Sunday, February 28, 2010

Fewer Tigers in the Wild - Article by Joseph Hoover in Times of India

The preliminary tiger estimate submitted by the Tiger Task Force to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a fortnight ago reveals that the majestic feline is more critically endangered than it was in the last estimate in 2001-2002.

If the controversial pug-mark method had accounted for 3,642 tigers in the country four years ago, the refined methodology approved by the Tiger Task Force and executed by National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India indicates that there could be less than 1,700 tigers in the wild now.

The preliminary estimate submitted on November 1, 2007 to the PM by the member secretary, National Board for Wildlife, shows that the central Indian landscape has lost more than half of its population due to poaching and habitat fragmentation. From a robust 1,233 cats, it is now down to 461.

For example, if Madhya Pradesh boasted 710 tigers in 2002, the numbers have drastically come down to 300. The percentage of decline in Chhattisgarh is alarming. If there were an estimated 227 tigers four years ago, there are a mere 26 now. Maharashtra, too, has lost more than half of its population (from a viable 238 to a vulnerable 103).

Rajasthan, which forced the Union government to constitute the Tiger Task Force after tigers vanished from the Sariska and Ranthambore reserves — is left with 32 cats as against 58 in 2002.

With the estimate for central India, done in three phases, being disappointing, conservationists are concerned that the figures for most of India, which is to completed by December 2007, could be even worse.

The NTCA and WII have drawn the attention of the PM, urging him to address the source-link situation on a priority. They have attributed the decimation to fragmentation of habitat.

"The assessment reveals fragmentation of forest connectivity around source population — tiger reserves and protected areas and forest areas outside protected areas. This indicates that they hardly have any viable tiger population. This calls for addressing the source-link situation on a priority," the National Board for Wildlife says.

Though the central India estimate is alarming, Karnataka forest department is confident its tigers are safe in its reserves. "Though the WII is yet to release the figures for Karnataka (401 in 2002), we are confident that we have a viable population. I am sure there are at least 250-300 tigers in our reserves," said chief wildlife warden I B Srivatsava.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2568293.cms?frm=mailtofriend

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Some relief for the critically endangered tiger!

Finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A breather. If we were brooding over losing two tigers in four days in Karnataka, there is some relief, albeit in a decision taken by the Karnataka high court. The HC has vacated a stay obtained by Assistant Conservator of Forests, J Kumar to retain his position in the Bandipur National Park.
Transferred from the tiger reserve, the ACF had approached the Karantaka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), contesting the jurisprudence/ authority of his senior officers. Fortunately, the HC quashed the stay, Justice Gopala Gowda implying that it had to be done in the interest of the public. Wow! Wish we get more judgment like these.
The said officer allegedly has a dubious record. When he was the ACF of the Antharsanthe division in the Nagarhole National Park, he was involved in acts which eventually led to his suspension. Itntriguingly, though the suspension order carried a remark that he should never be posted in a wildlife division again, he pulled political strings to have himself posted at Bandipur National park, which is home to 80 critically endangered tigers.
Though the government, as an afterthought, chose to transfer him from the critical and ravaged wildlife habitat, the ACF approached the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) and succeeded in obtaining a stay. Senior forest officers were left an exasperated lot. The court order has certainly come as a relief to them. It is victory for wildlife conservationists as well.
But nailing one officer won't redress Karnataka's wildlife problems. If the government, which has disdainfully whittled the power of high-ranking officers (IFS cadre) and rendered them mere rubber stamps, is keen to save India's flagship species (tiger), it would do well to forthwith transfer incompetent RFOs (Range Forets Officers) from tiger habitats.
Evidently, there are only three or four rangers, who are competent and honest. The rest either have no wildlife background or care little for its well being.
Given their political affiliations and their money-power to buy postings (most are auctioned) in the ranges of their choice, they disregard the authority of their immediate bosses.
It is all about money, money, money. It can buy you a posting. It can influence you to fell a huge teak tree to recover your investment.
Often, the timber and mining barons call the shots. They use their cash reserves to get senior officers place in positions of their chose and go about devastating our forests. Wish somebody could deny this fact!
Imagine the plight of our wildlife in Bandipur. There re are 12 ranges in the 992- sqkm national park. If you come across two good officers, you should be lucky. It is good as a lost and parched adventurer finding water in the Sahara desert.
One corrupt officer being relocated is not going to solve issues afflicting our wildlife. We need a political will to right the wrongs before the tiger disappears from our wildlife reserves. It would be pre-budget bonus, if the Karnataka forest minister resolves to act. But will he?

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Another tiger killed in Karnataka

It is frustrating that another young tiger has been poached in Kollegal taluk, bordering the Billigiri Ranga Temple wildilife sanctuary in Karnataka, which boasts of having the highest population (290) of this critically endangered species. The pelt of a young tiger, which had probably just about weaned away from its mother, was recovered this morning (Wednesday, Feb 24, 2010). The seller, Mahadeva, has been arrested. The forest cell is on the trail of two others who apparently sold the pelt to Mahadeva.

As many as five tiger skins have been recovered in the last nine months, indicating that the trade in wildlife products is bigger and larger than what the lackadaisical Karnataka forest department believes. Tigers, leopards and elephants are being poached with impunity, the poachers virtually cocking a snook at the authorities who seem content to laze in the comfort of their officers.

The less said about the forest minister (FM), who is incidentally also the chief minister of Karnataka. That he has barely visited the tiger reserves since taking charge 20 months ago, reflects that he cares very little about wildlife and forests. For some (rather obvious) reason the FM has never commented on the death of a tiger or a leopard. Instead, he has fired those who have espoused the cause of widlife and ecology, putting the fear of reprimand (tranfers) in the hearts of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) cadre. That is the state of affairs of Karnataka's dwindling wildlife and its shrinking habitat.

The forest cell may have nabbed Mahadeva (he has confessed that he bought the skin from a duo from Tamil Nadu), but it will imperative that they get to the root of the trade and crack the poacher-seller-buyer nexus. In the past, arrests of sellers have been made. But the poachers have seldom been traced or arrested.

A year ago, the pelt of a tiger (poached in Bandipur) was recovered by the forest staff near Bagarhole. Two conduits (seller in this case) were arrested. Though they spilled the beans, neither the forest department nor the police could arrest the thug who had shot the tiger. Th ereason: he is a local politician's son. Intriguingly, the files are gathering dust. The poacher reportedly is active again.

In such a scenario, where the poacher walks free, only God can save our wildlife.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Mystery shrouds tiger death in Bandipur

The latest tiger death (on February 20, 2010) in Bandipur national park (Karnataka) is shrouded in mystery. Though the veterinary doctors who did the preliminary tests believe that the tiger wasn't poisoned, a doubt lingers over its actual cause of death. If it had died in natural circumstances, why would one of its paws be removed. Why were the claws yanked out? There are a lot fo questions which the Karnataka forest department would have to answer to convince the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

There is reason to worry that are at least three groups of poachers operating in the vast and porous 992 sqkm tiger reserve. Last August a tigress was found dead in the Gundre range of the park. Two ot its paws had been hacked. The rest of the claws were missing. No arrest has been made in this case as yet.

It is heartening that the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bandipur) has sought his staff and the forest cell to arrest a few suspects. It will be interesting to see if the department could crack this case. The fact remains that there is a 54 per cent shortage of staff in this national park, which according to statistics from the Wildlife Institute of India is home to 80 critically endangered tigers.

STARTLING FACTS THESE:
•Total number of tiger deaths due to poaching with evident pelt recovery – 4
•Tiger deaths due to territorial fight – 5
•Tiger death due to translocation - 1
•Total number of leopard death due to poaching – 7 pelt recovered

Let's hope the death toll doens't increase.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tigers in peril

Everytime I switch on the tv or the pc, I come across the aircel campaign ad in support of the tiger. It is indeed comforting that more corporates are getting involved in wildlife conservation. It is great to create awareness and sensitize people of the critical status of our flagship animal. It warms the cockles of my heart that a million and more people have joined Team India captain Mahender Singh Dhoni and soccer star Baichung Bhutia in the campaign to save the awe-inspiring animal from possible extinction. But merely creating a frenzy with numbers and making people comfortable with the thought of participating in the campaign would lead us nowhere.
The need of the hour is to step out of the drawing rooms and make a noise on the street everytime a tiger is lost to poaching due the callousness and complacency of the forest department and the forest minister. We ought to make our ministers accoutable. Until we do this, our tiger will take a beating.
I write out of experience, as I have fought battles for this cause for 15 years. Forest officers don't care. The ministers are thick-skinned. They don't care a damn about our forest and its beautiful denizens. They don't worry about ecology. They don't really care about the well being of the masses. All they care for is moolah (cash).
As I write my first blog and share my views with those who think alike, I hear another tiger has perished in the Bandipur national park. I am told that though it seems to have died out of natural cause, a paw had been severed and taken away. Besides, fifteen claws were found missing. We have to await the post mortem report to assess the cause of death. Was it poisoned?
Frustratingly, this is the fifth tiger death in Bandipur in the last four months.
I hope, the aircel campaign ad whittles down its "alive tigers" numbers. In the first place, I wonder how they got the "1411" figure. Only a genius could have computed it with such accuracy.
Come let's raise a stink to keep our ministers and officers on their toes.