Our tiger reserve has no tigers, admits India
15/07/2009 - 15:13:07
An Indian state government has admitted that its tiger reserve has none of the animals left.
Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Rajendra Shukla said that no tigers were found in the Panna Tiger Reserve during a Wildlife Institute of India survey conducted in May.
The national park had about 40 tigers six years ago.
A special investigative team headed by the former Project Tiger chief P K Sen conducted an inquiry and revisited the park last month to recheck logs and documents.
Their final report on the tiger population, which was submitted to the central government last month, is being examined by the state forest department. The report said poaching was among the reasons for the falling tiger population in the reserve.
Wildlife expert and founder of Wildlife First, Praveen Bhargav, said that all forest reserves ought to be protected properly or the tiger population would decrease.
“The Madhya Pradesh government has long been denying the issue and has maintained that all was well. Now the probe has exposed that there are no tigers in Panna,” he told the Press Association.
“This is a very serious matter and the main point is that accountability must be fixed or we will have more and more cases like the Panna reserve,” Mr Bhargav, a member of the National Board for Wildlife in India, added.
He said that poaching networks have had a “free run” despite authentic studies being conducted and alarm bells being sounded by scientists and conservationists.
“This is a case of major protection failure and an attempt to cover up that failure. Lessons must be learnt and those responsible must be held accountable.”
The government has also begun the process of moving two tigresses to the Panna park. Mr Shukla added that they are waiting for permission from the central government to relocate four more cats to the reserve.
Mr Bhargav, however, pointed out that the plan is pointless if the reserves are not protected. “The government must address the core problem of sufficient protection.
“Unless heads roll, translocation of animals is not going to help as these too might be lost and the situation will not change,” he said.
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/world/our-tiger-reserve-has-no-tigers-admits-india-418818.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Indian tiger reserve... where poachers have killed all the tigers
The Indian tiger reserve... where poachers have killed all the tigers
By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 5:10 PM on 15th July 2009
As one of India's premier tiger reserves, it should be the ideal place to spot the increasingly elusive creatures.
Only trouble is, the Panna National Park no longer has any tigers.
Officials made the embarrassing admission after a census was conducted in the reserve, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
They knew numbers had been dwindling and became concerned after no tigers had been spotted for some time.
But the results only confirmed their darkest suspicions.
Panna National Park was one of a number of reserves set up to save the Royal Bengal tiger from extinction.
Just a century ago, India had 40,000 of the creatures.
But their numbers have been radically reduced by hunters and poachers.
A seven-member committee which includes conservationists and experts has now been formed to determine where the park's tigers have gone.
Chief conservator HS Pabla told the BBC that tigers from Sanjay National Park could have strayed into adjoining areas, which is now part of the state of Chattisgarh.
But some experts fear the tigers have been poached, despite the country banning hunting of the giant cats.
A conservation scheme known as Project Tiger has also been created to increase the population of the endangered species.
Though the programme was initially successful, the decline in numbers has been negated by an increase in poaching, which is now organised around drug-smuggling.
National Wildlife Advisory Board member MK Ranjitsingh said it was time authorities took tougher action to stop the hunters.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1199912/Fears-grow-welfare-Indias-tigers-numbers-disappear-premier-conservation-park.html#
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 5:10 PM on 15th July 2009
As one of India's premier tiger reserves, it should be the ideal place to spot the increasingly elusive creatures.
Only trouble is, the Panna National Park no longer has any tigers.
Officials made the embarrassing admission after a census was conducted in the reserve, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
They knew numbers had been dwindling and became concerned after no tigers had been spotted for some time.
But the results only confirmed their darkest suspicions.
Panna National Park was one of a number of reserves set up to save the Royal Bengal tiger from extinction.
Just a century ago, India had 40,000 of the creatures.
But their numbers have been radically reduced by hunters and poachers.
A seven-member committee which includes conservationists and experts has now been formed to determine where the park's tigers have gone.
Chief conservator HS Pabla told the BBC that tigers from Sanjay National Park could have strayed into adjoining areas, which is now part of the state of Chattisgarh.
But some experts fear the tigers have been poached, despite the country banning hunting of the giant cats.
A conservation scheme known as Project Tiger has also been created to increase the population of the endangered species.
Though the programme was initially successful, the decline in numbers has been negated by an increase in poaching, which is now organised around drug-smuggling.
National Wildlife Advisory Board member MK Ranjitsingh said it was time authorities took tougher action to stop the hunters.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1199912/Fears-grow-welfare-Indias-tigers-numbers-disappear-premier-conservation-park.html#
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
The Big Question: Can India's tigers be saved or are they now doomed to disappear?
The Big Question: Can India's tigers be saved or are they now doomed to disappear?
Officials at the Panna Nature Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh revealed this week that there were no longer any of tigers in the entire park.
By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Why are we asking this now?
This week officials at the Panna Nature Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the so-called tiger state, revealed that there were no longer any of the big cats in the entire park. After forest officials reported not sighting any of the animals for some time, a leading wildlife organisation carried out a survey. The state's forest minister, Rajendra Shukla, confirmed that the reserve, which three years ago had up to 24 tigers, no longer had any whatsoever. Almost all are believed to have been killed by poachers.
Why is this so serious?
This is not the first time a prestigious reserve has reported that its tigers have disappeared. In 2005, it was revealed that all the tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan had also been killed by poachers. What makes this case different is that the problems faced by the park were regularly drawn to the attention of officials. A committee appointed by India's Supreme Court even warned of the potential peril facing the park and how Panna could see a repeat of what happened at Sariska. A report by the central government's forest ministry says "warning bells were sounded regularly for the past eight years" but that the local authorities did not take heed.
Dr Raghu Chundawat, an independent scientist who carried out an extensive tiger radio-collaring project in Panna and who repeatedly warned of their falling numbers, said: "We have been shouting about this for the past six years. There is a big problem. The state government is still refusing to listen."
What is the current strength of India's tiger population?
A census carried out on behalf of the government and handed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two years ago revealed that the total may be as few as 1,300 animals. The upper limit was put at 1,500. While there are no precise figures, some estimates suggest that the turn of the 20th Century, the population may have stood at 100,000. Some experts believe there may now be as few as two genetically viable populations of tigers in India, located in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand and the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which is said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling to pen The Jungle Book.
What is responsible for this decline?
The most pressing problem is the failure of the authorities to stop poaching. Tiger pelts and body parts still drive a huge market in China and elsewhere in East Asia where they are believed to have special medicinal powers. Campaigners say that a skin can fetch £5,300 while tiger penises, said to improve sexual prowess, can be sold for up to £14,000 per kilo. The authorities suffer from a lack of trained, properly-equipped forest guards. Salaries are low and motivation is often lacking. There are widespread suggestions of bribery and corruption.
Are there any other factors?
Another more long-term reason is the increasing lack of habitats for tigers. India's large, sprawling population is increasingly coming into contact with tigers, with often fatal results for man and beast alike. Without protected habitats, there is nowhere safe for these large, roaming animals to breed and live. Certain pieces of legislation, such as the Recognition of Forest Rights Act which grants some of India's most impoverished communities the right to own and live in the forests, only add to such clashes. Experts say all the evidence shows that tigers and humans cannot safely co-exist and unless there is a willingness to set aside designated, protected areas, than the tiger's chances are not good.
What else?
Another factor is the shortage of prey species. If deer and antelope are being poached, tigers may be tempted to kill livestock, something which pushes them into further confrontation with humans.
Is global warming playing a role here?
In the Sunderbans delta at the mouth of the Ganges there are reports of rising sea levels reducing the amount of land and driving the tigers northwards. This means they are increasingly moving into human settlements. Tigers have long been feared among the fishing and honey-collecting communities that survive in the delta. It's said that few will venture into the forest without wearing a human mask attached to the back of the head. It is believed that a tiger will never attack a human being face-on. Anecdotally, there are increased reports of tigers attacking humans in these areas.
What about tigers elsewhere?
It is not just in India that tigers are suffering. Over the past 100 years, tiger populations across the world have fallen by as much as 95 per cent and are now facing extinction within their last domains. Of the nine sub-species of tiger, three – the Caspian, Javanese and Balinese – are already gone. A fourth, the South China tiger, is already considered "functionally extinct" with perhaps fewer than 30 surviving in the wild. Elsewhere the Sumatran tiger is listed as critically endangered. The others – the Indochinese, the Malayan, the Siberian and India's Bengal tiger – all face massive threats.
What has the Indian government been doing to save tigers?
As far back as 1972 when then prime minister Indira Gandhi established Project Tiger, the value of saving this hugely symbolic animal has been recognised. Tens of millions of pounds has been spent in an often disorganised series of conservation efforts. Today there are more than 40 reserves. And some positive things are being done; last year, three tigers were airlifted into the Sariska reserve in an effort to try and restock the population. The government's National Tiger Conservation Authority – tasked with saving the animal – now wants to ban tourists from the centre of most of the country's reserves. Sab Prakash Yadav, the organisation's joint director, recently said: "Tourism creates a disturbance through vehicles, noise pollution, garbage and the need to provide facilities."
What is the mood among conservationists?
It is a mixture of despair and forced optimism. "This is a catastrophe," Belinda Wright, head of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said about the loss of the Panna tigers. "It just shows that have not learned any lessons from Sariska. The problem is the relationship between the central and state governments. It is pretty sordid story, actually."
So could the tiger population already be doomed?
Some experts say the small size of the population makes the future of the tiger scientifically unviable. However, such conservationists still chose to carry on their work in the hope of a miracle. Ashok Kumar, deputy chair of the Wildlife Trust of India, said it was essential that attention was paid to improving the training of forest guards, boosting their number and employing park directors who had the dedication to deal with the poaching problem. He said he was heartened by the government's current environment minister and that there were populations in several regions of India that were viable. He said: "The long-term future of the tiger can be saved."
Is there any chance of survival for the Indian tiger?
Yes...
* India knows the value of the tiger, and there appears to be determination to do something.
* Poaching has been stopped in other parts of the world.
* In the past couple of years, India has become educated about this. The census of 2007 may act as a wake-up call and lead to greater action.
No...
* Some experts believe the population is already too small for the animal to have a viable future.
* The authorities seem unable to stop poaching, either confronting poachers or those who trade in tiger.
* India's population is growing, putting more pressure on the natural habitats upon which the tigers rely.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-big-question-can-indias-tigers-be-saved-or-are-they-now-doomed-to-disappear-1748077.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Officials at the Panna Nature Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh revealed this week that there were no longer any of tigers in the entire park.
By Andrew Buncombe, Asia Correspondent
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Why are we asking this now?
This week officials at the Panna Nature Reserve in the state of Madhya Pradesh, the so-called tiger state, revealed that there were no longer any of the big cats in the entire park. After forest officials reported not sighting any of the animals for some time, a leading wildlife organisation carried out a survey. The state's forest minister, Rajendra Shukla, confirmed that the reserve, which three years ago had up to 24 tigers, no longer had any whatsoever. Almost all are believed to have been killed by poachers.
Why is this so serious?
This is not the first time a prestigious reserve has reported that its tigers have disappeared. In 2005, it was revealed that all the tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan had also been killed by poachers. What makes this case different is that the problems faced by the park were regularly drawn to the attention of officials. A committee appointed by India's Supreme Court even warned of the potential peril facing the park and how Panna could see a repeat of what happened at Sariska. A report by the central government's forest ministry says "warning bells were sounded regularly for the past eight years" but that the local authorities did not take heed.
Dr Raghu Chundawat, an independent scientist who carried out an extensive tiger radio-collaring project in Panna and who repeatedly warned of their falling numbers, said: "We have been shouting about this for the past six years. There is a big problem. The state government is still refusing to listen."
What is the current strength of India's tiger population?
A census carried out on behalf of the government and handed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh two years ago revealed that the total may be as few as 1,300 animals. The upper limit was put at 1,500. While there are no precise figures, some estimates suggest that the turn of the 20th Century, the population may have stood at 100,000. Some experts believe there may now be as few as two genetically viable populations of tigers in India, located in the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand and the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, which is said to have inspired Rudyard Kipling to pen The Jungle Book.
What is responsible for this decline?
The most pressing problem is the failure of the authorities to stop poaching. Tiger pelts and body parts still drive a huge market in China and elsewhere in East Asia where they are believed to have special medicinal powers. Campaigners say that a skin can fetch £5,300 while tiger penises, said to improve sexual prowess, can be sold for up to £14,000 per kilo. The authorities suffer from a lack of trained, properly-equipped forest guards. Salaries are low and motivation is often lacking. There are widespread suggestions of bribery and corruption.
Are there any other factors?
Another more long-term reason is the increasing lack of habitats for tigers. India's large, sprawling population is increasingly coming into contact with tigers, with often fatal results for man and beast alike. Without protected habitats, there is nowhere safe for these large, roaming animals to breed and live. Certain pieces of legislation, such as the Recognition of Forest Rights Act which grants some of India's most impoverished communities the right to own and live in the forests, only add to such clashes. Experts say all the evidence shows that tigers and humans cannot safely co-exist and unless there is a willingness to set aside designated, protected areas, than the tiger's chances are not good.
What else?
Another factor is the shortage of prey species. If deer and antelope are being poached, tigers may be tempted to kill livestock, something which pushes them into further confrontation with humans.
Is global warming playing a role here?
In the Sunderbans delta at the mouth of the Ganges there are reports of rising sea levels reducing the amount of land and driving the tigers northwards. This means they are increasingly moving into human settlements. Tigers have long been feared among the fishing and honey-collecting communities that survive in the delta. It's said that few will venture into the forest without wearing a human mask attached to the back of the head. It is believed that a tiger will never attack a human being face-on. Anecdotally, there are increased reports of tigers attacking humans in these areas.
What about tigers elsewhere?
It is not just in India that tigers are suffering. Over the past 100 years, tiger populations across the world have fallen by as much as 95 per cent and are now facing extinction within their last domains. Of the nine sub-species of tiger, three – the Caspian, Javanese and Balinese – are already gone. A fourth, the South China tiger, is already considered "functionally extinct" with perhaps fewer than 30 surviving in the wild. Elsewhere the Sumatran tiger is listed as critically endangered. The others – the Indochinese, the Malayan, the Siberian and India's Bengal tiger – all face massive threats.
What has the Indian government been doing to save tigers?
As far back as 1972 when then prime minister Indira Gandhi established Project Tiger, the value of saving this hugely symbolic animal has been recognised. Tens of millions of pounds has been spent in an often disorganised series of conservation efforts. Today there are more than 40 reserves. And some positive things are being done; last year, three tigers were airlifted into the Sariska reserve in an effort to try and restock the population. The government's National Tiger Conservation Authority – tasked with saving the animal – now wants to ban tourists from the centre of most of the country's reserves. Sab Prakash Yadav, the organisation's joint director, recently said: "Tourism creates a disturbance through vehicles, noise pollution, garbage and the need to provide facilities."
What is the mood among conservationists?
It is a mixture of despair and forced optimism. "This is a catastrophe," Belinda Wright, head of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, said about the loss of the Panna tigers. "It just shows that have not learned any lessons from Sariska. The problem is the relationship between the central and state governments. It is pretty sordid story, actually."
So could the tiger population already be doomed?
Some experts say the small size of the population makes the future of the tiger scientifically unviable. However, such conservationists still chose to carry on their work in the hope of a miracle. Ashok Kumar, deputy chair of the Wildlife Trust of India, said it was essential that attention was paid to improving the training of forest guards, boosting their number and employing park directors who had the dedication to deal with the poaching problem. He said he was heartened by the government's current environment minister and that there were populations in several regions of India that were viable. He said: "The long-term future of the tiger can be saved."
Is there any chance of survival for the Indian tiger?
Yes...
* India knows the value of the tiger, and there appears to be determination to do something.
* Poaching has been stopped in other parts of the world.
* In the past couple of years, India has become educated about this. The census of 2007 may act as a wake-up call and lead to greater action.
No...
* Some experts believe the population is already too small for the animal to have a viable future.
* The authorities seem unable to stop poaching, either confronting poachers or those who trade in tiger.
* India's population is growing, putting more pressure on the natural habitats upon which the tigers rely.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/the-big-question-can-indias-tigers-be-saved-or-are-they-now-doomed-to-disappear-1748077.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Vietnamese police arrest three tiger smugglers
Vietnamese police arrest three tiger smugglers
Asia-Pacific News
Jul 16, 2009, 8:16 GMT
Hanoi - Hanoi police have arrested three men who were found illegally transporting a disemboweled tiger carcass and a tiger skeleton, a police official said Thursday.
'It took us about a month to bust this case,' said Tran Quang Cuong of Hanoi's Environmental Police Agency, which arrested the men as they were transporting the tigers in their car. He said they confessed their crimes.
Police identified the three men involved in the case as Hoang Van Su, 36, the owner of the tiger carcass, Nguyen Trung Phong, the car's driver and Su's friend who accompanied him to transport the tigers from central province of Thanh Hoa to sell to his contact in Hanoi.
The disemboweled tiger carcass, weighing some 60 kilograms, had been frozen. A package containing 11 kilograms of tiger skeleton was also recovered.
Cuong said the evidence was sent to the Soc Son Wildlife Rescue Centre, near Hanoi.
Doctor Pham Trong Anh of the Institute for Ecology and Biological Resources said the tigers are native to East Asia and Southern Asia and are classified as endangered by the World Conservation Union.
Dan Tri Newspaper on Thursday said a kilogram of fresh-frozen tiger meat costs about 20 million dong (1,130 dollars).
Tiger bones and other parts are often used in traditional Vietnamese medicine. 'Tiger paste' - made from boiling the bones of the tiger and said to restore the bones of the elderly - can sell for as much as 5,000 dollars a kilogram on the black market.
Less than 100 of the cats are believed to survive in the wild in Vietnam, where habitat loss and poaching have taken a heavy toll on endangered flora and fauna in recent decades.
According to Vietnamese law, those hunting, transporting or trading in rare animals are subject to a prison term of up to seven years and a cash fine of up to 1,250 dollars.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1490024.php/Vietnamese_police_arrest_three_tiger_smugglers_
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Asia-Pacific News
Jul 16, 2009, 8:16 GMT
Hanoi - Hanoi police have arrested three men who were found illegally transporting a disemboweled tiger carcass and a tiger skeleton, a police official said Thursday.
'It took us about a month to bust this case,' said Tran Quang Cuong of Hanoi's Environmental Police Agency, which arrested the men as they were transporting the tigers in their car. He said they confessed their crimes.
Police identified the three men involved in the case as Hoang Van Su, 36, the owner of the tiger carcass, Nguyen Trung Phong, the car's driver and Su's friend who accompanied him to transport the tigers from central province of Thanh Hoa to sell to his contact in Hanoi.
The disemboweled tiger carcass, weighing some 60 kilograms, had been frozen. A package containing 11 kilograms of tiger skeleton was also recovered.
Cuong said the evidence was sent to the Soc Son Wildlife Rescue Centre, near Hanoi.
Doctor Pham Trong Anh of the Institute for Ecology and Biological Resources said the tigers are native to East Asia and Southern Asia and are classified as endangered by the World Conservation Union.
Dan Tri Newspaper on Thursday said a kilogram of fresh-frozen tiger meat costs about 20 million dong (1,130 dollars).
Tiger bones and other parts are often used in traditional Vietnamese medicine. 'Tiger paste' - made from boiling the bones of the tiger and said to restore the bones of the elderly - can sell for as much as 5,000 dollars a kilogram on the black market.
Less than 100 of the cats are believed to survive in the wild in Vietnam, where habitat loss and poaching have taken a heavy toll on endangered flora and fauna in recent decades.
According to Vietnamese law, those hunting, transporting or trading in rare animals are subject to a prison term of up to seven years and a cash fine of up to 1,250 dollars.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1490024.php/Vietnamese_police_arrest_three_tiger_smugglers_
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
From pythons to fungi, foreign species are invading America
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For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
How long does Tony the Tiger have to wait?
How long does Tony the Tiger have to wait?
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Raw hamburger for breakfast?
Five months have passed since the 11-1 vote by the Iberville Parish Council to revise the 1993 ordinance that reads:
"No person shall keep or permit to be kept on his premises any wild, exotic, vicious animal or reptile for display or for exhibition purposes whether gratuitously or for a fee...."
Tony, a 550-pound Bengal tiger born in 2000, has been illegally on display at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete for over eight years, according to this ordinance. However this revision, which took the council less than 10 minutes to decide on, allows Michael Sandlin, owner of the truck stop, to continue to exhibit the tiger in a cage in the parking lot until he can obtain a parish permit to permanently keep the tiger there. However if that permit is received, Sandlin must then request a permit from the state of Louisiana.
Iberville Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso, Jr. stated at the February 17, 2009 meeting that he would consider vetoing the revision to the ordinance unless "the owner of the tiger is willing to meet the standards to protect the general public and secondly the welfare of the animal...." Ourso said he would be meeting with Sandlin and make his decision within ten days. And so the council waits.
Attempts to receive a copy of the revision, if it exists, have been made by Sky Williamson, the animal advocate who spearheaded the attempt to have council uphold the original ordinance and have Tony moved to a sanctuary for his own humane treatment, as well as for the safety of the public viewing him. And so she waits.
In an email request to Councilman Ed Reeves, the only member to vote against revising the 1993 ordinance, he said,
"At this time, I do not know of any additional developments concerning Tony the Tiger. I continue to get emails from around the country (and some abroad) with concerns of his condition(s) and habitat." He added that he did not know if any of the "required and agreed upon improvements" have been made. A request has been made for those improvements. And so I wait.
What does this mean for Tony? You guessed it. After eight years in a cage in the parking lot of a truck stop, amidst diesel fumes, harassing spectators who had to be warned by a sign not to throw objects at him, constant interstate highway noises, 100 degree plus temperatures with only a small water trough to stand in, Tony waits.
Those not interested in waiting for more of the story can visit http://savetonythetiger.blogspot.com/ or www.freetony.com
Author: Teresa Rowell
Teresa Rowell is an Examiner from New Orleans. You can see Teresa's articles on Teresa's Home Page.
http://www.examiner.com/x-16570-New-Orleans-Pet-Rescue-Scene-Examiner~y2009m7d15-How-long-does-Tony-the-Tiger-have-to-wait
http://www.examiner.com/x-16570-New-Orleans-Pet-Rescue-Scene-Examiner~y2009m7d15-How-long-does-Tony-the-Tiger-have-to-wait
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
India Rejects US Module Of Breeding Tigers in Captivity
Pugmark Tiger tracking dumped
Govt Rejects US Module Of Breeding Tigers in Captivity
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday told the Rajya Sabha that the old system of tiger census through pugmarks was "faulty" and a new statistical measure based on camera trap has been started.
Stating that the number of tigers hovered between 1,150 and 1,600, Ramesh also made it clear that at no cost would India follow the US and Chinese model of breeding tigers in captivity. "All tigers in India are in the wild and will remain in the wild," he said. Though the estimation of tiger population took place once in four years, he will prefer to have it once in two years, he added.
In a debate that saw members cutting across party lines express concern about the falling number of tigers, Ramesh said the best protectors of the environment and tigers were local communities. "We don't need policing. We need incentives for local communities to protect the ecosystem," he said. Ramesh said he had already spoken to 200 vangujar families who live in the Jim Corbett Park. "I am going to start social protection force with their help. If it works, we will take it elsewhere too. They will be paid and given mobility and connectivity," he said.
Ramesh said according to the new plan, people living in tiger reserves would be moved to buffer zones while the core inviolate area would have no human habitation. He said about 80,000 to 1 lakh people will be moved to buffer zones and compensation had been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. Responding to concerns expressed by nominated member Chandan Mitra that no poacher, including notorious Sansar Chand, had ever been punished, Ramesh said his ministry had proposed setting up a National Green Tribunal for speedy trials. "If the Act needs change, I am open to it."
-- Mr. Chandan Mitra was ill informed that Sansar Chand has not been punished.In fact he is serving a five year term and facing trial in other wildlife cases also including a case under an organised criome case filed by Central Bureau of Investigation.
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Speak Up for Animals in Hillsborough County
On the 16th the County Commission will hold its next budget meeting. They will again be discussing the proposed budget cuts to Hillsborough County Animal Services.
These cuts would cause unbelievable animal suffering. HCAS is already understaffed. I just sent them an email saying that the recent puppy mill raids and cat hoarding busts just illustrate how important HCAS is. If they make these budget cuts, animal cruelty and dog fighting will fluorish. Animals will be running wild, causing danger to citizens and tourists. Who will want to come here? It will affect the tourist industry and the safety of all. I told them they should cut from the top, not from the "bottom"--animals, children, and elderly services. I also told them that if they pass these budget cuts I will hold them accountable at election time.
You can go to the Hillsborough County Commission website and write one email, then check who it goes to; all the county commissioners and the county administrator, all in one fell swoop. Today and tomorrow is the perfect time for them to recieve lots more emails.
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/about/contactus.cfm
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
These cuts would cause unbelievable animal suffering. HCAS is already understaffed. I just sent them an email saying that the recent puppy mill raids and cat hoarding busts just illustrate how important HCAS is. If they make these budget cuts, animal cruelty and dog fighting will fluorish. Animals will be running wild, causing danger to citizens and tourists. Who will want to come here? It will affect the tourist industry and the safety of all. I told them they should cut from the top, not from the "bottom"--animals, children, and elderly services. I also told them that if they pass these budget cuts I will hold them accountable at election time.
You can go to the Hillsborough County Commission website and write one email, then check who it goes to; all the county commissioners and the county administrator, all in one fell swoop. Today and tomorrow is the perfect time for them to recieve lots more emails.
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/bocc/about/contactus.cfm
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Monday, July 13, 2009
No tiger found in Panna Tiger Reserve, MP govt admits
No tiger found in Panna Tiger Reserve, MP govt admits
PTI 13 July 2009, 04:20pm IST
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government admitted in the State Assembly that no tiger was found in the Panna Tiger Reserve during a survey conducted in this May by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
This was stated by the Madhya Pradesh minister of state for forest, Rajendra Shukla in a written reply to a calling attention motion on the issue of dwindling tiger population in the state moved by Choudhary Rakesh Singh and others of the Congress.
The minister also said that the State government was examining a report submitted by the Special Investigating Team set up by the Centre which said that illegal hunting was also among the reasons for the falling tiger population in Panna.
Shukla said that a committee has been set up to look into the matter and suggest ways and means to ensure that such things do not recur. Its report was expected soon, he added.
He said that the process for re-establishing tigers in the Panna Tiger Reserve had already begun with the translocation of two tigresses and pointed out that permission for translocating four more tigers/tigresses had been sought from the Centre.
The Minister said that the State government agreed with the concern expressed by members and pointed out that all efforts would be made for protection of tigers and other forest animals.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-Environment-Flora-Fauna-No-tiger-found-in-Panna-Tiger-Reserve-MP-govt-admits-/articleshow/4772623.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
PTI 13 July 2009, 04:20pm IST
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government admitted in the State Assembly that no tiger was found in the Panna Tiger Reserve during a survey conducted in this May by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
This was stated by the Madhya Pradesh minister of state for forest, Rajendra Shukla in a written reply to a calling attention motion on the issue of dwindling tiger population in the state moved by Choudhary Rakesh Singh and others of the Congress.
The minister also said that the State government was examining a report submitted by the Special Investigating Team set up by the Centre which said that illegal hunting was also among the reasons for the falling tiger population in Panna.
Shukla said that a committee has been set up to look into the matter and suggest ways and means to ensure that such things do not recur. Its report was expected soon, he added.
He said that the process for re-establishing tigers in the Panna Tiger Reserve had already begun with the translocation of two tigresses and pointed out that permission for translocating four more tigers/tigresses had been sought from the Centre.
The Minister said that the State government agreed with the concern expressed by members and pointed out that all efforts would be made for protection of tigers and other forest animals.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-Environment-Flora-Fauna-No-tiger-found-in-Panna-Tiger-Reserve-MP-govt-admits-/articleshow/4772623.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
No tiger in Sanjay Tiger Reserve also, says official
No tiger in Sanjay Tiger Reserve also, says official
13 Jul 2009, 1732 hrs IST, PTI
BHOPAL: After Panna, Sanjay Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh may have faced a similar fate with a top official saying that no tiger was sighted in the sanctuary between October 2008 and May 2009.
"No tiger was officially sighted between October 2008 and May 2009 in Sanjay Tiger Reserve," C K Patil, who was posted as director of Sanjay Tiger Reserve during the period, said over phone.
Patil is currently posted as director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve while the new director of Sanjay Tiger Reserve has not taken charge as yet.
According to an official census of Madhya Pradesh carried out in 2004, Sanjay Tiger Reserve, spread over in more than 800 sq km in Sidhi district, had six big cats.
The state government, last week, presented a written reply to a question relating to the dwindling number of tigers in the Assembly, has not mentioned the name of Sanjay Tiger Reserve or its census report, along with the census details of other Reserves, carried out in 2006.
Sanjay Reserve, in undivided Madhya Pradesh had the highest tiger population in 1992 of 36, according to state forest department census.
After Madhya Pradesh was divided in 2000, a large part of the then Sanjay National Park went to Chhattisgarh, forest officials said.
Chhattisgarh government renamed this forest area falling under its jurisdiction as Guru Ghasidas National Park in an area of 1,500 sq km, they said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Flora-Fauna/No-tiger-in-Sanjay-Tiger-Reserve-also-says-official-/articleshow/4772968.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
13 Jul 2009, 1732 hrs IST, PTI
BHOPAL: After Panna, Sanjay Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh may have faced a similar fate with a top official saying that no tiger was sighted in the sanctuary between October 2008 and May 2009.
"No tiger was officially sighted between October 2008 and May 2009 in Sanjay Tiger Reserve," C K Patil, who was posted as director of Sanjay Tiger Reserve during the period, said over phone.
Patil is currently posted as director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve while the new director of Sanjay Tiger Reserve has not taken charge as yet.
According to an official census of Madhya Pradesh carried out in 2004, Sanjay Tiger Reserve, spread over in more than 800 sq km in Sidhi district, had six big cats.
The state government, last week, presented a written reply to a question relating to the dwindling number of tigers in the Assembly, has not mentioned the name of Sanjay Tiger Reserve or its census report, along with the census details of other Reserves, carried out in 2006.
Sanjay Reserve, in undivided Madhya Pradesh had the highest tiger population in 1992 of 36, according to state forest department census.
After Madhya Pradesh was divided in 2000, a large part of the then Sanjay National Park went to Chhattisgarh, forest officials said.
Chhattisgarh government renamed this forest area falling under its jurisdiction as Guru Ghasidas National Park in an area of 1,500 sq km, they said.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Flora-Fauna/No-tiger-in-Sanjay-Tiger-Reserve-also-says-official-/articleshow/4772968.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
MP refuses to take Panna blame, tells tiger authority to change policy
MP refuses to take Panna blame, tells tiger authority to change policy
Milind Ghatwai Posted online: Tuesday , Jul 14, 2009 at 0045 hrs
Bhopal : While refusing to act against officials responsible for the tiger going extinct in Panna, Madhya Pradesh on Monday joined issue with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), advising it to take more effective steps to increase the tiger population in the country.
“When 16 out of 37 tiger reserves in the country are not doing well, the NTCA will have to change its policies,” state Forest Minister Rajendra Shukla told the Assembly in reply to a Calling Attention motion by the Opposition.
The work on tiger conservation was carried out according to day-to-day directives/guidelines issued by the NTCA and the money made available by it, Shukla said while telling the House that the Union Environment and Forest Minister had praised Madhya Pradesh for its conservation initiatives in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench reserves.
In the same breath, the minister admitted that his government had received the report of a Special Investigating Team set up by the Union Environment Ministry, which held that poaching was the main reason for the Panna debacle. “We are examining the report and will soon let the Centre know of our reaction,” he said.
The Opposition accused the minister of digressing from the issue and staged a walkout saying the legislators were not satisfied with his reply. Before walking out they sported specially stitched adult bibs that carried pictures of tigers and “save us” messages.
“Who are you saving, tigers or officials,” asked Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi. Congress MLAs said the ‘tiger state’ was in danger of losing that tag because the Government not only failed to save the big cat but also remained in denial. They reminded the minister that the Rajasthan government had sacked its highest forest officials after the tiger went extinct in Sariska.
Former HRD minister Arjun Singh’s son Ajay Singh asked whether all tigers had been poached during 16 months when dreaded dacoit Thokia took shelter in Panna. Refusing to take the bait, the minister replied that vigil was never discontinued.
Eyebrows were raised when Shukla claimed that every year 60 cubs were born. When pressed further by deputy Leader of Opposition Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi, the Minister claimed that there were some deaths too. Chaturvedi had said if so many cubs were being born every year the population should have been much more than the estimated count of 300 in 2006.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mp-refuses-to-take-panna-blame-tells-tiger-authority-to-change-policy/488876/0
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Milind Ghatwai Posted online: Tuesday , Jul 14, 2009 at 0045 hrs
Bhopal : While refusing to act against officials responsible for the tiger going extinct in Panna, Madhya Pradesh on Monday joined issue with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), advising it to take more effective steps to increase the tiger population in the country.
“When 16 out of 37 tiger reserves in the country are not doing well, the NTCA will have to change its policies,” state Forest Minister Rajendra Shukla told the Assembly in reply to a Calling Attention motion by the Opposition.
The work on tiger conservation was carried out according to day-to-day directives/guidelines issued by the NTCA and the money made available by it, Shukla said while telling the House that the Union Environment and Forest Minister had praised Madhya Pradesh for its conservation initiatives in Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench reserves.
In the same breath, the minister admitted that his government had received the report of a Special Investigating Team set up by the Union Environment Ministry, which held that poaching was the main reason for the Panna debacle. “We are examining the report and will soon let the Centre know of our reaction,” he said.
The Opposition accused the minister of digressing from the issue and staged a walkout saying the legislators were not satisfied with his reply. Before walking out they sported specially stitched adult bibs that carried pictures of tigers and “save us” messages.
“Who are you saving, tigers or officials,” asked Leader of Opposition Jamuna Devi. Congress MLAs said the ‘tiger state’ was in danger of losing that tag because the Government not only failed to save the big cat but also remained in denial. They reminded the minister that the Rajasthan government had sacked its highest forest officials after the tiger went extinct in Sariska.
Former HRD minister Arjun Singh’s son Ajay Singh asked whether all tigers had been poached during 16 months when dreaded dacoit Thokia took shelter in Panna. Refusing to take the bait, the minister replied that vigil was never discontinued.
Eyebrows were raised when Shukla claimed that every year 60 cubs were born. When pressed further by deputy Leader of Opposition Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi, the Minister claimed that there were some deaths too. Chaturvedi had said if so many cubs were being born every year the population should have been much more than the estimated count of 300 in 2006.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mp-refuses-to-take-panna-blame-tells-tiger-authority-to-change-policy/488876/0
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Sunday, July 12, 2009
India: Skin, skull of leopard recovered from general store
PTI 11 July 2009, 08:24pm IST
SHAHDOL (MP): Hide and skull of a leopard were recovered from a general store by forest officials at village Budhar near here, officials said.
Bandhavgarh National Park Director C K Patil and South Forest Division Forest Conservator Mudika Singh along with forest staff raided Ram S Malani's general store following a tip off and recovered leopard's body parts. "We have recovered hide and skull of a leopard stuffed in a box from Malani's general store," Patil told reporters. He said that Malani had been arrested and booked under sections 39 and 51 of Wildlife Protection Act, adding that investigations were on. "If needed more sections will be imposed on Malani," Patil said. After the raid, a large number of businessmen assembled and protested demanding Malani's release, officials said. However, the situation was brought under control after Superintendent of Police Lakhanlal Ahirwar rushed to the spot and called extra police force, they said. Forest officials have handed over accused to the police.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-Environment-Flora-Fauna-Skin-skull-of-leopard-recovered-from-general-store-/articleshow/4767043.cms
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
SHAHDOL (MP): Hide and skull of a leopard were recovered from a general store by forest officials at village Budhar near here, officials said.
Bandhavgarh National Park Director C K Patil and South Forest Division Forest Conservator Mudika Singh along with forest staff raided Ram S Malani's general store following a tip off and recovered leopard's body parts. "We have recovered hide and skull of a leopard stuffed in a box from Malani's general store," Patil told reporters. He said that Malani had been arrested and booked under sections 39 and 51 of Wildlife Protection Act, adding that investigations were on. "If needed more sections will be imposed on Malani," Patil said. After the raid, a large number of businessmen assembled and protested demanding Malani's release, officials said. However, the situation was brought under control after Superintendent of Police Lakhanlal Ahirwar rushed to the spot and called extra police force, they said. Forest officials have handed over accused to the police.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS-Environment-Flora-Fauna-Skin-skull-of-leopard-recovered-from-general-store-/articleshow/4767043.cms
-----
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
PHOTOS: Endangered Iberian lynxes in Spain
To see photos, go to: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/07/your-morning-adorable-endangered-iberian-lynxes-in-spain.html
11:53 AM, July 10, 2009
These little guys are members of the world's most endangered species of cat -- the Iberian lynx. Fortunately for them a group of conservation biologists is working to save the species through a captive breeding program in the lynxes' native Spain.
A century ago, about 100,000 Iberian lynxes lived in the wild in Spain and Portugal. But in the years since, they've been the victims of hunting, habitat loss due to human development and a disease outbreak that killed a huge number of wild rabbits, their main prey. By 2002, only about 150 Iberian lynxes remained in the wild.
One of the primary biologists working to save the lynxes is Astrid Vargas, an American who started a conservation breeding program in Spain in 2003. Vargas, who holds degrees in both veterinary medicine and conservation biology, started with five adult lynxes and now says the program has reached a goal of 30 adult males and 30 adult females. The next step: Preparing captive-born lynxes to be released into the wild.
More photos after the jump; for more information on the effort to bring Iberian lynxes back from the brink, check out this insightful Agence France-Presse interview with Vargas.
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
11:53 AM, July 10, 2009
These little guys are members of the world's most endangered species of cat -- the Iberian lynx. Fortunately for them a group of conservation biologists is working to save the species through a captive breeding program in the lynxes' native Spain.
A century ago, about 100,000 Iberian lynxes lived in the wild in Spain and Portugal. But in the years since, they've been the victims of hunting, habitat loss due to human development and a disease outbreak that killed a huge number of wild rabbits, their main prey. By 2002, only about 150 Iberian lynxes remained in the wild.
One of the primary biologists working to save the lynxes is Astrid Vargas, an American who started a conservation breeding program in Spain in 2003. Vargas, who holds degrees in both veterinary medicine and conservation biology, started with five adult lynxes and now says the program has reached a goal of 30 adult males and 30 adult females. The next step: Preparing captive-born lynxes to be released into the wild.
More photos after the jump; for more information on the effort to bring Iberian lynxes back from the brink, check out this insightful Agence France-Presse interview with Vargas.
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Conn. Attorney General urges cheetah permit scrutiny
Attorney General Urges Strong Scrutiny Of Cheetah Import Permit, Raises Questions About Private Zoo's Charitable Status
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urged careful review of an application by a private Greenwich zoo to import three cheetahs from South Africa, and raised questions about the organization's 501(c)(3) status.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urged careful review of an application by a private Greenwich zoo to import three cheetahs from South Africa, and raised questions about the organization's 501( c )( 3 ) status.
The Zoological Center at Lionshare Farm in Greenwich is a private business registered with the state, but also identifies itself as a non-profit in its cheetah import permit application.
The organization, which claims to be a zoo accredited by the Zoological Association of America ( ZAA ), seeks to import three cheetahs "for conservation education for the benefit of the residents of Greenwich, CT and its suburbs where there are no cheetahs in nearby zoos."
Blumenthal said that, beyond that statement, the zoo's import permit application provides few additional details about the zoo's charitable mission or its possible benefit to Connecticut. The application indicates that the captive-bred cheetahs will be used for breeding purposes, providing cheetahs to other ZAA-accredited establishments.
Blumenthal said conflicting statements about the zoo's 501( c )( 3 ) status and its purpose -- as well as public safety concerns -- deserve strict review by federal authorities. Particularly concerning is the zoo's close proximity to several elementary schools and the densely-populated central Greenwich district.
Blumenthal has also written directly to Lionshare Farm seeking more details about the organization's legal status.
"This cheetah import application concerns me because it raises serious questions about Lionshare Farm's legal status, purpose and public safety protections," Blumenthal said. "These three cheetahs would apparently join several dozen other wild, exotic -- and incredibly dangerous -- animals now kept in Greenwich, including a lion, tiger, hyenas and a bear.
"Many residents are unaware of this private preserve, despite the zoo's claim that its services benefit Greenwich and its suburbs.
"I have a responsibility to ensure that any charitable organization in Connecticut -- including Lionshare, if it claims to be a non-profit -- fulfills its charitable mission. It is listed as a stock corporation in state records of businesses.
"The recent brutal chimp attach in Stamford has rightfully raised new alarm and awareness about the private keeping of wild and exotic animals in our state. I am hopeful that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give this application the close and exacting scrutiny that it deserves to protect the public, as well as the animals."
http://media-newswire.com/release_1094541.html
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urged careful review of an application by a private Greenwich zoo to import three cheetahs from South Africa, and raised questions about the organization's 501(c)(3) status.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, in a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, urged careful review of an application by a private Greenwich zoo to import three cheetahs from South Africa, and raised questions about the organization's 501( c )( 3 ) status.
The Zoological Center at Lionshare Farm in Greenwich is a private business registered with the state, but also identifies itself as a non-profit in its cheetah import permit application.
The organization, which claims to be a zoo accredited by the Zoological Association of America ( ZAA ), seeks to import three cheetahs "for conservation education for the benefit of the residents of Greenwich, CT and its suburbs where there are no cheetahs in nearby zoos."
Blumenthal said that, beyond that statement, the zoo's import permit application provides few additional details about the zoo's charitable mission or its possible benefit to Connecticut. The application indicates that the captive-bred cheetahs will be used for breeding purposes, providing cheetahs to other ZAA-accredited establishments.
Blumenthal said conflicting statements about the zoo's 501( c )( 3 ) status and its purpose -- as well as public safety concerns -- deserve strict review by federal authorities. Particularly concerning is the zoo's close proximity to several elementary schools and the densely-populated central Greenwich district.
Blumenthal has also written directly to Lionshare Farm seeking more details about the organization's legal status.
"This cheetah import application concerns me because it raises serious questions about Lionshare Farm's legal status, purpose and public safety protections," Blumenthal said. "These three cheetahs would apparently join several dozen other wild, exotic -- and incredibly dangerous -- animals now kept in Greenwich, including a lion, tiger, hyenas and a bear.
"Many residents are unaware of this private preserve, despite the zoo's claim that its services benefit Greenwich and its suburbs.
"I have a responsibility to ensure that any charitable organization in Connecticut -- including Lionshare, if it claims to be a non-profit -- fulfills its charitable mission. It is listed as a stock corporation in state records of businesses.
"The recent brutal chimp attach in Stamford has rightfully raised new alarm and awareness about the private keeping of wild and exotic animals in our state. I am hopeful that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will give this application the close and exacting scrutiny that it deserves to protect the public, as well as the animals."
http://media-newswire.com/release_1094541.html
-----
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Namibian facility and UK zoo develop cheetah initiative
Namibia: Local Sanctuary And English Zoo Combine Forces On Cheetah Initiative
Tanja Bause
8 July 2009
-----------------------------
NAMIBIA'S N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary (45 km outside of Windhoek) and the Chester Zoo (in Cheshire in the Northern part of England) are developing a pioneering method for identifying cheetahs in the wild by archiving their paw prints on an international database.
The footprint identification technique (FIT) for endangered species is already being used in monitoring other big cats including Bengal tigers and African lions, and is being developed for other endangered and elusive species ranging from Polar bears in the Arctic to the dormouse in the UK.
FIT is a non-invasive and cost-effective method of identifying and monitoring these species, and because it does not involve any handling or disturbance to the animal it is free of the potentially harmful side effects of more invasive techniques.
Zoologist Sky Alibhai and veterinarian Zoe Jewell of the Portugal-based WildTrack, an independent research organisation developing FIT, believe it could help in monitoring cheetahs - one of the world's most threatened species.
The technology works on a similar basis to human fingerprinting because no two cheetah footprints are the same.
According to the research team the input and work done by N/a'an ku sê's and Chester Zoo is vital and will benefit the cheetah conservation community across Africa.
Florian Weise, co-ordinator with N/a'an ku sê Research Programme, said: "Ours and Chester Zoo's support is crucial in getting enough footprints from known reference cheetahs for us to be able to construct a software system that can then be tested with wild cheetah footprints."
Weise has recorded the footprints of six cheetahs so far - Aiko, Kiki, Aisha, Vasco, Samira and Chiquita.
Florian said: "It's great to be able to use these captive cheetahs that sadly, cannot be released for purposes of conservation research that will benefit the future of all cheetahs.
"The overall aim is to test whether free-roaming cheetahs can be identified from their footprints. If this is the case we can build a non-invasive monitoring technique for cheetah populations. It is extremely important because you can never catch and collar all cheetahs to find out about their population size and structure, their interactions and how the population changes over time."
Chester Zoo keepers are currently photographing and recording footprints of its four cheetahs, three males - Burba, Singa, and Matrah - and a female called Kinky Tail.
The footprints will be logged to help build up a reference base against which further prints can be compared.
By photographing and recording footprints in the wild, researchers can monitor an animal's movements without having caught sight of it.
Many Namibian cheetahs are in danger of being killed by farmers who fear that they will attack their livestock.
If proven viable, it is hoped these improved tracking methods, along with better communication and education of farmers, and relocation of any problem animals, will be a huge aid to international conservation efforts.
N/a'an ku sê are also thrilled that Chester Zoo is paying for two special collars for cheetahs in the wild to allow their movements to be tracked electronically.
The initial work is also being supported by Chester Zoo's conservation department and Roger Wilkinson, Head of Field Programs and Research, said: "We are involved in outreach conservation activities that complement our conservation work in the zoo; this is work which helps many different species.
"The cheetah project further strengthens our support for cheetah conservation at home and abroad. This is a very worthwhile project looking at long term strategies to reduce conflict between cheetahs and land owners."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907080622.html
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Tanja Bause
8 July 2009
-----------------------------
NAMIBIA'S N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary (45 km outside of Windhoek) and the Chester Zoo (in Cheshire in the Northern part of England) are developing a pioneering method for identifying cheetahs in the wild by archiving their paw prints on an international database.
The footprint identification technique (FIT) for endangered species is already being used in monitoring other big cats including Bengal tigers and African lions, and is being developed for other endangered and elusive species ranging from Polar bears in the Arctic to the dormouse in the UK.
FIT is a non-invasive and cost-effective method of identifying and monitoring these species, and because it does not involve any handling or disturbance to the animal it is free of the potentially harmful side effects of more invasive techniques.
Zoologist Sky Alibhai and veterinarian Zoe Jewell of the Portugal-based WildTrack, an independent research organisation developing FIT, believe it could help in monitoring cheetahs - one of the world's most threatened species.
The technology works on a similar basis to human fingerprinting because no two cheetah footprints are the same.
According to the research team the input and work done by N/a'an ku sê's and Chester Zoo is vital and will benefit the cheetah conservation community across Africa.
Florian Weise, co-ordinator with N/a'an ku sê Research Programme, said: "Ours and Chester Zoo's support is crucial in getting enough footprints from known reference cheetahs for us to be able to construct a software system that can then be tested with wild cheetah footprints."
Weise has recorded the footprints of six cheetahs so far - Aiko, Kiki, Aisha, Vasco, Samira and Chiquita.
Florian said: "It's great to be able to use these captive cheetahs that sadly, cannot be released for purposes of conservation research that will benefit the future of all cheetahs.
"The overall aim is to test whether free-roaming cheetahs can be identified from their footprints. If this is the case we can build a non-invasive monitoring technique for cheetah populations. It is extremely important because you can never catch and collar all cheetahs to find out about their population size and structure, their interactions and how the population changes over time."
Chester Zoo keepers are currently photographing and recording footprints of its four cheetahs, three males - Burba, Singa, and Matrah - and a female called Kinky Tail.
The footprints will be logged to help build up a reference base against which further prints can be compared.
By photographing and recording footprints in the wild, researchers can monitor an animal's movements without having caught sight of it.
Many Namibian cheetahs are in danger of being killed by farmers who fear that they will attack their livestock.
If proven viable, it is hoped these improved tracking methods, along with better communication and education of farmers, and relocation of any problem animals, will be a huge aid to international conservation efforts.
N/a'an ku sê are also thrilled that Chester Zoo is paying for two special collars for cheetahs in the wild to allow their movements to be tracked electronically.
The initial work is also being supported by Chester Zoo's conservation department and Roger Wilkinson, Head of Field Programs and Research, said: "We are involved in outreach conservation activities that complement our conservation work in the zoo; this is work which helps many different species.
"The cheetah project further strengthens our support for cheetah conservation at home and abroad. This is a very worthwhile project looking at long term strategies to reduce conflict between cheetahs and land owners."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200907080622.html
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Cheetah Encounter opening soon at N.Z. wildlife park
Cheetah cubs on road to recovery
Last updated 15:10 09/07/2009
The cheetah cubs who have been hand-reared since being rejected by their mother are thriving.
A temporary public display habitat has been created to house Shomari, Cango, Kunjuka and Mazza at Orana Wildlife Park.
The cubs are now thirteen weeks old and weigh over six kilograms. In April, Park staff saved the animals by choosing to hand-raise them, owing to an inexperienced first time mother abandoning them.
The Cheetah Cub Habitat consists of a portable building with access to an outdoor area. The cubs were transferred to their new home last week and have ventured outside, and on public view, for the first time over the past few days.
Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, is thrilled with theri progress. "They race around their terrain quickly and constantly play and interact with each other - it's great to watch.
"When they were born they were extremely vulnerable but each week they have developed nicely. The cubs will remain in this habitat for three months at which time they will move to one of our larger display exhibits."
Park staff are planning to offer a Cheetah Encounter within the next few weeks, giving visitors the chance to enter the habitat and meet the cubs.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2579893/Cheetah-cubs-on-road-to-recovery
-----
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Last updated 15:10 09/07/2009
The cheetah cubs who have been hand-reared since being rejected by their mother are thriving.
A temporary public display habitat has been created to house Shomari, Cango, Kunjuka and Mazza at Orana Wildlife Park.
The cubs are now thirteen weeks old and weigh over six kilograms. In April, Park staff saved the animals by choosing to hand-raise them, owing to an inexperienced first time mother abandoning them.
The Cheetah Cub Habitat consists of a portable building with access to an outdoor area. The cubs were transferred to their new home last week and have ventured outside, and on public view, for the first time over the past few days.
Animal Collection Manager, Ian Adams, is thrilled with theri progress. "They race around their terrain quickly and constantly play and interact with each other - it's great to watch.
"When they were born they were extremely vulnerable but each week they have developed nicely. The cubs will remain in this habitat for three months at which time they will move to one of our larger display exhibits."
Park staff are planning to offer a Cheetah Encounter within the next few weeks, giving visitors the chance to enter the habitat and meet the cubs.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/2579893/Cheetah-cubs-on-road-to-recovery
-----
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Bihar govt asked to appoint conservator for tiger reserve
Bihar govt asked to appoint conservator for tiger reserve
July 10, 2009
New Delhi (PTI): Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Bihar government to appoint a full-time conservator in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the state at the earliest to ensure better management in the park where tiger-count has declined in the recent years.
Expressing his concern over the fate of tigers, whose number has declined from 30 to 13, and other wildlife in the park spread over 880.78 sq km, Ramesh, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, urged him to expedite the process of signing tripartite pact with the Centre so as to avail central assisted fund.
The minister has sought reasons as to why no full-time conservator has been appointed in the park even when there is no dearth of officials, a senior official in the environment ministry said.
The top post in the reserve in Betia in Champaran district had been lying vacant for the last nine months and currently conservator Ashok Prasad has been entrusted with multiple charge of Muzaffarpur, Betia and Siwan forests, he added.
The state of affairs of field staff is equally precarious in the reserve with at least 40 per cent of the total posts lying vacant.
Due to vacancy at the top level, poachers get sufficient security gaps to target the endangered predators.
Except miscellaneous funds to meet the salary of the staff, there is no separate fund allocated by the state for the management and development of the park.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907101441.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
July 10, 2009
New Delhi (PTI): Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has asked the Bihar government to appoint a full-time conservator in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the state at the earliest to ensure better management in the park where tiger-count has declined in the recent years.
Expressing his concern over the fate of tigers, whose number has declined from 30 to 13, and other wildlife in the park spread over 880.78 sq km, Ramesh, in a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, urged him to expedite the process of signing tripartite pact with the Centre so as to avail central assisted fund.
The minister has sought reasons as to why no full-time conservator has been appointed in the park even when there is no dearth of officials, a senior official in the environment ministry said.
The top post in the reserve in Betia in Champaran district had been lying vacant for the last nine months and currently conservator Ashok Prasad has been entrusted with multiple charge of Muzaffarpur, Betia and Siwan forests, he added.
The state of affairs of field staff is equally precarious in the reserve with at least 40 per cent of the total posts lying vacant.
Due to vacancy at the top level, poachers get sufficient security gaps to target the endangered predators.
Except miscellaneous funds to meet the salary of the staff, there is no separate fund allocated by the state for the management and development of the park.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907101441.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Armed with a stick, Pappu protects the tigers
Armed with a stick, Pappu protects the tigers
Rashpal Singh / DNA
Sunday, July 12, 2009 2:43:00 AM
Every morning, as the first rays of the sun touch the Lapur chowki, Pappu Lal sets out on his day’s journey deep into the Ranthambhore forest, with just a stick in his hands and trepidation in his heart. Pappu and his fellow guards are the ‘bravehearts’ entrusted with the task of guarding the Royal Bengal tigers at this national park from the onslaught of poachers.
While the media and a slew of NGOs and wildlife experts are ever ready to pounce on the park whenever reports surface of poaching or the death of a tiger, what goes largely unnoticed is the plight of the forest guards who are expected to brave all odds and risk their lives for a measly pay packet and with almost no support.
A bamboo stick and a walkie-talkie set are all they get to save themselves and the tigers. For electricity during the night, they have to depend on solar-powered gadgets which seldom work in the rainy season.
So what do they do when they run into a wild animal or poachers? Well, what do you expect? The usual response from these unarmed guards is to run for their lives and then use the walkie-talkie to inform the forest officials about the hazard.
Is it any wonder that it’s not just the tiger population which is dwindling in the country, but also the number of guards? The shortage of staff at the park prompted the Rajasthan government recently to recruit a few ex-servicemen. They were considered to be battle-hardened for the job, but they really don’t have any experience in protecting tigers.
Nobody has cared to find out if these guards have what it takes for a daunting task like this. Do they have any interest in wildlife or nature? Besides, they’re working for paltry sums of Rs5,000 to Rs8,000 per month, and it’s hardly a surprise when reports come from time to time of forest guards conniving with poachers and turning a blind eye to illicit felling of trees and hunting inside the park.
When this DNA correspondent visited the park and talked to the guards, this is what Pappu Lal had to say. “For me, guarding the forest is the only means of earning a livelihood. In the jungle, we often come across wild animals, without any weapons with which to defend ourselves. There is danger from poachers too,” he said, while fixing up a quick lunch for himself before setting out for another round of the jungles.
Hanuman Prasad of Thumka chowki, who had just returned from the forest where a tigress had passed by him at a distance of 20 feet, doesn’t seem too excited when asked about his experiences of guarding the pride of India. “Sahab yeh hamari naukri hai, karni to padegi (Sir, this is my job; I have to do it).”
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_armed-with-a-stick-pappu-protects-the-tigers_1273166
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Rashpal Singh / DNA
Sunday, July 12, 2009 2:43:00 AM
Every morning, as the first rays of the sun touch the Lapur chowki, Pappu Lal sets out on his day’s journey deep into the Ranthambhore forest, with just a stick in his hands and trepidation in his heart. Pappu and his fellow guards are the ‘bravehearts’ entrusted with the task of guarding the Royal Bengal tigers at this national park from the onslaught of poachers.
While the media and a slew of NGOs and wildlife experts are ever ready to pounce on the park whenever reports surface of poaching or the death of a tiger, what goes largely unnoticed is the plight of the forest guards who are expected to brave all odds and risk their lives for a measly pay packet and with almost no support.
A bamboo stick and a walkie-talkie set are all they get to save themselves and the tigers. For electricity during the night, they have to depend on solar-powered gadgets which seldom work in the rainy season.
So what do they do when they run into a wild animal or poachers? Well, what do you expect? The usual response from these unarmed guards is to run for their lives and then use the walkie-talkie to inform the forest officials about the hazard.
Is it any wonder that it’s not just the tiger population which is dwindling in the country, but also the number of guards? The shortage of staff at the park prompted the Rajasthan government recently to recruit a few ex-servicemen. They were considered to be battle-hardened for the job, but they really don’t have any experience in protecting tigers.
Nobody has cared to find out if these guards have what it takes for a daunting task like this. Do they have any interest in wildlife or nature? Besides, they’re working for paltry sums of Rs5,000 to Rs8,000 per month, and it’s hardly a surprise when reports come from time to time of forest guards conniving with poachers and turning a blind eye to illicit felling of trees and hunting inside the park.
When this DNA correspondent visited the park and talked to the guards, this is what Pappu Lal had to say. “For me, guarding the forest is the only means of earning a livelihood. In the jungle, we often come across wild animals, without any weapons with which to defend ourselves. There is danger from poachers too,” he said, while fixing up a quick lunch for himself before setting out for another round of the jungles.
Hanuman Prasad of Thumka chowki, who had just returned from the forest where a tigress had passed by him at a distance of 20 feet, doesn’t seem too excited when asked about his experiences of guarding the pride of India. “Sahab yeh hamari naukri hai, karni to padegi (Sir, this is my job; I have to do it).”
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_armed-with-a-stick-pappu-protects-the-tigers_1273166
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Canned tiger noises to scare away elephants!
Canned tiger noises to scare away elephants!
By Jose Kurian
12 Jul 2009 12:03:00 AM IST
SULTHAN BATHERY: The problem is as old as the hills but the solution touted for it is as freshly minted -- if a bit too ingenious -- as they come.
To save the farming community living on the fringes of forests from elephant herds that regularly attack their crops, the Forest Department is all set to use the recorded sounds of roaring tigers, the natural enemies of elephants, to scare away the pachyderms.
No more need for firecrackers, bullet shots or teams of Forest personnel doing their nocturnal beats. All it takes to keep entire herds away is a single person with an electronic gadget.
The idea is Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary warden V K Sreevalsan's brainchild.
The instrument has already been successfully used to scare away the herds in the Muthanga range of the sanctuary these past few weeks.
"In our field trials, it proved a hundred per cent success," Sreevalsan told 'Express'. "After hearing the pre-recorded roars of tigers, entire herds cleared the spot in no time," he says.
It was an article on using sounds made by enemy animals to scare away elephants that inspired Sreevalsan to introduce the idea. Arun Zacharia, the department's veterinary surgeon, soon did a test on the behaviour of the elephants when the 'recorded roars' were played with the right amplification.
And it proved positive.
The instrument, much improvised since the original version proved too unwieldy, weighs hardly 7 kg and one person can easily handle it. It is quite effective even from a distance of 400 meters.
Plans are now afoot to improve the system into one which would automatically give off the canned 'roars' whenever a elephant herd steps into a farm.
The buzz of African honeybees, the roars of lions and recorded sound of firecrackers would be tested simultaneously to study the relative impact.
The technical assistance for the production of the instrument was provided by Asia Tech, Sulthan Bathery.
After the successful ground trial at Muthanga, the instrument has been taken to the Tholppetti range near Mananthavadi.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Canned+tiger+noises+to+scare+away+elephants!&artid=3wTNg2H5oEU=&SectionID=1ZkF/jmWuSA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=X7s7i%7CxOZ5Y=&SEO=
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Jose Kurian
12 Jul 2009 12:03:00 AM IST
SULTHAN BATHERY: The problem is as old as the hills but the solution touted for it is as freshly minted -- if a bit too ingenious -- as they come.
To save the farming community living on the fringes of forests from elephant herds that regularly attack their crops, the Forest Department is all set to use the recorded sounds of roaring tigers, the natural enemies of elephants, to scare away the pachyderms.
No more need for firecrackers, bullet shots or teams of Forest personnel doing their nocturnal beats. All it takes to keep entire herds away is a single person with an electronic gadget.
The idea is Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary warden V K Sreevalsan's brainchild.
The instrument has already been successfully used to scare away the herds in the Muthanga range of the sanctuary these past few weeks.
"In our field trials, it proved a hundred per cent success," Sreevalsan told 'Express'. "After hearing the pre-recorded roars of tigers, entire herds cleared the spot in no time," he says.
It was an article on using sounds made by enemy animals to scare away elephants that inspired Sreevalsan to introduce the idea. Arun Zacharia, the department's veterinary surgeon, soon did a test on the behaviour of the elephants when the 'recorded roars' were played with the right amplification.
And it proved positive.
The instrument, much improvised since the original version proved too unwieldy, weighs hardly 7 kg and one person can easily handle it. It is quite effective even from a distance of 400 meters.
Plans are now afoot to improve the system into one which would automatically give off the canned 'roars' whenever a elephant herd steps into a farm.
The buzz of African honeybees, the roars of lions and recorded sound of firecrackers would be tested simultaneously to study the relative impact.
The technical assistance for the production of the instrument was provided by Asia Tech, Sulthan Bathery.
After the successful ground trial at Muthanga, the instrument has been taken to the Tholppetti range near Mananthavadi.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Canned+tiger+noises+to+scare+away+elephants!&artid=3wTNg2H5oEU=&SectionID=1ZkF/jmWuSA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=X7s7i%7CxOZ5Y=&SEO=
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Thai probe shows tiger parts came from Malaysia
Thai probe shows tiger parts came from Malaysia
By Hilary Chiew
Saturday July 11, 2009
PETALING JAYA: Investigations by Thai wildlife authorities have confirmed that some of the tiger parts confiscated in Thailand last year belonged to the Malayan tiger, a specie found only in Peninsula Malay-sia.
Dr Suchitra Changtragoon from the Forest Genetics and Biotech-nology Group said genetic fingerprinting revealed that the parts came from three species of tigers — the Indochinese, Amur and Malayan.
The group comes under the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department of Thai-land.
The group investigated 17 meat samples obtained from the seizure of animal parts early this year.
Twelve were found to be tiger meat, three were leopard meat and the rest were meat from the clouded leopard.
Of the 12 tiger samples, five were from Malayan tigers, five were from Indochinese tigers and the remaining two were from Amur tigers.
The findings were published in a scientific journal made available to The Star. The report is also published on the department’s website (http://www.dnp.go.th).
In January this year, three tiger carcasses, weighing up to 250kg, were seized from a truck passing through Hua Hin while in February, two tiger and one panther carcasses were recovered from a truck in Pattani.
In both cases, police said they were believed to have come from Malaysia and the parts were bound for Laos which is believed to be a transit point for Vietnam and China.
Most of the big cats had been cut in half and their organs and pelts removed.
When contacted, Department of Wildlife and National Park’s (Perhi-litan) Saharudin Anan said the results were not conveyed to Malaysia.
“This is news to me. We had requested through the official channels when it was reported that those seizures included the Malayan tiger.
“But until today we are still waiting for the results,” said the law and enforcement division director.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/11/nation/4282687&sec=nation
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Hilary Chiew
Saturday July 11, 2009
PETALING JAYA: Investigations by Thai wildlife authorities have confirmed that some of the tiger parts confiscated in Thailand last year belonged to the Malayan tiger, a specie found only in Peninsula Malay-sia.
Dr Suchitra Changtragoon from the Forest Genetics and Biotech-nology Group said genetic fingerprinting revealed that the parts came from three species of tigers — the Indochinese, Amur and Malayan.
The group comes under the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department of Thai-land.
The group investigated 17 meat samples obtained from the seizure of animal parts early this year.
Twelve were found to be tiger meat, three were leopard meat and the rest were meat from the clouded leopard.
Of the 12 tiger samples, five were from Malayan tigers, five were from Indochinese tigers and the remaining two were from Amur tigers.
The findings were published in a scientific journal made available to The Star. The report is also published on the department’s website (http://www.dnp.go.th).
In January this year, three tiger carcasses, weighing up to 250kg, were seized from a truck passing through Hua Hin while in February, two tiger and one panther carcasses were recovered from a truck in Pattani.
In both cases, police said they were believed to have come from Malaysia and the parts were bound for Laos which is believed to be a transit point for Vietnam and China.
Most of the big cats had been cut in half and their organs and pelts removed.
When contacted, Department of Wildlife and National Park’s (Perhi-litan) Saharudin Anan said the results were not conveyed to Malaysia.
“This is news to me. We had requested through the official channels when it was reported that those seizures included the Malayan tiger.
“But until today we are still waiting for the results,” said the law and enforcement division director.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/11/nation/4282687&sec=nation
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Experts suggest tiger breeding to quash poaching
Experts suggest tiger breeding to quash poaching
By Hui Min Neo – July 9, 2009
GENEVA (AFP) — Dismayed by dwindling numbers, some experts say tiger farming can stem the burgeoning illegal trade in the endangered cat's pelts, bones and body parts but others argue that this will only fuel demand.
"Domestic trade in tiger parts and derivatives has been banned across the world since the late 1990s," said Juan Vasquez, a spokesman for CITES or the UN body that regulates trade in endangered species, adding that illicit trade was still flourishing.
"Since tigers can be bred very easily in captivity, the argument is made that they should be 'farmed' to supply a relatively inelastic demand," he added on the sidelines of a CITES meeting.
There were once over 100,000 tigers throughout Asia, but only 400 are thought to be left, according to CITES.
Not only are tigers threatened by the loss of natural habitat amid rapid urbanisation in Asia, they are also hunted for fur and body parts used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Hank Jenkins, a former chair of a CITES committee, told AFP: "You can't address demand by prohibition," stressing that the breeding of crocodiles, once highly endangered, had set a valuable precedent.
"Since then the situation has reversed. There are now more crocodile species on Appendix II than Appendix I," said Jenkins, referring to the categories in the UN Convention on Endangered Species.
CITES Appendix I lists the most endangered species and prohibits their international trade.
Appendix II lists threatened species but allows for limited and licenced global trading.
Jenkins said the legal farming of tigers could also benefit people living alongside the big cats in countries such as Indonesia or India.
"For some people who live in these parts of the world, poachers act like pest control. Any conservation strategy would have to address habitat, prey, human-tiger conflict and demand," he said.
He acknowledged however there was strong opposition to tiger farming.
Major conservation groups such as the WWF are among the opponents who argue this would fuel demand and poaching.
"If you breed tigers, you will stimulate the market," said Susan Liebermann, director of the WWF's species programme.
For those who use tiger parts in traditional medicines, wild tigers are viewed as more potent than those bred in captivity and therefore this would not make a significant dent in poaching, she said.
"It's very expensive to breed tigers in captivity, it's easier to shoot one in the wild," said Liebermann.
The World Bank too urged caution.
"We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work. And if it does not work the downside risks are just too high -- irreversible harm," said Keshav Varma, who heads the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative.
"Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers," he said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ibq-1RNoQDLqiOfeYte9DCS-zE8Q
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Hui Min Neo – July 9, 2009
GENEVA (AFP) — Dismayed by dwindling numbers, some experts say tiger farming can stem the burgeoning illegal trade in the endangered cat's pelts, bones and body parts but others argue that this will only fuel demand.
"Domestic trade in tiger parts and derivatives has been banned across the world since the late 1990s," said Juan Vasquez, a spokesman for CITES or the UN body that regulates trade in endangered species, adding that illicit trade was still flourishing.
"Since tigers can be bred very easily in captivity, the argument is made that they should be 'farmed' to supply a relatively inelastic demand," he added on the sidelines of a CITES meeting.
There were once over 100,000 tigers throughout Asia, but only 400 are thought to be left, according to CITES.
Not only are tigers threatened by the loss of natural habitat amid rapid urbanisation in Asia, they are also hunted for fur and body parts used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Hank Jenkins, a former chair of a CITES committee, told AFP: "You can't address demand by prohibition," stressing that the breeding of crocodiles, once highly endangered, had set a valuable precedent.
"Since then the situation has reversed. There are now more crocodile species on Appendix II than Appendix I," said Jenkins, referring to the categories in the UN Convention on Endangered Species.
CITES Appendix I lists the most endangered species and prohibits their international trade.
Appendix II lists threatened species but allows for limited and licenced global trading.
Jenkins said the legal farming of tigers could also benefit people living alongside the big cats in countries such as Indonesia or India.
"For some people who live in these parts of the world, poachers act like pest control. Any conservation strategy would have to address habitat, prey, human-tiger conflict and demand," he said.
He acknowledged however there was strong opposition to tiger farming.
Major conservation groups such as the WWF are among the opponents who argue this would fuel demand and poaching.
"If you breed tigers, you will stimulate the market," said Susan Liebermann, director of the WWF's species programme.
For those who use tiger parts in traditional medicines, wild tigers are viewed as more potent than those bred in captivity and therefore this would not make a significant dent in poaching, she said.
"It's very expensive to breed tigers in captivity, it's easier to shoot one in the wild," said Liebermann.
The World Bank too urged caution.
"We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work. And if it does not work the downside risks are just too high -- irreversible harm," said Keshav Varma, who heads the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative.
"Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers," he said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ibq-1RNoQDLqiOfeYte9DCS-zE8Q
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Villagers worried as tiger released in forest
Villagers worried as tiger released in forest
The Jakarta Post Sun, 07/12/2009 7:30 PM National
Villagers in Way Haru, Lampung, are worried that a tiger named Salma, released in a nearby forest Sunday morning, will attack their livestock.
They say they are still traumatized by a previous attack by two Sumatran tigers that were freed in the forest on July 22, 2008.
The villagers claimed they could no longer work until 5 p.m. and had to finish work by 3 p.m. because of the presence of the two tigers.
"Those two tigers were not from here, so they needed to adapt to the new forest and there was also no guarantee for our safety," Way Haru villager Hidayatur Rohman said.
"Now we have to deal with one more tiger."
The three tigers are now in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (TNBBS)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/12/villagers-worried-tiger-released-forest.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
The Jakarta Post Sun, 07/12/2009 7:30 PM National
Villagers in Way Haru, Lampung, are worried that a tiger named Salma, released in a nearby forest Sunday morning, will attack their livestock.
They say they are still traumatized by a previous attack by two Sumatran tigers that were freed in the forest on July 22, 2008.
The villagers claimed they could no longer work until 5 p.m. and had to finish work by 3 p.m. because of the presence of the two tigers.
"Those two tigers were not from here, so they needed to adapt to the new forest and there was also no guarantee for our safety," Way Haru villager Hidayatur Rohman said.
"Now we have to deal with one more tiger."
The three tigers are now in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (TNBBS)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/07/12/villagers-worried-tiger-released-forest.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Saleng celebrates birth of Siberian Bengal tiger cubs
Saleng celebrates birth of Siberian Bengal tiger cubs
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
Published: Sunday July 12, 2009 MYT 4:59:00 PM
JOHOR BARU: Saleng Zoo has welcomed new additions to its family with three Siberian Bengal tiger cubs born two months ago.
Zoo caretaker J. Sivapriyan said the zoo now has a total of 19 tigers.
“I’ve named them Hassan and Samad, both two months old and Kuchir who is a month old.
“Each tiger has its own markings based on its stripes, much like our fingerprints. That’s how we tell them apart,” he said, adding that all three tiger cubs were healthy.
Both Hassan and Samad are the offspring of 10-year-old Putra and eight-year-old Ruby, while Kuchir’s parents are 16-year-old Kumba and 13-year-old Rainbow.
Sivapriyan, who has been working at the zoo for 11 years, said the number of tigers born at Saleng zoo had been growing steadily.
“The mating season for tigers is March and September, and they are very active and aggressive at this time.
“Each tiger has a partner as we do not want inbreeding in our zoo,” he said, adding that tigers will mate about 50 times a day during the mating season.
Sivapriyan added that during the mating season, the zoo would be “quite lively” as the tigers would be very loud.
He said that all the tigers were treated well and listened to his commands.
Visitors can take pictures with all three tiger cubs at the zoo for RM15.
The zoo opens daily from 9.30am to 7pm. Entrance fee is RM12 for adults and RM6 for children.
It is located at Lot 3777, Batu 17 1/2, Jalan Raya, Saleng, Senai, Johor.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/12/nation/20090712165933&sec=nation
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH
Published: Sunday July 12, 2009 MYT 4:59:00 PM
JOHOR BARU: Saleng Zoo has welcomed new additions to its family with three Siberian Bengal tiger cubs born two months ago.
Zoo caretaker J. Sivapriyan said the zoo now has a total of 19 tigers.
“I’ve named them Hassan and Samad, both two months old and Kuchir who is a month old.
“Each tiger has its own markings based on its stripes, much like our fingerprints. That’s how we tell them apart,” he said, adding that all three tiger cubs were healthy.
Both Hassan and Samad are the offspring of 10-year-old Putra and eight-year-old Ruby, while Kuchir’s parents are 16-year-old Kumba and 13-year-old Rainbow.
Sivapriyan, who has been working at the zoo for 11 years, said the number of tigers born at Saleng zoo had been growing steadily.
“The mating season for tigers is March and September, and they are very active and aggressive at this time.
“Each tiger has a partner as we do not want inbreeding in our zoo,” he said, adding that tigers will mate about 50 times a day during the mating season.
Sivapriyan added that during the mating season, the zoo would be “quite lively” as the tigers would be very loud.
He said that all the tigers were treated well and listened to his commands.
Visitors can take pictures with all three tiger cubs at the zoo for RM15.
The zoo opens daily from 9.30am to 7pm. Entrance fee is RM12 for adults and RM6 for children.
It is located at Lot 3777, Batu 17 1/2, Jalan Raya, Saleng, Senai, Johor.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/7/12/nation/20090712165933&sec=nation
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Tiger exhibit opens at Six Flags
Tiger exhibit opens at Six Flags
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
MediaNews Group
Created: 07/11/2009 02:30:26 AM PDT
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
It wasn't a typical ribbon-cutting.
It involved no giant scissors -- just giant claws and teeth -- when Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's Odin's Temple of the Tiger exhibit officially opened Thursday.
It took some coaxing to get 10-month-old cubs Akasha and Nalin to cut through the banner stretched across the steps below the new tiger exhibit's entrance, which they preferred to duck under. They needed no such encouragement to frolic and lounge among the rocks and waterfalls of their new enclosure.
The authentic-looking faux boulders are heated in winter and cooled in summer, park spokespeople said.
"It's like Club Med for tigers," park spokesman "Captain" Lee Munro said.
The new exhibit also provides a fenced-in, glass-fronted viewing area where guests can watch the cats enjoy those features.
Having taken a few weeks longer than expected to acclimate to their new surroundings, the big cats' new facility's grand opening was postponed until Thursday. Members of the press were treated to a demonstration of some of the tigers' behaviors around which a new and improved tiger show has been developed, Munro said.
"The old show was more of a demonstration," he said. "Now we've added music and characters, and it's more of an actual production."
The new interactive show is 20 minutes long.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_12816444
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
MediaNews Group
Created: 07/11/2009 02:30:26 AM PDT
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
It wasn't a typical ribbon-cutting.
It involved no giant scissors -- just giant claws and teeth -- when Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's Odin's Temple of the Tiger exhibit officially opened Thursday.
It took some coaxing to get 10-month-old cubs Akasha and Nalin to cut through the banner stretched across the steps below the new tiger exhibit's entrance, which they preferred to duck under. They needed no such encouragement to frolic and lounge among the rocks and waterfalls of their new enclosure.
The authentic-looking faux boulders are heated in winter and cooled in summer, park spokespeople said.
"It's like Club Med for tigers," park spokesman "Captain" Lee Munro said.
The new exhibit also provides a fenced-in, glass-fronted viewing area where guests can watch the cats enjoy those features.
Having taken a few weeks longer than expected to acclimate to their new surroundings, the big cats' new facility's grand opening was postponed until Thursday. Members of the press were treated to a demonstration of some of the tigers' behaviors around which a new and improved tiger show has been developed, Munro said.
"The old show was more of a demonstration," he said. "Now we've added music and characters, and it's more of an actual production."
The new interactive show is 20 minutes long.
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_12816444
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Saturday, July 11, 2009
TJ the TIGER!
Listen in as Scott Lope introduces viewers to TJ the tiger! Tj was
rescued in 2007 from a breeding facility that was shut down after
someone was killed by a tiger there. He as quickly become a favorite
cat for volunteers, staff and visitors alike, because of his quirky
character and crazy antics in his pool!
Learn more about TJ here:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/captive/tigerstj.htm
Visit our website for tour times and info:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Thanks for watching :)
rescued in 2007 from a breeding facility that was shut down after
someone was killed by a tiger there. He as quickly become a favorite
cat for volunteers, staff and visitors alike, because of his quirky
character and crazy antics in his pool!
Learn more about TJ here:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/captive/tigerstj.htm
Visit our website for tour times and info:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Thanks for watching :)
TJ the TIGER!
Listen in as Scott Lope introduces viewers to TJ the tiger! Tj was rescued in 2007 from a breeding facility that was shut down after someone was killed by a tiger there. He as quickly become a favorite cat for volunteers, staff and visitors alike, because of his quirky character and crazy antics in his pool!
Learn more about TJ here:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/captive/tigerstj.htm
Visit our website for tour times and info:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Thanks for watching :)
Learn more about TJ here:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/captive/tigerstj.htm
Visit our website for tour times and info:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Thanks for watching :)
What is Big Cat Rescue?
Big Cat Rescue PSA, visit BigCatRescue.org or chat with others who love big cats at ChatBigCats.com.
Big Cat Rescue, 12802 Easy Street, Tampa FL 33625
(813) 920-4130
info@bigcatrescue.org
Visit our website:
BigCatRescue.org
Big Cat Rescue, 12802 Easy Street, Tampa FL 33625
(813) 920-4130
info@bigcatrescue.org
Visit our website:
BigCatRescue.org
Martina Navratilova Splits Ignoring Her FL Animal Sanctuary's Needs
Tennis star divorce plays out in Florida
Updated: Thursday, 25 Jun 2009, 7:44 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 25 Jun 2009, 7:00 AM EDT
SARASOTA - Tennis sensation Martina Navratilova was a winner on the tennis court, but some say she doesn't have the same success when it comes to love.
Sarasota court records show the tennis star is being sued by her wife after being dumped without warning following nearly eight years together.
Toni Layton, who married the Wimbledon champ in an official ceremony in New Hampshire, wants a share of the property and multi-million dollar real estate the two acquired while married.
Layton claims she suffered "emotional, mental and physical trauma" after being cast aside by Navratilova close to a year ago. And she warns, "Martina has got a fight on her hands."
Some of the property is here in Florida. It includes this home outside the coastal town of Nokomis near Sarasota, and another million-dollar home in Englewood.
There is also a 20-acre animal sanctuary the two set up together to save abandoned pets near Sarasota. Layton claims Navratilova is trying to sell it with no regard for what happens to the dozens of animals on the property.
In an ironic twist, Layton says Navratilova, who has always championed gay rights, is now hiding behind Florida's anti-same-sex laws, which don't recognize gay marriage.
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/sun_coast/navratilova_divorce_saga_062509
Picture-postcard perfect
They bought a $2 million property outside the coastal town of Nokomis, near Sarasota.
It was picture-postcard perfect, with a white picket fence and gardens adorned with bougainvillea and framed by palms. The happy couple shared their home with 17 dogs.
Later, they bought the smaller $1.5 million house next door and another house down the road to accommodate Navratilova's trainers and friends with whom she practised tennis.
Their cars included a sporty Range Rover, a convertible Mercedes and a Jeep. They also bought a $20,000 speed boat and a jet ski.
Toni had access to all Navratilova's money, as they had shared bank accounts.
Toni's marital home in New Jersey was sold in 2004. The money from the sale, says Toni, should have been split between her and her estranged husband, but when he refused to hand over her share, Martina urged her to 'let it go'.
The following year, the couple paid $1.25million for a 30-acre farm near their Florida home, which they turned into a sanctuary for abandoned animals.
'We had to hand-feed the 26 emaciated cows that came with it,' Toni recalls. 'Then came three baby pigs, Huey, Dewey and Lewey, and many more animals after that.'
'But as soon as Marti decided our relationship was over, it seems she decided the animals no longer mattered. She put the ranch up for sale at a knockdown price and doesn't seem to care about what will happen to the animals.'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1194357/Ill-court-Martina-Ms-Navratilova-sued-wife-Toni-Layton-half-million-dollars.html
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Zoo closures
BOSTON -- The Franklin Park Zoo, the only Boston institution of its kind, may be forced to close and euthanize some of its animals, zoo officials said Friday.
Without more state funding, zoo officials said that they will run out of money within months and have to close both Franklin Park and the Stone Zoo in Stoneham.
The zoos would be forced to lay off most of their 165 employees and attempt to find new homes for more than 1,000 animals.
Zoo officials estimated 20 percent of the animals would not find homes and could be euthanized.
"Not all the animals in the collection will be able to be placed at other facilities," John Linehan, zoo president, wrote in a letter to the Massachusetts Legislature. "The Commonwealth would then be forced to either continue to maintain the animals in the closed facilities or euthanize them."
The Legislature had originally provided $6.5 million to the zoos, but Gov. Deval Patrick cut the state funding to $2.5 million.
"These are extremely difficult times across the state, and there have been tough cuts in every area," a Patrick spokeswoman, Cyndi Roy, said in a statement. "This is an example of an unfortunate cut that had to be made in order to preserve core services for families struggling during the economic downturn."
The Franklin Park Zoo was founded in 1913. It is funded by state money, private donations and revenue from the attractions.
Carole's letter to all of those asking us to rescue all of these animals:
It is a travesty and we will post it to our blogs and to groups that we belong to, but the sad truth is that we have to turn away almost 100 big cats each year because zoos and private collectors breed them incessantly for the money making babies, with no thought as to the future. The only way to stop such abuse is to end the breeding and keeping of wild animals in cages. You can help us do that by writing letters at CatLaws.com and writing letters to the editors saying that wild animals shouldn't be kept in cages and those who have profited off of them should have to take care of them from cradle to grave.
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
Karnataka for better wildlife ties with Goa
Karnataka for better wildlife ties with Goa
Paul Fernandes, TNN 8 July 2009, 06:12am IST
PANAJI: In a bid to resolve matters related to wildlife crimes following the controversial killing of a tiger in Goa around February 2009—first reported by TOI on April 13—Karnataka has approached the National Tiger Conservation Authority proposing better interstate coordination.
Goa’s major wildlife sanctuaries— Mhadei, Bhagwan Mahavir, Mollem national park, Neturlim and Cotigao—form a contiguous corridor for wildlife in the Western Ghats with Karnataka’s adjoining Anshi national park and Dandeli wildlife sanctuary. Tigers from Anshi and Dandeli are known to stray into Goa.
“Anshi’s project tiger area director has suggested interstate coordination to the state (Karnataka) authorities and endorsed a copy of the proposal to us,” Rajesh Gopal, member secretary, NTCA told TOI from Delhi. “It will help sort out matters related to wildlife crime,” he added.
‘Coordination will protect tiger’
Goa’s chief conservator of forests Shashi Kumar was unaware about Karnataka’s proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority proposing better interstate coordination with Goa.
He, however, said that he had discussed the matter of evolving a mechanism for interstate coordination informally with his Karnataka counterparts. “As the issue of tiger killings has come up frequently, I had informal discussions with Anshi’s project tiger area director,” he said.
The alleged slaying of a tiger in Keri, in February kicked off a debate about Goa’s importance as a tiger corridor. A few persons from the village of Keri were interrogated in connection with the killing and the case is under investigation.
Recently, forest department officials discovered bones and other remains of a tiger carcass, parts of which have been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, for confirmatory forensic tests.
Stressing the importance of such an understanding between the forest officials of neighbouring states, another forest department official said, “Goa’s forests are part of the Western Ghats, which also pass through Maharashtra and Karnataka. Animals like elephants and tigers do not recognize political boundaries and move freely in contiguous forest areas across states.”
Stating that such coordination will help wild life conservation and habitat management, the official said, “It will help in tracking, detecting and catching persons involved in illegalities as they move freely from one state to another and help in sharing of good management practices.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Karnataka-for-better-wildlife-ties-with-Goa/articleshow/4751349.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Paul Fernandes, TNN 8 July 2009, 06:12am IST
PANAJI: In a bid to resolve matters related to wildlife crimes following the controversial killing of a tiger in Goa around February 2009—first reported by TOI on April 13—Karnataka has approached the National Tiger Conservation Authority proposing better interstate coordination.
Goa’s major wildlife sanctuaries— Mhadei, Bhagwan Mahavir, Mollem national park, Neturlim and Cotigao—form a contiguous corridor for wildlife in the Western Ghats with Karnataka’s adjoining Anshi national park and Dandeli wildlife sanctuary. Tigers from Anshi and Dandeli are known to stray into Goa.
“Anshi’s project tiger area director has suggested interstate coordination to the state (Karnataka) authorities and endorsed a copy of the proposal to us,” Rajesh Gopal, member secretary, NTCA told TOI from Delhi. “It will help sort out matters related to wildlife crime,” he added.
‘Coordination will protect tiger’
Goa’s chief conservator of forests Shashi Kumar was unaware about Karnataka’s proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority proposing better interstate coordination with Goa.
He, however, said that he had discussed the matter of evolving a mechanism for interstate coordination informally with his Karnataka counterparts. “As the issue of tiger killings has come up frequently, I had informal discussions with Anshi’s project tiger area director,” he said.
The alleged slaying of a tiger in Keri, in February kicked off a debate about Goa’s importance as a tiger corridor. A few persons from the village of Keri were interrogated in connection with the killing and the case is under investigation.
Recently, forest department officials discovered bones and other remains of a tiger carcass, parts of which have been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, for confirmatory forensic tests.
Stressing the importance of such an understanding between the forest officials of neighbouring states, another forest department official said, “Goa’s forests are part of the Western Ghats, which also pass through Maharashtra and Karnataka. Animals like elephants and tigers do not recognize political boundaries and move freely in contiguous forest areas across states.”
Stating that such coordination will help wild life conservation and habitat management, the official said, “It will help in tracking, detecting and catching persons involved in illegalities as they move freely from one state to another and help in sharing of good management practices.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/Karnataka-for-better-wildlife-ties-with-Goa/articleshow/4751349.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Tourmyindia.com initiates Save Tiger Mission
Tourmyindia.com initiates Save Tiger Mission
2009-07-04 11:22:45
“Tour My India initiating and joining hands to contribute to Save Tiger Mission through tourism services”
Every adventure and wildlife loving person has a life-long dream to see tigers in the wild. Carrying this one particular thought many people opt to go for wildlife or tiger tourism packages. But for the past 30 years the picture has changed drastically. The dilemma is- these large predators slowly and notoriously are decreasing in number. Just 100 years ago there were over 100,000 wild tigers in Asia, but today the scenario is different with figures reaching to 5,000 hardly. India has always been known for numerous national parks, but as per the latest tigers census indicates the number of tigers are declining at fast rate. In fact in many parts of India the probability of sighting one tiger in the wild is getting lower day by day.
Species in Peril - Save Tiger - Before It Gets Too Late
With land being destroyed for lumber and redeveloped for commercial and residential uses, the habitats occupied by tigers have decreased by forty percent in the last ten years. Besides this, over the past few years, the disturbing resumption of poaching for tiger pelt and bones used in medicine and ceremonies has made it a more serious threat. Addressing to overcome from this prime issue, Tour My India, one of the biggest and leading tour and travel operators in India is planning to be a part of “Save Tiger Campaign” with help of Individuals, NGOS, Wildlife Conservation Organizations, or Media Partners who are already working in this social cause.
Every year, TourMyIndia.com conducts different wildlife or tiger tourism packages at most economical rates. Playing its long-standing policy to provide best tour packages in a manner that can generate the wildlife awareness among communities, Tour My India is planning to support the conservation of India’s remaining wild tigers. It’s critical that, through information and communication, parks and people can make huge difference to save India's wildlife. As a result, during each tiger tour program, Tour My India will organize meeting of forest rangers and tourists. It will be an ideal opportunity where tourists can know more about tigers and the importance of protecting tiger who actually plays a vital role in maintaining a proper balance in eco-life cycle. The key idea behind this interaction is to educate tourists so that they become more involved in wildlife tourism projects and initiate sustainable steps which can further help in conserving the national parks and tigers.
Tiger tourism derives huge amounts of revenue for accommodation and service providers in India. Unfortunately only a tiny fraction of this is reinvested in the conservation of the parks and tiger reserves. This sum is not at all sufficient to stem the tiger’s decline. As a result, Tour My India also plans to contribute in save tiger campaign through revenue it generates from its tiger tour packages. The major portion of revenue will be finally submitted to tiger conserve organizations or NGOs in order to raise the standards of tiger conservation in India.
Therefore, Tour My India is calling all NGOS, Wildlife Conservation Organizations, or Media Partners who are directly or indirectly involved in this cause of saving wild tigers and wishes to further offer its best possible help in tackling this situation. Tour My India wants to offer maximum support and help raising the issue so that the problem gets maximum attention before it gets too late.
TourMyIndia.com is leading tour and travel operators in the Indian travel industry. The company is managed by a team of qualified professionals having years of experience in handling tourist from all around the world. The company design and arrange eco-friendly and wildlife tour packages at reasonable rates for special interest groups. These tours can be designed as camping tours with a range of itinerary inclusions to meet the requirements of any group.
http://www.pr-inside.com/tourmyindia-com-initiates-save-tiger-mission-r1364828.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
2009-07-04 11:22:45
“Tour My India initiating and joining hands to contribute to Save Tiger Mission through tourism services”
Every adventure and wildlife loving person has a life-long dream to see tigers in the wild. Carrying this one particular thought many people opt to go for wildlife or tiger tourism packages. But for the past 30 years the picture has changed drastically. The dilemma is- these large predators slowly and notoriously are decreasing in number. Just 100 years ago there were over 100,000 wild tigers in Asia, but today the scenario is different with figures reaching to 5,000 hardly. India has always been known for numerous national parks, but as per the latest tigers census indicates the number of tigers are declining at fast rate. In fact in many parts of India the probability of sighting one tiger in the wild is getting lower day by day.
Species in Peril - Save Tiger - Before It Gets Too Late
With land being destroyed for lumber and redeveloped for commercial and residential uses, the habitats occupied by tigers have decreased by forty percent in the last ten years. Besides this, over the past few years, the disturbing resumption of poaching for tiger pelt and bones used in medicine and ceremonies has made it a more serious threat. Addressing to overcome from this prime issue, Tour My India, one of the biggest and leading tour and travel operators in India is planning to be a part of “Save Tiger Campaign” with help of Individuals, NGOS, Wildlife Conservation Organizations, or Media Partners who are already working in this social cause.
Every year, TourMyIndia.com conducts different wildlife or tiger tourism packages at most economical rates. Playing its long-standing policy to provide best tour packages in a manner that can generate the wildlife awareness among communities, Tour My India is planning to support the conservation of India’s remaining wild tigers. It’s critical that, through information and communication, parks and people can make huge difference to save India's wildlife. As a result, during each tiger tour program, Tour My India will organize meeting of forest rangers and tourists. It will be an ideal opportunity where tourists can know more about tigers and the importance of protecting tiger who actually plays a vital role in maintaining a proper balance in eco-life cycle. The key idea behind this interaction is to educate tourists so that they become more involved in wildlife tourism projects and initiate sustainable steps which can further help in conserving the national parks and tigers.
Tiger tourism derives huge amounts of revenue for accommodation and service providers in India. Unfortunately only a tiny fraction of this is reinvested in the conservation of the parks and tiger reserves. This sum is not at all sufficient to stem the tiger’s decline. As a result, Tour My India also plans to contribute in save tiger campaign through revenue it generates from its tiger tour packages. The major portion of revenue will be finally submitted to tiger conserve organizations or NGOs in order to raise the standards of tiger conservation in India.
Therefore, Tour My India is calling all NGOS, Wildlife Conservation Organizations, or Media Partners who are directly or indirectly involved in this cause of saving wild tigers and wishes to further offer its best possible help in tackling this situation. Tour My India wants to offer maximum support and help raising the issue so that the problem gets maximum attention before it gets too late.
TourMyIndia.com is leading tour and travel operators in the Indian travel industry. The company is managed by a team of qualified professionals having years of experience in handling tourist from all around the world. The company design and arrange eco-friendly and wildlife tour packages at reasonable rates for special interest groups. These tours can be designed as camping tours with a range of itinerary inclusions to meet the requirements of any group.
http://www.pr-inside.com/tourmyindia-com-initiates-save-tiger-mission-r1364828.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Orissa struggles to protect wildlife in naxal-hit area
Orissa struggles to protect wildlife in naxal-hit area
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
New Delhi (PTI): In the absence of the promised Central paramilitary forces, the Orissa Government is struggling hard to protect precious wildlife from poachers backed by Maoists in naxal-hit Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district.
At a meeting between Central and state representatives in May, the government had agreed to deploy 221 CRPF personnel in the reserve which has been facing acute infrastructural and staff problem due to a naxal attack on March 23.
Fearing that naxalites might hit again, Orissa government had sought CRPF deployment in the tiger reserve housing at least 32 wild cats. The state government cited threats from poachers which it alleged are getting support from the heavily-armed extremists.
"However, though the Centre has agreed to our demand and referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) we are still waiting for the force," a senior official in the Forest Department of the Orissa Government, told PTI.
He said the scared forest staff, who had run away after the attack, are gradually joining duty and two special striking force units of Armed Police and Special Operation Group Force have already been posted in the park, but they are not sufficient to make the reserve secure.
"There have been reports that poachers are getting support from the Maoists. Hence a re-run of the attack cannot be ruled out. To save the highly endangered tigers we need to have trained CRPF personnel," the official said.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907081040.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
New Delhi (PTI): In the absence of the promised Central paramilitary forces, the Orissa Government is struggling hard to protect precious wildlife from poachers backed by Maoists in naxal-hit Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district.
At a meeting between Central and state representatives in May, the government had agreed to deploy 221 CRPF personnel in the reserve which has been facing acute infrastructural and staff problem due to a naxal attack on March 23.
Fearing that naxalites might hit again, Orissa government had sought CRPF deployment in the tiger reserve housing at least 32 wild cats. The state government cited threats from poachers which it alleged are getting support from the heavily-armed extremists.
"However, though the Centre has agreed to our demand and referred the matter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) we are still waiting for the force," a senior official in the Forest Department of the Orissa Government, told PTI.
He said the scared forest staff, who had run away after the attack, are gradually joining duty and two special striking force units of Armed Police and Special Operation Group Force have already been posted in the park, but they are not sufficient to make the reserve secure.
"There have been reports that poachers are getting support from the Maoists. Hence a re-run of the attack cannot be ruled out. To save the highly endangered tigers we need to have trained CRPF personnel," the official said.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907081040.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Tiger cubs a powerful draw for Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium
Tiger cubs a powerful draw for Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium
by Joe Golfen - Jul. 7, 2009 10:43 AM
The Arizona Republic
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
The Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium recently welcomed the two newest members of its zoo family - a pair of white Bengal tigers. Born in mid-June, the two female cubs recently moved to their temporary exhibit inside the zoo's aquarium, where they'll spend the hot summer months. Though they may look like cuddly house cats, these felines have a lot of growing up to do and raising them is no easy job.
The Wildlife World Zoo's animal expert, Grey Stafford, says it's important to carefully raise these endangered tigers, while maintaining a safe distance from these powerful animals. Stafford took a few minutes to tell us just what it takes to bring up a Bengal tiger.
Do you interact a lot with the tigers when they're young?
We have a hand-raising team here at the zoo that specializes in raising young animals of all kinds. So when the cubs are first born, the team will go into the enclosure with them to change their bedding and bottle-feed them. So early on, the care is total. As the cubs mature over the next couple of months, the trainers pull back from the hands-on care, and by the time the animals are adults, they still get cared for every day, but it's through protective barriers. This is called "protected contact," and it's a great system that we've used for many litters of big cats.
What are the difficulties of raising an animal that will eventually get so big?
When they're cubs, the tigers are really adorable and it's fun to watch them because they play with each other, but they play much harder than you or I would in a pickup game of tackle football. As they mature they're going to wrestle and swim and chase each other and do all the things that tigers do, but they're built for it and we're not.
They have a really thick coat of hair and that's one of the reasons we begin to transition away from direct contact with them as they get older. They're so much stronger than us, that even if they're just playing, they can really hurt us. We don't have their speed or strength or even their hair to protect us, so probably by the time they're about 30 pounds, we are stepping way back in terms of hands-on interaction.
How have visitors reacted to the cubs?
People just flock to these little animals, because big cats just have such a draw for people, especially when they're still young. It's great to have the cubs too, because people can watch them grow over the years. It'll take these cubs about two years to reach their full size, but already they have these massive paws so you can tell that they're going to get big.
It's also great for us because it's a way to get people in the door, because once they're here we can educate them about the stonefish and the sea horses and all the creatures that are just as important to the survival of our planet, but maybe don't have the same draw as a baby tiger. And few things do.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/2009/07/07/20090707gl-zootigers0708.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
by Joe Golfen - Jul. 7, 2009 10:43 AM
The Arizona Republic
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
The Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium recently welcomed the two newest members of its zoo family - a pair of white Bengal tigers. Born in mid-June, the two female cubs recently moved to their temporary exhibit inside the zoo's aquarium, where they'll spend the hot summer months. Though they may look like cuddly house cats, these felines have a lot of growing up to do and raising them is no easy job.
The Wildlife World Zoo's animal expert, Grey Stafford, says it's important to carefully raise these endangered tigers, while maintaining a safe distance from these powerful animals. Stafford took a few minutes to tell us just what it takes to bring up a Bengal tiger.
Do you interact a lot with the tigers when they're young?
We have a hand-raising team here at the zoo that specializes in raising young animals of all kinds. So when the cubs are first born, the team will go into the enclosure with them to change their bedding and bottle-feed them. So early on, the care is total. As the cubs mature over the next couple of months, the trainers pull back from the hands-on care, and by the time the animals are adults, they still get cared for every day, but it's through protective barriers. This is called "protected contact," and it's a great system that we've used for many litters of big cats.
What are the difficulties of raising an animal that will eventually get so big?
When they're cubs, the tigers are really adorable and it's fun to watch them because they play with each other, but they play much harder than you or I would in a pickup game of tackle football. As they mature they're going to wrestle and swim and chase each other and do all the things that tigers do, but they're built for it and we're not.
They have a really thick coat of hair and that's one of the reasons we begin to transition away from direct contact with them as they get older. They're so much stronger than us, that even if they're just playing, they can really hurt us. We don't have their speed or strength or even their hair to protect us, so probably by the time they're about 30 pounds, we are stepping way back in terms of hands-on interaction.
How have visitors reacted to the cubs?
People just flock to these little animals, because big cats just have such a draw for people, especially when they're still young. It's great to have the cubs too, because people can watch them grow over the years. It'll take these cubs about two years to reach their full size, but already they have these massive paws so you can tell that they're going to get big.
It's also great for us because it's a way to get people in the door, because once they're here we can educate them about the stonefish and the sea horses and all the creatures that are just as important to the survival of our planet, but maybe don't have the same draw as a baby tiger. And few things do.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/2009/07/07/20090707gl-zootigers0708.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Arthritic tigers take cat tablets
Arthritic tigers take cat tablets
Elderly tigers with arthritis at the Isle of Wight Zoo are benefiting from taking a nutritional joint supplement meant for domestic cats.
Many of the tigers are rescued from circuses and live for up to 20 years - much older than in the wild.
Glucosamine tablets designed for pet cats have been helping relieve the animals' stiff joints, but keepers have had to multiply the doses by 50 times.
The tablets are crushed and hidden in the tigers' meat.
Paul Bailie, head of the cat department, said: "You can see how stiff they are, their bums can drop a little bit as well until they warm up."
He said the tablets were having a noticeable effect and the tigers did not even notice the taste of the tablets in their food.
"They've responded really well from the mobility side of things, there was a definite improvement."
Four fifths of the tigers taking part in the trial had shown an improvement, he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8143389.stm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Elderly tigers with arthritis at the Isle of Wight Zoo are benefiting from taking a nutritional joint supplement meant for domestic cats.
Many of the tigers are rescued from circuses and live for up to 20 years - much older than in the wild.
Glucosamine tablets designed for pet cats have been helping relieve the animals' stiff joints, but keepers have had to multiply the doses by 50 times.
The tablets are crushed and hidden in the tigers' meat.
Paul Bailie, head of the cat department, said: "You can see how stiff they are, their bums can drop a little bit as well until they warm up."
He said the tablets were having a noticeable effect and the tigers did not even notice the taste of the tablets in their food.
"They've responded really well from the mobility side of things, there was a definite improvement."
Four fifths of the tigers taking part in the trial had shown an improvement, he added.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/8143389.stm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Climate change puts Bangladesh tigers at further peril
Climate change puts Bangladesh tigers at further peril
By Maruf Mallick
bdnews24.com environment correspondent
Dhaka, July 8 (bdnews24.com)—Climate change is driving the Royal Bengal Tiger, celebrated monarch of the Sundarbans, from its natural habitat in search of food, say experts—leading to tragic consequences for the already critically endangered species in its encounters with humans.
Two tigers have been beaten to death by villagers this year in Bangladesh's Bagerhat and Satkhira districts.
According to different reports, up to a dozen of the big cats are killed every year by villagers living in the areas contiguous to the Sundarbans.
Seven tigers were killed by locals in the Satkhira district's Shyamnagar area alone in the last decade.
Some blame the deaths on failure by forest officials to properly inform local people of the correct way to deal with straying tigers.
A major reason for more frequent straying by tigers may be a growing prey crisis due greater frequency of cyclones and tidal surges triggered by climate change, say experts.
A survey in 2004 estimated just 419 Bengal Tigers remaining in the wild in Bangladesh, but some dispute the number saying the real count may as few as 200.
The critically endangered tigers have been seen to leave their jungle habitat most frequently at two forest ranges in Bangladesh—Burhigoalini range in Satkhira and Sharankhola range in Bagerhat.
As the forest floors of the ranges have been inundated by natural disasters, wildlife populations are destroyed, including wild boar and deer, two traditional prey of the Sundarban tigers.
The scarcity of prey animals is compelling the endangered tigers to leave their forest cover and look for food in open areas of human habitation.
Dr Monirul Hasan Khan, assistant professor of the zoology department, Jahangirnagar University, has long been engaged in conservation efforts for the remaining tiger population in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, the world's largest stretch of unbroken mangrove forest.
"It is a matter of grave concern that the Sundarbans tigers have of late been tending to leave the forest cover with greater frequency looking for food and getting killed," he told bdnews24.com Tuesday.
"It is natural that tigers might stray out into the jungle peripheries. We know that each tiger has its own territory or command area in the forest."
"To my mind, tigers could come out into adjacent localities for a number of reasons. They might stray out just for a stroll around."
"But leaving the forest for food could be a major reason. At times, if it does not find a prey inside the forest, it moves out looking for food in the nearby villages."
Khan said in the wake of a cyclone or a storm surge, a tiger might stray out of its devastated habitat for food or to search for new habitat.
"After natural disasters pass, the affected regions are naturally hit by a prey crisis. Deer often die in large numbers, which is likely to affect the tigers though they themselves are not particularly vulnerable to such natural disasters."
He said tigers were seen leaving forests more frequently than usual after cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Aila in May this year.
"There are nearly 200 tigers in the Sundarbans, to my estimation," said Khan.
A tiger survey conducted in 2004 said the number was 419. "But the survey was done based on pugmarks. Experts have varying opinions about pugmark based surveys," he said.
"It is said that pugmarks are unique identifiers of the animals. But pugmarks of the same animal could appear to be different, depending on soil texture," said Khan.
Dr Ainun Nishat, country director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), told bdnews24.com, "Large populations of the Sundarbans deer might have perished in recent recurrent cyclones."
"Aila was reported to have killed huge deer populations this year."
He said, "The population cycle of the Sundarbans deer will be adversely affected as their habitats become prone to cyclones and more saline because of climate change."
"The tigers are coming out of the jungle for food and cyclones may very well have caused the food crisis there," said Nishat.
"But the inaction of the forest department officials is also responsible for tigers being killed so frequently. The foresters are supposed to make people aware of the issues and facts of the endangered tiger population."
"People should be told that a straying tiger can and should be sent back to its habitat using simple methods," he said.
A tiger can be chased back to its habitat by creating noise from all sides, such as beating tin canisters, keeping clear a single path back to the forest, said Nishat.
Forest officials say up to 100 people are killed by tigers in Bangladesh every year; most of the victims fall prey to the tigers as they stray deep into the forest to collect honey, wood or go fishing in mangrove waters.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=89208&cid=2
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Maruf Mallick
bdnews24.com environment correspondent
Dhaka, July 8 (bdnews24.com)—Climate change is driving the Royal Bengal Tiger, celebrated monarch of the Sundarbans, from its natural habitat in search of food, say experts—leading to tragic consequences for the already critically endangered species in its encounters with humans.
Two tigers have been beaten to death by villagers this year in Bangladesh's Bagerhat and Satkhira districts.
According to different reports, up to a dozen of the big cats are killed every year by villagers living in the areas contiguous to the Sundarbans.
Seven tigers were killed by locals in the Satkhira district's Shyamnagar area alone in the last decade.
Some blame the deaths on failure by forest officials to properly inform local people of the correct way to deal with straying tigers.
A major reason for more frequent straying by tigers may be a growing prey crisis due greater frequency of cyclones and tidal surges triggered by climate change, say experts.
A survey in 2004 estimated just 419 Bengal Tigers remaining in the wild in Bangladesh, but some dispute the number saying the real count may as few as 200.
The critically endangered tigers have been seen to leave their jungle habitat most frequently at two forest ranges in Bangladesh—Burhigoalini range in Satkhira and Sharankhola range in Bagerhat.
As the forest floors of the ranges have been inundated by natural disasters, wildlife populations are destroyed, including wild boar and deer, two traditional prey of the Sundarban tigers.
The scarcity of prey animals is compelling the endangered tigers to leave their forest cover and look for food in open areas of human habitation.
Dr Monirul Hasan Khan, assistant professor of the zoology department, Jahangirnagar University, has long been engaged in conservation efforts for the remaining tiger population in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, the world's largest stretch of unbroken mangrove forest.
"It is a matter of grave concern that the Sundarbans tigers have of late been tending to leave the forest cover with greater frequency looking for food and getting killed," he told bdnews24.com Tuesday.
"It is natural that tigers might stray out into the jungle peripheries. We know that each tiger has its own territory or command area in the forest."
"To my mind, tigers could come out into adjacent localities for a number of reasons. They might stray out just for a stroll around."
"But leaving the forest for food could be a major reason. At times, if it does not find a prey inside the forest, it moves out looking for food in the nearby villages."
Khan said in the wake of a cyclone or a storm surge, a tiger might stray out of its devastated habitat for food or to search for new habitat.
"After natural disasters pass, the affected regions are naturally hit by a prey crisis. Deer often die in large numbers, which is likely to affect the tigers though they themselves are not particularly vulnerable to such natural disasters."
He said tigers were seen leaving forests more frequently than usual after cyclone Sidr in 2007 and Aila in May this year.
"There are nearly 200 tigers in the Sundarbans, to my estimation," said Khan.
A tiger survey conducted in 2004 said the number was 419. "But the survey was done based on pugmarks. Experts have varying opinions about pugmark based surveys," he said.
"It is said that pugmarks are unique identifiers of the animals. But pugmarks of the same animal could appear to be different, depending on soil texture," said Khan.
Dr Ainun Nishat, country director of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), told bdnews24.com, "Large populations of the Sundarbans deer might have perished in recent recurrent cyclones."
"Aila was reported to have killed huge deer populations this year."
He said, "The population cycle of the Sundarbans deer will be adversely affected as their habitats become prone to cyclones and more saline because of climate change."
"The tigers are coming out of the jungle for food and cyclones may very well have caused the food crisis there," said Nishat.
"But the inaction of the forest department officials is also responsible for tigers being killed so frequently. The foresters are supposed to make people aware of the issues and facts of the endangered tiger population."
"People should be told that a straying tiger can and should be sent back to its habitat using simple methods," he said.
A tiger can be chased back to its habitat by creating noise from all sides, such as beating tin canisters, keeping clear a single path back to the forest, said Nishat.
Forest officials say up to 100 people are killed by tigers in Bangladesh every year; most of the victims fall prey to the tigers as they stray deep into the forest to collect honey, wood or go fishing in mangrove waters.
http://bdnews24.com/details.php?id=89208&cid=2
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
No tiger census in MP since 2006
No tiger census in MP since 2006
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Bhopal (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Rajendra Shukla on Tuesday said that no tiger census was conducted in the State since 2006.
Replying to a question by Congress MLA Mahendra Singh in State Assembly, the minister said the tiger census was held in Panna Tiger reserve alone in 2009 and in that counting, only two tigresses, translocated from other parks, were found.
The census conducted in 2004 was completed in 2005 and therefore no separate census was done in that year, he said.
In 2006, census was conducted landscape wise instead of reserve wise by taking into account other adjoining areas, the minister said.
Since then no tiger census was conducted in the State, he said.
As per the landscape wise census in 2006, Kanha Landscape had 89 tigers, followed by Bandhavgarh 47, Pench 33, Panna 24 and Satpuda had 39 big cats.
The Landscape wise census was conducted by taking into account various tiger ranges spread in these tiger reserves.
Related Articles:
Centre admits to rampant tiger poaching
Likely rise in Palamau Reserve's tiger population
Allocation for tiger conservation doubled
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907071415.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Bhopal (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Rajendra Shukla on Tuesday said that no tiger census was conducted in the State since 2006.
Replying to a question by Congress MLA Mahendra Singh in State Assembly, the minister said the tiger census was held in Panna Tiger reserve alone in 2009 and in that counting, only two tigresses, translocated from other parks, were found.
The census conducted in 2004 was completed in 2005 and therefore no separate census was done in that year, he said.
In 2006, census was conducted landscape wise instead of reserve wise by taking into account other adjoining areas, the minister said.
Since then no tiger census was conducted in the State, he said.
As per the landscape wise census in 2006, Kanha Landscape had 89 tigers, followed by Bandhavgarh 47, Pench 33, Panna 24 and Satpuda had 39 big cats.
The Landscape wise census was conducted by taking into account various tiger ranges spread in these tiger reserves.
Related Articles:
Centre admits to rampant tiger poaching
Likely rise in Palamau Reserve's tiger population
Allocation for tiger conservation doubled
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200907071415.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Fisherman taken away by tiger
Fisherman taken away by tiger
Jul 09, 2009
Canning (WB), July 8 In another tiger attack in the Sunderbans, a fisherman was taken away by a big cat at Matla area tonight.
Bhaben Gayen (42) was catching shrimps at a creek near mangrove forest when a tiger suddenly pounced on him and took him away, Field Director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve, Subrat Mukhopadhyay said.
Gayen's companions were too stunned to react as the carnivore swiftly vanished into the jungles.
The body of Gayen, who had valid pass for fishing in the restricted area, could not be traced till late hours, Mukhopadhyay said.
The forest department provides Rs 25,000 as compensation to the next of kin of the valid fishing pass holders in the event of their death in tiger attacks.
There had been a couple of cases of villagers killed and injured in tiger attack in the Sunderbans area in the past one year.
http://news.chennaionline.com/newsitem.aspx?NEWSID=b9524e81-d4d9-49d7-ae50-d9e9e756e19b&CATEGORYNAME=NATL
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Jul 09, 2009
Canning (WB), July 8 In another tiger attack in the Sunderbans, a fisherman was taken away by a big cat at Matla area tonight.
Bhaben Gayen (42) was catching shrimps at a creek near mangrove forest when a tiger suddenly pounced on him and took him away, Field Director, Sunderban Tiger Reserve, Subrat Mukhopadhyay said.
Gayen's companions were too stunned to react as the carnivore swiftly vanished into the jungles.
The body of Gayen, who had valid pass for fishing in the restricted area, could not be traced till late hours, Mukhopadhyay said.
The forest department provides Rs 25,000 as compensation to the next of kin of the valid fishing pass holders in the event of their death in tiger attacks.
There had been a couple of cases of villagers killed and injured in tiger attack in the Sunderbans area in the past one year.
http://news.chennaionline.com/newsitem.aspx?NEWSID=b9524e81-d4d9-49d7-ae50-d9e9e756e19b&CATEGORYNAME=NATL
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Big cats on the prowl during Kosciusko fair
Big cats on the prowl during Kosciusko fair
Last updated: July 8, 2009 9:05 a.m.
Kaitlin Shawgo The Journal Gazette
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
Lions, tigers and … ligers?
Among horses, llamas, cows, pigs and other animals commonly seen in the Midwest, visitors at the Kosciusko County Fair this year also have the chance to observe more exotic animals.
The fair’s board of directors chose to have a “big-cat encounter” in order to offer free events for fairgoers, board President Sheal Dirck said.
A large tractor-trailer rig carrying four tigers, a lion and a liger rolled into the fairgrounds a week ago, and an unscheduled show Monday drew a large crowd, he said.
The show is put on by Clayton Rosaire, whose family owns the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota, Fla.
Rosaire said he and a crew travel with a few animals to help bring in more money for the facility’s upkeep.
Instead of having the animals perform tricks, Rosaire said the purpose of the show is to educate people on how the animals live in the wild and in captivity.
“We kind of let the animals show their own individual personalities,” he said.
As visitors walked up to the trailer with strollers and elephant ears in tow, they exclaimed at seeing the exotic animals.
Winona Lake resident Emily O’Daniels, 16, said she was used to seeing tigers at zoos she’s been to, but the animals usually are farther away.
“I’ve never seen them so close,” she said.
Placed near the food vendors – and far away from other animals – the tigers, lion and liger lounged in the shade of their enclosure, napping and drinking water from bowls.
Two tigers snuggled together, which prompted cooing from their small audience.
A few spectators wondered aloud whether the big cats would prefer to be out and running in the open, but Rosaire said the animals enjoy relaxing. He also provides a pool for the tigers, which love water.
The Big Cat Habitat houses 40 large cats, 17 bears and a variety of other animals, including primates and camels. When the animals arrive at the facility, they stay there for life, Rosaire said.
Asked whether he had a favorite animal, Rosaire laughed. “You’re not supposed to,” he said, adding he especially likes working with a 750-pound tiger named Conan.
Rosaire will put on educational shows with the animals at 5 and 8 p.m. today and Thursday, and 3, 5 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Shrine parking lot.
The fair ends Saturday.
Dirck said he doesn’t know whether future fairs will feature a big-cat encounter, but he added that the large animals have been a hit so far.
“Would I have them back? Absolutely,” Dirck said.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090708/LOCAL/307089957#
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Last updated: July 8, 2009 9:05 a.m.
Kaitlin Shawgo The Journal Gazette
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
Lions, tigers and … ligers?
Among horses, llamas, cows, pigs and other animals commonly seen in the Midwest, visitors at the Kosciusko County Fair this year also have the chance to observe more exotic animals.
The fair’s board of directors chose to have a “big-cat encounter” in order to offer free events for fairgoers, board President Sheal Dirck said.
A large tractor-trailer rig carrying four tigers, a lion and a liger rolled into the fairgrounds a week ago, and an unscheduled show Monday drew a large crowd, he said.
The show is put on by Clayton Rosaire, whose family owns the Big Cat Habitat and Gulf Coast Sanctuary in Sarasota, Fla.
Rosaire said he and a crew travel with a few animals to help bring in more money for the facility’s upkeep.
Instead of having the animals perform tricks, Rosaire said the purpose of the show is to educate people on how the animals live in the wild and in captivity.
“We kind of let the animals show their own individual personalities,” he said.
As visitors walked up to the trailer with strollers and elephant ears in tow, they exclaimed at seeing the exotic animals.
Winona Lake resident Emily O’Daniels, 16, said she was used to seeing tigers at zoos she’s been to, but the animals usually are farther away.
“I’ve never seen them so close,” she said.
Placed near the food vendors – and far away from other animals – the tigers, lion and liger lounged in the shade of their enclosure, napping and drinking water from bowls.
Two tigers snuggled together, which prompted cooing from their small audience.
A few spectators wondered aloud whether the big cats would prefer to be out and running in the open, but Rosaire said the animals enjoy relaxing. He also provides a pool for the tigers, which love water.
The Big Cat Habitat houses 40 large cats, 17 bears and a variety of other animals, including primates and camels. When the animals arrive at the facility, they stay there for life, Rosaire said.
Asked whether he had a favorite animal, Rosaire laughed. “You’re not supposed to,” he said, adding he especially likes working with a 750-pound tiger named Conan.
Rosaire will put on educational shows with the animals at 5 and 8 p.m. today and Thursday, and 3, 5 and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Shrine parking lot.
The fair ends Saturday.
Dirck said he doesn’t know whether future fairs will feature a big-cat encounter, but he added that the large animals have been a hit so far.
“Would I have them back? Absolutely,” Dirck said.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090708/LOCAL/307089957#
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Sariska tigers siblings, incest dangerous: Experts
Sariska tigers siblings, incest dangerous: Experts
Swati Vashishtha / CNN-IBN
Published on Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 16:43
Updated on Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 16:54 in India section
Jaipur: Grand plans were afoot in Sariska to re-populate the habitat with tigers. But now there's a controversy brewing. Could the three tigers - two females and one male - airlifted from Rajasthan's Ranthambhor to Sariska be siblings?
"The conclusion was arrived at by analysis of the photographic sensors. The three tigers - airlifted to Sariska last year - have all been fathered by the same male," says Field Biologist Ranthambhor National Park, Sawai Madhopur, Dharmendra Khandal.
Experts say having a common parent can be a problem for these tigers because breeding between siblings can lead to genetic disorders.
"It can have ill effects like mortalities and slow growth rate," says Khandal.
The Rajasthan government which has spent over Rs 50 lakh on the ambitious project is in denial mode and is in fact planning to release another tiger in the area.
Rajasthan Minister for Forest and Environment, Ramlal Jat says, "If they are shifted again, then the same problem of incest can arise."
While the government limits its concern to things like doubling up the budgetary allocation towards tiger conservation, what could well be another serious lapse in Sariska shows how the crucial attention to detail in saving the big cats is still nobody's priority.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sariska-tigers-siblings-incest-dangerous-experts/96749-3.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Swati Vashishtha / CNN-IBN
Published on Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 16:43
Updated on Thu, Jul 09, 2009 at 16:54 in India section
Jaipur: Grand plans were afoot in Sariska to re-populate the habitat with tigers. But now there's a controversy brewing. Could the three tigers - two females and one male - airlifted from Rajasthan's Ranthambhor to Sariska be siblings?
"The conclusion was arrived at by analysis of the photographic sensors. The three tigers - airlifted to Sariska last year - have all been fathered by the same male," says Field Biologist Ranthambhor National Park, Sawai Madhopur, Dharmendra Khandal.
Experts say having a common parent can be a problem for these tigers because breeding between siblings can lead to genetic disorders.
"It can have ill effects like mortalities and slow growth rate," says Khandal.
The Rajasthan government which has spent over Rs 50 lakh on the ambitious project is in denial mode and is in fact planning to release another tiger in the area.
Rajasthan Minister for Forest and Environment, Ramlal Jat says, "If they are shifted again, then the same problem of incest can arise."
While the government limits its concern to things like doubling up the budgetary allocation towards tiger conservation, what could well be another serious lapse in Sariska shows how the crucial attention to detail in saving the big cats is still nobody's priority.
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/sariska-tigers-siblings-incest-dangerous-experts/96749-3.html
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
More trouble for tiger
More trouble for tiger
Deepak Gidwani / DNA
Friday, July 10, 2009 2:57:00 AM
Environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh may be fretting over poachers pushing the tiger to extinction in Panna and Sariska forest reserves. But the next big shocker could come from Uttar Pradesh where the tiger population could slide into double digits.
Officials of the UP forest department (UPFD) are busy preparing for an exercise which has been steeped in controversy over the past decade — the biennial (two-yearly) tiger census. Data relating to the survival of the big cat have been a sensitive issue as foresters and conservationists slug it out every time a census is done.
This time, the debate focuses on the efficacy of the double camera trap technique, used to estimate the tiger population for the first time in 2007. While UPFD disputed the figures, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) brushed aside all reservations, insisting it was the most reliable method available.
“The camera trap method is an advanced technique but it does have its drawbacks,” says UP’s chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) BK Patnaik. However, he hastens to add that since it has been accepted by the NTCA and the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which conducted the last census, there is no point in arguing over the matter anymore. “When we are talking about wildlife and that too tigers, no method can be 100 per cent accurate... at best, it’s an estimation,” he said.
The UPFD was up in arms as soon as the last figures were declared in 2008. It was a major embarrassment as the state’s tiger count had taken a nosedive from 273 (UPFD’s 2005 census) to 109 (WII’s 2007 census). The UPFD dashed off its objections to the NTCA expressing strong reservations over the WII report. The NTCA overruled all protests.
“Tiger conservation should not get bogged down by statistics alone,” says Dr Diwakar Sharma, associate director, Species Conservation Programme, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India. He told DNA by phone from Ranthambore that the camera trap is a more sophisticated technique than the traditional pugmark method. “Lack of training (of forest department staff) could be a major drawback,” he said.
Thereby hangs a tale. While WII conducted the 2007 census, this year it is to be done by the state forest services. A senior UPFD official said no formal training for the camera trap method had been given to any of the staff who would be handling it.
UPFD officials point out other handicaps of the camera trap method. The cameras placed at a height of about two feet would miss out the cubs. Besides, the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, which has close to a hundred tigers, is surrounded by dense sugarcane fields known to be a thriving habitat of tigers. But no cameras can be placed in these fields due to practical difficulties.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_more-trouble-for-tiger_1272654
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Deepak Gidwani / DNA
Friday, July 10, 2009 2:57:00 AM
Environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh may be fretting over poachers pushing the tiger to extinction in Panna and Sariska forest reserves. But the next big shocker could come from Uttar Pradesh where the tiger population could slide into double digits.
Officials of the UP forest department (UPFD) are busy preparing for an exercise which has been steeped in controversy over the past decade — the biennial (two-yearly) tiger census. Data relating to the survival of the big cat have been a sensitive issue as foresters and conservationists slug it out every time a census is done.
This time, the debate focuses on the efficacy of the double camera trap technique, used to estimate the tiger population for the first time in 2007. While UPFD disputed the figures, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) brushed aside all reservations, insisting it was the most reliable method available.
“The camera trap method is an advanced technique but it does have its drawbacks,” says UP’s chief Wildlife Warden (CWW) BK Patnaik. However, he hastens to add that since it has been accepted by the NTCA and the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which conducted the last census, there is no point in arguing over the matter anymore. “When we are talking about wildlife and that too tigers, no method can be 100 per cent accurate... at best, it’s an estimation,” he said.
The UPFD was up in arms as soon as the last figures were declared in 2008. It was a major embarrassment as the state’s tiger count had taken a nosedive from 273 (UPFD’s 2005 census) to 109 (WII’s 2007 census). The UPFD dashed off its objections to the NTCA expressing strong reservations over the WII report. The NTCA overruled all protests.
“Tiger conservation should not get bogged down by statistics alone,” says Dr Diwakar Sharma, associate director, Species Conservation Programme, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), India. He told DNA by phone from Ranthambore that the camera trap is a more sophisticated technique than the traditional pugmark method. “Lack of training (of forest department staff) could be a major drawback,” he said.
Thereby hangs a tale. While WII conducted the 2007 census, this year it is to be done by the state forest services. A senior UPFD official said no formal training for the camera trap method had been given to any of the staff who would be handling it.
UPFD officials point out other handicaps of the camera trap method. The cameras placed at a height of about two feet would miss out the cubs. Besides, the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, which has close to a hundred tigers, is surrounded by dense sugarcane fields known to be a thriving habitat of tigers. But no cameras can be placed in these fields due to practical difficulties.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_more-trouble-for-tiger_1272654
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my
Lions and tigers and bears, oh my
Naples Zoo is a wonderful Florida attraction
July 9, 7:45 PM · Larraine Stacey - Florida Travel Examiner
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
This summer, Naples Zoo in southwest Florida welcomes one of the rarest creatures of the natural world, white tigers. For a limited time, Memorial Day through Labor Day, these four-year-old white tigers will be in the lush Tiger Forest exhibit near the new Black Bear Hammock exhibit. These striking cats will be seen stalking past giant bamboo or splashing in the naturalistic rockwork pool. In concert with the new bear exhibit and just arrived young purebred South African lions, white tigers will be a wild part of the summer fun in Southwest Florida. Visit www.napleszoo.org.
http://www.examiner.com/x-9092-Florida-Travel-Examiner~y2009m7d9-Lions-and-tigers-and-bears-oh-my--Naples-Zoo-is-a-wonderful-Florida-attraction
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Naples Zoo is a wonderful Florida attraction
July 9, 7:45 PM · Larraine Stacey - Florida Travel Examiner
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
This summer, Naples Zoo in southwest Florida welcomes one of the rarest creatures of the natural world, white tigers. For a limited time, Memorial Day through Labor Day, these four-year-old white tigers will be in the lush Tiger Forest exhibit near the new Black Bear Hammock exhibit. These striking cats will be seen stalking past giant bamboo or splashing in the naturalistic rockwork pool. In concert with the new bear exhibit and just arrived young purebred South African lions, white tigers will be a wild part of the summer fun in Southwest Florida. Visit www.napleszoo.org.
http://www.examiner.com/x-9092-Florida-Travel-Examiner~y2009m7d9-Lions-and-tigers-and-bears-oh-my--Naples-Zoo-is-a-wonderful-Florida-attraction
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Two new tigers call Issaquah home
Two new tigers call Issaquah home
July 9, 2009
By Chantelle Lusebrink
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
Issaquah’s Cougar Mountain Zoological Park is the recipient of two new Bengal tiger cubs.
“We are very happy. We want people to come out and be a part of these two boys’ lives,” said Robyn Barfoot, general curator for Cougar Mountain. “If it weren’t for our guests, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”
The two cubs, a royal white Bengal, which is 13 pounds, and a standard orange-and-black Bengal, which is 15 pounds, came to the zoo July 2. They are brothers from the same litter, born at an Arizona zoo six weeks ago, Barfoot said.
“We had always planned on having four and built an enclosure to hold four,” she added, of the new arrivals. “We had special kinds in mind, though. We knew we wanted a standard orange-and-black, and then another royal white, because people love to see them. It also helps us teach people about the recessive gene and that like people, animals come in different colors.”
It is Barfoot’s hope that these tigers, like the zoo’s 2-year-old tigers, become ambassadors for tigers in the wild and inspire patrons and residents to help with conservation efforts.
The zoo’s other tigers, Taj, a golden Bengal, and Almos, a royal white Bengal tiger, are from two separate litters, but were purchased together and brought to the zoo in May 2007.
Zoo officials have completed Taj’s and Almos’ second larger tiger habitat and will transfer them to their new facility in coming weeks. The two new cubs will live in the nursery enclosure that Taj and Almos reside in now, when they are ready.
“The objective, hopefully some day in the distant future, once they’ve all grown up, is to introduce them and they can all cohabitate,” like several zoos in Europe have, Barfoot said. “But if they can’t, we have the two phases they can each rotate through.”
Zoo officials delayed announcing the purchase and arrival of the new tigers until this week, because so many developmental and health concerns can arise in the first few weeks of their lives, she said.
Since the tigers are still small, zoo officials aren’t releasing them publicly until July 22, when they will have two outdoor play sessions each day for the public to watch. Times for those sessions will be announced closer to the public release date.
http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/07/09/two-new-tigers-call-issaquah-home/
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
July 9, 2009
By Chantelle Lusebrink
For Information About White Tigers Visit:
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/cats/wild/white_tigers.htm
Issaquah’s Cougar Mountain Zoological Park is the recipient of two new Bengal tiger cubs.
“We are very happy. We want people to come out and be a part of these two boys’ lives,” said Robyn Barfoot, general curator for Cougar Mountain. “If it weren’t for our guests, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”
The two cubs, a royal white Bengal, which is 13 pounds, and a standard orange-and-black Bengal, which is 15 pounds, came to the zoo July 2. They are brothers from the same litter, born at an Arizona zoo six weeks ago, Barfoot said.
“We had always planned on having four and built an enclosure to hold four,” she added, of the new arrivals. “We had special kinds in mind, though. We knew we wanted a standard orange-and-black, and then another royal white, because people love to see them. It also helps us teach people about the recessive gene and that like people, animals come in different colors.”
It is Barfoot’s hope that these tigers, like the zoo’s 2-year-old tigers, become ambassadors for tigers in the wild and inspire patrons and residents to help with conservation efforts.
The zoo’s other tigers, Taj, a golden Bengal, and Almos, a royal white Bengal tiger, are from two separate litters, but were purchased together and brought to the zoo in May 2007.
Zoo officials have completed Taj’s and Almos’ second larger tiger habitat and will transfer them to their new facility in coming weeks. The two new cubs will live in the nursery enclosure that Taj and Almos reside in now, when they are ready.
“The objective, hopefully some day in the distant future, once they’ve all grown up, is to introduce them and they can all cohabitate,” like several zoos in Europe have, Barfoot said. “But if they can’t, we have the two phases they can each rotate through.”
Zoo officials delayed announcing the purchase and arrival of the new tigers until this week, because so many developmental and health concerns can arise in the first few weeks of their lives, she said.
Since the tigers are still small, zoo officials aren’t releasing them publicly until July 22, when they will have two outdoor play sessions each day for the public to watch. Times for those sessions will be announced closer to the public release date.
http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/07/09/two-new-tigers-call-issaquah-home/
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Name the Cincinnati Zoo tiger cubs contest
Name the Cincinnati Zoo tiger cubs contest
July 9, 11:39 PM
The Cincinnati Zoo needs your help naming four adorable Malayan Tiger cubs.
Proud parents Jalil and Hutan welcomed the four little boys March 21st.
It was the first litter of Malayan tigers born at the zoo in eight years.
A contest is underway right now on the zoo’s website. Four lucky winners will each receive a basic family zoo membership.
There are only about 600-800 of the endangered species in the wild. Malayan tigers are only found in tropical forests in Malaysia and the southern tip of Thailand.
For this reason, zoo officials are looking for names reflecting the tigers’ Southeast Asian heritage.
The zoo launched a page on its website to submit names.
But hurry! The contest ends next Friday, July 17th. Winners will be announced on July 24th. Enter as many times as you like, but only one name per entry.
To enter: Name the tigers contest
http://www.examiner.com/x-11511-Cincinnati-Early-Childhood-Parenting-Examiner~y2009m7d9-Name-the-Cincinnati-Zoo-tiger-cubs
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
July 9, 11:39 PM
The Cincinnati Zoo needs your help naming four adorable Malayan Tiger cubs.
Proud parents Jalil and Hutan welcomed the four little boys March 21st.
It was the first litter of Malayan tigers born at the zoo in eight years.
A contest is underway right now on the zoo’s website. Four lucky winners will each receive a basic family zoo membership.
There are only about 600-800 of the endangered species in the wild. Malayan tigers are only found in tropical forests in Malaysia and the southern tip of Thailand.
For this reason, zoo officials are looking for names reflecting the tigers’ Southeast Asian heritage.
The zoo launched a page on its website to submit names.
But hurry! The contest ends next Friday, July 17th. Winners will be announced on July 24th. Enter as many times as you like, but only one name per entry.
To enter: Name the tigers contest
http://www.examiner.com/x-11511-Cincinnati-Early-Childhood-Parenting-Examiner~y2009m7d9-Name-the-Cincinnati-Zoo-tiger-cubs
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
World Bank debunks tiger farming benefits
World Bank debunks tiger farming benefits
Posted on 09 July 2009
Geneva, Switzerland – Experimenting with tiger farming is too risky and could drive wild tigers further toward extinction, the World Bank told a key international wildlife trade meeting today.
WWF endorsed the World Bank’s call for countries to ban tiger farming because of the uncertainty that it will have for the long-term conservation of wild tigers.
“Extinction is irreversible, so prudence and precaution suggest that the risks of legalized farming are too great a gamble for the world to take,” World Bank Director Keshav Varma told the member countries of the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee. “We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work.”
Need to stop all trade in tiger parts now
“Stopping all trade in tiger parts, and phasing out these tiger farms, is of the utmost urgency if the tiger is to survive in the wild”, said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of the Species Programme of WWF International, “It is time for the world community to join together, with tiger range state governments, to stop all poaching of tigers for illegal trade, and WWF welcomes the engagement of the World Bank in these efforts”.
Because of the unpredictability of the market environment and the small number of remaining tigers in the wild, there is “no room for experimentation,” Varma, who leads the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative, said after the meeting.
“Commercial trading in tiger parts and its derivatives is not in the interest of wild tiger conservation.”
Tiger trade is prohibited internationally and banned domestically in all of its range countries, including China - historically the largest market for tiger products.
However, owners of privately run tiger farms and a contingent of wealthy business men across China have been pressuring the Chinese government to allow legal trade in tiger parts within China and lift its domestic tiger trade ban, implemented in 1993.
“Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers,” the World Bank statement said.
“We also call upon the international community at large to join efforts in providing the necessary technical and other support to the respective countries in phasing out tiger farming. This is the only safe way to ensure that wild tigers may have a future tomorrow."
http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/?169902/World-Bank-debunks-tiger-farming-benefits
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Posted on 09 July 2009
Geneva, Switzerland – Experimenting with tiger farming is too risky and could drive wild tigers further toward extinction, the World Bank told a key international wildlife trade meeting today.
WWF endorsed the World Bank’s call for countries to ban tiger farming because of the uncertainty that it will have for the long-term conservation of wild tigers.
“Extinction is irreversible, so prudence and precaution suggest that the risks of legalized farming are too great a gamble for the world to take,” World Bank Director Keshav Varma told the member countries of the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee. “We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work.”
Need to stop all trade in tiger parts now
“Stopping all trade in tiger parts, and phasing out these tiger farms, is of the utmost urgency if the tiger is to survive in the wild”, said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of the Species Programme of WWF International, “It is time for the world community to join together, with tiger range state governments, to stop all poaching of tigers for illegal trade, and WWF welcomes the engagement of the World Bank in these efforts”.
Because of the unpredictability of the market environment and the small number of remaining tigers in the wild, there is “no room for experimentation,” Varma, who leads the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative, said after the meeting.
“Commercial trading in tiger parts and its derivatives is not in the interest of wild tiger conservation.”
Tiger trade is prohibited internationally and banned domestically in all of its range countries, including China - historically the largest market for tiger products.
However, owners of privately run tiger farms and a contingent of wealthy business men across China have been pressuring the Chinese government to allow legal trade in tiger parts within China and lift its domestic tiger trade ban, implemented in 1993.
“Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers,” the World Bank statement said.
“We also call upon the international community at large to join efforts in providing the necessary technical and other support to the respective countries in phasing out tiger farming. This is the only safe way to ensure that wild tigers may have a future tomorrow."
http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/?169902/World-Bank-debunks-tiger-farming-benefits
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
World Bank Statement On Tiger Farming - July 9, 2009
World Bank Statement On Tiger Farming - July 9, 2009
World Bank statement read by Keshav Varma, Director at the World Bank and leader of the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative on Thursday at the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee.
"Tiger farming has proven to be a divisive issue and one that has distracted many in the conservation community from the common goal of saving wild tigers in their wild habitats.
Too much faith has been placed lately upon the guidance that economics and market mechanisms can bring to this very complex issue. Economics is an extremely useful guide to policy, but as the World Bank can authoritatively say from the position of its vast professional and practical experience, narrow economic approach has its limits and it cannot meaningfully apply to this subject.
There are clever theories that tell us that tiger farming is and could become the panacea for conservation. But there are an equal number of experts and theories who inform us otherwise. This is not surprising. There are myriad unknowns and even more unknowables that no amount of research can cast light upon. Will legalized farming facilitate laundering? Would it create new markets and an even higher demand for wild tiger products - for those who want a luxury good - the "real thing"? And why if farming is so effective
are wild bears still poached when there is a surplus of farmed bear bile in the world? The truth is that we cannot provide answers to these counterfactuals that can only be known after the fact.
And this is why we need to exercise caution. Extinction is irreversible, so prudence and precaution suggest that the risks of legalized farming are too great a gamble for the world to take. We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work. And if it does not work the downside risks are just too high - irreversible harm. Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all
countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers. We also call upon the international community at large to join efforts in providing the necessary technical and other support to the respective countries in phasing out tiger farming. This is the only safe way to ensure that wild tigers may have a future tomorrow."
http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/?169902/World-Bank-debunks-tiger-farming-benefits
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
World Bank statement read by Keshav Varma, Director at the World Bank and leader of the World Bank’s Global Tiger Initiative on Thursday at the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Standing Committee.
"Tiger farming has proven to be a divisive issue and one that has distracted many in the conservation community from the common goal of saving wild tigers in their wild habitats.
Too much faith has been placed lately upon the guidance that economics and market mechanisms can bring to this very complex issue. Economics is an extremely useful guide to policy, but as the World Bank can authoritatively say from the position of its vast professional and practical experience, narrow economic approach has its limits and it cannot meaningfully apply to this subject.
There are clever theories that tell us that tiger farming is and could become the panacea for conservation. But there are an equal number of experts and theories who inform us otherwise. This is not surprising. There are myriad unknowns and even more unknowables that no amount of research can cast light upon. Will legalized farming facilitate laundering? Would it create new markets and an even higher demand for wild tiger products - for those who want a luxury good - the "real thing"? And why if farming is so effective
are wild bears still poached when there is a surplus of farmed bear bile in the world? The truth is that we cannot provide answers to these counterfactuals that can only be known after the fact.
And this is why we need to exercise caution. Extinction is irreversible, so prudence and precaution suggest that the risks of legalized farming are too great a gamble for the world to take. We cannot know for sure if tiger farming will work. And if it does not work the downside risks are just too high - irreversible harm. Having carefully weighed the economic arguments we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all
countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers. We also call upon the international community at large to join efforts in providing the necessary technical and other support to the respective countries in phasing out tiger farming. This is the only safe way to ensure that wild tigers may have a future tomorrow."
http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/?169902/World-Bank-debunks-tiger-farming-benefits
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
A Better Way to Run Government
Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the county supervisors said okay.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF
AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.
The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.
I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand.
He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later.
Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF
AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
“Uphold the ban” says World Bank in Geneva today!
"Uphold the ban"
World Bank supports ban on tiger trade, calls for phasing-out of tiger farms
July 9, 2009. GENEVA – The 40 member organizations of the International Tiger Coalition (ITC) applaud remarks by the World Bank today stating that legalizing tiger farming is too great a gamble for the world to take if tigers are to have a future in the wild.
"Having carefully weighed the economics argument, we urge the CITES community to uphold the ban on wild tiger products and for all countries to continue to ban the domestic trade of wild tigers," said Keshav Varma, Director at the World Bank and leader of the Bank's Global Tiger Initiative at the 58th meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Standing Committee.
Tiger trade is prohibited internationally and banned domestically in all tiger range countries, including China - historically the largest market for tiger products.
However, a handful of wealthy businessmen who own large-scale tiger farms are asking the Chinese government to lift China's 16-year ban on tiger trade so that wine and other products made from tiger parts can be sold domestically.
"Given the unpredictability of the market environment along with the fact that there are only 3,500 tigers in the wild, there is no room for experimentation," said Varma to the ITC. "Commercial trading in tiger parts and its derivatives is not in the interest of wild tiger conservation."
"Farming tigers for trade will only hasten the loss of this irreplaceable species," said Judy Mills, moderator of the International Tiger Coalition (ITC). "The World Bank's groundbreaking statement underscores the fact that tiger trade from any source cannot be allowed if the world wants wild tigers."
NOTE TO EDITORS:
B-roll (TRT: 2.06, NATSOT): http://www.divshare.com/download/7307598-cf7
High-resolution images: http://www.savethetigerfund.org/Content/NavigationMenu2/News/MediaKits/TigerFarmMediaKit/default.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/InternationalTigerCoalition.htm
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Zoo tigers 'key' to Amur survival
Zoo tigers 'key' to Amur survival
Past plans to use captive Amur tigers to help boost the subspecies' wild population could be reinstated soon, a wildlife park chief has predicted.
The move would follow research suggesting fewer than 35 out of 500 big cats in the wild are genetically diverse for healthy breeding.
Doug Richardson, of the Highland Wildlife Park, said using captive animals had been mooted before.
The park at Kincraig has five of the world's largest cat.
Researchers Michael Russello and Philippe Henry of the University of British Columbia, in Kelowna, Canada led a team drawn from universities in Canada, Japan and the US in a bid to analyse the genetic profiles of the remaining wild Amur tigers.
They sampled DNA found within the droppings of an estimated 95 individuals found throughout the Amur tiger's range.
The scientists said the results revealed the tiger was down to an effective wild population of fewer than 35 individuals.
Although up to 500 of the big cats actually survive in the wild, the effective population is a measure of their genetic diversity.
Mr Richardson said: "The study confirms the lifeboat role that captive programmes play.
"On an ocean liner you know the lifeboats are there, but you hope you never have to use them."
'Potentially dangerous'
He added: "These captives animals are completely unrelated to the current wild population.
"If done badly, the reintroduction of tigers is a potentially dangerous scenario, but there are different ways of going about it and we may have to start dusting off ideas on this that have been articulated in the past."
Mr Richardson said the process of reintroducing tigers to an area - such as habitat close to Russia's border with China - was complex.
It could involve releasing a pregnant female into an enclosure and allowing her young to be raised without them becoming familiar with people or feeding on domestic livestock.
The young tigers would be released into the wild once they were 18 months to two years old.
Potential clashes with wild tigers and their territories would have to be carefully considered.
Amur are the rarest subspecies of tiger.
A male and female and three cubs are kept at the Highland Wildlife Park.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8138011.stm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Past plans to use captive Amur tigers to help boost the subspecies' wild population could be reinstated soon, a wildlife park chief has predicted.
The move would follow research suggesting fewer than 35 out of 500 big cats in the wild are genetically diverse for healthy breeding.
Doug Richardson, of the Highland Wildlife Park, said using captive animals had been mooted before.
The park at Kincraig has five of the world's largest cat.
Researchers Michael Russello and Philippe Henry of the University of British Columbia, in Kelowna, Canada led a team drawn from universities in Canada, Japan and the US in a bid to analyse the genetic profiles of the remaining wild Amur tigers.
They sampled DNA found within the droppings of an estimated 95 individuals found throughout the Amur tiger's range.
The scientists said the results revealed the tiger was down to an effective wild population of fewer than 35 individuals.
Although up to 500 of the big cats actually survive in the wild, the effective population is a measure of their genetic diversity.
Mr Richardson said: "The study confirms the lifeboat role that captive programmes play.
"On an ocean liner you know the lifeboats are there, but you hope you never have to use them."
'Potentially dangerous'
He added: "These captives animals are completely unrelated to the current wild population.
"If done badly, the reintroduction of tigers is a potentially dangerous scenario, but there are different ways of going about it and we may have to start dusting off ideas on this that have been articulated in the past."
Mr Richardson said the process of reintroducing tigers to an area - such as habitat close to Russia's border with China - was complex.
It could involve releasing a pregnant female into an enclosure and allowing her young to be raised without them becoming familiar with people or feeding on domestic livestock.
The young tigers would be released into the wild once they were 18 months to two years old.
Potential clashes with wild tigers and their territories would have to be carefully considered.
Amur are the rarest subspecies of tiger.
A male and female and three cubs are kept at the Highland Wildlife Park.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8138011.stm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Counterview: Save the tiger first - View: Welcome the big cat
Counterview: Save the tiger first
9 Jul 2009, 0000 hrs IST, Narayani Ganesh
Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forests, says that the government proposes to import cheetahs to reintroduce them here in the wild. He hopes that by doing so, the Asiatic cheetah that is now found only in some regions of Iran and Pakistan, might start breeding in India as well, several decades since its extinction here in the mid-20th century.
The world's fastest land animal ran out of steam in India because the authorities have failed to check poaching and habitat destruction. These two problems continue to plague the tiger and lion, which is why the big cats in India are dwindling in numbers even as traders in wildlife products and the land mafia are making a killing. It is not as though we have now reinstated lost habitats and have found a way of putting an end to the hegemony of ruthless poachers. Why then does the minister wish to inflict all these problems on the poor spotted creature, transplanting it away from its familiar surroundings that are probably better preserved and protected? Should we not first save the tiger that is faced with grave threats?
Desertification, loss of grassland and forests to agriculture, falling numbers of prey and the threat of poachers mean that when the imported cheetah arrives in India, it will have to deal with a hostile environment. And cheetahs are animals that are used to moving around freely in fairly expansive habitats. They don't confine themselves to a small, marked territory. Add to this its weak gene pool, its fragile nature, poor survival rate among cubs and low fertility rate and what you have is a recipe for disaster.
There was a proposal at the turn of the century to clone the cheetah at a Hyderabad-based facility at a cost of $1 million. Nothing happened. The money could be better spent in restoring scrubland and forest, training poachers to turn protectors and clamping down on the market for wildlife products. Let's first protect and save what we have here before re-introducing a species that has been extinct for more than half a century.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/VIEW-Welcome-the-big-cat/articleshow/articleshow/4754294.cms
View: Welcome the big cat
9 Jul 2009, 0000 hrs IST
Cheetahs have been extinct in India since 1952. But Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forests, now plans for India to have a homegrown species via a repopulation programme. This will bring cheer, and not only to animal lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
For far too long we've had tragic headlines about vanishing tigers and elephants and leopards being driven to the edge in man-animal conflicts. But the cheetah story suggests that the authorities care enough about India's wildlife heritage to resurrect the only animal to have been declared extinct in the country in the last 1,000 years.
Expect predictable potshots at such a mission. Some critics will say India has enough on its plate: habitat loss and poaching of animals like tigers, now absent in Sariska and Panna. We need, however, to combat wildlife endangerment regardless of whether or not the cheetah returns.
Encroachment and the poacher-forest official nexus are stand-alone issues. Some may say cheetahs need vast tracts of now-scarce grassland, so getting them is impractical. Since Ramesh indicates that technical studies will assess feasibility, they might want to hold their fire.
The plan will also come up against the unenlightened viewpoint that every human activity should be people-centric. Public money, it will be argued, can be better spent on social programmes. Surely aiding human beings and conserving animals aren't mutually exclusive. Protecting dying species is part of the larger effort at nature conservation.
A report recently revealed that over 800 animal and plant species have gone extinct in the past five centuries. Almost 17,000 more are on the brink. Such large-scale destruction represents a heart-rending loss to man's natural heritage. If anything, every country should get into rescue mode.
In the Asiatic cheetah's case, just about 70 to 100 are said to be surviving, their presence limited to Pakistan and Iran. By giving the big cat another home, India can help boost its longer-term chances of survival. Beautiful and intelligent species shouldn't have to die out just because we don't want to look beyond our backyards
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/VIEW-Welcome-the-big-cat/articleshow/articleshow/articleshow/4754301.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
9 Jul 2009, 0000 hrs IST, Narayani Ganesh
Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forests, says that the government proposes to import cheetahs to reintroduce them here in the wild. He hopes that by doing so, the Asiatic cheetah that is now found only in some regions of Iran and Pakistan, might start breeding in India as well, several decades since its extinction here in the mid-20th century.
The world's fastest land animal ran out of steam in India because the authorities have failed to check poaching and habitat destruction. These two problems continue to plague the tiger and lion, which is why the big cats in India are dwindling in numbers even as traders in wildlife products and the land mafia are making a killing. It is not as though we have now reinstated lost habitats and have found a way of putting an end to the hegemony of ruthless poachers. Why then does the minister wish to inflict all these problems on the poor spotted creature, transplanting it away from its familiar surroundings that are probably better preserved and protected? Should we not first save the tiger that is faced with grave threats?
Desertification, loss of grassland and forests to agriculture, falling numbers of prey and the threat of poachers mean that when the imported cheetah arrives in India, it will have to deal with a hostile environment. And cheetahs are animals that are used to moving around freely in fairly expansive habitats. They don't confine themselves to a small, marked territory. Add to this its weak gene pool, its fragile nature, poor survival rate among cubs and low fertility rate and what you have is a recipe for disaster.
There was a proposal at the turn of the century to clone the cheetah at a Hyderabad-based facility at a cost of $1 million. Nothing happened. The money could be better spent in restoring scrubland and forest, training poachers to turn protectors and clamping down on the market for wildlife products. Let's first protect and save what we have here before re-introducing a species that has been extinct for more than half a century.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/VIEW-Welcome-the-big-cat/articleshow/articleshow/4754294.cms
View: Welcome the big cat
9 Jul 2009, 0000 hrs IST
Cheetahs have been extinct in India since 1952. But Jairam Ramesh, minister for environment and forests, now plans for India to have a homegrown species via a repopulation programme. This will bring cheer, and not only to animal lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.
For far too long we've had tragic headlines about vanishing tigers and elephants and leopards being driven to the edge in man-animal conflicts. But the cheetah story suggests that the authorities care enough about India's wildlife heritage to resurrect the only animal to have been declared extinct in the country in the last 1,000 years.
Expect predictable potshots at such a mission. Some critics will say India has enough on its plate: habitat loss and poaching of animals like tigers, now absent in Sariska and Panna. We need, however, to combat wildlife endangerment regardless of whether or not the cheetah returns.
Encroachment and the poacher-forest official nexus are stand-alone issues. Some may say cheetahs need vast tracts of now-scarce grassland, so getting them is impractical. Since Ramesh indicates that technical studies will assess feasibility, they might want to hold their fire.
The plan will also come up against the unenlightened viewpoint that every human activity should be people-centric. Public money, it will be argued, can be better spent on social programmes. Surely aiding human beings and conserving animals aren't mutually exclusive. Protecting dying species is part of the larger effort at nature conservation.
A report recently revealed that over 800 animal and plant species have gone extinct in the past five centuries. Almost 17,000 more are on the brink. Such large-scale destruction represents a heart-rending loss to man's natural heritage. If anything, every country should get into rescue mode.
In the Asiatic cheetah's case, just about 70 to 100 are said to be surviving, their presence limited to Pakistan and Iran. By giving the big cat another home, India can help boost its longer-term chances of survival. Beautiful and intelligent species shouldn't have to die out just because we don't want to look beyond our backyards
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/VIEW-Welcome-the-big-cat/articleshow/articleshow/articleshow/4754301.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Zoo prepares for new tiger, other arrivals
Zoo prepares for new tiger, other arrivals
Posted: Wednesday, Jul 8th, 2009
BY: Paula McCambridge
Just a month after the death of its 9-year-old Malayan tiger, Sala, the Charles Paddock Zoo is expecting a young 1-and-a-half-yea- old male Malayan to arrive within the week from the San Diego Zoo and to be available for public viewing after a 30-day quarantine.
“If all goes well, it’ll get through quarantine with no problems,” said Alan Baker, zoo director. “And we’re not expecting any problems, but with living animals there’s always something.”
The “always something” happened last month when Sala unexpectedly died, leaving zoo personnel saddened and surprised, Baker said. Preliminary lab results now suggest Sala suffered from a viral infection that included complications that led to her death. Zoo officials expect a full lab report within the week.
When zookeepers noticed Sala was losing weight, she underwent exploratory surgery, during which, her heart simply stopped beating, Baker said. She was an adult in her prime — tigers in captivity can live to be 15 to 16 years old — and had successfully undergone surgery in the past, so staff had every reason to believe she could withstand the exploratory surgery, he said.
With Sala gone and with the hope of getting another tiger for the zoo, personnel made repairs to the exhibit.
http://www.atascaderonews.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1994
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Posted: Wednesday, Jul 8th, 2009
BY: Paula McCambridge
Just a month after the death of its 9-year-old Malayan tiger, Sala, the Charles Paddock Zoo is expecting a young 1-and-a-half-yea- old male Malayan to arrive within the week from the San Diego Zoo and to be available for public viewing after a 30-day quarantine.
“If all goes well, it’ll get through quarantine with no problems,” said Alan Baker, zoo director. “And we’re not expecting any problems, but with living animals there’s always something.”
The “always something” happened last month when Sala unexpectedly died, leaving zoo personnel saddened and surprised, Baker said. Preliminary lab results now suggest Sala suffered from a viral infection that included complications that led to her death. Zoo officials expect a full lab report within the week.
When zookeepers noticed Sala was losing weight, she underwent exploratory surgery, during which, her heart simply stopped beating, Baker said. She was an adult in her prime — tigers in captivity can live to be 15 to 16 years old — and had successfully undergone surgery in the past, so staff had every reason to believe she could withstand the exploratory surgery, he said.
With Sala gone and with the hope of getting another tiger for the zoo, personnel made repairs to the exhibit.
http://www.atascaderonews.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1994
http://www.bigcatrescue.org/
Orissa Govt. contemplating to launch tiger tourism again in Similipal
Orissa Govt. contemplating to launch tiger tourism again in Similipal
Friday, July 03, 2009
Report by Orissadiary correspondent;
Bhubaneswar: Forest officials of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district are reportedly contemplating to launch tiger tourism again to attract more visitors .The decision was taken at the fourth annual general body meeting of the Simlipal Eco-tourism Society (SES) held at the Salabani forest bungalow at Baripada.
Sources in the Similipal Eco-tourism Society said that over the phone that the society was readying a robust new plan to lure tourists in the tiger country to watch and enjoy nature’s bounties while safely ensconced in a well caparisoned Howdah, a pavilion or seat fixed on an elephant’s back.
Eight-foot tall Bhawani and the seven-foot tall Sova are being readied for the joyride on nature's trail, sources indicated.
Both these two pet and trained cow elephants, 51-year-old Bhawani and the 52-year-old Sova, along with nine-foot tall and 43-year-old tusker Mahendra, were bought from the Hamsur wildlife division of Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Karnataka in December, 2001 to combat poaching and timber smuggling in the STR, sources added.
According to a decision taken at the meeting, a single group comprising four tourists can travel along the bank of river Khairi flanked by the scenic beauty of Simlipal hills via the natural orchiderium at Gudgudia.
Tourists will have to pay Rs 100 per head for a single one-hour long joy ride.
The meeting also decided to ensure restoration and repair of the forest roads and culverts that might be damaged by monsoon rains on a war footing so that the park can be reopened for the visitors tentatively on November 1.
http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=13235
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Friday, July 03, 2009
Report by Orissadiary correspondent;
Bhubaneswar: Forest officials of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district are reportedly contemplating to launch tiger tourism again to attract more visitors .The decision was taken at the fourth annual general body meeting of the Simlipal Eco-tourism Society (SES) held at the Salabani forest bungalow at Baripada.
Sources in the Similipal Eco-tourism Society said that over the phone that the society was readying a robust new plan to lure tourists in the tiger country to watch and enjoy nature’s bounties while safely ensconced in a well caparisoned Howdah, a pavilion or seat fixed on an elephant’s back.
Eight-foot tall Bhawani and the seven-foot tall Sova are being readied for the joyride on nature's trail, sources indicated.
Both these two pet and trained cow elephants, 51-year-old Bhawani and the 52-year-old Sova, along with nine-foot tall and 43-year-old tusker Mahendra, were bought from the Hamsur wildlife division of Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Karnataka in December, 2001 to combat poaching and timber smuggling in the STR, sources added.
According to a decision taken at the meeting, a single group comprising four tourists can travel along the bank of river Khairi flanked by the scenic beauty of Simlipal hills via the natural orchiderium at Gudgudia.
Tourists will have to pay Rs 100 per head for a single one-hour long joy ride.
The meeting also decided to ensure restoration and repair of the forest roads and culverts that might be damaged by monsoon rains on a war footing so that the park can be reopened for the visitors tentatively on November 1.
http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=13235
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
10 tigers dead in last six months
10 tigers dead in last six months
Imran Khan
First Published : 03 Jul 2009 03:59:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 03 Jul 2009 11:19:43 AM IST
BANGALORE: There has been an alarming increase in the number of tiger deaths this year. With 45 deaths in the first six months, 2009 can be termed as one of the worst years for tigers in the country.
In Karnataka alone, which boasts of a healthy population of around 280 tigers, 10 tiger deaths have been reported in the past six months. Unlike other states, where the major cause of the deaths of tigers is poaching, the state forest officials assert that in Karnataka, the deaths are mostly natural.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, PCCF B K Singh, said that barring a single incident at Nagarhole where a tiger was poached, the other deaths were natural. However, according to police records, around five tiger pelts were confiscated in the past six months, proving that poaching was thriving in Karnataka.
“The state was once considered a safe heaven for tigers. But not anymore.
Poaching is slowly creeping into Karnataka and the number of pelts confiscated reveals that we have to be on guard,” said Sanjay Gubbi of Wildlife Conservation Society.
“We still do not have the data readily available,” he added.
Praveen Bhargava of Wildlife First said that there were various reasons for the deaths of tigers in the state. Sometimes they got old and died and sometimes they died due to the loss of their canine teeth, Bhargava added.
He said though poaching was not as bad in Karnataka as in other states, we needed to keep a constant vigil.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=10+tigers+dead+in+last+six+months&artid=6SbOGOF84T8=&SectionID=7GUA38txp3s=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=zkvyRoWGpmWSxZV2TGM5XQ==&SEO=
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Imran Khan
First Published : 03 Jul 2009 03:59:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 03 Jul 2009 11:19:43 AM IST
BANGALORE: There has been an alarming increase in the number of tiger deaths this year. With 45 deaths in the first six months, 2009 can be termed as one of the worst years for tigers in the country.
In Karnataka alone, which boasts of a healthy population of around 280 tigers, 10 tiger deaths have been reported in the past six months. Unlike other states, where the major cause of the deaths of tigers is poaching, the state forest officials assert that in Karnataka, the deaths are mostly natural.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, PCCF B K Singh, said that barring a single incident at Nagarhole where a tiger was poached, the other deaths were natural. However, according to police records, around five tiger pelts were confiscated in the past six months, proving that poaching was thriving in Karnataka.
“The state was once considered a safe heaven for tigers. But not anymore.
Poaching is slowly creeping into Karnataka and the number of pelts confiscated reveals that we have to be on guard,” said Sanjay Gubbi of Wildlife Conservation Society.
“We still do not have the data readily available,” he added.
Praveen Bhargava of Wildlife First said that there were various reasons for the deaths of tigers in the state. Sometimes they got old and died and sometimes they died due to the loss of their canine teeth, Bhargava added.
He said though poaching was not as bad in Karnataka as in other states, we needed to keep a constant vigil.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=10+tigers+dead+in+last+six+months&artid=6SbOGOF84T8=&SectionID=7GUA38txp3s=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=zkvyRoWGpmWSxZV2TGM5XQ==&SEO=
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Qatar: Growing number of cheetahs kept as "pets"
Spotted: cheetahs kept as pets
By Peter Townson
Although Qatar is signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), there have been a number of reports of cheetahs being paraded around public places including schools, and a number of veterinary clinics told Gulf Times that they had been approached to offer assistance to the owners.
And despite legal restrictions, some practitioners have been offering their services to the big cats' owners, justifying their work on the basis that "if we don't help, then no one else will".
Their efforts may well help keep a litter of cheetah cubs, or an adult cat alive, but they are still contributing towards a mindset that dictates: "These animals are like pets – we can take them to the vet in the same way as if they were a pet cat or dog," an animal activist said.
A local vet, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that he had been visited on a number of occasions by the owners of cheetahs, asking for his services in treating sick and dying specimens.
Another member of staff at one of the veterinary practices here explained that she had also been approached by owners looking for help.
"I actually had one man contact me who owned a male and female cheetah who had produced a litter of cubs," she said, adding "he asked me to ‘de-claw' the eight cubs as he needed to present them to other members of his family as gifts, and one of them had already scratched one of his children.
"I was astonished when he told me he thought he would release the male cheetah back into the wild in Africa," she said, adding "how could he expect an animal that had been living in captivity in a domestic situation to have the necessary survival skills to live in the wild again?"
Gulf Times spoke to the director of the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Dr Sven Hammer, who voiced his concern at the number of ‘wild animals' which are being kept as pets throughout the country.
"A cheetah will always remain a wild animal. When they become mature they usually change their behaviour from a cuddly cat to a real wild animal which means that they become unpredictable or even aggressive," he said, explaining that the usual methods of attempting to deal with this are declawing and removing the cats' canines.
"This is clearly an abuse since the animal cannot behave naturally and this cruel procedure is often done by unqualified vets leading to a lifetime of pain for the ‘pet cheetah'," he explained, adding "professional vets refuse such an operation, because it is against the ethics of wild animal and animal welfare."
Dr Hammer claimed that he had been approached many times to ask for such operations over the past 10 years in Qatar, but had always refused.
He said he has heard about people feeding their cheetahs with "milk, cheese or canned cat food", because of a belief that by not feeding them meat, they will remain placid.
"This superstition causes many health problems – deficiencies, bone deformities, blindness and others," he explained.
"When the owner loses interest in the animal or it becomes difficult to handle, the cheetah is released in the desert or simply left in a tiny cage," said Dr Hammer.
He said that the way to prevent people owning wild animals is to promote awareness and legislation.
"Capacity building is the only sustainable measure in our opinion," he said, adding "people have to understand that threatened species are no inexhaustible resource."
"The best way to start with this is in school," he argued.
He also said that the existing laws needed to be upheld and that everyone needed to be called to account, regardless of social standing or connections.
The animals are reportedly smuggled through Bahrain which is not signatory to the CITES treaty, and another common route is simply to drive from Saudi Arabia. All these cheetahs are poached from the wild as cubs and this significantly affects the wild cheetah population.
Dr Hammer pointed out that any animals that had been kept as pets would not be able to survive if released in the wild, claiming that they would "die a wretched death within a short time".
There are legal ways of keeping threatened species in captivity, but there are many legal requirements and procedures that must be followed before an owner can be approved.
"Before you receive the legal papers and permits you have to prove you have the skills to keep the particular species, and representatives of the authorities will visit to make sure the facilities meet the given standards," explained Dr Hammer, adding "this is something that should be implemented here".
He described the necessary requirements for keeping a cheetah, such as a 400 sq m enclosure featuring natural vegetation, shade, rocks, hills and old tree trunks. This should include a separation area and there are also specific dietary requirements as well. During summer months in Qatar the cheetah should have access to methods of cooling such as air-conditioned rooms and water irrigated areas.
Asked whether there could be people breeding cheetahs in Qatar, Dr Hammer explained that they are "one of the most challenging cat species breeding wise", but claimed it would not be impossible, adding "it is very questionable whether one should target breeding threatened species just for the pet market".
He described the legal situations surrounding the ownership of cats such as cheetahs as a "difficult issue", but argued that something must be done to improve enforcement to ensure that the animals are not brought in for unsuitable owners or paraded around in public.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=301603&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
-----------
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
By Peter Townson
Although Qatar is signed up to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), there have been a number of reports of cheetahs being paraded around public places including schools, and a number of veterinary clinics told Gulf Times that they had been approached to offer assistance to the owners.
And despite legal restrictions, some practitioners have been offering their services to the big cats' owners, justifying their work on the basis that "if we don't help, then no one else will".
Their efforts may well help keep a litter of cheetah cubs, or an adult cat alive, but they are still contributing towards a mindset that dictates: "These animals are like pets – we can take them to the vet in the same way as if they were a pet cat or dog," an animal activist said.
A local vet, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that he had been visited on a number of occasions by the owners of cheetahs, asking for his services in treating sick and dying specimens.
Another member of staff at one of the veterinary practices here explained that she had also been approached by owners looking for help.
"I actually had one man contact me who owned a male and female cheetah who had produced a litter of cubs," she said, adding "he asked me to ‘de-claw' the eight cubs as he needed to present them to other members of his family as gifts, and one of them had already scratched one of his children.
"I was astonished when he told me he thought he would release the male cheetah back into the wild in Africa," she said, adding "how could he expect an animal that had been living in captivity in a domestic situation to have the necessary survival skills to live in the wild again?"
Gulf Times spoke to the director of the Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation, Dr Sven Hammer, who voiced his concern at the number of ‘wild animals' which are being kept as pets throughout the country.
"A cheetah will always remain a wild animal. When they become mature they usually change their behaviour from a cuddly cat to a real wild animal which means that they become unpredictable or even aggressive," he said, explaining that the usual methods of attempting to deal with this are declawing and removing the cats' canines.
"This is clearly an abuse since the animal cannot behave naturally and this cruel procedure is often done by unqualified vets leading to a lifetime of pain for the ‘pet cheetah'," he explained, adding "professional vets refuse such an operation, because it is against the ethics of wild animal and animal welfare."
Dr Hammer claimed that he had been approached many times to ask for such operations over the past 10 years in Qatar, but had always refused.
He said he has heard about people feeding their cheetahs with "milk, cheese or canned cat food", because of a belief that by not feeding them meat, they will remain placid.
"This superstition causes many health problems – deficiencies, bone deformities, blindness and others," he explained.
"When the owner loses interest in the animal or it becomes difficult to handle, the cheetah is released in the desert or simply left in a tiny cage," said Dr Hammer.
He said that the way to prevent people owning wild animals is to promote awareness and legislation.
"Capacity building is the only sustainable measure in our opinion," he said, adding "people have to understand that threatened species are no inexhaustible resource."
"The best way to start with this is in school," he argued.
He also said that the existing laws needed to be upheld and that everyone needed to be called to account, regardless of social standing or connections.
The animals are reportedly smuggled through Bahrain which is not signatory to the CITES treaty, and another common route is simply to drive from Saudi Arabia. All these cheetahs are poached from the wild as cubs and this significantly affects the wild cheetah population.
Dr Hammer pointed out that any animals that had been kept as pets would not be able to survive if released in the wild, claiming that they would "die a wretched death within a short time".
There are legal ways of keeping threatened species in captivity, but there are many legal requirements and procedures that must be followed before an owner can be approved.
"Before you receive the legal papers and permits you have to prove you have the skills to keep the particular species, and representatives of the authorities will visit to make sure the facilities meet the given standards," explained Dr Hammer, adding "this is something that should be implemented here".
He described the necessary requirements for keeping a cheetah, such as a 400 sq m enclosure featuring natural vegetation, shade, rocks, hills and old tree trunks. This should include a separation area and there are also specific dietary requirements as well. During summer months in Qatar the cheetah should have access to methods of cooling such as air-conditioned rooms and water irrigated areas.
Asked whether there could be people breeding cheetahs in Qatar, Dr Hammer explained that they are "one of the most challenging cat species breeding wise", but claimed it would not be impossible, adding "it is very questionable whether one should target breeding threatened species just for the pet market".
He described the legal situations surrounding the ownership of cats such as cheetahs as a "difficult issue", but argued that something must be done to improve enforcement to ensure that the animals are not brought in for unsuitable owners or paraded around in public.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=301603&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16
-----------
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
National Zoo's success at breeding clouded leopards
National Zoo Welcomes Rare Clouded Leopard Cubs
by Guy Raz
All Things Considered, July 5, 2009 - The Smithsonian's National Zoo is bursting with pride over its latest additions: two rare clouded leopards. The two yet-to-be-named baby leopards were born in late March at the zoo's research center in Front Royal, Va., a far cry from their native habitat in Southeast Asia. The species, hunted for skins and medicinal uses, is endangered. The zoo is trying to preserve the species, but has not been successful mating the animals.
It's been nearly two decades since a birth at the zoo.
Little is known about the mating habits of clouded leopards because their natural habitat is thick jungle and few are observed in the wild. In captivity, the male will sometimes kill the female it is paired with, according to the National Zoo's JoGayle Howard, who has been studying the animals for decades.
"We really did want to see if we could prevent the male aggression, and what worked the best was to put 6-month-old cubs together and see if they would bond and grow up," says Howard. "And that really was the secret."
The cubs' parents, Hannibal and Jao Chu, were imported from Thailand and grew up together.
And in a stroke of luck, three other clouded leopards were born at the Nashville Zoo. Those cubs will be introduced to the two born at the National Zoo. Officials are hopeful they will mate.
Produced by Matt Martinez
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105971473
---------
Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
by Guy Raz
All Things Considered, July 5, 2009 - The Smithsonian's National Zoo is bursting with pride over its latest additions: two rare clouded leopards. The two yet-to-be-named baby leopards were born in late March at the zoo's research center in Front Royal, Va., a far cry from their native habitat in Southeast Asia. The species, hunted for skins and medicinal uses, is endangered. The zoo is trying to preserve the species, but has not been successful mating the animals.
It's been nearly two decades since a birth at the zoo.
Little is known about the mating habits of clouded leopards because their natural habitat is thick jungle and few are observed in the wild. In captivity, the male will sometimes kill the female it is paired with, according to the National Zoo's JoGayle Howard, who has been studying the animals for decades.
"We really did want to see if we could prevent the male aggression, and what worked the best was to put 6-month-old cubs together and see if they would bond and grow up," says Howard. "And that really was the secret."
The cubs' parents, Hannibal and Jao Chu, were imported from Thailand and grew up together.
And in a stroke of luck, three other clouded leopards were born at the Nashville Zoo. Those cubs will be introduced to the two born at the National Zoo. Officials are hopeful they will mate.
Produced by Matt Martinez
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105971473
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Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Smothering of a Florida child by a Python
Today in Washington:
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
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This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
NELSON TO TALK THREATS TO NATIVE WILDLIFE: Among those set to testify today before the U.S. Senate Environment and Works Committee as it discusses native species wildlife threats is U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who is likely to bring up the recent smothering of a Florida child by a non-native species, a pet python. Also on the program is Jeffrey Hill, assistant professor of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at the University of Florida. (10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington.)
Tampa Tribune Editorial:
Tampa Tribune - Nix slithery import
The killing of a 2-year-old Sumter County girl by a Burmese python should erase any doubt about the wisdom of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's proposal to ban the importation of the giant snake. The Burmese python has established a breeding population in the Everglades, and officials say there may be as many as 150,000 slithering around South Florida - the result, apparently, of some python owners releasing snakes that become too big to handle. There is no reason to allow continued trade of a snake that has proved itself a menace to natural Florida and, as the horrible Sumter case underscores, a threat to humans. The nine-foot snake left in a bag inside an aquarium last Tuesday night, slithered free, sought out and suffocated the toddler in the child's bed. This is the first documented python attack in Florida. But such attacks by snakes around the nation are hardly unknown. And now, with so many snakes in the wild, it's not just the snake owners who have to worry. A snake more than 16 feet long has been found in Florida's woods. Another large snake died trying to eat an alligator. Responsible reptile enthusiasts, to be sure, don't release snakes, and they make sure the snakes are properly fed and caged to eliminate the chance of attack. But it's abundantly clear that under the current system far too many people buy the large constrictors without proper training, knowledge or commitment to its long-term care. Nelson is right. Florida shouldn't allow the trade of these dangerous exotics. The import of Burmese pythons should be banned.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/08/na-nix-slithery-import/news-opinion-editorials/
Orlando Sentinel Guest Editorial - Python tragedy is wake up call
The 2-year-old Oxford girl killed tragically by an 8-foot Burmese python that escaped from an aquarium in the home was the fourth person killed by a pet python in the United States since 2006. Her death is a sad reflection of the growing threat wild animals kept as pets pose to their owners, to the public, and to Florida's natural environment. It follows an incident earlier this year in Las Vegas, when a 3-year-old boy was squeezed to unconsciousness by an 18-foot reticulated python in his home.
These huge constrictors simply are not pets. In addition to serious risks to people, Burmese pythons are upsetting the balance of Florida's ecosystems as they prey on endangered species and challenge alligators for top-predator status. From a small population of escaped or abandoned pets, Burmese pythons have become established in the Everglades, and have been found in other parts of the state.
Due to the magnitude of the problem, people are grasping at straws for solutions. Offering bounties for Burmese pythons has been suggested. While it makes for flashy headlines, such a scheme is unlikely to be effective and may do more harm than good. Bounties can entice people to release more animals, put people at risk of injury or death, and cause environmental damage from increased human traffic and improper collection methods.
Instead, Florida needs sound policies to address this problem at its source. The state's permit system for "reptiles of concern" is insufficient to stop the trade and potential release of these animals.
The Humane Society of the United States applauds U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson's proposed legislation (S. 373) and the companion bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek (H.R. 2811) to add pythons to the federal injurious species list, prohibiting their importation and interstate commerce for the pet trade.
This legislation alone will not eliminate Burmese pythons in the Everglades, nor will it address the numerous other exotic species that pose risks to people and harm to Florida's environment. But it will close a major introduction pathway and help prevent pythons from becoming established in other parts of the country.
Congress should quickly pass Sen. Nelson's bill, and the state should follow with proactive measures that address other species.
The need for responsible action, including a ban on imports and trade in pythons as pets, has never been more urgent.
Jennifer Hobgood is the Florida state director for The Humane Society of the United States.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-edpmyword-python-070709070809jul08,0,3609119.story
Gainesville Sun Editorial - Ban these lethal 'pets'
The owner of the Burmese python that crushed a 2-year-old Sumter County girl last week reportedly had no state permit to own the lethal "pet."
"State law requires that people have permits to possess Burmese pythons, or any Reptile of Concern," said a press release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission following the death of Shaiunna Hare. "A permit costs $100 annually, and those wishing to possess such an animal must show on their application their understanding of animal husbandry, nutrition and caging requirements for the particular animal. One requirement for a Reptile of Concern is that it must be kept under lock and key. The snake was not."
That the snake was owned illegally, however, begs a more pressing question: Why is it in the "public interest" for the State of Florida to permit the private ownership of an exotic, extremely dangerous species to begin with?
For that matter, why is it in the "public interest" to even allow the importation and sale of such a species?
The answer is that neither is in the public interest. And it isn't just the tragic death of a child that demands a re-examination of federal and state laws that allow the importation, sale and possession of these dangerous reptiles. Thousands of pythons have either escaped or been released into the Florida Everglades, posing a considerable threat to native wildlife. That's why U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, filed legislation earlier this year to ban the importation of Burmese pythons into this country, as well as the exportation of the snakes between states.
Nelson's proposed ban has been endorsed by groups like the Humane Society of the United States and the wildlife advocacy group Born Free USA.
"The private ownership of dangerous reptiles such as pythons obviously presents a real danger," Nicole Paquette, Born Free USA senior vice president and general counsel said last week. "We're hoping that this incident spurs the Legislature to hold an immediate public hearing to discuss the serious public safety concerns surrounding the keeping of dangerous reptiles in private hands. There is absolutely no reason for the general public to be keeping such animals as pets. In terms of public safety it's an accident waiting to happen."
She added: "The question is, how many accidents have to happen before legislators act to protect the public rather than the interests of a small group of individuals?"
It's a good question. In the interest of both public safety and environmental integrity, quick federal and state action is needed to ban the importation, sale and private ownership of these dangerous "pets."
Lakeland Ledger editorial:
Lakeland Ledger - Dangerous Exotic Animals: Wrap Up Pythons
Florida and its counties spent millions of dollars to eradicate the Brazilian pepper tree after it spread through the state - even though this invasive species doesn't eat birds, wildlife ranging from rabbits to alligators, or cats and dogs. Burmese pythons can and do consume animals. Python populations multiply like rabbits, or faster, and can quickly expand their range. For example, biologist Meg Lowman reported that about 200 pythons were captured in or near the Everglades National Park from 2002 to 2005. By last year, the python population was out of control: Biologists estimated there were at least 30,000 of them. Lowman, director of Environmental Initiatives at New College of Florida, warned last year that wildlife officials need to begin serious efforts to contain the python and other creatures, such as iguanas, Nile monitors and spiny-tailed lizards. Indeed, Wednesday, an escaped 12-foot Burmese python pet got loose and strangled a 2-year-old girl. Shaunnia Hare died in her bedroom in Oxford in northern Sumter County, which lies directly north of Polk County.
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Wildlife on menu spurs smuggling
| Wildlife on menu spurs smuggling | ||||
| ||||
| By Wang Zhuoqiong A rising appetite for wildlife and its increasing use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are fueling an increase in the illegal imports of endangered animals, a senior official has said. "Illegal wildlife trade used to be outbound, but domestic demand has reversed the trend," Wan Ziming, director of enforcement and training at the endangered species' office of the State Forestry Administration, told China Daily. Because the trade is illegal, the number of smuggling cases uncovered does not reflect the full extent of the animals and plants being brought into the country, Wan said. Last year, there were 87 criminal cases of endangered species being smuggled, up from 77 in 2005, said Wan. In 2007, there was a spike in cases to 175. "Illegal wildlife trade is alive and dynamic," said Xu Hongfa, director of the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) TRAFFIC East Asia China Program. "We have noticed an increasing amount of trade and consumption in wildlife, including bear paws, tortoises, pangolins and monitor lizards," he said. The smuggling has severely impacted the wildlife populations in neighboring countries, particularly Southeast Asian nations, Wan said. He said the demand stems partly from a "resource dilemma" faced by the country - rich in variety, but scarce in amount "The demand comes from a traditional culture of using wildlife for food and medicine," he said. "It is not easy to change the cultural habits of 1.3 billion people." Chinese people have long believed in the medicinal and health benefits of wild plants and animals. The trade in TCM products has also been growing at an annual rate of 10 percent, which has seriously impacted medicinal plant and animal populations, though more than half of plants and animals being used by TCM are from artificial propagation or captive breeding. Up to 20 percent of these are now considered threatened. Eating wild animals is also a traditional practice in southern China. The consumption of wild animals, which slowed amid the SARS epidemic in 2003, has once again gained popularity, a WWF survey has found. Profit from illegal trade can be up to 10 times the cost, with restaurant operators offering the exotic dishes usually aware of the violation but lured by the gains, Xu said. Illegal trade in tiger meat and bones is also alive, continuing to threaten the extinction of an already depleted species, he said. Alarmingly, Xu said, more wealthy people are demanding elephant ivory for decorative purposes. Of the 87 wildlife cases uncovered by the Customs last year, more than half involved ivory, Wan said. "The profit margin is as high as in drug trafficking but the punishment is too mild," he said. He Yong from the International Fund for Animal Welfare China said the demand for wildlife springs from weak links in law enforcement - the use and trade of wild animal products is banned, but artificial breeding is allowed in many instances to fulfill the needs of customers. | ||||
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20090628-151404.html
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street Tampa, FL 33625
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition to protect tigers from being farmed here:
http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9952801&type=CU
Free ways to join us and help the big cats:
Twitter: Follow Me and be invited to enter our Animal Lover's Dream Vacation Giveaway! http://twitter.com/BigCatRescue
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended
only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Tigers could have increased in Palamau
Tigers could have increased in Palamau
7 Jul 2009, 1350 hrs IST, PTI
RANCHI: Maoist presence in some areas of the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand is preventing wildlife experts from ascertaining the exact number of felines in the park.
Experts feel the numbers could have risen from 17 in 2007 but they have limited access to the area.
The Reserve spread over the districts of Latehar, Garwah and Lohardaga, is divided into 30 zones of which 13 are Maoist-infested and cannot be patrolled, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Biodiversity, S K Sharma, told PTI here.
Without free access to these 13 zones, the staff can neither collect samples nor install cameras at strategic places like waterbodies, Sharma said.
"As per the 2007 census, the Reserve had 17 tigers, but there could be more, but we cannot verify it because we cannot place cameras in the 13 zones as Maoists are present," he said.
"We have tiger protection forces mainly comprising local people. The force is divided into several groups who regularly patrol the areas. They are not armed as it was feared that these could be snatched away by Maoists," Sharma said.
The department was in the process of setting up a strike force comprising ex-service men. "But it is not yet decided whether they would be given weapons while on patrol," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Tigers-could-have-increased-in-Palamau/articleshow/4748479.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
7 Jul 2009, 1350 hrs IST, PTI
RANCHI: Maoist presence in some areas of the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand is preventing wildlife experts from ascertaining the exact number of felines in the park.
Experts feel the numbers could have risen from 17 in 2007 but they have limited access to the area.
The Reserve spread over the districts of Latehar, Garwah and Lohardaga, is divided into 30 zones of which 13 are Maoist-infested and cannot be patrolled, Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Biodiversity, S K Sharma, told PTI here.
Without free access to these 13 zones, the staff can neither collect samples nor install cameras at strategic places like waterbodies, Sharma said.
"As per the 2007 census, the Reserve had 17 tigers, but there could be more, but we cannot verify it because we cannot place cameras in the 13 zones as Maoists are present," he said.
"We have tiger protection forces mainly comprising local people. The force is divided into several groups who regularly patrol the areas. They are not armed as it was feared that these could be snatched away by Maoists," Sharma said.
The department was in the process of setting up a strike force comprising ex-service men. "But it is not yet decided whether they would be given weapons while on patrol," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Tigers-could-have-increased-in-Palamau/articleshow/4748479.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Strayed tiger caught
Strayed tiger caught
8 Jul 2009, 1834 hrs IST, PTI
CANNING (WB): A tiger from the Sundarbans that had strayed into Chargheri village under Gosaba police station was caught in area near the village, forest department sources said.
The forest department personnel had set up a cage between the village in South 24 Parganas district and Panchamukhani forest yesterday and found the tiger inside it this morning.
A number tag and a microchip would be attached to the ear and tail of the tiger respectively to monitor its future activities before it would be released in deep jungles, sources said.
Pugmarks had been found in Bali and Chargheri villages yesterday but the animal could not be traced till the night.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Strayed-tiger-caught/articleshow/4754035.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
8 Jul 2009, 1834 hrs IST, PTI
CANNING (WB): A tiger from the Sundarbans that had strayed into Chargheri village under Gosaba police station was caught in area near the village, forest department sources said.
The forest department personnel had set up a cage between the village in South 24 Parganas district and Panchamukhani forest yesterday and found the tiger inside it this morning.
A number tag and a microchip would be attached to the ear and tail of the tiger respectively to monitor its future activities before it would be released in deep jungles, sources said.
Pugmarks had been found in Bali and Chargheri villages yesterday but the animal could not be traced till the night.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Strayed-tiger-caught/articleshow/4754035.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Woman poacher sentenced to five years RI
Woman poacher sentenced to five years RI
8 Jul 2009, 2211 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: A court in Uttar Pradesh has sentenced a woman poacher to five year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 in a 16-year-old tiger poaching case.
Fifty-five-year-old Dilipo was sentenced yesterday by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACGM) Rajeshwari Tolia of a Pilibhit court, who found her guilty of violating several sections of Wildlife Protection Act by killing and smuggling tiger skins and parts.
Dilipo along with her associate Ramwati was arrested in February 1992 after forest officials seized a tiger skin and seven kg of tiger bone parts from their possession in Pilibhit, advocate DP Singh, special counsel for Dudhwa forest department, said.
At the instance of the accused, forest officials recovered tiger fat and several traps used to kill the endangered species.
However, Dilipo, a member of the Bawaria community, managed to get bail in the case. In 2005, she again fell into the net of the forest officials who arrested her from Katerniaghat Ghat division in Uttar Pradesh for a similar crime and was sent to jail for nine months.
When she was arrested in yet another tiger poaching case in 2007, forest officials thought of tightening the noose around her and reopened the case registered against her in 1992.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Woman-poacher-sentenced-to-five-years-RI-/articleshow/4754609.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
8 Jul 2009, 2211 hrs IST, PTI
NEW DELHI: A court in Uttar Pradesh has sentenced a woman poacher to five year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 25,000 in a 16-year-old tiger poaching case.
Fifty-five-year-old Dilipo was sentenced yesterday by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACGM) Rajeshwari Tolia of a Pilibhit court, who found her guilty of violating several sections of Wildlife Protection Act by killing and smuggling tiger skins and parts.
Dilipo along with her associate Ramwati was arrested in February 1992 after forest officials seized a tiger skin and seven kg of tiger bone parts from their possession in Pilibhit, advocate DP Singh, special counsel for Dudhwa forest department, said.
At the instance of the accused, forest officials recovered tiger fat and several traps used to kill the endangered species.
However, Dilipo, a member of the Bawaria community, managed to get bail in the case. In 2005, she again fell into the net of the forest officials who arrested her from Katerniaghat Ghat division in Uttar Pradesh for a similar crime and was sent to jail for nine months.
When she was arrested in yet another tiger poaching case in 2007, forest officials thought of tightening the noose around her and reopened the case registered against her in 1992.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/Woman-poacher-sentenced-to-five-years-RI-/articleshow/4754609.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
'No more pugmark-tracking for tiger count'
'No more pugmark-tracking for tiger count'
8 Jul 2009, 0652 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: Environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday told Rajya Sabha that the old system of tiger census through pugmarks was “faulty” and a new statistical measure based on camera trap has been started.
Stating that the number of tigers hovered between 1,150 and 1,600, Ramesh also made it clear that at no cost would India follow US and Chinese model of breeding tigers in captivity. “All tigers in India are in the wild and will remain in the wild,” he said, replying to calling attention on Project Tiger. He said though estimation of tiger population took place once in four years, he will prefer to have it once in two years.
In a debate that saw members cutting across party lines express concern about the falling number of tigers, Ramesh said the best protectors of environment and tigers were local communities. “We don’t need policing. We need incentives for local communities to protect the ecosystem,” he said.
Ramesh said he had already spoken to 200 vangujar families who live in the Jim Corbett Park. “I am going to start social protection force with their help. If it works, we will take it elswhere also. They will be paid and given mobility and connectivity,” he said.
Ramesh said according to the new plan, people living in tiger reserves would be moved to buffer zones while the core inviolate area would have no human habitation. He said about 80,000 to one lakh people will be moved to buffer zones and compensation had been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Responding to concerns expressed by nominated member Chandan Mitra that no poacher, including notorious Sansar Chand, had ever been punished, Ramesh said his ministry had proposed setting up a National Green Tribunal for speedy trials. “If the Act needs change. I am open to it,” he said, adding that Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was also in place.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/No-more-pugmark-tracking-for-tiger-count/articleshow/4751432.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
8 Jul 2009, 0652 hrs IST, TNN
NEW DELHI: Environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday told Rajya Sabha that the old system of tiger census through pugmarks was “faulty” and a new statistical measure based on camera trap has been started.
Stating that the number of tigers hovered between 1,150 and 1,600, Ramesh also made it clear that at no cost would India follow US and Chinese model of breeding tigers in captivity. “All tigers in India are in the wild and will remain in the wild,” he said, replying to calling attention on Project Tiger. He said though estimation of tiger population took place once in four years, he will prefer to have it once in two years.
In a debate that saw members cutting across party lines express concern about the falling number of tigers, Ramesh said the best protectors of environment and tigers were local communities. “We don’t need policing. We need incentives for local communities to protect the ecosystem,” he said.
Ramesh said he had already spoken to 200 vangujar families who live in the Jim Corbett Park. “I am going to start social protection force with their help. If it works, we will take it elswhere also. They will be paid and given mobility and connectivity,” he said.
Ramesh said according to the new plan, people living in tiger reserves would be moved to buffer zones while the core inviolate area would have no human habitation. He said about 80,000 to one lakh people will be moved to buffer zones and compensation had been increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Responding to concerns expressed by nominated member Chandan Mitra that no poacher, including notorious Sansar Chand, had ever been punished, Ramesh said his ministry had proposed setting up a National Green Tribunal for speedy trials. “If the Act needs change. I am open to it,” he said, adding that Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was also in place.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health-Science/Earth/Flora-Fauna/No-more-pugmark-tracking-for-tiger-count/articleshow/4751432.cms
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Ramesh expresses concern over tiger population
Ramesh expresses concern over tiger population
Sujay Mehdudia
Announces setting of Social Tiger Protection Force
16 out of the 37 sanctuaries in “danger zone”
Eco-system must be protected with the involvement of locals
NEW DELHI: The depleting population of tigers in the country is “alarming” and the “rampant killing of tigers” is a cause of concern, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Sixteen of the 37 tiger sanctuaries were in the “danger zone” where tigers had either vanished or were on the brink of vanishing.
Replying to the calling attention motion moved by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Mr. Ramesh said rampant killing of tigers had virtually led to extinction of the big cats in Sariska and Panna, due to poaching.
Mr. Ramesh announced the setting up of a “Social Tiger Protection Force” comprising the local communities and van gujjars, to protect the tiger population from further damage. He was strongly against forming a force comprising police personnel. It was important that the eco-system was protected at any cost with the involvement of locals. Mr. Ramesh said 12 sanctuaries were in good condition with good tiger density. The condition in nine was satisfactory, but more needed to be done.
The Ministry had chalked out a massive relocation of nearly one lakh families living in or around the 37 sanctuaries. To make the relocation package attractive, the compensation was enhanced from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh a family. “A successful relocation experiment was carried out in the Bhadra tiger reserve in Karnataka and the second one will be carried out in the Corbett National Park.”
Fast track courts
The Minister said the Ministry was ready to examine the suggestion of setting up fast track courts to try poaching cases.
Mr. Ramesh asked the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments to take stern action against poachers. “Poachers have been held in Panna but no action was taken against them. I request Madhya Pradesh to prosecute them so that Panna can be a test case for other reserves where tiger population is diminishing,” he said.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/08/stories/2009070856711800.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Sujay Mehdudia
Announces setting of Social Tiger Protection Force
16 out of the 37 sanctuaries in “danger zone”
Eco-system must be protected with the involvement of locals
NEW DELHI: The depleting population of tigers in the country is “alarming” and the “rampant killing of tigers” is a cause of concern, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Sixteen of the 37 tiger sanctuaries were in the “danger zone” where tigers had either vanished or were on the brink of vanishing.
Replying to the calling attention motion moved by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Mr. Ramesh said rampant killing of tigers had virtually led to extinction of the big cats in Sariska and Panna, due to poaching.
Mr. Ramesh announced the setting up of a “Social Tiger Protection Force” comprising the local communities and van gujjars, to protect the tiger population from further damage. He was strongly against forming a force comprising police personnel. It was important that the eco-system was protected at any cost with the involvement of locals. Mr. Ramesh said 12 sanctuaries were in good condition with good tiger density. The condition in nine was satisfactory, but more needed to be done.
The Ministry had chalked out a massive relocation of nearly one lakh families living in or around the 37 sanctuaries. To make the relocation package attractive, the compensation was enhanced from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh a family. “A successful relocation experiment was carried out in the Bhadra tiger reserve in Karnataka and the second one will be carried out in the Corbett National Park.”
Fast track courts
The Minister said the Ministry was ready to examine the suggestion of setting up fast track courts to try poaching cases.
Mr. Ramesh asked the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh governments to take stern action against poachers. “Poachers have been held in Panna but no action was taken against them. I request Madhya Pradesh to prosecute them so that Panna can be a test case for other reserves where tiger population is diminishing,” he said.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/07/08/stories/2009070856711800.htm
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Rate of tiger extinction alarming
Rate of tiger extinction alarming
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI, 7 JULY: Due to ‘rampant’ poaching and smuggling of tiger skin in the country, 16 tiger reserves in the country might soon lose all their big cats if appropriate measures are not taken to improve the situation.
Admitting this in the Rajya Sabha today, the government said it intends to set up a national tribunal to ensure speedy and stricter punishment for cases related to poaching and other illegal activities in forest reserves.
The minister of state for environment and forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said the situation in 16 of the country’s 37 tiger reserves is “truly alarming”.
“These 16 reserves are in the danger zone from where tigers have vanished or are on the brink of vanishing,” he said. Two of the reserves, Sariska and Panna, have already lost all of their big cats mainly due to poaching.
The minister said twelve tiger reserves are in good condition, while the situation in the remaining nine is satisfactory but needs to improve. Tiger killing is rampant in India and smuggling of tiger skin is the second largest after illicit trade in narcotics, Mr Ramesh said. The main reasons for tiger decline include poaching, degradation of forest status outside tiger reserves and protected areas due to human pressure, livestock pressure and ecologically unsustainable land-use. This has caused fragmentation of habitat, leading to mortality of tigers and their prey due to man-animal conflicts, he said.
The minister replied in the affirmative when asked if the Central government was planning to strengthen legislation to curb poaching and other illegal activities in forest reserves.
“This is a very large issue. I am seeking approval for creating a National Green Tribunal. It will hear all cases relating to the environment and forests. The attorney general has supported the proposal (for the tribunal) that was made by the Law Commission. If the act (Wildlife Protection Act) needs to be redone, this will be done,” he said.
The Centre has initiated a programme to involve local communities in protecting tiger population and the first project, which started in Corbett Park in Uttarakhand, will be replicated in other reserves, if it is successful, Mr Ramesh said.
As per latest all India tiger census, the number of big cats is estimated between 1165 and 1657.
The new findings indicate poor status of tiger population in areas outside tiger reserves and some protected areas.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=260258
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
Statesman News Service
NEW DELHI, 7 JULY: Due to ‘rampant’ poaching and smuggling of tiger skin in the country, 16 tiger reserves in the country might soon lose all their big cats if appropriate measures are not taken to improve the situation.
Admitting this in the Rajya Sabha today, the government said it intends to set up a national tribunal to ensure speedy and stricter punishment for cases related to poaching and other illegal activities in forest reserves.
The minister of state for environment and forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh, said the situation in 16 of the country’s 37 tiger reserves is “truly alarming”.
“These 16 reserves are in the danger zone from where tigers have vanished or are on the brink of vanishing,” he said. Two of the reserves, Sariska and Panna, have already lost all of their big cats mainly due to poaching.
The minister said twelve tiger reserves are in good condition, while the situation in the remaining nine is satisfactory but needs to improve. Tiger killing is rampant in India and smuggling of tiger skin is the second largest after illicit trade in narcotics, Mr Ramesh said. The main reasons for tiger decline include poaching, degradation of forest status outside tiger reserves and protected areas due to human pressure, livestock pressure and ecologically unsustainable land-use. This has caused fragmentation of habitat, leading to mortality of tigers and their prey due to man-animal conflicts, he said.
The minister replied in the affirmative when asked if the Central government was planning to strengthen legislation to curb poaching and other illegal activities in forest reserves.
“This is a very large issue. I am seeking approval for creating a National Green Tribunal. It will hear all cases relating to the environment and forests. The attorney general has supported the proposal (for the tribunal) that was made by the Law Commission. If the act (Wildlife Protection Act) needs to be redone, this will be done,” he said.
The Centre has initiated a programme to involve local communities in protecting tiger population and the first project, which started in Corbett Park in Uttarakhand, will be replicated in other reserves, if it is successful, Mr Ramesh said.
As per latest all India tiger census, the number of big cats is estimated between 1165 and 1657.
The new findings indicate poor status of tiger population in areas outside tiger reserves and some protected areas.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=260258
http://www.bigcatrescue.org
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