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Jumbos enjoy a day off at a wildlife sanctuary in West Bengal

September 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jalpaiguri, Sep 18 (ANI): Captive elephants, used by the forest officials to supervise the area, enjoyed a royal treat at the Jaldapara Sanctuary in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.

The forest officials use elephants to supervise the area since most of the sanctuary is inaccessible by vehicle or on foot.

Every year on the occasion of Vishwakarma puja, the jumbos get the much-awaited annual holiday.

On this day, the elephants are given special treatment. The day starts with the bathing of the animals in the river. The mahouts then decorate the elephants and give them special food.

“The elephants are the ride of Lord Vishwakarma and Vishwakarma takes care of machine, elephants. That’s why we the staff members of Jaldapara Wildlife perform this puja (ritual),” said Kharke Bahadur, a mahout.

Wildlife officials said elephants played a big role in maintaining the sanctuary.

“Because at Jaldapara, it’s mainly wildlife area. Here, there is very important role for such captive elephants because some areas where vehicle movement and foot patrolling is not possible because there is risk to life and these areas are accessible (because of elephants). So we totally depend on these captive elephants,” said Buddhadev Mondal, range officer at the sanctuary. (ANI)

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Crocodile rescued by wildlife authorities in Uttar Pradesh

September 6, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Nawada village (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 5 (ANI): Wildlife authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district rescued a crocodile from a pond in a heavily inhabited locality on Saturday.

The reptile had sneaked into Nawada village on Friday night, and was causing panic among the villagers.

A team of wildlife officials captured the crocodile from the pond and it was later released in the waters of Gomti river.

Sitapur district has witnessed a number of incidents of wild animals straying into urban areas, mainly owing to loss of habitat and extension of human settlements into forest areas. ANI)

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Rare pangolin rescued in Patna

September 5, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Patna, Sep 5 (ANI): Wildlife officials of Bihar rescued a rare pangolin from Patna on Friday.

A team of forest officials was rushed to the spot on hearing that a pangolin was spotted by villagers near the Bakhtiyarpur police station.

The pangolin was caged and brought to the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Centre where it was examined at the zoo hospital.

Abhay Kumar, director of Patna Zoo said that the animal was in a healthy condition.

“The forest officials in Patna had transported pangolin to Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Centre. Pangolin is fully healthy and is in the hospital,” said Kumar.

A pangolin is a mammal of the order Pholidota. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with this adaptation.

They are found in tropical regions of Africa and Asia. Pangolins are nocturnal animals, and use their well-developed sense of smell to find insects. (ANI)

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Leopard rescued in West Bengal

August 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Jalpaiguri (WB), Aug 13 (ANI): Wildlife officials rescued a male leopard from a tea garden in Jalpaiguri of West Bengal.

Locals from in and around the tea garden crowded the cage to have a glimpse of the wounded animal that had unleashed fear in the area.

Dipendra Nath Saha, the range officer of the Khunia said the leopard was trapped as it was terrorising the garden workers.

“This is the fourth rescue of its kind from this region in a span of two months. This leopard was doing damage to the garden workers,” Saha added.

With tiger population dwindling in recent years as a result of poaching, wildlife officials say hunters have increasingly set their sights on leopards, killing them for their skins as well as bones, claws and penises for use in traditional Asian medicines.

Depletion of their habitat has also threatened the leopards, forcing them to stray into human settlements-attacking people and cattle-and often getting killed in return.

India had about 7,300 leopards in the wild according to a 1997 census, but conservationists say the number is now likely to be much lower. (ANI)

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Ill leopard dies at Gwalior zoo

May 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Gwalior (MP), May 14 (ANI): A male leopard, which has been under treatment died in Gandhi Zoological Park in Gwalior on May 12.

Authorities said that the leopard was brought to the zoological park 18 months ago when its one paw and many teeth were missing. The leopard was kept in a separate enclosure.

“There are many reasons to its death. Firstly, its one leg was missing due to previous injury and it had difficulty in walking. Secondly, most of its teeth were missing and it was not able to eat properly. We used to feed it soft meat and help it to eat. Thirdly, because of its missing leg, it could not mingle with female leopards and the females used to attack him due to which we used to keep him isolated from the rest,” said Dr. Santosh Kumar Mittal, Veterinarian, Gandhi Zoological Park, Gwalior.

India’s leopards are under threat, with increasing numbers of these spotted feline beauties being poached for their hide and body parts.

The decreasing leopard population in India is a cause for concern. Wildlife officials say poachers have increasingly set their sights on leopards, killing them for their skin as well as bones for use in traditional Oriental medicines.

Depletion of their habitat has also threatened the leopards, forcing them to stray into human settlements – attacking people, poultry birds and livestock cattle – and often getting killed in return.

According to Wildlife Protection Society of India, despite being an endangered and protected species at least 228 leopards have been killed since January 2006. By Ashok (ANI)

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Kangaroo survives arrow shot through head

May 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 12 (ANI): In what can be called a “miracle”, an Australian kangaroo survived an arrow shot through its head.

The wildlife officials said that the kangaroo was expected to make a full recovery.

Veterinary surgeons from Melbourne Zoo operated on the animal over the weekend, and were optimistic about its chances.
“This was a big injury, but because the arrow didn’t seem to have been in there for a long time, and the injury was fresh, hopefully he’ll be okay,” the Telegraph quoted Michael Lynch, a vet at Melbourne Zoo, as saying.

“I’m cautiously optimistic about the kangaroo’s prospects for a full recovery,” he added.

The marsupial was rescued just days after another kangaroo was found with an arrow in its rump in the same location.

“It’s just unbelievable, I just can’t believe that anybody would do something so cruel. It must be a very cold-hearted person to do that,” said Fiona Corke, a Wildlife Victoria spokesman.

Wildlife Australia has posted a 10,000 dollars reward to find the person responsible for shooting the kangaroo. (ANI)

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A stray tiger caught and released in Rajasthan

March 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Sawai Madhopur (Rajasthan), Mar 23 (ANI): A tiger that entered a residential area and injured a woman in the Sawai Madhopur area of Rajasthan has been captured and released in a nearby forest.

Forest authorities swung into action by tranquilising the tiger and releasing it into the forest.

“A tiger caught hold of me. I was in the field. I screamed for help. Some four people came to rescue me,” said Vimala Devi.

Instances of tigers straying into residential areas is not a new thing. There have been instances in the past when wildlife officials have caught the animals after they strayed into houses.

Depleting forest cover and lack of natural habitat for the animals is one of the major reasons for the wild animals to stray into the residential areas.

There were about 40,000 tigers in India a century ago.

A government census report published this year says the tiger population has fallen to 1,411, down from 3,642 in 2002, largely due to dwindling habitat and poaching. (ANI)

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Deer census commences in Chennai

March 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chennai, Mar 14 (ANI): The Guindy National Park (GNP) authorities, along with few voluntary organisations and college students started its annual deer census here on Saturday.

A total of 11 teams were formed with each team having 4 members for conducting the census at the particular allotted area.

The last deer census conducted by wildlife officials at the GNP, Raj Bhavan and on IIT campus’s had proved an increase in deer population.

In 2008, the population of the spotted deer was 1200.

Apart from this, 382 black buck deer were also found in the GNP and Raj Bhavan area.

In the 1998 census, the blackbuck population stood at 170, and in 1999 it rose to 200. In the succeeding year, 350 black bucks were found in all the three habitats.

“There are many deer present over here to mention. It is estimated approximately 3000 deer present in the park. This year we have started to calculate. Tomorrow there is one more session. It is very interesting and good,” said durai, a college student.

S. Subramanium, Superintendent of the Guindy National Park said such census helps the management and conservation of endangered species.

“This figures helps the management of the national park to find the carrying capacity of the national park as well as Rajbhavan area. And to find out ex-ratio and the mortality figure, help in the effective management of the wild life and conservation of endangered species,” said Subramanium.

Spread over an area of 2.82 square kilometers, the Guindy Park is considered the breathing lungs of the city and boasts of a small population of barking deer, spotted deer and black bucks.he park, set up in 1958, also has an enclosure for around 500 animals, which are a big attraction for the visitors.

There is also a children’s park, which organizes eco-camps for school kids.Despite the small area of the park, the biodiversity is amazing. The vegetation is mostly tropical dry green type and over 350 species of plants are found including trees, climbers, herbs, shrubs and grasses. (ANI)

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Wildlife officials trap a man-eater tiger in Uttar Pradesh

March 14, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Lucknow, Mar 14 (ANI): A man-eating tiger, which had claimed atleast five lives, creating panic in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur-Kheri district, was captured live on Friday.

The tranquilised tiger was brought to a zoo in Lucknow.

Officials said the tiger had peculiar traits and even used to eat carcasses.

“It is a man eater tiger which has taken five lives till now. Another peculiar thing about it is that it used to eat dead animals,” said Renu Singh, director of Lucknow zoo.

Zoo officials decided not to set the animal free in the forests, fearing for the safety of people living on the outskirts of forests.

A team of veterinarians said the three-and-a-half years old big cat was in the pink of health.

It is believed to have strayed from Kisanpur sanctuary of the state’s Dudhwa National Park.

India is home to half the world’s surviving tigers, but conservationists say it is losing the battle to save them.

There were about 40,000 tigers in India a century ago.A count conducted in 2001 and 2002 suggested that number had allen to around 3,700, after decades of poaching and habitat destruction. (ANI)

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Dachigam National Park officials make preparations to protect endangered species of deer

February 13, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Srinagar, Feb 13 (ANI): Dachigam National Park in Kashmir is abuzz with activities these days as wildlife officials are putting in their best to protect endangered Hangul species (known as Kashmir stag Red Deer variety) from heavy snow.

Shortage of fodder grass due to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of the park have forced Hangul to the plains where wildlife officials had made preparations for serving the Hangul and keeping it fit.

The special menu for the Hangul consists mainly of willow sticks and salts their favourite.

“In winter season, the whole surface is covered with snow. These deer face problems in getting food. So we collect and store the dry willow sticks in the month of winter, which is used to feed them. Apart from that, we also provide large quantity of minerals in a feeding place,” said Rashid Naqash, a wildlife warden.

The Hangul is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book of the international Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Apart from heavy snow, predators like leopards are the biggest threat to the deer’s survival.

According to experts, the state had around 5,000 Hanguls in the beginning of the 20th century. Their number was reduced to about 150 by 1970 due to habitat destruction, overgrazing by domestic livestock and poaching.

Efforts by the state authorities and WWF raised their number to 900 Hanguls at Dachigam in 1989.

However, according to a census carried out in 2006 by WII and state wildlife department, Hangul’s population had again gone down to mere 115 in the past few years.

Environmentalists cite deforestation, environmental changes, as reasons for decrease in their numbers. Poaching and killing by predators is also responsible for their dwindling numbers. By Parvez Butt (ANI)

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Wildlife officials rescue a leopard from residential area

January 19, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

Anand, Jan 19 (ANI): Wildlife officials in Gujarat’s Anand District rescued a leopard after it strayed into a residential building.

The leopard had entered a crowded locality of Gujarat Industrial Development Council area, causing panic among the residents.

Residents said that the leopard was roaming around the area for some days.

“Some days back residents of Syedpura village saw the leopard, after that people again saw the same leopard on AC Foot road in Anand district,” said S.Krivastava, district forest warden.

In recent years, incidents of wild animals straying into urban areas have increased owing to loss of habitat and extension of human settlements into forest areas. (ANI)

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Wildlife officials capture tiger in Ramnagar

January 10, 2009 By Rajesh Leave a Comment

Ramnagar (Uttaranchal), Jan.10 (ANI): Wildlife officials captured a tiger on Friday after it had strayed into a human settlement here.

The tiger had been wandering around in the area for past one month and had injured many villagers and their livestock, the officials claimed.

They said that they had put up a cage for past one month, but managed to capture the animal only on Friday, after saving it from the villagers’ ire.

“We had put a cage for past one month to capture the tiger.Today, it was trapped. We will examine the animal, and if there are no injuries, we will release it,” said PK Patro, District Forest Officer (DFO), Ramnagar.

Instances of tigers wandering towards human settlement have become quite frequent in India.There have been many occasions in the past when tigers have attacked and killed villagers and their livestock.

Their dwindling habitat is being cited as one of the main reasons for this intrusion into human habitat.

There were about 40,000 tigers in India a century ago. A government census report published in 2008 said the tiger population has fallen to 1,411, down from 3,642 in 2002, largely due to dwindling habitat and poaching. (ANI)

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