Saturday, August 03, 2013

Madhya Pradesh getting ready to welcome big cats from Gir

30-07-2013
Madhya Pradesh getting ready to welcome big cats from Gir
The Times of India
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-07-30/flora-fauna/40894637_1_gir-lions-kuno-palpur-kunopalpur

(Soon after the Supreme Court gave its order directing that some of the Gir lions should be shifted to the neighbouring state, the MP government had roped in the trainers.)

Gujarat may be not willing to part with its lions for the KunoPalpur wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, but Madhya Pradesh is getting ready in a big way to welcome the big cats from Gir. The forest department of MP has roped in trainers from World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), Malaysia, to train its staff in lion protection and conservation.

Soon after the Supreme Court gave its order directing that some of the Gir lions should be shifted to the neighbouring state, the MP government had roped in the trainers. They are training the staff at Kuno Palpur not only in the management of the park but also in rescue of the animals.

The trainers are also preparing a plan for conservation of the Asiatic lions using modern equipment.

The officials said that the trainers will also teach the MP staff ways to improve the habitat of the big cats, including augmenting of water sources, water regime development, eradication of weeds, development and restoration of grasslands. They are also focusing on development of communication and protection infrastructure, patrolling and anti-poaching activities, research and monitoring, mitigation of man-animal conflicts, and inoculation of domestic cattle in and around Kuno Palpur against contagious diseases.

A senior officer of the Gujarat government complained that the central government has funds for a project whose fate depends on the final SC verdict, but when it comes to giving funds to Gujarat, the Centre expresses helplessness.

Such training would come in handy to Madhya Pradesh as that state is preparing ground to establish in court that it is as well-equipped for conservation as Gujarat, the officer said. He said that the Gujarat government, after filing the review petition in May 2013, has not taken any new steps to establish that Gujarat was safer for the lions than Madhya Pradesh.

Officials in the state government said that even if the Gujarat government's review petition was rejected, the state will have the option of going in for a curative petition which may take a long time.

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