinagar: Increased numbers, improved sex ratio and more areas conquered — the lion king is healthy and prospering in Gujarat. Chief Minister Narendra Modi declared the lion census figures of 2010 on Sunday which showed that there were 411 of the big cats in Gir sanctuary and surrounding areas. This was a jump of 52 over the previous census in 2005.

 

In fact, the lion is reclaiming territory much further away from the Gir sanctuary than originally thought. As many as 33 big cats were counted 250 km from Gir National Park in semiforest areas of Mahuva and Palitana in Bhavnagar. No less than 74 lions are now roaming outside the sanctuary near human habitation. These are fast turning into the new habitats of the big cat. Coastal areas of Rajula and Jafrabad in Amreli have also recorded sizeable population. Wildlife experts are excited about a number of findings. For instance, there are 97 males and 162 females. The rest are cubs. Youth power seems to be on the rise as there were 77 lions aged less than one year. Another 75 of them are categorised as subadult cubs — in the age group of 1-3 years.

 

Modi said the maximum number of lions — 297 — were found in Gir National Park and adjoining areas.

 

The sex ratio too has improved. While there were 1.2 females for every male in 2005, the 2010 census put the number at 1.67 females for every male. Taking a dig at the skewed sex ratio in several parts of the country, including Gujarat, Modi said humans should take a lesson or two from the lions.Among their new dens, the lions have shown a special liking for Girnar sanctuary. Established in 2007, the new abode has 24 lions. In the 2005 census Girnar was not a sanctuary.

 

PROWLING GLORY

1. The big cats recorded 14.4% growth over last census
2. Male-female ratio at one male for every 1.67 females is the highest ever
3. Lions found in Bhavnagar, 250 km from Gir national park
4. 18% found outside the sanctuary
5. Only one incident of a cub falling in an open well in 2009; in past years an average of 10 cubs died annually
6. More than 13,000 open wells capped
7. Census covered 10,000 sq km

 

 

 

Two leopards caught from Veraval, Rajula

Forest department caged two leopards from Veraval in Junagadh and Rajula in Amreli in past 48 hours. One of the big cats died of heat. The big cat that died was a female caught in Savani village near Veraval on Wednesday morning. “The leopard used to prey upon village cattle and had been thwarting our attempts of caging her. As a last-ditch effort, we had set up a cage with a live goat as bait inside it in an orchard. Attracted by constant bleating of the goat, the leopard got inside the cage at 5am and was trapped,” said Jokhia, in-charge range forest officer of Veraval.


However, the leopard appeared seriously ill and after spending a few hours in the cage it died. Preliminary investigation of the forest department attributed heat wave as the cause of the death. The big cat’s body was sent to veterinary hospital in Sasan Gir for postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death.

The deceased leopard appeared about three years old, five feet long and two feet high. Meanwhile in Rajula, a male leopard was found caged on Tuesday morning. The leopard had killed four goats and an equal number of dogs on the outskirts of Rajula and Jhampadar village in the past 10 days.

By : Timesofindia