Elephants trample brick kiln worker

STAFF REPORTER
Elephants trampled upon to death a brick kiln worker near Periya Thadagam on Sunday night. According to the Thudiyalur police, the incident happened around 9 p.m. when the worker Palanisamy came out of his house. He was a native of Amaravathi Dam area.

The police took his body to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/elephants-trample-brick-kiln-worker/article4257649.ece

Almost every evening people from nearby brick kilns and animal enthusiasts mob play hide and seek with the elephants causing enormous stress to the elephants. This incident has happened as expected. Police presence and their action to control these mobs has to be there. District administration and Local Panchayat are only busy in aiding soil mining brick kiln mafias in this elephant corridor and habitat.

Coimbatore Forest department having fewer resources at their disposal are being stretched to the maximum and their financial resources that were spent for electric fences are not working, trenches dug are poorly done. Forest Ranger in this area is always busy in non-forestry activities.

So.. Blame it on the elephants continues.
- Mac Mohan

Trampled to death by elephant - Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary

A woman was trampled to death by an elephant near Gobichettipalayam in Erode district on Saturday evening. Forest department sources said Ponni (55), a resident of Vinobha Nagar village located near the Vilangombai reserve forest, was returning home after visiting the fair price shop when the elephant attacked her. People in the area chased the elephant back into the forests and retrieved the body. Police and forest officials rushed to the spot and conducted an inquiry. A case was registered.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/trampled-to-death-by-elephant/article4257710.ece


Vilangombai beat, TN Palayam Range, Sathyamanglam Wildlife Sanctuary is an habitat for elephants and other wildlife. Gunderipallam Dam is a major water source where elephants come everyday. Forest and wildlife are facing severe stress from unregulated tourists going to two temples located inside this forest area, cattle grazing, fire, poaching, farming, NTFP collection and vehicle movements.

More meaningful measures to safeguard the wildlife and their habitats are needed.
- Mac Mohan

Five elephants run over by speeding train in Ganjam

SIB KUMAR DAS

Five wild elephants — including a calf — were crushed to death by the speeding Chennai-bound Coromondel Express in Ganjam district shortly after midnight on Saturday night.

The body of Ranjit Jena (24), an attendant of an AC coach, was also found near the track. He had suffered a head injury. It is suspected he might have fallen out of the train when it collided with the herd, in a zone of wild elephant movement, near the Subalia level crossing in the Berhampur forest division. There are 10 signboards, marked ‘elephant crossing zone,’ put up between the Rambha and Huma stations.

Accident despite alert

East Coast Railway chief public relations officer R.N. Mohapatra said the Forest department had alerted the railway control room at Khurda Road at 0043 hours on Sunday about the possible crossing of a herd. Ironically, the accident occurred at the same time.

According to Divisional Forest Officer S.S. Mishra, a male elephant aged over 25, a four-year-old calf, two females aged 30-40 and a pregnant elephant of around 45 years were killed. Its mature foetus elephant was found thrown at a distance.

Bijay Kumar Hota, forest range officer of Khallikote, surmised that the superfast train from Howrah was running at 115-120 kmph, considering that pieces of carcasses were found lying over a distance of half kilometre.

Track, engine damaged

The ‘Up’ track, on which the train was running, and the engine also suffered damage. Around 10 sleepers cracked. The rails fractured at over 15 places and panel clips were either damaged or thrown away in the impact. The train was stopped at the spot.

An accident relief train from Khurda Road reached the spot around 3.30 a.m. Traffic on this stretch was maintained on the ‘Down’ line till 10 a.m. According to the DFO, the slain elephants were part of a herd of 20 from the Khallikote forest range, which had crossed over to the Chilika wildlife division 45 days ago. On December 27, eleven elephants retuned to the Khallikote range.

In an earlier accident in the same area, between Rambha and Huma, a mature female elephant was run over and killed by a goods train on the night of May 17.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/five-elephants-run-over-by-speeding-train-in-ganjam/article4257439.ece">

Nirmal Kulkarni, ecologist

He kept the green in tourist-saturated Goa

Ananda Banerjee 

First Published: Fri, Dec 28 2012. 05 38 PM IST

Kulkarni at his residence in Fortawaddo, Nerul, Goa. Photo: Rakesh Mundye/Mint

Updated: Fri, Dec 28 2012. 06 57 PM IST

A way from the beach parties of Goa, the systematic destruction of its pristine forests has stirred a young man to create awareness about the Western Ghats and conserve them in the state. The Western Ghats, running along the south-western edge of the Indian peninsula, are among the world’s top 10 biodiversity hot spots. They are home to one of the most significant repositories of species found only in this country—popularly referred to as endemism.

Nirmal Ulhas Kulkarni, 34, was felicitated this year with the prestigious Karmaveer Puraskaar for his role in conserving the northern Western Ghats (which led to the creation of the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary) and the proposal to upgrade the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary to a tiger reserve. “Recognition like this helps strengthen the resolve of the person and the team, as field-based research is a tiring process,” Kulkarni says. “More than preserving wildlife, it draws attention of the masses towards vital issues that are at times forgotten during the pace of daily life. It reminds everyone that people working in forests around the state need support and motivation and everyone can do their bit to conserve nature in their own backyard.”

In the last decade, around 50 new amphibian species have been discovered in the Western Ghats. Three of these—Goan caecilian (Gegeneophis goaensis), Mahdei caecilian (Gegeneophis mhadeiensis), and the Chorla Giant striped Ichthyophis (Ichthyophis davidi)—were discovered by Kulkarni. “My core contribution to Goa’s environment movement would be my training and capacity building of young nature lovers into committed wildlife activists and researchers for over a decade,” he says. “The simple approach of collecting scientific data and providing support at the grass-root level has helped to create foot soldiers for Goa’s conservation movement,” he says.

At the age of 18, Kulkarni became Goa’s youngest Honorary Wildlife Warden as well as a member of the State Wildlife Advisory Board, where he continues to serve. Kulkarni’s publication, The Goan Jungle Book, has helped create interest about the state’s lesser known wildlife. “Consistently training field staffs of the forest department, documenting human-wildlife relationships, sacred groves, the presence of large cats in Goa and the plight of bullfrogs have helped make a big difference over the years,” he says.

However, the threat of mining still looms large in Goa’s Western Ghats. The series of large dam projects that have been planned in Karnataka and Maharashtra will destroy large tracts of pristine forests. According to Kulkarni, people are aware of the threats to the region, in part due to media coverage, but they haven’t been able to relate these threats to their daily lives. “In 2013, we will try to help every lay person understand the direct link between forests, water and their daily lives, whether in a city or a village,” Kulkarni says.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/Vd0V7bQFuS3BD4oiWPsN4H/Nirmal-Kulkarni-ecologist.html

Day after jumbo death, poacher held for killing deer

By Anitha Jaishankar
KRISHNAGIRI 26th December 2012 10:29 AM

Day after an elephant was found shot dead in Denkanikotta forest range in Krishnagiri district with its tusk missing, a poacher with a gun has been arrested for killing a deer in the same region by the forest officials during a combing operation in the dense forests region in Hosur on Tuesday.

The operation has been launched by officials to track the culprits who were involved in the killing of the elephant.

A 10-year-old male elephant was found shot dead on Monday allegedly by an unidentified gang and both of its tusks were missing.

Even before the locals could come out of the shock over the killing of the elephant, the arrest of a poacher for killing a deer in Urigam forest area in Denkanikotta taluk on Monday evening has heightened their fears.

According to sources, two of his accomplices with guns managed to escape from the spot. The arrested deer poacher has been identified as Madevan (35) of Kesthur village.

Both the incidents have raised questions about the wildlife conservation in Hosur, Denkanikotta, Anchetty forest regions on the border of Tamil Nadu.

When contacted, District Forest Officer (DFO) A K Ulaganathan told Express that officials recovered a country made gun from the accused Madevan. The accused has been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act and Indian Arms Act. He has been placed under judicial custody.

He said the forest department has taken a serious note of both the incidents. Two special teams, comprising 15 officials in each team, were scanning the forest region to crack elephant killing case.
While Ulaganathan himself is heading a team, the Assistant Conservator of Forest Madhu is leading another.

The DFO said the teams were involved in combing operations in Anchetty and Denkanikotta ranges in Hosur forest division. “We will comb till the border of Karnataka to nab the culprits involved in killing of elephant for tusk,” he added.

Citing the autopsy report, he told that the culprits removed the outer part of ivory weighing around 1.5 kg while the internal part weighing around 2.5 kg has been left untouched.

The DFO said that the role of residents of hill hamlets in Andavenapalli forest range was suspected in the case related to death of elephant.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article1394443.ece

15 rare birds sighted in Srivilliputhur

By Express News Service - SRIVILLIPUTHUR
27th December 2012 10:20 AM


Fifteen rare birds, including a Sri Lankan Frog Mouth Bird, were sighted during the enumeration of bird census held at the reserve forest in Srivilliputhur last week.

Totally, 15 teams found 200 birds. Out of these, 70 birds were sighted for the first time in this forest region. Among these 70, 15 were identified as rare species. For instance, the Sri Lankan Frog Mouth, which is found only in Kerala, was seen for the first time in here, said Murugesan, a bird lover and a member of one of the teams that were involved in the census work in the forest area.

Sri Lankan Frog Mouth, a nocturnal bird, used to feed mainly on insects during the night, he said.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/article1396075.ece

Need corridor so tigers don't fight to death

IANS Dec 28, 2012, 10.08PM IST

JAIPUR: Even as the Wildlife Conservation Society recently reported a 50 percent increase in the population of tigers in the wild in India with their population now estimated at 3,200 after years of dangerously dwindling numbers, there is fresh cause for worry for tigers in sanctuaries.

As tiger-numbers increase in reserve areas, territorial fights are becoming frequent. In Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park, the large number of tigers dying because of such fights has led to the state government planning for a corridor connecting this sanctuary with the adjoining Keladevi Sanctuary, an official said Friday.

The new corridor will come up at an estimated cost of Rs.200 crore.

About 45 villagers will need to be relocated to create the corridor, an official said.

The decision to create such a corridor was taken following the mysterious death of a yet-to-identified tiger in Ranthambore recently. Senior forest department officials said preliminary investigation hints at the possibility of the majestic cat being killed in a territorial fight.

"The state government has sought Rs.200 crore from the central government for developing the corridor. We are hopeful of receiving the money in the near future," a senior forest department officer told IANS.

Four tigers were killed in territorial fights over the past four years in Ranthambore National Park, leaving environmentalists worried that as the tiger population increases, there is also need to create a habitat in which they can thrive.

The tigers are overlapping each other's territory. To get their share of space, the big cats are fighting each other to death in the reserve in Sawai Madhopur district, some 150 km from Jaipur, wildlife experts said.

A tigress died in the reserve area Dec 23, and the death was attributed to a territorial fight with another cat. The mutilated, maggot-ridden carcass of the tigress was recovered from the reserve's Gilai Saga-Khadar area early Sunday morning, officials said.

A senior forest department officer told IANS that a probe has been launched into the animal's death.

"Prima facie, injuries suggest the death occurred in a territorial fight with another tiger. However, we are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause, and rule out poaching," a wildlife officer said.

The number of such fights had been increasing in the recent past, the officer said.

A tiger named T-36 died of serious head injuries during a territorial fight with T-42 Aug 22, 2010. The body of tigress T-4 was found April 4, 2009. Officials had concluded that she was attacked by another tiger in a territorial fight.

Similarly, tigress T-15 was killed Sep 1, 2008.

According to a census conducted by the state forest department in 2009, there were 40 tigers in and around Ranthambore National Park and Sawai Madhopur wildlife sanctuary. The census conducted in the core division from April 30 to May 10, 2009 revealed that there were 14 males, 16 females and 10 cubs.

However, a recent survey found that the number of tigers has increased to 52, including 26 cubs.

"The core area of the reserve is spread over 1,113.36 sq km. Besides, the buffer zone earmarked by the state government around the reserve is 297.9 sq km. The area is inadequate for housing 52 tigers," a wildlife expert said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Need-corridor-so-tigers-dont-fight-to-death/articleshow/17799464.cms

Three held for possessing loris, jackal skin

SALEM, December 23, 2012

A forest official with seized loris (left) and jackal skin (right) in Salem. —PHOTO: P. GOUTHAM

Forest department officials here on Saturday arrested three persons while attempting to sell loris and jackal skin, both protected under the Indian Wildlife Act.

Officials said that based on information that three members of a gang were attempting to sell loris (Loris tardigradus) and jackal (Canis aureus) skin to the public in Guhai area, a team of forest officials intercepted them and found them to be possessing the primate and the skin. Forest officials arrested M. Manikandan (30), A. Suresh (30) and S. Chandran (27), all belonging to Narikuravar community from Guhai area. The primate and the skin were seized and taken to the forest department office at Hasthampatti.

Inquiry revealed that they could have caught the species in Kollimalai or from other forest areas in the State. As the news spread, a few members of the community staged a road block on Yercaud Road disrupting traffic for a few minutes. They said that hunting was their traditional culture followed for centuries and demanded the release of those arrested. Police personnel pacified them.

They were produced before the court and lodged at Salem Central Prison.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/three-held-for-possessing-loris-jackal-skin/article4230965.ece

Green movement demand action against MTR resorts

TNN Dec 27, 2012, 04.08AM IST

COIMBATORE: Tamil Nadu Green Movement has expressed extreme anxiety over the way in which tourism resorts near Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris are celebrating Christmas and New Year scaring away wild animals and demanded meaningful efforts from forest department to prevent the tourism operators from doing so.

In a statement here, its coordinator K Mohanraj said the movement is convinced that the survival interests of wildlife in MTR and adjoining Nilgiris north forest division are under a great danger from the unregulated tourism activities. The elephants migrating through their traditional routes and other wildlife present nearby are the ones that suffer from these anthropocentric pressures, he said.

"We all know that resorts at Masinagudi, Bokkapuram and Mavanahalla are situated in the Sigur elephant corridor obstructing the traditional migratory routes of elephants. We found during Christmas night, resorts in the corridor were bursting firecrackers and playing music loudly with scant regard for the wildlife in the region. This is a violation of Madras High court order on elephant corridor because movement of the wild animals and birds are affected. They have also violated the Supreme Court order by bursting crackers well past 10.00pm," he alleged.

Those violating resort owners can be booked under Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 for causing disturbance to wildlife, the statement said.

"We fear that firing of crackers will enable the poachers and anti-social elements to enter the forests and shoot the wildlife. We request the government to take action on the resorts and stop this disturbance to wildlife in elephant corridor. Tamil Nadu Green Movement condemns the irresponsible resorts owners for their tourism activities that disturb the peace and tranquility of forests nearby," the statement said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/Green-movement-demand-action-against-MTR-resorts/articleshow/17775767.cms

Collector issues stop-memo against chopper joy-ride over Wayanad

By Aadharsh | ENS - KALPETTA 24th December 2012 08:10 AM
District Collector K Gopalakrishna Bhat on Sunday issued a memo stopping the ‘joy-ride’ helicopter service offered by the Boby Chemmanur Airlines.

Acting on a complaint filed by South Wayanad DFO O P Dhaneshkumar, alleging that the helicopter service, over the skies of the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, has been a concern of ‘habitat distraction’, the Collector served the notice on the operator.

The DFO had submitted a plea to the District Collector, Additional District Magistrate and the Sulthan Bathery Tahsildar, seeking stop-memo against the ‘distracting service’. He has also asked the district authorities not to grant clearance for any such activities in the district in compliance with the Wildlife Protection Act. Reportedly, the Boby Chemmanur Airlines would move the court against the Collector’s order.

“The clearance granted to the Boby Chemmanur Airlines to undertake commercial activities in Wayanad has been dismissed.

“The operator has already grounded the chopper,” District Collector K Gopalakrishna Bhat told Express.

“There was one more proposal from another tour operator seeking clearance for similar operations, but it has been withdrawn in view of the latest development,” the Collector said.

According to N Badusha of Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, the unmindful commercial activity has left the wild animals in the area panicky.

“Even the domestic animals showed signs of restlessness due to the deafening noise of the low-flying chopper,” he said, adding that the district authorities should have shown discretion while giving the nod to such an activity.

“The helicopter service was launched around 9am on Saturday from the helipad at St Mary’s College in Sulthan Bathery.

And after about an hour, a tiger attack on a man was reported from Kattayad, about 2kms away from the town. I strongly believe that the booming noise of the chopper might have driven the tiger out of its territory,” he said.

The Boby Chemmanur Airlines had acquired no-objection certificates from the Revenue Department and the Police Department before launching the operation.

The air tour, a first-of-its-kind in Wayanad, was offered from 9.30 am to 5 pm at a cost of `2,700 per person for a 10-minute ride. The chopper service was scheduled till December 25.

Source: http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article1391919.ece

Concern over violation of wildlife rules

UDHAGAMANDALAM, December 27, 2012
The Tamil Nadu Green Movement (TNGM) has expressed  concern over violation of wildlife rules  in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) during the current festive season.

In a statement here on Wednesday its coordinator K. Mohanraj said that threats to wild animals in the MTR and the adjoining areas controlled  by the Nilgiris North Forest Division are increasing.

Among the contributory factors are the unregulated tourism related activities. Alleging that on Christmas day crackers had been burst and music played loudly, with scant regard to wildlife, in some of the resorts located near Masinagudy, Mavanhallah, and Bokkapuram which fall within the  Sigur Elephant corridor, he said that such activities mainly affect the elephants which are used to following the traditional migratory route.

The violators should be booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, he said.

Such activities also encourage poachers and anti-social elements to enter the forests.

Mr. Mohanraj said that the authorities concerned should swing into action now to prevent such  activities during the New Year celebrations.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/concern-over-violation-of-wildlife-rules/article4243765.ece