Queens of the jungle!

30-08-2008

Queens of the jungle!

Times of India By Rajiv Shah

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Women_foresters_New_rage_in_Gujarat/articleshow/3423939.cms

 

GANDHINAGAR: If you are in the Gir forests to watch the Asiatic lion, don't be surprised to find women forest guards in the woods. It's another male bastion which has been busted. Gujarat forest department has sought to break the sex barrier, by introducing for the first time a large number of women guards and foresters in the jungles.

 

Of the 307 forest guards recruited through special camps in districts over the last one year, 51 are women. And out of 180 foresters recruited at four zonal camps held this May in Surat, Junagadh, Vadodara and Gandhinagar as many as 44 are women.

 

Till these recruitments, there were just two women working in the forests and both were Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers. Anita Karn is posted in Junagadh and Aradhana Sahu in Mehsana.

 

Fourteen women foresters have been posted in Gir and their boss, Anita Karn, is happy to have them around. "They have been quite useful in gathering information, carrying out raids and talking to womenfolk in the forests," she told TOI over phone.

 

Aradhana Sahu added: "Lady forest staffers are proving to be extremely useful in every sector, be it joint forest management, in which involvement of village women is critical, or guiding tourists in the wild and guarding wildlife."

 

Forest officials in Gandhinagar say the women were recruited on the basis of their physical fitness and knowledge of neighbouring forest areas. The physical test included long jump, high jump and rock-climbing. "We are happy such a large number of women applied for the jobs and also made it in the end," said a senior forest official.

45 rabbits die in public park; poisoning suspected

30-08-2008

45 rabbits die in public park; poisoning suspected

Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Carcass-of-lion-found-in-Mobh-dam/355190/

 

AS MANY as 45 rabbits were found dead in a public park managed by the nagarpalika in Una, Junagadh, on Thursday.

 

Chief Officer, Una Nagarpalika, Hitendra Kshotriya, said: "The post-mortem on the bodies has been carried out by the government veterinary officer. Viscera of the animals has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory. The exact cause of the deaths could be ascertained only after we receive the FSL report."

 

Sources, meanwhile, said that the night watchman was not present when the incident occurred. Besides, the cage was unlocked and the lock was found lying about 20 feet from the cage. "Someone may have intentionally killed the rabbits by giving them poisonous food," a source said.

 

The incident has shocked the wildlife lovers here. According to forest sources, the white rabbit is a hybrid exotic species included in the non-scheduled category animal. No permission from the Forest department is required to keep it caged.

Carcass of lion found in Mobh dam

30-08-2008

Carcass of lion found in Mobh dam

Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Carcass-of-lion-found-in-Mobh-dam/355190/

 

Junagadh, August 29 Carcass of a lion, aged about nine years, was found floating in the Mobh dam on Thursday. The dam is located near Khambha town, under Tulshishyam range of Gir east forest division. Deputy Conservator of Forest (Gir east) J S Solanki said, "The carcass was found floating in the dam in a highly decomposed state. The animal may have died about three days ago. A panel of veterinary doctors conducted autopsy on the spot. The exact cause of the death could not be ascertained immediately. Viscera of the animal has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory, Junagadh, for further examination." Solanki ruled out any foul play in the incident.

Update on “Of Cats” Blog

Of Cats  

Update on "Of  Cats" Blog

Asiatic Lion Pictures

Posted: 29 Aug 2008 05:03 AM CDT

 

Thank you all for admiring the male lion pictures. They are indeed works of art and Bill Dow's photography speaks for itself. These majestic creatures were all African Lions who stayed at Shambala Preserve at some point in time over the years. As you know there is another subspecies of lions as well, the critically endangered Asiatic Lions. They are seldom featured in media and few documentaries exist about these relatively obscure but equally magnificent group of lions. They only reside in a sanctuary in western India, where they are facing numerous threats like open wells, human infringement and conflict and poaching. There is an NGO that is working tirelessly towards their conservation in that part of the world, the Wildlife Conservation Trust. Fortunately I'm in contact with its chairman Kishore Kotecha, and he was generous enough to provide the following photos of these extremely rare big cats for reproduction here. You can follow his and his team's efforts for saving these beautiful felines on their regularly updated blog and informative website.

 

Asiatic Lions are somewhat distinct from their African cousins in genetic and physical makeup. Notice the prominent belly fold and longer hair tufts on tip of tail and elbow, that make these lions unique.

Mangrol turns lion country into dog pound

29-08-2008

Mangrol turns lion country into dog pound

Times of India

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=T OIA&l ogin=defa ult &AW =1220 0858 23562

 

Municipality Releases Strays In Gir, Foresters Angry

 

Mangrol: It is one thing not killing stray dogs on grounds of cruelty to animals. But it is a completely different thing releasing them into the Gir forest and endangering the last surviving population of Asiatic lions in the world.

 

Not wanting to kill the stray dogs, municipal officials of Mangrol town, some 25 km from Gir, are catching stray dogs from the town and releasing them into the forest. In fact, Mangrol nagarpalika officials say for the past few months they have been releasing the canines 70 km into the forest, so that they are not able to return!

 

"Releasing stray dogs into Gir can spread dangerous diseases among the lions," said Anita Karan, deputy conservator of Forest (Girnar range). "The forest is already teeming with wildlife. The additional presence of dogs could lead to many unwanted problems."

 

Mangrol nagarpalika president Iqbal Chapara says: "Stray dogs have become a huge problem in the town. We have daily wagers who catch the dogs and release them deep into the forest. One van of 40 dogs costs us Rs 4,000."

 

The coastal town of Chorwad also has the same problem and the civic body has even invited bids in a local newspaper to catch stray dogs and pigs and release them in Gir. But, upset forest officials have said they will not allow this. "If we find that Mangrol nagarpalika has released stray dogs in Gir forest, we will take strong action against them," said Bharat Pathak, conservator of forest in charge of Gir. "Although lions don't normally kill dogs, leopards are at risk as they don't mind preying on dogs."

 

"The British have recorded cases of leopards contracting rabies in 1921," says chief conservator of forest HS Singh. "Stray dogs are carriers of bacteria and viruses."

Three animal attacks on humans in a day

28-08-2008

Three animal attacks on humans in a day

Times of India

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default&AW=1219906650000

 

Amreli: The man-animal conflict, rising with decreasing area of forests, witnessed three more attacks on humans — by a lion, a leopard and surprisingly a neelgai, each — in Amreli district on Wednesday.

 

 A lioness on the prowl in a sesame field on the outskirts of Mitiyala village of Savarkundla taluka attacked the owner Bachu Jeswadia (70) around 9 am on Wednesday. He was attacked on the head, chest and back before farm labourers working nearby rushed to his help and scared the beast away. Severely injured, he was admitted to Amreli hospital.

 

Meanwhile, in Dahiyali, Khambha, a woman, Meena Waghela (60), who was sleeping in her house, was attacked by a leopard around 3 am. The animal caught Waghela by her face and before her family could raise a cry, it had injured her forehead, throat and chin. She is also undergoing treatment at Amreli hospital.

 

In the third attack, a Neelgai injured Hansa Khetariya (35) of Mota Ankadia village of Amreli taluka at 9.30 am, when she was on her way to her farm. The animal attacked her from the front and repeatedly kicked her, injuring her legs and back.

Lion kills child, officials call it case of mistaken identity

27-08-2008

Lion kills child, officials call it case of mistaken identity

Times of India

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily= TOIA&l ogin=def ault& AW=1 219825 254750

 

Amreli: Did a lion prey on a kid mistaking it to be a goat? At least this is what forest officials of Gir believe after catching a lion who had killed an eight-year-old boy in a village of Amreli district. The eight-year-old lion preyed on the boy, Himmat Parmar, who was sleeping on the porch outside his hut in Munjiasar village of Khamba taluka in the Gir (east) forest range in the wee hours of Monday.

 

Sukha Parmar could only watch helplessly as the beast took away his son. Himmat's body parts were found nearly one km from his house.

 

When contacted, district forest officer Jayant Solanki claimed that this was the first time in Gir that a lion has directly attacked a human. "We also found in our inquiry that the lion might have mistaken the boy for goat due to the body odour of the boy. The boy had spent nearly 18 hours with goats," said Solanki.

 

The lion was caught from a field on the outskirts of Tracuda village early on Tuesday morning. It has been sent to Jasadhar range veterinary house for treatment and will be kept under observation for a few days.

 

It is a common knowledge in these areas that lions generally stay away from the human body odour and rarely attack humans. Attacks as and when reported have happened mostly due to animals' fear rather than the intention to kill.

 

"This lion killed a boy, but it is not a man-eater because it is not in the nature of the lion to kill people," said Solanki.

Minor killed by lion in Gir

26-08-2008

Minor killed by lion in Gir

Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Minor-killed-by-lion-in-Gir/353422/

 

Junagadh, August 25 An eight-year-old boy was killed by a lion in the revenue area outside the Gir east forest division on Monday. This is the first time such an incident has occurred here. Lion attacks on humans in Gir have been far and few.

 

The incident occurred around 2 am on Monday on the outskirts of Munjiyasar village near Khambha town, some 15 kms from the forest boundary. The area falls under the Tulshishyam forest range. The victim has been identified as Himmat Parmar.

 

J S Solanki, deputy conservator of forest (Gir east), said: "The victim was guarding goats in a makeshift ranch and had fallen asleep. The animal climbed onto the verandah and instead of preying on the livestock, grabbed Parmar and dragged him to the adjoining fields."

 

Solanki said the family members were sleeping in an adjacent room and rushed to the verandah after hearing noises, only to find the boy missing.

 

He said he rushed to the spot along with a team and began a search operation, but could not locate the boy or the animal. Later, at dawn, the boy's remains were recovered. He said the animal had consumed a part of the body.

 

Solanki said the big cat has been identified as a juvenile (six-year-old) and is spotted nearby. Traps have not been laid to capture him, he said.

 

He said the body has been sent for autopsy and a compensation of Rs one lakh will be paid to the victim's family.

 

He further said the case was probably that of mistaken identity.

 

Some five families of the devipoojak community are residing in a Gauchar (grazing) land on the outskirts of Munjiyasar village and had set up makeshift ranches for sheltering cattle.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lion kills Boy

26-08-2008

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lion kills Boy

Gujarat Samachar

Briefly translated from Gujarati

 

In a rare incidence a lion killed a 8 year old boy who was asleep with his family in the hut. Sukhabhai Gaga Parmar Koli, a poor labour family, lived in a small grass hutment in grazing land hillock two kms from Munjiyasar village near Khambha in Gir E. at about night two O'clock on Saturday night, lion silently entered the hut and dragged away the little boy His sister six months old was spared of lion claws.

 

When Himat's father found out he woke up and informed Khambha police and forest dept. Due to rain it was difficult to track lion pugmarks. On Sunday morning, remains of dead body were found in paddy fields of Pancha Bhana Prajapati, about 1 km away from the hut.

 

The puzzle is, a calf and lion did not kill and instead entered killed the boy. Forest department has laid trap to catch the lion.

 

Kishore Kotecha's comments :- Normally a weak old nomad lion attacks human (Children specially) as they are easy pray. Such nomad lion loose its territory and pride against strong young males. So they wander outside for survival. This is also reason of over-concentration of animals inside the WLS.

Another leopard caught from Kodinar in 20 days

19-08-2008

Another leopard caught from Kodinar in 20 days

Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Another-leopard-caught-from-Kodinar-in-20-days/350498/

 

Junagadh, August 18 Leopard are increasingly entering villages and towns around the famous Gir Forest in Junagadh district. Just 20 days after a leopard was caught from Kodinar on July 25, a big cat was reported trapped in the populated area of the town on Monday morning.

 

Forest officers said the juvenile leopard, aged about three years, was trapped in an agricultural field, owned by one Vijay Jadav, a farmer, located near the Kodinar railway station. "Around 5 am, the leopard was trapped in a cage. It has now been shifted to the Gir forest," a forester said.

 

Dinesh Goswami, president of the Kodinar-based NGO, Prakriti Pariwar Trust, said: "Residents of the railway station and the adjoining area had reported repeated sightings of a leopard in the area. The residents had asked the forest department to cage the animal. The forest department officials set up a trap in the field two days ago and snared the big cat today."

 

He said people rushed to the spot to catch a glimpse of the animal as soon as news of its capture spread.

Asia's Last Lions - Article on 'Of Cats' Blog

Of Cats

 

12 – 8 – 2008 Asia's Last Lions Posted on www.OfCats.com By Omer   As you might know, there are two main subspecies of lions extant today. One is the African Lion - members of which number in thousands and who you see almost daily in documentaries and programs on nature channels. The other, less well known, subspecies is the Asiatic Lion. Not many are aware of these lions, who number in a few hundreds and are seldom seen on television or in zoos owing to their extremely limited population. These are the lions whose plight I want to highlight today. At one time Panthera Leo Persica, the Asiatic Lion, ranged from Mediterranean to India, covering a vast expanse of land and having a healthy overall population. However, as with many other animals, their sad story of decline is reminiscent of how the advent of modern firearms and habitat encroachment by man has led to permanent devastation of our fauna and flora. Lions were wiped off the map in most of their former range and by the turn of last century were only left in a small pocket in Northwestern India. Fortunately at that point in time sanity prevailed and the last remaining Asiatic Lions were given a protected status. You can read more about them on my Asiatic Lion page. Today the only wild population of Asiatic Lions exists in a small reserve by the name of Gir, in the western Indian state of Gujarat. There are roughly between three to four hundred animals remaining here who face a multitude of threats including conflicts with humans and hunting by poachers, electrocution by illegal electrical fences set up by farmers around their fields and limited genetic variability. But perhaps the most significant threat facing them is the presence of thousands of open wells all across the forest. These wells were dug up by natives in the past years and are now like death traps for the local wildlife. Many beautiful lions have faced permanent injury or death owing to inadvertent falls in these holes. The situation, therefore, in Gir is serious. Something needs to be done about the wells. There is only one organization, Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), working for the preservation of these magnificent yet endangered animals. They've got a very beautiful and informative website www.asiaticlion.org as well as a frequently updated blog asiatic-lion.blogspot.com in which they provide up-to-date news about the current situation in Gir and the status of the lions. As you might know, India is still a developing nation. The conservationists of WCT are trying their level best to protect the big cats but are still short in funding that they desperately need to cover up most of the wells in and around the park. Recently they were pledged some outside funding, but they still are in need of money to do something about the remaining thousands of wells still present in Gir. A few days back I was contacted via email by Kishore Kotecha of the WCT. He drew my attention to the need of highlighting the open wells issue and a wonderful presentation that WCT has created in this regards. You can reach it here: http://www.asiaticlion.org/openwell.pps. I personally found it to be very moving and I sincerely hope that these beautiful lions can prevail against the many odds that they face currently. I've asked Kishore to set up a donate button on their website in order that we may be able to offer some help online. He is in the process of acquiring permission from Indian Government in order to be able to accept the donations. As soon as he does that I'll let you guys know by posting a link to it. Meanwhile you can still go to asiaticlion.org to learn about these majestic lions and their battle for survival in the wild!

 

Five caught enjoying Wild Bour Feast

13-08-2008

Five caught enjoying Wild Bour Feast

Gujarat Samachar

Briefly translated from Gujarati

 

Yesterday forest department caught five person feasting on Wild Bour meat at Ghughwana village of Dhari Taluka in Gir east. Ghughwana is in Kothariya round of Tulsishyam range.

 

Ram Bhana Bareya, Naran Ram, Sefa Vasram Dabhi, Nonthan Sardul Jadav and Manga Kana were cultivating land owned by Harji Kala. They used to lay trap using clutch – wire (of motor-bike) for catching Wild Boars, which they regularly feasted on. Culprits have been caught and sent to jail. Their bail application was rejected by the court.

Watch out for lion poachers!

12-08-2008

Watch out for lion poachers!

Times of India

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TO IA&login=def ault&AW =12185305 5843

 

Sarpanchs Of Gir VillagesTo Be Forest Department's Eyes And Ears

 

Gandhinagar: With poaching on their minds, the forest department has adopted a give-and-take policy. It has asked village sarpanchs to be vigilant with regards to the movement of outsiders in their villages, in exchange for which it has promised to solve issues that have been pending for long.

 

Principal secretary, forest and environment, SK Nanda, held a meeting with gram panchayat sarpanchs of 60 villages in the periphery of Gir forest. Nanda said that the five-hour-long meeting saw several issues being sorted out. Nanda said the government has asked sarpanchs to keep a record of farm labourers coming to village.

 

Also, Nanda said tourist lodges have been told that if any tourist is caught moving in non-sanctuary routes illegally, the owner of the lodge or restaurant would be held responsible and action would also be taken against them.

 

He said villagers complained that several villages do not have electricity connection. He said these would now be provided solar power. Collector, Junagadh district, Ashwini Kumar, who was also present in meeting was immediately asked to take action.

 

He said the sarpanchs also complained that they were not given gas connection by government-owned companies. In absence of Indian oil and Bharat Petroleum, they were forced to buy gas at commercial rates from private players. The villagers were assured of gas connections by governmentowned companies and where it was not possible for the administration to get these connections, they would be supplied with kerosene.

 

Nanda further said that the sarpanchs also demanded compensation for farmers whose crops were damaged by wild boars and other animals. The farmers had been refused compensation and instead, were asked to adopt kheda tree plantation model where they can earn money by growing trees that have commercial value.

 

The department will also permit them to shoot wild boar, but the panchayat was directed not to have professional shooters for the job. However, sarpanchs did not agree to the idea of shooting the animals.

 

Forest department has also decided to review the decision of reserving land. The forest department has in the past reserved several plots of land which were in the possession of panchayat as gauchar land, etc. "We will review the decision and wherever possible, it would be reversed," said Nanda.

Leopard falls in open well, rescued:

12-08-2008

Leopard falls in open well, rescued:

Times of India

 

Another leopard accidentally fell into an open well in Sankhavadar village of Junagadh district on Sunday morning. The animal was saved in time by forest offcials who rescued it. According to reports, the leopard fell in to the well while chasing its prey at a farm in the outskirts of the village. Luckily for the beast, the noise of its splash alerted farm labourers working in the vicinity, who called the forest department. The officials brought the leopard out of the well and admitted it to the Sakkarbaug zoo for treatment. The animal will be released in the natural habitat in a couple of days' time. The open wells are posing a big threat to wild animals across Saurashtra. The wells, specially in the Gir forest, have claimed many lives of wild animals.

Lion King gets cosy, friendly

11-08-2008

Lion King gets cosy, friendly

Times of India By Himanshu Kaushik

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp? Daily=TOIA &login=default& AW=12 185305 45843

 

Man-Lion Have Learnt To Co-Exist In Perfect Harmony Around Gir

 

Sasan Gir: He is the master of all he surveys. It is not without reason that he is called the king of the jungle. But in Gir and around, the king is stepping out of the forest and feeling at home quite close to human habitations. Anywhere else, this would have been seen as an intrusion. But here, either side doesn't mind.

 

Foresters are noticing distinct behavioural changes in the lions in Gir as almost half the 350-plus population has strayed out of the national park and sanctuary, co-existing in perfect harmony with humans.

 

Last week, when a lion strolled through a busy market in a village near Dhari, it did create a scare. But, humans have now got used to these close encounters even in places a couple of hundred kilometres from Gir.

 

In recent years, lions have had to be captured from airports in Diu and Porbander. Tourists were surprised recently at the information centre near Devalia when a pride of lions, including two cubs, carried on with their playful activity, unmindful of the moving traffic.

 

A senior forest official posted in Gir says, "The people of Gir actually feel safe when lions are around. In villages near Talala, farmers go home and sleep if there are lions around because then they need not stay on guard to protect their crops from marauding wild boars and neelgais." Forest records show that since the 70s and 80s, when almost a dozen cases of lion attacking humans were reported every year, some of them being fatal, these type of cases have come down to just one or two now. "Both lions and humans have learnt to accept each other and not over-react," says a forest official.

 

Revtubha Raijada, who stays near Dhari, says lions stray closer to humans when they are sick and weak. Raijada says villagers often call in veterinary doctors if they spot a suffering lion. "I really don't remember the last time when any lion attacked a villager," he said.

 

"Lions have become emboldened. Today, they do not hesitate to even kill a buffalo within the heart of a village," says Sanat Chavan, former chief conservator of forest. He says people don't mind losing their cattle because they are immediately compensated.

 

Well-known expert on lion behaviour, Dr Ravi Chellam, says "Lions are capable of adapting to big changes in their habitat. This is not true of tigers."

Carcase of Lioness found

08-08-2008

Carcase of Lioness found

Divya Bhaskar

Briefly translated from Gujarati

 

A lioness, in Mithwala jungle area of Sarasya task Bit of Gir East, was ill since last few days. Forest dept was trying to catch the lioness for treatment but could not succeed. Yesterday carcass of this 12-13 year old, ill lioness was found. Viscera has been sent to FSL.

Lion strolls through bazaar!

07-08-2008

Lion strolls through bazaar!

Times of India

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIA&login=default

 

Junagadh/Amreli: The 700-odd residents of Khambha-Borada village in Amreli got the biggest shock of their quiet lives when a lion strolled into their main bazaar on Monday at 5 pm.

 

Living in lion country, they frequently sight the wild cats outside their village. But, a lion entering a market full of people, sent a chill down the spine of many.

 

Lions, having moved out of the Gir sanctuary, are getting increasingly bold, say villagers. The cats don't think twice before straying close to humans.

 

This was confirmed on Tuesday morning when in neighbouring Junagadh, a pride of four lions, that generally hunt after sundown, killed a buffalo in broad daylight at Chorwadi village of Bhesan taluka.

 

The 50-odd villagers working in the fields nearby around 9 am watched helplessly as the lions cornered the buffalo and brought it down. They did not seem bothered by the presence of villagers.

 

Said deputy conservator of forest (DFO), Junagadh, Anita Karne: "Generally, lions hunt late in the evenings or at night, but morning hunts happen once in a while."

 

A shocked Chandresh Patel, a resident of Chorwadi, said: "These lions are regular visitors but never have they had the courage to attack cattle in front of people." Khamba-Borada, however, has not yet recovered from the shock. Especially because the lion stayed in the market for nearly two hours and attacked and injured a youth who tried to chase it away. The lion left only after killing a calf and dragging it off for dinner. Says Mahesh Rawal, a resident of Khambha-Borada: "If we have to face lions at 5 pm in our bazaar, it is about time the government considered fencing the forest area."

 

Sanat Chavan, wildlife expert and former principal chief conservator of forest of Gujarat, says there have been some instances in the past of lions hunting in the day.

 

"When they don't get their natural prey, they don't mind hunting cattle in the day," he says.

Absconding Cong MLA surrenders, sent to judicial custody

06-08-2008

Absconding Cong MLA surrenders, sent to judicial custody

Indian Express By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Absconding-Cong-MLA-surrenders-sent-to-judicial-custody/345266/

 

Junagadh, August 05 Congress MLA from Talala Bhaga Barad, who had been evading arrest in an assault case, surrendered before the Talala police on late Monday night.

 

Barad, who is brother of Congress MP from Junagadh Jashubhai Barad, was produced before the Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Court, Talala town on Tuesday afternoon, which sent him to judicial custody.

 

Junagadh Crime Branch Inspector J K Jala said the MLA was produced before the court after initial interrogation. According to Jala, the police had sought three days' remand, but the court rejected the plea.

 

Barad has been sent to the Veraval jail.

 

"The offences registered against the MLA are non-bailable. Now, the case will be tabled before the Veraval Sessions Court. The upper court will decide his fate," Jala said.

 

His surrender comes after the police issued Warrant no 70 against him and commenced procedure to declare him 'absconding'.

 

Barad was wanted since June 4 when he along with his 14 associates attacked senior forest officials at the Sasan Gir forest headquarter and ransacked their office. They are also accused of looting revolver of a forest officer.

 

All the 15 are booked under Sections 395 (dacoity), 332 and 333 (assaulting on-duty government officials in government office), 350 (to enter in government office illegally) and 120 (B) (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Lion attacks man in village – centre

05-08-2008

Lion attacks man in village – centre

Divya Bhaskar

Briefly translated from Gujarati

 

In little unusual incidence a lion came to Borada village of Khambha Taluka in Gir East. It was about 5 PM. It mauled village resident Shailesh Dodiya. Lion ran away when villagers started shouting and yelling. Later in the evening it killed a cow near Khambha hospital.

New habitat for Asiatic lions in MP

01-08-2008

New habitat for Asiatic lions in MP

Times of India By Himanshu Kaushik

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/New_habitat_for_Asiatic_lions/articleshow/3312200.cms

 

AHMEDABAD: Gir is poised to lose its status as the exclusive home of the Asiatic lion. Two pairs of the lions obtained from zoos will be let loose in the Kuno Palpur sanctuary shortly for breeding. Once their numbers grow in the coming years, Madhya Pradesh plans to throw the place open to tourists.

 

Zoos in Bhopal, New Delhi and Hyderabad have already agreed to part with lions for Kuno, after Gujarat rejected the idea of Kuno being an alternate habitat for the Asiatic lion. For Gujarat, being the only home of the Asiatic lion was a matter of pride and a draw for tourists. However, MP, which is a much bigger draw for tourists because of Khajuraho, may steal the march over Gujarat by showcasing the lions.

 

The Madhya Pradesh government has found other ways to get around Gujarat's opposition. "We have already got the nod from Hyderabad from where we would soon be getting a pair of zoo-bred Asiatic lions, besides one male Asiatic lion from Bhopal and a female from Delhi," said conservator of forest, Gwalior, Murli Krishna.

 

He added Kuno would begin as a breeding centre. "But once we have the third generation of lions, they would be let free in the jungle. In the next eight years the sanctuary would be opened up for tourists," said Krishna.

 

The MP forest department has submitted a proposal of Rs 40 crore for the development of the area as an Asiatic lion sanctuary, he added. Kuno Palpur wants to start with at least five pairs of lions so that in eight years time they can release at least 10 in the forest and keep the rest for breeding.

 

The Dehradun-based Wildlife Research Institute has for long felt that Gir, with its population of over 350 big cats, was too small for housing the animals.

 

The institute then zeroed in on the 344-sq km Kuno Palpur sanctuary and launched the Asiatic Lions Reproduction Project.