Habit - We still have it!

Planning a holiday to Kanha, Bandhavgarh or Pench National Park?  Drop your plans. Book your holiday at PANNA NATIONAL PARK because in sometime all the tigers of Madhya Pradesh will be sent to Panna. And it won’t be a bolt from the blue if we start re locating them from other states too. After all everything is doable in India !

Panna has a lot to offer. Two tigresses flown recently(though they are missing), A full grown male(Only seen, spotted and recorded by the hard working staff at Panna), and now two male tigers that are to be sent soon to Panna from Pench. Where do you get to see so much?

I am not against re locating tigers. But I feel sad when tigers go missing due to the inefficiency and laziness of the staff. For once when Panna lost all its tigers, they should have taken it as a warning and should have worked day and night to save them. After all what are they posted there for?

Panna has lost all its tigers in the last decade. And trans locating tigers has become a habit here in Madhya Pradesh it seems.

Is the forest staff trained and equipped just to re locate tigers from one reserve to another?
Are they not there to save them from intruders and poachers?
Is the government only spending money to send them from one place to another?
Is relocation some kind of a joke to the officials?
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संता : साहब कहाँ जाने की तय्यारी है ? बंता : छुट्टियाँ है, सोचा कहीं घूम आये, तो पन्ना टाईगर रिजर्व घूमने जा रहे है. संता : क्या आप फॉरेस्ट डिपार्टमेंट में काम करते है ? बंता : नहीं.. संता : तो फिर न जाइये, क्यूकि टाईगर तो सिर्फ वहां सिर्फ और सिर्फ फॉरेस्ट वालो को ही दिखा करता है....







अरे ! अब तो संता को भी पता है की वहां टाईगर नहीं है ..

Iski Topi Uske Sirr

Panna, One of the five Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh, was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1994 is nestled in the Vidhya Hills of Bundelkhand region. Merely an hour away from one of the most favorite destination of foreign tourists, Khajuraho, Panna has just pugmarks to offer. Whatever may be the official figures, The State’s Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. H.S. Pabla, could also not get a glimpse of the National Animal.
(As per the Hindustan Times, 21st Feb, 2009 “Two days after the state’s Chief Conservator of Forests, H.S. Pabla, was not able to sight a tiger in the 540 sq km reserve, he told HT on Saturday that he was not adverse to the idea of relocating even a tiger. "If required we will even relocate a tiger to Panna," he said.”)
After the success of trans-location of two tigresses from Bandhavgarh, Kanha/Pench to Panna have been called by the Field Director Panna Tiger Reserve.ting tigers in Sariska, now its Panna’s turn. Tender forms calling bidders for filming and photography rights of the But would it turn out to be a success in Madhya Pradesh? I personally don’t think that this would work in M.P. How can we trust the same staff which was present when all the wild cats in Panna disappeared?

Relocating tigers may be answer to the ever declining population of tigers in the reserves. But this situation could have been avoided only if the officials would have worked when Dr Radhu Chandawat first alarmed the officials about the missing tigers in Panna long time back.

Why do we have to relocate tigers, when we can Save them.

Were the Panna officials not aware of the poaching done inside the restricted area? If not, why are they posted there?

What were they doing after the first tiger went missing?

What happened to the Tigers that were in Panna in the last census?

Who will be held responsible if the new tigers that are being relocated are poached? What is the surety that illegal killing will not be done now?

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For now, the relocation is to take place sometime in the last week of February. And all I can do is to pray that it turns out to be a success.

"LONG LIVE THE TIGER"

LEOPARD'S DEATH IN RAJASTHAN

While watching news on the television yesterday, I saw something which was really shocking. It was something which no one could ever thought of. We take the forest officials as the saviors of wildlife and when they turn into killers is something that is not expected by anyone. This incidence made it very clear that how much the officials are worried about the wildlife and how much trained our officials are.

A Leopard fell into a well in Nauwa Village about 70 kms from Udaipur district in Rajasthan. The villagers reported this matter to the forest department but There was no sign of the rescue team for long. After the team reached to the spot where the Leopard was fighting a lost battle, The people were relieved that the leopard would be saved. But no one would have imagined the fate of the poor leopard.

The Team of Forest Officials started their work. Rescuing an animal from the well needed some experts, who could lay a plan to save the animal. But there seemed to be no expert or any doctor present at the spot.

The Plan: Pull the Leopard out of the well by tieing a rope around its body.

Chaman Singh, A Forest Official said that we cannot tranquilise the leopard as it might drown.

What actually Happened: The rescue operation started as was planned. A rope was tied along the body of the Leopard which later slipped and formed a noose around the poor animals neck. The animal was then pulled out of the well and was put in a Cage. Initially the Leopard was in a state of shock and later it died in the Gulab Bagh Zoo in Udaipur.
The post mortem report indicates that hunger, anaemia and shock are the other plausible reasons for its death.

What should have been done: In an interview, Mike Pandey, Wildlife Expert and Documentary Film Maker, suggested a better and a correct way that should have been applied to save the Leopard’s life. As we all know, Leopards can climb trees and poles, He suggested that a big log or a long wooden plank should have been placed near the Leopard and it could have come out on its own.

Some doctors also say that the Rescue team should have taken more precautions while pulling the animal out. They should have given it support with a plank or cot while pulling it out.

The investigation will be over.. The cause will be known.. But I have some questions..

• Why was a team which was not trained for such operations sent to the spot.. ??
  
• Why wasn't a doctor present at the spot.. ??
• And who should be held responsible for this loss.. ??

Whatever may be the cause of the Leopard death.. The fact is that we have lost One more.


Photo of another Leopard killed. (Not of the leopard in the above post)

In a country where these Big Cats are fighting for their lives every moment, Every Death is a BIG BIG LOSS..

Attack or Defence !!!!

As this has been a very hot topic since this video was aired on every national news channel i decided to write some of the facts of this incidence those were available to me.

Every news channel has been showing a Tiger attack video and has been telling stories. Some came up with wrong facts. Well thats not the question. But what really happenned is the real question. After seeing this video many people do not consider themselves safe in the National Parks. But thats not right. I am no tiger expert and its not been a long time since i have been following tigers but one thing i can say is that.. Till the time you don't trouble them they won't do anything.. and generally Tigers are very shy..

Download the Video

Well.. After seeing this video for the first time.. I wanted to know everything about this.. Thats natural.. and everyone who sees this video has their own views..

But..

There were some questions those were unanswered..

1. Where did this happen ?
2. Why did this animal attack ?
3. Who was on the elephant ?
4. What happenned to the people ?


and one thing more.. Who shot this Video.. ( I really wanted to know this..)

The reconstructed story goes a bit like this..

The forest department received a message early in the morning about a large tiger which had killed two cows near Tamuli Pathar village, which is close to the boundary of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in the north-eastern Assam state. Actually this was a Tigress who was a mother of two cubs which were recently rescued and released.

By 10 am a joint team of the Assam forest department including the director of the park, Mr N. K. Vasu, the local administration, police and the army, and the Wildlife Trust of India(WTI)-managed Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) was combing the area with five elephants trying to locate the animal.


Second from left is D.D.Boro who darted both tigers but missed the suspected mother, who later mauled the mahout.


Here is a Screen Shot from the Video.



Range officer, Dharanidhar Boro, Dr Chaudhary along with a guard were riding the elephant, Joymala, driven by Pegu. Boro was carrying the darting gun.As the elephant moved towards the tigress, it did a mock charge. The guard fired two blanks to discourage her and she ran away into the next field, where the paddy was thick and hid there.

The team cautiously moved towards it and could get to almost 20 feet where she was growling away. Boro could see her clearly and took a shot at it with the dart gun. The dart missed her and this enraged her so much that she charged and took a “flying” leap on to the elephant’s head.

The footage showed that Pegu saw the tigress leaping and threw the metal ankush at it to defend himself. “The tigress saw the ankush coming, dodged it in mid-leap and took a swipe at Pegu without actually landing on the elephant, which had stepped back..

It all happened in a few seconds and noone knew that both Boro and the guard had fallen down. What now happened was even more amazing. As the tigress landed on the ground Joymala quickly pinned her down with her left foot and tried to control it with its trunk. The tigress struggled under this weight for at least half a minute roaring, as other people in the vicinity shouted and fired shots in the air. In this commotion another attempt was made to dart it, but even this shot was off the mark. The tigress finally struggled loose and ran away.

Joymala saved the life of both Boro and the gaurd.. Joymala then tried to chase the tigress was then calmed by the CWRC veterinarian.. who was holding the bleeding mahout.. The 25-year-old mahout, Satya Pegu, who was badly lacerated, lost three fingers on his left hand, and was admitted in a hospital in Dibrugarh. The Wildlife Trust of India and its partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare covered his medical expenses.

The video footage was taken by the divisional forest officer, R.K.Das.

Noone was killed in this incidence.. just because of some quick thinking by Joymala (The elephant)..

Tigers do not generally attack human being but when it was shot by the dart gun two times then it was an act done in Self defence and to save her cubs..

Poachers Vs. Predators

SEVERAL ARRESTS AND SEIZURE OF TIGER SKINS, BONES AND IRON TRAPS ARE A CLEAR INDICATION OF POACHERS BEING EXTREMELY ACTIVE IN THE NATIONAL PARKS..

THE MOST COMMON WAYS OF POACHING ARE POISONING, TRAPPING, ELECTROCUTION AND SNARING..
THE POACHERS OFTEN TEMPT THE VILLAGERS LIVING NEAR THE TIGER HABITAT AS THEY KNOW THE MOVEMENT OF THE TIGER BETTER THAN THE POACHERS.. SOMETIMES THE POACHERS EVEN OUTSOURCE THE JOB TO THE VILLAGERS, AND THE JOB IS DONE FOR NOT MORE THAN A SUM OF THREE TO FIVE THOUSAND RUPEES..

ON JUNE 7 A TIGER SKIN WAS RECOVERED FROM ERAMANGALAM IN KERELA.. LAST WEEK TWO TIGERS WERE FOUND DEAD UNDER SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES IN KARNATAKA'S BANDIPUR RESERVE.. ON MAY 16TH THE CID FOREST CELL OF THE KARNATAKA POLICE HAD SEIZED A TIGER SKIN IN NAZARBAD.. THIS ANIMAL WAS POISONED A MONTH BACK.. 106 PIECES OF TIGER BONE WAS SIEZED FROM THE HOUSE OF NAWAB ALI IN SATNA DISTRICT OF MADHYA PRADESH ON 29TH MAY.. ON 31ST MARCH A TIGER WAS FOUND INJURED AFTER BEING SHOT BY POACHERS.. IT WAS PARALYSED.. THIS ANIMAL WAS SHIFTED TO NANDANKANAN ZOO..


I CAN STILL REMEMBER AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE TIMES.. A YEAR AGO.. STATING.. A TIGER WORTH 20 CRORES IN THE FOREIGN MARKET IS SOLD FOR NOT MORE THAN 20 THOUSAND IN INDIA.. 

THESE VILLAGERS DONT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.. THEY'RE
 NOT ONLY KILLING TIGERS BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY'RE KILLING 
THEMSELVES.. SOMETIMES THEY KILL TIGERS IF THEY FEAR THE DANGER
OF THEM KILLING THEIR LIVESTOCKS.. AND SOMETIMES THEY DO THIS AS A PART OF VENGEANCE..

THE FINAL TIGER CENCUS FIGURES ARE EXPECTED TO COME BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.. AND I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE FIGURE FALLS EVEN LOWER..

IS THIS THE TREATMENT OUR NATIONAL ANIMAL DESERVES FROM US ??

Collective Name!

What do we call a group of tigers. Can anyone please tell me the collective name for tigers.. like.. A Parliament of Owls. Tigers are generally not seen in groups.. but there have been some instances when people have seen them in Groups.. Mr. Valmik Thapar has photographed as many as 9 tigers together in Ranthambhore National Park.

Is capital punishment enough for the people involved in poaching?

What do you think should be the Punishment given to the Poachers.

Is capital punishment the answer to it.. or should they be fed to the tigers.. what do u think ?