Developments in the lives of villagers in Gir Forest and surrounding Junagarh (where the Asiatic Lions live): Jan 2007

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FEATURE-India's forgotten tribes gain rights over forests

01 Jan 2007 07:04:29 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Rupam Jain Nair

GIR SANCTUARY, India, Jan 1, 2007 (Reuters) - Daya Rakha, 36, was born in the jungles of the Gir wildlife sanctuary in western India and knows little else except how to live off the forest's resources.

Just as his ancestors did generations ago, Daya ekes out a meagre living mainly by tending to his cattle which relentlessly graze in Gir's lush forests.

But Daya -- like millions of India's forest dwellers -- has never been able to call the forest his home. Instead he has been treated as a criminal by authorities as he has no legal right to stay in the forests where his forefathers lived and died.

"It is the eviction notices from the government and rules made to uproot us by the forest officials that give us sleepless nights," said Daya, who belongs to the 8,400-strong Maldhari tribe of Gir.

Over 40 million of India's most impoverished and marginalised people live in the country's forests -- including tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks -- but for years have been neglected by the government and left to fend for themselves.

The Maldharis have long lived with eviction threats, alleged harassment and extortion by officials who say they are guilty of environmental destruction and endangering wildlife in the sanctuary -- one of the last bastions of the rare Asiatic lion.

But a new law will for the first time enshrine their right to live in the forests and national parks. Conservationists are worried this could hamper efforts to save India's endangered wildlife such as lions and tigers.

IMPOVERISHED AND FORGOTTEN

In Gir, the pastoral Maldhari community live a simple life in small mud houses hidden deep in the forests, with no electricity, running water, schools or access to healthcare.

They earn a living by producing milk from their cattle, growing vegetables, collecting honey and trading their produce in the local market for items like food grains. Most are illiterate and unable to count or use money.

Activists say these forgotten forest people lead a primitive life and face many hardships.

"The pastoral communities do not figure in the electoral rolls," said Shekla Rakha from Setu -- a charity promoting the rights of forest dwellers. "They have become non-entities, left to fend for themselves for generations."

As a result, activsts say these communities are vulnerable to exploitation allegedly by forest officials who forcefully evict them or compel them to pay bribes to enter and exit sanctuaries.

"Two months ago when my mother died, the forest officials did not allow my relatives from nearby villages to enter the forest for the last rites," Amra Suba, a shepherd said as he tended to his flock of sheep.

"I had to pay to get permission for their entry to my own house."

But the Recognition of Forest Rights Bill 2006, passed by parliament in December, could help end the suffering of many of India's forest people by giving them rights over forest land.

The law, which will apply to those who have lived in the forests for at least three generations, will allow dwellers to use non-timber forest produce such as bamboo, stumps, cane and to collect honey. But it prohibits them from hunting animals.

PROTECTORS OR DESTROYERS?

While this is seen as a landmark law by social activists, environmentalists and forestry officials who hold forest dwellers responsible for damaging the environment and poaching wild animals, are concerned.

"If allowed to live in the forest, they will degrade the habitat as their cattle graze in direct competition with prey like deer," said Bharat Pathak, conservator of Gir's forests, referring to how a fall in prey would hurt numbers of predators.

Livestock are also prone to epidemics and could infect Gir's wildlife which includes the rare Asiatic lion whose numbers have recovered to around 360 from less than 15 in the mid-20th century due to a successful breeding project, he added.

Conservationists are also concerned that the law will allow more encroachers into the forests and push wildlife out of protected areas, leaving them more vulnerable to hunters.

Some wildlife activists say it is essential that forest dwellers be involved in conservation efforts and given a sense of ownership and responsibility over the forests, perhaps by employing them as tourist guides or forest guards.

Forest dwellers say they are not responsible for the loss of wildlife and regularly report poaching to authorities and monitor illegal activities such as mining and tree felling. "Officials say we are eating up the forest but in reality we are helping in protecting the lions and the jungle," says Lali Rudha, a mother of seven children.

AlertNet news is provided by REUTERS

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/DEL254638.htm

To fight salinity ingress, here women harvest rainwater

Sibte Husain Bukhari

Monday , January 01, 2007

Mangrol, December 31: Thanks to the innovative rainwater harvesting scheme launched by the Rural Support Programme of Agha Khan Foundation, more than two dozen villages in this taluka of Junagadh district have managed to overcome the drinking water crisis. The scheme is being implemented in coastal areas where salinity ingress has been a perennial problem.

And the agents of change in these villages are none other than the women. Volunteers of the Foundation are tapping the potential of women, who are known to appreciate the day-to-day domestic problems better than men.

The Foundation, with the help of village women, till now has built 2,500 underground rainwater storage tanks. The storage capacity of each tank is 20,000 litres and is enough to meet the drinking water needs of a family for a whole year.

The building of the tanks has now saved the rural folk of the strenuous job of fetching water from a distance of two to three kilometre.

According to Daxaben Vadher of Farangta village, the new way of getting drinking water is a welcome relief. ‘‘Earlier, we had to walk about three km to fetch water...our men were not ready to understand this problem, but the Foundation’s workers helped us,’’ she says, adding that they now get clean drinking water.

To make rainwater conservation a regular affair, the field workers of the Foundation have mobilised women to form groups, who are given the mandate of carrying the message forward. And with the help of these groups, the Foundation’s workers organise street plays, cultural programmes and rallies to create awareness about the importance of rainwater conservation.

Agha Khan Foundation’s community organiser V K Jogal says they have now mobilised hundreds of women in 30 villages in Mangrol taluka for implementing the rainwater harvesting scheme. ‘‘We provide them technical support and they are now able to get drinking water round the year from a resource that is their own,’’ he said. Besides the rainwater harvesting campaign, the Foundation is also undertaking the task of helping farmers to recharge farm wells. ‘‘More than 200 wells in the area have been recharged with rainwater,’’ said Jogal.

Nazabhai Bharda, a farmer in Shil village, says recharging the farm well has given them a new lease of life. ‘‘Our farm is the only means of livelihood. Now, in addition to monsoon crop, we can also reap winter crop,’’ he says.

Foundation’s area manager M S Vora says mobilising women power is what lies behind the success story. ‘‘Ahmedabad-based NGO ‘Jan-Path’ and ‘Save Gir-Save Nature’ movement have also been lending their helping hand to us in preventing salinity ingress in the costal belt of South Saurashtra region,’’ Vora says.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=215494

In Saurashtra-Kutch, NDDB decides to go with the flow

Yashpal Parmar

Monday , January 01, 2007

Vadodara, December 31: Graduates recruited as milk procurement supervisors for Junagadh Dairy have set in motion a new change in Saurashtra and Kutch region, which are undergoing a major dairy co-operative reconstruction. The Saurashtra Kutch Dairy Project, that comes under the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has now assigned the job of milk procurement to educated youths, which was earlier left to the farmers.

An NDDB spokesperson said that at present it has more than 700 milk procurement institutes (MPIs) covering Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli and Jamnagar districts. The newly-recruited people were being trained by veterans and were now handling MPIs in the interiors of Kodinar, Sutrapada, Una, Junagadh, Amreli and other parts of Gir region. The supervisors have to co-ordinate everything—from organising MPIs to pooling milk, quantity and quality monitoring, and dispatching the milk to Junagadh Dairy, like in other milk unions.

The recruitment of graduates for this job has infused a semblance of professionalism into the job, which is at par with NDDB’s corporatisation ideology. It is learnt that in the first phase, NDDB has appointed six such supervisors in Kodinar, two in Una and two in Amreli. The number is expected to increase with the expansion of business.

An MPI supervisor said, ‘‘We maintain regular milk receiving documents (RMRD), attend milk procurement sessions and impart awareness about various things among farmers.’’

In fact, the endeavour has served as a bridge between the local milk producers and the dairy industry as a whole. Also, it is helping to transmit first-hand information about the large group of scattered customers and their behaviour to the parent body. This, in turn, becomes crucial for improvement and strategy-making, said an MPI source.

He said supervisors play a major role at the grassroot level, keeping farmers abreast about various things such as milk rates, methods for animal husbandry and how to get the maximum price for their products. After it was revived, Junagadh Dairy’s daily milk procurement has increased up to 2.05 lakh litres per day. Kodinar, Una and Sutrapada have a collection of 36,000 litres of milk per day, which is expected to grow as more farmers are approaching co-operatives because private procurers do not pay them well, said a supervisor on the condition of anonymity.

With an expansion in milk procurement in the region, the number of MPIs is also likely to go up. Kodinar region alone has around 54 MPIs and will see a rise as more and more villages are being covered by these new supervisors.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=215495

Compliance - in the wilderness

(Eco Tourism related article)

Aravind Gowda / New Delhi January 02, 2007

ENVIRONMENT: A wilderness resort chain is making a case of sustainable eco-tourism through innovation.

Cicada Resorts is not the first in the country avowing promotion of sustainable eco-tourism. But what sets it apart is that the man behind it, T G (Tiger) Ramesh, must be the only hi-flier from the world of IT, who has moved with his management and technology skills to set a new benchmark in eco-tourism.

Wilderness Resorts, the firm promoting Cicada, opened its first 20-room resort in the Kabini backwaters of Karnataka, next to the Nagarhole National Park, in September 2006.

The resort will become cash positive once occupancy crosses 60 per cent (it is currently doing 50) and the business will become fully profitable once it has 100 rooms spread over five resorts at 60 per cent occupancy.

“The model is absolutely viable provided you can have multiple resorts in multiple locations.” Since operations are standardised, adding resorts helps spread out head office expenses.

Ramesh, who is CEO, says “I want to put in place systems and processes to build a scaleable model for eco-tourism that is totally corporate governance compliant. In the process we have accumulated as many as 28 permits from the government, including some unheard of ones.”

For example, Cicada has a permit to use the river, and individual safety permits for each of the paddle boats and kayaks that it has imported. Officials say these are not really required, but Ramesh wanted them — to be set standards and make his guests feel totally secure.

The resort also got the health department to certify its restaurants. It recycles its waste water, the plant certified by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.

The solid waste is segregated into organic and inorganic waste; the organic stuff goes into a local pit, the inorganic stuff is taken away and put into a deeper pit.

Cicada will have three more resorts in Karnataka — Bandipur, Bhadra and BR Hills — by 2007-08. In the subsequent phase it will acquire existing resorts or lease resorts and bring them under its umbrella.

Resorts will be 10-25 rooms each, in the vicinity of national parks that are home to Project Tiger. The firm has plans to run 15 properties in places like Corbett, Kanha, Ranthambore, Gir, Bandavgadh, Sunderbans, Wayanad and Mudumalai.

The firm has equity participation from Phanish Murthy, CEO, iGate Global Solutions and H B Jairaj, chairman of HRB Group. They have pooled in $3 million. For expansion, the firm will raise another $13 million through debt and equity.

The great thing about the cost of setting up such resorts is that land, away from urban areas, is cheap. What is not is power. So Cicada has imported the quietest and least polluting diesel generating sets. The longer term plan is to have individual solar units integrated with the roof of every cottage.

The most fascinating part of Cicada’s business model is the use of local people in its workforce. Of the Kabini resort’s 75-strong staff, 71 are from four neighbouring villages. The 600-odd families in those villages rely entirely on rainfed agriculture, so these jobs mean a lot to them.

“Many are illiterate, only 10 per cent have read upto 10th standard. They need training in personal grooming and basic skills. To train them we have tied up with the hotel management institute of Christ College, Bangalore.”

No one is a casual employee, they are all paid provident fund, and all 71 have had to open bank accounts. They are also covered by cashless medical insurance.

For the medical cover to be meaningful, the Vivekananda Mission Hospital 25 km away has been roped in. Its doctors come to the resort regularly to hold medical camps. “All this is part of our business model,” says Ramesh.

Cicada chanced upon the fact that Tata Motor exports 10-seater safari vehicles to South Africa. So Cicada has acquired these Euro 3 compliant four-wheel drive vehicles and got them suitably modified for its needs. Maybe others will now use them in India. That’s how the drill runs — innovate, standardise, replicate.

http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?autono=269888&leftnm=5&subLeft=0&chkFlg=

CRITIQUE: Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2006

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: prerna bindra <prernasinghbindra@...>
To: nathistory-india@...
Sent: Sunday, December 31, 2006 4:11:08 PM
Subject: article in The Pioneer dated December 31

The Lost world

2006, writes Prerna Singh Bindra, will go down as the year that formally marked the beginning of the end of India's rich natural heritage

It's the season of good cheer, my apologies for injecting a grim note amid all this joy and bonhomie, but 2006 was possibly the worst year for India's wildlife and shall be remembered as the year when the end began. The beginning of the end of India's amazing bio-diversity, of wild animals like the Royal Bengal tiger, the Asian elephant and "lesser" creatures like the hangul, gharial, and the Malabar banded swallowtail - a rare endemic butterfly of the Western Ghats. 2006 will mark the end of India as a nation that leads in the battle of wildlife conservation.

Let me quickly recall the news that filtered in only earlier this month. In Bokulaguri in Assam, a tiger was hacked, yes, hacked to death. One does not know the gory details, but it appears that the tiger had become a "menace" in the surrounding villages. Why had it become one? It's the same old story - its forests have been fragmented, degraded, destroyed to be replaced by agricultural land and human habitation. With decline in the numbers of its natural prey, the tiger in turn invaded human territory and became a victim of man's rage - a classic, tragic case of man-animal conflict, perhaps the most severe problem that confronts wildlife not just in India, but across the world, as humans encroach into forests which shrink till the wilderness becomes a thing of the past.

Then, a second hapless tiger fell to the poacher - the other big threat that has brought many creatures to the brink of extinction - in Kanha, feted as the best reserve of the country in a recent study by the World Conservation Union. This tiger was photographed by a tourist limping in the forest, his leg caught in a steel trap, the trap's jaws cutting, bruising, tearing at his flesh and bone. Does this tragic story ring a bell? In June 2002, a tiger had been filmed limping around in Nagarhole National Park. It was tranquillised, its leg chopped off and the once wild animal now spends time in captivity in Mysore. Great, isn't it, that the poor creature was spared the agony of death and that he wasn't skinned, chopped and sold in the market? Yet, I do not applaud, for what right do we have to condemn a free spirit to a life behind bars?

Another horror story filtered in from Jammu and Kashmir. A Hindi news channel brought into our drawing rooms a horrific tale of a rare Himalayan black bear being burnt alive. A group of villagers crowded around the bear, and stoned and set it on fire. Black bears are critically endangered, protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. It's shocking, our increasing intolerance towards wild creatures and our callous attitude, but as deforestation and consequently man-animal conflict increases, the antipathy can only grow. The battle lines have been drawn between man and beast; need I say who will be the winner?

There are other tragedies that dot the year. We began with Orissa's elephant carnage. Killing elephants for ivory, and for revenge for intruding into human habitation, has hit an all time high in the state. More than 30 elephants were killed from April to November this year. Nine elephants that were poached have been discovered just in October from various parts of the state. Most of these were slaughtered for their tusks, which were dismembered from the body. There is more happening in Orissa when it comes to wildlife and intolerance. The coastal region of Gahirmatha is one of the world's only three nesting sites for the rare Olive Ridley turtle. Lakhs of turtles come to mate and nest along this coast, and thousands meet a brutal end. Well over a hundred thousand have died in the past decade. Already seriously threatened by trawlers, the proposed Dhamra port is another immediate and very serious worry for what is believed to be the largest turtle rookery in the world. Orissa is expanding another 13 ports, including Posco at Paradip, along the rivers and coasts. Reliance's offshore drilling project falls plumb in the middle of the route the turtles take to Gahirmatha.

Simlipal, Orissa's lone tiger reserve, is said to have about a hundred tigers since the past decade. But earlier this year, a team appointed to estimate tiger and prey base numbers came back with distressing preliminary reports which made even 20 to 25 tigers an optimistic guess. Then mining, industry and unplanned development continue to break forest and environmental laws to plunder Orissa's - and neighbouring Jharkhand's - already fragmented forests.

The Great Indian bustard is critically endangered with no more than 500 remaining. So desperate is the situation in Madhya Pradesh - where there has been no report of the sighting of the bird in the Ghatigaon and Karera wildlife sanctuaries for the last one year - that the government even announced rewards of Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 8,000 respectively to anyone who was able to show a bustard, its eggs or its chicks.

Another shocker is the gharial: with numbers estimated at 200, it is among India's most endangered animals today. Initial reports of the Crocodile Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union estimate that areas once occupied by the gharial have shrunk by over 98 per cent. Gharials were once common in the Chambal river; today, you would be hard put to spot a single one. Sand mining to feed the construction boom in cities like Delhi and Agra has destroyed their basking and nesting sites, and there are a lot "accidental" deaths with gharials getting stuck in fishing nets and caught in vicious hooks used to illegally poach freshwater turtles. Lawlessness in the region makes patrolling and protection difficult and of course, the gharial is killed for its skin, coveted in the fashion industry for wallets, purses, coats and shoes. Furthermore, we do not realise that the gharial needs free flowing waters, clean rivers and unfettered sandy banks - in short intact, protected river habitats crucial not only for the survival of gharials, rare freshwater dolphins and turtles, but also for humans, for where would we be without clean rivers and water?

It is the forests that feed our rivers, and forests that form the catchments of a majority of India's great rivers. When we destroy forests, we are not just condemning the creatures that thrive within, but ourselves. This is a simple truth, but apparently very difficult for us to grasp and assimilate, for we are bent upon destroying the forests, and so us.

These are just a few tragedies that took place this year. However, no development of 2006 is more catastrophic for the wildlife world than the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Bill, 2006, passed in Parliament in mid-December. In my writings, I have described this bill as the most destructive and damaging piece of legislation to have been passed since Independence, and have explained why. The land rights bill will kill India's wild animals, its forests, and us. Future generations will remember this, and not forgive the Manmohan Singh Government for doling out our natural heritage to forest-dwellers to retain their vote banks.

So what has this bill done? It's just come into public domain, but it basically provides for forest land to pass into private ownership. Dwellers occupying forest lands as on December 5, 2005 will be given that land, and the catastrophic impact this redistribution of land will have on the country's ecology surpasses imagination. With private ownership, the goals will shift from conservation to economics - why would a man protect a tree if he can sell the wood for good cash in the market? Why would a forest dweller protect a tiger, which may prey upon his cattle, if he gets good money for its skin, bones and other derivatives? Do we expect people and tigers to live together in the forest? It is a marriage doomed from the start. The tiger is a carnivore and it will attack livestock and, driven by hunger because of depleting prey numbers (thanks to a plundered habitat), it will attack man. There is no example, worldwide, of large carnivores co-existing peacefully with humans. Of course, we need only worry about this eventuality till the time tigers and leopards survive.

So, will we "develop" forests, build roads, schools and hospitals - for this what tribals need - and then construct theatres and shopping complexes? For, good living is what the tribal youth of today aspires. If not, then do we not deny them their basic rights?

Will the tribal benefit? Your guess is as good as mine. History shows that these men and women are exploited and rarely empowered. Furthermore, chances are that the land mafia will move in.

An India shorn of its wilderness, with no tigers, no elephants, no bears and no animals roaming free and wild is not an India I would want to grow old in.

I wonder, too, at the ease with which the bill was passed. I do not hear a murmur of protest. NGOs which scream out loud against Salman Khan's and Pataudi's hunting trips (make no mistake, I am glad they are doing this - those who break the law must be punished), have maintained an eerie silence over a bill which will destroy India's forest in one blow. There are no demonstrations, no protests, no morchas. Why hasn't anybody gone to court challenging this dangerous law?

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one is a time to reflect, and I wonder if those who sit in power realise the import of their actions. We, and future generations, will pay for their greed and folly. It strikes me that it is just as well that we will lose our wildlife, for perhaps we do not deserve such wealth at all.

*******

India's forgotten tribes gain rights over forests

Mon Jan 1, 2007 7:44pm ET

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28 Lions Died in Gir in 2004-05¢
Himanshu Kaushik

The Gujarat government has admitted that 28 lions died between October 2004 and September 30, 2005. Of these, two were poisoned. State¢s additional principal chief conservator of forests Pradeep Khanna in a report to Union ministry of environment and forest, has blamed lack of incentives to field personnel, backlog of vacancies and lack of promotional avenues for these deaths. Last year forest guards had caught three persons who later admitted having killed lions for their claws. Similarly, villagers admitted having poisoned two lions to avenge the killing of their livestock. Five lions, says the report, died by falling into rivers, dams or open wells, while 21 died of old age. The report comes in the midst of a debate on whether the Gir grassland, the only abode of Asiatic lions, was shrinking. A proposal for shifting some of the lions to MP is under debate. Khanna notes that the protected areas of Gir Paniya, Mitiyala and the forest areas of Gir sanctuary and national park covered about1,882.38 sq kilometers. The last census conducted in June last year had recorded 359 Asiatic lions in Gir. Experts have argued that dense vegetation in Gir, which was originally a grassland, was becoming hostile for the lion, forcing the beast to stray into human settlements. But Khanna¢s report is mainly about human resources. He writes, "There is need of additional frontline field staff for managing the high-density population of large carnivores, which is a 24 hour job. Such additional human resource would facilitate efficient working hours. About 20per cent of the existing posts would help in rotating duties and reducing over burden on existing front line staff."
The Times of India (New Delhi), 09 Feb. 2006

http://www.frienvis.nic.in/NewDigest/feb-2006.htm#%9128%20Lions%20Died%20in%20Gir%20in%202004-05%92

Aspects of Cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) Biology, Ecology and Conservation Strategies on Namibian Farmlands (2002 Thesis)

Aspects of Cheetah ( Acinonyx jubatus) Biology, Ecology and ... [PDF]

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conservation strategies include holding and translocating cheetahs. ... The origin, range and status of the Asiatic (or Indian) cheetah or ...
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http://www.cheetah.org/lmarker_thesis.pdf

ALARMING:

Regular and Large Scale Mortality of the world's Critically Endangered Last wild Asiatic Lions

The new year of 2007 starts with the death of a young wild Asiatic Lion

Friday, January 05, 2007

Asiatic Lion Electrocuted in Gir

5^th Jan. 2007

Source: Gujarat Samachar (Translated from Gujarati)

One Asiatic lion was killed due to illegal electrical fencing surrounding the farm land in near Gir which has shocked wildlife lovers.  

A farmer Gabhru Solanki had put a electrified wire fence surrounding his farm with cotton crop. His land is situated at Charnya area at 1.5 Kms from Simmar Village in Jasadhar range near Una. One lion of about 8 – 9 years age died when came in contact of this fencing. The dead body of lion was sent for postmortem by forest department.

The owner of land has run away after the incident. Before this also many such accidents have take place where many lions have died. Still because of lack of appropriate preventive legal steps such accidents are occurring.

http://www.asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/

New sanctuary for lions to come up at Jesar

MARCH 19, 2006

Anil Pathak

RAJKOT/GANDHINAGAR: In a major step, the state government has decided to set up a new lionAsiatic sanctuary at Jesar hills in the Bhavnagar-Amreli forests to ensure better conservation of the lions of Gir.

The new location is on the eastern side of Gir sanctuar y. A team of senior forest officials are in the process of demarcating 100 square km area in the forest range of Bhavnagar and Amreli bordering Mitiala area.

A small wildlife sanctuary was created in Mitiala in 2004 following increasing congestion of wild animals in Gir. At present, more than 50 lions have made Mitiala and its surrounding areas their home.

Once the new sanctuary comes up, it could provide a natural habitat to at least 100 lions. The Gir sanctuary area has over 359 lions and 999 panthers at present.

The state government decided on creating a new sanctuary after the alarming number of lion deaths - at least 100 in the last four years.

Plus, continuous pressure from the Central government to shift the lion sanctuary to Madhya Prade sh for better conservation spurred the state authorities into action.

When contacted, state chief conservation of forest (wildlife) Pradeep Khanna admitted that the proposed new sanctuary would provide more space to the lions who have started coming out of the sanctuary area in search of new natural habitat.

"We therefore decided to set up a new sanctuary for lions somewhere near Jesar." Khanna said that the flora and fauna surrounding Jesar forest area was ideal not only for lions but also the panthers of Gir.

The new abode of Asiatic lions will also reduce man-animal conflicts, a major reason for the deaths of 23 lions of Gir sanctuary.

"We are making all out efforts for better conservation of wildlife in Gir and the proposed new sanctuary was a major decision in that direction," he said.

At present, the lions live in over 1,500 square km area, which includes the Gir lion sanctuary set up in 1963 and the Gir national park and the small sanctuary of Mitiala. After including the new Jesar sanctuary, the area will go up to 1,600 square km.

MARCH 19, 2006 Source: The Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1455643.cms

Lions are no longer king of the jungle in Gir

March 13, 2006

Rajesh Sinha

NEW DELHI: Lion deaths far outnumber tiger deaths in the country, according to the information with Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. From last year till end of February this year, 32 lions and 20 tigers were reported to have died.

Despite the increase in lion population from 327 to 359, as per the five-yearly census held last year, the lion is under threat. The Asiatic Lion is confined in India to the Gir sanctuary spread over 1,882-square kilometre area in the coastal district of Junagarh in Gujarat. However, conditions for survival are not exactly perfect in the sanctuary.

Five state highways and a railroad pass through the forest, which also draws 2.5 lakh tourists every year. While the forests are rapidly depleting, pushing the animals out. Trains crushed 11 lions to death.

There are three big temples in the forest, which has 23 shrines tucked away amid the trees, drawing more tourists than the wildlife safaris. There is widespread limestone mining in villages just outside the sanctuary. There is a cement factory 15 km away from the protected area. This destroys the natural habitat and drains forest resources, including water, so precious during the dry months. Water holes within the sanctuary are drying up, pushing lions out in search of both water and prey.

Officials attribute the frequent straying of lions from the protected area to the obvious 'conflict with humans'. This "conflict" often assumes barbaric proportions when farmers try to electrocute the beasts or poison them.

They also dig wells camouflaging it with leaves, for the lions to fall in and die. Dead animals have often been found to be missing claws, and animal activists say this point to the involvement of poachers.

Apart from poachers and villagers, the Gir, which was meant to be a "dry deciduous broad-leaved forest and savannah grassland," is itself turning hostile to the lion.

The latest threat has come from an unlikely enemy: Intense monsoons in Gir. There is now an unrestrained growth of trees which has transformed the cluster from a savannah grassland to a thick forest, forcing the cats to look out for grasslands.

March 13, 2006 Source: DNA India
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1017825&CatID=2

28 Lions Died in Gir in 2004-05’
Himanshu Kaushik

The Gujarat government has admitted that 28 lions died between October 2004 and September 30, 2005. Of these, two were poisoned. State’s additional principal chief conservator of forests Pradeep Khanna in a report to Union ministry of environment and forest, has blamed lack of incentives to field personnel, backlog of vacancies and lack of promotional avenues for these deaths. Last year forest guards had caught three persons who later admitted having killed lions for their claws. Similarly, villagers admitted having poisoned two lions to avenge the killing of their livestock. Five lions, says the report, died by falling into rivers, dams or open wells, while 21 died of old age. The report comes in the midst of a debate on whether the Gir grassland, the only abode of Asiatic lions, was shrinking. A proposal for shifting some of the lions to MP is under debate. Khanna notes that the protected areas of Gir Paniya, Mitiyala and the forest areas of Gir sanctuary and national park covered about1,882.38 sq kilometers. The last census conducted in June last year had recorded 359 Asiatic lions in Gir. Experts have argued that dense vegetation in Gir, which was originally a grassland, was becoming hostile for the lion, forcing the beast to stray into human settlements. But Khanna’s report is mainly about human resources. He writes, "There is need of additional frontline field staff for managing the high-density population of large carnivores, which is a 24 hour job. Such additional human resource would facilitate efficient working hours. About 20per cent of the existing posts would help in rotating duties and reducing over burden on existing front line staff."
The Times of India (New Delhi), 09 Feb. 2006

http://www.frienvis.nic.in/NewDigest/feb-2006.htm#%9128%20Lions%20Died%20in%20Gir%20in%202004-05%92

The lost pride

Bhushan G Pandya

Jul  15, 2004

The death of 20 Asiatic lions in a single year (2003-2004) in Gujarat’s Gir forests has stirred up a debate in the current session of the state assembly. Ironically, more potent threats to the big cats such as those arising from disease, loss and fragmentation of habitat or inbreeding continue to be overlooked by the state government.

Mangubhai Patel, Gujarat’s environment and forest minister, informed the state assembly that 20 Gir lions, including 10 cubs, had died. Of these, apparently only three had died of accidents and the rest of “natural causes”.

The semi-arid landscape of Gir national park and the sanctuary in Junagadh and Amreli districts are the last refuges of the Asiatic lion.

The latest survey pegs the total population of lions at 327. The population has steadily increased between 1968-1994, from 177 to 284. But researchers say that the increase in numbers is no guarantee of the long-term survival of the Gir lions.

Ravi Chellam, a wildlife biologist who has studied the Gir lions, discloses: “A plan to relocate the lions to Kuno, Madhya Pradesh, had earlier been put into cold storage.” The Gujarat government refused to move the lions. The chief wildlife warden, Gujarat, M L Khanna, explains: “The state is still not in favour of translocation. In fact, in February 2004, we declared another satellite location of 1,822 hectares — home to six-to-eight breeding lions — a protected area at Mithiyala in Amreli district. So, we are creating new areas for the increasing population.”

Chellam says the relocation could stave off chances of the entire population being wiped out at one go. He feels that the mortality rate in itself is not a problem and what is needed is a base studies on causes. Khanna points out cases of cannibalism in the pack. Is the state government going to look beyond the obvious? Or will the lion meet the same fate as the cheetah in India?

Photo: Gir lion deaths: yawning gap between cause and comprehension

Down to Earth; Jul  15, 2004

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/full6.asp?foldername=20040715&filename=news&sec_id=4&sid=39

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: Kishore Kotecha <info@...>
To: Kamlesh Adhia <kamleshadhiya@...>
Sent: Friday, January 5, 2007 5:05:10 AM
Subject: Asiatic Lion Update

Hello friends,

We have posted two news article about

Asiatic Lion Electrocuted in Gir

Source: Gujarat Samachar Dtd. 5^th Jan. 2007 (Translated from Gujarati) 

and

A young man attacked by Asiatic Lion in Gir

Source: Gujarat Samachar Dtd. 5^th Jan. 2007 (Translated from Gujarati)

on ASIATIC LION blog. Please visit http://www.asiatic-lion.blogspot.com  for full stories.

If you also wish to put your article on this blog please email it to us alternatively you can put it directly on blog as 'Comment'.

Regards

Kishore Kotecha / Kamlesh Adhiya

Asiatic Lion Protection Society

Rajkot 360 001 INDIA

Phones: +91 281 2444 074

Mobile: +91 98240 62062

Email: info@asiaticlion.org

Find Everything about ASIATIC LION & GIR at www.asiaticlion.org 

or contact info@...

******************************************

"ASIATIC LION GROUP"

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Asiatic_Lions/

Click to join Asiatic_Lions, Join at:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Asiatic_Lions/join

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: Harish Bhat <harish_udr@...>
To: Atul Singh Nischal <atulsinghnischal@...>
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 1:42:02 PM

Subject: Re: Gir lions on the verge of extinction

Dear Atul,

Oh..this is something we need to immediate act
upon...the number and the poaching rate is very
warnable! Let me know if I can be of any help.

Regards,
Harish

Harish R. Bhat
Centre for Ecological Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore - 560 012
Karnataka State
INDIA
Tel: (080)23600985 - Extn 261 ; 23601453

Atul¢s Introduction Note: Harish R. Bhat

http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/22/stories/2006012220030400.htm  
http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/fish/floraFrame.html

--- Atul Singh Nischal <atulsinghnischal@...>
wrote:

Gir lions on the verge of extinction
By: Bahar Dutt, CNN-IBN, Posted Tuesday , January 17, 2006 at 19:03

ROARING FOR ATTENTION: The Asiatic lion in India
is on the verge of extinction, but it's cry for
attention is being ignored.

*** Watch the Video: ***
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/3872/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction.html

News Source IBNlive:
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction/3872-3-0.html

Also posted now at, where you can look at other
news as well from1997 to 2006:

http://www.asiatic-lion.org/news.html  

"The Asiatic Lion information Centre"
The home of the European Asiatic Lion Breeding
Programme.

Jan. 06/2007

Mr Amit B. Jethava and the "Gir Nature Youth Club" is doing some nice work in protecting Gir Santuary and Asiatic Lions, I request him and his members to also support the much needed "Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project" so that some wild freeranging Asiatic Lions can also live in Kuno Wildlife Santuary in Madhya Pradesh where Lions have lived for thousands of years but have recently gone extinct.

Atul Singh Nischal

atulsinghnischal@...

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: raju shah <raju952@...>
To: nathistory-india@... (NATURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION INDIA, EMAILING LIST)

Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 6:36:36 PM

Subject: Re: Gir lions on the verge of extinction

thats tooo mean a way of asking for help....
May i know the reasons for not relocating the lions....
If we are true animal lovers let us stop being for so selfcentered...

Rajesh Shah

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From: amit jethwa <amit_jethava@...>
Reply-To: amit jethwa <amit_jethava@...>
To: nathistory-india@... (NATURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION INDIA, EMAILING LIST)
Subject: Re: Gir lions on the verge of extinction
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 06:19:36 +0100

Please note that approximately more then 150 lions are dispersed in Gir and
choose teritary till Shetrunjay hill near Palitana. Lions dispersed areas
are Girnar, Coastal area of Kodinar, Una, Sutrapada etc talukaes, Many
grasslands like Babra - Ambaliyala etc, Revenues areas like Kanada -
Patarmala etc hills, Mitiyala and other areas. Please help us for
protection of lion dispersed area except translocation, which they
naturally selected.

amit

Amit B. Jethava
President
Gir Nature Youth Club
Gujarat State
At:Khambha, Di: Amreli
Pin:365650(Gujarat) India.
Telaphone:02797-260121,260182
Telefax:02797-260182
Mobile:+91 94 269 38812
Email: amitjethava@...
amitjethava@...
amit_jethava@...

***********************************************
***********************************************

Sandeep Menon <sandeep.m@...> wrote:
To: nathistory-india@... (NATURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION INDIA, EMAILING LIST)

Its unfortunate that the Gujarat govt continues to resist the Kuno
relocation proposal.

It just defies logic... almost tantamount to saying "These are our lions.
They may die here.. but they cannot flourish elsewhere". I mean its staring
everyone in the face that having the total genetic pool bottled up in one
small area is simply illogical. I am told that the population pressure is
already pushing animals to the outskirts, increasing conflict with humans.
Genetic inbreeding must be a real threat, as is very much the risk of
disease or natural disaster. In fact, I wonder how the currrent floods have
affected Gir?

Yet no one seems to be able to do anything. Same old tragedy of lack of
will combined with parochial politics in our country...

Sandeep
Care2 make the world greener!
Stop the Forest Service from killing more wolves, bears, cougars, and other
animals in the wild:
http://go.care2.com/99055
http://www.Care2.com Free e-mail. 100MB storage. Helps nonprofits.

*************************************************************
************************************************************

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: amit jethwa <amit_jethava@...>
To: nathistory-india@... (NATURAL HISTORY & CONSERVATION INDIA, EMAILING LIST)

Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 5:00:46 AM
Subject: open wells turn death well for Asiatic Lions and other wild animals...
We came to know from farmer of Dedan village of Khambha taluka that lion pair felt in well and live on morning of 23/08/06. Urgently informed to concern forest officials for resque.

Asistant Consevator of Forest, Gir East Division with concern Range Forest Officer - Tulshishyam reached on spot and saved lion and lioness pair. Officials diclared that both will release in Gir PA within short time.

Lions was aroung 2.5 year and lioness was around 1.5 year old. The well was without of any parapat wall. About 8-10 such incidenced occured during a year and many incidences became hazardous for wild animals. About 10 thousands such well falls in Asiatic Lions corridor area. There should be some legal provisions for open well in Asiatic Lion corridor. Forest Authority should focus on Open Well enclosure in Eco - Development Fund. Approximately 32 crores rupees spent for Gir Eco Development Project but no initiatives were taken for open well.

The Conservator of Gir PA sicked in his seat since last 6.5 year, may be record in India. About 150 lions deaths reported during his tenture. He is totally failed to manage Gir PA properly. Urgent requirement for transfer of Gir PA CF.

amit

Amit B. Jethava
President
Gir Nature Youth Club
Gujarat State
At:Khambha, Di: Amreli
Pin:365650(Gujarat) India.
Telaphone:02797-260121,260182
Telefax:02797-260182
Mobile:+91 94 269 38812
Email: amitjethava@...
amitjethava@...
amit_jethava@...

*************************************************************
*************************************************************

Lions that fell into well rescued
(Wild Asiatic Lions at Gir Sanctuary)
Junagadh, August 23, By: Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=198091

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Male lions rescued from well in Amreli
VADODARA, [ 24 Aug, 2006 0651hrs IST PTI ]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1921310.cms

************************

Gir lions on the verge of extinction
By: Bahar Dutt, CNN-IBN, Posted Tuesday , January 17, 2006 at 19:03

ROARING FOR ATTENTION: The Asiatic lion in India is on the verge of extinction, but it's cry for attention is being ignored.

*** Watch the Video: ***
http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/3872/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction.html

News Source IBNlive:
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/gir-lions-on-the-verge-of-extinction/3872-3-0.html

***************************

Are lions Gujarati?
By: Proloy Bagchi

http://www.dailypioneer.com/displayit1.asp?pathit=/archives2/jun2406/edits/edit4.txt

************************************

How come Mr. Amit Jethava and the “Gir Nature Youth Club” a staunch supporter for scientific wildlife conservation is warning that its members will launch an agitation across Saurashtra, if the NBWL(National Board for Wild Life) approves the proposal to reintroduce Lions to the Lion’s very own ancestral range in Madhya Pradesh. “We will mobilize nature lovers(Gujarati), environmentalists(Gujarati) and local villagers(Gujarati) in the region(Gujarat), and our members(Gujarati) will not even hesitate to stage a dharna in Delhi, and also resort to self-immolation if the Board okays the proposal”, threatened the club president Amit Jethava.”

http://in.news.yahoo.com/060618/48/654uy.html http://www.asiatic-lion.org/news.html http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20060627/374359.html

“Reacting to this, local conservationist and president of the Gir Nature Youth Club Amit Jethava said locals(Gujarati) were dead against the “translocation of lions”. “Scientifically, we(Gujaratis) see no reason to do this.”

http://www.hindustantimes.com/2005/Jul/03/5922_1419385,0015002100000000.htm

-atulsinghnischal@...

***************************

Amongst other research sources also visit:
“Asiatic Lion information Centre” and also its “Latest News (1997 onwards)” pages to see how Gujarat has been acting overly selfish and preventing the much needed re-introduction of “some” Asiatic Lions to Central India, how important it is for Gujaratis to become wiser now to the true needs of ensuring the long term survival of their Asiatic Lions:

http://www.asiatic-lion.org/news.html

************************

Also see relating posts below,

(at:  http://mesa.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/cgi-bin/forum/forum.cgi?forum=asiatic_lions )

Thanks

-atulsinghnischal@...

----- Forwarded Message ----

From: faiyaz Khudsar <faiyaz@...>
To: atulsinghnischal@...
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2006 1:58:14 PM

Subject: Re: "Asiatic Lion Controversy": Gujarat should immediately change its "selfish & biased" stand over the re-introduction of "some" of it's wild Asiatic Lions to Central India.
Hi Atul

It is great to hear from you. You are very right that we must not become masters of extinction. It is not about the Gujrat's pride but what is important is long term survival of the Gujrat's pride and that could only be achieved by sending a pride to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary.

Hope to hear more from you.

Regards,
Faiyaz Khudsar

****

PhD Research in progress at Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, MP on “habitat assessment” and “rehabilitation work”. Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary has been readied as the site for Asiatic Lion Re-introduction Project. PhD STUDENT: Mr. Faiyaz Khudsar, Email: faiyaz@.... PhD GUIDE: Dr. R J Rao, Conservation Biology Unit, School of Studies in Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior 474011, M.P., India Tel: 0751-4016773(O). Email: soszool@.... ***REPORT (Pdf Document): “Proposed re-introduction of the Asiatic Lion in the Kuno Palpur Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India”, from "Reintroduction News", April 2005 - Contributed by R. J. Rao and Faiyaz A. Khudsar, SOS Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. E-mail: soszool@... and faiyaz@...

****

Atul’s Note: Faiyaz Khudsar was the co-author of the following report in “Reintroduction News, April 2005”

**********************

“Proposed re-introduction of the Asiatic Lion in the Kuno Palpur Sanctuary, Madhya Pradesh, India”, Reintroduction News, April 2005

Contributed by R. J. Rao and Faiyaz A. Khudsar, SOS Zoology, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India.

E-mail: soszool@...

Source:
www.iucnsscrsg.org/images/Rnews24.pdf#search=%22Proposed%20re-introduction%20of%20the%20Asiatic%20Lion%20in%20the%20Kuno%20Palpur%20Sanctuary%2C%20Madhya%20Pradesh%2C%20India%22

**********************
IUCN/SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group
www.iucnsscrsg.org/

*****************

Re-introduction Specialist Group, RSG Downloads Available:
To access and download the various RSG Newlsetters, Policy Guidelines, RSG Resorce CD and other publications please visit the Downloads Page.

www.iucnsscrsg.org/downloads.html

**********************

Also see our Asiatic Lion Group message no. 99 at:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/Asiatic_Lions/message/99

Atul Singh Nischal

-atulsinghnischal@...

Leopard in Vadodara’s Bathroom(video)

Video, recorded from t.v.

Leopard in Vadodara’s bathroom

Sunday, 7th January 2007
Vadodara, Gujarat (India).

Today at around 8.30 A.M. one fully grown approximately 1 to 1.5 years old leaopard(Dipado), jumped a compound wall and intruded in mr. Ramanbhai patel’s bungalow at Amitnagar in Kareliabag area, Vadodara(Baroda).

As it went inside an open door of bathroom, it was captivated there. Beside two plastic buckets full of water, leopard took it’s position comfortably. Leopard had injury on it’s head between two eyes.

As this news reached all across the city via local t.v. cable network news, thousands of people were gathered at the place and surrounding areas. Forest department officials and police people rushed to this place.

Forest department fired four tranquilizer gun shots to make it unconscious. Vocal Animal lovers had already rushed to the place to see that administration do not kill this innocent animal in any case. Even after fourth shot, leopard was just little unwell but not unconscious. Rifle to shot tranquilizer had also created trouble, so new rifle was ordered immediately.

After four hours of hard work finally cage was brought and leopard was transferred from Bathroom to this cage. National news T.V. channels showed live coverage of this whole operation and this issue was in limelight thus nationally.

In another incident today in Gir forest area, four lions intruded in a village and attacked to village people who are now admitted in civil hospital of Junagadh.

Feedback received to “Leopard in Vadodara’s Bathroom(video)”

0. Vadodarian Says:
   January 7th, 2007 at 12:09 pm

Jambughoda forest is nearby, and it has handsome amount of leopards, so leopard may have come that way.

http://deshgujarat.com/2007/01/07/leopard-in-vadodara%E2%80%99s-bathroomvideo/

Asiatic Lion:  Man-animal Conflict

Lions (Asiatic Lions) enter Guj village, attack two locals

Posted at Sunday, 07 January 2007 15:01 IST

Junagadh (Gujarat, India), Jan 7: Two persons, including a boy, were injured after being mauled by a lion today in Dervan village of the district, Sahara Samay sources said.

According to the sources, four lions entered the village in the morning, spreading fear among the locals.

Forest officials and police are trying to send back the animals into the forests.

Boghabhai Gohil, a villager, was attacked by one of the lions when he went to relieve himself. He, however, managed to escape in spite of his injuries and raised an alarm, sources said.

Some hours later, a boy of the same village was also attacked. The two are receiving treatment at a local hospital, they said.

Villagers said nearly 10 lions were spotted in the locality in the past few months.

Junagadh district, where the Gir lion sanctuary is located, is the last abode of some 350 endangered majestic beasts.

http://www.saharasamay.com/samayhtml/articles.aspx?newsid=67992

Gujarat, India: In 1 week, 7 man-animal conflicts: Asiatic Lions involved, also Leopard, Nilgai / Bluebull and Wildboars

Gujarat, India

Man-animal Conflict: Asiatic Lion, also Leopard, Nilgai / Bluebull and Wildboars

* Asiatic Lions enter village, attack humans

* Wild Asiatic Lion death, electrocuted

* Leopard enter city and cools off in a bungalow bathroom

In one week, seven man-animal conflicts

Express News Service

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

January 7, 2007:

Degeneration of habitat and loss of prey base is resulting in increasing incidents of man-animal conflict in a state blessed with bountiful wildlife. In the past one week, at least seven incidents have been reported, setting off alarm bells among forest officials and wildlife conservationists.

Close on the heels of a lion getting electrocuted in Junagadh, a young leopard sneaked into a house in Amitnagar area in Vadodara on Sunday morning. Forest officials say it was probably chasing a prey and ended up entering the house. Though it did not harm anyone and took refuge in a bathroom, residents were panicky. While this cat was cooling itself harmlessly in the bathroom, at the same time four young lions were terrorising villagers of Derwan, at the edge of Girnar forest area in Junagadh. The lions first walked through the village roaring and attacked and injured two villagers who suddenly came face-to-face with them. In both the incidents the man-animal conflict occurred because human settlements are not very far from wildlife habitat. And, as human pressure on forests increases, the animals are coming out looking for prey coming face to face with humans. This is the 14th incident since January 2006 involving leopards or lions. Since 1995, 78 people have been killed and 641 injured by leopards. Lions have killed about 22 persons and injured 130 since 1988, according to the Forest Department.

Last week, an adult lion was electrocuted in a field when it came in contact with a live wire left by the owner in Simar village in Jasdhar taluka. Though it is revenue area now, a few years ago, it was prime forest where the lions roamed free. "Lions still roam around in these areas though agriculture is practised now and there is thick human population in the revenue areas. Lion-man conflict incidents are negligible but this incident also highlights how pressure is building up. Protected areas and forests may have shrunk on the map but the animals know no such boundaries which is leading to increased man-animal conflict. They move around unaware of the traps that humans are setting for them. Animals are dying by falling into blind wells and getting electrocuted,'' says Deputy Conservator of Forest Girnar range S K Mehta.

While shrinking habitat and promixity of human settlements in forest ranges in Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar districts where protected areas, forest reserves and agriculture fields share a thin boundary line, are resulting in lions and leopards ending up in conflict with humans, destruction of prime forest area in Panchmahals is driving out leopards which are found in quite a number here. A few days ago, an eight-year-old girl was killed by a leopard in Panchmahals while a man was attacked by a leopard recently. The degeneration of reserve forest areas around the Pavagadh hill is also forcing leopards to search for prey in the surrounding villages which sometimes result in unexpected forays like the one on Sunday, to the outskirts of big cities. Except in the Gir forest, leopards in all parts of the state are dependent on livestock and foray into villages in search of water and food, which results into man-leopard encounter.

Last year on August 26, a leopard terrorised people on the Bhilka-Sattar road, charging and chasing people on two-wheelers. On July 25, a youth was killed by a lion in Jasapar village in Talala taluka while lions killed a woman in Lathi village near Sutrapada on May 26.

Encroachment of forests and wildlife habitat is not only affecting the big cats; bluebulls commonly known as nilgai, wild boars, and blackbucks are also at a face-off with humans.

Forest officials say, bluebull population has increased to over 60,000 during the last two decades. With disappearance of scrub forest and grassland they started raiding agricultural fields and the problem is worsening in Kutch, Banaskantha, Rajkot, Amreli, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Surendranagar districts. Under pressure from the farmers' lobby, the Forest Department issued licences to kill some animals in some areas. However, wildlife lovers and conservation activists raised a hue and cry after which the process was suspended, forest officials say.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=216617

In a stunned Gir village, attack by four lions leaves two injured

First time that lions have entered human habitat, attacked people

Sibte Husain Bukhari

Junagadh, Gujarat, India

January 7, 2007:

The appearance of four lions created havoc on Sunday morning in the small village of Derwan in Gir area even as the animals mauled two villagers, including an eight-year-old boy. The mayhem continued for about 15 minutes before the animals retreated into the forests.

The injured, Bogha Rana (55) and Bhavdeep Hamir (8), are under treatment in Junagadh Civil Hospital. Boghabhai said, "I was walking towards a farm when I saw a lion approaching me and before I could react, the animal pounced on me.”

"I tried to escape, people were shouting. Two persons came to my rescue, by then the animal retreated," he said. Little Bhavdeep was too dazed to speak. According to details, he and his father Hamir Bhati were walking towards a shop when the boy was attacked. Hamir said, "I pelted stones and shouted loudly. A few stones hit the animals and the lion freed my son.”

"Four lions entered the village from four different directions. They terrorised us for nearly 15 minutes," says Balsingh Bhati, village sarpanch.

Range Forest Officer (Girnar north range) S K Jadeja said as soon as they received the message their beat guards rushed to the spot and ensured no lions were in the area. Jadeja along with his 15 members of his staff camped in the village and scanned the area. "Compensation will be paid to the injured person according to nature of the injury. This is a rare incident in which a group of lions has attacked humans," Jadeja said.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=216616

A young man attacked by Asiatic Lion in Gir

Dtd. 5^th Jan. 2007 (Translated from Gujarati), Source: Gujarat Samachar. Gujarat, India

A young farmer Batukbhai Bharatbhai (Age – 35) was attacked by a lion two days back when he was working in his farm at village Gadhadi near Mendarda. He was mauled in stomach and is admitted to Junagadh civil hospital for treatment. Forest department has put a watch on this lion for sending it back to the forest area.

http://www.asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/

Leopard in Vadodara’s bathroom

Leopard in Vadodara’s Bathroom(video) - Video, recorded from t.v.

Leopard in Vadodara’s bathroom

Sunday, 7th January 2007
Vadodara, Gujarat (India).

Today at around 8.30 A.M. one fully grown approximately 1 to 1.5 years old leaopard(Dipado), jumped a compound wall and intruded in mr. Ramanbhai patel’s bungalow at Amitnagar in Kareliabag area, Vadodara(Baroda).

As it went inside an open door of bathroom, it was captivated there. Beside two plastic buckets full of water, leopard took it’s position comfortably. Leopard had injury on it’s head between two eyes.

As this news reached all across the city via local t.v. cable network news, thousands of people were gathered at the place and surrounding areas. Forest department officials and police people rushed to this place.

Forest department fired four tranquilizer gun shots to make it unconscious. Vocal Animal lovers had already rushed to the place to see that administration do not kill this innocent animal in any case. Even after fourth shot, leopard was just little unwell but not unconscious. Rifle to shot tranquilizer had also created trouble, so new rifle was ordered immediately.

After four hours of hard work finally cage was brought and leopard was transferred from Bathroom to this cage. National news T.V. channels showed live coverage of this whole operation and this issue was in limelight thus nationally.

In another incident today in Gir forest area, four lions intruded in a village and attacked to village people who are now admitted in civil hospital of Junagadh .

Feedback received to “Leopard in Vadodara’s Bathroom(video)”

1.     Vadodarian Says:
January 7th, 2007 at 12:09 pm

Jambughoda forest is nearby, and it has handsome amount of leopards, so leopard may have come that way.

http://deshgujarat.com/2007/01/07/leopard-in-vadodara%E2%80%99s-bathroomvideo/

“ASIATIC LION” NEWS

Lion (Wild Asiatic Lion) electrocuted in Gir, case filed against farmer

Sbte Husain Bukhari

Junagadh, January 5, 2007:

The carcass of a lion that died from electrocution was found from a cotton cultivation farm on Friday. A case has been registered against the farmer who had wired the area for drawing power illegally. The incident occurred at Charnyawadi area near Simar village which falls under Jashadhar forest range in Dhari division of Gir (east) forest. The accused farmer, who has been identified as Gabharu Solanki, is absconding.

According to official reports, local people informed the forest beat guard of Simar village about the carcass who immediately reached the spot and confirmed the incident. Later, when informed by beat guard, forest officials from Jashadhar range rushed to the spot and recover the carcass.

“The lion was about eight years old. Investigation revealed that the animal was electrocuted,” a forest official said.

Live electric wires were found from the place.

“Accused farmer had directly connected it with overhead electric lines so it’s a clear case of power theft too. To protect the cotton crop and to prevent animals from entering the agricultural land, the farmer had placed live wire fencing,” he added.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (Gir-east) S P Sisodiya said that post-mortem was conducted by panel doctor and it was confirmed that the animal was electrocuted which was the reason behind its death. He said a casewas registered against the accused, Gabharu Solanki, under the provision of Wild Life Protection Act 1972.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=216377

Asiatic Lion Electrocuted in Gir

5^th Jan. 2007

Source: Gujarat Samachar (Translated from Gujarati)

One Asiatic lion was killed due to illegal electrical fencing surrounding the farm land in near Gir which has shocked wildlife lovers.  

A farmer Gabhru Solanki had put a electrified wire fence surrounding his farm with cotton crop. His land is situated at Charnya area at 1.5 Kms from Simmar Village in Jasadhar range near Una. One lion of about 8 – 9 years age died when came in contact of this fencing. The dead body of lion was sent for postmortem by forest department.

The owner of land has run away after the incident. Before this also many such accidents have take place where many lions have died. Still because of lack of appropriate preventive legal steps such accidents are occurring.

http://www.asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/

Central Zoo Authority (CZA), India - The Authority's annual wall calendar highlights the initiatives for planned conservation breeding of endangered species in Indian zoos.

1)

The wildest of calendars....

Jan 09, 2007

P. Anima

NEW DELHI: Amid the grim reality of more and more animals slipping into the endangered category, the Central Zoo Authority has brought to light quiet efforts undertaken by it to give a new lease of life to a range of endangered species.

The Authority's annual wall calendar highlights the initiatives for planned conservation breeding of endangered species in Indian zoos.

Over the years the calendar has become an account of the work done by the Authority.

"The calendar, which is circulated to all zoos and other departments, has educative purposes and also showcases the work done by the Authority," says Brij Kishor Gupta, scientist at the Authority. So if it was the newborns in the zoos or the pheasants that made for the theme in the past, the 2007 calendar with hand-drawn sketches is a lesson in planned conservation breeding of endangered species and its success.

The success stories include the red pandas that after planned conservation breeding were released into the wild, and even the rise in the number of Bengal tigers, snow leopards and Asiatic lions.

"The species that had no chance of survival in the wild has been given a last chance through co-ordinated breeding under ex situ conditions," the calendar states.

To begin with, the Authority earmarked various endangered species available in zoos across the country for the programme. About 20 species including the Bengal tiger, red panda, snow leopard, lion-tailed macaque, mouse deer, white-backed vulture, Asiatic wild ass and Indian pangolin are part of the initiative today.

The sketches of the animals are accompanied by data on when the planned conservation breeding was initiated, the zoos in which it is happening and the current strength of these animals in captivity.

The conservation breeding programme for the Bengal tiger was initiated in 1995 and today there are 236 tigers in 40 zoos across the country. There are about 11 Asiatic wild ass, 84 Asiatic lions and eight Indian pangolins now.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/09/stories/2007010907790200.htm

2)

Welcome to Central Zoo Authority's Website

Striving to enact legally enforceable standards and norms of upkeep and management of animals in zoos.... this premier organization of India

       ......Supporting the conservation of endangered species by giving species, which have no chance of survival in wild, a last chance of survival through coordinated  breeding under ex-situ condition.

NEW !!!

Small Grant Fellowships - for initiating Research Activities at Zoo Level - To Download Form Click Here

http://www.cza.nic.in/

http://www.cza.nic.in/zoo/index.html

CZA¢s Related Links Page:

http://www.cza.nic.in/index3.html

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme’s Online publication –

“FAO ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH PAPER   99”

FAO ANIMAL PRODUCTION AND HEALTH PAPER   99

by
Elizabeth L. Henson

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Rome, © FAO and UNEP 1992

Hyperlinks to non-FAO Internet sites do not imply any official endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at these locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. The sole purpose of links to non-FAO sites is to indicate further information available on related topics.

Contents

1. Introduction

1.1 Animal Genetic Resources
1.2 Animal Genetic Resource Management
1.3 Live Animal Conservation

2. Animal Genetic Resources - Terms and Definitions

2.1 Genetic Principles

2.2 The Creation of Breeds

2.2.1 Founder Affects
2.2.2 Inflow of Genes
2.2.3 Mutation
2.2.4 Natural Selection
2.2.5 Selection by Man
2.2.6 Identification of a Breed

2.3 Extinction

2.3.1 Species Extinction
2.3.2 Breed Extinction
2.3.3 Extinction of Genes
2.3.4 Extinction is Forever

2.4 Conclusion

3. The Need for Conservation

3.1 The Reason For Conservation

3.1.1 Economic Potential
3.1.2 Scientific Use
3.1.3 Cultural Interest

3.2 The Objectives For Conservation

3.3 The Candidates for Conservation

3.3.1 Unique Populations
3.3.2 Endangered Populations - Species
3.3.3 Endangered Breeds
3.3.4 Endangered Populations - Genes
3.3.5 Populations in Rapid Change

3.4 Action To Identify Conservation Stocks

3.5 Conclusions

4. Conservation Methods

4.1 Ex Situ versus In Situ Methods

4.1.1 Cryogenic Preservation
4.1.2 In Situ Conservation
4.1.3 Co-ordination of Cryogenic and Live Conservation

4.2 Gene Pool versus Separate Breed Conservation

4.2.1 Separate Breeds
4.2.2 Gene Pools

4.3 Conservation Of Small Live Populations

4.3.1 Creating the Sample
4.3.2 Selection
4.3.3 Inbreeding
4.3.4 Small Population Size and Drift
4.3.5 Minimum Size of Conservation Herds

4.4 Small Breeding Programmes - Recommendations

4.5 Breeding Strategies

4.5.1 Natural Breeding
4.5.2 Random Mating
4.5.3 Pedigree Breeding
4.5.4 Maximum Avoidance
4.5.5 Sublines

4.6 Conservation for Utilization

5. Conservation in Practice

5.1 National Government Projects

5.1.1 Endangered Species Important for Domestication
5.1.2 Breeds with Potential for Use
5.1.3 Breeds Conservation as a Part of Environmental Conservation

5.2 Non Government Organizations

5.2.1 Habitat Conservation
5.2.2 Breeds with Historical Interest
5.2.3 Breeds with Cultural Importance

5.3 Private Organizations

5.3.1 Conservation for Economic Use
5.3.2 Research and Conservation
5.3.3 Conservation with Tourism and Education
5.3.4 Company Promotion

5.4 Private Conservation Efforts

5.4.1 Farmers
5.4.2 Co-ordinating Organizations

5.5 Conclusion

Summary of Recommendations

Programme For Action

Appendix

Glossary Of Terms

Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance of colleagues from around the world in the compilation of this manual, but particularly wishes to thank: Dr. D.S. Balain, of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, Karnal, India; Dr. Arthur da Silva Mariante, CENARGEN/EMBRAPA, Brasilia, Brazil, and Dr. Louise Setshwaelo, Ministry of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana.

Source:

http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/T0559E/T0559E00.htm#TOC

FAO CORPORATE DOCUMENT REPOSITORY

A happening in rural life around Gir Forest, Gujarat India

Leading the way...

BY ZEENIA BARIA | Wednesday,

January 10, 2007 10:38:51 IST

Hirbaiben Lobi is the proud recipient of the 14th IMC ladies Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar 2006 for Rural Entrepreneurship

The lines on her forehead could only describe a fraction of what Hirbaiben Lobi has gone through in her life. Hirbaiben is no ordinary lady and yesterday she was awarded the 14th IMC ladies Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar 2006 for Rural Entrepreneurship by actress Jaya Bachchan with the entire IMC Ladies Wing, headed by President Munira Chudasama, present for support. Much before the award ceremony began; Hirbaiben was already at the venue to interact with some members of the press. Dressed in a simple beige printed sari, hair streaked with grey and a huge grin on her face, it was evident how thrilled Hirbaiben was about receiving the award.

“I’m so happy to be here and I’m proud that the Jankidevi Bajaj family has chosen to bestow this honour upon me,” was the first thing she said. Although Hirbaiben spoke in her native Gujarati, which was slightly difficult to comprehend, the passion with which she spoke about her work and achievements more than made up for the language barrier. **Of Siddi origin, Hirbaiben’s village is around the Gir Forest in the Junagadh district.      Orphaned by the time she was 14, Hirbaiben was raised by her grand mum, who inculcated good values in her, which have been helping Hirbaiben till date.

“Girls from our village would go to the forest to cut fire wood. One day two of the girls were caught for illegal felling and I realised that if they had something better to do, they wouldn’t have gone through the humiliation of being caught by the authorities. I realised the need to be financially independent. And I also wanted other women to be so. That’s why I started programs where women could earn their living through agriculture and other means. I encouraged them to save their income. I taught them all about organic fertilizer manufacturing, neem oil production, animal husbandry, selling fruits and vegetables, readymade garments, milk and milk products, toys, utensils, setting up tea shops and having tailoring classes,” said Hirbaiben.

Hirbaiben doesn’t like to work with people who are competent; she likes giving a chance and encouraging people who aren’t. Wife beating, which is a rampant problem in rural India, too, found a solution in Hirbaiben. “We take the wife under our fold, help the husband set up a new business and try to educate him against the practice of wife beating. I want to remove poverty from my own and neighbouring villages,” she said.

Besides creating employment, Hirbaiben has also set up a day care centre as well as a school to encourage the growth of education. She has also convinced fellow villagers to develop a part of their land to construct a public school. “I used to listen to radio programs, which gave agricultural tips and implemented them in my farming techniques,” said the proud mother of three, who is today the President of the Adivasi Mahila Sangh comprising 550 Siddi members. Because of her visionary methods, Hirbaiben has been invited to numerous villages in different parts of the country to give lectures on rural development. Hirbaiben works closely with the Aga Khan Development Network, who fully encourages her activities. “If we want a secure future, we must think of our present. That’s why I lay so much emphasis on saving. Another imperative thing that villagers need to realise is the importance of education. We must educate our youngsters, we must provide them with facilities,” she said matter-of-factly. On her first trip to Mumbai, Hirbaiben had obviously loved the sights of the city. “The IMC ladies have been very gracious and taken care of all my needs. And every weekend we see Amitabh Bachchan movies in our village,” she said with a smile to Jaya Bachchan. And all this from a lady, who’s studied only till the second grade.

http://www.cybernoon.com/DisplayArticle.asp?section=xtras&subsection=womensextra&xfile=January2007_extraspecial_standard805&child=extraspecial

**People Of "Siddi" origin:

Siddi people are of "African Origion" who were presented (as slaves) by the portugese to the local Nawab of Junagardh, a Fudal lord (Local Portugese island colony in Gujarat was Dieu, now a union territory of an independent India part of Union Territory, Goa, Daman & Dieu). Looks like today they live in teir own villages but follow all local Gujarati customs, language, food and religion. Apart from looking obviously African just like people living in Africa they are indistinguishable from local Indian people living in Junagardh region of Gujarat everything else is obviously same, except (from the last article) it seems they still pracice their African dance, now known by the Indian name of Dhamal.

ALSO SEE - "Siddis":

"On the way to Deva-dungar is the quaint village of Sisvan, inhabited entirely by Siddis, a tribe of African people. They were brought 300 years ago from Africa, by the Portuguese for the Nawab of Junagadh. Today, they are more Indian than African and follow very few of their original customs, with a few exceptions like the traditional Dhamal dance."

SOURCE:

http://travel.expressindia.com/story/20499.html

Atul Singh Nischal

atulsinghnischal@...