Tiger conservation does not stop with numbers, warn experts

The latest national tiger estimation showing a 20 per cent increase in the number of big cats to 1706 from 1411 is cause for cheer, but leading experts and conservationists say the next focus should be on protecting its habitats and retaining their continuity and overall ecological quality.

"Though the latest national tiger population estimation shows an increasing trend, we need to focus on protection of tiger habitats, retaining habitat contiguity and the overall ecological quality of tiger habitats," says Ravi Chellam, a scientist with the Wildlife Institute of India.

The All India Tiger Estimation - conducted every four years - in 2010 showed a 20 per cent increase over the figure in 2006 which was 1411.

Notwithstanding the increase in the numbers, experts feel the big cats are constantly under threat due to development related infrastructure expansion into tiger habitats.

"Though we still have a few large tiger habitats, expansion of infrastructure into tiger habitats like laying of railway lines and roads have a very negative impact on their habitat as well as on direct mortality of animals and also increased human access to these habitats," says Chellam.

"Data only shows the number of tigers left in the wild, but it is other deeds like conserving habitats and preventing their fragmentation and restoring connectivity that will ensure the tiger population survives and proliferates in the long run," he said.

Tamil Nadu along with Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Karnataka leads in tiger density, says the estimation.

By: Timesofindia

International Coastal Cleanup campaign

It is my pleasure to inform you that this year we (Gir eco friends) are celebrating International Coastal Cleanup from 15th August to 15th September 2011. I welcome you to associate with us in this year’s International Coastal Cleanup campaign & support this noble cause.


Ocean ecosystems play a vital role in all living things — on land & underwater. Hence our mission is to protect sea animals from careless human behaviour simultaneously keeping the river streams clean & creating & awareness among citizens.

We look forward for your support in creating a better world, a better place to Live

You participate at any location in Gujarat and any day between 15th Aug to 15th sep.

If you interest, Please send your details with address and location so we arrange required support & necessary kits for the cleanup.

Write to, girecofriends@gmail.com

Nearly 37,000 trees are cut in Gujarat every day!

It is estimated that 1.35 crore trees are felled in Gujarat every year.

The threat of increasing population, urbanisation, industrialisation and road expansion is greatest on social forests in non-forest areas.

Illegal mining, increasing tourism, road construction and expansion, human encroachments and illegal grazing in forest areas are perceived as threats to the Gir forests in Saurashtra.
In central and south Gujarat, unchecked cultivation encroachment by tribals in forest areas in the hope of getting land is a rising concern

Rs 3,505 crore worth of revenue per annum is estimated to be generated from timber alone in Gujarat

State's forest cover is merely 9.66% of the state's total geographical area, much lower than the UNEP requirement of at least a third of the total land mass

As the world celebrates World Environment Day today on the theme, 'Forests: Nature at your service', it is a good time to point out that Gujarat's forest cover is meager and it faces further threat largely from human interventions like encroachments, tree chopping for industries and road expansion, illegal mining, illegal cultivation and grazing. These have put the state's forests under immense pressure.

According to a forest department estimate of 2009, there are approximately 42 crore trees in Gujarat in forest and non-forest areas. But shockingly, 5.6% of the 26.9 crore trees in non-forest areas (approximately 1.35 cr) are felled every year! The rest 15 crore are in forest areas.

While the forest department is aware and concerned about the degradation, it has aptly pointed out that this is a global phenomenon, not local. As increasing human population requires land, the biggest pressure is on forests because trees can be chopped within hours to make land available to man for housing, animal grazing etc.

"Social forests are disappearing. It is only because we have massive plantation drives that the rate of degradation has been arrested, otherwise in no time, the forest cover would disappear. The forest and tree cover has increased in the last ten years, though not as much as we need," says additional principal chief conservator of forests HS Singh.

Gujarat minister of state for forest and environment Mangubhai Patel candidly states that development is a must and it cannot be compromised, but "we are ensuring that forest are not harmed in the process".

Singh adds that the Planning Commission has estimated that revenue of Rs3,505 crore is generated every year from timber alone in Gujarat, which makes forest maintenance a very lucrative economic activity. The national revenue from timber is pegged at a whopping Rs45,000 crore by the Planning Commission. Principal Secretary, environment and forests, Gujarat, SK Nanda says that the state is encouraging farmers to take up timber cultivation.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_37000-trees-felled-in-gujarat-every-day_1551360
By:DNA

Realtors push for hsg projects in Gir

Gujarat's upwardly mobile citizens would love to live in the company of wild Gir lions. Or at least that is what many realtors seem to believe. As many as 28 applications for housing projects in the vicinity of Gir sanctuary and other lion abodes in the region, are pending with the forest department.


The proposals have come at a time when the central government had just approved eco-sensitive zone around Gir, the only home of the Asiatic lion in the world. This severely restricts any fresh development in a five-km radius around the sanctuary. The forest department has to give a no-objection certificate before the collectorate gives the final stamp of approval to the projects. "Buy a home in the grand lion villa." This is now some of the builders are promoting their high-end schemes. This trend has alarmed environmentalists and wildlife activists. They point out that lions were moving out of the sanctuary to reclaim lost lands. The May 2011 census had put their population at 411 in the region.

TOI posed as an investor and spoke to several developers. Paresh Sakhiya, who has his project in Mendarda taluka's Amrapar area says, "The price of a 300-yard residential plot is Rs 2,150 per sq yard. The area has a sizeable lion population and is about seven km from Gir sanctuary." Sakhiya called his scheme a good holiday home as it was close to the sanctuary.

Realtor Jayesh Patel, too, has a project near Mendarda, with each villa spread over an acre and priced at Rs 75 lakh. There would be 12 farmhouses equipped with CCTV cameras and swimming pools. HS Singh, Gujarat additional principal conservator of forests, said, "We are studying housing projects and will disallow them if they infringe on the eco-sensitive zone." AM Parmar, Junagadh collector said, "We have not approved any project."

BY:Timesofindia

POINTLESS PANGA WITH PANGOLIN

For nearly three hours a pride of lions in Gir tried to make a meal out of a pangolin, but failed

 Deputy conservator of forest Sandeep Kumar was on one of his routine rounds of the sanctuary earlier this week in the Paniya area when he saw two sub-adult cubs with a pangolin. Pangolins, which are anteaters, are not a usual sight in the Gir sanctuary.

This pangolin had strayed into the lions’ den, and lived to tell the story. The anteater smelt danger and tried to move away, but it was surrounded by lions. In all, the pangolin encountered eight lions. As soon as the lions tried to bite into the softer parts of its body, the pangolin curled up into a ball, displaying enormous strength by foiling attempts to unroll it.

K u m a r said, “While patrolling, I witnessed this encounter where a pride of five sub-adult lions was surrounding the pangolin in a predatory mode.” The incident repeated at another place just about a kilometre away where a lioness with her two cubs tried to corner the same pangolin.

“In my experience, it was for the first time that I encountered such an amazing event where an unusual prey was being attacked by lions,” said Kumar. Lions are known to prey mostly on large-size animals in comparison to leopards prey on animals as small as rodents to large ones like the sambar deer. During the encounter, the lions repeatedly tried to unroll the pangolin but the pangolin did not give up. During the whole encounter, the only sound produced by the pangolin was a loud hiss, which is usually produced under the stress.

Kumar said “I have not encountered too many pangolins in Gir Sanctuary, in my two and half year tenure, I have only encounter pangolins on four occasion. The department is now planning to have a proper estimation of the population of Pangolins in the Gir sanctuary and also nearby areas.

By: Times of India.

Lion falls into open well, dies

A five-year-old lion was found dead in an open well in a farm on Tuesday at Dasada village in Bhesan taluka of Junagadh district. Range forest officer Dipak Pandya said the lion's carcass has been fished out and sent for postmortem. The incident occurred at least 25 km from Junagadh when two lions came to the area on Saturday night, according to forest department sources. The lions had also attacked some animals in the area. It seems one of the lions fell into the well while jumping over the well, according to beat guards. Pandya said there was no parapet wall around the well.

Villagers informed the forest department on finding a lion in the well. Forest department rushed a team to the spot. A campaign is on for the past four years in the region aski-ng people to build parapet walls around the open wells. They ha-ve been advised to at least have a wired border around it. The campaign had achieved some success in this regard, forest department sources said.

Jaydev Sir Ask About Matter is reality

News are coming that one more Asiatic Lion died due to falling in a well at Medpara (Girnar), near Bhesan, Junagadh!!!
Donkeys are wrongly branded as foolish animal. Asiatic Lions seems most foolish animal on earth. No dog, cat, pig, camel, cow, hyna, deer, rabbit, etc ever died due to falling in a well or some water tank or pond but Asiatic Lions are repeatedly falling in wells and they cannot even swim for few hours so someone can rescue them!!! On the other hand dogs and cats are reported to swim for hours and saved their lives.

People who believes that so many deaths of Asiatic Lions due to falling in open wells are natural and see nothing doubtful in them are too straightforward....

Asiatic lion cubs thrive better in Guj than Africa

Lion cubs are better off in Gujarat than in Africa. At least this seems to be the truth when one takes a look at the survival rate of Asiatic lions of Gujarat. It is higher than their African counterparts.

No less than 56 per cent cubs survive till the age of three years. This is the age when they move out of their pride in search of their own new territory and pride.

In comparison, only 20 per cent of African lion cubs survive beyond two years while 27 per cent fail to make it to three years. The website of Kalahari Predator Conservation Trust quoting International Union for Conservation of Nature has reported, “Among African lions, only 20 per cent of the cubs live for more than two years of life. This is primarily due to food shortage, negligence and takeover of power by other males. About 27 per cent of cubs die from hierarchy invasion of another male lion.”

This high survival rate in Gujarat’s Gir sanctuary was highlighted in a study conducted by Dr V Meena of the Wildlife Institute of India titled “Reproductive Strategy and Behaviour of Male Asiatic Lions”. The study also reveals that survival rate of cubs is lowest in the first year of birth and gradually increases in second and third year.
The survival of cubs depends on infanticide (which results in death of 60 per cent of the cubs), abandonment (13 per cent) and other natural causes (26 per cent). Early mortality of cubs due to infanticide was the chief factor limiting their survival, she revealed.
Forest officials said that the 2010 census recorded 77 cubs who were below three years of age. Of these, 23 each were male and female cubs and the rest could not be identified by the enumerators as the cubs were too small.

Dr Meena says, “There are many scenarios for African lions but the survival rate is comparable and better in most cases for Asiatic lions.” The study also brought out the fact that incidents of death are more outside protected areas.

Yadvendradev Jhala, scientist with Wildlife Institute of India, agreed with Meena’s findings and added: “Higher the survival rate, better is the population growth.”

Dr HS Singh, additional principal chief conservator of forests, says, “The survival ratio among African cubs is around 25-30 per cent. The higher survival rate in Gir has increased the lion population by 15 per cent, as per the 2010 census.”

By:Times Of India

Guj Producer Shoots Lion’s Behaviour

'Sinh Samrajaya - Lions Domain', a 15-minute documentary on the Asiatic lions produced and directed by Gujarati producer Nirav Parikh and his wife Swati has found a place in the LA New Wave International Film Festival, Season 2 which was organised earlier this month in Los Angeles.

The Parikh family has been involved with the Gir forest for the past decade. Parikh's children Devashri (14) and Parth (9) also feature in the film where they talk of the lions.

The documentary is about green soldiers - the four members of the family. Swati Parikh said that unlike other tourists who just see the lions and leave, the green soldiers have a very interesting perspective to their observation and study during lions sighting in forest. The family has unique experience to share.

Swati said that Nirav has been filming the lions for the past 20 years, but the three days when this documentary was shot were the best days for the family.

"We all were witness to territorial fight and even the two kids witnessed this which is a rare shoot for any filmmaker."

Diving details of the documentary she said that the film reveals the social structure and the behaviour of the lions in Gir forest, where the female plays a major role in regulating the joint family affair. The disciplinary protocols, laid down by the king himself, has to be followed by every member of the family or else they face the consequences, said Swati.

Role of water to suffice the Gir lion eco-system, co-existence of mammals, herbivores, and avian fauna in particular are also projected in this film. She said that apart from the LA film festival, the documentary has been nominated for the Japan film festival too. However, the schedule is yet to be decided.

The film was first screened in the international bird watchers' conference held in Khijadia earlier this year.