An article about our livelihoods programme in the TOI a few days ago. Click here for the link.

Satpuda exploring livelihood options to save tigers

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Jun 17, 2014, 10.14PM IST
NAGPUR: Tigers cannot be saved unless interests of those living on the fringes of tiger reserves and national parks are protected. The Satpuda Foundation, which has been working for wildlife conservation, is exploring employment opportunities in villagers surrounding Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve.

"We identified 4 village women for training in computer skills to get them jobs. They were sent for a month-long training programme in desktop publishing, data entry and use of tally software package. The training was conducted at STAR Rojgar Training Centre, a Gondia-based institute. All expenses were borne by the institute," Satpuda Foundation conservation officer Mukund Dhurve said.

He said 18 candidates were identified for drivers' training programme in July which will be run by the same centre. The youths belong to Mangezari, Kodebarra, Govindtola and Asalpani villages near Nagzira sanctuary.

"We organized a day long workshop at Mangezari to make aware villagers about working of self-help groups and various livelihood options," Dhurve said.

Mangezari, Kodebarra, Govindtola and Jindatola villagers participated in the workshop where they were shown how to make pickles from mahua flowers and incense sticks. They were also shown how to make improved stoves, which emit less smoke and use less firewood. The programme was assisted by Foundation field assistants Jivraj Salam and Salimkumar Dhurve.

Satpuda staff joined forest department in night patrols and assisted in fighting forest fires. "We also participated in programmes to clean water holes in the buffer area of Nagzira wildlife sanctuary," said Salam. This apart, six medical camps were organized in which 206 patients were treated.

Land Rover SUV donated to Satpuda Foundation

From Times of India, Nagpur, June 5, 2014 (link here)

NAGPUR: UK-based wildlife NGO Born Free Foundation recently donated a Land Rover SUV to Amravati-based Satpuda Foundation. Born Free Foudation has been supporting Satpuda Foundation for tiger conservation in India since 2005.

Land Rover though launched recently in India is an old partner of Born Free Foundation and has been supporting it in wildlife conservation by donating several vehicles in UK, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

The Land Rover is associated with Born Free since 1966 when Land Rover vehicles were featured in the famous classic wildlife film 'Born Free' — starring the Born Free Foundation founders Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. The requirement was then using Land Rover vehicles to reach wildlife in the most remote locations.

Kishor Rithe, president of Satpuda Foundation, while completing his study in University of Oxford in 2011 was invited by actress Virginia McKenna to deliver a talk at Born Free Foundation. This support was announced then to Satpuda Foundation by president of Born Free Will Traverse and University of Oxford professor Claudio Sillero, who also works with Born Free.

"As Satpuda Foundation has done good work in tiger conservation in Central India working hand in hand with the wildlife departments of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, we have donated this vehicle to the NGO," Claudio said.

Land Rover has recently started manufacturing vehicles in India at its Pune plant. Ostwald Crasto, corporate showroom head at Mumbai of Jaguar Land Rover India, delivered the vehicle to Satpuda Foundation representative.

101 medical camps completed in the last 5 months

 From June 1, 2014 - Hitavada Nagpur. 
Click on the image to enlarge and read.

Joint Forest Management projects bringing prosperity to villagers

A very heartening article from Hitavada about the success of joint forest management in forest villages around Amravati. People's participation in conservation is definitely the way to go! 

Click on the image to enlarge and read.

'Behaviour Change Conservation Campaigns' course 2013: News and video

A video made during the course conducted in November:

And one of the news articles on the course:

Foreign tiger conservationists impressed by Tadoba reserve

Vijay Pinjarkar,TNN | Nov 27, 2013, 11.23 PM IST

NAGPUR: Around 14 participants from tiger range countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal and India, participating in a three-week international course learnt lessons from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) during their visit here recently. 

The participants were impressed with the situation in TATR and knowing about the efforts being taken by locals, NGOs, people's representatives, media and the state government to make TATR among the top five tiger reserves in the country. 

The participants interacted with TATR field director and localconservationists. They also learnt lessons on growing human wildlife conflict and regulated tourism. 

Babu Ram Lamichhane, Rabin Kadariya from Nepal and AFM Mahmudul Hasan and Zubair Hussni Fahad from Bangladesh were impressed after drawing lessons from the people who worked in this landscape since long. 

Munjali Tokbipi, first woman environment educator from Karbi indigenous community from Assam and who lives near Kaziranga National Park, was fascinated after sighting a mating pair of tiger near Pandharpaoni. "I will dream for providing such home to tigers in Assam now," she said after Tadoba visit. 

An international course on conservation education as a tool to change the behaviour of various target groups of communities for tiger conservation issues is going on at Amravati University and participants were on their field module in TATR. 

Satpuda Foundation is organizing the course in collaboration with Amravati University, state wildlife department, Nature Conservation Society Amravati (NCSA) and Environment Education Conservation Global (EECG), USA. 

Former member of standing committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) Kishor Rithe, who designed the course, introduced them with several aspects of tiger conservation. 

TATR field director Virendra Tiwari explained a set of measures that his office has taken in last two years. The serious issue of growing human-wildlife conflict was explained by Poonam Dhanwatey of Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT), who is also honorary wildlife warden of Chandrapur. Participants later worked on her presentation to address this issue through conservation education programme. 

They were told that TATR has the potential to become an important source population for the Navegaon-Indravati landscape. It has the potential for sharing genetic material with Kanha-Pench landscape. Today, Tadoba landscape enjoys an approximate population of 100 tigers.

Blackbuck poaching case: Bail of prime accused NCP Minister's kin Anil Naik rejected by High Court

Press release from Satpuda Foundation:
Bail of prime accused NCP Minister's kin Anil Naik rejected by High Court
Three Police officers are co-accused
Pressure tactics still continue on investigating officers of Forest Department
Nagpur: In a major development, today Nagpur Bench of Mumbai High Court has shown great seriousness by rejecting the bail plea of the prime accused the NCP Minister's kin Anil Naik, in the blackbuck poaching case in Maharashtra.



In Maharashtra's Washim district, the poachers entered on 16th July midnight near the agricultural fields between Jambharun and Kajalamba village and poached the blackbuck. Villagers of Jambharun rushed to the area after hearing the bullet fire and nabbed Anil Madhukar Naik, nephew of Minister Mr. Manohar Naik and his friends. Villagers later handed over these poachers along with the dead body of black buck, auto-rickshaw (No.M.H 37/G/3146), red colour Sumo vehicle (without number plate), rifle and net directly to the police squad that reached from Ansingh police station. However police later released the offenders due to heavy political pressure and even the forest department tried to help the offenders.

Knowing the relationship of the accused with NCP Minister Manohar Naik, Forest and police department initially tried to fully co-operate with the accused. 

Chronology of events:
17th July 2012: Some local nature lovers took the matter to Satpuda Foundation, an NGO working for wildlife protection in central India, who then pursued the case strongly. It was alleged that the forest department had respected the political orders and only sent Round Officer for spot-panchanama and not even a Range Forest Officer. The Round Officer burnt the dead body of the blackbuck to remove the evidence. Top wildlife officers at Nagpur, forest headquarters of Maharashtra, remained ignorant till 17th July night.

Mr. S. W. H. Naqvi, Chief Wildlife Warden of Maharashtra state had ordered the arrest and investigation on 17th July. However even after a week, the chief conservator of forests (CCF), Yavatmal circle, D.K. Tyagi and his Dy. Conservator of Forest Mr. Moon did not even arrest the poachers.

21st July 2012: Honorary Wildlife Wardens of five districts of Vidarbha , appointed by the Government of Maharashtra, along with many NGO representatives went to Jambharun village to felicitate the brave villagers. They were shocked to see the kind of political pressure this village is facing.The team also found that the witnesses who had actually handed over the offenders to police now clearly declined to say anything. The Sarpanch politely refused to participate in the felicitation.

22nd July 2012: Satpuda Foundation demanded a CBI inquiry assisted by the Wildlife Crime Control bureau. After media pressure, the Forest department handed over the investigation to Assistant conservator of forest (ACF) VG Tehre who started conducting a strict inquiry.

On 24th July 2012: Finally Forest officials arrested one accused Yasin Shah Gulzar of Wara-jahangir, who was involved in disposing of the carcass of the animal on the direction of one Bhimrao Chavan. His bike used to remove evidence was also seized.

Anil Naik and three others, all residents of Gahuli in Pusad, applied for anticipatory bail through their lawyers and denied involvement in poaching.

30th July 2012: However, the Additional District and session court rejected the bail application and had kept the matter for final hearing on July 30. Meanwhile, accused Shah was granted a police custody remand (PCR) till July 30. All the eight accused - four from Gahuli and four from Shengi - were declared absconding.

9th August 2012: Prime accused Anil Naik finally approached the Nagpur bench of Mumbai High Court for bail against the order of District and session Court Washim. HC had granted conditional interim bail till 28th August 2012. HC had aso ordered that the accused should personally remain present before investigation officer Mr.Tehre on 21st and 23rd August and give his submission.

Three Police officers co-accused:
Realising the consequences, now prime accused Anil Naik also tried to pressurize the investigating team of the forest officers by registering the charges of molestation during the investigation through three police officers who are co-accused in this case. An FIR was lodged at Ansingh police station against round officer Babarao Ghatare and four other officials investigating the poaching case on Friday night 24th.

The investigation team of the Forest Department found that the three police officials Pratap singh Chauhan, Ramesh Chauhan and Tulsiram Khandare had aided the accused and hence were made co-accused. The Forest department was trying to nab them but they fled. Finally the team found police constable Ramesh Chauhan on 22nd August. But before the team could record his statement he ran away and took shelter at his aide Khandare's house. The team found it inappropriate to enter the house without a warrant and hence approached the Ansingh police station for help, but they did not co-operate. The same evening the wife of Khandare lodged a complaint of molestation against Round Officer Ghatare and others. The police lodged the FIR promptly on 24th night against the investigation team from the Forest Department.

Satpuda Foundation has demanded action from Home Minister R.R.Patil in this high profile case on co-accused police officers. "Home Minister should suspend the police officers immediately so that forest officers can arrest them in this case", said Kishor Rithe, President of Satpuda Foundation who is also a member of the Maharashtra State Wildlife Board.

24th August 2012: Prime accused finally surrendered the rifle and Tata Sumo to the Investigating officer. The license of rifle was found in the name of accused Anil Madhukar Naik. Shockingly the Tata Sumo vehicle which was purchased in 2008 is yet to be registered with the RTO.

28th August 2012: Today Hon'ble High Court rejected the bail of prime accused Anil Madhukar Naik.

The blackbuck is a Schedule- I animal as per the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and there is a provision of up to seven years imprisonment for such wildlife crime. Now it would be interesting to see the accused behind bars. However sources in political circles are still expecting relief through NCP leaders.

Satpuda Foundation
Plot No.17, 201 Sapphire Apt,
Puranik Layout, Bharat Nagar, Amravati Road,
Nagpur-440001
E-mail : satpuda@gmail.com

Kishor Rithe's article about tiger poaching in Sanctuary Magazine (June 2012)

State forms squad to protect its tigers

Mumbai Mirror

January 8, 2012

Yogesh Naik

Forest Dept says that the Centre has agreed to fund the force for the first five years

A special force to protect the tiger is on the anvil for Maharashtra. For starters, the state forest department will post trained personnel at two tiger reserves - at national parks in Vidarbha's Pench and Tadoba.

The last tiger census has pegged the state's tiger population to 140. Presently, the state has a one-man anti-poaching cell in Nagpur.

Wildlife activists have expressed concern over India's dwindling tiger population. In 2011, 61 tiger deaths were reported across India, including poaching deaths, according to the Wildlife Protection Society of India. A year earlier, the number stood at 58.

In 1972, the Government of India enacted the Wildlife (Protection) Act to control poaching and illegal trade in wildlife. The act was amended in 2003, making punishment and penalty for offences more stringent.

Principal Secretary of the state forest department Praveen Pardeshi said that the tiger protection force will be fashioned along the lines of police crack teams. "The personnel will be trained by commando forces. They will be taught to detect poaching crimes," said Pardeshi.

Forest Department officials said that the Centre had agreed to fund the force for the first five years. This triggered apprehension in the state finance department as to the source of future funding.

Pardeshi, who got the proposal approved by state chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, said that the state has decided to maintain the force after the first five years.

"Initially, we will have two battalions with 90 men and 20 officers, each headed by an officer," said Pardeshi. "It will target poachers in sensitive areas."

Forest officials said that, for the last few years, gangs of poachers from Bahelia tribal community camp in villages along the eastern border of the state where the tiger reserves are situated.

Wildlife expert Kishor Rithe of the Satpuda Foundation said that they had been seeking secret funds for forest employees to detect poaching rackets like the police have to crack gangs.

"A forest officer has to have means to procure information on poachers," said Rithe, adding that the secret fund has been sanctioned. The special force will file cases in court against poachers. "This is a major milestone achieved," said Rithe.

Link to the article

Villagers move out of tiger zone, and are the richer for it

Indian Express
Vivek Deshpande
Posted: Mon Oct 17 2011, 00:03 hrs
Link

At a time when the rehabilitation of villages out of tiger landscapes has become more difficult than ever, with the Forest Rights Act having made it subject to vilagers’ consent, here is one tiger territory that stands out in contrast.

Tucked in the Melghat hills, Wan has become the first tiger area to have successfully relocated three villages at one go. And the villagers have not only consented but are so happy that many other villages have petitioned the Forest Department to rehabilitate them too.

For the 350 families of Amona, Nagartas and Bharukheda, relocation earlier this year has brought Rs 10 lakh per adult, free land for a house, and better access to markets, education, health facilities, the court, the police and tahsil headquarters. They now use buses that rarely reached them earlier.

Amona, which has shifted 10 km to a new location in Kasod, is now 15 km from its new tahsil headquarters of Akot in Akola district; its previous headquarters of Chikhaldara in Amravati was over 100 km away. Shivpuri, just 2 km away, has a primary health centre as well as job opportunities. Mahadeo Tote says: “I suffered a sloth bear attack a few months ago. It took me six hours to reach the hospital; now, anyone can reach a hospital in less than 30 minutes.”

Akot itself has all educational facilities. Earlier, the villagers had to walk 3 km for water when their borewell went dry in the summer; now, they have water right in the village round the year.

Bharukheda and Nagartas, earlier 10 km apart, have been resettled at the same place. Bharukheda was 120 km from Chikhaldara and villagers travelled on foot or by bullock cart, then change buses thrice. Neither Bharukheda nor Nagartas had electricity; now all three villages have free connections and new ration cards, besides an assured government job to a member of each family.

“We thought of a novel idea of offering them the vacated irrigation colony of the Wan project. They were so happy to see the pucca quarters that they shifted to the place without waiting for the formalities to be completed,” says Srinivas Reddy, deputy conservator of forests, Akot.

“We are closer to many essential facilities. We now also have electricity,” says Sheikh Nizam Sheikh Munir, a ration shop owner in Bharukheda.

The shift has fetched villagers mobile phones, two-wheelers and even four-wheelers, apart from financial stability — a Rs 5-lakh, six-year fixed deposit that fetches the beneficiary around Rs 4,500 per month; Rs 2 lakh in a savings account and Rs 3 lakh in a nine-month fixed deposit.

“Some families with four adult members have received up to Rs 40 lakh. This they would probably never have been able to save... inside the forests,” says Reddy.

The forest department offered only the plots; many villagers built their own houses. “We didn’t want to leave anything for them to complain about. Normally, there are lot of complaints about the quality of construction,” Reddy says.

A few families, less than 50, legally owned farmland at the pervious locations. “We compensated them,” Reddy says. The landowners, however, say they have faced difficulty buying suitable land for farming since local farm-owners have jacked up prices. “They feel we have a lot of money now,” one says. Reddy says, “That would be a temporary phenomenon. We hope the prices will come down in the near future.”

The new residential properties offer a major consolation. The 2,000 sq feet each villager owns is worth Rs 3 lakh.

For the forest department, the advantages have been many. “With the three villages gone from the prime tiger land, a large tract has been freed for freer movement of wildlife. It has also taken the grazing pressure off the area with more than 3,000 heads of cattle now out of it. The villagers ignited forest fires for better tendu harvest. We will now have drastically fewer fires to tackle,” says principal secretary (forest) Pravin Pardeshi, who was divisional commissioner of Amravati till a few months ago, and who personally interacted with and convinced the villagers to go for rehabilitation.

"We need national watershed management - which can be done only by wildlife"

An article about our founder and president Kishor Rithe. This is the link to the story.

Unified control of core, buffer for TATR FD

Link to the story in Times of India (Nagpur)

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Sep 15, 2011

NAGPUR: In a move that could go a long way in ensure buffer area management gives priority to tiger conservation, the state government is finally considering giving unified control of the core and buffer areas to the field director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).

The issue will come up for discussion with forest minister Patangrao Kadam during his visit to Nagpur on September 16. Some MLAs from Chandrapur district, who are opposing the move, allegedly to favour timber and mining lobby, have also been invited to the meeting to clear confusion.

Praveen Pardeshi, principal secretary (forests), confirmed the development. "Unified control of core and buffer areas with the field director of tiger reserve has been recommended by NTCA and practised in other tiger reserves. The same approach seems suitable for orienting buffer area management. Rights of people in buffer will not be harmed," Pardeshi said.

A committee appointed by PCCF (wildlife) in October 2010 headed by additional PCCF AK Saxena, APCCF Shree Bhagwan, CCF VK Sinha, CF GRK Rao and Satpuda Foundation chief Kishor Rithe had also recommended reorganization of Chandrapur division in the buffer area and give unified control to TATR field director.

"This is a usual reorganization for forest and wildlife management purpose. Britishers have gone from the country in 1947. We've shifted from timber extraction era to conservation field. Indian Wildlife And Forest Acts have been changed and given complete focus on conservation especially from 2002," Rithe said.

Rithe further said where tiger reserves have been created, their buffer and core areas have been given to wildlife department to manage. "The Centre is planning to have a separate wildlife department to manage protected areas (PAs) properly," he added.

"Now, Maharashtra cannot lag behind. A few politicians who are against this idea will have to think about future of Chandrapur district," Rithe, member of National Board for Wild Life (NBWL), added.

Currently, three administrative units viz. Chandrapur, Brahmapuri and West Chanda FDCM divisions have overlapping administrative jurisdiction. Large areas of Chandrapur division fall in the buffer area and only a few compartments of Brahmapuri and West Chanda fall in the buffer.

It has been recommended that these compartments may be attached with Chandrapur division and entire buffer of Chandrapur may be constituted into a buffer division attached to the tiger reserve.

Farmers helping forest dept protect GIB eggs in fields

The link.
TNN | Sep 6, 2011, 03.19AM IST

CHANDARPUR: Enthused by the survival of a small number of hatchlings of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in the habitats of Warora and Bhadrawati forest ranges, the forest department has roped in farmers to help protect and conserve the endangered birds in the breeding period. Extensive awareness cum protection drive has been initiated in the over 1,000 hectare area in two tehsils, which now hosts eight GIBs, including a young bird.

Locally known as Maldhok or Hom, this endangered bird is tracked in Warora-Bhadrawati area every year in August to ascertain their numbers. Census of GIB, a Schedule-I avian, over the last few years revealed the presence of seven birds of the species. The efforts by the forest department and local farmers helped the survival of a hatchling last year, raising the population in the habitat to eight.

Apart from Solapur, Warora-Bhadrawati is only other rich habitat in the state where GIB is found in good numbers. "Last year, we traced three GIB eggs in the fields with help from farmers. However, only one of the three eggs survived the hatching period of 40 days. All around protection to the hatchling, with help from farmers helped its survival," said DCF, Chandrapur forest division, P Kalyankumar.

He said that hundreds of farmers were felicitated by the guardian minister last year for this. Farmer Waman Kite from village Wanoja, on whose farm the egg had successfully hatched, was given a special prize for his efforts.

According to the census, there were two males and two females of the species in the fields in Warora-Ashti-Tulana block, while a female and two males are seen in Nandori-Bhatali and Pawnal block. "Thanks to the successful hatching last year, one more bird has been added. The young one was seen with its parents in the fields this year. Our men are keeping a close watch on all these birds for protection," he said.

He said birdwatcher Gopal Thosar pointed out the GIB to forest officials in 2004. Since then regular census is being carried out every year. Since last year, foresters also carry out extensive awareness campaigns in villages near GIBs habitats. "People are educated about the importance of survival of the endangered species and GIB safety committees are being formed. Farmers have been asked to report the presence of GIBs and its eggs in their fields on phone numbers of forest officials. We have declared protection allowance of Rs 200 per day for any farmer protecting the GIB eggs in their fields. Any farmer protecting an egg through its incubation period (till hatching) could earn Rs 8,000," Kalyankumar said.

He said the exercise started in July and would continue till December. The birds usually lay their eggs in September-October. Foresters are trying to track every egg laid by GIBs this year. Once tracked, all eggs would be extensively protected till hatching. "Nanaj GIB sanctuary has 15 GIBs. If we could help a few more eggs survive, soon this area could overtake Nanaj sanctuary in the GIB count," Kalyankumar said.

Tigers stage comeback in Jalgaon after a long gap

Link to this story.

Vijay PinjarkarVijay Pinjarkar, TNN | Sep 8, 2011, 08.10AM IST

NAGPUR: It should sound a good news for wildlife lovers. Tigers have staged a comeback in Jalgaon district in Dhule territorial circle after a long gap.

However, Khandesh Nature Conservation Society (KNCS), working for tiger conservation in Jalgaon forest division, claims tigers were very much there but there was no serious monitoring by the department.

Wadoda range forest officer (RFO) DR Patil has been monitoring a tigress with a cub for the past three months. Patil also claims presence of a male tiger in his range. The tigers have made densely forested Purna backwaters their home.

"This is after 2001 that tigers have staged a comeback in Jalgaon division. In 2001, there was tigress with three cubs," Patil said. It seems tigers move from Melghat-Ambabarwa-Yawal-Western Ghats.

However, Abhay Ujagare and Vinod Patil of KNCS say presence of tigers is there in Jalgaon district since 1993 but due to lack of serious monitoring their existence could not be ascertained.

However, if official tiger figures are to be considered, there were 7 tigers in Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary in Jalgaon, followed by 3 in 1993, 4 in 1997 and 1 in 2001. Since then no tigers were recorded in the protected area (PA). Besides, the last official record of tigers in Jalgaon division was in 2005 when three tigers were recorded.

"In past few years the newly added Wan and Ambabarwa to Melghat tiger reserve has improved protection and management. Several evidences of breeding tigresses have been recorded in camera traps from this cluster," said Kishor Rithe, member of National Board for Wild Life (NBWL).

Rithe said there were unconfirmed tiger sighting reports in the past two years by villagers and local nature lovers in Jalgaon district. Presence of tigers shows that they are dispersing towards west in Jalgaon district.

The forest range Kurha (Wadoda) includes Kurha, Charthana and Dolarkheda rounds. The area of three beats North Dolarkheda (2,100 ha), South Dolarkheda (1,500 ha) and Sukali (1,450 ha) of Dolarkheda round in Kurha range is the most potential area for tigers having 10 perennial waterholes. Rithe's Satpuda Foundation has urged the state government to provide necessary wildlife management inputs to this area.

If you peep into history, tigers and lions used to live together in Gujarat. Tigers disappeared from Gujarat in the 1980s whereas lions could manage to survive. The last tiger seen in Gujarat is reported from Dang district bordering Maharashtra. Satpuda mountain is spread up to Dang district where it meets Western Ghats and Aravali mountain.

The tiger habitat continuity link is considered from Kanha-Pench (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh)-Satpuda-Melghat and Yawal. Local bird watcher Anil Mahajan from Varangaon (Jalgaon) had recorded a dead cub last year. This is a proof that tigers are breeding in Jalgaon district and earlier claims made by KNCS were also true.

Conservationists were dreaming in last 20 years that tigers would again disperse towards west to Melghat. The state expert committee to declare critical tiger habitats (CTH) ex-PCCF B Majumdar, ex-APCCF Nandkishore and Kishor Rithe had recommended a compact cluster of Wan, Ambabarwa and Narnala sanctuaries adjoining Melghat to be included in MTR, which was accepted by the state and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Now it is high time this corridor is restored degraded forest towards west of Melghat to bring back tigers in Jalgaon and Dhule districts.

Tiger presence recorded in western Satpuda

Good news in the bad news. The dead cub is a tragic sight, but it is also proof that conditions in Western Satpuda were suitable for its mother to breed.



Tigers and lions used to live together in the state of Gujarat, India. However tigers disappeared from this state in 1980s whereas lions could manage to survive. The last tiger seen in Gujarat is reported from Dang district bordering Maharashtra!

The Satpuda mountain range is spread up to Dang district of Gujarat where it meets Western Ghats and Arawali mountain! The tiger habitat continuity link is considered from Kanha-Pench (Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh)- Satpuda- Melghat and Yawal. Yawal was the western most protected area in Satpuda mountain where tigers were reported till 2002. However in the last few years, there were some claims made by Khandesh Nature Conservation Society of Jalagaon about tiger sightings in and around Yawal and towards west of Jalagaon district in Muktainagar. The Forest department was investigating these claims.

However a local birdwatcher Mr. Anil Mahajan (Varangaon, Dist: Jalgaon) has sent a picture of a dead tiger cub (above0 to Satpuda Foundation which is a substantial proof that tigers are breeding in Jalagaon district and earlier claims made by Khandesh Nature Conservation Society of Jalagaon were also valid! If it is so, it's a remarkable piece of news for the tigers in central India.

Tiger conservationists were dreaming for the last 20 years that tigers would again disperse towards the west to Melghat. The state expert committee for declaring Critical Tiger Habitats (CTH) Mr. B. Majumdar, Dr. Nandkishore and Kishor Rithe had recommended a compact cluster of Wan, Ambabarawa and Narnala sanctuaries adjoining Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) should be included in to MTR- CTH which was accepted by the state and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The committee had discussed the future possibility of restoration of degraded corridors towards the west of Melghat to bring back the tiger population in Jalagaon and Dhule district (further west to Yawal).

"In past few years the newly added Wan, Ambabarawa and Wan cluster (to MTR-CTH) has improved a lot in protection and management. Several evidences of breeding tigresses have been recorded in camera traps from this cluster of protected areas," said Kishor Rithe, member of the National Board for Wildlife.

The unconfirmed tiger sighting reports in the past two years by villagers and local nature lovers in Jalgaon district shows that the tigers are dispersing towards the west in Jalagaon district. The forest range Kurha (Vadoda) includes Kurha, Charthana and Dolarkheda rounds. The area of three beats North Dolarkheda (2100ha), South Dolarkheda (1500ha) and Sukali beat (1450 ha) of Dolarkheda round in Kurha range is a good potential area for tigers having 10 perennial waterholes.

Satpuda Foundation has requested the Government of Maharashtra to provide necessary management to this area urgently.

Kishor Rithe
President,
Satpuda Foundation

Dr Ganesh Wankhede, scholar and conservationist extraordinaire

Dr Wankhede is a truly inspiring person for all wildlife lovers, specially for his path-breaking work on spiders. Click in the image to enlarge, or read the story through this link.

Meeting of State Wildlife Board, June 28, 2011 - TOI Pune

Green pigeon stays as state bird

TNN | Jun 29, 2011, 12.38am IST

PUNE: The Forest Owlet, a critically endangered species, will not be the state bird. Instead, the green pigeon will continue to hold the pride of place.

A proposal tabled by the Bombay Natural History Society to give the honour to the Forest Owlet was unanimously rejected by the State Wildlife Board on Tuesday.

The meeting, chaired by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, resolved that there was no need for the change, but agreed to initiate steps to conserve the Forest Owlet.

Several NGOs felt the bird would be better protected if it was given the status.

Chavan said he would soon forward the state government's proposal to declare five new sanctuaries to the union government. These are Rajmachi in Thane-Alibaug, Sudhagarh-Tamni in the Western Ghats, Tipagarh in Gadchiroli, Kopela-Kolamarka in Gadchiroli and Isapur bird sanctuary in Yavatmal.

The meeting cleared the proposal to recruit forest guards, provide vehicles to range forest officers and granted them permission to use ammunition after sunset.

The State Board for Wildlife, Maharashtra government comprises prominent conservation NGOs like Satpuda Foundation, Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra of Chiplun and the BNHS.

"The decision to recruit more forest guards and provide vehicles to forest range officers is welcome. The chief minister also talked about purchasing 100 vehicles for the forest range officers," Nishant Kale, member of Satpuda Foundation, told TOI.

It was also decided to allow forest guards and forest officers to fully focus on wild life conservation and forest safety and not manage eco-tourism.

Kale said that the proposal for a nature interpretation centre, a leopard rescue centre and laying of electric lines in Ahmednagar district inside the bustard sanctuary will be taken up after the denotification process. The area is proposed to be reduced from about 8, 500 square km to around 1,222 square km.

The proposal to laying a transmission line through Sanjay Gandhi National Park was rejected and the members said renewable energy sources should be explored. The proposal to lay a 400 KV transmission line in Matheran was not decided upon.

"This is an eco-sensitive zone and it is not under any sanctuary. The Wildlife Board of India will take a decision," he said.

A proposal from a private company seeking forest land near Phansad wildlife sanctuary was also rejected.

The meeting granted permission for repairing the electric lines passing through the Tungareshwar wildlife sanctuary. The proposal will now go to the Central Wildlife Board and has to get an approval from the Central Empowered Committee. All development projects in the 10 km radius of wildlife sanctuaries have to get a nod from this committee constituted by the Supreme Court, said Kale.

Bhau Katdare, founder of Sahyadri Nisarga Mitra of Chiplun, said the board will meet twice in a year. Tuesday's meeting was held after 28 months.

Link to the article.

Experts oppose proposal to declare Forest Owlet as state bird

TOI Pune, June 26, 2011 - click here to read the article.

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Note of caution on Forest Owlet as state bird

From the TOI Nagpur, June 27, 2011 - click here for the article.

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Rigorous protection needed for wild buffaloes

Sighting of 8 wild buffaloes thrills wildlife experts

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN Jun 19, 2011, 09.10pm IST

At a time when wild buffaloes are going extinct, the sighting of eight buffaloes in the Kamalapur forest range under the Sironcha division in Gadchiroli district has reignited the demand to declare the area as a buffalo sanctuary.

Wild buffaloes, the third biggest mammals on land after elephants and rhinos, are facing extinction and are a step away from the point of no return. Rigorous steps are needed to protect them. The species is also listed under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

The eight buffaloes were sighted on Friday in two groups by veteran wildlife expert from Gadchiroli Mahendrasingh Chouhan. The animals were found in compartment number 17 and 12 in Kolamarka and Kamalapur forests respectively. The good news is that the group contained two calfs, indicating there was breeding of wild buffaloes.

Call for more scientific and technically advanced approach for road widening

"Protect wildlife interest in NH6 widening"

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN June 20, 2011

NAGPUR: Ahead of Monday's meeting to discuss mitigation measures for wildlife on National Highway 6 between Deori and Sakoli, Kishor Rithe, member, National Board for Wild Life (NBWL), has called for more scientific and technically advanced approach to deal with the road widening issue in view of tiger crisis.

In a letter to S K Khetarpal, PCCF (wildlife), Rithe said the issue was serious and needed to be resolved for ensuring tiger landscape connectivity in Central India. Looking at the corridor value of the patches between Sakoli and Deori which would be cut by widening work, on October 8, 2010, an expert committee had made certain recommendations.

However, NHAI seems to be underestimating the seriousness of the threat to wildlife, specially the tiger. Wildlife and NHAI officials will discuss the issue on Monday. Khetarpal has to send his comments to the NTCA on the NHAI report.

Rithe said large and wide-ranging carnivores faced huge threat and more constant declines than most other mammals. One of the reasons is linear intrusion like canals, roads and highways constructed without consideration of biological aspects.

Tiger scientist like Dr Alan Rabinowitz suggests GIS based models for identifying corridors and later designing site-specific plans to deal with the linear intrusion issues. "When National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) are working on such policies, states also need to take such issues more seriously. Hence, I really appreciate the efforts put by your office to ensure this," said Rithe.

In the US, the government departments have adopted an integrated approach to reduce the negative impact of projects on wildlife. "I expect that NHAI consultant should focus on target species in the area and using GIS and biological inputs, should produce more practical and site specific mitigation report," urged Rithe. "If it is not so, your office should not allow such project to come up," he demanded.

The Wildilife Trust of India (WTI) was first to raise the issue and has taken up the matter with the Supreme Court's centrally empowered committee (CEC). An affidavit filed by the Chhattisgarh government recently demanded construction of flyovers in the affected patch on their side.