Trigger-happy Madhya Pradesh town awaits lions

16-05-2013
Trigger-happy Madhya Pradesh town awaits lions
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-16/flora-fauna/39309285_1_illegal-firearms-dacoits-palpur-kuno

If there is a wild wild west in the east, it is Palpur-Kuno. The proposed new home to Asiatic lions is a safe haven for gun-toters. A drive down the road connecting Sheopur to Palpur-Kuno is enough to showcase the rampant gun culture in this small town on the south-western edge of Chambal. You meet scores of macho bikers who have rifles slung on their shoulders. The pistols remain unseen, raising serious doubts about the safety of the lions post-translocation from Gir, where the beast seldom sees a gun.

In Agara, on the edge of the Palpur-Kuno sanctuary, the local police station covers 32 villages where firearm licences have been given to 162 people. The number of illegal arms is believed to be much higher. Here, gun is a way of life, status symbol and a means to protect oneself from other gunmen, including dacoits.

"One out of every three families in Agara owns a rifle. The situation is worse in Umri village where almost every house of the Moghiya tribe has one firearm each, legal or illegal," said an Agara police official.

Last month, two persons were arrested with illegal firearms in separate cases. And such incidents are regular. Bairam Badoria, a resident of Sheopur, says, "These guns are used mainly to display power, but also to protect from wild animals like bears."

There are an estimated 4,800 firearms for a population of six lakh in the district. And, these are only licensed firearms â€" the number of unlicensed weapons is likely to be much higher as this is the tip of Chambal valley, which is also infested with dacoits. Vijaypur tehsil, where the sanctuary is located, has 1,400 licensed weapons.

On April 12, Mahendra Prajapati, a forest guard at Kuno, was attacked by poachers. "We have seen that majority of the poachers who are arrested possess illegal firearms," he says.

Even the survey by the ministry of forest and environment in 2011 has recorded high prevalence of guns in Kuno and surrounding areas. The report also underlines the presence of dacoits who are still at large and people keep guns with or without licence for self defence.

Deadly virus threatening Gir lions

16-05-2013
Deadly virus threatening Gir lions
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-16/flora-fauna/39309703_1_gir-forest-gir-lions-canine-distemper-virus

A deadly virus that wiped out a significant number of wild lions in the African Serengeti in mid 1990s is now threatening Gir â€" home to India's only population of lions.

Scientists in India recently found Pestes des Petits Ruminants Virus (PPRV) to be behind the death of a lion in Gir â€" the first such incident ever.

PPRV is the same virus that in 1994 killed 1,000 lions â€" one-third of the Serengeti population.

Alarmed, Britain's Royal Veterinary College is now teaming up with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to see if the virus has spread to the native lion population.
Dr Richard Kock, one of the world's foremost experts on wildlife health at RVC told TOI "The Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) that killed the lions in Tanzania is the same as PPRV. It is known to be a plague virus and can cause high mortality among lions. It was surprising to find it in Gir. The lions in India are a small vulnerable population and widespread infection with such a virus can kill at least 40% of the Gir lions."

Dr Kock will work with Dr YV Jhala from WII and experts from the Pirbright Institute (PI) and the Veterinary Type Culture Collection Centre (VTCC) in Haryana. The team, with years of experience with wild cats, will confirm or dispute the finding of possible infection of PPRV in Gir forest lion, determine the extent of infection if any, confirm the multi-host transmission pathways for PPRV in Gir and undertake a full risk analysis of PPRV and distemper.

Dr Kock and his team will visit Gir in September.

He told TOI, "We will collect blood samples of lions to check for antibodies against PPRV. If serological evidence for PPRV and distemper virus infection in Gir Forest region is detected, a disease search would be initiated and virus isolation attempted from affected species. A system for reporting any unusual clinical signs in lions and any mortality will be set up. Where possible have carcasses examined by a trained veterinarian in wildlife health. The protocol for dead lion should include full necropsy." The team has already finalised the protocol for live immobilised lion and says it would include normal biological measurements, whole body clinical examination and whole blood test.

According to Dr Kock, the virus isolated from the dead lion in Gir last year was genetically characterised to the strain circulating in Indian livestock.

"The presence of this virus antigen in a lion is the first indication that infection might occur in this species. It is mainly found in dogs. Evidence has been collected showing climate change is causing an increased tick cycle and viral circulation," Dr Kock added.

Trigger-happy Madhya Pradesh town awaits lions

16-05-2013
Trigger-happy Madhya Pradesh town awaits lions
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-16/flora-fauna/39309285_1_illegal-firearms-dacoits-palpur-kuno

If there is a wild wild west in the east, it is Palpur-Kuno. The proposed new home to Asiatic lions is a safe haven for gun-toters. A drive down the road connecting Sheopur to Palpur-Kuno is enough to showcase the rampant gun culture in this small town on the south-western edge of Chambal. You meet scores of macho bikers who have rifles slung on their shoulders. The pistols remain unseen, raising serious doubts about the safety of the lions post-translocation from Gir, where the beast seldom sees a gun.

In Agara, on the edge of the Palpur-Kuno sanctuary, the local police station covers 32 villages where firearm licences have been given to 162 people. The number of illegal arms is believed to be much higher. Here, gun is a way of life, status symbol and a means to protect oneself from other gunmen, including dacoits.

"One out of every three families in Agara owns a rifle. The situation is worse in Umri village where almost every house of the Moghiya tribe has one firearm each, legal or illegal," said an Agara police official.

Last month, two persons were arrested with illegal firearms in separate cases. And such incidents are regular. Bairam Badoria, a resident of Sheopur, says, "These guns are used mainly to display power, but also to protect from wild animals like bears."

There are an estimated 4,800 firearms for a population of six lakh in the district. And, these are only licensed firearms â€" the number of unlicensed weapons is likely to be much higher as this is the tip of Chambal valley, which is also infested with dacoits. Vijaypur tehsil, where the sanctuary is located, has 1,400 licensed weapons.

On April 12, Mahendra Prajapati, a forest guard at Kuno, was attacked by poachers. "We have seen that majority of the poachers who are arrested possess illegal firearms," he says.

Even the survey by the ministry of forest and environment in 2011 has recorded high prevalence of guns in Kuno and surrounding areas. The report also underlines the presence of dacoits who are still at large and people keep guns with or without licence for self defence.

Deadly virus threatening Gir lions

16-05-2013
Deadly virus threatening Gir lions
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-16/flora-fauna/39309703_1_gir-forest-gir-lions-canine-distemper-virus

A deadly virus that wiped out a significant number of wild lions in the African Serengeti in mid 1990s is now threatening Gir â€" home to India's only population of lions.

Scientists in India recently found Pestes des Petits Ruminants Virus (PPRV) to be behind the death of a lion in Gir â€" the first such incident ever.

PPRV is the same virus that in 1994 killed 1,000 lions â€" one-third of the Serengeti population.

Alarmed, Britain's Royal Veterinary College is now teaming up with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to see if the virus has spread to the native lion population.
Dr Richard Kock, one of the world's foremost experts on wildlife health at RVC told TOI "The Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) that killed the lions in Tanzania is the same as PPRV. It is known to be a plague virus and can cause high mortality among lions. It was surprising to find it in Gir. The lions in India are a small vulnerable population and widespread infection with such a virus can kill at least 40% of the Gir lions."

Dr Kock will work with Dr YV Jhala from WII and experts from the Pirbright Institute (PI) and the Veterinary Type Culture Collection Centre (VTCC) in Haryana. The team, with years of experience with wild cats, will confirm or dispute the finding of possible infection of PPRV in Gir forest lion, determine the extent of infection if any, confirm the multi-host transmission pathways for PPRV in Gir and undertake a full risk analysis of PPRV and distemper.

Dr Kock and his team will visit Gir in September.

He told TOI, "We will collect blood samples of lions to check for antibodies against PPRV. If serological evidence for PPRV and distemper virus infection in Gir Forest region is detected, a disease search would be initiated and virus isolation attempted from affected species. A system for reporting any unusual clinical signs in lions and any mortality will be set up. Where possible have carcasses examined by a trained veterinarian in wildlife health. The protocol for dead lion should include full necropsy." The team has already finalised the protocol for live immobilised lion and says it would include normal biological measurements, whole body clinical examination and whole blood test.

According to Dr Kock, the virus isolated from the dead lion in Gir last year was genetically characterised to the strain circulating in Indian livestock.

"The presence of this virus antigen in a lion is the first indication that infection might occur in this species. It is mainly found in dogs. Evidence has been collected showing climate change is causing an increased tick cycle and viral circulation," Dr Kock added.

Gujarat claws its way back in lion war

15-05-2013
Gujarat claws its way back in lion war
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-15/flora-fauna/39281006_1_palpur-kuno-review-petition-gujarat-government

The battle over the translocation of lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh is back in the Supreme Court. The Gujarat government on Tuesday moved a petition challenging the April 15 order which directed the state to translocate lions to Palpur-Kuno wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

The review petition which was filed in the apex court has relied heavily on the argument that the court had been misguided by Madhya Pradesh. The petition quotes a report prepared for the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

The judgment dated April 15 had said: "The State of Gujarat has also raised various other objections stating that the past track record would indicate that the State of Madhya Pradesh is not taking any effective steps to control poaching which is also a threat if lions are translocated to Kuno. To meet that contention, the State of Madhya Pradesh stated that the Tiger Authority of India in its report â€" Tiger Meetr, July 2011 â€" has assessed the performance of the State of Madhya Pradesh as outstanding, which would indicate that they had taken effective steps against poaching of animals at Kuno." The review petition argues that though the Madhya Pradesh government has in the apex court highlighted the safety in Kuno, the report which was used as a base to make the claims does not even mention Palpur-Kuno.

Also, the Gujarat government has raised doubts about the claims that the prey base in Palpur-Kuno was better than that of Gujarat. Moreover, Gujarat contends that the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, have been violated. The act says that no translocation process can be started without the permission of the chief wildlife warden of the state to which the animal belongs.

The permission has to be sought even if just one animal is to be shifted for research. The Gujarat government alleges that no such permission was sought and yet the Madhya Pradesh government had started investing in Palpur-Kuno. This is the second such plea in the apex court. The Congress MLA from Manavadar, Jawahar Chavda, had filed a petition on similar grounds a week ago. Both petitions underline the dangers to the lions in MP, including rampant poaching. The state government's petition covers about a dozen issues, and says that the fear of epidemic in Gir was imaginary.

Herbivore population in Gir sanctuary goes up

15-05-2013
Herbivore population in Gir sanctuary goes up
Zee News
http://zeenews.india.com/news/eco-news/herbivore-population-in-gir-sanctuary-goes-up_848708.html

A two-day census carried out at Gir sanctuary in Junagadh district of Saurashtra has revealed that the herbivore population has gone up 18.40 percent over the last three years, forest officials said.
 
"A two day census was conducted on May 7 and 8 to count the herbivore population in Gir National Park and Sanctuary. Parameters, method and routes to cover all possible habitat and management units of Gir, which houses 411 asiatic lions spread over on 1412 sq km forest," Deputy Conservator of Forest in Gir Sandeep Kumar told PTI.

"The exercise covered eight categories, including spotted deer, sambar, blue bull, four-horned antelope, Indian gazelles, wild boar, langoor and peacock. Total population of herbivores has gone up to 1,26,893 from 1,07172," Kumar added.

Herbivore count shoots up in Gir

15-05-2013
Herbivore count shoots up in Gir
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-15/flora-fauna/39280492_1_gir-sanctuary-gir-national-park-prey-base

The Gir lions and the leopards have more animals to feast on. The recent herbivorous count revealed that the prey base for the big cats has increased. The herbivorous count in Gir, the prey base for the big cats in Gir forest, has increased by over 18.40% in the last three years.

Data revealed barring Langur and peafowl, the density was 76.48 animals per sq km, while the same in 2010 was 66.86 animal per sq km. Officials said a two-day census was conducted on May 7 and May 8 this year. The count was organized as per set parameters, method and routes to cover all possible habitat and management units of Gir. Census was conducted and sample data were obtained from all the 19 routes.

The count revealed a number of over 1, 26,893 Chital, Sambar, horned antelope, chinkara, wild bore, langur and peafowl. Officials said going by the 1000 sq km area of the Gir Sanctuary where these animals were found, there were 76.49 animals per sq km. This was 1,07,172 animals in 2010. The officials said that the maximum increase in terms of percentage was in Chausingha which was only 290 in 2010 and this increased to 650 in 2013. Sandeep Kumar, the deputy Conservator of Forest headquarters, said around 18.40% growth is recorded in last three years with an average rate of 6.13% per year in total number of herbivore population in Gir National Park and Sanctuary from 2010 to 2013.

Officials said that in 1974 census has shown the herbivorous count was less than 10,000. This has increased constantly ever since then. The biomass density in Gir was around 8000 kilogram per sq km. This was the best in any of the protected sanctuary within the country. "The biomass density was around 10,000 per sq km in Serengeti in Africa, we are fast catching with Serengeti," said a senior officer. He said that around 85 per cent of the lion kill is herbivorous animal, while 15 per cent depends on live stock this was the reverse in the late 1970 and 1980's. "Between 1970 and 1980, the 85 per cent of the kill was live stock," said the officer.

G A Patel former Principal chief conservator of forest said that the density of 76 animal is very good. "One pride of lion has his territory spread in an area of 40 sq km. Going by the figures there are over 3040 animals in one territory which is a good number," Patel said. He said that with the lion population increasing the herbivorous is also increasing which is a good sign.

Lions’ future should be more important than Narendra Modi’s pride

08-05-2013
Lions' future should be more important than Narendra Modi's pride
First Post
http://www.firstpost.com/politics/lions-future-should-be-more-important-than-narendra-modis-pride-763473.html

Narendra Modi should justifiably be proud of his lions. Gujarat is booming and its lions are roaring. In fact, the Gir Lion reserve has been a little too much of a success story. 400 lions in one reserve is making conservationists nervous about an infectious disease outbreak.

A virus killed hundreds of lions in Serengeti in 1994. So they want to send some lions over to the Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Not too many. And not all at once – typically a pride of one male and two or three females – to be moved every three to five years over 25-30 years.

But Gujarat's Lion King will not share his pride. Narendra Modi's government has been fighting tooth and nail to not have to send any of his lions to Madhya Pradesh. Modi has made it an issue of his personal prestige.

Obviously this being Modi, every thing gets blown out of proportion – the subtext becoming can the man who cannot share lions with a neighbour, that too a BJP-ruled neighbour, share power with coalition fat cats if he is to be a prime ministerial aspirant one day. Also why is a man who wants to build a reputation as a no-nonsense pragmatist putting emotional pride ahead of common sense. Modi personally chaired the meetings that prepared the counter argument to the Supreme Court.

What's astonishing in this whole lion case is the argument the Gujarat government thought fit to use to stall the translocation. His government told the court it thought of the lions as "family member and hence be not parted with it" as if an overbearing Court was ripping a joint family apart. It's puzzling why the lawyers even thought the lions "as family member" argument could sway the Supreme Court. Especially when it comes to a state like Gujarat. Gujaratis are famous for being on the move.

They take pride in crossing oceans to set up businesses and motels and stores in small towns in the middle of nowhere. In her book, Leaving India, Minal Hajratwala writes about how her family spread from five villages in Gujarat to nine different countries from being a stowaway on a ship to South Africa to running a department store in Fiji to being a professor in New Zealand where the sheep outnumbered the people.

It's ludicrous that against that backdrop of fearless migration, Gujarat seems to want to mollycoddle its lions, loath to even let them cross over to the next state.

"The cardinal issue is not whether the Asian lion is a family member, but the preservation of an endangered species," ruled the court firmly and unsurprisingly. This is hardly anything new or specific to Gujarat or lions. As a letterwriter to The Telegraph points out "Incidentally, the fate of India's rhinoceros population had looked bleak because they were once confined to Kaziranga only.

However, steps were taken to spread the rhino population more evenly across multiple national parks." Rhinos are still routinely poaching victims but at least spread aross different sanctuaries they have more of a fighting chance. Lions deserve no less.

The argument that could have had resonance was whether the lions would be safe in Kuno where the government has relocated 24 villages to make room for the lions. Gujarat has singlehandedly brought the Asiatic lion back from the brink. Could Kuno squander those gains? Kavitha Rao writes in The Guardian:

Kuno has a strong gun culture, and the Supreme Court has agreed that forest staff will need to be trained and deployed to prevent poaching. Locals will need to be educated, involved and given a stake in conservation

The poaching argument is a serious argument and a valid one. Just because Kuno has experience with tigers doesn't mean it can deal with lions in the same way. Lions are great travelers which makes them harder to monitor and keep safe. They are not elusive cats like tigers and leopards and more prone to conflict with livestock.

Conservation biologist Dharmendra Khandal writes that at least two forest guards have been killed there in the last five years. The Mogya tribe in the area is not as pro-wildlife conservation as the Maldharis in Gujarat. "(T)he poachers are not the only problem, there are the dacoits and bandits as well, who are using these Mogyas as trackers in the forest," writes Khandal.

These are all legitimate worries and concerns that put the well-being of the species first. By arguing family values, Modi's government does neither itself, nor its lions any good.

Saving the lion might be a fillip to Gujarati pride but as Neha Sinha of the Bombay Natural History Society points out in an op-ed, ""(The court) is, in effect, reinforcing the wildness of animals by stressing that wild animals belong to natural and wide-ranging habitats and not States and their units of governance."

Ramachandra Guha writes that long before Narendra Modi took up the mantle for the Asiatic lion, it was protected in Gujarat "thanks largely to a Muslim prince and a British imperialist." Lord Curzon who understood the importance of conservation would turn down an invitation for a lion shoot. The Nawab of Junagadh would use that "as a precedent to keep out other trophy hunters."

The Asiatic lion once roamed across India. Modi should take it as a good portent that he can be the man who can put it back on the path to its old glory days, today Gujarat, tomorrow India, instead of sulking that Supreme Court views the Gir lion as Indian animal instead of just a Gujarati one.

India acts to save Asiatic lion by moving it – but hard work has only just begun

07-05-2013
India acts to save Asiatic lion by moving it – but hard work has only just begun
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/terra-india/2013/may/07/india-acts-asiatic-lion-moving

India acts to save Asiatic lion by moving it – but hard work has only just begun

Wildlife is under threat in most of India, but there's one state that's clinging to its fauna, if rather too tightly. The state of Gujarat – whose Gir forest shelters the world's only Asiatic lion population – has lost a bitter battle over an ambitious translocation project.

For over 18 years, conservationists have been attempting to move a pride of Gir lions to the Kuno sanctuary in the state of Madhya Pradesh. But the Gujarat government stubbornly refused to let the lions go. Meanwhile, an impatient Madhya Pradesh government bizarrely suggested introducing African cheetahs, whose Asiatic cousin once roamed the area.

Finally, on 15 April, after eight years of litigation, the Supreme Court of India cleared the translocation of the lions, though it said an emphatic no to the cheetahs. Now the reluctant Gujarat government is considering filing a review petition, even as angry locals protest the translocation, some even threatening to kill themselves.

The Gujarat government, and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, have been arguing for years that the Gir lions are the "pride of the state". In court, the lions were described as "family members who could not be parted with." The native Maldhari tribals have lived alongside the lions for years, on the whole peacefully. Even the Supreme Court acknowledged the state's role in saving the lion from an extinction that seemed almost certain only a few decades ago. The latest census put the lion population at 411, up from 359 in 2005.

But most wildlife experts agree that while the state has done well, the lions have outgrown the Gir forest, and a single epidemic or calamity could wipe out the entire population. In 1994, an epidemic of canine distemper killed an estimated 1000 lions in the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

"The Gir conservation project has staved off extinction and helped increase population. The translocation is about strengthening conservation prospects and managing success. At the moment, all our eggs are in one basket and that is a huge risk," says Dr Ravi Chellam, well known conservationist and former director of the Wildlife Conservation Society of India. Chellam was one of the experts who recommended the translocation, which he likens to buying life insurance.

In its judgement, not surprisingly, the Supreme Court rejected the Gujarat government's emotional appeal. "The cardinal issue is not whether the Asian lion is a family member, but the preservation of an endangered species," ruled the court, while directing that the lions be moved within six months.

Sign at Sasan Gir Train Station inviting passengers to visit the Gir National Park and Sanctuary in Western Gujarat, India. Photograph: Alamy
Meanwhile, now that the cheetahs have been nixed, the Gujarat government reportedly plans to argue that Kuno is already home to stray tigers from the nearby tiger sanctuary of Ranthambhore. Will two big cats in the same area cause trouble? Most experts say the tiger population in Kuno is too small to make a difference. "Tigers and lions have had overlapping distribution historically. It's still not a good enough reason to deny translocation," says Chellam.

An earlier translocation of lions to the state of Uttar Pradesh in the fifties failed. With insufficient prey and only a small area to roam, the lions hunted nearby village cattle, and were hunted in their turn by angry villagers. This time around, conservationists say things will be different. "Kuno was chosen because of its size-3000 sq km-and diverse prey base. Lions need lots of space, plenty of prey, and protection from people," says Chellam. Wildlife studies have shown that the prey count in Kuno is actually higher than that of Gir. 24 villages were relocated in Kuno, at considerable expense, to make way for the lions, though many villagers complain that they have still not received compensation.

Despite the years of preparation, the hard work has only just begun. Indeed, Kuno is a test case for conservation through translocation. Kuno has a strong gun culture, and the Supreme Court has agreed that forest staff will need to be trained and deployed to prevent poaching. Locals will need to be educated, involved and given a stake in conservation, just as the Maldharis had. The project will need male lions to be moved from Gir to Kuno every three to five years for the next 30 years.

All this means that Gujarat will very soon have to stop sulking and start cooperating. After nearly 20 years of bickering and debate, it's time to put everything else aside and act to save the Asiatic lion.

The lion is an Indian, not a Gujarati

07-05-2013
The lion is an Indian, not a Gujarati
The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-lion-is-an-indian-not-a-gujarati/article4689839.ece

By stressing 'intrinsic value' and 'best interest' of species, the Supreme Court wants conservation to be pan-nation rather than State-bound

In response to calls to shift some of India's last Asiatic lions to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, the Gujarat State Wildlife Board went to the extent of calling lions [exclusively] Gujarati 'family members'. But, in a historic judgment lauded by the world conservation community, (Centre for Environmental Law WWF-1 v. Union of India and others, Supreme Court, 2013) the Supreme Court has ruled that Gujarat has to part with some lions, to be shifted to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary, upholding the nation's right to have a second habitat for lions.

Predictably, this long legal battle has been understood as a battle between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Also, responses to the Supreme Court order have been all about lion conservation vis-à-vis Gujarat, testing the notions of how much ownership a State can have over a wild animal — even if in recent times saving the lion has been about Gujarati 'pride', management and effort.

However, this judgment is about much more than Gujarat, or even lions. The judgment calls for something that policymakers have neglected — what it calls the 'species best interest standard'. Placing the persistence of species at its heart, the judgment calls for directives based on an 'eco-centric approach' and not a human or anthropocentric approach. Combined with the idea of doing what is best for the species, rather than the whims of policies, planning and politics, the judgment makes a powerful call for a new conservation paradigm, based on both science and ethics, for our most threatened species. It has recognised the lack of governance and planning response to endangered species, and has called for the "necessity for an exclusive parliamentary legislation for the preservation and protection of our endangered species".

Finally, the judgment brings down the barriers of protected area conservation — protection girded by State boundaries and State pride — and calls for this to be done with the species in mind and not profit. Notions that may be unfashionable but are certainly needed at a time when many of our critically endangered species have rescue plans but no action, and at a time when India is the President of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Intrinsic worth of species

In TN Godavarman Thirumulpad versus Union of India, Supreme Court, (2012) the Supreme Court ruled in favour of wild buffalo conservation. It also called for the 'eco-centric approach', one that would go beyond what is profitable for people. Conservation in India is not withoutits well-loved pin-up stars: The lazy stretch of a tiger, the dance of a peacock, the strut of a lion, and the eyes of the four-horned antelope chousingha, are well-documented and have large, enthusiastic fan clubs. Conservation of these species depend quite often on the idea that these animals are beautiful, charismatic, and worth saving.

The difficult question though, is what of animals that are not considered beautiful? Or what of animals which do not seem to be of direct benefit to people and tourism? To these questions, science and our wildlife protection Act has the answer — we are duty bound to protect our species, whether we deem them worthy or not. In the wild buffalo judgment (2012), the Supreme Court called for saving species on the basis of their 'intrinsic worth'. Ecologically, this is an idea very relevant to our times, and takes us back to our earliest lessons in understanding nature — that each species is important for resilient ecosystems.

In its judgment on lions (2013), the Supreme Court reasserted the intrinsic worth of species — particularly important to heed when planners disagree. Despite how worthy we rate our species, this intrinsic worth approach underlines the inherent right of all species to exist. This approach becomes even more important in the case of an endangered species, or species which are as isolated, threatened and hemmed in as the Asiatic lion. By asking for lions to be 're-introduced' to Kuno-Palpur, the Supreme Court has gone beyond State boundaries. It is invoking the historic range of the lion, once so common it was called the national animal of India — a mantle now worn by the tiger.

Significantly, the court is aiming both for a landscape approach — upheld by population biologists as the long-term key to saving several species — and also this entirely new standard for endangered species conservation: the "best interest" standard. It is, in effect, reinforcing the wildness of animals by stressing that wild animals belong to natural and wide-ranging habitats and not States and their units of governance.

Of dugongs and bustards

In keeping with the ideas of 'intrinsic worth' and 'species best interest standard', the judgment has directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests to "take urgent steps for the preservation of Great Indian Bustards, Bengal Floricans, dugongs and Manipur-brow antlered deer". This is significant as policies on paper to save these species exist but have not been implemented across different States or landscapes. Project Bustards, meant to save our three bustards — the Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Lesser Florican — has received in-principle approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests but that is as far as the project has gone. There are perhaps 200 Great Indian Bustards and less than 300 Bengal Floricans left in India. There is thus a compelling need for the nation — and not just States — to to save these critically endangered birds.

Non-human citizens

In a sense, this is about the future but the future of citizens who are distinctly non-human. "The cardinal issue is not whether the Asiatic lion is a 'family member' or is part of the 'Indian culture and civilization', or the pride of a State but the preservation of an endangered species for which we have to apply the 'species best interest standard'. Our approach should not be human-centric or family-centric but eco-centric," the judgment on lions says.

In reminding us that lions are not about Gujarat, and saving bustards and dugongs is the nation's and Parliament's prerogative, the court has moved the spotlight from humans toward non-human citizens. As the humans in the story, it is now contingent upon us to use our imagination and faculty to save these citizens, with passion and commitment.

A new address for Gir lions in Amreli this year-end

07-05-2013
A new address for Gir lions in Amreli this year-end
The India Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/a-new-address-for-gir-lions-in-amreli-this-yearend/1112473/0

Tourists visiting Gujarat to get a glimpse of the Asiatic Lions might get to see them at a new address at Ambardi in Amreli district, the eastern end of Gir Sanctuary, by this year-end.

In view of burgeoning tourist rush during peak seasons at Sasan Gir, the state government is developing Gir Interpretation Zone Ambardi in Amreli on the lines of Devaliya park in Junagadh district.

"A replica of Devaliya park is being developed at Ambardi near Dhaari in Amreli district, which would be housing six to eight zoo-bred lions. The sanctuary is contiguous internally," Gujarat Chief Wildlife Warden C N Pandey said.

Gir National Park (Sasan Gir) is the last abode of Asiatic Lions, a protected area from south-east of Junagadh to south-west of Amreli. Devaliya park is situated near Sasan Gir. It is around 75-100 kilometres away from the proposed new zone in Amreli.

"It is a beautiful picturesque place near a river. The fencing work has been completed...animal houses have been constructed...just the infrastructure required for tourist handling is to be developed there," Pandey said.

The zone is being developed on an area of around 400 hectares with financial assistance from Centre as well as the state.

State forest department officials estimate that the new zone, which would have lions in a closed but natural environment along with host of other animals, could be opened for tourists by this year-end.

Guided bus tours would be made available to tourists, they said.

"The idea is to attract tourists arriving directly in Bhavnagar and Amreli...otherwise they have to travel all the way to south-western end of Sasan Gir in Junagadh," a forest department official said.

Sasan Gir has a defined tourism zone where tourists are usually allowed to go on eight routes. To handle rush during the peak season, officials open four new routes, but at times it is not sufficient to meet the demand.

Nearly 150 vehicles go inside the sanctuary on peak days during the season. Otherwise, 90 vehicles meet the tourist requirement on daily basis, a forest official said.

According to forest officials, after the launch of Khusboo Gujarat Ki, an ad campaign on tourism promotion featuring megastar Amitabh Bachchan, the tourist inflow at Sasan Gir has doubled in just the last two years, from around 1.29 lakh visitors in FY 2009-10 to 4.83 lakh in 2012-13. The ad campaign on state tourism promotion was launched in 2010.

Herbivores Census begins in Gir Forest

07-05-2013
Herbivores Census begins in Gir Forest
Divya Bhaskar
http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/article/SAU-JUN-animal-counting-stat-form-today-in-geer-4256767-NOR.html

આજથી ગીર અભયારણ્યમાં તૃણભક્ષી પ્રાણીઓની કરાશે ગણતરી

- કિંગ્સ મેથડ અને રોડ સાઇડ કાઉન્ટ મેથડ દ્વારા અંદાજ કઢાશે
- ગણતરી માટે સ્ટાફને વિશેષ તાલીમ: ચિત્તલ, સાંબર, નીલગાય સહિતનાં પ્રાણીઓ સિંહોનાં ખોરાક  સમાન છે
 
ગીર અભયારણ્ય અને રાષ્ટ્રીય ઉધ્યોનનાં આરક્ષિત જંગલમાં વસવાટ કરતા તૃણભક્ષી વન્યપ્રાણીઓની વસ્તી ગણતરીનું કાર્ય આવતીકાલથી બે દિવસ માટે હાથ ધરાશે. આ પ્રાણીઓની વસ્તીનો અંદાજ મેળવવા ૧૯ રૂટો બનાવાયા છે. આ રૂટો ઉપર ૧૯ ટીમો દ્વારા કિંગ્સમેથડ અને રોડ સાઇડ કાઉન્ટ મેથડ દ્વારા વસ્તીનો અંદાજ મેળવાશે.
 
ગીર મેનેજમેન્ટ પ્લાન મુજબ તા.૭મે અને ૮ મે એમ બે દિવસ ગીર અભયારણ્ય અને રાષ્ટ્રીય ઉદ્યાનમાં દર વર્ષની જેમ તૃણભક્ષી વન્યપ્રાણીઓની વસ્તીનો અંદાજ મેળવવાની કામગીરી કરાશે. આ કામગીરીમાં નાયબ વનસંરક્ષક કેડરનાં ઉચ્ચ અધિકારીઓથી લઇ વનરક્ષક સુધીનાં કર્મચારીઓ ઉપરાંત ગીરનાં ગાઇડસ અને ટ્રેકર્સનો સમાવેશ કરવામાં આવ્યો છે.
 
આ કામગીરી ચોકસાઇ પૂર્વક થાય તે અંગે આજે સાસણ ખાતે તાલીમનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું હતું. જેમાં ડૉ. સંદીપ કુમાર (ડી.એફ.ઓ.-વન્યપ્રાણી વિભાગ-સાસણ) દ્વારા કામગીરીમાં જોડાયેલા બધા જ અધિકારીઓને તેઓનાં રૂટની ફાળવણી કરી અને માહિતી સંકલન દરમ્યાન શું તકેદારીઓ રાખવી તે વિશે સમજુતી આપી હતી. તૃણભક્ષી પ્રાણીઓની ગણતરીને લઇ વનવિભાગ દ્વારા આગવુ આયોજન ગોઠવાયુ છે.
 
- અગાઉની ગણતરીમાં ચિત્તલની સંખ્યા ૫૨ હજારથી વધુ નોંધાયેલ
 
છેલ્લી વસ્તી ગણતરી મુજબ સમગ્ર ગીર વિસ્તારમાં અંદાજે પ૨ હજારથી પણ વધુ ચિત્તલની સંખ્યા નોંધવામાં આવી હતી. જ્યારે ૨૦૧૦ની વસ્તી ગણતરી મુજબ સિંહોની સંખ્યા ૪૧૧ હતી. તૃણભક્ષી પ્રાણીઓમાં ચિત્તલ, સાંબર, નીલગાય, વાંદરા સહિતની પ્રજાતીની ગણતરી થશે.

Gir prey base undervalued in apex court

04-05-2013
Gir prey base undervalued in apex court
DNA
http://www.dnaindia.com/ahmedabad/1830582/report-gir-prey-base-undervalued-in-apex-court

Forest officials believe certain species of prey were shown as non-existent, despite being commonly found in Gir.

Was MP Government's argument that Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary has a higher prey base than Gir based on sound facts?

Officials in Gujarat's forest department, who are studying Supreme Court's order for translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh, claim that MP overstated its prey-base population while Gir's population was undervalued.

They believe that the statistics for prey base in Gir, which was prepared by Wildlife Institute of India, were incorrect. "A chart comparing the prey base of Gir and Kuno presented by MP in SC shows that the density per sq km for wild pig and common langur is zero in Gir. This is not correct," said HS Singh, additional principal chief conservator of forest. "The 2010 census statistics of Gujarat's forest department clearly shows that Gir had 4,400 wild boars and 17,310 langurs," he added.

Singh further claimed that MP in 2005 showed the prey-base density in Kuno as 13 animals per sq km. "In 2011, it (pre-base density) miraculously increased to 63 animals per sq km," said Singh. "It is impossible that it could be five times of what was in 2005."

It should be noted that after Madhya Pradesh presented its prey-base comparison of Kuno and Gir, Gujarat Government had filed an application on July 2, 2012 seeking a direction to the parties that a fresh survey on prey-base be done.

The SC judgment also makes a mention of a note by Ravi Chellam, a biologist who has studied the asiatic lion closely, written on July 8 on the same prey-base. "Mr Chellam in his note made some remarks on prey-base stating that prey density estimation seems to be inadequate in terms of design, data-collection, protocols and analytical methods when compared to international standards," states the judgment. It further makes a mention of the biologist suggesting that prey studies had to be conducted at least 12 months covering all seasons and habitat.

Another senior forest official, who did not wish to be identified, stated that despite Gujarat's doubts about the prey-base estimate presented by MP and even contentions raised by experts, it was not considered. "Moreover, the prey-base given by MP was just for the protected area and not the entire sanctuary," said the official.

Gujarat tourists may get to see Asiatic Lions in Amreli too

06-05-2013
Gujarat tourists may get to see Asiatic Lions in Amreli too
Times of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Gujarat-tourists-may-get-to-see-Asiatic-Lions-in-Amreli-too/articleshow/19908225.cms

Tourists visiting Gujarat to get a glimpse of the Asiatic Lions might get to see them at a new address at Ambardi in Amreli district, the eastern end of Gir Sanctuary, by this year-end.

With a view to ease burgeoning tourist rush during the peak seasons at Sasan Gir, the state government is developing Gir Interpretation Zone Ambardi in Amreli, on the lines of Devaliya park, in Junagadh district.

"A replicate of Devaliya park is being developed at Ambardi near Dhaari in Amreli district, which would be housing 6-8 zoo-bred lions. The sanctuary is contiguous internally," Gujarat chief Wildlife Warden C N Pandey told PTI.

Gir National Park (Sasan Gir), is the last abode of Asiatic Lions, a protected area from south east of Junagadh to south west of Amreli. Devaliya park, is situated near Sasan Gir. It is around 75-100 kilometres away from the proposed new zone in Amreli.

"Its a beautiful picturesque place near a river. The fencing work has been completed...animal houses have been constructed...just the infrastructure required for tourist handling is to be developed there," Pandey said.

The zone is being developed on an area of around 400 hectares with fund assistance from Centre as well as the state. State forest department officials estimate that the new zone, which would have lions in a closed but natural environment along with host of other animals, could be opened for tourists by this year end.

Guided bus tours would be made available to tourists, they said.

"The idea is to attract tourists arriving directly in Bhavnagar and Amreli...otherwise they have to travel all the way to south western end of Sasan Gir in Junagadh," a forest department official said.

Sasan Gir has a defined tourism zone where tourists are usually allowed to go on eight routes. To handle rush during the peak season officials open four new routes, but at times its not sufficient to meet demand.

Nearly 150 vehicles go inside the sanctuary on peak days during the season, otherwise usually 90 vehicles meets the tourist requirement on daily basis, a forest department official said.

As per the state forest department officials, after the launch of Khusboo Gujarat Ki, an ad-campaign on tourism promotion featuring Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, the tourist inflow at Sasan Gir has just doubled in last two years.

According to forest department official at Sasan Gir, the tourist inflows shot to a high of 4.83 lakh visitors in FY 2012-13.

"There has been a steep rise in tourist inflows at Gir over the last four years. It has sharply risen from 1.29 lakh visitor levels in 2009-10, after the ad-campaign on state tourism promotion was launched in 2010," a forest department official said.

As per officials, tourist inflow at Gir stood at 2.69 lakh visitors in 2010-11 and 4.15 lakh in 2011-12.

Fee of Rs.300 only for Lion hunting

05-05-2013
Fee of Rs.300 only for Lion hunting
Divya Bhaskar
http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/article/MGUJ-GAN-the-hunting-fee-of-lion-was-just-300-in-gujarat-4254764-PHO.html?seq=1&SBD=

Exculsive: 300 રૂ.માં થતો સિંહનો શિકાર: આ છે ગુજરાતની હકીકત

૩૦૦ ફી લઈ સિંહનો શિકાર કરવા દેવાતો
રસપ્રદ ઇતિહાસ; રાજ્યની સ્થાપના વખતે સિંહ હતા, તેનાથી અત્યારે બમણાં
જૂન-૧૯૬૦માં ધારાસભામાં પ્રશ્નોત્તરી દરમિયાન બહાર સરકારે કબૂલાત કરી હતી

ગુજરાતની અસ્મિતા સમાન ૪૧૧ જેટલા સિંહ,અત્યારે રાજ્યના જંગલોમાં વસન કરી રહ્યાં છે.જેની સાથે ગુજરાતીઓનો એવો ઘરોબો કેળવાયો છે કે,તેમના પરિવારજન ઉપર સિંહનો હુમલો થાય તોપણ તેઓ તેને ગોળીએ દેતા નથી.ગુજરાતના સિંહોને મધ્યપ્રદેશના જંગલોમાં મોકલવા અંગેના કાનૂની હુકમ સામે પણ રાજ્ય સરકાર અને સ્થાનિકજનો સુપ્રિમમાં વધુ કાનૂની જંગ માટે તૈયાર થયાં છે.

જ્યારે બીજીબાજુ એક એવી સત્તાવાર કથની સામે આવી છે કે,૧લી,મે-૧૯૬૦માં ગુજરાત,મહારાષ્ટ્રથી અલગ રાજ્ય તરીકે અસ્તિત્વમાં આવ્યું તે પહેલાં ગુજરાતના ગીરના જંગલોમાં સિંહના શિકાર માટે મનાઈ હોવાછતાં ખાસ પરવાનગીથી રુપિયા ૩૦૦ ફી લઈને સિંહનો શિકાર કરવાની પરવાનગી અપાતી હતી.

આવું ચોંકાવનારું નિવેદન, કોઈ જાહેરસભામાં કરાયેલું નથી પરંતુ ગુજરાત વિધાનસભા ગૃહમાં જૂન-૧૯૬૦માં પૂર્વ મુખ્યમંત્રી માધવસિંહ સોલંકી દ્વારા પૂછાયેલા પ્રશ્નના જવાબમાં તે વખતના મંત્રી બહાદુરભાઈ પટેલે કર્યુ હતું. રાજ્યમાં ૧૯૩૬માં ૨૩૪ જેટલા સિંહ હતા પરંતુ ૧લી,મે-૧૯૬૦માં ગુજરાત અલગ રાજ્ય તરીકે અસ્તિત્વમાં આવ્યું ત્યારબાદ ૧૯૬૮માં ગુજરાતના જંગલોમાં માત્ર ૧૭૭ સિંહ જ બાકી રહ્યાં હતા પરંતુ તે પછી સિંહોની વસતી સતત વધતી ગઈ હતી.જે અત્યારે ૪૧૧ સુધી પહોંચી ગઈ છે.

૩ વર્ષમાં શિકારના ૨૯૨ પરવાના અપાયા 'તા
પાલનપુરના તે વખતના ધારાસભ્ય ડુંગરભાઈ પરમારે હિંસક પશુઓનો શિકાર કરવા અપાતા પરવાના અંગે સવાલ કર્યો હતો. હિ‌તેન્દ્રભાઈ દેસાઈએ જવાબ આપ્યો હતો કે, ૧૯પ૭-પ૮થી ૧૯પ૯-૬૦ સુધીના ૩ વર્ષમાં આવા ૨૯૨ પરવાના અપાયા હતા.આ ૩ વર્ષ દરમ્યાન ૮૯ હિંસક પશુઓનો શિકાર કરાયો હતો.

કોના શિકારની મંજૂરી મળતી
તે વખતે વિધાનસભા ગૃહમાં જ મુખ્યત્વે ક્યા હિંસક નવપશુઓનો શિકાર કરાય છે એમ પૂછાતા મંત્રીએ એવો જવાબ આપ્યો હતો કે,વાઘ,ચિત્તા અને રીંછ વગેરે .

પ્રશ્નોત્તરી કેવી હતી ?

માધવસિંહ સોલંકી : આ પરવાનગી કોણ આપે છે ?
બહાદુર પટેલ : જિલ્લા મેજિસ્ટ્રેટ

માધવસિંહ સોલંકી : મુખ્યત્વે ક્યા વનપશુઓનો શિકાર કરાયો છે ?
બહાદુરભાઈ પટેલ : મોટા પ્રાણીઓમાં વાઘ,ચિત્તા,રીંછ વગેરે

માધવસિંહ સોલંકી : કોઈ સિંહનો શિકાર કરવામાં આવ્યો છે ?
બહાદુરભાઈ પટેલ : સિંહના શિકારની સામાન્ય રીતે મનાઈ છે પણ ખાસ મંજૂરીથી રૂ. ૩૦૦ ફી લઈને હાથી અને સિંહનો શિકાર કરવાની પરવાનગી અપાય છે.

ઉદેસિંહ વી.વડોદિયા : ગીરના જંગલામાં શિકારની પરવાનગી અપાય છે ?
બહાદુરભાઈ પટેલ : ગીરના જંગલમાં ભાગ્યે જ અપાય છે. સૌરાષ્ટ્રની અંદર માત્ર દીપડાનો શિકાર કરવાની છૂટ છે.

ગુજરાતમાં ક્યારે,કેટલાં સિંહ હતા ?

૧૯૭૪
૧૮૦

૧૯૭૯
૨૦પ

૧૯૮૪
૨૩૯

૧૯૯૦
૨૮૪

૧૯૯પ
૩૦૪

૨૦૦૦
૩૨૭

૨૦૦પ
૩પ૯

‘Gir prey base undervalued in apex court’

04-05-2013
'Gir prey base undervalued in apex court'
Daily Bhaskar
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD----gir-prey-base-undervalued-in-apex-court----4254162-NOR.html

Was MP Government's argument that Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary has a higher prey base than Gir based on sound facts?
 
Officials in Gujarat's forest department, who are studying Supreme Court's order for translocation of lions to Madhya Pradesh, claim that MP overstated its prey-base population while Gir's population was undervalued.
 
They believe that the statistics for prey base in Gir, which was prepared by Wildlife Institute of India, were incorrect. "A chart comparing the prey base of Gir and Kuno presented by MP in SC shows that the density per sq km for wild pig and common langur is zero in Gir. This is not correct," said HS Singh, additional principal chief conservator of forest. "The 2010 census statistics of Gujarat's forest department clearly shows that Gir had 4,400 wild boars and 17,310 langurs," he added.
 
Singh further claimed that MP in 2005 showed the prey-base density in Kuno as 13 animals per sq km. "In 2011, it (pre-base density) miraculously increased to 63 animals per sq km," said Singh. "It is impossible that it could be five times of what was in 2005."
 
It should be noted that after Madhya Pradesh presented its prey-base comparison of Kuno and Gir, Gujarat Government had filed an application on July 2, 2012 seeking a direction to the parties that a fresh survey on prey-base be done.
 
The SC judgment also makes a mention of a note by Ravi Chellam, a biologist who has studied the asiatic lion closely, written on July 8 on the same prey-base. "Mr Chellam in his note made some remarks on prey-base stating that prey density estimation seems to be inadequate in terms of design, data-collection, protocols and analytical methods when compared to international standards," states the judgment. It further makes a mention of the biologist suggesting that prey studies had to be conducted at least 12 months covering all seasons and habitat.
 
Another senior forest official, who did not wish to be identified, stated that despite Gujarat's doubts about the prey-base estimate presented by MP and even contentions raised by experts, it was not considered. "Moreover, the prey-base given by MP was just for the protected area and not the entire sanctuary," said the official.

People's movement against shifting of lions gathers steam

01-05-2013
People's movement against shifting of lions gathers steam
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-01/rajkot/38956691_1_postcard-campaign-signature-campaign-lions

Two families from Popatpara locality of Rajkot are camping at the district collectorate office for the last two days after some of their members were allegedly beaten up by people out to grab a piece of agricultural land.

A postcard campaign against the move has been launched in Amreli by members of Gir Nature Youth Club that was founded by slain RTI activist Amit Jethva.

"We have launched the campaign to voice our anger against the court's decision. We are receiving a good response from the people who are joining the campaign in large numbers. We are urging the people to write postcards addressed to the chief minister conveying that their sentiments are hurt and the state government should do its best to prevent the translocation of lions," Amit's father Bhikhabhai Jethva from Khambha village of the district said.

"While people are expressing their feelings in different words, the common message that is being sent is 'No lions for MP','' he added.

He disclosed that an angry person wrote a card saying that instead of sending lions to MP, those inefficient persons should be sent there who have failed to protect the interest of the state.

Supplementing the postcard campaign, Bhavnagar-based Rajhans Nature Club has launched a signature campaign in the city seeking that every possible step be taken to prevent the translocation of lions.

"More than 1,500 people have joined the campaign since we started it two days back,'' club's director Jalpesh Chauhan said.

He added that a memorandum with all the signatures collected during the campaign will be handed over to district collector Pravin Solanki on Thursday asking him to forward it to the chief minister Narendra Modi.

"We have given our arguments on why the lions should not be shifted to MP. The lions that were earlier confined to Gir have now settled in Mahuva, Palitana and other parts of Bhavnagar district and they are very well protected,'' Chauhan added.

​Can’t send lions to gun country: International Union for Conservation of Nature norms

29-04-2013
​Can’t send lions to gun country: International Union for Conservation of Nature norms
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-29/flora-fauna/38903035_1_asiatic-lion-gir-kuno-palpur

(Even the Union ministry of forests and environment had taken note of the gun cult in Sheopur when it was considering reintroducing cheetahs from Africa here.)

If guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are anything to go by, Gir's lions can't be translocated to the Kuno-Palpur forest in Madhya Pradesh. One of the world's oldest, largest and respected global environmental networks says before translocation of any wildlife species, the natural habitat and range has to be considered. The guidelines also state the site should have a natural corridor between the original site and the new site.

Most importantly, however, the guidelines say that a thorough assessment of attitudes of local people to the proposed project is necessary to ensure long-term protection of the re-introduced population. This is especially true if the cause of the species' decline was due to human factors, include over-hunting or loss or alteration of habitat.

TOI had in its news report 'Life for Cheetah, death for lion', published on April 20 highlighted that Kuno-Palpur sanctuary is in Sheopur district, a region infamous for the gun cult. Licensed firearms alone are estimated to be 4,800 in a population of six lakh. There was no way of counting the number of illegal firearms, which could well be even higher given that this is the tip of Chambal valley, a favourite hideout of dacoits even today.

In stark contrast, Junagadh district which is home to Gir sanctuary has a population of 27 lakh with just 2,600 licensed firearms. Even the Union ministry of forests and environment had taken note of the gun cult in Sheopur when it was considering reintroducing cheetahs from Africa here.

"The state government should submit the IUCN guidelines in court along with the review petition against the translocation oder," says environmentalist Bharat Jethwa. "You can raise a number of issues against translocation with the help of these guidelines." Forest officials in Gujarat also say that Kuno-Palpur can't be considered a natural habit for the lions as there has been no sighting of lions outside Gir since the late 1880s.

The guidelines further state, "The site should be within the historic range of the species." Officials said that IUCN also states that reintroduction should be undertaken only as a last resort when no opportunities for re-introduction into the original site or range.

Besides, the Supreme Court verdict on translocation states, "Re-introduction of Asiatic lion, needless to say, should be in accordance with the guidelines issued by IUCN and with the active participation of experts in the field of re-introduction of endangered species."

Pride of Gujarat gets a new home in Madhya Pradesh as Gir lions move to Kuno sanctuary

29-04-2013
Pride of Gujarat gets a new home in Madhya Pradesh as Gir lions move to Kuno sanctuary
Daily mail
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2316249/Pride-Gujarat-gets-new-home-Madhya-Pradesh-Gir-lions-Kuno-sanctuary.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

The Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh is all set to become the second home of Asiatic lions, which are currently only found in Gujarat's Gir National Park.

The proposal to relocate a few Asiatic lions from Gir to Kuno sanctuary had been paused for years due to certain objections by the Gujarat government, but a recent Supreme Court order cleared the hurdle.

The Gujarat government had refused to give lions to Madhya Pradesh, saying it would not be safe to shift the mighty beast to a state that failed to preserve its own tiger population.

However, the apex court's forest bench of justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and C.K. Prasad ruled: "No state can claim the right over an animal merely because the animal is housed in a particular state. It does not become the property of that state, it belongs to the country."

A mother's love: A lioness licks her cub at the Gir Sanctuary in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The Kuno Paipur Wuildlife Sanctuary in Madhya is set to become the second home of Asiatic lions

Tourist attraction
The Kuno sanctuary in MP's Sheopur district, about 400km from the state capital, is fast becoming one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country as it gets ready to witness roaring, growling and ferociousness of lions.

Wild species in the sanctuary, located in the Vindhyan hills adjoining Rajasthan, are seen in all their majesty as they playfully frolic in a water pool or hide behind the bushes and trees.

The population of Asiatic lions is about 400, and this species is confined to the wilderness of the Gir National Park and its adjoining Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.
Realising the necessity and urgency to provide this population an alternate home, the Central government started exploring the various protected areas to find out a probable site for their second home.

Big cat shift

ABOUT ASIATIC LIONS
The Asiatic lions typically prefer mature woodlands composed of a mix of tree species for hunting success
For resting and group hunting, lions usually select areas with dense brush, tall grass and fallen tree tops to take prey for the family
 In India, the Asiatic lion is found in only one pocket located in the Gir National Park with its annual diet preferring large prey species - nilgai, cheetal, sambar, chinkara and four-horned antelope

The Asiatic Lion is considered to be one of the most endangered carnivores in the world

Survey The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, carried out a systematic survey of potential sites for re-introduction of Asiatic lions, and then recommended development of the Kuno Palpur sanctuary as best site for establishment of an alternate home for the lion.

The institute suggested for complete acceptance of the project by the Central and the concerned state government of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
The proposed project was of 20 years (1995-2015) with three phases: pre-translocation phase (1995-2000 ), translocation and population build up phase (2000- 2005), follow up and consolidation phase (2006- 2015).

Since then, the sanctuary has evolved into a much larger wildlife haven with the density of wild animals rising up to many folds as compared to Gujarat's Gir.
"The density of cheetal (Axis axis), sambar (Cervus unicolor), nilgai (blue-bull), Chinkara chow singha (four-horned antelope) and wild boar per square km is much higher as compared to Gir. Kuno's density of wild animals stands at 80.37 per cent per square km as compared to Gir National Park's 56.2," said R.K. Mishra, DFO, Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to the 2011 census, Gir has about 410 lions -- 97 males, 162 females and 152 cubs.

However, wildlife experts feel the need for a second home for the lions outside Gujarat.

Having the entire population restricted to Gir and Girnar is risky. What if there was an epidemic or contagion; it could wipe out the entire number, experts say.
Moreover, nearly 125 years ago, lions were found in Madhya Pradesh and before that in Rajasthan, but gradually they got restricted to Gir due to wanton destruction of forest wealth.

And now, Gir is getting crowded and making the animals more vulnerable to disease, they feel.

What a view: The Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is fast becoming one of the country's most popular tourist attractions

The sanctuary has evolved into a much larger wildlife haven with more and more animals such as the cheetal (pictured)
Villages shifted from Kuno sanctuary area

In several parts of the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, Maldharis - a term used for the many Hindu and Muslim pastoral groups - are living in the traditional settlements called nesses.

However, in Kuno Palpur, the administration has successfully shifted 24 Maldharis and Saharaia village settlements from the sanctuary area, reducing the biotic pressures drastically.

"The plan to shift 24 villages, comprising 1,545 families, from the sanctuary area began in 1997. By 2003, we managed to shift all the villages," K.K. Khare, sub-divisional officer, Kuno Palpur (West) said.

The administration has successfully shifted 24 Maldharis and Saharaia village settlements from the sanctuary area
Under the ambitious plan, a sum of RS15.43 crore was utilised by the park officials to initiate measures to prevent human-animal conflict. Under the rehabilitation package, each family was awarded RS1 lakh, 2 hectare agricultural land, 500 metre residential area and a sum of RS38,000.

Till now, the government had deposited nearly `5,85,98,198 in the bank accounts of villagers. Besides, in the area where the villagers were shifted, 62 hand pumps, 18 water wells, 341 irrigation pumps, stop dams and several other facilities were offered, claimed the administration of Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary.
Now, the park officials are constructing a seven-foot-high wall across the sanctuary border to prevent the animals from entering human habitation.

GUJARAT TO FILE PLEA ON SHIFTING ORDER
The directive of the Supreme Court regarding the translocation of some of the Asiatic lions to Kuno Palpur Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh from Gir National Park has stirred up a hornet's nest in Gujarat.
Gujarat State Board for Wildlife (GSBWL) at an emergency meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, decided to file a review petition requesting the apex court to reconsider the directive on translocation of lions.
While the Gujarat chief minister does not want the issue to escalate into a battle between the two states, the sentiments in the state against the move is gaining momentum. The members of the GSBWL have been vociferous in their opposition to the move, and discussed probable environmental fallouts in case the lions were shifted to unfamiliar and unfavourable terrain.
The government it is now learnt to hire the best possible legal assistance to present its case to the Supreme Court. A source in the state government maintained that "prima facie it appears that Supreme Court has gone by the arguments of National Wildlife Board and not what Gujarat Wildlife Board and Gujarat Government have to say".
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Parimal Nathwani too has come out with a statement saying the decision "came as a shockwave for the wildlife lovers of Gujarat".
"Gir lions are the pride of Gujarat. The several centuries old habitat of this rare species in Gir has been the most appropriate location because of its geographical, environmental and bio-diverse peculiarities," Nathwani added.
Meanwhile, in protest against the decision, some towns along Gir sanctuary have already registered their resentment by observing bandhs. A programme was organised at Ankolavadi village in Talala Taluka in Gir where thousands took pledge to resist the move till the end.
Many, including environmentalists, are also voicing their concern over the prevalent gun culture and poaching antecedents of Madhya Pradesh, questioning the safety of lions in the state.

For its pride, state firms up SC review plea

26-04-2013
For its pride, state firms up SC review plea
The Indian Express
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/for-its-pride-state-firms-up-sc-review-plea/1107904/

Modi himself chaired a meeting of State Board for Wildlife on Thursday.

Gujarat's State Board for Wildlife (SBWL) on Thursday "unanimously" decided to file a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment on translocation of Asiatic lions to Madhya Pradesh and provide fresh arguments against fears of a large fire or epidemic killing off the last wild population of the endangered sub-species by saying several rivers in the Gir forest separate the prides there and total annihilation "will not happen". The Gir Protected Area is a catchment area for a total of seven rivers.
"The judgment has expressed fears that a large forest fire or epidemic may wipe off the population of Asiatic Lions in Gir forest, but that will not happen because we have several rivers flowing through the forest that divides the population. So a forest fire will not touch all the populations, and the same goes in case of an epidemic too," Lavkumar Khachar, the SBWL's senior-most member, told The Indian Express when asked what fresh arguments will be made when the review petition is filed.

Khachar and Forest Minister Ganpat Vasava addressed journalists immediately after the board meeting chaired by Chief Minister Narendra Modi finished and said the review petition would likely be filed together by the government and conservation organisations active in the Gir region. State Wildlife Warden C N Pandey said the decision to file a review petition was "unanimous and there was no dissent".

While addressing the media, Vasava and Khachar repeated concerns that the lion's future new home, Kuno Palpur Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, is "unsafe" for the Asiatic lions because of poaching cases in the past and that the Asiatic lions are safe in Gujarat where locals contribute to conservation efforts.

The SBWL had told the SC earlier that "the issue of giving or not giving lions to Kuno is not an issue of conflict between states, but it is a collective Indian cultural approach in the interest of long-term conservation of lions as part of our family.... [and] that Asiatic lion being a 'family member' is beyond and higher than the 'scientific reasoning'."

In its judgment, the SC retorted, "The cardinal issue is not whether the Asiatic lion is a 'family member' or is part of the 'Indian culture and civilisation', or the pride of a state but the preservation of an endangered species for which we have to apply the 'species' best interest standard'. Our approach should not be human-centric or family-centric but eco-centric."

"'Scientific reasoning' for its re-location has to supersede the family bond or pride of the people and we have to look at the species' best interest, especially in a situation where the species is found to be critically endangered and the necessity of a second home has been keenly felt," the SC added.

Besides Modi, Vasava, Khachar, Wildlife warden C N Pandey and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests S K Goyal, Thursday's meeting was attended by Minister of State for Environment Govind Patel, MLAs Shankar Chaudhary, Moti Vasava and Kanubhai Desai, conservationists Deshal Paghi, Sonal Chauhan, D B Jadeja, Digvijaysinh Solanki, Smita Pradhan, Sonal Shah and Anil Chaudhary, Environment and Forests Secretary H K Dash and Minister of State for Law Pradipsinh Jadeja, a special invitee.

- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/for-its-pride-state-firms-up-sc-review-plea/1107904/0#sthash.HqhVwFcv.dpuf

Gujarat's 1st leopard park to come up in Sasan Gir

30-04-2013
Gujarat's 1st leopard park to come up in Sasan Gir
Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-30/ahmedabad/38929195_1_asiatic-lions-leopards-gir-lion-sanctuary

Gujarat may be losing some Asiatic lions - its main tourist attraction - to the neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, but it will soon have leopards to attract more visitors to Sasan Gir.

The state government has decided to establish Gujarat's first leopard park in the Gir lion sanctuary for better conservation of wildcat species.

A senior official associated with the new project said, "Gir is known for lions but the leopard is also one of the major wild species in the area that is less visible. For better conservation of the leopard population of Gir, we have decided to establish an exclusive leopard park in the sanctuary where the tourists can easily see the leopards in their natural habitat."

The process of appointment of a consultant for designing the park has started. The official said the proposed park will be spread over about 30 acres of land. There will be a fence to prevent leopards from escaping the area. The park will have toughened glass tubes and vehicle passages from where the tourists will be able to see the big cats in the wild.

"Man-eater leopards will also be rehabilitated here. We do not want to keep them in captivity in zoos. There would be better conservation if they live in the wild," said the official.

According to 2011 census, the population of leopards in the sanctuary - spread over 1,412 sq km in Junagadh - touched the 450 mark, almost at par with the Asiatic lions. Out of these, nearly 170 have dispersed to the peripheral areas on the coastline. This has become a cause for concern for humans, especially labourers working in mine and sugarcane fields in Veraval and Kodinar talukas.

The shrinking natural habitat coupled with increasing population has led to dispersion of these two big cats outside forest areas. They generally take shelter in mango and sugarcane fields for days.

Leopard is an opportunistic hunter that prefers to stay in the revenue areas which increases the chances of conflict with humans.