TIGERLINK

A Network of Concerned People and Organisations

Across the Globe to Save the Tiger

NEWS
REVIVED VOL-8 MARCH-2011

From the Executive Director’s Desk We have been blaming State Governments for not
supporting the cause of tiger but is it not a fact that the
Government of India has also shown its bias by extending
Dear Friends, support to only one fifth of the notified Tiger Reserves?
Fateh Singh Rathore left for heavenly abode living many Compare the fund support given to Sariska in last three
of us dumb founded. I lost a great friend and perhaps years with that given to other tiger reserves like Palamu,
the most knowledgeable person who could speak the Valmiki, Buxa, Simlipal etc., where the habitats are still
language of tiger. Ranthambhore National Park was intact and little effort can bring them into their glorious
his love and he knew every plant, bird, animal, stream, past. If tiger has to be saved in the country then every
water-body and the friend and foe of the park living reserve has to be given equal attention.
around. I give him full credit for bringing Ranthambhore India will announce the tiger estimation by the end
Tiger Reserve globally famous. I am sure tigers will of March. We are talking of bringing refinement in the
also be indebted to him as he could make them the most estimation process. Stage one was practiced in 2006
popular and talked about species in the world. and now we have reached stage three. But even in the
We have lost two stalwarts of conservation in Billy estimation exercise, there seems to be a bias—there
and Fateh in just over one year. These losses are are tiger reserves where not even a single camera was
irreparable and the conservation community will always laid. How can we reach a national estimation figure
remember them. when the exercise has not been done in many parks?
In the meantime, lot of things have happened in the Two among these parks are Similipal and Palamu and
tiger front. The NTCA is trying to push forward its one would like to know how tigers were estimated here?
relocation programme but Government of India has People associated with the exercise inform that the
drastically cut the budget. The Ministry of Environment local field staff have been trained to carry out the
and Forests demarcated ‘Go’ and ‘No Go’ areas in the exercise which is being tabulated in WII. How reliable
forests; many of the ‘No Go’ areas which would be will this information be when there is practically no staff
strictly off limits for mining are tiger bearing forests or or even if there are, they are poorly informed and trained
are part of its corridor. But the PMO does not recognise and physically unfit to carry out the exercise effectively
this, and there is pressure to let-go even these ‘No-Go’ due to old age.
areas. The Home Minister has joined the fray and has
I have been involved with tiger conservation for over
also pressed for easing up of ‘No-Go’ areas. In this
four and half decades. With the experience I have
situation, it will difficult to protect these forests from
gained, I would like to make a plea that we must try to
the ravages of coal mining.
save the tigers wherever there is chance. The concept
I have been reiterating that give at least two percent
of source and sink population was in place even when
India’s landmass for tiger and its ecosystem. If India’s
Project Tiger was launched in 1973. It is my considered
98 per cent of land cannot make it a superpower or
opinion that with proper scientific support and sincere
take the GDP growth to 12 per cent, I am sure two per
managerial input, many of the sink population can be
cent will not make any difference. But it will save the
brought back to a viable one.
tiger and its ecosystem.
P.K. Sen

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Editorial Why is crucial tiger habitat-deemed to be inviolate, being
pillaged not by outside agencies but by the forest
As each TigerLink drew to a close, Fatji’s (Fateh Singh department themselves? The Bhanwar deh waterhole, a
Rathore) calls would get more frequent. When was the prime tiger nursery, in Berda in Ranthambhore was
issue out? Had we covered (the latest crisis!) from destroyed for an anicut. This is just one among the other
Ranthambhore? What did the editorial—and the director’s such construction (or destruction) in Ranthambhore, and
note-say? Was it strong, delivering the requisite punch? reserves across the country, where civil works reach a
As I write now, I miss Fatji. Apologies, Fatji is sorely peak when the financial year comes to a close.
missed, always. But it is the tiger who is the worst loser, Tiger reserves are meant to serve tigers, not officers
who has lost their staunch champion. For us, he was a or people.
tiger among men, for the tiger, he was one among them.. Conflict: That is killing not just the tiger, but also
Last year we lost Billy (Arjan Singh), this year, Fatji tolerance for the cat, is one of the most complex issues.
passed away. Two stalwarts gone... Yet we can put in place simple mechanisms to ease the
To move on to species they lived for: What ails the suffering. Like speedy, fair compensation for loss of cattle,
wild tiger? and life. Have rapid response teams in place, depots to
We know the answer, we know the cure. meet the local need for fuel and fodder.
We also know that the tiger’s last, and only, hope is The failure of the state governments to come on board
India. on tiger conservation has been repeatedly stressed. Very
But we refuse to take the tough call that will stem its true, but the centre cannot be absolved of responsibility
rapid decline. Inspite of the backslapping and self-
either. The push for coal mining and highways into tiger
congratulations, somewhere, we are failing the tiger.
habitat is mainly from the centre, with the PMO pressing
For the sake of simplicity, let’s divide the problem
for mining to be allowed into the recently-demarcated
into two broad heads: One category is the larger picture,
‘no-go’ areas. The budget for the National Tiger
the tiger, in context of the ‘society’—for want of another
Conservation Authority, which funds protection initiatives
word—it lives in. These issues are seemingly
insurmountable, the ones those overwhelm you in their on the ground, was been cut by a fourth. The next
enormity. Where is the room for wild tigers in India, economic superpower, India, does not have enough
with her rapidly increasing population (1.3 billion, 50,000 money for her tigers.
added annually), and her thirst for growth and a Meanwhile, the worst onslaught is brewing: by
consumerist lifestyle? How do you counter the incessant changing laws and policies, we are striking at the very
threat of highways, coal mines, power projects and foundation on which our glorious (but all-too-short)
expanding human habitation in tiger habitats and corridors? conservation history is based. The Forest Rights Act
How do you convince politicians hungry for votes, and weakened the Wildlife Protection Act and largely stripped
corporates greedy for money that the highway cuts into away the sanctity of Protected Areas. Its impact on wild
a crucial tiger corridor or that the coal mine sits on prime habitats has been discussed in detail in previous issues
tiger real estate? (look for it also under ‘Focus’), but a new set of
While we, doggedly, try, try and try to keep the recommendations for FRA rules by the very influential
bulldozers away, there are other issues that demand urgent National Advisory Council will be disastrous for wild
attention. These, perhaps, are more workable. Poaching habitats as they open up ‘rights’ in PAs even further.
is the single biggest reason for rapid population declines, India announces her tiger estimates shortly. But reports
indeed local extinctions. Yet, what have we done to curb from the field indicate that the exercise was not a thorough
this slaughter? Sure, we cannot overnight convince China one—in some cases cameras didn’t work. In others,
that tiger penis soup isn’t the magic mantra for manhood, cameras have not even been set up. Why are we rushing
but what has India done to control the supply? Why isn’t then to announce numbers at a grand tiger mela?
there sufficient, well-trained and equipped frontline staff Indications are that tiger numbers have increased, but
to take on poachers? Why don’t we strengthen our the relevance of numbers diminishes when we consider
Wildlife Crime Bureau along the lines of the agency to that a chunk of it is tiny, fragmented populations with
control narcotics smuggling? little genetic viability. Corridors connecting these
Mismanagement, or is some cases, no management populations are crucial to their survival.
is another concern. I was part of an exercise to assess To end on a positive note, the tiger reserves we
tiger reserves. Of the eight surveyed, only one reserve assessed fall in India’s ‘red corridor’ impacted by left-
had a dedicated field director and deputy director—the wing extremism. Most, like Nagarjunasagar, Valmiki and
rest divided time between commercial forestry and Similipal were previously written off. But here, far from
conserving tigers. Incidentally, only two of the reserves the spotlight, lie India’s untapped treasures. They have
had any protection strategy in place, and functional on tremendous potential. Let’s put in our best efforts to raise
the ground. There must be an honest, exhaustive these-and other such-reserves.
assessment of what ails our tiger reserves, and the all-
important next step to act on the concerned issues. Prerna Singh Bindra

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NATIONAL NEWS includes Darrah, Jwahar Sagar and Chambal Wildlife

sanctuaries to be declared as a tiger reserve. This is
aimed to function as the satellite core of the
GOOD NEWS Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve.
Increase in tiger numbers? Source: NTCA
The much-awaited results of the second all India tiger
estimates for the country is to be announced in Enhanced pay package for TR staff
March-end, and indications are that a slight rise in In a letter addressed to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of
numbers may be expected. all tiger range states, National Tiger Conservation
Comment: Most cameras laid in the field to estimate Authority (NTCA) Member Secretary Dr Rajesh Gopal
tigers for the ongoing all India census did not work has directed an approval to “double the existing rates of
till monsoon and even after monsoon only about half project allowance for the existing categories of
of the cameras were operational. In some reserves, employees working in tiger reserves.” The enhanced
cameras have not even been set up. Given the package is applicable from September 1st, 2008.
situation, how will results be declared in March-end Source: Letter No. 15-3/2010-NTCA from Dr
as scheduled. Rajesh Gopal to CWWs, Dated 27th October
Comment: When Project Tiger was created, there
Eight more tiger reserves was provision of special pay at all levels for the staff
of reserve areas, which was enhanced in the 9th plan
Minister of State (Independent Charge) Environment
scheme of Project Tiger. Most of the states did not
and Forests (MEF) Jairam Ramesh said on November
implement it, even though the Government of India
12th that India will soon have eight new tiger reserves
was bearing the entire cost. How can we ensure that
added to the 39 already in existence. These include
the enhanced package will be given to the staff this
Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu, BR Hills in Karnataka,
time? The other related issue is the urgent need to
Suhelwa and Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, Sunabeda in
address the payment of the daily wagers who form
Orissa, Ratapani in Madhya Pradesh and Navegaon-
the bulk of the frontline staff. Wages are not paid
Nagzira and Bor in Maharashtra. These reserves are
for months in most reserves due to delay in receiving
expected to come up in about six to eight months.
funds, mainly due to non- implementation of NTCA
Source: Bindu Shajan Perappadan, The Hindu,
directive to expedite the functioning of Tiger
November 14, 2010, Astha Kukreti, Delhi Greens,
Conservation Foundation and the state governments
Nov. 13, 2010, Nafisa Islam, Tehelka, Nov. 12, 2010.
practice of delaying release of funds.
Comment: Good news, as we said, but on one hand
the government announces new reserves, and the
other the onslaught on the existing reserves NTCA strengthened
continues i.e. highway through Pench, mines around The Union Cabinet on January 13 approved the creation
Tadoba, submergence by dams etc. Also, some of of four posts in the rank of Inspector General of Forests
these reserves like Sunabeda and Pilibhit have been
for the regional offices and headquarters of the National
have been awaiting the nod from state governments
Tiger Conservation Authority. In conjunction with the
for years —eight in the case of Pilibhit. Fact is, the
recent decision to set up three regional offices of the
centre may have announced its intention, but it is
NTCA in Nagpur, Guwahati and Bangalore, this is
the states who must, but are reluctant to declare new
TRs. We also need to assess the status of the newlyexpected to give a boost to India’s tiger conservation
efforts. Welcoming the decision, the MEF Jairam
declared tiger reserves. What is the criteria on what
they were declared? Were field assessments done? Ramesh said: “This is a great step forward. There was
It is witnessed that in most cases they are tiger a crying need for decentralisation so that we can
enhance the monitoring of our conservation efforts and
reserves only in name, without the requisite protection
or wildlife management. improve the quality and timeliness of support we give
the field directors of our 39 tiger reserves across the
Mukandara Hills to be declared TR country. There is no doubt that this will strengthen the
capacity of the NTCA to deliver on its mandate, and
NTCA has given in-principle approval for declaring provide new teeth to our tiger conservation efforts.”
Mukandara Hills National Park in Rajasthan which Source: January 13, 2011, MoEF

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PADMASHRI PK SEN
Executive Director of Ranthambhore Foundation and former director, Project Tiger PK Sen was awarded
the Padmashri. He is the fourth Indian Forest Service Officer to have earned this distinction, and the first
from Bihar. Sen joined the state’s forest services in 1967 and after the creation of Indian Forest Service, he
was inducted in the service in 1969. Hailing from Ranchi, Sen was put on central deputation in October,
1996 and was the director of Project Tiger till his retirement in 2001. He had a very distinguished career
and is best known for his uprightness, outspokenness and unwavering commitment to wildlife. As an IFS
officer Sen, was involved in the management of forests and wildlife in the state. Palamu Tiger Reserve
(now in Jharkhand) saw its best management under his stewardship. He also held the post of the chief
wildlife warden in Bihar and went on to become the director of Project Tiger. He is a firm believer in good
governance and taking on a problem, head on. It was this faith and commitment to his task that had him
state that the tiger was in its worst crisis, and Project Tiger, floundering. His statement shook the
establishment, yet infused the Project with renewed energy and direction, a legacy that continues to date.
Retirement did not affect his zeal to do something positive for wildlife and he worked as director of
WWF, India’s wildlife division till October, 2006. He is presently associated with the Ranthambhore
Foundation, a non-profit wildlife conservation organisation working for awareness, education,
and biodiversity conservation with focus on tiger and publication of periodicals and journals
related to conservation. Speaking to The Telegraph, Sen said the award would inspire other forest
officials. Bihar chief wildlife warden Mithilesh Kumar, who worked as an IFoS probationer under Sen in
Ranchi (West) forest division, termed him “a very dynamic officer”. “He always used to encourage his
juniors and helped them do good work. He was always there to assist in case anyone faced any difficulty
on the field,” Kumar said.
Source: Sanjeev Verma, The Telegraph, with inputs from Tigerlink

CAMPA funds for relocation from TRs protected areas, including the consolidation of
protected areas; Research, training and capacity-
In letters addressed to all senior forest and wildlife building; Environmental services including provision
authorities and field directors of tiger reserves, the of goods such as non-timber forest produce, fuel,
NTCA has directed that money from CAMPA funds fodder and water and compensatory afforestation.
may be utilised by states for the relocation and However the states prefer to pour CAMPA money
rehabilitation of communities residing inside into plantation projects which have little
protected areas. The directive comes from decisions conservation value—and a dubious history of
arrived at from a meeting of all PCCFs of states/UTs at corruption. In fact there are media reports (from
New Delhi held on March 3rd, and state that “the use of Orissa, which is one of the largest beneficiary of
NPV money towards rehabilitation of people from CAMPA funds) of how wildlife areas are being
protected areas can be allowed after approval of same destroyed to make way for CAMPA-funded
by the competent authority as per the detailed Annual plantations.
Plan of Operation.” At a meeting organised by NTCA, Using CAMPA funds for relocation is a sensible
the MEF Jairam Ramesh said that a meeting had been solution especially in light of the shrinking of funds
organised in early April to review the spending of to NTCA.
CAMPA funds. He reiterated again that CAMPA must
be for tiger conservation and regeneration of degraded
PM ordains; but separate wildlife dept delayed
tiger habitats or forests around TRs.
Source: NTCA Ten months after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave
Comment: The CAMPA guidelines are clear that the the go ahead for separate forest and wildlife
funds are to be used to promote conservation, departments, there has been little progress. The PM
protection, regeneration and management of existing had instructed MEF Jairam Ramesh to form a separate
forests; Conservation, protection and management department for wildlife & forests in the 5th meeting of
of wildlife and its habitat within and outside the NBWL on March 18, 2010. Ramesh had promised

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to have the “architecture” of the new department in population in the face of local extinction. It was
place by September, but this seems to be caught in pointed out that relocation is not advisable unless
bureaucratic red tape. According to ministry sources, the causes of extinction are addressed. The tigers
the new department is unlikely to be formed anytime were translocated, though none of the causes of
soon. Clearly, the Prime Minister’s sense of urgency extinction, identified by various agencies, addressed.
has been insufficient to prod the bureaucracy into action. The tragic fallout is there for all to see.
According to a senior official in the Ministry, a note
detailing the proposal has been circulated to the Jairam objects to mining around Sariska
Ministries of Finance, Law and Personnel for their inputs.
He added, “we are waiting for the response from the MEF Jairam Ramesh strongly objected to 40 mining
various Ministries to whom the proposal has been leases that the government of Rajasthan granted around
forwarded for comments. Based on their response, Sariska and has written thrice to CM Ashok Gehlot
further steps will be taken. In any case, the bifurcation asking to stop all mining operations. The Rajasthan
is not going to happen soon”. government has granted 40 new mining leases in the
Source: Rajesh Singh, Pioneer, November 8, 2010, Aravalli Hills near the Sariska Tiger Reserve, seriously
New Delhi threatening the reserve. The leases are in defiance of a
Comment: It must be verified how much time it was February 2010 Supreme Court order that had asked for
taken by the MoEF to forward it to the finance all mining leases to be considered as fresh applications
department. It is learnt that the MoEF inordinately and not as renewals. Only three mines in the Aravalli
delayed the process as well. As before, there is range in Udaipur have shut down operations heeding to
division within the ranks who prefer to let things the Supreme Court’s order dated 9th February. In all,
continue, and are therefore delaying the process in there are around 100 mines in the region with 32 operating
the ministry. illegally near the reserve.
In his repeated letters to the chief minister, Ramesh
Jairam supports translocation has asked for the immediate cancellation of all mining
Though the translocation process came under a lot of leases issued recently in the Aravallis, mainly around
criticism following ST1’s (the first tiger to be translocated the Sariska Tiger Reserve. Stressing that wanton
to Sariska) death, MEF Jairam Ramesh came out in excavations near Sariska was like “betraying Indira
strong support of the tiger revival project in Sariska on Gandhi” who had launched Project Tiger in 1973, the
16th November following the tiger’s death. Ramesh minister said that it is best that “the state takes action
admitted that there was failure of “governance and now”.
administration” in the reserve. “I admit that there has Source: Bahar Dutt, CNN-IBN, 21, October 2010,
been a failure of governance and administration, and I New Delhi, Zee News, October 21, 2010, Rachna Singh,
take full responsibility for that. But to say that the Times of India, October 22, 2010, October 23, 2010,
relocation programme is not working is wrong,” he said. November 6, 2010, Jaipur, “Endangered in Sariska”,
He asserted that the best scientists of the country were Ankur Paliwal, Down to Earth, Issue dated December
working on the tiger relocation programme. 15, 2010
Four tigers survive in Sariska now and have so far Comment: The mining issues around Sariska go back
failed to mate and reproduce. One more male tiger was to the time before it gained the status of a tiger
relocated to Sariska on February 25. reserve in 1978-79. The Supreme Court acted on a
Source: NDTV, November 15, 2010, Alwar, PIL and directed the Rajasthan government to
“Endangered in Sariska”, Ankur Paliwal, Down to demarcate and notify the tiger reserve and submit
Earth, Issue dated December 15, 2010, ‘Sariska tiger the same to court. Mining was a contentious issue
was poisoned to death’: Minister, IANS, CNN-IBN, even then and the GOI used to clear each and every
December 4, 2010 Bangalore Mirror, 17, November case of mining. In 2001, the GOI decided to transfer
2010 the entire authority of deciding on mining cases to
Comment: The criticism was not against relocation the state, thus shifting their responsibility on the
per se, which is important for restocking of tiger Rajasthan government

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No funds for the tiger

For the year 2011-2012, the National Tiger
Conservation Authority got a mere Rs 150
crores, as against the expected 700 crores, a
cut by about 25 per cent. With the current budget,

Credit: Rohan Chakravarty

the relocation of villages from the core critical habitats
will be majorly hit and it will be a miracle if basic
vitals like protection, habitat and crisis management
are covered. The budget has been on a steady decline:
194 crores in 2010-11 as against Rs 204 crore that
they received in the financial year 2009-2010. There
is a pressing need for Rs 5,000 crores for the
current (running) and next planning period i.e.
from 2010-11 to 2017. For 2011-2012, the NTCA
had asked for Rs 1,100 crore, which is a must if they
were to make a headway to shift villages out of core
critical tiger habitat. The Planning Commission had
reportedly agreed to grant Rs 700 crores.
The cut has come as a major blow to the
relocation process, and conservation. There are 762 villages with about 48,000 families inside core areas.
Many villages have come forward and are eager to shift out as they struggle with a difficult life within the
forest, and seek new opportunities, and a life, in the mainstream.
Sources said MEF Jairam Ramesh has been engaging with the Planning Commission and the finance
ministry to see if he can up the budget but all hints are that the ministry itself will not see any substantial gains
in its resources in the coming fiscal.
Source: Prerna Singh Bindra, The Sunday Guardian, February 13, Nitin Sethi, The Times of India, Fen
18, 2011

Eco-sensitive zones for PAs, finally The panel could also suggest the best methods to
manage such zones and broad-based thematic activities
In a bid to prevent ecological damage caused due to to be included in the master plan for the areas, which
developmental activities around National Parks and have been classified as prohibited, restricted with
Sanctuaries, the Environment Ministry has come out with safeguards and permissible. The guidelines said activities
new guidelines to create eco-sensitive zones which will including commercial mining, setting of saw mills and
work as ‘shock absorbers’ for the protected areas. industries causing pollution, commercial use of firewood,
The new eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) guidelines, major hydropower projects are prohibited in such areas.
declared by the Ministry on February 9, would also It also prohibits tourism activities like flying over
ensure that these areas are treated as transition zones protected areas in an aircraft or hot air balloon and
from areas of high protection to areas involving lesser discharge of effluents and solid waste in natural water
protection. “The basic aim is to regulate certain activities bodies or terrestrial areas.
around National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries so as to Felling of trees, drastic change in agriculture systems
minimise the negative impacts of such activities on the and commercial use of natural water resources, including
fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected areas,” groundwater harvesting and setting up of hotels and
the Ministry said in its new guidelines. The MoEF has resorts are the activities regulated in the areas. Activities
asked all states to constitute a committee comprising permitted in the areas include ongoing agriculture and
the wildlife warden, an ecologist and a revenue horticulture practices by local communities, rainwater
department official of the area concerned to suggest harvesting, organic farming, adoption of green
the requirement of an eco-sensitive zone and its extent. technology and use of renewable energy sources.

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Observing that many PAs have already undergone l Should our complete focus be on the few tiger
tremendous development in close vicinity of their reserves—about seven or eight—which have source
boundaries and some are actually located in an urban populations? There is no second opinion that these
set-up, the MoEF notes that the width of the ESZ will are priority areas, and concentrated conservation
have to be kept flexible and PA-specific. “The width of efforts here are crucial. At the same time, other
the Eco-sensitive Zone and type of regulations will differ reserves which currently have few tigers/sink
from protected area to protected area. However, as a populations, but excellent habitat and a potential to
general principle the width of eco-sensitive zone could hold more tigers must also be given adequate
go up to 10 km around a protected area as provided in attention and focus.
the Wildlife Conservation Strategy-2002,” it said. l The tiger translocation protocol requirement is not
Source: ‘MoEF frames guidelines for eco-zones only scientific, but also has administrative and
around national parks’, PTI, Feb 16, 2011 management aspects which must be give due
Comment: The Eco-sensitive Zone notification has consideration.
been pending since over five years. The National l An update of the any action taken on the special
Board for Wildlife took a decision on March 17, drive initiated by the centre for reserves in a
2005, on delineation of eco-sensitive zones. The ‘precarious’ position i.e. Similipal, Nagarjunasagar
Supreme Court on December 4, 2006 took note of Srisailam, Valmiki, Palamu, Indravati
the order and directed the states and union territories l Progress of states in notification of buffer areas,
to send proposals of eco-sensitive zones to the
Tiger Conservation Plans, Tiger Conservation
ministry, but few, if any state acted on the same. Most
Foundation etc
states are unwilling to create eco-sensitive zones as
l Most states reported that the cameras laid for
this restricts big-ticket projects like mining, power
estimation did not function. Even though replaced
projects etc. Given the current pressures of mining,
post-monsoon, the cameras were not fully
highways, coal etc in and around tiger reserves and
operational. In some states like Orissa and
corridors the importance of notifying such zones
Jharkhand, cameras have not even been set up.
cannot be stressed enough.
Surprising, then, that the estimation figures will be
ready for release at the international meet in March-
NTCA board a figurehead? end.
After their last meeting on January 2010, the NTCA
board met after a long gap of nearly 14 months on Hope for wild tigers rests on India
March 1. All decisions which were to be taken in
The NTCA organised a meeting of a select group of
consultation with various committees formed by the
conservationists and scientists with the MEF Jairam
NTCA, were taken on an ad-hoc basis. The involvement
Ramesh on March 7th to discuss core policy matters
of the board in key decision has been minimal. It has
concerning tiger conservation. Speaking at the meeting
been suggested that the board’s counsel must be taken
acclaimed wildlife biologist Dr George Schaller said that
on board for important issues which have a long term
the future of the tiger depended on India. “I have hope
impact on conservation i.e the selection of new tiger
that India can and will do something to save the world’s
reserves, formation of key committees like those for
last tigers. He stressed the need for a strong guard force,
the management effectiveness evaluation of tiger
strict on the ground protection, conserving habitats,
reserves, tiger monitoring protocol etc.
transborder vigilance and cooperation to check illegal
A list of key actions and review of certain matters
trade, and marking priority sites for relocation. He added
was also suggested, some of which are listed below:
that it took political willpower to put in the legislation
l Funds released for relocation from core critical
and policy in place to protect tigers. He emphasized the
habitats have only been partially utilised, and require
need for sound, rigorous, and modern scientific methods
an urgent review.
to inform and evaluate tiger conservation strategies, a
l It is understand that the Special Tiger Protection
point reiterated by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, president and
Force for which 50 crores was allocated is yet to
CEO, Panthera. Speaking on the current crisis, Dr
be formed in most TRs. A status report across
Rabinowitz said that “tigers are in the ICU, terminal
states?

TIGER LINK l 7
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disease: stage IV. Tragedy is, we know the cure, we Thapar, Bittu Sahgal, Belinda Wright, Ravi Singh, Raghu
know how to save the tiger, but lack the political will to Chundawat, Prerna Singh Bindra, and field directors and
do so.” “I believe that there are no more 2,500 wild officers across tiger states.
tigers in the world, confined to just one per cent of their Source: A TigerLink report with inputs from PIB
historic range. India is the last bastion where we have
the best minds, best landscapes, best habitats—it is the International Tiger Meet in March
best place to demonstrate a turnaround of the tiger’s
sinking fortunes. He called for more transparency and The National Tiger Conservation Authority is organising
international scrutiny to critically evaluate remaining an international tiger conference on March 28 and 29.
The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh is expected
source populations so as to employ best practices in
to attend the inauguration. Also present will be the MEF
these priority sites. He added that key areas must be
Jairam Ramesh, DG & Special Secretary (forests),
conserved and developed as model sites.
Member Secretary (NTCA). The new all India census
The MEF Jairam Ramesh said that the international
figures will be released at the meeting. The
community can play a key role in facilitating cooperation
Management Effectiveness reports of reserves, a film
between countries that shared tiger habitat with India
and a book on Project Tiger will also be released.
i.e. Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and especially Mayanmar
All field directors and senior wildlife officials from
which has Hukawng Valley Tiger reserve contiguous to
states, national and international experts, scientists,
Namdapha in Arunachal.
conservationists, prominent politicians, industrialists and
Jairam said that it was almost a task impossible to media persons are expected to attend the conference.
get cooperation from states in tiger conservation as state India will show case its best practices, and there will be
priorities were different, centred on growth, and the only presentations on green infrastructure, role of media, the
way forward was giving the states a larger stake through corporate sector in tiger conservation, etc.
fiscal incentives. With CM’s of ‘tiger states’ expected at the meeting,
The participants deliberated at length on various issues there will be special focus on working with the states,
of tiger conservation and arrived at the following points and impressing upon them the urgent priorities regarding
for future work tiger conservation.
1. Securing trans-boundary cooperation on issues of The Global Tiger Initiative will sign a Memorandum
poaching and trade in other tiger range countries of Understanding with Global Tiger Forum for monitoring
like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar with of implementation of the Global Tiger Recovery
guidance from international experts and in Programmes in all the 13 tiger range countries. All tiger
collaboration with NGOs. ranges states will also present the progress made in the
2. To determine and finalise a strategy for protection execution of the National Tiger Recovery Programme.
of tiger populations outside Tiger Reserves. The conference would be organised as joint event
3. Gap-evaluation of the 39 Tiger Reserves as per of the MoEF through the National Tiger Conservation
scientific norms of space requirements. Authority, Global Tiger Forum in collaboration with the
4. Analyse the feasibility of utilising CAMPA funds Global Tiger Initiative.
toward tiger conservation and regeneration of A TigerLink Report
degraded habitat especially outside TRs so as to
effectively ‘extend’ tiger habitat Management effectiveness of TRs
5. Evaluate and review the formation and functioning
of Tiger Conservation Foundations on a state-wise At a meeting organised by NTCA and the Wildlife
basis. Institute of India on the ongoing Management
6. Create a knowledge pool of international and national Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) Process on February
scientists and experts at Wildlife Institute of India 18 & 19, it was decided not to rank the reserves as
for improving and implementing cutting-edge science done previously but to grade them from A to D category.
for tiger conservation. It was also decided to have a special category for
The meeting was attended by Dr George Schaller, reserves in the ‘red corridor’ as management and
Dr Alan Rabinowitz, Joe Smith, (Director, Tiger protection in reserves impacted by Left-wing extremism
Program, Panthera), Dr Ullas Karanth, PK Sen, Valmik was practically difficult and ineffectual. New reserves,

8 l TIGER LINK
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i.e. those declared after 2000 would also be placed in a In the Rs 10,000-crore project water from river Ken in
separate category given that it takes time to follow the Uttar Pradesh will be diverted into river Betwa in MP,
practices as well as orientation as demanded in a tiger requiring huge tracts of forestland from Panna Tiger
reserve. Reserves in the north-east were placed in a Reserve. Conservationists have opposed the project as
special category. Also, Panna and Sariska where tigers a large part of forest area in and around Panna will be
had gone locally extinct, and tigers were translocated to submerged. While acknowledging the environmental
rebuild the population were to be a category on its own. impact, the ministry recently approved the Terms of
Some of the best practices will be showcased so Reference, also called in-principle approval, for doing
that these can be followed by other reserves. It was preparatory work for constructing a dam on river Ken
suggested that when a new tiger reserve is declared near village Daudhan and a 231 km long canal to transfer
there should be some training and orientation process water in Barwa Sagar reservoir. Water from reservoir
on the various guidelines, statutory procedures and will be diverted into Betwa river. The dam site is inside
practices, tiger monitoring, wildlife modules etc. Panna, which now has relocated tigers after the local
extinction of the big cat.
International Tiger Advisory Group formed The Environment Appraisal Committee (EAC) made
it mandatory to seek approval of the National Board for
Some of the most credible names in tiger conservation Wildlife before public hearing for acquiring land at the
have gotten together as a sort of ‘shadow cabinet’ for project site is conducted. The project has been pending
the tiger. This group will assist tiger range countries by with EAC for close to four years as it refused approval
making available the best knowledge and practices in to pre-construction activity because it was in the tiger
tiger conservation. iTAG will be chaired by the reserve.
legendary Dr George Schaller, with Dr Alan If approved, the project will take nine years to
Rabinowitz as its International Coordinator. It has on complete.
board ten senior tiger scientists and conservationists, Source: ‘Ken, Betwa inch closer’, Chetan Chauhan,
and will also invite a panel of experts and conservationists The Hindustan Times, January 10, 2010
as Associates. Comment: There are various issues here. We will not
The group will work across tiger range countries and go into the feasibility or otherwise of river-linking
will assist in providing a framework and protocol as it is beyond the scope of the journal. It is
for evaluating tiger reserves, best practices for tiger shocking, however, that the project has got in-
research, monitoring and conservation in TRCs, a principal approval inside Panna Tiger Reserve from
protocol for translocation and reintroduction of wild the MoEF. In December 2009, speaking at a
tigers, recommend declaration of new tiger reserves, conference for Wildlife Conservation for journalists,
protected landscapes and corridors and facilitate MEF Jairam Ramesh had sharply criticised this
international coordination between tiger countries and project, and expressed his shock saying that, “it is
trans-border interventions. The group will provide unthinkable in a tiger reserve.” He added that “we
advice on mitigation of human-tiger conflict, training are not going to simply compromise ecology security
protocols for forest staff and others involved in tiger in the name of development. There are many such
conservation, legislation and international treaties projects and we are not going to do anything that
relating to tigers, impact of development projects in minimises our biodiversity.” Ironically, the same
tiger landscapes and in determining the value of ministry has granted clearance to the river-linking
Ecosystem Services of tiger habitats. iTAG will put in the reserve. The project, the construction it entails
its advice in the public domain and will work to support- and the ancillary development will be a death knell
and in cooperation with—all governments of tiger range for the tiger reserve.
countries to do right by the tiger. Another irony: First the tigers in Panna go extinct,
as an apathetic management and state looked on,
River linking in Panna gets green go-ahead then, to ‘right’ its wrongs the state goes on an
India first river-interlinking project on Ken and Betwa overdrive to relocate tigers into Panna-and huge
rivers in Central India has received ‘in-principle’ amounts of money are spent on the exercise, the
approval of the Environment ministry. management ensures diligent monitoring and

TIGER LINK l 9
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protection of the relocated tigers, and then they push member secretary Rajesh Gopal has suggested restricting
the river-linking which will destroy the tigers’ habitat. the movement of people by imposing Section 144 CrPC
Though the project is yet to come up before the (Imposition of section 144 prohibits people from
Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife assembling armed with weapons. It is used to prevent
for approval, there is undue pressure on the board hostile crowds from developing into riot like situations)
to give the nod when the environment clearance is during conflict situations where mob-like situations
given. It is witnessed that most proponents start develop which worsens matters. The suggestion came
work, investing huge amounts even before getting in the wake of increasing cases of tigers straying,
mandatory approval. particularly in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and
Maharashtra where both tigers and people have been
Tigers get an official anthem killed in the fatal encounters.
Source: Hindustan Times, December 7th, 2010,
The tiger has got an official anthem, ‘Tiger se jeena Pioneer, December 7th, 2010
seekho’ which is sung and composed by Bollywood
singer, composer and lyricist Abhishek Ray. He has sung
it together with popular singer Kavita Krishnamurthy. FOCUS: FOREST RIGHTS ACT
The anthems will go on air on radio and television and Forest Rights...and wildlife wrongs
will also be put up on the NTCA website. There are
two anthems both almost 30 seconds long, with an English One of the issues that remained dominant in the past
and Hindi punch line with each and have an underlying months was the controversy—and the chaos—
theme of how tigers mean forest and water...”that if surrounding the implementation of the Scheduled Tribes
the tiger goes, he will not go alone. You may soon follow.’ and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Source: Gaurav Sharma, TNN, October 22, 2010 Forest Rights) Act 2006. The Act essentially seeks to
confer rights on tribals and forest dwellers over lands
TCF not operational they have lived in, the forest resources they use and
give ownership to forest dwellers and tribals residing
One of the major, and persistent, problems observed in within forests, including protected areas. This law
most tiger reserves is the huge delay in funds. This was effectively took away the power of government
expected to be solved by Tiger Conservation Foundations departments to settle rights and greatly empowered the
(TCF) that would directly transfer funds from the centre gramsabha.
to the reserve. Though Tiger Conservation foundations A committee set up jointly by the Ministry of
have been set up in some states, they have still not Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the Ministry of
achieved this objective. Most, if not all, TCFs are not Tribal Affairs (MoTA) in mid-2010 to review its
yet operational and months after the centre has released implementation concluded that the implementation of the
funds, it is yet to reach the parks. It has also been seen FRA has been poor and has reached only a fraction of
that there are delays at every stage—sending of the its intended beneficiaries.
Annual Plan of Operation (APO) from the state to the Top forest officials slammed the report. VK
centre, the centre releasing the funds to the state (they Bahuguna, president of the Indian Forest Services (IFS)
can do so only when the finance ministry gives the funds) Association, sent a memorandum to the environment
and most importantly from the state to the reserve. ministry stating that “opposing illegal allotment of forest
The objective of the TCF is to facilitate and support land by forest officials should not be construed as an
management of reserves with direct financial aid to the impediment in the implementation of the Act.” Dr PJ
reserve, as well as the involvement of NGOs and Dilip Kumar, DG & Special Secretary, Forests also said
communities in conservation. However, just the mere that the recommendation in the report of doing away
act of setting up the Foundation will not achieve this with the clause “prior occupation as stipulated in the
objective. The state must accept the procedures laid FRA (three generations’ continued occupation, defined
down and give authority to implement it. as 75 years”) will open a flood gate to parcelling out
unbroken forest land for private use, defeating the very
purpose of the FRA. It may be noted that this restriction
NTCA for enforcing Sec 144 CrPC
of previous occupation does not apply to scheduled
In view of increasing cases of man-tiger conflict, NTCA tribes.

10 l TIGER LINK
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The report has invited other critical comments some of land for which they get right over give them sustainable
which include: livelihood? What after these rights have been granted?
l The report suggests that pattas have been given to Unless there is follow-up with focused programmes of
claimants without knowing which, where and how health, education, skill development and ensuring that
much land is under individual’s possession. Imagine rural and tribal development funds reach the scheduled
how much chaos it will create when over lapping tribes and forest dwellers, will the lot of the communities
allotment is done. improve? Without this broader approach the expectations
l It says that there is inadequate trained staff and raised among the people that mere recognition of rights
infrastructure and that hasty decisions have been will lead to economic prosperity, will be belied, resulting
made by committees at state, district or sub- in a sense of renewed frustration and deprivation, at the
divisional level by ignoring the gramsabha, which is cost of massive ecological degradation.
the most important instrument of implementation of The Act is deemed effective only from the date the
the Act. rules were passed in parliament ie. Jan 1, 2008. Critical
l The report of the committee has also advised MoTA Tiger Habitats (CTHs) have been notified much before
to issue circulars and guidelines. A late wake-up January 1, 2008, and have legal sanctity under the
call, considering it’s been over three years since Wildlife Protect Act. In a meeting on March 4 under
the Act was promulgated. the chairmanship of MEF Jairam Ramesh it was resolved
l The report doesn’t address the issues of that no new CTHs will be notified without following the
encroachment after the notified date, bogus claim procedures laid down in the FRA. The same procedures,
etc. and how to deal with them. as laid down by FRA, will be followed for Critical
l The report states that the forest department is Wildlife Habitats, though none has been notified as yet.
evicting people on one hand and allowing
encroachment on the other. This problem is arising FRA and tiger habitats
because genuine claimants and lands under their
possession has not been identified. The impact of the Act has been devastating on tiger
l There are several grey areas that have not been habitats. Just one of the few examples is Katarniaghat
addressed by the Act/report. For example, it is seen (part of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve) Wildlife sanctuary—
that tribals and forest dwellers who have been prime tiger habitat which also hosts other highly
compensated for diversion of forestland for any endangered animals ie elephant, rhino, gharial, Gangetic
development purpose i.e. mining, hydroelectric dolphin etc.
power etc, usually occupy or encroach on some In anticipation of the Act, the villagers began
demanding blanket regularisation, even of
other forest area. Will they be then compensated
encroachments, and there were violent clashes with the
again under the Forest Rights Act?
forest department staff, who were attacked, abducted
The root of the problem is that the Act was
and severely injured. Forest facilities were burnt and
promulgated in haste—without giving a serious thought
destroyed, and a leopard brutally killed. It was reported
on effective implementation—to gain political leverage.
that this was at the instigation of local politicians and
One lacuna that handicaps effective implementation is the timber mafia who were disgruntled with a strict
the lack of authentic records both of claimants and land crackdown by the department. Currently too, field reports
area. In fact, at a meeting in the PMO in 2005, when indicate that thousands of cattle graze in the sanctuary
the Act was in the process of being formed, it was and timber smuggling goes on with impunity under the
stressed that the claimants and the land area they are cloak of the FRA.
using should be properly recorded. With no attention Another productive tiger habitat, Kawal WLS in
paid to this exercise, it has resulted in false claims, Andhra was devastated. Hundreds of acres of forest
encroachments, rightful claims not being fulfilled –and was hacked and cleared for cultivation. Thousands of
complete chaos including encouraging corruption among trees were axed and over 600 acres of prime forest
the lower functionaries. ploughed at 10 different locations within the sanctuary
What we need to question is, will the granting of a the day FRA came into force.
mere piece of paper that certifies land ownership give The Hindustan Times reported on March 16th
the tribals dignity and raise their quality of life? Will the (‘NAC fixes roles of green & tribal ministries on FRA’,

TIGER LINK l 11
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Chetan Chauhan) that the National Advisory Council ‘trophy’ thereafter, accentuates as nothing else does the
headed by UPA chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi gravity of man-tiger conflict in the country.
recommended key changes in the Forest Rights Act rules Conflict—the lethal face-off between Homo sapiens
which essentially say that “policy directive on wildlife
and Panthera tigris is a no-win situation, taking a toll
habitats is not the domain of the environment ministry.on both man and beast. We are seeing fatal face-offs
The environment ministry is responsible for all across tiger habitats be it in Uttar Pradesh, Assam,
administrative task of determining wildlife habitat, Maharashtra or Uttarakhand. Ranthambhore saw no
framing of policy and procedure is the responsibility of
less than three deaths in about two months—
the tribal affairs ministry. The changes include more conservationists believe that the immense disturbance
access to minor forest produce, right of tribal to decide
by incessant construction activity and movement of
whose rights should be recognised, field evidence to people and cattle in its core area disturbed the tigers. In
claim right instead of documentary evidence and
UP, the situation is worse. The seriousness of the
allowing gramsabhas to identify the forest areas for
problem can be gauged from the fact that from April
identification of community rights. The council has also
2010 to January 2011 a staggering 39 incidents of man-
recommended scrapping of a clause in the existing rules
animal conflict have been reported from Pilibhit,
that allowed only primitive ways of carrying away minor
Shahjahanpur and Katarniaghat with 17 persons being
forest produce such as carrying them on head or
killed and 22 injured in attacks by tiger and leopard.
handcarts or a bicycle. It is pertinent to point here, that
the MoEF is working on redefining ‘bamboo’ as grass There is an increase in conflict incidents in
Kaziaranga (Assam) as well. According to studies,
under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 as against its present
Kaziranga boasts perhaps the highest density of tigers
classification of ‘tree’, which essentially means timber,
in the world with about 32 tigers per 100 sq km. But
and puts restrictions on its use. If redefined, it will be
given that villages fringe the park and corridors are
classified as minor forest produce, and its harvesting by
communities will be freely allowed. The devastation to increasingly being blocked by highways, resorts and
tiger and elephant habitats cannot be emphasized human habitation, conflict has escalated in the past few
enough. years. Orang National Park in Assam has also witnessed
a sharp upturn in conflict, with a tiger tragically being
Allowing any mode of transportation for Minor Forest
Produce is a potential minefield , it might mean free shot by the police after it entered a village.
flow of vehicles in and out of PAs, which in turn will This is the reality not just in India, but in tiger habitats
lead to a demand for better, and more network of roads across all range countries. Conflict is rooted in habitat
etc. Rarely is the harvesting of MFP collection traditional
loss and fragmentation: Shrinking, patchwork forests
except maybe some honey collection, a few fruits and push tiger into human dominated landscapes, and into
tubers for self-collection-and that most of it serves adeadly confrontation. Core tiger habitats must be
burgeoning local and global market for ‘herbal ’and other
sacrosanct—and not crisscrossed and cut with highways
forest products. Opening this up even further will and irrigation colonies—so that tigers can breed. Tiger
accelerate commercial activity within protected areas. reserves must have buffers, not mines and power plants
Does the NAC which gave the recommendations around them; tiger corridors must be notified and
on the FRA rules have any representation from the accorded some protection.
wildlife sector, given the far-reaching impacts on tiger As Mahesh Rangrajan wrote in The Asian Age
and wildlife habitat, of the FRA.
(January, 2011): “Large mammals have little standing
Comment: “God save the tiger and its habitat!”
room or shelter in a sub-continent where they have been
Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which has limited existent
crowded out not only by the sheer weight of human
in the states and has no presence in the forest areas,
numbers but also by the cumulative impact of our ways
is now going to decide the fate of wildlife and its
of living. Rice paddies and wheat fields, and now mined
habitat.
A TigerLink report moonscapes and highways, obliterate or bisect habitats.”
The impact of conflict goes beyond the immediate
FOCUS: CONFLICT loss of life and livelihood (in the case of cattle killing). It
leads to loss of support for the tiger and fuels poaching.
The barbaric shooting of the tiger in Sundarkhal near It is critical to give speedy, fair compensation. It is
Corbett and the public display and jubilation over the essential to work in tandem with local communities and

12 l TIGER LINK
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NGOs to help mitigate conflict and ensure that presumably strayed from Pilibhit about 200 km towards
communities get some benefit flow from TRs ie Barbanki and Faizabad, and was later shot by a private
livelihood, incentive structure etc hunter, hired for the job. The forest department came
As the news items below indicate the situation is under a lot of criticism for the handling of this incident.
becoming worse by the day, and only reflects how The state has also dragged its feet in declaring Pillibhit
woefully unequipped we are to deal with it. There is a as a tiger reserve for years.
desperate urgency to take the gravity of the situation on It is believed that three persons have been killed by
board and develop a sound policy and strategy to deal a tigress within the first two weeks of January in the
with conflict. Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary—two of whom had
gone to collect feulwood in the forest, while the third
Tiger caught, taken to Lucknow Zoo was killed in sugarcane fields about 50 metres away
from the reserve. A woman was killed by a tiger on
As was seen in October issue of TigerLink, from May March 12th. The killing may have been done by more
3rd to August 26th, eight people were killed by a tiger in than one tiger.
Deoria Range of Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur forest
Three teams have been constituted for tracking the
division. The tiger, a male and presumed to be a sub-
big cat. Another team has been formed for providing
adult, was tranquilised, caught and taken to the Lucknow
security to the villagers and giving them information on
Zoo on the evening of October 15th by PP Singh, DFO,
tiger movement. Pugmark Impression Pads are being
Shahjehanpur Forest Division, other forest authorities
set up at places likely to be frequented by the big cats
and staff and a team from Wildlife Trust of India. The
including water holes for tracking the tiger.
effort to capture the tiger had been ongoing for nearly
two months. The operations began in the afternoon, as Reports from the field suggest that there are thousands
the tiger stayed hidden in an isolated patch of Prosopis of cattle grazing and timber smuggling and fuel wood
juliflora vegetation in Nagla Hira Singh village, collection goes on with impunity. Two leopard cubs
Farrukhabad Forest Division. It was darted thrice, even were also killed by villagers in a field adjoining the
as a huge crowd gathered around the animal’s refuge, reserve.
stoning and beating it. Several people were injured and Source: Katarniaghat Foundation, The Pioneer, TNN
one was severely mauled.
Known to have wandered off Pilibhit Forest Division Tiger shot dead by police
near the Indo-Nepal border, the tiger took its first human
victim on May 4th. Overtime, it moved south through A tiger was shot dead by police on November 23 after
Pilibhit, Shahjehanpur, South Kheri, Hardoi and it killed a woman and attacked a sub-inspector at
Farrukhabad Forest Divisions. Till August 26th, it had Nagabandha in Morigaon district in Assam. The tiger,
killed eight people. However, experts do not consider believed to have strayed out of the Orang National Park,
the tiger an obligate man-eater. “It is extremely was first sighted at Kandhulimari village on November
unfortunate that eight people lost their lives. Yet, the 17 creating panic among villagers. A team of forest
tiger was not exclusively attacking humans but was also officials and a veterinarian equipped with tranquilliser
predating on wild prey. Moreover, the human victims gun was on its trail to trap and capture it. However, the
were killed within forested areas,” said a senior forest tiger could not be located. DFO, Nagaon Forest Division,
official. Aftab Ahmed told The Hindu that on 23rd morning the
Following the fatal conflict in Pilibhit, and the adjoining tiger killed a woman, Nagabandha village, following
Shahjahanpur forest division, the NTCA wrote to the which a huge crowd gathered near a paddy field where
state pointing out that “there have been several instances the tiger was taking shelter. A mob-like frenzy developed
of man-tiger conflict in the state during the recent past. and people starting stoning, poking and beating the tiger.
This has become almost a recurring feature at some The tiger struck back, policeman rushed to the spot and
places since the last two years, on account of tigers the tiger attacked again—this time a policeman, and was
straying out from source areas to other landscapes shot dead.
having varied land uses.” Source: Aryanak, WTI, “Royal Bengal tiger shot
It maybe remembered here that the Barbanki- dead after it killed two”, Sushanta Talukdar, The Hindu,
Faizabad case of 2008-2009 where a tigress had November 24

TIGER LINK l 13
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Ranthambhore tiger moves to Bharatpur Though there are occasional cattle kills, human fatalities
are rare. Villagers usually leave the tiger alone and
A sub-adult male tiger strayed into Uttar Pradesh’s occasionally, about once in five years, a tragedy might
Mathura district causing much panic in the area. Though occur, where a human is killed. In this case, villagers
spotted two to three times near Beri village, about 9 km feel that the elephants disturbed the tigress-and her cubs
away from the national highway, it eluded officials. The that were resting in the field and in the commotion of
tiger is believed to have sought refuge in the Mathura trying to herd the tigers out of the field one of the villagers
refinery just off the highway. An angry mob came out was attacked and killed.
with sticks and batons agitating the big cat.
The tiger is believed to be from Ranthambhore Tiger CONFLICT IN CORBETT
Reserve and ended up in Mathura district after travelling
more than 200 km of densely populated areas. Tragically, Five people killed. One tiger shot, another
not too long back, Rajasthan’s tiger reserves Sariska fatally wounded, third tranquilised.
and Ranthambhore were connected with Kuno and
November 12: A woman from Sundarkhal village killed
Panna reserves in Madhya Pradesh through a forest by a tiger in the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR).
corridor. November 18: Tiger claims second victim in the
The tiger is believed to have eventually reached Ramnagar Forest Division.
Bharatpur, where it made a kill. Camera traps were set December 29: A high-level meeting held to finalise
up near the carcass and the photographs revealed it to the agenda for celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of
be T7, a tiger from Ranthambhore—the same one which Corbett.
had strayed into a village and attacked a ranger—again December 29: The victim, a woman of Sunderkhal,
after it panicked when surrounded by hundreds of people. had gone to the forest for collecting fodder when she
Source: Neha Lalchandani & Anindo Dey, TNN, was attacked and killed by a tiger near Sarapduli range.
Oct 6, 2010, No trace of R’bore tiger in Mathura, Forest officers believe that the ‘man-killing tiger is a
October 6, 2010, Anindo Dey & Neha Lalchandani, tigress. All victims have been killed inside the reserve.
Jaipur/New Delhi December 30: A 1,000-strong group of angry villagers
from Sunderkhal locks the main gate to the CTR’s
Dhangari zone, gheraos officers and demanded that the
Tigress kills one in Bandhavgarh
tiger be killed. The same day the Chief Wildlife Warden
One person was killed in Tala village by a tigress. The issues orders to shoot the “man-eating tiger”. Two
tigress had killed a cow in the village on the night of hunters dispatched to do the job.
December 24th. The next day, she came with her cubs January 7, 2011: A tiger is captured. A male. Not the
and remained around the ‘kill’ until next morning. The ‘man-eating’ tigress. It is released in the core area.
villagers intimated the park management. According to January 10: The fourth attack victim was discovered
reports, elephants were used for driving the tigress-and on Jan 11 morning near the park’s Garajia chowki. The
the cubs back to the forest. In the process the tigress’s woman’s body is uneaten but beside her, is a half-eaten
cubs got separated. The chaos, and the consequent sambar—the tiger’s kill. It is presumed that the woman
trauma panicked the tigress, who attacked a man who was attacked as the tigress defended her kill. The tigress
is on her kill when she is shot after dusk. It is learnt that
had come too close to her. He died on the way to hospital.
the bullet hit her twice. The carcass is not found. There
Villagers informed that this tigress is known for venturing
is a grievously wounded tiger in the vicinity and a search
into the village repeatedly since 2006 but she never hurt
operation to find it starts.
anyone before the Dec 25th incident.
January 17, 2011: MEF Jairam Ramesh writes to the
Reports from the field suggest that tigers that live in
Chief Minister, Uttarakhand expressing concern at the
this part of Tala Range have been coming into the village human deaths. He explains that according to the NTCA
for over two decades—much before tourism structures Member Secretary who had visited the area to take
came up here. The tigers occasionally kill cows close to stock of the situation, the women of Sundarkhal frequent
the village and may drag the kill to a field nearby and the forest for collection of curry leaf, fodder, and fuel,
eat the kill before returning to the forest, they almost and succumb to lethal encounters with resident tigers.
always go back into the reserve. According to camera trap records and the staff, there

14 l TIGER LINK
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are two tigers and two tigresses in the area. He points Protest against killing, parading tiger
out that this is a recurring problem and stresses the urgent
need for a long lasting solution. He urged the CM for Though the locals demanded the death of the tiger, there
the relocation of the 342 families of Sunderkhal and the is a significant section of local people who are protest
adjoining village of Devichaud with 100 per cent central against the killing and the way the animal was paraded.
On February 2nd wildlife activists and local guides’
assistance under the scheme of Project Tiger. He also
association wore black ribbons to mark their protest.
urges that as advised earlier, areas of Lansdowne,
There was also a procession to show support tiger
Ramnagar be included as Corbett’s buffer to facilitate
conservation. The Bagh Bachao Samiti, Ramnagar
active management with central support to reduce man-
along with other wildlife organisations and local villagers
animal conflict.
organised a protest at Ramnagar. A memorandum
Jan 26, 2011: A man killed by tiger near Sundarkhal addressed to the Prime Minister was handed over to
village. Villagers agitate, halt traffic on NH 121, gherao, the authorities.
pelt stones and beat up forest department staff (and “The incidents of man-animal conflict have increased
elephants), two staff members are sent in ambulance in Corbett National Park. Had the forest officials worked
and are critical. as a link between locals and wildlife in the area (for
January 27, 2 am: A tiger (found near the carcass) is sensitising people), they would not have demanded
shot dead, with more than 30 bullets pumped into him. shooting down of the tiger,” the memorandum said.
The villagers celebrate, a victory procession is taken The organisations also protested against the way the
out with drums etc and the ‘hunter’ who shot the tiger, dead tiger was paraded atop an elephant.
hailed. This is not the first time such an incident has
The tiger killed is a young male about 6-7 years old. occurred. Precisely 23 months before, on February
The ‘maneater’ was believed to be a female. The Corbett 11, 2009, in roughly the same place a woman entered
authorities who had earlier claimed that the maneater the reserve and unwittingly went too close to a tiger,
was a tigress, explained on January 28 that “the tiger who hit out. She was killed, (but not eaten) and the
shot by forest officials was a “rare specimen with female tiger was condemned to a life in captivity—another
characteristics”. Corbett park warden UC Tiwari was ‘solution’ offered—but with apologies to well-
quoted in The Times of India saying that “with deformity meaning conservationists who root for ‘tranquilising,
in both its hind claws, the pug marks of the tiger made capturing and putting the tiger in a zoo,’ that is not
them look like that of a tigress. It was a tiger with female an answer, either. If our moral fibre revolts against
characteristics.” killing a wild tiger, isn’t it as repugnant to condemn
Jan 29: MEF Jairam Ramesh has sought a report on it to life behind bars? A tiger behind bars is a
the incident, reports Hindustan Times (Jan 29, Chetan conservation dead end.
In this instance, most killings took place close to
Chauhan). Ramesh has asked NCTA member
Sundarkhal, established in the 1970s by the then
secretary Rajesh Gopal to conduct an inquiry and submit
Chief Minister ND Tiwari, is an encroachment on
a report after experts said that the authorities had not
forestland. Sundarkhal, along with a number of
followed protocol when killing the tiger. The newspaper
tourist resorts blocks a vital tiger and elephant
also quoted BJP Rajya Sabha member Tarun Vijay, who
corridor that leads to the Kosi river and the
“called 342 families as encroachers on land for tigers, Ramnagar forests beyond—an issue that the state
which the state government had failed to vacate. The has failed to address for political vested interests.
Corbett incident was not about man-animal conflict but Fragmenting habitats, eroding corridors and
human selfishness and greed in conflict with peace- immense human disturbance are a perfect mix for
loving and solitude-seeking tigers.” fueling conflict.
“The victims were from poor families and Another pertinent point: Most if not all,
disadvantaged. We could not have allowed it to mortalities are inside the forest, when villagers go
continue,” Srikant Chondola told HT, claiming that the in to collect feulwood and fodder. This dependence
NCTA guidelines for fully followed. “Section 11 of the on forests is attributed to poverty. We need to get
Wildlife Protection Act gives power to the Chief Wildlife the real picture and assess this dependence by an
Warden to declare an animal a beast (?) and destroy economical-sociological survey. Then, serious
it,” Chandola said. attempts must be made to reduce this dependence

TIGER LINK l 15
FOCUS

through provision of piped gas or LPGs and meet with a field van/mini-truck with built in rails for
the need of villagers of fuel and fodder through accommodating a trap cage equipments, attendants
conveniently placed government outlets. There has and staff—both for tiger and leopard, a tranquilisation
to be constant dialogue with villagers and increased kit with drugs for chemical immobilisation, radio
vigilance to ensure that they do not enter the forest. collars with receiver and antenna, mobile phones,
The frequently used paths of the tiger are known, wireless handsets, GPS sets, long-ranging night
foliage and cover can be increased here, along with vision, digital camera, tents, ropes, nets.
ensuring that there is minimal disturbance, to give l Use of camera traps/impressions traps was advised
the tiger undisturbed passage. But most important to ascertain the identity of the carnivore.
of all, a permanent solution must be sought. The issue Deployment of Elephant Squad and watch teams
of tourism resorts blocking Kosi river corridor must for patrolling the affected village area; Involving the
be addressed, and illegal construction, EDC/Panchayat, interface with the affected
encroachments removed. Reports from the field villages, preventing people from trespassing the
indicate that the villagers from Sundarkhal are affected area, alert local people for taking necessary
willing to relocate it is vested interests, a few , mainly precautions.
outsiders, who have business interests tied up there l Constituting an advisory committee comprising of
who are stirring up trouble. field staff, experienced trackers, NGOs for
Update: Another man is killed on March 12 near ascertaining its sex, age, physical deformity and
Sundarkhal by a tiger. Is it that the authorities shot the other related parameters.
wrong tiger? Or is it the fact that there is more than one l To ensure law and order was and prevent a mob
tiger here, and given the dense population, such tragedies like situation that hampers tranquilizing/capturing the
are bound to occur. animal and may injure people and staff, it was
Prerna Singh Bindra, Inputs from: NTCA, PTI. advised that district authorities impose Section 144
The Pioneer, Jay Mazoomdaar, ‘Prevention is the only of the CrPC. It was also stressed that all efforts
cure for conflict’ The Indian Post , ‘Was the wrong should be made for live trapping of the aberrant
tiger killed in Kumaon?’ Neha Shukla, TNN, Jan 29, animal while fixing its identity, either through
2011; Ramesh orders inquiry into Uttarakhand tiger trap cages or using chemical immobilization,
killing , Chetan Chauhan, The Hindustan Times, January before deciding on its elimination.
29, 2011, “Protest against killing, parading tiger Other preventive measures included:
carcass”, The Times of India, Feb 4, 2011 l Preparing a Tiger Conservation Plan for
mainstreaming wildlife concerns in the tiger
Declaring big cats as man-eaters landscape amongst various sectors operating in the
area.
Following the increasing fatal conflict, NTCA sent
l Ensuring active, ecologically sustainable, integrated
detailed advisories to all tiger states on declaring tigers
as man-eaters. NTCA suggested that the crisis spots/ development for the benefit of local people living in
districts in the state be identified and advised putting in the area.
place three ‘Rapid Response Units’ in such spots to l Keeping track of cattle depredation by carnivores,
readily address the problem for capturing the animal to ensuring timely compensation to affected people,
avoid lethal encounters. while considering the option of opening fuel wood
The advisory also gave guidelines for control depots to local people.
measures at the crisis spot. This include: l Monitoring movement of wild carnivores near
l Deployment of tracking squads comprising of human habitations
frontline staff and experienced local trackers to plot l Alerting/sensitising local people appropriately,
the movement of the carnivore. including safe disposal of livestock carcass and other
l Putting in place at least two “Rapid Response Units” garbage to prevent habitation of wild carnivores like
in such spots to readily address the problem for leopards from frequenting and subsequently
capturing the animal to avoid lethal encounters. becoming resident in the area.
l The “Rapid Response Team” should be equipped Source: NTCA

16 l TIGER LINK
 FOCUS

FOCUS: TOURISM the study also revealed other impacts, including

the fact that most tourism facilities depend on local
As has been seen in the previous issues of TigerLink,
resources, particularly fuel and water. Almost 100
mismanaged and intrusive tourism around tiger reserves
per cent of all wood is purchased locally, while
has continued to be a worry. underground borewells supply water. In some places
like Ranthambhore, Kanha and Pench—all dry areas,
resorts have swimming pools and fountains, further
impacting ground water levels. Tourism is also changing
land use around many of these PAs.
The study also examined the dynamics between park
management and the tourism industry, ‘tiger-shows’ as
practiced in some reserves, religious tourism and the
consequent disturbance .
Similar to other PAs worldwide, tourism revenue in
India has rarely been directed towards improving
conservation efforts or supporting local people. The
authors stress that sharing benefits with local people
and building support among private enterprises for
Credit: Rohan Chakravarty conservation initiatives is a must to sustain tourism. In a
few PAs, the significant tourism-related revenues may
Given below are some issues/studies related on the issue: supplement management efforts but generally revenues
Domestic mkt drives growth in ‘wild’ tourism are not a large source for conservation funds. The direct
economic opportunities available to local people from
A new paper ‘Nature-based tourism in Indian protected tourism are marginal in all the PAs.
areas: New challenges for park management’ published The need of the hour is enforcement and
in Conservation Letters reveals that domestic market establishment of clear guidelines to govern tourists,
is driving the exponential growth of nature-based vehicles, resources and changing land use around PAs.
tourism in India, underscoring again the concerns of A key challenge, the authors explain, is managing PAs
impact of tourism in wilderness areas. The findings are under pressure from mining, roads and local human
particularly significant given the ongoing heated activities ie fuelwood and forest product collection,
debate about the benefits and cost to conservation grazing, and hunting. Nature-based tourism, they say,
and local communities especially in context of tiger adds another dimension to these existing challenges.
reserves where the bulk of tourism is concentrated. Source: ‘Nature-based tourism in Indian protected
Authors Dr. Krithi K. Karanth and Dr. Ruth DeFries areas: New challenges for park management,’ Krithi K
surveyed ten PAs—all tiger reserves—and found that Karanth & Ruth DeFries. Conservation Letters- DOI:
10.1111/j.1755-263X.2010.00154.x,
the average growth rate was 14.9 per cent from 2002
to 2008 and that 80 per cent of the tourists were from
India. The parks surveyed include Ranthambhore, MP roots for tourism in core, NTCA objects
Sariska, Kanha, Pench, Periyar, Mudumalai, Bandipur, Madhya Pradesh’s forest department seems to share a
Nagarahole, Bhadra and Dandeli-Anshi. cosy relationship with resort owners and tour operators.
The authors interviewed 91 per cent of tourist facilities When the High Court asked the NTCA and the MP
around these reserves and found that about 72 per cent forest department to respond to a public interest litigation
of tourism facilities ie resorts were constructed in the filed by an NGO Prayatna on 8th September seeking an
past decade and 85 per cent are within five km of the immediate stay on tourism in core forest areas, CWW
reserve boundaries. HS Pabla, though on tour, promptly swung into action.
The survey also revealed that benefits to He emailed some of the state’s top tourism players on
communities were negligible, with local employment September 14th, warning them of the PIL and urging
in these facilities being marginal. them to join hands ‘to protect’ their interests. His mail
Besides the overriding concerns of disturbance reads, “This is to let you know that a PIL (WP no. 12352/
to wildlife within PAs and blocking of corridors, 2010 – Ajay Dube Vs NTCA and Others) has been

TIGER LINK l 17
FOCUS

filed in the high court of MP Jabalpur, which, among fort in the village for tourism. Forest officers in the field
other things, seeks a ban on tourism in the core zones of are tight-lipped, and PCCF RN Mehrotra, who oversaw
tiger reserves. The applicant has also prayed for an the relocation project refused to comment. But CWW
immediate stay. Although the government of MP will HM Bhatia admits that the renovation was funded by
oppose this application, lodge owners, travel operators, the state’s tourism department. “Our policy is to promote
guides etc may also like to implead themselves as eco-tourism,” he explains, “We will not allow people to
affected parties if you want to be sure that this PIL stay inside forests, but we will work out an arrangement
doesn’t succeed. As the case may have serious keeping the safety of tourists and the security of wild
consequences for you people, kindly take whatever steps animals in mind.” In New Delhi, NTCA officials say
you think will be appropriate to protect your interests. they are not aware of any renovation or eco-tourism
As I am travelling and do not have the mail IDs of all of proposal at Kankwari, adding that any non-forest activity
you, kindly inform others who will be affected by this would need official clearances from several central
case.” authorities. Says former Rajasthan PCCF BD Sharma:
Not surprising, then, that when the PIL subsequently “If the tourism department has funded the renovation,
came up for court hearing when around a dozen the purpose is obvious. But eco-tourism cannot happen
interventions were submitted. Among the interveners inside core areas. Whether they make it a day or night
were a slew of hotel associations from Bandhavgarh, facility, how will they justify the disturbance, especially
Kanha and Pench, and a few NGOs. The state’s Tiger after removing a village from that area?”
Project Guides Association also approached the High The medieval fort of Kankwari, where Aurangzeb
Court on 22nd October as affected party. When asked is said to have imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh is
about the email, Pabla said, “It is my responsibility as located deep inside the Sariska reserve.
the state government’s representative to communicate Source: ‘You may like to make sure that PIL does
the matter to all stakeholders.” not succeed’ Ankur Paliwal, Down to Earth, January
While the NTCA told the court that core critical forest 15, 2011 issue, Crouching tourists, Hidden Tiger, Jay
areas were “required to be kept as inviolate for the Mazoomdaar, Open, November 26 , Indian Express,
purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights December 11, 2010
of Scheduled Tribes or such forest dwellers”, in his reply,
Pabla claimed that he (as Chief Wildlife Warden) was Night safari at Corbett?
the supreme authority on such decisions in the state,
and that tourism aided the protection of forests and The February 21, 2011 issue of Outlook magazine
wildlife. carried a full page ad by Skoda Yeti Right of Way
The affidavit filed by NTCA in the MP High Court Expedition in association with National Geographic
on 9th December quotes Section 38 (V) 4(i) of the Channel. Titled ‘Yeti faces off with a tigress at 8 metres’
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 that says that core or the ad goes on to state that “The abundance of wildlife
critical tiger habitat areas of national parks and in Corbett was evident during the night safari......”.
sanctuaries are “required to be kept as inviolate for the The buffer area as well as the adjoining forests
purposes of tiger conservation”. Only management around Corbett are equally good habitat and have
interventions can be allowed by the state government. a sizeable tigers and elephant population. Was the
In such areas if tourism activities are taking place, they‘expedition’ inside the CTR? If so, it is completely
are required to be phased out to the buffer areas. illegal, and an explicit view/response from the NTCA
and the Uttarakhand state government is called for.
Even if it wasn’t inside the reserve, the very fact that
Tourism in Sariska’s core
a night safari in CTR finds place in a national
Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, the state is set to open up campaign is deplorable.
tourism in the heart of Sariska Tiger Reserve. On one
hand, the forest department is attempting to relocate Capitalising on conflict
residents from Kankwari village in the core area of
Sariska National Park to create an inviolate habitat for We are all aware of ‘tiger mania’, the utter madness
tigers and at the same time it is renovating the Kankwari and mayhem that prevails in most reserves to see a

18 l TIGER LINK
 FOCUS

tiger: rules are flouted, tigers are chased, crowded… FOCUS: ROADS
But the height of insensitivity is witnessed in an ad of
‘Corbetts Wilds’ on the web http://www. Roads to Disaster
jimcorbettnationalpark.com/corbett_zone.asp which The issue of highways and roads into tiger reserves and
capitilises on the fact that they are located bang on the other Protected Areas, and the consequent disturbance
spot where the tiger killed a woman. Here goes the ad: is one of increasing concern—as discussed in the last
“If you want to spend your weekend at Corbett National issue (‘Death on Road’, TigerLink October, 2010).
Park and also wants to enjoy your evenings as well, you New roads, as well as widening and expansion of
can book your cottage at Corbett Wild Dhikuli on the existing roads in tiger reserves has been in the news.
bank of Kosi River (nearby to place, where an tiger The expansion of NH 7, which cuts into the Kanha-
attacked & killed a women on 12 Nov-2010) & go for Pench corridor and circumvents critical tiger habitat,
full day Wildlife safaris.! into a six-lane highway (see TigerLink May, 2010 &
I am unsure what the tour operators had in mind October, 2010) continued to be a bone of contention
when posting this highly insensitive tripe—most between the MoEF and the Ministry of Surface
likely, and from the language used, they see it is a Transport. So much so that road expansion in PAs led
lure: This is what it seems to imply: “The tiger comes to a face-off between the two respective ministers-
here, bang where we are, hence you have guaranteed Jairam Ramesh and Kamal Nath and had the latter push
sighting. Don’t worry, you of course will be safely for doing away with forest regulations in building and
inside the resort!” The insensitivity to both the victim, expansion of roads and highways in forest and protected
and the tiger forced to come into human habitation areas . This was resisted by the MoEF (details below).
as the corridor is blocked by resorts and The impact of roads on PAs was also discussed in
encroachments-is shameful and deplorable: Ed the Standing Committee of National Board of Wildlife
meeting on January 24th. A background paper on linear
Committee formed for wildlife tourism intrusions ie roads, pipelines, canals, transmission lines
With tourism in tiger and other critical wildlife habitats and their impact on wildlife and habitats was presented
becoming a burning issue, the Ministry of Environment by T Shankar Raman (Nature Conservation
and Forests constituted a seven member committee under Foundation).
the chairmanship of retired tourism Secretary Sujit The paper details the impact of roads beyond the
Banerjee. It is expected to firm up the guidelines for obvious loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat
forest and wildlife eco-tourism in the context of and road kills. It cites roads as conduits to invasive
advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation species, landslides and soil erosion, loss of canopy, change
Authority, the Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest in animal behaviour etc.
Conservation Act. It will also assess the studies To illustrate the high density of roads in PAs, Raman
conducted on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism to assess gave the example of four tiger reserves in Karnataka,
the impact of tourism on wildlife and habitats, as well where a GIS analysis done by conservationist Sanjay
the surveys on lodges and resorts around tiger reserves. Gubbi showed road density of around one km of
The committee will make an appraisal of ecological forest road per square km of forest. This network
issues, tourist visitation and suggest measures for of roads increases in tourism zones. For example the
carrying capacity of reserves. It will also give tourism zone in Bandipur Tiger Reserve has a high road
recommendations for regulating tourism in ecologically density 2.25 km of road per square km of forest, with
sensitive non-forest areas in and around tiger reserves. distance between one road and another less than 50
The committee is expected to submit its final report within mts in some places. In Bandipur, estimates suggest that
45 days. Other members of the committee are NBWL direct road-related habitat loss and degradation covers
members Divyabhanusinh Chavda, AJT Johnsingh and
as much as 80 sq km, which is about 10 per cent of the
Bittu Sahgal, Retd PCCF, Karnataka RM Ray and
total park area. In other words, each km of road directly
Director in the Ministry of Tourism Prabhakar Dubey.
and detrimentally affects at least 10 ha of habitat
Rajesh Gopal, Additional PCCF and Member Secretary,
There is clearing of 30 – 40 m on either side of these
NTCA, will be the member-convener of the committee.
roads as ‘viewlines’ for wildlife so loss of habitat is even
Source: MoEF

TIGER LINK l 19
FOCUS

greater. Such clearings and the consequent disturbance A report by the MoEF office in Bhopal revealed
also mean high weed invasion and tree deaths. A study that Navegaon National Park is situated merely
also found that tree death is 250 per cent higher along 700 meters at one point of the road, a fact knowingly
roads than forest interior. suppressed by the concerned Deputy Conservator of
Forests when the application for environmental
Ramesh, Nath head for clash over highways clearance was made and eventually granted by the
Ministry thereafter.
MEF Jairam Ramesh and Surface Transport Minister
The density of vegetation where road widening has
Kamal Nath are at loggerheads again regarding the issue
been done by NHAI is 0.4 to 1.0. More than 10,000
of expansion of highways passing through protected
trees have been felled inspite of the Supreme Court of
areas. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI)
India’s directive that any land, irrespective of its legal
wants to avoid regulatory committees—the Forest
status, having “forests” as per the dictionary definition
Advisory Committee and the Standing Committee of
will require clearance under the Forest (Conservation)
the National Board of Wildlife—to avoid delays in getting
Act, 1980. The report also pointed out irregularities in
the MoEF’s approvals for diverting forest land while
the process of determination of Right of Way.
seeking to expand highways. Rejecting the proposal,
Loss of tree cover and foliage and the construction
Ramesh said that it is not acceptable and that there
has caused immense disturbance to a crucial corridor
cannot be a change in rule for only one sector. Most of
and may have broken the fragile corridor connecting
the highways in protected areas are two-laned and the
one of the most productive tiger landscapes in the
NHAI wants to expand them to four to eight lanes. In
country.
its last two meetings, the NBWL refused to approve a
few of these projects citing adverse impact on wildlife. Post the committee’s rejection of the proposal a
The MoEF says such a blanket exemption is not meeting was called by the NTCA in which concerned
possible under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The authorities including those of NHAI were present. The
ministry is of the view that allowing expansion through NHAI presented the mitigative measures planned but it
a wildlife area should be last option. is learnt that the NTCA found them grossly inadequate
Incidentally, in a cabinet reshuffle a new Roads & and opined that they “will not serve the purpose of
Surface Transport Minister CP Joshi has taken over providing passage to carnivores ie tigers and leopard”.
from Kamalnath. It is stressed that the number of passes (one for every
Source: Chetan Chauhan, The Hindustan Times, seven or eight km ) is not enough, and that these are
November 3, 2010 mere extensions of existing box culverts, and if they
constructed below the existing road level, then they will
NBWL rejects NH-6 not serve the purpose of wildlife crossing. It was also
pointed out that writing off certain stretches as not
The Standing Committee of National Board of Wild Life important from wildlife point of view had no basis.
headed by MEF Jairam Ramesh, on October 13, 2010 The four-laning of NH 6 in Chhattisgarh has broken
rejected the proposal of National Highway Authority of the corridor and the only connectivity between Kanha
India (NHAI) to divert 85 hectares forest land for four- and Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserves, and
laning in the 85 km stretch which cuts through the north- therefore the central Indian landscape with the eastern
south corridor between Nagzira Sanctuary and ghats landscape. Tiger presence here has been well-
Navegaon National Park. The issue came up before documented. The widening was done without any
the Standing Committee too late, only after much mitigative measures. The same NH 6 also cuts through
damage had already been done, and a PIL filed by the wildlife corridors of the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife Trust of India. On May 6, 2008, the NHAI had Comment: Why was the environmental clearance,
submitted a proposal for diversion of 85 hectare forest which was obtained on fictitious grounds by
land in Gondia and Bhandara divisions for the purpose. providing wrong information regarding its location
The user agency was given permission to widen the from a PA not withdrawn by the MoEF ? Nor does
road by the Forest Department of Maharashtra without the Ministry seem to be too keen on initiating action
even considering the importance of this wildlife corridor. against the officers responsible for this debacle.

20 l TIGER LINK
 NEWS FROM THE STATES

Such is the state of affairs that even in spite of these NEWS FROM THE STATES
blatant irregularities, reports are that NHAI has
started collecting toll for the highway in this stretch. ANDHRA PRADESH
Incidentally, the forest clearance for the project is
yet to be given.
Tigers with cubs in camera trap, next to road
Another worry is the precedent is sets—NHAI A tigress with her three cubs was captured in a camera
making roads without approvals at other places and trap in Mannanoor range in Nagarjunasagar Srisailam
then seek post-facto approval at a later date. Tiger Reserve. The camera also captured varied other
wildlife like leopard, mouse deer, honey badger etc
Road through Valmiki TR The problem is that this is very close to the
Mannanoor-Dornal road—just about two km as the
The Valmiki Nagar-Bagha State Highway, which passes crow flies—which leads to the Shiva Temple at
through Valmiki Tiger Reserve was repaired, and Srisailam. A large number of vehicles—over a thousand
widened—almost to double its breadth without the a day—ply on the road which runs through prime habitat
required permission from the Standing Committee of in NSTR.
the National Board of Wildlife as mandated. Around Though traffic is banned at night (9 pm to 6 am) and
17km of the 28km-long Valmikinagar-Madanpur road speed breakers have been created to slow down
passes through the reserve. Though Valmiki officials vehicles, there is a constant pressure to remove both in
had tried to stop the construction, the district order to facilitate speedy VIP movement. There is also
a proposal to widen the road into a four-lane highway.
administration had paid scant attention, in fact provoked
This must immediately be shelved, especially in light of
the local people against the forest department as
concrete evidence on the presence of breeding tigers in
‘obstructing development’ though the wisdom of the
such close proximity. Of course, the management must
need to widen a road which serves just four villages is be extra cautious and constant monitoring of the tigers
questionable. After intervention from a member of the is an essential.
National Board of Wildlife and the NTCA, the work A TigerLink Report
has been stopped, but 15km of the stretch passing
through the VTR had already been widened. The Cement plant expansion near NSTR approved
road is largely used by tractors and trucks of sugarcane.
Worryingly, this highway cuts through the Madanpur The Standing Committee of the National Board of
range on the western part of the reserve. Coupled with Wildlife approved the expansion of the capacity of a
other factors such as canal, expanding human habitation cement plant by M/s Parashakti Cements Ltd. The
cement plant is just six km from the Nagarjunasagar-
and encroachments, the connectivity of this part is almost
Srisailam Tiger Reserve. One of the members of the
lost to eastern Valmiki, which further on connects to
standing committee objected that this factory was within
SohagiBarwa Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.
six km of critical tiger habitat, and the fact that the
Efforts must be made to restore this connectivity. proposal included expanding its limestone mining
Another road from Gaunaha to Bhikhna Thori—of operations, about the same distance from NSTR. It is
which approximately about eight km lies inside the worth noting that limestone mining is usually strip-mining
sanctuary is also being widened, without mandatory which is very damaging. The cement plant is barely two
permission. km from the river Krishna, and the worry is the impact
In a report on the issue in The Telegraph (Wider on the water downstream—the mining and factory
road threat to reserve animals, NTCA seeks wastes, slurry, metal and pollutants the water will
clarification on illegal work, Sanjeev Kumar Verma, carry—with thousands of people dependent on the river
Feb 8) the state road construction department minister for drinking water and irrigation purposes.
Nand Kishore Yadav is quoted as saying that, “he will A TigerLink Report
look into the matter and would ensure that rules are
adhered to at any cost.”
Diamond mining in NSTR?
Prerna Singh Bindra Environmentalists have slammed the Andhra
Pradesh government for granting reconnaissance

TIGER LINK l 21
NEWS FROM THE STATES

permits to South African diamond trading major was critical to counter poachers and timber smugglers
De Beers Private Limited and UK-based Rio Tinto who were well-organised and equipped. The forest
for prospecting mining of diamonds and other department has also been pressing for weapons to help
precious stones in the Mahaboobnagar and Nalgonda them strengthen protection strategy. The government
districts. De Beers has been given 6,000 sq km of land has agreed to provide weapons to forest staff in all areas
in Mahaboobnagar district, covering the Nallamala forest except those adjoining the naxal-affected districts of
area, and Rio Tinto bagged the prospecting license for Chhattisgarh.
Nalgonda district covering 8,000 sq km. Both are in the Source: Deccan Chronicle, November 29, 2010;
Telangana region, which is witnessing a movement for Protected Area Update No, 89
separate statehood. Besides displacing the local Chenchu
tribals, diamond mining would have an adverse ARUNACHAL PRADESH
environmental impact on the Nagajunasagar
Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Management plan under scrutiny
According to K Kavitha of Telangana Rashtra The state government has proposed a draft Tiger
Samithi (TRS) that is spearheading the separate state Management Plan for Pakke and Namdapha Tiger
movement, the government has violated all norms in Reserves. It was presented before the committee
granting permission for diamonds prospecting. “We constituted by the NTCA for a critical analysis of the
demand cancellation of the contracts. The government plan. The members of the committee suggested
has ignored the fact that the entire area falls under tribal modifications in some recommendations and the state
sub plan area and the tiger reserve is part of the region,” government is now required to resubmit the plan in three
she said. The mining area is said to be about ten km months.
from NSTR.
However, state Minister of Environment and Forests,
ASSAM
P Ramachandra Reddy, has defended the prospecting
license granted to De Beers saying that it has been done Tiger shot dead by police
after meticulously following the procedures and forest
rules “as per the prior approval of the Union A tiger was shot dead by police on November 23rd after
Government” under Section 5 of the Mines and Minerals it killed a woman and attacked a sub-inspector at
(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. “According Nagabandha in Morigaon district in Assam. (Details
to our information, 90 per cent of the area allotted is under ‘Conflict’)
revenue land and not reserve forest land. There are
doubts only about the remaining 10 per cent land,” the Kaziranga loses three tigers in November
minister said. Apart from diamonds, De Beers has also The Kaziranga Tiger Reserve has lost five tigers in 2010,
been granted permit to conduct survey for copper ore, with three dying in the month of November. On 10th
lead, zinc and other precious metals. November the staff of Laudubi camp of the Kohora
Source: “Andhra Pradesh nod to foreign firms for range found a dead tiger, which appeared to have died
diamond mining sparks row”, Khalleej Times, Nov 19, of old age. On the next day, 11th November, patrolling
2010 staff at the Gerakati camp recovered the carcass of an
Comment: It is learnt that the forest department and adult tiger. It appeared that the tiger had died of severe
the tiger reserve officials were not informed or injuries during a fight with a wild buffalo. On November
consulted about this decision by the state 19th, the carcass of a tigress was found in the Agaratoli
government. range of the park. Authorities are yet to ascertain the
cause of death.
Forest Stations to curb poaching Source: Sushanta Talukdar, The Hindu, November
21, 2010
In a move to keep a check on smugglers and poachers,
the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department has proposed Two guards killed in Kaziranga
to set up ‘Forest Stations’ on the lines of police
stations in all wildlife circles, sanctuaries and key On January 23, Bharat Gogoi, who had been working
reserved forests. A senior forest official said that this as a guard at the park since 1999 died after a buffalo

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attack near Amkathoni forest camp under Bagori range. Anglong have been proactively pursuing inclusion
Foresters fired at the animal but failed to save their of Karbi Anglong as an extension of the Kaziranga
colleague. Two weeks later on February 6th, a young Tiger Reserve. This must be taken up seriously at
forest guard Nitul Dutta lost his life to a charging the level of the Assam government and the NTCA.
rhinoceros near Mohkhuti forest camp under Agoratoli
range. Forest officials remembered the victim as a brave Kazarianga: Changing land-use pattern a worry
and efficient colleague.
It is learnt that plots acquired to set up ‘farms’ near
Source: The Times of India, January 23, February
Kaziranga have allegedly been transformed into resorts
6, 2011
without going through the due legal process, prompting
the state government to issue notices to the resort
Dead tiger in Orang, poisoning suspected owners. Technically called “change in land use”, it refers
A tigress, estimated to be around five-years-old, was to any “transformation” brought about on a plot apart
found dead in the Orang National Park. It bore no sign from the expressed purpose it was acquired for. “Most
of physical injury. The post mortem report indicates owners have converted farmland into hotels and other
poisoning. The Orang National Park has a history of things without going through the necessary procedure,”
tigers being poisoned. The park’s small size, immense the official said.
anthropogenic pressure and limited prey base has The action was prompted after the Kaziranga
resulted in increased cattle lifting by its tigers. Over Biodiversity Conservation Committee’s report, which
fifteen tigers have died in the park over the past five looked into the impact of development on the park. The
years. committee wanted to ascertain if necessary permission’s
MEF Jairam Ramesh has sought a report on the had been taken before setting up resorts. The idea is to
matter. ensure that corridors are not blocked and the area around
Source: Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Indian Express, the park unduly exploited due to unrestricted tourism.
Guwahati, December 28, 2010; Hindustan Times, New The committee also suggested a no-objection certificate
Delhi, December 29, 2010 for any new construction involving change in land use
from the office of director Kaziranga National Park.
Given the problem of constrained habitat for spillover
Running out of space: Tigers in Kaziranga
tigers, the initiative to rationalise landuse around
A high density of tigers within a limited habitat is causing Kaziranga is welcome. However, it is constrained, points
increasing mortality among tigers in Kaziranga due to out an official, by the fact of lack of legislation to stop
prey stress and infighting, according to a report by the change of land use.
Aryanak Tiger Research and Conservation Initiative. Source: ‘Alert on use of park land: Govt seeks report
With a density of around 34 tigers per 100 sq km and on change in plots around Kaziranga,’ Roopak Goswami,
the reserve pressed by human habitation, highways , The Telegraph, March 9, 2011
tourism resorts etc, the forest bordering the reserve is
very disturbed, leaving no suitable habitat for the spillover Eco-sensitive zone for Kaziranga
populations to colonise.
The situation in Kaziranga looks grim. Conservation The authorities of Kaziranga National Park have taken
Biologist Dr Feroze Ahmed fears higher mortality in the the initiative for declaration an eco-sensitive zone for
coming years, “as subadult tigers are unable to establish the park. Assam’s Chief wildlife warden Suresh Chand
their home range and venture out of the park. There is said that the eco-sensitive zone will be notified by June.
hardly any habitat around the park that has good prey This will help restrict or prohibit activities which are not
base.” There is also fear of accelerating man-tiger conducive for the park in the future. It will also ensure
conflict. Ahmed stressed that it was important that “we that it does not fall prey to “pressures” like economic
ensure that forest areas near Kaziranga also get attention activities, land use change and road development around
and focus from both the state government and the NTCA it. Officials also explain that there is false propaganda
so that it can support spillover population from that there will be a blanket ban. “Development activities
Kaziranga.” need to be regulated with safeguards so that there is
Source: Hindustan Times, New Delhi, 10, Nov 2010 minimal negative impact on the park,” explained a
Comment: The Autonomous District Council of Karbi source.

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Interestingly, a joint paper by UNESCO — United wildlife areas, and if under the aegis of Project Tiger,
Nations Foundation on Opportunities and Challenges for there will be more focus on socio-economic
Kaziranga National Park over the Next Fifty Years — development of communities around the tiger reserve,
a few years back had warned about the future threats and also more focus on mitigation of man-animal
to the park. It said the “continued survival of Kaziranga conflict, which is an issue of increasing concern
National Park over the next century and consolidation around KNP.
of the conservation successes achieved in the last 100 Source: ‘Project Tiger under threat in Kaziranga’,
years will depend to a large extent on what happens February 16, 2011, Press Trust of India
beyond the park’s boundaries and also on ensuring that
management options elsewhere, in the river and in the WWF volunteers abducted in Manas
surrounding landscape, do not undermine the ecology
and integrity of the park.” In a shocking incident a group of about 20
Source: ‘Eco-sensitive tag for Kaziranga- Move militants abducted six WWF-India volunteers
to regulate activities harmful for park’, Roopak at gunpoint in Assam on February 7. The
Goswami, The Telegraph, March, 11 abductions took place in Labanyapur area of Ultapani
reserve forest, which is under the Manas Tiger
Reserve, close to the India-Bhutan border.
Tourism lobby protests Kaziranga as TR
Four forest staff who accompanied the volunteers
The tourism and hotel industry has protested against were freed by the militants..
Kaziranga National Park being declared a tiger reserve. The suspect group is believed to be the anti-talks
“We are opposed to the government’s decision to make faction of the NDFB (National Democratic Front of
Kaziranga a tiger reserve in the greater interest of people Bodoland), which has a strong presence in Ultapani
living in the park’s vicinity as it will have a direct impactand adjoining areas.
on their lives and livelihood,” said the president of the Security forces said the abduction could be a
Kaziranga Jeep Safari Association, Punen Gogoi who retaliation against the anti-insurgency combing
added that the government should take steps for the operation in the area, which is about 60 km from
rhino’s protection and conservation. “We also welcomed Kokrajhar, the headquarters of the Bodoland
the government’s initiative to conserve tigers under Territorial Council (BTC).
Project Tiger, but we never supported the move to turn Sources said the abductors refused to talk till the
Kaziranga into a tiger reserve as the subsequent combing operation was withdrawn. An intensive
restrictions would severely affect tourism and other search operation was launched in the area. The
businesses,” Mr Gogoi said. Sashastra Seema Bal, which mans the India-Bhutan
The park’s authorities clarified that it was a border, the BSF and the Bhutan government have
“misconception in the minds of the people due to lack of been alerted, officials said.
awareness”. Park director Surajit Dutta said the fears Intense negotiations and efforts were done to
were unfounded and that and the people living in the secure the release of the volunteers. Three girls who
vicinity and engaged in tourism sector need not worry were among the six WWF volunteers were released
about losing their land or job on Kaziranga being declared two days after being taken hostage. On February
a tiger reserve. 17, the NDFB finally released the rest of the WWF
Comment: The protests against declaring Kaziranga volunteers from captivity at Balajan-Tiniali area under
a tiger reserve appear to stem from ignorance from Kokrajhar Police Station.
lack of proper information decimation or instigated Source: ‘Bodo rebels in Assam kidnap six WWF
by vested political interests. There must be an intense workers,’ Simang Daimary & Naresh Mitra, The
effort to have a dialogue with the local people to Times of India, Feb 8, 2011; WWF
rid of unnecessary misconceptions. Kaziranga is one
of the best managed parks which has to a large extent Manas no longer in danger?
enjoyed the support of the local people in part due
to the pride that people of Assam have in the rhino. A World Heritage Committee comprising a Unesco-
Tourism will not be stopped, only regulated for IUCN monitoring mission seemed ‘impressed’ with the

24 l TIGER LINK
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progress made by the Manas National Park. The team ACFs, the reserve has only seven range officers and
visited Manas between 25-29th January and held two ACFs.
consultations with a wide cross-section of people and Reacting to the MEE teams’ observations, Bihar
authorities. CWW Mithilesh Kumar said “We are working on a
The World Heritage Committee had said, “the proposal. If approved, it will lead to setting up of more
presence of viable populations of all major species and anti-poaching camps inside the reserve.” On the delay
a clear upward trend of these populations are the key in funds transfer, Kumar said it was due to the Assembly
elements of the desired state of conservation and for elections. He added the department was aware of the
the removal of the site from the ‘List of World Heritage shortage of employees at the reserve and had taken
in Danger’.’ The team held discussions with the state steps to address the issue.
forest department and thereafter, meetings with the Bindra said that the state government should pay
MoEF in New Delhi. It will finalise its report, which more attention to the reserve because it is the
shall be submitted to the World Heritage Committee in easternmost limit of the Shivalik-Gangetic landscape
March in order to be considered for the 35th committee (the Terai arc) that has been recognised as a crucial
meeting scheduled at Manama, Bahrain from June 19th- tiger landscape. The reserve is also contiguous with the
29th. A number of other issues such as encroachment, Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Sanctuary in
regular funding and expansion of area would have to be Nepal. Even though VTR has tremendous potential, the
taken into consideration before the removal of the tiger-prey density is low.
“danger” tag could be considered. She was, however, was all praise for the state
Source: Roopak Goswami, The Telegraph, government for putting an effective check on mining in
Guwahati, January 30, 2011, ENS the Pandai river that flows near the boundary of the
reserve.
BIHAR Source: Sanjeev Varma, The Telegraph, Patna,
Central team demands better vigil in Valmiki January 3, 2011

Protection gaps in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve have come CHHATTISGARH

to the fore during a visit of the NTCA’s Management
Three TRs...but where are the tigers?
Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) team in the last week
of December. “Protection needs to be strengthened at The loss of tigers in Sariska, and the steady decline, and
Valmiki. One of the major drawbacks on this front is eventual extinction of tigers in Panna caused a public
there is no operational anti-poaching camp inside the outcry forcing the government to, eventually, sit up and
reserve,” MEE team member Prerna Singh Bindra, who take notice. Elsewhere, far from Delhi and the eye of
visited the reserve, told The Telegraph. She said steps the media and the centre, tigers are slipping into an abyss
should be taken to have adequate number of anti- unnoticed. Chhattisgarh has three tiger reserves, atleast
poaching camps so that round-the-clock vigil could be in name. All three-Udanti-Sitanadi and Achanakmar, are
maintained inside the reserve. “The fundamental a tragic parody of the term ‘tiger reserve.’ The parks
problem here is that the state has not yet declared are anything but.
the core critical tiger habitat. Bihar is the only state One of the biggest failures of the department
not to have done so. It reflects the lack of focus of
and the state is the fact that they have failed the
the state on Valmiki,” she said. She was also shocked
state animal, the Asiatic Wild Buffalo, which has
at the withholding of NTCA funds to the reserve
now whittled down to a mere eight in Udanti, and
by the state government even four months after
about 15 to 20 in Indravati.
receiving it. “Crucial work gets delayed and frontline
Though the state has ensured all statutory
employees like tiger trackers and others do not get paid
for months. This is simply not done,” she said. requirements in terms of declaration of core and buffer,
The MEE team also expressed concern over foundation of a Tiger Steering Committee etc, this has
shortage of manpower. Against a sanctioned strength little meaning if mere formalities are adhered to, without
of 77 forest guards, VTR has only 40 and there are 15 any action on the ground. The state has failed to provide
foresters against the sanctioned strength of 22. Against for an enabling mechanism. Tiger reserves seem to be
the sanctioned strength of 10 range officers and three nowhere in the priority of the state-or even within the

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forest department. According to the staff, and media cattle camps flourish even in the heart of the reserve,
reports, there is a deep wedge between the wildlife and putting huge grazing pressure. Currently the habitat
territorial department—with the latter getting preferential supports a decent prey base but there has been a
treatment—negatively impacted the management of dramatic decline of late. According to information from
Protected Areas. The management structure is also not local NGOs, poaching of game continues with impunity.
conducive, with no dedicated field directors or deputy There is here is no exclusive field director for
directors. Achanakmar—the post is held by the CCF, Bilaspur,
and the DFO (also based at Bilaspur) attached also has
Indravati territorial duties.
The Bilaspur-Amarkantak national highway cuts
Left wing extremism has paralysed the reserve. through the reserve bisecting it into two. While
There is a complete lack of administrative control heavy traffic has been banned at night, there is no
with no presence of the park officials in the core restriction on speed, and vehicles whiz through, honking
since 2005. In 2003, after the field director was and using loud sirens. People use the park for roadside
attacked and beaten up, the headquarter of the picnics, leaving their garbage behind. Roadkills are
directorate was shifted to Jagdalpur, which is about three frequent, largely not followed-up, or even registered.
hours away. After 2005, there has ceased to be any As has been stressed. The road allows easy access to
movement of the forest staff inside. Even before the timber smuggling and poaching for game, which has been
park was lost to naxals, there appears to have been observed here. The highway was supposed to be shut
little active management and protection in Indravati, even in 2008, and a viable alternate road made operational
for the critically endangered wild buffalo. but nothing has come of it yet.
Another issue is that the buffer is not in control of Achanakmar has made speedy progress in relocating
the Field Director. It was felt that strengthening the villages, with six relocated within the two years since it
protection in the buffer and building relations with the has become a reserve. However, both the teams
people in the buffer will contribute to make the habitat appointed for assessing the progress and shortfalls in
in the core safer. relocation as well as the management evaluation team,
A visit to the reserve showed that thousands of trees noted some concerns in the process.
have been girdled on both sides of the roads (50 to 80 Researchers from Wildlife Trust of India currently
meters each side) in the buffer. This was being done involved in enumerating tigers for WII report that the
for a ‘clear view’ for security reasons, by the Special prey density appears to be very low, and tiger
Police Officers. occupancy is on the decline.
With negligible movement of staff inside the reserve, Udanti-Sitanadi has a peculiar administrative
no authentic information on population status of tigers arrangement which strongly impacts the functioning, or
or other wildlife is available. The presence of tigers—
more aptly the non-functioning of the reserve. The
though low—is indicated by direct sighting, other signs
superintendent of both Udanti and Sitanadi sanctuaries
and mainly cattle kill information by the villagers.
supervise the fieldwork, under administrative control of
The good news is: there are still wild buffaloes in
DFOs, who do not report to the Field Director. The
Indravati. A visit inside the core threw up fresh hoof
buffers are almost out of bounds of the park
marks of two wild buffaloes and also the presence of
management. The Field Director of the Udanti-Sitanadi
prey base (though the density appears to be low).
Tiger Reserve is stationed at Raipur, atleast four hours
In Indravati, the fact of insurgency largely excuses
away from the field. There is little or no involvement of
the pathetic state of affairs, with the administration
the top management. The DFO Dhamtri, under whose
having virtually no control over the reserve. But how
does one blame the steady downfall of one of our management Sitanadi is, has not graced the sanctuary
finest forests like Achanakmar which has good with his presence even once in his tenure. Though earlier
connectivity with the Kanha-Pench landscape. totally accessible, in the past two years or so the park
Achanakmar has a well-mapped protection strategy on has come under the influence of naxals, restricting staff
paper, but on the ground, protection is nonexistent. There movement and protection/management activity.
is no systematic monitoring or patrolling. Functional The need for a dedicated field director and deputy
protection camps are conspicuous in their absence, while directors, in this context cannot be emphasised enough.

26 l TIGER LINK
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Are there tigers in Udanti-Sitanadi? Doubtful. As per Fernandes, Times of India, Panaji, December 22, 2010
information from the staff doubtful, some of whom do with inputs from TigerLink
not report any signs for 4-5 years. However, there is
tiger presence here, and it is reported that the bulk of
JHARKHAND
tiger occupancy in the Udanti-Sitanadai-Sunabeda NTCA team aghast at Palamu apathy
landscape is in the Sunabeda WLS.
Prerna Singh Bindra The NTCA’s MEE team visiting Jharkhand’s Palamu
Tiger Reserve has castigated the state for its stark
Campaign: Goa a ‘Tiger State’ mismanagement and apathy towards the reserve. Senior
officials, including Field Director Paritosh Upadhyay,
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar reported finding cited delays in sanctioning funds as the primary reason
pugmarks of a tigress and her cub in the catchment for all problems. The team, however, was unconvinced.
area of the Anjunem dam in Sattari. The claim was “Despite the problems and the hue and cry over financial
supported by local residents. delays the lack of sincere attempts to conserve tigers in
Goa had recorded the presence of five tigers in the this region were highly evident,” opined RL Singh, retired
last wildlife census. In April 2010, the Wildlife Institute PCCF of Uttar Pradesh and chairman of the committee.
of India confirmed the presence of tigers in Goa with He also said they had visited villages in the core areas,
camera-trapped images. Tiger presence is also recorded and found that there had been no effort on the part of
in Mhadei and Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. the forest department on relocation. Shockingly, the
With reports of tigresses with cubs coming in, it is clear villagers were unaware of the provisions and relocation
that tigers in Goa are not merely transient animals, but a package.
resident population. (Refer “Tigers in Beach There are only three villages left falling within the
Paradise,” TigerLink, May 2010, Revived Volume core of the reserve, though 23 villages are to be relocated
6). by the irrigation department in case the Kutku dam gates
Forest officials who have consistently denied the are allowed to be closed. The dam has been built but
presence of tigers in Goa, reportedly under pressure of the sluice gates have not been closed because the
the mining lobby since the presence of tigers and irrigation department of Bihar did not comply with terms
declaration of tiger reserves would hinder mining
and conditions laid by the Directorate of Project Tiger
prospects, have now had to eat crow and have officially
by MoEF. If the gates are closed without complying the
confirmed the presence of tigers in the state.
conditions then nearly 28,000 hectares of core critical
Goa’s forests are contiguous to Karnataka’s Anshi-
tiger habitat will be submerged and the submerged
Dandeli Tiger Reserve and have connectivity with
villages encroach in the forest further devastating the
Sahyadri TR in Maharashtra. Bittu Sahgal, editor
tiger reserve.
Sanctuary Asia urged MEF Jairam Ramesh to take
The team was also appalled at the level of state
steps to establish an interstate Mhadei Tiger Reserve
indifference. Staff shortage is acute with about 90 per
on the trijunction of Maharashtra-Goa-Karnataka. He
cent of the posts empty. Out of 95 posts in the reserve,
argues that along with the Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve,
only 19 are occupied. Employees had not been paid for
this region could become an important source population
of tigers. Eminent wildlife biologist Dr AJT Johnsingh, months. With such severe staff shortage combined with
while conducting a study in the Sahyadri confirms the the other problems including insurgency that plague the
presence of tigers in Mhadei and Molem. He expressed reserve, there is little hope for the tiger in Palamu.
his concern on the weakened prey base due to rampant It is learnt that the staff has not received their wages
poaching in Goa and Karnataka. Mining, deforestation even at the time of going to press, in February.
and growing settlements are the biggest threats to this Source: ASRP Mukesh, The Telegraph, Ranchi,
global biodiversity hotspot. Johnsingh has conveyed his October 22, 2010
concerns and recommended to the state government A TigerLink Report
that 755 sq km in the region be protected as tiger Update: Acting on the information from the MEE team
landscape. and field reports, NTCA board member PK Sen (who
Source: John Edwards, IBNS, Panaji, January 25, was earlier director, Palamu) took the initiative and
2011; PTI, CNN-IBN, Panaji, January 25, 2011; Paul personally met with the Principal Secretary (Forest) of

TIGER LINK l 27
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Jharkhand, to appraise him of urgent concerns regarding have been two occasions when FAC has recommended
Palamu. Sen brought to the notice of the Principal rejection and I have exercised my own judgment and
Secretary that NTCA funds had not been released even overturned the FAC recommendation - the first being
though February was almost over. Other issues raised POSCO and the second being the present Chiria case,”
were non-payment of wages to daily wage workers, he said. “The FAC will continue to focus single-mindedly
urgent need for recruitment of frontline staff and proper on forest-related, biodiversity-related issues and
management structure, and posting of trained personnel concerns, while as minister I will have to necessary to
at the managerial level. The Principal Secretary assured take a broader view,” the minister added
Sen that funds would be released within the week (last The approval for Steel Authority of India Limited
week of February), and that they will try to ensure that (SAIL), was given with 13 specific conditions. Given
funds are quickly vetted by the planning and finance the ecological sensitivity of the Saranda forest area, the
MoEF will assume direct responsibility and set up a multi-
departments to avoid such delays in the future. Though
disciplinary expert group for monitoring.
there was no commitment on recruitment, it was assured
Comment: One of the reasons of giving SAIL the
that it would be seriously considered. Efforts will also
green go-ahead was that it has a good track record
be made to make the Tiger Conservation Foundation
of corporate social responsibility. But the MoEF
operational as per the guidelines of the GOI.
failed to take into account that SAIL has a dubious
past of working in Meghahatuburu iron ore mines
The end of Saranda in Saranda, where they violated all the conditions
The MEF Jairam Ramesh on February 9 gave forest resulting in silting up of Keona river which is lifeline
clearance to SAIL for mining iron ore from Chiria, of Saranda forests and the forest dwellers living
Saranda forest in Jharkhand, overturning the downstream.
recommendation of his Forest Advisory Committee. It is well-known, in fact admitted by the minister,
Ramesh said that one of the factors behind the approval that the ministry simply does not have the monitoring
for the project was that “Chiria is essential for the future mechanism so how will compliance of conditions
of SAIL.” Ramesh said that while deciding to accord imposed be ensured?
approval, the Ministry also considered facts like Prime Multidisciplinary groups simply means yet
Minister Manmohan Singh writing a letter to the Chief another committee headed by a bureaucrat and
Minister of Jharkhand in August 2007 for renewal of human activist members with little or no sensitivity
leases in SAIL’s favour “in the broader national interest”. to wildlife, so how will that address the wildlife
With yet another mine, Saranda, already decimated concerns?
by mines, will be devastated and further fragmented. The mines will devastate the elephant corridor
Saranda, the finest and the largest sal forest in Asia, aggravating human-elephant conflict.
has been massively pillaged by existing mines in many
parts such as, Gua, Kiriburu, Chiria or Noamundi. Highways deplete forests in Hazaribagh
Saranda forms the core of Singhbhum Elephant Reserve
More than 80,000 trees, most of them ancient and
and was once a rich tiger habitat. Though the numbers
indigenous, are being felled along the 135km Ranchi-
have dwindled drastically, there is still the odd tiger in
Hazaribagh stretch of NH-33. The move has irked
the forest. Saranda has rich biodiversity and is home to
environmentalists and prompted Hazaribagh based
many endangered wild animals including elephants,
convener of INTACH, Bulu Imam, to seek central
leopards, sloth bears etc
Over the next 50 years, around 40 per cent of iron intervention. According to well placed sources in the
ore requirement of the SAIL will be met from Chiria forest department, some 3,00,000 sal trees on the 40km
mines. “SAIL has a Rs 18,000 crore IPO on the anvil, Hazaribagh-Barhi stretch are also facing the axe, as
50 per cent whose proceeds will accrue to the are 2,00,000 trees for the four-laning of another 300 km
Government of India. Thus an early decision has to be from Govindpur to Sahebganj. In addition, for the Ranch-
taken without waiting for perfect information,” the Patratu-Ramgarh (62kms) stretch close to 12,000 trees
minister added. Senior steel ministry and SAIL officials will be felled.
had held discussions with Ramesh several times seeking While the PCCF CR Sahay says that the department
forest clearance for mining iron ore from Chiria. “There is compiling a report on this, the National Highways

28 l TIGER LINK
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Authority of India (NHAI) says it will pay for of Sariska where civil activists collectively pushed
‘afforestation’ activities. Imam has countered this point for people’s participation in the management of
by arguing that even if afforestation is carried out Sariska. A sincere attempt was made to bring the
successfully it cannot replace old-growth forests and villagers into confidence in the adjoining areas, with
the ecological balance of the region with rich forests, local, reputed NGOs and social activists playing a
like the ones between Hazaribagh and Bagoder, will be leading role. It evidently failed. A CBI probe into
wrecked. the extinction of the tiger in Sariska stated the
Source: ASRP Mukesh, The Telegraph, Ranchi, involvement of villagers in the poaching. Can we
December 6, 2010 then trust that the tiger will survive in BRT with
KARNATAKA people’s participation?

Tiger protection force may be delayed Kudremukh for Tiger Reserve

The NTCA’s much awaited Special Tiger Protection In a note to the NTCA, Dr. Ullas Karanth, conservation
Force (STPF) is getting delayed due to a funds crunch scientist of Wildlife Conservation Society, proposed that
in Karnataka. By mid-2011, around 50 STPF members Kudremukh National Park be taken under the aegis of
are expected to be deployed in Bandipur and Nagarhole Project Tiger. He based his proposal on the following
tiger reserves. Weapon training for the recruited officers arguments:
is supposed to follow but funds from the Centre are still l Rigorous surveys by Centre for Wildlife Studies
awaited for the purpose of purchasing weapons for the
(CWS) and WCS-India provide the evidence of a
STPF. At present, 44 guards and 14 foresters are
breeding population of tigers in the Kudremukh
undergoing the nine month long training program to join
region. Kudremukh is contiguous with Someshwara
the STPF.
Wildlife Sanctuary in the north and Agumbe and
Source: Deccan Chronicle, Bangalore, January 4,
Charmadi Reserved Forests, which together form
2011
a contiguous block of approximately 1,000 sq
km of prime tropical evergreen forest habitat
BRT Tiger Reserve declared, locals upset
which have the potential to support more than
The BRT Wildlife Sanctuary has been notified as a tiger 30 adult tigers.
reserve with effect from 24th January (the in-principle l The intact evergreen shola forests of Kudremukh
approval from the centre was given in September 2010) provide a unique opportunity to conserve a breeding
and has an area of 574.82 sq km of which the Core population of tigers, which in turn will help to
Critical Tiger Habitat is 373 sq km. It is currently home conserve this unique biome, home to several highly
to about 35 tigers. threatened fauna such as lion-tailed macaque,
The move has upset the 1,000 Soliga tribal families leopard, wild dog, great hornbill, king cobra, Malabar
living in the 18 hamlets in the proposed core critical tiger civet, flying squirrel, shield tail snake, forest cane
habitat. In November 2010, the Soliga tribals of the turtle, Travancore turtle, to name just a few.
Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Sanctuary wrote a bitter l The park receives an annual average rainfall of
letter to Jairam Ramesh, the Minister for Environment approximately 7,000 mm, thus playing a critical
and Forests, asking to be poisoned first before turning hydrological role in the region.
the Sanctuary into a Tiger Reserve. Their worry stems
l The National Park has 1,299 households living in 90
from the fact of their impending relocation.
hamlets. The remoteness of the enclaves, lack of
The Soligas say that the state government has
non-agricultural forms of livelihood and basic
declared it a tiger reserve without discussing the proposal
amenities, coupled with crop depredation and
with them. They have suggested that BRT not be turned
livestock predation have made life very difficult for
into a tiger reserve but could be the first experiment of
the residents. Presently, there is a mounting pressure
community management (A Community Based Tiger
Conservation Area). on the government from the villagers, their elected
Source: Muralidhara Khajane, The Hindu, Mysore, representatives and the local NGOs demanding the
January 31, 2011, The Times of India, March 2 government to release funds for a speedy
Comment: It is essential to quote here the example rehabilitation programme. In recent years, naxalites

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have been using the sanctuary, which has Revenue from tourism is now expected to double from
compounded the problems of the villagers who have its last annual figure of Rs 7 crores. The revenue will
intensified their demand for relocation. Declaring it go into the Tiger Conservation Foundations and into
a TR would help facilitate the process of relocation. providing better tourist amenities.
l There is an urgent critical need to create tiger Source: Niranjan Kaggere, Bangalore Mirror,
reserves in the central part of Western Ghats November 28, 2011.
in Karnataka and link it to Bhadra Tiger Reserve
to the East. Coming soon: Gated colony near Bandipur
The MEF Jairam Ramesh took up the issue and urged
A new ‘gated community resort/villas promoted by the
the Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa to
Pune-based NSB Group, the project is coming up near
declare Kudremukh a tiger reserve. “This area, with its
Mangala village along the Bandipur-Mudumalai road
unique type of evergreen forests and high altitude
bordering Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger in violation of
grasslands, is biologically significant, located amidst other
wildlife conservation rules and regulations. The NSB
good tiger areas in the Malnad-Mysore tiger landscape,”
he said. Ramesh also stressed that this would aid in Wildlife Hunt Resort is spread over 19.13 acres with 50
protecting the park from future mining threats. “Though villas and 200 cottages. According to experts from
all major operations by the company stand legally Wildlife Conservation Society, the construction is outside
terminated as of December 2005, “some of the the notified TR but is located in an area (and on private
machinery and infrastructure reportedly still remain land) that requires to be notified as an Ecologically
within the terminated lease area, which needs removal,” Sensitive Area (ESA) or ESZ as per the Environment
the Minister has said in his letter dated February 8. This Protection Act and new guidelines. The administration
is particularly significant given that KIOCL, the mining must also scrutinise several other issues (including if
PSU continues to float new proposals for mining within the owner is legally competent to own agricultural land),
Kudremukh. The state forest department say that conversion from agriculture to commercial etc and
tigers have reclaimed the abandoned mining area. restrict the project.
This was confirmed during the census conducted by Tourism initiatives such as this have increased
the forest department, in which eight direct sightings of drastically in the zone, restricting wildlife movement.
tigers were also recorded. “Many of these lands, albeit outside the tiger reserve,
It may be remembered that the Supreme Court, in still fall under natural forest cover, regularly used by
2002, based on a petition filed by Wildlife First, ordered wildlife. Such resorts put up electric fences, hindering
the stoppage of mining in the eco-sensitive rain forests movement of wildlife, especially elephants. Further, it
of Kudremukh in the Western Ghats and directed that can cut off the corridor between Bandipur and
all mining activities will cease on 31st December, 2005. Mudumalai in the future,” say experts.
However, eight years after the Judgment and five years Principal conservator of forests BK Singh said, “The
after the time period to wind up mining expired, the project site is on one of the most important
KIOCL continues to be in possession of the lapsed lease elephant corridors in Karnataka and would
area within the limits of the Kudremukh National Park fragment that corridor if it were to come up.”
and is using every tactic possible to reopen the mines. Karnataka’s forest minister CH Vijayashankara said he
The area is also under a threat from ill-conceived mega- was not aware of the project. “The project was never
irrigation project to redirect west-flowing River tabled before my ministry in the past six months. We
Nethravathi. have not granted permission to any developer for such
A TigerLink report a villa project near the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. We will
definitely examine the project,” he added. Meanwhile,
State bans trekking in PAs, hikes tourism fees the company has already put up a board near the project
site.
The Karnataka Forest Department has decided to hike
entry and safari fees for tourists in the state’s Protected Source: ‘Resort edges into tigers’ turf,’ Jayashree
Areas by five times. Importantly, along with the fee hike, Nandi, TNN, Feb 28; ‘Illegal villas in critical wilderness’,
trekking has been banned in reserves. Subhash Chandra N S, Feb 26, Illegal resort eats into

30 l TIGER LINK
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big cat space in Bandipur Villa , Mail Today, ‘Villa Too The minister severely criticised the TDB saying “The
Close for Tiger Hub Comfort’, Bangalore Mirror TDB has not ensured sanitation in the area and the
Pamba river in the vicinity is extremely polluted with
KERALA human excreta and garbage. The river cleaning
Stampede due to violation of master-plan programme has not gained momentum despite the fact
that an amount of Rs.18.45 crore had been sanctioned
In a tragic incident 102 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in May, 2003, with a central release of Rs.378 lakh”.
while on their way to the Sabarimala shrine, in the Periyar Source: VR Jayaraj, The Pioneer,
Tiger Reserve, on January 14. While the Travancore Tiruvananthapuram, January 19, 2011; Amitabh Sinha,
Devaswom Board which manages the Sabarimala TNN, New Delhi, February 3, 2011; KS Sudhi, The
temple, alleged that inadequate security arrangement to Hindu, Kochi, February 2, 2011
ensure safety of pilgrims in Pulmedu was responsible Comment: There are temples and other places of
for the stampede, the police report claimed that there religious significance in a lot of our tiger reserves—
were over 250 cops and that it did not have the permission indeed many of our Protected Areas. The pilgrim
to make security arrangements as Pulmedu fell within traffic to the Pandupol temple in Sariska’s core is of
the Periyar TR. An unprecedented rush had also grave concern, several lakh pilgrims visit the Shiva
contributed to the mishap. Temple at Srisailam (in Nagarjuna Sagar -Srisailim
In a report submitted to the MoEF and NTCA, Field TR), there were reports of people illegally entering
Director RR Shukla said that there had been violation Rajaji National park during Mahakumbh held in
of the rules and conditions laid out in the Sabarimala adjoining holy city of Hardwar—to name just a few.
Master Plan, conceived for the conduct of a safe and While one can understand the sentiments attached,
eco-friendly pilgrimage, resulting into chaos and the it cannot be denied that pilgrim places—and the
consequent stampede. consequent activity causes additional disturbance
MEF Jairam Ramesh wrote to the Kerala CM VS to our already highly disturbed, fragmented and
Achuthanandan for the quick implementation of the stressed Protected Areas.
masterplan for the temple. He requested that the It is not so much the physical area of the religious
masterplan be implemented in a “time-bound” manner. structure but the demand for ancillary facilities and
“I solicit your personal intervention in the matter. The infrastructure, pilgrim traffic, and the consequent
actions suggested are in the interest of lakhs of disturbance, trash, fear of forest fire, conflict etc.
Sabarimala pilgrims as well as biodiversity conservation that accentuates the problem.
in the area. Jairam said the masterplan, drawn up in
consultation with the state and the TDB, would have MADHYA PRADESH
put in place crowd management issues, including aspects
“Tigers don’t need buffer”: CM
such as traffic and transportation, solid waste
management and water supply, sanitation services and The Panna Tiger Reserve had a major setback with the
disaster management guidelines. “A faithful and timely Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asserting that he
implementation of this masterplan would have prevented was not in favour of creating a buffer zone for it.
any kind of disaster in the area,” he noted. “Humans”, he said, “are more valuable than tigers. What
Jairam stressed that his ministry had allowed the will they do with such a buffer zone? There is no need
diversion of 12.675 hectares of forest land in Periyar for a buffer zone that can cause problems to Panna
and another 110.524 hectares at Nilakkal for (the region). No such buffer zones will be made,” said
implementing the masterplan and that it could be the CM. Though his speech was clearly politically
cancelled if it was not executed. “I wish to add that motivated, he is perhaps unaware that the forest
non-compliance of master plan would lead to cancellation department has got the consent of 45 of the 69 villages
of diversion of forest land accorded by the Ministry. in the proposed buffer zone.
Any further demand for forest land by the TDB is In the last decade, Panna has lost 34 tigers, most of
meaningless at this juncture since the forest land already them being poached. Under such circumstances ignoring
made available to them is not being used as suggested the desperate need of a buffer zone for the tiger reserve
in the masterplan,” he wrote. has shocked all.

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The CM has played into the hands of his political cronies Catfight in Kuno?
who have mining interests in the areas that fall in the
proposed buffer of Panna and have been opposing the
creation of the same. The CM seemed to be quite
oblivious of the fact that the Wildlife Protection Act,
makes creation of buffer zones mandatory for all tiger
reserves. The CM also appeared to have forgotten that
his government has failed to hold anyone accountable
for the extinction of tigers in Panna and that a multi-
million rupee project is ongoing to relocate tigers from
Kanha and Bandhavgarh to Panna. If he holds survival
of tigers unimportant, why did he have millions of rupees
spent from the public exchequer for these relocations?
Source: NDTV, 25, October 2010, The Hindu, PTI, Credit: Rohan Chakravarty
Jabalpur, 25, October 2010, ‘Tiger Loses priority with
MP chief Minister’, Proloy Bagchi Palpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was
earmarked as the ‘second’ home of the Asiatic lion, which
Relocation of Kanha tigresses put on hold currently is confined to just one habitat, the Gir National
Park in Gujarat. Inbreeding and fear of an epidemic are
Two more tigresses from the Kanha Tiger Reserve have pressing concerns and scientists and conservationist
been selected for translocation to the Panna Tiger have been advising a second home for lions since years.
Reserve, 450 km away. The tigresses were orphaned Efforts to establish an independent second population
as cubs and have been raised in a semi-wild manner in of the animal at Palpur Kuno Sanctuary —selected as
a large enclosure in Kanha. They were due to be shifted the reintroduction site because it was located in the range
by road to Panna on 6th December but the plan was of the Asiatic lion inhabited before they were hunted
called off at the last minute when one of them was into extinction around 1873 — have been going on for
noticed to be ‘physically unfit’ for the journey. It had nearly a decade. Gujarat has been resisting parting with
its ‘pride’, primarily because it would deprive Gir of its
apparently suffered an injury while playing with its
status as the world’s only home of Asiatic lion. The state
sibling.
has also raised several other objections. The issue is
The tigresses are meant to join three more
now before the Supreme Court.
translocated tigers in Panna in an effort to rebuild the Meanwhile, there is a proposal to get another big cat
species in the reserve. into India: the cheetah, extinct in India with the last three
Meanwhile, concerned that the semi-wild tigresses shot (in one go) in 1947. India has tried—and failed—to
may not be fully ready to go into the wild in Panna, get the Asiatic cheetah from Iran, which has the last
NTCA has written to MP CWW HS Pabla asking him remaining population of about 50, and refuses to
to initially release the two tigresses in the micro core compromise its precarious population. There has been
area of the Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, adjoining Kanha talk of ‘cloning’ the cheetah, but besides being an
Tiger Reserve. They shall be monitored closely using imperfect science, Iran declined to be party to it and
radio telemetry there and may be moved to Panna after provide live tissue for the cloning experiment. Now, India
they are found to be sufficiently capable of living in the plans to import cheetahs from Africa, and one of the
wild. sites earmarked for their grant ‘return’ is Kuno.
Meanwhile, the tiger has taken the matter into its
Source: The Hindu, PTI, October 12, 2010; The
own hands or paws, if you prefer, and come back to
Hindu, Bhopal, November 19, 2010, The Pioneer,
Kuno: a tiger from Ranthambhore has strayed from the
Bhopal, December 1, 2010, The Asian Age, Bhopal, park and into Kuno and pugmarks and other clues have
December 6, 2010, Mail Today, New Delhi, December been encountered since the past six months. Also, there
7, 2010; Vivek Trivedi, The Pioneer, Bhopal, January is another tigress, with cubs, has also been staying in
13, 2011 the Chambal ravines, and given the proximity a possibility
is that she may move into Kuno.

32 l TIGER LINK
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At a meeting organised with the MEF, renowned wildlife eight meetings between the two. The first meeting
biologist Dr George Schaller very categorically stated was before cubs were delivered on April 8th and all
that it wouldn’t be advisable to reintroduce the cheetah the rest of the meetings were after the cubs were
into any habitat which had tigers or leopards. born. Three earlier meetings between T1 and T3
Prerna Singh Bindra before 29.08.10 were normal and not violent.
Thus the reporter’s conclusion based on the
Cubs missing, killed by father? interpretation of the limited data is not correct. Park
management and WII neither created a situation of
Field director responds to TL report
animosity between the T1, T3 and their cubs nor
R Sreenivasa Murthy, field director of Panna has
disturbed the bonding process among them. One
sent a rejoinder and clarification to the news update should remember that these three tigers (T1, T2 and
about Panna’s Relocation that appeared in Tiger
T3) are picked up from different places and their
Link, October 2010 based on Jay Mazoomdar’s
behavior will deviate from that of a natural population
‘Killing Panna’s poster cubs’, an article published in for a while before they socialise among themselves.
Open, a weekly magazine.
He added that the park management along with WII
The report is about the two cubs of the relocated
team is doing the best to facilitate the natural
tigress in Panna feared to be killed by their own processes.
father. It says, “Field Director SR Murthy however,
found it “intriguing” that the father could have killed
its own cubs. In his note sent to HS Pabla, Principle
Roads through Bandhavgarh approved
Chief Conservator of Forests, Madhya Pradesh, on The Standing Committee in its meeting on 24th
13 September, field director Murthy admitted that January 2011 gave approval, with certain conditions,
while the father (T3) tried to approach the mother for repair of the 17.15 km road from Indwar-Tala-
(T1) and cubs soon after they were born, the Parsi passing through Bandhavgarh National Park
monitoring staff ‘did not allow such meetings’, and Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary. It was proposed
essential in the wild for natural familiarisation. that the entire stretch of the road (32.5km) can be
According to this report, the litter of four cubs was repaired, preferably built into a one lane (3.75m) with
born on 15/16 April. Shockingly, it took the monitoring effective speed breakers at every 500m intervals and
team four months to get ‘technical and scientific in locations where animals cross. Glow sign board
opinions from all quarters and the project team of were also advised at every two kilometres.
WII’ before allowing the father to meet the tigress Dr AJT Johnsingh, member, Standing Committee
and cubs on 19 August.” of NBWL, who did the site visit also recommended
In response R.Sreenivasa Murthy writes that the the same conditions for a two-lane Umaria to Maihar
above conclusions were drawn by wrong road which goes through the buffer zone of the
interpretation of the report and limited data provided reserve for about 15 km. In his report, Johnsingh
with the report. The data enclosed with the report says that the proposed road through the core from
belonged to the period between 1.08.10 and 13.09.10 Karkeli to Chechariya, should be made into a two
and the reporter interpreted that the authorities did lane road suitable for multi axle trucks used for
not allow the male tiger to meet the tigress with cubs transport of coal, fly-ash, etc. since it passes through
for four months since their birth. The FD also details the edge of the core, and so have minimal impact.
the meetings between the two tigers, based on the The idea was to take the heavy traffic away from
data collected from the monitoring registers the Indwar-Tala-Parasi road which passes through
maintained by the staff. The FD explains that he the centre of the core. No less than eight tigers
had approached WII about the dilemma of meetings including tigresses with cubs have been recorded
between male and female with cubs on June 23rd using this road. The need to stop traffic from 8.00
and had received a quick response the same evening, pm to 6.00 am was stressed.
and a final response five days later. Their A TigerLink report
observations and monitoring were now guided by the
technical advice from WII. Before this, only one Gaur translocated to Bandhavgarh
meeting between T1 and T3 was stopped, that too
inadvertently by the monitoring party. Otherwise Five gaur have been translocated from Kanha to
between April 4 and September 9, 2010 there were Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in a bid to reestablish the
species. Gaur has been extinct in Bandhavgarh since

TIGER LINK l 33
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the late ‘90s. They were transported in a specially for over two decades. Mansinghdeo is rich in
designed truck and have been placed in a 60 hectare wildlife and is contiguous to the Pench Tiger
enclosure to acclimatise to their new surroundings. The Reserve. The protection accorded will strengthen
gaur would be released in the wild by March. Four of contiguity between Pench, Tadoba, Nagzira and the
the gaur have been radio collared. The exercise is being Melghat Tiger Reserve. One of the main reasons for
carried out at a cost of Rs five crore and is borne by the delay in the notification was opposition by the Forest
state forest department and to a lesser extent by the Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd. (FDCM)
wildlife tourism company CC Africa, now known so as to continue their forestry and plantation operations.
Towards & Beyond Africa, under the supervision of The state had also tried to curtail the area of the
the Wildlife Institute of India. sanctuary to 143 sq km. MEF Jairam Ramesh wrote to
Bandhavgarh’s gaur population was at its peak in the CM warning them against any move to curtail the
1989-90, when it numbered 39, but soon plummeted and area of the proposed Sanctuary. This would lead to the
the last gaur vanished in 1998. centre holding back the denotification of a large chunk
The move had its share of controversy and has been of the GIB (Nannaj) Sanctuary that Maharashtra has
severally criticised. An NGO, ‘Uday’ has protested been pushing for.
against the forest department’s undue favouring of a Shockingly, even after the sanctuary was declared,
tourism company due to its close association with top the FDCM continued its timber operations and felling
officials. Allegedly, Towards & Beyond has been given huge numbers of trees and bamboo extraction. They
night filming and photography permits by the forest
said they were “not aware’ of the notification till
department.
December 20th. By then, large scale felling from 23
The translocation exercise had been proposed in 2007
compartments had been done. FDCM officials
but the NTCA had objected. It was finally approved by
explained said that they did not carry out any felling but
the Centre in 2010. The decision hasn’t gone well with
were only “thinning” the forest under silvicultural
the NTCA.
operations with the permission of the MoEF office at
Source: Vivek Trivedi, The Pioneer, Bhopal,
Bhopal. But a visit to the site revealed otherwise-
January 7, 2011, January 24, 2011.
truckloads of bamboo and teak being extracted.
Comment: What was there the urgency or need to
translocate guar in to a reserve that even at its peak This issue was taken up strongly NBWL member
had a gaur population of no more than 50? There Dr MK Ranjitsinh who pointed out the misuse that is
are healthy population of gaur in some other PAs, made of the forest under the guise of “silvicultural
so the urgency to do this questionable. operations”. He suggested that all such activities be
carried out under the supervision of the respective
MAHARASHTRA regional offices of the MoEF. Refusing to believe the
FDCM’s alleged ignorance regarding the sanctuary’s
Rs 18 crore for Melghat village resettlement notification, he has asked for an enquiry into the matter.
The MoEF has released Rs 18 crore towards relocation He stressed that the sanctuary notification was delayed
of villages in the Melghat Tiger Reserve. The amount inordinately because the FDCM wanted to continue
will help resettle at least two villages. exploiting the forest. “Now that they could not prevent
The PCCF (Wildlife) had sent a proposal to the NTCA its notification any longer, they could not resist the
requesting Rs 75.5 crore to resettle 22 villages from temptation of taking their last pound of flesh,” he said.
inside Melghat Tiger Reserve. In addition, as promised Source: Vijay Pinjarkar & Sandeep Ashar, TNN,
by chief minister Prithiviraj Chauhan, Rs two crore has Nagpur, November 27, 2010, Times of India, January
been released for the villages of Vairat and Ghatladki. 13, 2011 with inputs by TigerLink
Spread over 2,000 sq km, Melghat is under severe
anthropogenic pressure from 22 villages in its core area. Tigress rescued after lion-hearted effort
Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Nagpur, January 7, 2011
Forest officials rescued a full-grown tigress from a 35-
Mansighdeo declared sanctuary foot-deep dry well after a five-hour-long operation on
the outskirts of Katlabodi, 40 km from Nagpur near
On November 2, 2010, the 183 sq km Mansinghdeo Bazargaon. Katlabodi beat falls under Kalmeshwar
was finally notified as a sanctuary, an issue pending Range under the Nagpur Forest Division.

34 l TIGER LINK
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Although the area where the tigress was found is a There is reported to be a functional, but very tenuous,
private land, it is a good habitat for carnivores and wildlife connectivity between the Radhanagari sanctuary and
and villagers claimed presence of four to five more tigers the Anshi-Dandeli Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, and with
in the area. The tigress must have fallen in the open Chandoli National Park (Sahyadri tiger Reserve). Dr
well which is dry and covered with bushes while chasing AJT Johnsingh, member NBWL writes in Frontline that
its prey. the tiger landscape in the Sahyadris, comprising the
Forest officials led the team along with their staff, protected areas and corridor forests (1,600 sq km), can
wildlife vets, conservationists, and the police which support a population of 15-20 adult tigers if its prey base
helped control the mob. It was a very difficult operation is strengthened. The article also points out that the
lasting five hours. Villagers said the tigress was a landscape is stressed by mines , dams, human habitation,
resident animal, and they had reported its presence to tourism infrastructure, and the threats and pressures are
the forest department. accelerating. He notes that efforts must be made to
Source: ‘Tigress rescued after lion-hearted effort’, consolidate and protect corridors and remove
Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Feb 8, 2010 encroachment from the sanctuary. The prey base—
sharply depleted due to rampant hunting, needs to be
HC intervenes into Tadoba management protected and an effort made to involve the local
communities and win their support.
On 27th October, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High However, with a green signal to the diversion from
Court directed the government to remove all villages Radhanagri sanctuary and with the Koyna sanctuary
from the core area of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve pillaged, the future of the tiger in the northern Western
within a year. A division bench of Justices Sharad Bobde Ghats looks precarious.
and Mridula Bhatkar came down heavily on the forest Source: Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN, Nagpur, January 24,
department for its failure to relocate the villages since 2011
the past two decades. It added the Divisional
Commissioner as a respondent and asked him to take
Koyna Sanctuary plundered
quarterly reviews of the relocation process, take monthly
meeting of responsible officers, and submit a report. Koyna Sanctuary, part of the newly declared Sahyadri
The HC had taken serious cognizance of various Tiger Reserve (in 2010) is being plundered relentlessly.
media reports over depleting bamboo cover in Tadoba This biodiversity rich sanctuary which the government
due to rampant and illicit felling. has proposed to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
Source: Times of India, Nagpur, October 28, 2010 currently has 215 windmills and 10 tourist resorts within
its boundary. One of the resorts belongs to the
Radhanagari diversion cleared Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.
Though the sanctuary was declared in 1985, the resorts
In a setback to wildlife conservation, the MoEF has were built between 1997-2005. An earthen dam is under
cleared the proposal for diversion of 14.12 hectares of construction and trees are being felled rapidly. Land is
land in the Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary for up for grabs, at exorbitant prices. More than 900 land
construction of a minor irrigation project at Savarde. deals have been finalised since 1985. The mad rush for
The proposal came up in the 20th meeting of the NBWL land in Koyna is because of its potential to emerge as a
held on 13th October 2010, and again in the January tourist hub. The lush forest around the backwater of
meeting. It was opposed by a Standing Committee Koyna dam makes the sanctuary a much sought-after
member who argued that apart from being in the core tourist destination. The state government envisaged a
area, the diverted area was crucial for the long-term Rs 678-crore Hill Station project near Koyna in 2001.
conservation of tiger habitat in the Sahyadri Tiger The project, finalised in 2004, proposed to include 14
Reserve. The NBWL, however, approved the diversion villages of the sanctuary, and this is where most real
in January on the basis of a report in favour of the estate deals were struck, in anticipation of a boom in
diversion submitted by Dr Asad Rahmani of the Bombay real estate. These 14 villages, it is learnt are in the non-
Natural History Society, and endorsed by the Chief forest area, which constitutes about 47 per cent of the
Wildlife Warden. sanctuary.
Allegedly, the Chief Wildlife Warden had been in The sanctuary itself has not been notified despite
favor of the diversion under political pressure. being declared 25 years ago, and it is believed that these

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14 villages will not be included in the notification, as ORISSA

they are not forest areas.
The forest department says that all irregularities and Legal cell for wildlife offences
offences have been taken cognizance of and currently Worried over the increasing poaching of wildlife in the
there are seven applications before the CEC. The state, the Orissa government decided on January 6th
windmill case is currently in court-one among 41 cases that it would set up a legal cell for proper monitoring of
pending in court regarding the reserve. Officials say wildlife offences. This was decided at the meeting of
that the plateau where the windmills have been the State Board for Wildlife held under the chairmanship
developed is pretty much destroyed but stress that there of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.”
are other equally important and ecologically fragile Source: IANS, Bhubaneswar, January 7, 2011
plateaus which must be conserved, and included as part
of the tiger reserve. RAJASTHAN
There was opposition to Sahyadri being declared a
First translocated tiger in Sariska poisoned
tiger reserve from some political factions as it would
put on hold the tourism development plans. Officially, ST1, the first tiger to be translocated to Sariska from
Sahyadri has nine tiger, though villagers assert that there Ranthambhore, in 2008 to rebuild the reserve’s extinct
are more. tiger population was found dead on November 14,
Source: Down to Earth, January 31, 2011, with 2010. He was poisoned. Initially, the Rajasthan Forest
inputs from the field Minister Ramlal Jat sought refuge in explaining that
the death was due to a ‘territorial fight.’ However,
Protest against Sahyadri TR poisoning was confirmed by a report from the Jaipur-
based Forensic Science Laboratory which stated that
Villagers agitating against the recently formed Sahyadri the insecticide, Organophosphorus was found in the
Tiger Reserve turned violent during a protest march and viscera sample.
pelted stones on the forest department’s office. The The news does not augur well for the Reserve
incident took place in the first week of January in Patan as it is a clear indication of the continuing hostility of
in Satara district. Opposing the project, they also the villagers in the surrounding areas towards the
submitted a memorandum to the tehsildar. There are tiger or perhaps, even the concept of re-introduction.
90 villages in the buffer zone of the project and 83 Forest authorities asked for a probe by the State’s
villages in the core zone. CID into the death of the tiger. They have also sought
Source: DNA, January 5, 2011, Protected Area additional police presence near the reserve.
Update No. 89 Some reports suggest that increased vigilance on
mining activity around the forest ever since tigers
Mining leases in Sindhudurg put on hold were relocated could have angered vested interests,
The Maharashtra government has put on hold 49 mining and may have played a role in instigating the
leases that had been granted in the Sindhudurg district. poisoning.
It was pointed out that the leases were in rich forest A report by the Wildlife Institute of India in March
(and productive farmland) that are also parts of 2005 confirmed that there were no tigers left in
tiger corridors connecting the Koyna and Sariska. Poaching was found to be the main reason
Radhanagari sanctuaries with the Anshi-Dandeli for the dwindling tiger population. Following this, it
Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. Tiger presence has been was decided to relocate tigers from Ranthambhore
recorded here, and cattle kills reported by the villagers. to Sariska, and from 2008 till now, five tigers - two
MEF Jairam Ramesh had written to the chief minister males and three females – have been were relocated
in October asking that the leases be relooked. to Sariska.
Source: Times of India, December 17, 2010; Source: Rajan Mahan, NDTV, Jaipur, November
Protected Area Update No. 89; Refer “Gram sabha 18, 2010; CNN-IBN, IANS, December 2010; Anindo
opposes mining in Konkan”, TigerLink, Revived Dey, TNN, Jaipur, ‘Sariska tiger died due to
Volume May 6, 2010 poisoning’, December 4, 2010 Sunny Sebastian, The
Hindu

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Sariska Field Director transferred Injured tigress dies in Ranthambhore

Following action against two officials of the forest The Hindu on February 6th splashed the photograph of
department after the death of a relocated tiger in Sariska, a wounded tigress and hailed Rajasthan’s minister of
the government of Rajasthan has transferred the field tourism Bina Kak as its savior. She had seen the tigress
director, Sariska, KK Garg. RS Shekhawat has replaced with a wound on its rear while on a visit to the park, and
him. drawn the attention of the forest department. Eager to
DFO, YK Sahu, has also been appointed after his please, the department, jumped to respond to Kak and
predecessor was suspended following dereliction of duty. ‘rescue’ the tigress without considering the wisdom of
The MoEF has also re-appointed retired DFO, Sariska, their decision and its possible consequences. It may be
S Sharma as a consultant for the NTCA. Two additional noted that the tigress was lactating and had two three-
officers of state service were also posted in Sariska to month-old cubs. Two vets were called in from Jaipur to
execute the village relocation process. Ranthambhore on an emergency basis. The tigress was
Source: PTI, November 22, 2010 tranquilised and operated upon. No one verified the
credentials of the vets, and whether they had any
Rs 30 crore for Sariska village relocation experience of working with wildlife.
The media romanticised the episode, with one
Terming the death of a translocated tiger in Sariska as a newspaper stating, “even if one does not have to believe
“wake up call”, MEF Jairam Ramesh has allocated Rs her (Kak’s) claim—that the tigress looked at her with
30 crore for speeding up relocation of villages from grateful eyes as it walked away—the animal, as the
Sariska. The grant followed after the minister was photographs show, appears more reassured.”
informed that villagers inside the reserve had expressed When wild animals get wounded, which is more
their willingness to relocate but could not as the state common than believed, they usually heal themselves,
forest department did not have the funds for the by licking the wound clean. Maggot wounds of the kind
rehabilitation package. The state government too is the tigress had are also usually dealt with in such manner
setting up a task force to oversee all activities in the and there was no call for interference by a medical team.
park. The minister has also asked NTCA to procure the This hasty and thoughtless action came at a
best GPS system available for the tigers’ radio collars. tremendous price—the tigress died two days later,
This came after one of the collared tigers went missing and with her death, the cubs are doomed. Such hasty
for a fortnight. action on the part of the forest department to get credit
Source: The Times of India, Sariska, November from an influential minister resulting in the death of a
19, 2010 tigress and its two cubs must be treated as culpable
homicide though there is no such provision under the
Bharatpur tiger translocated to Sariska Wildlife Protection Act. The National Tiger Conservation
The elusive tiger T-7 who has been in Keoladeo National Authority must look into the matter with the gravity it
Park near Bharatpur for the past four months was calls for. There is always the risk of a repeat act in any
tranquillised by a team of experts from the Wildlife state when there is an injured tiger.
Institute of India (WII), the Sariska Tiger Reserve and A TigerLink report
Keoladeo on February 25 and then taken to Sariska
within an hour by road. This followed MEF Jairam Road threatens Ranthambhore connectivity
Ramesh’s go-ahead to the translocation during a visit to
A proposal for repair and black topping of existing
Keoladeo on February 2nd. Members of the NTCA
approach road to Taragarh fort (Ramgarh Wildlife
board had expressed their apprehension regarding the
Sanctuary), Bundi, Rajasthan was rejected by the
safety of the tiger in Sariska, following the poisoning of
Standing Committee of the National Board of Wildlife
ST1, the first tiger to be translocated from Ranthambhore
on January 24, 2011. It was pointed out by a member of
to Sarsika.
the committee that Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary serves
T-7 wandered from Ranthambore National Park, into
as an important corridor for the tigers of Ranthambhore
Dholpur and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh (see Conflict)
National park connecting it to Mansingh sanctuary,
before reaching Keoladeo.
Kuwalji (both part of RTR), forests of Lakheri-Antarda-
Source: PTI, February 3, 2011; The Pioneer, New
Ramgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and onward to Darra
Delhi, December 3, 2010.

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NEWS FROM THE STATES

Wildlife Sanctuary. As the crow flies the distance to Why has the tigress ventured out of Ranthambhore into
Ramgarh from Ranthambhore is about 40 km. Tiger admittedly a very disturbed habitat, especially when with
presence has been frequently recorded here—and cubs? Conservationists have been protesting and
confirmed tragically, by tiger mortality, such as the case drawing attention to the huge amount of disturbance
of ‘Broken Tail’, who was killed by the Rajdhani train in caused by construction of chowkis and roads that have
Darra in 2003. The tiger had traversed through Ramgarh disturbed critical breeding areas. Also, it could be that T
to Darra. Presently, a male from Ranthambhore which 13 felt insecure about her cub’s safety and moved away
is in the Kota forests is believed to have used the following the translocation of the father of her cubs to
Ramgarh sanctuary Sariska, in July last.
It must be pointed out that Mukandara Hills National According to Fateh Singh Rathore, eminent tiger
Park which includes Darra, Jawahar Sagar and Chambal conservationist and former director, Ranthambhore, “The
Wildlife sanctuaries has been given in-principle approval translocation of the resident male tiger ‘T-12’ tiger from
as a tiger reserve by the NTCA, and Ramgarh sanctuary Ranthambhore to Sariska, was not a good decision. It is
serves as a crucial tiger corridor connecting very unusual for a resident tigress to desert her territory,
Ranthambhore and the proposed reserve. Experts especially in that vulnerable stage with two small cubs.
believe this tract is crucial for the ‘spill-over’ tigers of Two other male tigers are also in the same territory
RTR, and steps must be taken to strengthen this corridor hence it is likely that she found the cubs unsafe. The
and provide for better protection, which is currently life of the tigress and her two cubs is now at stake.”
believed to very poor. Source: ‘Fearful of cubs’ safety, tigress forays into
Given the ecological importance of the sanctuary, Chambal, Moushumi Basu “The Pioneer, January 6,
and the fact that the road has only one user agency, the 2011
Standing Committee did not give clearance for widening
the road. State sends proposal on eco-sensitive zones
A TigerLink report
The Rajasthan state government has sent its proposal
ID based entry into Ranthambhore to the Centre earmarking eco-sensitive zones around
various national parks and sanctuaries. The proposals
A new ID-based entry system has been introduced since were sent just before the new guidelines for declaration
December 7. According to the collector, Sawai of eco-sensitive zones were issued by the MoEF. The
Madhopur, RK Surpur, the system shall check move follows directives by the ministry to all states to
unauthorised entry into the park. The ID based entry is constitute a committee comprising wildlife warden,
expected to help arrest corruption among hoteliers and ecologists and a revenue department official for
tour agents who book safaris on fake names and later suggesting requirement of an eco-sensitive zone and its
sell them for a premium to visitors. A joint team of the extent.
tourism, revenue and forest departments shall be posted According to HM Bhatia, chief wildlife warden,
at the gate to implement this. Rajasthan, “We have prepared the proposal and handed
Source: The Pioneer, Jaipur, December 4, 2010 it over to the state government who has forwarded it to
the centre. As a general rule we have decided to earmark
Tigress with cubs moves out of Ranthambhore eco-sensitive zones at a distance of 500 metre around
the national parks and 100 metres in the case of other
A tigress with two cubs has moved out of Ranthambhore sanctuaries. It is now up to the Centre to issue the
national park into the Chambal ravines and is preying notification”.
largely on cattle, raising fear of sharpened man-animal Source: “State sends proposal on eco-sensitive
conflict, and ire of the nearby villagers. The tigress, T zones’, Anindo Dey, TNN, Mar 4
13, has strayed nearly 20-25 km out of her territory, and Comment: Does 100mts or 500 mts make for an eco-
is now living near the Chambal ravines. The problem is sensitive zone? Rather than make a mockery of it,
accentuated by the fact that there are three villages the state might as well do away with the exercise.
Badalganj, Khirkhari and Sawanti, here.
According to field director, Ranthambhore, Anand Construction-and destruction-in R’bhore core
Mohan, T-13 killed one bull in the Lasora village in the
vicinity. Compensation was paid to the concerned villager Construction activity was temporarily stopped
on priority. following intervention by the Central Empowered

38 l TIGER LINK
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Committee at Bhanwar Deh, a critical and factor, by introducing ‘unnatural waterbodie, leads to
perennial waterhole in Berda—where many of over utilisation of foraging areas.
Ranthambhore’s star tigers, including Machli have According to sources, the Chief Secretary is to set
brought up their cubs. Bhanwar Deh lies within the up an expert committee to decide on the issue. Till then,
core of the national park and has been destroyed work in the protected area would stay stalled.
by bulldozers, ironically, for the construction of an Source: ‘Panel’s Ranthambore directive silences
anicut. After the Wildlife Protection Society of India roar of machines’, Moushumi Basu, The Pioneer,
approached the CEC on 2nd March 2011 about the March 11, 20
construction work, the CEC sent a directive to the state
Chief Secretary asking the State Government to respond TAMIL NADU
to the claims and ensure that no works be allowed in TR status for Sathyamangalam
violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the
orders of the Supreme Court. A proposal for according tiger reserve status to the
The Pioneer reports that according to the field Sathyamangalam Reserve Forests is under
director Anand Mohan, “this construction was part of a consideration, PCCF and CWW R Sundararaju said on
long-term water management plan and its ecological 9th March. He said that studies conducted using camera
impact had been assessed by an expert panel.” He said traps and scats had given an indication that there could
that the very objective of this project is to improve be 19 to 25 tigers in Sathyamangalam forests. He also
availability of water within the park for wild animals. added that the forests across Tamil Nadu might have
The work, it is reported, is being carried out by the 100 to 110 tigers. These statistics was based on the
irrigation and forest departments, with MNREGA and camera traps and scat examination done in tiger reserves
NABARD funding. The State irrigation department such as Mudumalai, Anamalai and Kalakkad -
have apparently approved construction of 20 anicuts Mundanthurai.
and ponds inside the tiger reserve, costing within the Source: The Hindu, March 10, 2011
range of Rs 35 to Rs 75 lakh. Nearly 100 anicuts and 20
telais (ponds) have been constructed in the reserve in UTTARAKHAND
the past two years.
WPSI executive director Belinda Wright pointed to A herbal ‘spa’ in Rajaji NP?
the gravity of the situation, saying any unnecessary The Rajaji National Park will now have an ‘Ayush
manipulation of a natural ecosystem could cause Gram’ (Herbal Village) with facilities like ayurveda,
irreversible damage. She said there were a number of siddha, and other nature cure besides yoga, herbal
perennial waterholes in critical areas and that artificial garden etc. The proposal submitted by the state
cemented anicuts and uncalled-for human intervention government to build an ‘Ayush Gram’ in Chaurasi
could be destructive. Kutia was approved in a meeting of the Standing
A proposed anicut, for instance, at Adi Dagar beyond Committee of the National Board for Wildlife chaired
Lakardah, is on a nullah that runs from Lakardah to by the MEF Jairam Ramesh on January 24. The
Bakola. The nullah has waterholes that do not dry up matter had come up before the committee in its
even during the critical summer months. It is feared previous meeting of October 13, 2010 but was
that the proposed anicut may destroy this natural strongly objected to by members who questioned the
waterhole and inundate the surrounding rock walls. The need for such activity-which was not site-specific in
construction of numerous cement anicuts and earth the midst of a national park that is already very
dams around Galai Sagar could also affect the water- stressed and disturbed with highways, railway lines,
holding of this lake in an area where there are a number canals, transmission lines, human habitation etc.
of resident big cats, including a tigress with cubs. Rajaji represents the north-westerly limit of tiger and
Experts feel that besides the physical disturbance, elephant range.
destruction of natural perennial waterholes will cause Dr AJT Johnsingh, member NBWL who went
long term ecological damage. The annicuts will dry up for a site inspection along with faculty of the Wildlife
because of silting, destroying the natural waterholes or Institute of India, noted the presence of leopard
due to destruction of the natural water retaining base. and elephants and also wrote that the Chief
Research shows that the alteration of a semi-arid region, Wildlife Warden had a direct sighting of a tigress
like Ranthambhore where water is a natural, limiting

TIGER LINK l 39
NEWS FROM THE STATES

close to the site of the ‘Ayush Gram’. It is also has shown that this corridor’s usage by tigers has
learnt that scat collected from the ‘Ayush Gram’ increased by nearly 45 per cent since 2004. Currently,
site is of tiger. the Lansdowne Forest Division has a tiger density of
Dr Johnsingh categorically states in his report that healthy 5.49 animals per 100 sq km.
approval would only be given on certain conditions A TigerLink report
which include that gujjars in Gohri Range must be
relocated; the 70 odd families of those not actively Rescue centre for big cats
working in the Chilla Power House are
The Uttarakhand government has taken a decision in
encroachments and should be evicted, a bridge across
the last week of December to set up a well-equipped
the Ganga upstream of Lakshmanjhula should be built
‘Tiger Transit Rescue Centre’ at Ramnagar. CWW
from the west bank to the east bank to divert the
Shrikant Chandola said that this would be a first of its
traffic which now goes along the Haridwar-Chilla-
kind centre in the state and would be used to keep
Kunaun road which cuts across prime tiger habitat.
‘rescued’ tigers and leopards from conflict situations.
Most importantly, a clear condition laid down by
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi, December
the Standing committee that Shyampur Range
28, 2010
which is being used by tigers and is tenuously
linked to the Corbett Tiger Reserve be
annexed to Rajaji National Park, to strengthen
Celebrating Corbett?
tiger and elephant conservation in this As the Corbett National Park completes 75 years of
landscape and the connectivity between Rajaji existence, the Government of Uttarakhand has announced
and Corbett landscape. the year 2011 as ‘Corbett Platinum Jubilee Year’ and
A TigerLink Report has planned a number of events centred around it. The
Comment: The main concern here is: Will the state idea is to create awareness, build support for conservation
abide by its commitment to all the four conditions, and celebrate 75 years of this iconic tiger reserve.
and will the ministry ensure the same? The main events of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations
This shouldn’t also set a precedent for shall be organised from March 15 and continue
diverting land for frivolous purposes. This December 2011. There will be weekly events focusing
clearance has only been recommended attention of wildlife conservation in the Corbett
conditionally, if the four conditions—which are Landscape. The activities will include an international
of clear benefit to the tiger and elephants—given photography competition, film fest, guided trips for school
are met. children and peripheral villagers into the reserve,
publication of books, literature on the reserve and its
No protection for Lansdowne biodiversity, etc. There shall also be exposure visits for
Members of Parliament, ministers, journalists and
The Lansdowne forest division that connects the Corbett members of the judiciary. A major event shall be the
Tiger Reserve with the Rajaji National Park is yet to gathering of top tiger experts of the world to chalk out a
have Protected Area status despite having confirmed conservation plan for the tigers of Corbett over the
the presence of 8-10 tigers, in about 450 sq km as shown coming 25 years. A ‘high-powered’ brainstorming session
in a recent camera trapping exercise by the WII in was held on December 29 to chalk out ambitious plans
partnership with Dehradun-based NGO Operation-Eye for the celebrations, ironically as Corbett saw one of
of the Tiger. NTCA has pressed the state government the worst cases of man-tiger conflict in recent times
to act on the proposal to declare it as part of the buffer which cost four lives, and the killing of a tiger.
zone around Corbett Tiger Reserve. While there are elaborate and fancy plans for the
Rajesh Gopal, Member-Secretary, NTCA is quoted jubilee year, much of it is fluff. Will any part of the
in The Pioneer (December 21) saying that a proposal celebration translate into concrete action that will help
in this regard has been pending with the Uttarakhand alleviate the crisis that Corbett faces today? The need
government since three years. As highlighted in the last of the hour is a real effort to strengthen both protection
issue of TigerLink (Revived Volume 7, October 2010), and consolidate the Greater Corbett landscape.
a recent study titled “An assessment of the Rajaji-Corbett There was no bold policy decision taken at the
corridor, Lansdowne Forest Division” by Malviya et al. meeting or even resolved to be the part of the jubilee

40 l TIGER LINK
 NEWS FROM THE STATES

celebrations. The problems Corbett faces are well- On the basis of a report of an NBWL member, the
documented. There is also an urgent need to recover NTCA took note of the gravity of the situation and wrote
the Kosi river corridor, and include Ramnagar forest to the Principal Secretary (Forests) Uttar Pradesh,
division and Lansdowne division as part of Corbett to asking for a factual status and action taken in this matter.
strengthen the Greater Corbett Landscape. A TigerLink Report
A TigerLink report
Ambedkar Tiger Reserve?
UTTAR PRADESH
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh maybe
Pilibhit: Rare species revealed by camera traps renamed Ambedkar Tiger Reserve after Dr Babasaheb
Strategically located in the Terai Arc landscape and Ambedkar, if the Chief Minister Mayawati has her way.
connecting India’s Dudhwa Tiger Reserve with Nepal’s However MEF Jairam Ramesh urged the CM that it
Suklaphanta National Park, the 700 sq km Pilibhit Forest would be better rechristen it as Billy Arjan Singh Tiger
Division and proposed Tiger Reserve has thrown some Reserve as a mark of tribute to the legendary
surprises. In a joint WWF India-WII-NTCA camera conservationist.
trapping exercise, previously undocumented species like In a letter dated October 15 Ramesh wrote, “I fully
the Rusty Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) and share your admiration and respect for Dr Ambedkar, one
the Chausingha (Tetracerus quadricornis) were of the greatest sons of India. Whatever we do is not
captured on camera: the first evidence of the species in enough to acknowledge his magnificent contribution to
this region! our political life. However, in the matter of the Dudhwa
The 40-day exercise carried out by WWF-India’s National Park, may I say that Billy Arjan Singh’s
team of Meraj Anwar, Dr. Harish Kumar and Joseph contributions have been so very outstanding that naming
Vattakavan along with WII from May 22nd to June 30th Dudhwa as ‘Billy Arjan Singh Tiger Reserve’ would in
2010 also revealed a healthy presence of tigers in the no way diminish our gratitude to Dr Ambedkar. Billy
region including breeding tigresses. Arjan Singh was “an internationally known figure who
Source: WWF-India, October 12, 2010 more than any one else put Dudhwa on the world map.”
Comment: This only strengthens the case for giving This gesture, he said, would also go a long way in
Pillibhit a tiger reserve. The matter has been resting strengthening the bonds between the Forest Department
with the state for nearly a decade.
and outside experts for saving our endangered national
animal and our forests
Mayhem in Dudhwa A TigerLink report
There are reports that there have been repeated attempts
by villagers to enter Dudhwa enmasse to cut grass. Such WEST BENGAL
an attempt was repelled by the management in the last
week of January. Then on January 26th, over 250 Sundarbans tiger figures not before rains
villagers again entered the core critical habitat (Dudhwa
The estimates for Sundarban’s tiger population shall not
range) and cut grass, clearing the forest floor and
be released till the monsoons. Due to the difficult terrain,
generally created mayhem. With local political support,
the Wildlife Institute of India could only complete two
a plaint district administration and motivated by a few
phases of the population estimation. The distribution and
criminal elements—some of whom have been involved
occupancy data of the tigers shall be out earlier, though.
in timber smuggling and poaching—such incidents
Qamar Qureshi, WII said that work on the third phase
threaten to become a practice. There is fear that they
can only start in September. “We have collected scats,
could take away timber-and generally set the trend for
put camera traps and have radio collared a few tigers.
lawlessness once given a free hand. It is reported that
Now, we are running the ungulate survey and sign survey
these villagers are tharus who were shifted out in 1982
of tigers to arrive at the number. DNA sampling too will
and given 16,000 hectares of prime forest land. They
are now cultivating sugarcane and other cash crops. be done in this phase,” Qureshi added. It may be noted
The management, one gathered, is under pressure that according to the last census in 2008, occupancy of
to look the other way, though they fought back and have tigers in Sunderbans was about 1,586 sq km, though the
resisted the onslaught to the core critical habitat. numbers could not be assessed. The last census done in

TIGER LINK l 41
INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Sunderbans in 2001-02, put the tiger numbers in Indian Source: WWF, February 1, 2011; Voice of Russia,
Sundarbans at 274, which was widely contested. But in Moscow, November 27, 2010; GTI, November 16, 2010,
2006, Indian Statistical Institute claimed that the number BBC Wildlife, Feb 2011, Steve Monfort, head of the
cannot exceed 75. The report, however, was rejected Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
by the state government.
Source: Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN, Kolkata, GTI signs MoU with GTF
November 23, 2010.
The Global Tiger Initiative and the Global Tiger Fund
agreed to cooperate and work collaboratively in their
INTERNATIONAL NEWS deliberations in the St Petersburg summit. The GTF
secretariat had asked for financial support from GTI
St. Petersburg tiger summit
for their activities in tiger range countries for the
The Global Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, held National Tiger Recovery Programme and the Global
in November 2010 ended with promises from the 13 Tiger Recovery Programme. However, the document
range countries to double the wild tiger numbers by 2022 will be signed by World Bank Executive because
as part of the Global Tiger Recovery Program. During GTI is not a legal entity. On behalf of the GTF, the
the summit governments, NGOs and individuals such MoU will be signed by the officiating Secretary
as Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio pledged $150 General. The Government of India has support the
million for stabilising existing tiger populations and on GTF by Rs. Ten Million. Subject to fulfilling certain
forest habitat schemes. The funds will be administered conditions the GTI will give USD 100,000 annually.
by governments and NGOs, but overseen by a It is hoped that this will encourage non-member tiger
combination of the Global Tiger Forum and the Global range countries to join GTF.
Tiger Initiative.
However, conservationists stressed for stronger Ten thousand wild tigers a possibility
commitments to curb illegal trade and habitat
According to a new paper from scientists at the
fragmentation.
In terms of raising the funds necessary, the summit Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and other
fell short. The funds needed for the next five years has world-leading conservation researchers, Asia’s tiger
been estimated to be $350 million. Despite the $150 reserves could support over 10,000 wild tigers—three
million announced, these were not entirely new funds, times their current number—if they are managed as
and the fact that other donor countries did not step large landscapes with well connected core breeding
forward with commitments of funds was a habitats. The study is the first assessment of the political
disappointment, especially to the range countries in commitment made by 13 tiger-range countries at
attendance. November’s tiger summit in St Petersburg, Russia, to
The summit was hosted by Prime Minister Vladimir double the tiger population across Asia by 2022.
Putin. The forum participants included non-tiger range It will take a global effort to ensure that core breeding
countries like France, Germany and the UK. It was reserves are maintained and connected via habitat
attended by leaders and delegations of the governments corridors. Wild tiger numbers have declined from about
of Tiger Range Countries, heads of major international 1,00,000 in the early 1900s to as few as 3,200 today due
organisations, including bilateral and multilateral donor to poaching of tigers and their prey, habitat destruction
organisations such as the World Bank, highly renowned and fragmentation and human-tiger conflict. Most of
scientists, experts, advocates of wildlife conservation
the surviving tigers are scattered in small, isolated pockets
and biodiversity, captains of industry and the private
across their range in 13 Asian countries. The paper’s
sector. Celebrities, musicians, and young people from
around the world celebrated wildlife and the tiger with authors found that the 20 priority tiger conservation
a concert and cultural fair in the heart of St. Petersburg. landscapes with the highest probability of long-term tiger
Wild tiger numbers are down to only 3,200, with survival could support more than 10,500 tigers, including
scattered populations surviving across 13 countries about 3,400 breeding females.
having lost more than 93 percent of their historic range. Besides poaching, the $7.5 trillion in infrastructure
The future of wild tigers depends on whether or not projects like roads, dams and mines that will be invested
the range countries, donor nations, bilateral aid agencies, in Asia over the next decade threaten tiger landscapes.
NGOs, and others step up with major pledges of support. Developers and politicians may see a focus only on core

42 l TIGER LINK
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sites and protected areas like reserves, instead of larger 500 sq kms, Manas Bhutan covers 1,057 sq km. Tigers
landscapes, as a green light to move forward with move from Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan to
harmful infrastructure projects outside of core sites. The Manas Tiger Reserve, Buxa Tiger Reserve and
authors insist that conservationists and governments Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in India. The meeting also
must be involved in helping design infrastructure projects discussed the idea of having a similar exercise for
to mitigate their impacts on tigers both inside core sites monitoring elephants.
and in current and potential forest corridors. Among NGOs, WWF, Aaranyak and Ashoka Trust
Source: www.media-newswire.com, January 30, for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)
2011; “A Landscape-Based Conservation Strategy rendered their support.
to Double the Wild Tiger Population”, published in Source: Roopak Goswami, The Telegraph,
Conservation Letters, Authors: Eric Wikramanayake, Guwahati, November 10, 2010
Eric Dinerstein, Bivash Pandav, Igor Chestin, Seng
Teak, Peter Cutter and Utin Than of WWF; A.J.T. BANGLADESH
Johnsingh of Nature Conservation Foundation,
India and WWF; Guangshun Jiang of WWF and Stray tiger rescued
Northeast Forestry University, P.R. China; John In a first for Bangladesh, a stray tigress was saved from
Seidensticker, Susan Lumpkin and Jonathan Ballou possible death by a panicked crowd after it entered
of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute; Harinagar village in Satkhira district. The tigress was
Mahendra Shrestha of Save the Tiger Fund, National immobilised, before being released into the forest by a
Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Hemanta Mishra of Forest Department and Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh
The Bridge Fund; Sunarto Sunarto and Kanchan (WTB) team on the night of 20th February. Villagers
Thapa of Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Sivananthan saw the tiger swimming across the canal towards their
Elagupillay of Department of Wildlife and National village on Feb 19th and immediately called the Village
Parks, Malaysia; Hemanta Kafley of the University Tiger Response Team, the Forest Tiger Response Team
of Missouri, Columbia; Narendra Man Babu and the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh.
Pradhan of the Department of National Parks and But before the rescue teams could arrive, some
Wildlife, Nepal; Karma Jigme of the Department of villagers started hitting the tigress who sustained injury
Forests & Park Services, Bhutan; Md. Abdul Aziz, in its eye. It was only when more Forest Department
Jahangirnagar University & Wildlife Trust of staff, Border Guards (BGB) and police arrived at the
Bangladesh. spot that the crowd came under control.
The tigress was immobilised and released into the
India, Bhutan to jointly monitor Manas tigers forest later at night after it had fully recovered from the
effect of anaesthesia.
Forest authorities of India and Bhutan have agreed on a
Last year, WTB had provided immobilisation training
joint initiative to camera trap tigers moving across the
to 30 field staff of the forest department by international
international border separating India’s Manas National
experts. The Forest Department and WTB had earlier
Park from Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park. The launched a project to build and train local community
idea is to monitor the movement of tigers between the teams to tackle issues of human-tiger conflict. A total
two parks, which are a contiguous and compact forest. of 29 Village Tiger Response Teams have been formed
The monitoring began on November 20th and around in the most conflict prone villages adjacent to the
450 sq km are covered on both sides of the border. On Sundarbans.
the Indian side, the areas covered include Bansbari and The main tasks of the VTRTs include patrolling and
Bhuyanpara while in Bhutan, authorities will cover the responding to villagers’ needs if there are any reports
Manas range of the national park. The meeting discussed of tiger-sightings, and—crucially—controlling the crowd
the concept of Greater Manas which has already got that forms when a tiger strays into a village, until the
support from the World Heritage Committee and a forest department arrives with more help and equipment.
resolution was passed for conservation of the Greater Source: Dhaka, Feb 22 (UNB), Wildlife Trust of
Manas landscape. While Manas India has an area of Bangladesh, Zoological Society of London.

TIGER LINK l 43
INTERNATIONAL NEWS

More teeth for tiger law and it also has the dubious distinction of being the world’s
largest tiger part consumer. Worse, it has allowed the
Before leaving for St Petersburg for the World Tiger tiger to be abused materially and be farmed like livestock
Summit, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for commercial trade in its body parts.
approved a law that can award jail terms of up to 12 Over the past 50 years, China’s population has
years for killing endangered animals. Wildlife officials increased rapidly and the tiger has vanished from most
said while the penalty for killing crocodiles and pythons of its forests, with just about 30 wild tigers believed to
is two years in jail, the term could go up to 12 years for be in the country. It had the maximum number of tiger
killing tigers and elephants. Under the earlier law, the sub-species: The North China (Siberian) tiger (Panthera
punishment was between two months and two years, tigris altaica), the Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris
along with fines of a meager Rs 322 to Rs 1,200. corbetti) and the Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
Source: Ananya Sengupta, The Telegraph, Dhaka, all of which also exist in other countries. But, the South
November 21, 2010 China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis), unfortunately
Comment: Implementation (or non-implementation) does not have such ‘dual nationality’ and it is believed
of the law, remains as serious a concern as it is in be extinct in China with no sighting in the past 25 years.
India The future of the tigers looks desperately pessimistic,
but following are a few way by which it can be given a
Skulls, skins seized in Sundarbans second chance:
Md Jamal Fakir, an enlisted fisherman of Sharankhola a. China should set up ‘Special Ecological Zones’,
range of the Sundarbans was arrested on February 15th similar to Special Economic Zones in its border
with forest officials recovering from him four tiger skulls, regions. These can provide habitats for tigers on
the borders of Yunnan province with Myanmar and
three tiger skins and 138 pieces of tiger bones. During
Laos, and along the border between Heilongjiang
preliminary interrogation, Jamal admitted that he and
province and Russia.
his associates had killed three tigers by using poisoned
b. The State must rebuild the ecological
wild boar at Harintana in Chandpai range of the
environment, protect biological corridors,
Sundarbans, within the last 45 days.
create safe habitats, build up populations of the
Jamal also gave some names and addresses of local tiger’s natural prey, reduce interference by
poachers and their patrons, who are active in the man, and in this way, attract the Bengal Tiger, the
Sundarbans, said a forest department official. Indochinese Tiger and the North China tiger back
Since independence in 1971, 151 tigers have been into Chinese forests to live and breed in.
killed in Bangladesh. Mihir Kumar Dey, divisional forest c. China needs to establish national parks in
officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans said that forest officers traditional habitats ie a in the Gaoligong National
made contact with Jamal, pretending to be buyers and Reserve area in Baoshan, Yunnan; Xishuangbanna,
caught him red handed. The official also told The Yunnan; east Heilongjiang and in the southern part
Independent that the government has enacted Wildlife of China in the southern part of China, so tigers can
(Conservation) Act-2010, which has provisions of fine come from across the border, or an attempt can be
up to Tk 5 million and up to 12 years of imprisonment, made to return the tiger to the wild from captivity.
for killing tigers. He added that the authorities concerned d. China needs to build up community co-
are yet to publish the gazette of the newly formed act. management in and around habitats.
Source: ‘Three tigers poisoned to death’, The Daily e. China needs to pass more severe laws and take
Star, Feb 18; ‘Poachers run amok in Sundarbans, The effective measures to punish the traders of
Independent, February 18 , Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh tiger part. The penalties for drug trafficking should
be the reference point to determine such
CHINA punishment.
g. China must build up social consciousness of the
Seeking a promised land for the tiger
need to protect wild tigers, based on Chinese
Tigers hold an important position in traditional Chinese traditional tiger culture and customs.
culture. But unfortunately, China is also one of the Source: Yun Lun, November 25, 2010,
countries where wild tigers are the most endangered www.china.org.cn

44 l TIGER LINK
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Comment: Tiger numbers in china have dramatically protected. This is especially worrying considering
declined.. There is a ray of hope for Siberian tigers Indonesia’s bad record in logging, conversion of
in northeast China - home to about 20. Tigers from forest to agriculture, etc. which continue to be the
Russia are migrating to northeast China, but lack main threats to remaining Sumatran tiger habitat.
of prey species and too much human activity in forests Hariyo Wibisono, who conducted the survey, said
on China’s side remain a worry. Maybe the author that the positive indictors of the survey should mobilise
hopes that by taking the above steps such tigers have commitment from the governments and increased
a future in China. There is a $ 3 million project to support from tiger experts and the international
reintroduce south-China tigers from captivity but community to conserve Sumatran tigers.”
questions have been raised about the viability given The results of this research are expected to be
that there is a very tiny captive population and also, published soon.
the validity of pouring huge amounts of money into Source: Matthew McDermott, www.treehugger.
this exercise, while surviving wild tigers across its com, New York, December 6, 2010.
range urgently require protection Comment: On enquiry, scientists associated with the
work in Sumatra told TigerLink that with the tiger
Siberian tigers repopulating China population in Russia is on the decline, Sumatra
certainly might have the second largest population
After two oxen were killed and eaten in Sandaowan after India. But, with the massive destruction of
Town, Yanji, Jilin province, experts from the Beijing forest, logging concessions, clearing for plantations
Forestry University have concluded that the predator (see news below), this ‘good’ news seems iffy.
was a wild Siberian tiger. This was the first sign of tiger Scientists confirm that all is not well in Sumatra.
activity discovered in Yanji in nearly a decade. Experts While things are somewhat okay in Aceh, it’s a
believe that this implies an increasingly evident trend situation of despair in rest of Sumatra. First the large
that the habitats of wild Siberian tigers are expanding scale human migration from Java to Sumatra took
from the Sino-Russian border areas to include China’s its toll. Now coffee, oil palm, paper and pulp
inland areas. Located at the junction of China, Russia plantations are eating away the remaining tiger
and North Korea, Jilin’s Huichun serves as an ecological habitats, which are getting increasingly isolated.
passage for the free migration of wild Siberian tigers
between China and Russia.
Camera traps bulldozer
Siberian tigers mainly inhabit Russia’s Far East and
China’s Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. Videos and photos in May and June 2010 captured—
Source: People’s Daily Online, November 8, 2010 released to the public for the first time on 12th October—
captured an interesting-and endearing, picture of a male
INDONESIA Sumatran tiger walking straight to a camera and sniffing
it. A week later, the heat-activated-video camera trap
Sumatra holds 2nd highest tiger population
documented a bulldozer clearing trees for an illegal palm
A rare bright spot in the world of tiger conservation: oil plantation in precisely the same location. The next
New research by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s day, the camera recorded a Sumatran tiger walking
Indonesia Program and Forum HariumauKita has through the devastated landscape. Bukit Batabuh, where
produced a new map of Sumatran tiger distribution the film was taken, was classified as a protected area
which shows that the Indonesian island may by Riau Province in 1994, and categorised as a ‘limited
actually have the second-highest population of wild production forest’ based on Indonesia’s 1986 Land Use
tigers in the world now, second only to India. Consensus, meaning no company can legally exploit the
The survey found that tigers are still living in 97 per forests.
cent of suitable habitat in Sumatra and in every eco- “Because of its status, both as a protected area and
region from coastal lowland forests at sea level all the limited production forest, the area cannot be developed
way to high mountain forests at elevations of 10,500 as a palm oil plantation. Therefore, any forest
feet, which is the good news. The bad news is that just clearance—including bulldozing activities to clear the
29 per cent of the remaining tiger habitat on the island is path—strongly indicates that this excavation was illegal,”

TIGER LINK l 45
INTERNATIONAL NEWS

said Ian Kosasih, WWF-Indonesia’s Director of Forest set up a wooden trap cage for the tiger. A tiger was
and Species Program. “The law should be enforced. To caught on 30th September, but was left unattended. It
stop illegal activities such as this, the palm oil industry was found dead a few hours later. Its hind leg had been
should not source its material from farmers or producers badly injured in a snare injury.
who develop their plantations illegally.” The conflict occurred in an industrial logging
Since mid-2009, WWF has installed video camera concession which is part of the buffer zone of Giam
traps in Bukit Batabuh to study Sumatran tiger Siak Kecil-Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve and which
distribution, habits, and the threats they face. the villagers have encroached into. Large scale logging
“These video camera traps show that Bukit Batabuh and encroachment has been fueling human-tiger
area is an important habitat for the Sumatran tiger in conflict in the region.
Riau, functioning as a wildlife corridor between Bukit
Source: WWF-Tesso Nilo Newsletter, September-
Tigapuluh and Rimbang Baling Tiger Priority Landscape.
October 2010.
Hence it becomes a priority area for tiger conservation,”
explained M Awriya Ibrahim, Director of Investigation MYANMAR
and Forest Protection, Ministry of Forestry, adding that
“the Ministry of Forestry is investigating this matter and World’s largest TR pillaged
will take strong measures in law enforcement, if this
In August, Burma proudly announced that Kachin
activity is proven violating the law.” The location where
state’s remote Hukawng Valley, in its entirety, would
the tiger and bulldozer were documented by video in
be designated as a Protected Tiger Area - a
May 2010 is only 200 meters away from a video camera
trap which captured a tigress and her cubs passing by declaration welcomed by conservationists as an
in October 2009. important commitment by Myanmar to conserve the
Source: WWF, October 12, 2010. world’s last wild tigers. But now, a report and video
released by a network of civil society groups and
development organisations in Kachin state shows that
Tiger numbers dwindle in Jambi
a powerful Burmese tycoon is clearing swathes of
The population of the critically endangered Sumatran forests across the reserve to create sugar and tapioca
tiger in the Jambi province has dwindled to an alarmingly plantations and to plant jatropha for biofuel.
low number. Tri Siswo, a Jambi Natural Resources The report, ‘Tyrants, Tycoons and Tigers,’
Conservation Agency (BKSDA) spokesperson said that published by the Kachin Development Networking
there were only an estimated 40 tigers left in the area. Group (KDNG) details how forests are being
According to Tri Siswo, poaching and deforestation were destroyed, leaving only the conservation signboards
the biggest threat. Meanwhile, the population of standing.
Sumatran tigers in Way Kambas National Park (TNWK), The report says the tycoon Htay Myint is
which covers 1,300 square kilometers in Lampung establishing massive mono-crop plantations in the
world’s largest tiger reserve. Htay Myint’s Yuzana
province, has also dwindled to less than 30 from the
Company, a Burmese conglomerate with close ties
estimated 40 a decae ago.
to the ruling military, was granted 2,00,000 acres in
Source: The Jakrta Post, Jambi, February 8, 2011
the Hukawng Valley Tiger Reserve in 2006 to
establish sugarcane and tapioca plantations, five years
Human-tiger conflict on the rise after the Hukawng Valley Reserve was established.
Human-tiger conflict seems to have increased in According to the KDNG report, ‘fleets of
Sumatra since August 2010. One villager was killed in tractors, backhoes, and bulldozers rip up forests, raze
Rokan Hilir district, close to the Senepsis Sumatran Tiger bamboo groves and flatten existing small farms.
Signboards that mark animal corridors and ‘no
Conservation Area in August. On September 20th, a
hunting zones’ stand out starkly against a now barren
villager, Sugianto (36) was found dead in the Bengkallis
landscape; they are all that is left of the conservation
district, within an industrial logging concession. From
efforts. Application of chemical fertilisers and
his injuries it became apparent that a tiger had attacked
herbicides together with the daily toil of over 2,000
him. Villagers then approached authorities and reported
imported workers are transforming the area into huge
the matter, following which, the Conservation Authority tapioca, sugarcane, and jatropha plantations.’ KDNG
of Riau and the Foundation of Sumatran Tiger Protection

46 l TIGER LINK
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spokesman Ah Nan said: ‘The destruction in CNP authorities had rescued the injured male tiger from
Hugawng makes a mockery of the tiger reserve.’ the premises of a hotel in Sauraha in September last
Ironically, , Burma’s military regime claims in its year. “The tiger was placed in a secure enclosure at the
recent National Tiger Plan that it will double the park headquarters in Kasara for treatment where it
country’s tiger population by 2022, which was recovered completely. A team of wildlife veterinarians,
submitted at the Global Tiger Summit in St Petersburg biologists and park authorities tranquilised it and fitted it
next month. with a Global Positioning System (GPS) collar,” said
Source: www.wildlifeextranews.com, www. Maheshwor Dhakal, ecologist, Department of National
dailyworld.com, October 5, 2010 Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).
“This translocation is a concrete example of our
Wife with soup ladle scares away tiger! promise to save the wild tiger using the best science
available, including the application of cutting-edge
In an incident straight out of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, technologies,” Minister for Forests and Soil
the BBC reports on February 14 that a man has been Conservation, Deepak Bohara, said after the DNPWC
rescued from a near-fatal attack by a tiger in northern translocated the big cat with help from WWF and
Malaysia by his wife who used a soup ladle as her National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).
weapon! According to the officials, the big cat was transported
Tambun Gediu, now badly lacerated and recovering about 600 km in a specially constructed trailer from
in hospital said that, “I was terrified and I used all my CNP to BNP under strict supervision and security
strength to punch the animal in the face, but it would not measures.
budge,” New Straits Times newspaper quoted him as For the first three months, wildlife authorities will
saying. He was attacked by the tiger when trying to closely monitor the tiger’s ability to adapt to the new
hunt a squirrel. He tried hitting the tiger away in vain, habitat.
when his 55-year-old wife rushed out of the kitchen on Source: Ramesh Prasad Bhusal, The Himalayan,
hearing his screams and used the ladle to successfully Kathmandu, January 23, 2011
ward off the tiger. Wildlife rangers plan to track the
tiger and relocate it into dense, unpopulated jungle in RUSSIA
the northern state of Perak.
Source: “Malaysia tiger mauling stopped by wife Amur tiger in population crisis
with soup ladle”, BBC News, February 14, 2010
The effective population of the critically
NEPAL endangered Amur tiger is now fewer than 14
animals, say scientists. Approximately 500 Amur tigers
Three held with tiger skin actually survive in the wild, but the effective population
Acting on a tip off provided by Wildlife Conservation is a measure of the genetic diversity of the world’s
Nepal (WCN), Armed Police Force (APF) personnel on largest cat. Very low diversity means any vulnerability
14th November arrested three persons from Janakpur, to disease or rare genetic disorders is likely to be passed
one of them on the charge of smuggling tiger parts. on to the next generation. These results paint a grim
This is the fifth incident of the smuggling of tiger picture for the tiger’s chance of survival.
parts in the last 10 months in Nepal. According to a The findings are reported in the journal Mammalian
recent report made by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Biology.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Amur tiger, or Siberian tiger as it is also known,
Nepal is among the five hotspots in the world for illegal once lived across a large portion of northern China, the
trade of tiger parts. Korean peninsula, and the southernmost regions of
Source: Republica, Kathmandu, November 16, 2010 eastern Russia. During the early 20th Century, the Amur
tiger was almost driven to extinction, as expanding human
Nepal sees its first wild tiger translocation settlements, habitat loss and poaching wiped out this
biggest of cats from over 90 per cent of its range.
For the first time in Nepal, a wild tiger fitted with satellite By the 1940s, just 20 to 30 individuals survived in the
collar was translocated from the Chitwan National Park wild. An intensive protection program saw a revival of
(CNP) to Bardia National Park (BNP) on January 23rd. the species. However, genetically speaking, the Amur

TIGER LINK l 47
INTERNATIONAL NEWS

tiger has not recovered, even though its actual numbers Michael Stuewe, senior consultant for WWF-US on
may have increased. The new study has identified that species conservation, noted that Primorsky Province is
this ‘genetic bottleneck’—when the breeding population the homeland of two of the most charismatic examples
of tigers was so critically low—has decimated the Amur of global biodiversity: the Amur tiger, and the Korean
tiger gene pool. A more genetically diverse population pine.
of animals has a much better chance of survival; it is Source: WWF, October 21, 2010
more likely, for example, to contain the genetic resistance
to a variety of diseases and less likely to succumb to Understanding conflict
rare genetic disorders, which can be ‘cancelled out’ by
For a study on human-tiger conflict in the Russian Far
healthy genes.
East, scientists examined data collected on human-Amur
Scientists in Russia, Spain and Germany worked
tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) conflicts from January
together to analyse DNA samples from 15 wild Amur 2000 through February 2009 with an aim to (1)
tigers in the Russian Far East. They took blood samples summarise and characterise human–tiger conflicts, in
from the animals and screened them for certain the area, (2) examine causes of human–tiger conflicts,
‘markers’—points in the DNA code that show that an and (3) attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tiger
animal had parents that were genetically very different Response Team (TRT), which was set up by the the
from each other. Russian Federation in 1999 to investigate and intervene
“Our results are the first to demonstrate a quite recent in human–tiger conflicts. The team investigated 202
genetic bottleneck in Siberian tigers, a result that matches conflicts. Both attacks on humans and depredations were
the well-documented severe demographic decline of the greatest in winter. Just over half the conflict reports
Siberian tiger population in the 1940s,” the researchers were attacks on domestic animals, followed by tigers
wrote in the paper. “The worryingly low effective near human habitations, miscellaneous conflicts and
population size challenges the optimism for the attacks on humans, which was nine per cent. Dogs were
recovery of the huge Siberian cat.” killed more commonly than other domestic animals, likely
Source: ‘Amur tigers in population crisis’, By because livestock were well-managed. Nineteen attacks
Victoria Gill, BBC News on humans were recorded in this period resulting in 11
injuries and two deaths. Every year, four tigers were
Tiger habitat threatened by timber auctions killed, or were removed from the wild. Attacks on
humans were most often by wounded tigers, most of
The Forest Management Agency of Primorsky Province which were human-caused. The effectiveness of
plans to conduct an auction for logging rights in 16 interventions focused on reducing depredation on
harvest sites in the Bikinsky and Pozharsky Pine Nut domestic animals was unclear, but data suggested that
Harvesting Zones and the proposed Middle Ussuri removal of injured and other unhealthy tigers from the
Wildlife Reserve, by making them available for so-called wild by the Tiger Response Team resulted in fewer
‘intermediate harvesting’ a widely abused legal loophole human deaths.
which allows loggers to cut valuable Korean pine, oak Source: ‘Conflicts between Amur (Siberian) tigers
and ash timber in protected forests. and humans in the Russian Far East’, Biological
This practice greatly increases poaching access to Conservation, John M. Goodrich; Ivan Seryodkin a,b,
remote tiger territories (through forest road building), Dale G. Miquelle a, Sergei L. Bereznuk, October 2010.
destroys key breeding, feeding and over-wintering
habitat for tigers and their prey, and significantly reduces Woman caught with pet tiger
the supply of pine nuts and acorns on which tiger prey
species survive. A woman in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg is
The logging rights up for auction will allow loggers being investigated for illegally keeping an Amur tiger,
to cut down forests that protect salmon breeding grounds according to local police. The owner of the big cat was
and are crucial habitats for Amur tigers. Coordinator of keeping her ‘pet’ in a 4x4 meter outdoor cage. She faces
forest projects for the Amur Division of WWF-Russia a fine of only 2,500 rubles ($80).
Anatoliy Kabanyets identified the key problem – Amur tigers are classed as endangered by the World
authorities’ lack of genuine information on the true scale Conservation Union. Since 2006, poachers have killed
of illegal logging and its influence on region’s at least 10 of the rare animals in Russia’s Far East.
forests. Hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of Source: RIA Novosti, Yekaterinburg, November 10,
illegally logged timber are shipped to China. 2010.

48 l TIGER LINK
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VIETNAM attended by celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Bill

Oddie, Ronni Ancona and Alistair McGowan, Jimmy
Man nabbed with frozen tiger Choo, TV chef Ching-He Huang, Virginia McKenna,
A Vietnamese man was arrested in possession of a Will Travers, Donal MacIntyre, Liz Bonnin and Steve
frozen tiger, state media reported on November 16th . Backshall.
Pham Hai Nam, the accused, told police that he bought The event held at the prestigious Mandarin Oriental
the animal in the northeastern port town of Hai Phong, Hotel, is the first major fundraiser for Save Wild Tigers,
according to An Ninh Thu Do newspaper. The accused, a partnership comprising the Born Free Foundation, the
who was detained in Hanoi on 15th November, also Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and WildAid.
reportedly told police that he would crush the tiger’s The event was created and promoted by The Clinton
bones to make traditional medicine if he failed to find a Partnership, which has donated all its services.
buyer for the whole carcass. Source: Press Release, Environmental
Source: AFP, Hanoi, November 16, 2010 Investigation Agency, London, February 17, 2011

International forum discusses enforcement UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Tiger-range nations’ officials came together at Hanoi, Backyard tigers in the US
Vietnam, to discuss wildlife law enforcement issues at
a workshop organised by TRAFFIC and the Wildlife With more tigers in captivity in the US than surviving in
Conservation Society, in conjunction with the the wild, the United States needs a centralised federal
Government of Vietnam. It was funded by the World database to monitor the big cats, World Wildlife Fund
Bank and the Global Environment Facility, as part of (WWF) said on October 2010. Weak US regulations
the ‘Tiger Futures’ Project. could be helping to fuel the multimillion dollar international
Personnel from a partnership called the International
black market for tiger parts, according to a new review
Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC), released by WWF and TRAFFIC, the world’s largest
launched during the International Tiger Forum, acted as
wildlife trade monitoring network. Additionally, WWF
resource persons during the event. These included released a new online tool that allows users to learn
officials from INTERPOL and the United Nations Office about their states’ captive tiger regulations and how weak
on Drugs and Crime in Bangkok, the World Customs oversight puts wild tigers and human safety at risk.
Organisation’s Regional Intelligence Liaison Office in America’s 5,000-plus captive tigers are mostly kept
Beijing, and the CITES Secretariat in Geneva. A senior
by private individuals, not zoos, often in deplorable
official from the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network
conditions. A patchwork of federal laws governs the
(ASEAN-WEN) Programme Coordination Unit in
possession, sale and exhibition of captive tigers.
Bangkok and a wildlife law enforcement officer from
Seventeen states allow the keeping of tigers by
South Africa also participated.
individuals with a state permit or registration, while eight
The workshop allowed Vietnamese officials and
have no laws on captive tigers. Due to a host of
international counterparts to discuss the difficulties in
exceptions exemptions, and loopholes, federal agencies
combating illegal wildlife trade. Special attention was
charged with implementing these laws have no mandate
given to illegal trade in tigers, ivory, pangolin scales and
rhinoceros horns. Topics discussed included recent to maintain a current inventory of how many tigers are
wildlife product confiscations by enforcement agenciesin the country, where they are, who possesses them,
in Vietnam and their disposal and effective when they die or how they are disposed off. A
communication, collaboration and coordination at nationwide database is essential to ensure that
national, regional and international levels. captive cats don’t end up in traditional folk
Source: www.catchannel.com, December 15, 2010. medicine, tiger wine, or as somebody’s hearth rug
or wall hanging.”
UNITED KINGDOM This report was the follow up on the 2008 TRAFFIC
Stars come out to help save tigers report.
Source: WWF/TRAFFIC, for details go to: http://
An exclusive Gala Night in London was held on March www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tigers/captive-
3rd, 2011 to raise funds for saving the tiger. It was tigers/index.html

TIGER LINK l 49
WILDLIFE CRIME

WILDLIFE CRIME l 2nd February 2011: Carcass of an old tigress found

in Similipal Tiger Reserve. Reported to be a natural
death.
Tiger deaths chronology
l 9th February 2011: Tigress, mother of two cubs,
Assam reported a high number of deaths in November died after being captured and operated upon for
2010, with three tigers dying on November 10, 11th maggot infestation in Ranthambhore.
and 19th. All are believed to have died of natural causes.
l 13th February 2011: Decomposed carcass of tiger
th
l 11 November, 2010: Carcass of male tiger found found in Sollepura range, Nagarhole TR. Said to be
in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. Death accounted to natural death.
territorial fight.
l 13 th February 2011: Tigress found dead in
l 14 th November 2010: ST1, first tiger to be Mudumalai TR. Allegedly died of injuries from a
translocated to Sariska Tiger Reserve, found ‘fight with leopard’.
dead. It was confirmed to be have been poisoned.
l 19th February 2011: Male tiger found killed in fight
l 26th November 2010: Forest officials arrested with another tiger in Corbett TR.
eight people and recovered a tiger skin from them
l 28th February 2011: Two week old decomposed
at Karumathampati near Coimbatore.
carcass of tiger found in the Sunderbans.
l 21st December 2010: Headless body of tiger found
l 5th March 2011: Tigress killed by another in
at Kawardha, Chhattisgarh. Investigations revealed
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, MP.
that it was poached by local villagers. Nine villagers
were arrested and tiger parts including teeth, claws
etc. were recovered. The area where the tiger’s Ten poachers surrender in Kaziranga
body was recovered is part of the Achanakmar- Following an ultimatum issued by villagers, ten poachers
Kanha corridor. hiding in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park have
l 25th December 2010: A tiger was found dead, surrendered before forest authorities. The surrender took
most probably poisoned, in the Orang National Park, place on 26th November.
Assam. Source: The Tribune, Guwahati, November 27, 2010.
th
l 25 December 2010: A team of Special Task
Force personnel arrested three persons and seized Sariska tiger poacher arrested
a tiger skin near Sathyamangalam forest (proposed
‘ST1’, the first tiger to be translocated to Sariska from
tiger reserve).
Ranthambhore, to rebuild the reserve’s extinct tiger
l 5th January 2011: Carcass of young tigress, around
population was found dead on November 14. He was
three years old, recovered from Thekkady lake,
poisoned. Later investigations led to the conclusion that
Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala.
one Parsadi Lal Gujjar and his nephew Kailash Gujjar
l 10th January 2011: Carcass of an old tigress found were involved in the poaching. While Parsadi Lal is
by forest staff during patrol at Kukalthorai Halla in already in custody, efforts are being made to nab Kailash
the Nilgiris. Gujjar. They had killed the tiger because they feared it
l 12th January 2011: Tiger found dead floating in would harm their livestock. Both accused are residents
the Bramhaputra near Kaziranga. It was poisoned. of a village located in Tahla range of the reserve.
l 14th January 2011: One year old tiger cub found Source: The Pioneer, Jaipur, January 4, 2011
killed by adult tiger in Satpura TR.
l 17th January 2011: Subadult tiger cub found killed Five held in Ranthambhore
by adult tiger in Chandrapur district. At least five people were arrested on 7th December on
l 27th January: Male tiger shot dead in Sunderkhal, charges of illegally entering the Ranthambhore Tiger
adjoining Corbett TR for being “maneater”. See Reserve while allegedly carrying arms. The arrested
under ‘Conflict’ for detail. were in possession of wild boar meat and were also

50 l TIGER LINK
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Tiger Deaths, November 2010-March 2011

S. No. Date Location State

1. 10 Nov 2010 Kaziranga National Park Assam
2. 11 Nov 2010 Kaziranga National Park Assam
3. 11 Nov 2010 Pilibhit Uttar Pradesh
4. 14 Nov 2010 Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
5. 19 Nov 2010 Agoratoli, Kaziranga Tiger Reserve Assam
6. 23 Nov 2010 Nagabandha in Morigaon district Assam
7. 25 Nov 2010 Chandrapur district, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve Maharashtra
8. 6 Dec 2010 Chandrapur Maharashtra
9. 21 Dec 2010 Amnia Village, Kawardha Chhattisgarh
10. 25 Dec 2010 Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park Assam
11. 5 Jan 2011 Periyar Tiger Reserve Kerala
12. 10 Jan 2011 Nilgiris district Tamil Nadu
13. 12 Jan 2011 Brahmapurta River bank Kaziranga Assam
14. 14 Jan 2011 Satpura Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh
15. 17 Jan 2011 Bramhpuri Forest Division Chandrapur Maharashtra
16. 25 Jan 2011 Kotdwar, Kalagarh Forest Division Uttarakhand
17. 27 Jan 2011 Corbett Tiger Reserve Sunderkhal Uttarakhand
18. 2 Feb 2011 Similipal Tiger Reserve Orissa
19. 6 Feb 2011 Terai (West) Forest Division Uttarakhand
20. 9 Feb 2011 Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
21. 10 Feb 2011 South Wyanad Forest Division Kerala
22. 13 Feb 2011 HD Kote, Mysore Forest Division Karnataka
23. 13 Feb 2011 Mudumalai Tiger Reserve Tamil Nadu
24. 19 Feb 2011 Corbett Tiger Reserve Uttarakhand
25. 5 Mar 2011 Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Madhya Pradesh
26. 5 Mar 2011 Kaladhungi Range, Ramnagar Forest Division Uttarakhand

Tiger Seizures, November 2010-March 2011

Serial Date Location State Seizure Info
No.
1. 16 Nov 2010 Sunderbans West Bengal Tiger Skins
2. 26 Nov 2010 Karumathampati near Coimbatore Tamil Nadu Tiger Skin
3. 19 Dec 2010 Brihaspat Kund, bordering the Panna Madhya Pradesh Tiger Bones
reserve
4. 7 Jan 2011 Gadchandur, Chandrapur Maharashtra Tiger Skin
5. 28 Feb 2011 Moreh Manipur 3 kgs tiger bones

TIGER LINK l 51
WILDLIFE CRIME

Tiger Mortality/Seizures according Wildlife Protection Society of India

DATE PLACE STATE TIGER TIGER TIGER OTHER REMARKS

SKINS BONES POACHING TIGER
CASES DEATHS
06-Oct-10 Kanha TR Madhya Pradesh 1 tiger Found dead with injuries
20-Oct-10 Pench TR Madhya Pradesh 1 tigress Decomposed body of a
tigress found
22-Oct-10 Ranthambore TR Rajasthan 1 tiger Found dead in a nala
26-Oct-10 Bandhavgarh TR Madhya Pradesh 1 tigress (live) Poisoned, later rescued
and rehabilitated by FD
10-Nov-10 Kaziranga TR Assam 1 tiger Found dead with injuries
11-Nov-10 Kaziranga TR Assam 1 tiger Found dead with injuries
11-Nov-10 Pilibhit Dist. Uttar Pradesh 1 tiger Found dead
14-Nov-10 Sariska TR Rajasthan 1 tiger Poisoned
15-Nov-10 South 24-Parganas West Bengal 1 skin Seized by Forest Dept
Division
19-Nov-10 Kaziranga TR Assam 1 tiger Found dead
22-Nov-10 Morigaon dist. Assam 1 tiger Shot dead by Police
27-Nov-10 West Chanda Division Maharashtra 1 tiger Found dead with injuries
28-Nov-10 Terai West Division Uttarakhand 1 tigress Died in fight with other
animal
6-Dec-10 Chandrapur district Maharashtra 1 cub Found dead
20-Dec-10 North Panna Division tiger bones Sambar body parts were
also recovered
20-Dec-10 Kawardha Dist. Chhattisgarh 1 tiger Killed by poachers
25-Dec-10 Erode Dist. Tamil Nadu 1 skin Seized by Police
25-Dec-10 Orang National Park Assam 1 tiger Poisoned
5-Jan-11 Periyar TR Kerala 1 tigress Found dead
7-Jan-11 Chandrapur Dist. Maharashtra 1 skin Seized by police with the
assistance of WPSI
10-Jan-11 Nilgiris Noth Division Tamil Nadu 1 tigress Found dead
13-Jan-11 Kaziranga TR Assam 1 tigress Body found floating in
Brahmaputra
13-Jan-11 Satpura TR Madhya Pradesh 1 cub Found dead
17-Jan-11 Brahmapuri Division Maharashtra 1 cub Found dead
25-Jan-11 Corbett TR Uttarakhand 1 tigress Pregnant tigress found
dead with 5 fetuses in the
womb
27-Jan-11 Ramnagar Division Uttarakhand 1 tiger Shot dead by Forest
Dept.
6-Feb-11 Terai West Division Uttarakhand 1 tiger Found dead
7-Feb-11 Similipal TR Orissa 1 tigress Found dead
9-Feb-11 Ranthambhore TR Rajasthan 1 tigress Found dead
10-Feb-11 South Wyanad Kerala 1 tigress Found dead
13-Feb-11 Mudumalai TR Tamil Nadu 1 tigress Found dead, allegedly
due to fight with leopard
13-Feb-11 Mysore Forest Karnataka 1 tiger Found dead
Division
19-Feb-11 Corbett TR Uttarakhand 1 tiger Found dead
28-Feb-11 Sunderbans TR West Bengal 1 tiger Found dead
28-Feb-11 Moreh Manipur 3kgs tiger bone Seized by Assam Rifles
5-Mar-11 Kaladhungi Uttarakhand 1 tiger Found dead
5-Mar-11 Bandhavgarh TR Madhya Pradesh 1 tigress Found dead due to
infighting
Source: Wildlife Protection Society of India
52 l TIGER LINK
 WILDLIFE CRIME

carrying weapons. A joint team of the forest department, one case has been booked. Over the past five years,
police and members of the Tiger Watch group carried only a dozen such cases have been booked which include
out the raids after a tip-off. the electrocution of a leopard in Laxmipur, Kadem range
Source: TNN, Jaipur, December 8, 2010 in early 2009. As is the case across India, prosecution
rates are very low.
Tiger poached near Kawal Range Officer, Jannaram, R Uttam Rao says that
local communities usually hunt nilgai, wild boar, spotted
Police arrested six people while they were trying to
deer, hare, peafowl and jungle fowl either for meat or to
smuggle a tiger skin in Gadchandur, Chandrapur district,
prevent crop depredation using traps, nets and through
Maharashtra. The seizure was following a tip off from
electrocution. Most offenders hail from the villages of
the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).
Malyal, Maisampet, Islampur, Dongapalli and Alinagar,
It was found that the tiger whose skin was being
which are so notorious, that even officials and trackers
smuggled was poached in Kagaznagar district of
rarely set foot in them.
neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Forest officials of
Source: S Harpal Singh, The Hindu, January 1, 2011.
Kagaznagar range have arrested the accused, Anandrao
Comment: It is worth noting that this is one of the
Madavi, Adilabad district. The accused revealed that
first sanctuaries which had the impact of Forest
one of their relatives had poached the tiger on the
Rights Act. People with red flags entered into the
outskirts of Vempalli village in Adilabad district of AP
sanctuary and massacred thousands of trees and then
and that they brought the skin to Chandrapur to seek
cleared it for agriculture. The consequent
customers.
disturbance has devastated prime tiger habitat which
“Madavi had put electrified wire to prevent intrusion
forms a vital link with Tadoda TR and can serve as
of wild animals into his farm in the jungle. However, an
a sink for Tadoba’s tigers. It is also connected to
adult tiger got electrocuted by the wire and died on the
Indravati TR in Chhatisgarh
spot. He then skinned the animal and buried the carcass
in the nullah passing through the outskirts of his farm,”
“Kingfisher, Jet involved in wildlife smuggling”
said ACF, Rajura, KD Kove.
Taking cognizance of the incident, Assistant Director Two major private airlines—later revealed to be
of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Shaik Karimulla Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways—are allegedly being
visited Vempalli with Kove and inspected the spot where used in smuggling of endangered species, a high-level
the poaching took place. The six couriers arrested with meeting chaired by MEF Jairam Ramesh was told on
the tiger skin were sent to magisterial custody remand 20th January.
by Rajura court. Astonished, Ramesh decided to write to Civil Aviation
The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in Adilabad district, Minister Vayalar Ravi about the matter.
where the tiger was poached, is an important yet much The fact was revealed during a meeting of various
neglected tiger habitat that has tremendous potential for security agencies including the Intelligence Bureau, CBI,
long term conservation. It is linked to the Tadoba-Andhari Delhi Police, CISF, Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security,
Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra and serves as a sink for ITBP, BSF, SSB, CBEC and the Enforcement
Directorate. An official, who attended the meeting,
its spillover tigers.
informed the minister that “smuggling is going through”
Source: Mazhar Ali, The Times of India,
two major private airlines and requested the minister to
Chandrapur, January 7, 2011; The Hitavada, Nagpur,
take “some measures,” including the cancellation and
January 8, 2011
suspension of their licences.
Rise in poaching in Kawal The Minister directed the officials to “put this on
record”. A top WCCB official, who was critical of the
A sharp rise in wildlife poaching has become a worrying Bureau of Civil Aviation and Security, complained that
factor in and around Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary in the the department officials face difficulties in getting passes
Adilabad district (Andhra Pradesh). While over 50 traps at airports to check smuggling. The official suggested
and snares were seized from poachers in 2009-10, only that a system should be in place at the airport as “in the

TIGER LINK l 53
WILDLIFE CRIME

developed countries” in regard to presence of wildlife Tiger poaching gang busted in Corbett
officials. Later in an RTI filed by Governance Now,
the WCCB revealed the names of the airlines as In a joint operation by the forest department and police,
Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways. The airlines’ more than two dozen poachers belonging to notorious
spokespersons claimed the charges to be baseless and poaching gangs have been arrested. The operation was
said that they have “little control over security”. conducted simultaneously in both the Kumaon and
Source: PTI, January 20, 2011; Danish Raza Garhwal regions of the Corbett Tiger Reserve over a
Governance Now, March 7, 2011 number of days.
The poachers reportedly have nexuses with
Poacher arrested in Ranthambhore international poaching trade rackets and also with the
infamous Bawaria group of the country. Parts of wild
Early on the morning of 18th February, at around 4.15 animals, bones, skins and weapons were confiscated
am, Sawai Madhopur police conducted a raid on tip off
from these poachers. Apart from having involvement
by Tiger Watch and caught wanted tiger poacher,
of outsiders, people from local Gujjar community and
Mukesh Mogya, brother of another known poacher,
villages were also found to be involved in the racket.
Devisingh Mogya, of Madhya Pradesh. He was listed
as wanted by the CID. Source: The Corbett Foundation
Source: Dharmendra Khandal, Tiger Watch,
February 18, 2011 Seven arrested with tiger & leopard skins
In a joint operation, officials of the Anamalai Tiger
Investigation nails poacher for 5 years Reserve (ATR) and special teams of the Conservator
In a fast track judgment pronounced on February 9th by of Forests, Erode, recovered one tiger skin and five
Chief Judge Magistrate, Mahrajganj, Uttar Pradesh, leopard skins, including one of a black leopard in Pollachi
Harsha Tamang, accused of smuggling two tiger skins on 3rd March. Seven persons have been arrested.
and 38 kgs of tiger bones across the Indo-Nepal border, Source: The Hindu, Coimbatore, March 4, 2011
was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and fined
Rs 1 lakh.
Tamang was arrested in July 2009 by SSB personnel
Buy a tiger skin, online!
at the Indo-Nepal border at Sonauli with the skins and A preserved tiger skin (mounted trophy) was seized
bones. The conviction was made possible due to a well- yesterday by the Nagpur Crime Branch and Wildlife
executed investigation by the Wildlife Crime Control Crime Control Bureau officials.
Bureau and Central Bureau of Investigation with the Devesh Subhashrao Raut (29) and Kapil
help of the UP Forest Department and Gurgaon Police.
Gangadharrao Devke (31), both residents of Civil Lines,
Tamang was nailed after links of his involvement
Daryapur, Amravati district, were trying to sell the
appeared from the simultaneous crackdown on three
different poaching cases in different parts of the country. trophied skin of a full-grown tigress from a city hotel on
The investigative agencies together broke three poaching Wardha Road when they are nabbed by undercover
modules: one in Sonauli, where Tamang was arrested, agents. Devesh, an MSc in computers, and Kapil, a BSc
one in Nagpur, where a tiger skin, two leopard skins graduate, also opened an online account and mentioned
and seven otter skins were seized and a third in Corbett details about the skin and its genuineness. The Raut
where Bheema Bawaria, wanted in Gurgaon in a tiger family had been in possession of the skin since 1958,
skin seizure case, was arrested. Tamang also had links when tiger hunting was still a sport. The skin had a
with Sonam Xiangpo, an alleged Tibetan wildlife trader mounted skull with eyes and jaws intact.
who is still absconding. One Totaram, accused in a tiger Police sources said their advertisement was spotted
poaching case in East Terai division of Uttarakhand in on 'tradeindia.com', where the duo had bragged about
2004-5, was also convicted for three years as a result their business, including claiming the ability to supply
of these investigations.
various types of tiger skins and trophies for different
This is a step ahead in wildlife crime persecution
purposes. They had advertised seven types of products
given the abysmal rate of convictions recorded.
on 'tigerskin.tradeindia.com
Source: PIB

54 l TIGER LINK
 MEDIA

The traders who are currently in custody had ownership BOOKS

certificates. However, sale of tiger skin (even licensed)
is prohibited under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act The Tiger: The Soul of India: l Valmik Thapar
under sections 49, 49A, and 43 which prohibits sale of l Oxford University Press
licensed wildlife articles/trophies through commercial The tiger is not just a tiger, a mere animal, it’s larger
transactions of any nature. Online surveillance and than life, a mythical, magical creature, revered,
worshiped, feared, hated, loved. For those of us fortunate
support was provide by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)
enough to have seen the tiger, it’s a magical moment, an
enforcement assistance team.
out-of-this world experience that leaves a mark,
Source: Wildlife Trust of India, ‘Bid to sell tiger skin
influencing, and even changing our life forever.
online lands two youths behind bars’, Vijay Pinjarkar &
The tiger has inspired many books, is the subject of
Soumittra S Bose, The Times of India, March 17
many photographs, artists paint their imagination... and
people have devoted their life to the tiger, fighting for its
MEDIA cause.
This fascination is nothing new, from time
Save tiger campaign concludes immemorial, the tiger has inspired many art forms, many
NDTV in association with Aircel embarked upon a cultures-and no better to delve into the cult of the tiger
unique programming initiative to support its ongoing than its best-known aficionado and crusader Valmik
“Save Our Tiger” campaign by telecasting a 12-hour Thapar. The author delves into the cult, you could call it
nonstop program - Tigerthon on its network channels a relationship-between man and tiger-which has stood
on 12th December. Campaign ambassador Amitabh the test of time, dating back to more than 10,000 years.
Thapar takes the reader into this fascinating journey,
Bachchan along with Dr Prannoy Roy, Chairman,
which begins in a cave ten thousand years ago, in
NDTV, Vikram Chandra and several wildlife experts
present day Madhya Pradesh, where tigers are etched
highlighted the key issues of tiger conservation. The
on rock; and further down the years, tigers depicted in
campaign received an overwhelming response with
seals during the Indus Valley civilisation, in religious text,
people from across the country generating over Rs 2.00
in Mughal miniature paintings, carved in Tipu Sultan’s
crores. Hemendra Kothari, founder and chairman of
throne and etched into art based on the 19th and 20th
Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) offered a matching
century hunts especially those executed by Indian royalty
grant for every rupee collected during the Tigerthon. and the sahibs. There are references to the occult
Thus, the total amount rose to Rs. 4.00 crores. WCT, in powers of tigers in the Atharva Veda, in the Ramayana
consultation with the Chief Wildlife Wardens of states and the Mahabharata, and in the Buddhist text. My
and Field Directors of several tiger reserves, plans to personal favourite is a quote from the Mahabharata,
disburse 31 Rapid Response Kits (RRKs) to over 20 400 BE, “Do not cut down the forest with its tigers and
tiger reserves across India from this money. do not banish the tigers from the forest... the forest
NDTV and Aircel have been campaigning to save perishes without its tigers”. Ancient wisdom, that we
tigers, highlighting all the major issues and taking the try to impress upon the politicians and corporate of
critical agenda to the Chief Ministers of all tiger states present day!
for the last one year. The 12 hour telethon was the final The book brings together all the curated imagery of
event to raise money to equip Rapid Response Teams the tiger, sourced from across the world.
who will protect the country’s tigers and respond to any The book is about the impact of the tiger on man-
emergency in and around the tiger parks by the WCT. how the tiger was vital to the people across India, how
NDTV Chairman, Dr. Prannoy Roy said, “NDTV is the animals resides in the very soul of the country’s
overwhelmed by the nationwide response. We are most culture, beliefs, myths and legends. One distinctive
pleased that the Tigerthon achieved three aims: to raise image, etched in stone, paper, wood, across the
awareness and initiate action on the ground, to get Chief landscape, and in our minds is of Durga—the devi riding
Ministers to pledge support to save the tiger.” the tiger. From this, says Thapar, stems another thought,
Source: NDTV, WCT that the tiger is a friend, of tiger and man combining
forces to fight evil.

TIGER LINK l 55
OBITUARY

The tiger is a symbol of prosperity, of fertility. The tiger’s of this more remarkable achievements. The tigers
pugmark in an agricultural field is a reason for bounced back, and flourished, but Fateh describes
celebration. It meant the earth would yield a verdant this as his most difficult assignment, “The people
crop. It is this imagery that the book invokes, that make hugged the trees and wept,” he told Sanctuary
it a fascinating read, it weaves with illustrations, magazine in 2008. “I was crying with them because
photographs, inscriptions and words, a fascinating yarn inside me I knew they were paying the price for
that depicts tigers as intrinsic to our civilisation, it is something they may never understand.”
He founded Tiger Watch, an NGO that works
testimony on why we cannot, must not let the tiger fade
actively on protection-and has successfully cracked
away.
down on many poaching gangs. They work with
The title says it all: The tiger is the soul of India. Can
communities, including addressing livelihood concerns
there be a country without a soul? Will we even be a of families of traditional hunting tribes.
country then? His single-minded determination-and devotion—
Prerna Singh Bindra to protect Ranthambhore National Park, and the tiger,
won him much acclaim-and even more enemies,
Billy Arjan Singh: Tiger of Dudhwa l Shaminder including the government. In 1983, Fateh Singh got
Boparai l Harper Collins the International Valour Award for bravery in
This biography is a tribute to legendary conservationist conservation. Fateh Singh was honoured with the
Billy Arjan Singh. It chronicles his controversial life and lifetime achievement award by the World Wildlife
times, and tells the story of his pioneering experiments Fund on February 16, 2011. While presenting the
in bringing up leopard and tiger cubs, amazingly along award, the president of WWF’s India chapter,
with his pet dog, in harmony. This is the first pictorial Divyabhanusinh Chavda remarked that it was largely
biography on Billy and comes in a timely moment one because of Fatji that, “Ranthambhore became the
year after his passing away. It is simple and lucid and place which brought the tiger to the consciousness
summarises his entire life and work with big cats. Its of people the world over.”
strong point is the repertories of pictures which reflect
Billy’s amazing-almost unbelievable- life. A must read Tributes
for all those who love wildlife and feel passionately about ‘One of the greatest legends in the world of the
saving the tiger. It is an inspirational book for youngsters tiger is no more.
who do not know about the work of pioneers in tiger For me, it is the loss of my best friend and a
conservation. man who opened for me the windows of a lifetime
with tigers 35-years-ago. He was bigger than life
OBITUARY itself and lived his life to the full. He was
enormously generous in spirit and welcomed
every stranger to his home which was the
RIP: Fateh Singh Rathore beautiful Ranthambore National Park. I was one
On March 1, Fateh Singh Rathore, one of the original such stranger.
stalwarts of Project Tiger, ‘creator ’ of I have never met and will never meet someone
Ranthambhore and one of the strongest champions so unique in character and spirit. He loved his
of the tiger passed away. Widely acknowledged as tigers, Ranthambore, ghazals, Rajasthani music,
‘tiger guru’’ for his legendary knowledge of the big and, his fireplace in the winter was an experience
cats, he died at 73 after a two-month battle with like no other for many who were made welcome.
cancer. He was the true tiger man and an instinctive
‘Mr Ranthambhore’ devoted his life to the park: expert. He did not need the formal training to
he walked the forest with his band of men, laid out put Ranthambore on the world map. He did it with
the network of dirt roads to facilitate protection, took common sense and is singly responsible for its
on poachers, bureaucrats and politicians, patiently success and fame across the world. He was
won the trust of villagers, persuading and coaxing disliked by many for being truthful but he never
them to relocate from the park. Relocating the compromised. And he was at home with one and
villagers, and giving tigers inviolate space, was one all: be it PMs or Presidents or his forest guards

56 l TIGER LINK
 NGOs

and villagers. He deserves recognition from all, our request, Fateh Singh energetically gave his
especially from a government that refused to time and knowledgeable weight to the tigers of
recognise his skill, expertise and experience till Panna. Sadly, even his ‘insider’opinion and vast
the end. Even Project Tiger as a whole should be experience were insufficient to convince the
indebted to him for the ‘’success story’’.’ authorities of the true situation; they continued
Valmik Thapar, The Times of India, March, 2, to present a false picture to the last tiger.
2011 Fatehjee was not of this ilk! Many of us will
appreciate how hard it is to speak out from within.
Fateh Singh was perhaps the greatest living It takes men of the stature of Fateh Singh Rathore
example of three altruisms in conservation not and the late Sanjay DebRoy to do so and be
often acknowledged—that dedicated commitment beacons of light for the rest of us to follow. How
to conservation is more important in wildlife
much we miss these giants –will we see their like
management than erudition, publicity, even
again?
science; that men are far more important than
Joanna van Gruisen, Trustee, Baavan
money in saving nature, and that one man indeed
can make a difference.
Fateh Singh Rathore embodied the Power of One.
Dr MK Ranjitsinh, member NBWL
He changed the world of the tiger... if the tiger
Fateh Singh Rathore’s crowning achievement was lives today, in Ranthambhore, and in our hearts,
the successful translocation of several villages we owe it to him.
from the core area of the Park which helped Prerna Singh Bindra, The Sunday Guardian
restore its fractured ecosystem, giving the tiger a
chance to bounce back. Fateh’s contribution to NGOS
the tiger and his home is indelible and has no
parallel. Fateh proved that people can invest in
environment and that tourism can bring TRC’s communication platform
awareness and economic gain to the communities The Global Tiger Initiative is proposing a web based
surrounding our National Parks. Tiger Range Countries’ (TRCs) Communication
Mike Pandey, Wildlife filmmaker, The Hindu Platform for the networking of all TRCs. It envisages
to connect all tiger reserves across all tiger landscapes
It is difficult to think of Ranthambhore without for knowledge exchange, information sharing, sharing
Fateh Singh Rathore. His contribution to tiger of best practices, etc. The portal shall be under the
conservation is immense, it cannot be measured. ownership of the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), supported
I have lost a great friend and perhaps the most financially by the GTI.
knowledgeable person who could speak the As per the 1 st Asia Ministerial Conference
language of the tiger. Declaration, the GTF already has the mandate of
PK Sen, director, Ranthambhore Foundation knowledge dissemination among TRCs.
Source: Global Tiger Forum
Ranthambhore and Fateh Singh Rathore: it is
impossible to talk of one without the other. But Human Wildllife Conflict Mititgation
for Raghu and I, our most enduring appreciation In partnership with Adventure Ashram, a UK Charity,
of this legend-of-a-man is in connection with local conservation NGOs have taken up a project for
Panna. Panna’s tigers had been decimated; the improving human livelihoods and mitigating human-
forest department instead of accepting this, wildlife conflict in the Malenad-Mysore Tiger Landscape
preferred to ostracise those who said so. In this (MMTL). The project began in January 2010 and shall
hostile climate, Fatehjee was one of very few stretch for a period of two years. The project seeks to
conservationists who stepped forward to try to achieve its goal through an incentive based voluntary
help stem the tide of tiger extinction in Panna relocation of remotely located households based on their
Tiger Reserve. In 2005 the forest department held explicit request. On the basis of intensive and careful
a census and allowed observers. In response to studies, the relocation project is being focused on the

TIGER LINK l 57
NGOs

Kudremukh National Park, where demand from local Mitigation measures for key Assam corridor
communities, potential to avoid human-wildlife conflict
and promotion of conservation values were deemed to The Lumding Reserve Forest (RF) located in Assam’s
be of the highest priority. Nagaon district is an important wildlife habitat connecting
Mangalore based conservationist Niren Jain of the the Marat-Longri Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) in Karbi
Kudremukh Wildlife Foudation is heading the project Anglong district in the east to Langting Mupa RF in the
locally with the assistance of noted wildlife west. This continuous stretch of forest is part of a
conservationist, DV Girish of Bhadra Wildlife Trust and migration corridor for wildlife, notably tigers and
the NGO Wild Cat-C. elephants. Field biologists of WWF-India have recorded
Dr Ullas Karanth of Wildlife Conservation Society 37 species of mammals in the corridor including tiger,
is the scientific advisor to the project.
elephant, clouded leopard and western hoolock gibbon.
Source: Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore
The Doboka-Silchar National Highway (NH-54E)
bisects the Lumding RF and it is proposed to be
Youth for tigers upgraded it into a four-laned highway. The widening of
The International Tiger Conservation Forum in Russia the highway is planned almost in the same alignment as
in December 2010 was unique for laying its focus on the existing road. Though the existing road does not affect
youth and their role in conserving the tiger. Parallel to the crossing of elephants and other mammals much, an
the high level meeting of governments, WWF organised upgraded four-lane highway will increase and speed up
a Youth Tiger Forum in Vladivostok, in the Russian Far traffic on it. A team supported by WWF-India has
East, home of Siberian tiger. Youth representatives from surveyed the area and mitigation measures have been
all tiger range countries gathered together for a week, suggested in the report ‘Ensuring safe access to
went on field visits and developed youth outreach plans wildlife in Lumding Reserve Forest, Assam’.
for tiger conservation in their respective countries. Source: WWF, March 11, 2011
At the youth forum, the representatives jointly wrote
an Appeal, which they later addressed to the Prime
Course Announcement
Ministers and heads of delegation at the Tiger Forum
through a video link to St Petersburg. Young The Satpuda Foundation, Nature Conservation Society
representatives, known as ‘Youth Tiger Ambassadors’ Amravati, SGB Amravati University, EECG USA and
from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maharashtra Forest Department’s Wildlife
Malaysia, Russia and China were among those present. Wing announce an “International Course in Education
The youth appeal to the high level delegation was and Communications Strategy for Species Conservation”
both emotive and effective. “We know for many of our
from 9th-29th January 2012. To obtain an application
countries, development is important. However, we do
form, emails may be sent to [email protected] or
not want development that results in us losing many of
[email protected] or [email protected]
the world’s natural wonders and wild species like the
tiger. We want our children to be able to inherit a living Source: Satpuda Foundation
planet full of the wonders of the natural world.’’ Most
of them will initiate campaigns which will drive changes KFT cycle rally in Sunderbans
in policy and management of tiger conservation in their
Kids for Tigers in association with the Bengal Tiger
respective countries. In the next six months, WWF-
Bachaao campaign organised a cycle rally from Gosaba
India’s Youth Tiger Ambassadors, Ansuha Shankar and
Devanshu Sood will visit villages in some of the protected bazar to Pakhiralaya to show support for the tiger and
areas in the country to raise local awareness towards the Sundarbans Forest Department on 30th January.
tiger conservation. Over 300 participants from eco-development
India’s Youth Tiger Ambassador Anusha Shankar is committees, forest protection groups, local clubs and
a student of MSc Ecology and Environmental Science schools attended the rally. The National Tiger
at Pondicherry University and Devanshu Sood, the other Conservation Authority (NTCA), Institute of Climbers
Ambassador, is a student of Class XII at Shriram School, and Nature Lovers (ICNL) and Sundarban Nature &
Gurgaon. He has been a core member of his schools’ Social Welfare Society (SNSW) were field partners for
Junior Tiger Task Force since the last 8 years. the event.
Source: WWF India, December 2, 2010. Source: Sanctuary Asia

58 l TIGER LINK
 USEFUL LINKS

ARTiger: Artists & RF come together for tigers

Tigers are being spotted in various locations around Delhi since December 2010. Dilli Haat, Connaught Place,
Central Park, ISBT, schools, malls, cinema halls, hotels and even the CM’s residence and Rashtrapati Bhavan
have reported sightings. It’s just that these aren’t any of the living wild tigers that are becoming increasingly
rare to spot even in the forests, but fibreglass ones painted by some of India’s leading artists in an effort to
spread the message of conservation.
Project ARTiger, as the exhibition is called, was the largest display of public art India has ever seen. With
58 tigers displayed around the capital, starting with the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the exhibition formally
kicked off on 20th December 2010.
The project aimed to raise awareness about the plight of tigers whose numbers are decreasing fast in the
wilds. The idea of ARTiger came from gallerist Aparajita Jain, art collector Swapan Seth and social activist
Nandita K Baig who were struck when they saw the ‘Elephant Parade’ in London in June 2010. They then
collaborated with the Ranthambhore Foundation to make ARTiger a conservation success. “It seemed the
best way to promote public art and save the tiger”, said Seth, managing partner of the art house Henry S
Clark.
Fifty-eight artists were brought into the fold. They included veterans like Anjolie Ela Menon, Satish Gujral
and Manu Parekh as well as contemporary artists like GR Iranna, Mithu Sen and Paresh Maity. Each of them
was given a white fibreglass tiger as a canvas to work on. They came up with many interesting concepts from
covering the tiger with pins “giving it a protective layer” to using multimedia work to perch several animals on
the tiger, effectively communicating the fact that the survival of all biodiversity depends on the tiger.
The installations were allotted to corporate houses including DLF, Jindal, Max India, Apollo Tyres, Zee
Telefilms and Fortis and many schools, to whom the tigers were pre-sold before being put up at various public
locations.
Money from the sale has come to the Ranthambhore Foundation which shall use it primarily to educate and
create awareness among school children around Ranthambhore National Park and encourage teachers and
villagers to support the cause of tiger conservation. The foundation will also assist in the development of skills
of women living on the fringes of tiger habitats in order to cut down their dependence on forests, aid in the
education and eco-sensitisation of children. It will also help finance direct interventions at local levels to
contain poaching.
Source: Neelam Raaj & Chandan Arora, TNN, 19, December 2010, New Delhi; Divya Kaushik, Sunday
Pioneer, 19, December 2010, New Delhi

USEFUL LINKS
MoEF: www.moef.nic.in Wildlife First: www.wildlifefirst.info
NTCA: www.projecttiger.nic.in Wildlife Trust of India: www.wildlifetrustofindia.org
TIGERNET: www.tigernet.nic.in Wildlife Protection Society of India: www.wpsi-
Wildlife Institute of India: www.wii.gov.in india.org
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau: www.wccb.gov.in Wildlife Conservation Society-India:
WWF-India: www.wwfindia.org www.wcsindia.org
TRAFFIC-India: www.trafficindia.org “The Truth about Tigers”:
Sanctuary Asia: www.sanctuaryasia.com www.truthabouttigers.org
Bombay Natural History Society: www.bnhs.org NDTV-Aircel ‘Save our Tigers’ Campaign:
Nature Conservation Foundation: www.ncf- www.tiger.ndtv.com
india.org Indian Jungles: www.indianjungles.com
Satpuda Foundation: www.satpuda.org Wild Orissa: www.wildorissa.org
Friends of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve: Wildlife Society of Orissa: www.wildlifeorissa.org
www.nbralliance.org ATREE: www.atree.org

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USEFUL LINKS

The Corbett Foundation: Environment Investigation Agency: www.eia-

www.corbettfoundation.org internatonal.org
Panthera: www.panthera.org WWF International: www.panda.org
IUCN: www.iucn.org Tigris Foundation: www.tigrisfoundation.nl
IUCN Cat Specialist Group: www.catsg.org The Sumatran Tiger Trust: www.tigertrust.info
Tiger Watch: www.tigerwatch.net The Tiger Foundation: www.tigers.ca
Sumatran Tiger Conservation Program: www.wild- Mongabay: www.mongabay.com
tiger.blogspot.com TRAFFIC: www.traffic.org

FEEDBACK
TigerLink October 2010 issue has several statements which one has to ponder over very carefully: no
economic security without ecological security, if Park managers fail the tiger how can we expect support
from outside, roads cutting through forests are an increasing and a grave threat to wildlife, tiger need not
be viewed as an impediment to growth, and saving tiger saves water. There are worrying news also:
changing course of Sharada threatens Jhadi Tal home to endangered swamp deer and mysterious disease
stalks Siberian tigers whose numbers have reportedly declined by 40 per cent. There are encouraging
news also, however difficult it may be:nations pledge to double tiger numbers. It also brings to light the
national effort under the leadership of Hon'ble Minister Jairam Ramesh to save our forests and wildlife.
The Ranthambhore Foundation and the TigerLink team and you should be congratulated for compiling,
packing and analyzing such a very useful issue with diverse and valuable information vital for tiger
conservation.
Dr AJT Johnsingh, NCF & WWF-India

I would like to extend this statement to emphasize the need for 'exchange of information' and 'bridging
the gap' between the research, management, policy, and ethics philosophies of human-kind. Such
philosophies are diverse, yet go hand-in-hand towards conservation and protection of wild tigers - the
goal - that can only be achieved via collaboration, not hierarchy within. Tigerlink is precisely this essential
link - a platform for global tiger biologists, managers, conservationists, enthusiasts and policy makers (all
alike) to communicate and collaboratively yet pragmatically approach the multi-billion dollar issue of
saving the tiger.
Ashwin Nadiu, IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group Member (2009 - 2012)

'Tigerlink provides a thorough and up-to-date compendium of news, literature and opinion that should be
a "go-to" resource for anyone concerned about saving tigers and the environments in which they live.
The TigerLink team is to be commended for their hard work and dedication to providing this valuable
service.'
Robert Miles, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington

Send feedback to: [email protected]

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