Sunday, April 11, 2010

Foreigners in Rajaji National Park booked under Wildlife Protection Act

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Foreigners-in-Rajaji-Park-booked-under-Wildlife-Protection-Act/articleshow/5782372.cms

RISHIKESH: A group of foreigners, allegedly camping in Rajaji Park here, have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act for staying in the reserved forest area without permission.

The authorities have registered a case under section 27 of Wildlife Protection Act against Shivraj Giri and others yesterday for living in the park area without any permission, Wildlife Warden of the park S B Lal said today.

Giri, an Indian Naga sadhu, is reportedly the head of the group which has come to attend the four-month long Mahakumbh, being held on the bank of the river Ganga in Haridwar and Rishikesh.

Nearly 150-200 foreigners from Israel, US, UK, Panama and Finland have been staying in the reserve forest area inhabited by elephants and tigers for the past several days without any permission from the park administration.

Though the administration had warned the foreigners of stern action and even alloted nearly 20,000 square feet of land to them at Saptsarovar sector in the Kumbh mela area, they have refused to leave the park.

However, the foreigners have agreed to leave the forest area by tomorrow morning, Lal said.

If the foreigners do not leave the park by tomorrow, an action would be taken against them under the Act, he added.

Another Leopard Shot Dead

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article394692.ece


A leopard was shot dead at Shikarpur in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal on Sunday after it entered a village and seriously injured 11 persons.
“We had to shoot it as the situation was getting out of control, and a team sent to tranquillise the animal was unable to spot it,” District Superintendent Anand Kumar told The Hindu over telephone.
When the leopard initially attacked five persons, villagers alerted the police. The staff members of four nearby forest ranges, including a tranquillisation team, were rushed to the spot, Sheelwant Patel, Chief Conservator of Forests (wildlife), north Bengal, said.
“The leopard was hiding in bushes and shrubs, and in paddy fields. It would suddenly come out and attack a person before darting back to take cover,” he said.
Eleven persons, including a policeman and a staff member of the Forest Department, were attacked and had to be rushed to the district hospital. One of them was in a critical condition, he said.
“A huge crowd gathered, and the situation was getting out of hand when a policeman shot at the leopard, injuring it. It died later,” Kalyan Das, Divisional Forest Officer, Jalpaiguri, said.
As per the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, a wild animal may be shot, if it poses a threat to the people's safety, but permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden must be sought.
“In that situation, nothing else could be done. We will apply to the Chief Wildlife Warden for post de-facto permission,” Mr. Das said.

Friday, April 9, 2010

The LION & The TIGER - A Battle to Survive

I would urge EVERY person reading this to first go through this cartoon made by an extremely talented friend who somehow manages to combine intellect with art. The outcome is simple yet soul-stirring. And if it doesn't make you think on the lines of what we're putting these poor wild animals through, you really need to go see a cardiologist! You have no heart! http://greenhumour.blogspot.com/2010/02/cat-compromise.html

Here's the latest about the plight of the Asiatic Lion : http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100331/FOREIGN/703309912/1103/NEWS

Narendra Modi should have been Chinese!! China wants the Tigers dead... and Modi eventually is going to see to it that the poor Lions end up the same way!
Yes Im just a random conservationist accusing a random Politician. And yes, I do think he's random. For all those who worship Mr.Modi, believe me, I think the man has GREAT potential. Unfortunately, I also think he always somehow, manages to use it for all the wrongest of policies.
The man COULD be a hit with the animal kingdom comprising wildlife, cattle that killed by straying wildlife, people that own or live off these cattle, and people everywhere... IF he would just turn to logic once instead of stubbornness.
I genuinely think Rohan's cartoon makes sense! Because today when WE are a level when we cant co-exist with animals that have lived here before we were even invented, I think the animals have always been more sensible than we have. A Lion and a Tiger could probably learn to co-exist.. and maybe, evolution will favour them and kick us off the Map of Existence!! But we? We will learn only when it is absolutely too late that WE ALWAYS had the power to change things... we just gave it to the wrong people.  :(
   In memory of the poor Lion who died because he jumped off a bridge : I will fight till the end.. for you, and others like you.. not knowing what may come off it, but knowing for sure, that something will. Good n bad, is again, a matter of perception.. especially in a country like our's. Sometimes, I dont feel proud to be human. When I look at other people.. people who dont give a damn about Nature and its bounty, I feel ashamed to be a part of this very race.. but perception rules it all. There are always exceptions.

Villagers Kill Leopard

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Villagers-kill-leopard-in-Chandauli/articleshow/5755620.cms

VARANASI: A seven-year-old leopard was lynched by a mob of villagers in Chak village under Saiyadraja police station in Chandauli district on Friday. At least five persons were booked under Wildlife (Protection) Act. However, no person was arrested so far.

According to reports, the leopard sneaked into the human habitat from neighbouring jungle. It was stated that it injured 3-4 persons. Later, the villagers attacked the wild animal with sticks and sharp-edged weapons. The badly injured animal succumbed to injuries on the spot before the forest personnel could reach the place. 

Divisional forest officer PP Verma told TOI over phone that the animal was dead when the forest personnel arrived at the village after getting the information. He claimed villagers killed the leopard in self-defense as the animal had injured 3-4 persons. However, a case had been filed against five persons under the Wildlife Protection Act, he said and added the police would investigate the matter to establish whether it was an act of self-defense. Meanwhile, the body was sent for postmortem. It may be mentioned here that killing a leopard is a serious crime under the Indian Wildlife Act.

The forest officials were not sure from where the wild animal had come to the village. "There is a possibility that the leopard may have come from the jungles of Kaimur range, Bihar, which is about 15-km away, or the forest of Chakia in Chandauli district, which is 30-km away from the village," said the DFO.