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Asiatic lion thriving in Gir, says latest census Gir/Ahmedabad
(Gujarat): The Asiatic lion population in the Gir forest in Gujarat's
Junagadh district, the animal's only natural habitat, has risen to 359
from 327 four years ago after a crackdown on poaching, a new government
census shows. The lion census was conducted after reports of an alarming
decline in the number of tigers in sanctuaries across India, prompting
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to order a police investigation and a
task force to stem the fall in the number of the endangered species.
The Gir Sanctuary is home to 89 adult male lions, 124 adult female lions
and 146 younger lions, the census showed. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi told a news conference yesterday that the rise in their number
reflects that they are in a conducive environment. "Over the centuries
the territory of lions has been shrinking. State of Gujarat has not
only arrested but reversed this trend and lions are now reoccupying
their lost territory. The exercise of estimating the population of Asiatic
Lions was started long back. It has been our effort to estimate to the
rare and endangered species every five years. This time the survey was
undertaken to take the population of Asiatic Lion from 22-25 April.
I am very happy to announce that the present estimate of Asiatic Lion
is at now 359 plus the figure of the population is highest ever record,"
Modi said. Forest officials said more than 1,000 conservationists and
volunteers had fanned out in the forest to track the animal's pugmarks
for the count, instead of the traditional method of using live buffalo
calves to bait them. The "bait method" was abandoned five years ago
following protests by animal rights activists. News of the increase
in the number of Asiatic lions came as a relief after reports that tigers
may have been wiped out entirely in the Sariska sanctuary -- where the
Project Tiger conservation programme began in 1973 and where there were
an estimated 16-18 big cats a year ago. Activists fear the story may
be the same in sanctuaries across India, which has almost half the world's
surviving tigers. A century ago, there were an estimated 40,000 tigers
in India. Now, the official government census says about 3,700 survive
while some wildlife experts say the number may be barely 2,000. Migratory birds have come calling in Kangra valley (Go to Top) Kangra
(HP): The Kangra valley has discovered a new positive sign of boosting
tourism in the region. The migratory birds have come calling. Thousands
of tourists visit the valley for bird watching. The ornithologists working
at the Pong Reservoir area of Kangra valley opine that the number of
these birds has been increasing for the last five years. According to
a foreign ornithologist in Pong reservoir, the number of migratory birds
arriving at Pong reservoir has increased to ninety thousand this year
and this number keeps increasing every year. The migratory birds start
coming from the month of November to Kangra valley. Different varieties
of migratory birds fly to this area like Bar Leaded Goose, Lesser Whistling
Duck and White Spoonbill. White breasted Kingfishers and white eyed
Pochards also come in large numbers. "Over all, the number of birds
has definitely increased quite a bit for the past 20 years specifically
the Bar Leaded Goose of which we had a number of 17,000 this year. Pong
is probably the site with the largest number of this species. I think
there has definitely been an increase in the number of birds of this
species in the past five years. I definitely think that we have a very
unique wetland with a large number of interesting bird species. So a
way can be found to let nature tourism go hand in hand with nature conservation
and I definitely think that tourism department will understand the need
to protect a wetland like this," said Jan William, an ornithologist.
Travel agents in the valley feel that there is a need to develop tourism
in this area. They say that the tourism department and the government
are doing nothing to boost tourism at the time of bird migration. "It
is an upcoming destination for bird lovers not only in India but all
over the world. The people of Himachal Pradesh are very fortunate to
have this wetland. It is an asset for development projects. The government
does not seem to be serious about it," said Prem Sagar, a travel agent.
The migratory birds can prove to be a boon for the tourism industry
of the state and the government needs to pay immediate attention to
it. Rajaji Park beefs up security to save tiger (Go to Top)
Jaipur: Jaipur's Rajaji Park (Uttaranachal): Authorities of Rajaji National Park in Uttaranchal have beefed up security after more than two dozen tigers vanished from another wildlife sanctuary in less than two years. Concerned over the fast dwindling tiger population, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month ordered a police investigation and formed a new task force to stem the rapid fall in the number of the endangered species at the Sariska Forest Reserve. Spread over an area of 820 square kilometres and ensconced in the Shivalik Hills, the Rajaji National Park was declared a protected zone in 1983 to save animals like elephants, tigers and deer from poaching.Authorities in Rajaji park have increased patrolling and the number of guards in and around the park. "The Park administration has sounded a red alert. We are on patrol 24 hours and have a very elaborate system in place. Each forest guard has arms, including rifles and walkie-talkie and other communicaition equiment to help us coordinate," said Mahabir Negi, forest officer. Wildlife activists say tigers may have been wiped out entirely in the Sariska sanctuary -- where the Project Tiger conservation programme began in 1973 and where there were as many as 16-18 big cats a year ago. They fear the story may be the same in sanctuaries across India, which has almost half the world's surviving tigers. Navprabhat,
Forest Minister of Uttaranchal, said tribals in the park are also being
relocated. "With respect to the security situation in Rajaji National
Park we are still not fully satisfied because there are still huge settlement
of Gujjars or forest tribals within the reserve which implies that there
is a still a lot of unchecked movement of unauthorised people going
on. It is dangerous. Right now except for one range we have made effort
to rehabilitate most of the tribals but their actual movement out of
the park will take a few more months so the security situation is still
very sensitive," he said. Forest tribals, known as Van Gujjars, were
the traditional inhabitants of the Rajaji National Park, but over the
years increasing population and modernisation of their lifestyles has
led to massive deforestation and poaching of rare animals. Killing of
tigers, although banned in India, has been going on under cover as a
single one can fetch up to $50,000 in the international market. A century
ago, there were an estimated 40,000 tigers in India. Now, some wildlife
experts say there are barely 2,000 and the official government census
about 3,700. Exact figures are almost impossible because of the shy
nature of the big cats. The government keeps no detailed records on
poaching, most of which goes unreported anyway.
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