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Nick,

Thanks for posting this very sad news, my friend. In India itself the countdown to the tiger's extinction in the wild has begun as these articles indicate. While the articles are by anti hunters who never hesitate to unfairly blame hunters for thisd ecline and indirectly condone the horrendous deforestation that has taken place innce 1947, the sheer reduction in tiger numbers is as saddening to them as it is to those who advocate hunting and conservation.

From the Daily Pioneer

Alarm over tiger data, meet shelved

Prerna Singh Bindra | New Delhi

Mr Prime Minister, had you chaired the National Board for Wildlife meeting on April 28, as scheduled, you would have perhaps learnt the truth about the tiger situation in India. You might have gotten an indication of how deep the crisis is, and an estimate of the number of Royal Bengal Tigers that survive in our country. Perhaps, because there was every move, and pressure, from bureaucrats in the Ministry of Environment and Forests to scuttle the presentation that said that according to current estimates, the number of tigers in India has halved.

Yes, crashed to less than 50 per cent of what we claimed we had in the last census of 2002 i.e 3,642. Ten tiger reserves, whose figures, with good populations according to the 2002 census have crashed drastically, as indicated in the box below, and this is not counting other protected areas like Kuno, Melghat, Keladevi and Bori-Satpura, where the situation as almost as bad.

But of course, there were more pressing matters than conserving tigers, and other endangered wildlife, and the meeting was postponed. Never mind, that is a routine affair. The critical issue at hand is that primary reports after the completion of the first phase of the All India Estimate of Tiger, Large Carnivores, Ungulates and Habitat Status indicates that the current wild tiger population is 1,500 with a 20 per cent margin for error, which essentially means that at present India has between 1,300 to 1,700 tigers.

No official is willing to go on record, but fact is that even the highest office in charge of tiger conservation has faced up to the crisis, and is privately admitting that numbers have dipped, drastically. News from across tiger reserves indicates the abysmal numbers. No formal report or document has been given, probably because admitting to such low numbers on paper would be opening a can of worms, but the writing is on the wall: Tigers are dying, fast.

The first phase of this all-India estimate which was to indicate the presence and absence of tigers in reserves, national parks, sanctuaries and even outside protected areas, the presence, abundance or lack thereof of prey species and habitat quality. Also, the data generated would classify habitat into high, medium, low density and void of tigers, a la Sariska. Habitats were divided into beats of about 15 to 20 sq km for this task, primarily to be done by the forest guards, and rangers and officials.

This was expected to help monitoring of tigers, their prey base, vegetation bio-mass and the health of the habitat, and also the idea was to put the data of tiger occupancy and habitat status into a GIS domain. This modelling would have helped determine camera trap placements, pug marks and DNA analysis of tiger scats which would together help arrive at a tiger census.

This first phase was completed in most cases by January 2006, expect for Arunachal Pradesh which got over by March. Four months on, none of the 17 states have sent a report to the Wildlife Institute of India. In fact at a meeting of Chief Wildlife Wardens from across India held three weeks back, pressure was put on the states to submit their initial findings, but to no avail.

It is also learnt that numbers in Madhya Pradesh, the 'Tiger State' of India are down by half, in reserves, and mainly outside protected areas, which constituted about 40 per cent of the State population of about 700. A meeting of park directors and forest officials was convened three weeks back to discuss this crisis, though no written report has been submitted.

The questions that come to mind are: Why are these indicative numbers not being made public, and at the very least, why have they not been documented? Unless the findings of the first phase are documented how can we go into the next phase of arriving at a tiger census through camera trapping etc. across the country? Do we have enough manpower and equipment to do this across India, for if it's done phase-wise across the country due to the acknowledged shortage of equipment etc., will we be still counting tigers when there are none left to enumerate?

Even as one writes this, two tiger skin were seized on Friday in Birganj on Indo-Nepal border, and three Indians from the Bavariya tribe arrested for the same. In the past three months, four tigresses were killed in Corbett, a young tigress was run over by a train in Dudhwa and another was "probably poisoned" in Kanha this week.

Even as the shocking figures come in, the Government is putting the final nail in the coffin by putting pressure to dilute the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 under pressure from the industrial and mining lobbies on the one hand and also preparing to table the controversial Tribal Land Rights Bill, which will essentially distribute large chunks of forest land and tiger habitat to tribals, when Parliament reconvenes on May 10.

What hope then for Panthera tigris tigris?

Tiger Reserve ----------------- 2002 Census ------------ Current preliminary estimates

Palamau (Jharkhand) ----------------- 32 ----------------------------------------------------4

Valmiki (Bihar) --------------------------- 53 ----------------------------------------------- 5-10

Simlipal (Orissa) ------------------------ 99 ------------------------------------------------ 4- 8

Nagarjunasagar ------------------------- 67 ----------------------------------------------- 7-10

(Andhra Pradesh)

Indravati (Chattisgarh) ----------------- 29 ------------------------------------------------- 0-5

Namdapha -------------------------------- 67 ------------------------------------------------- 4-6

(Arunachal Pradesh)

Buxa (West Bengal) -------------------- 31 ------------------------------------------------- 0-3

Manas (Assam) ------------------------- 65 ------------------------------------------------- 4-8

Ranthmabhore -------------------------- 35 -----------------------------------------------15-20

Sariska ------------------------------------ 22 ----------------------------------------------- None

From the Indian Express (South India edition)

Do-Do-Doomed?
Friday April 28 2006 14:23 IST

Shekar Dattatri

The Indian Tiger

As a budding naturalist growing up in Madras, I devoured every book on wildlife that I could get my hands on. I remember that whenever I came across the subject of extinction, two species figured prominently - the dodo and the passenger pigeon. The dodo, a large flightless bird found only on the island of Mauritius, fell prey to passing ships. With no predators on the island, the birds were completely tame, and foolishly trusting of the first humans. They were easily massacred. Those that survived were finished off by domestic animals introduced by humans. The phrase ‘as dead as a dodo’ entered the lexicon sometime after the last specimen died in 1681, less than 100 years after the species was first discovered. The passenger pigeon of North America was perhaps the most numerous bird species on the planet in the 1800s. Observers wrote about flocks so large that they obscured the sky for hours and days as they passed overhead. Their estimated population at the time was 5 billion! Then began the most rapid - and wanton - extermination of this incredibly abundant species. Tens of thousands of the pigeons were slaughtered everyday until the species became rare, and then extinct. The last one, named Martha, died in the Cincinnati Zoo in September 1914.

Today both the dodo and the passenger pigeon are distant memories as hundreds of species are poised on the brink of extinction. Scientists acknowledge that the human-induced extirpation of species currently underway is the greatest mass extinction witnessed on earth since the disappearance of the dinosaurs. We have left virtually no area of the earth untouched, and the climate change triggered off by our activities has set the stage for an even more catastrophic decline in the earth’s biodiversity.

Developing countries, mostly in the tropics, invariably harbour the greatest diversity of life and will probably lose the maximum number of species, thanks growing human populations aspiring for a western-style of life. The list of critically endangered species in these countries is alarmingly high, and India is no exception. The disappearance of each species is like the destruction of an unread book containing untold wisdom, and with its passing the planet will be a poorer place for us to live. How then do you select species for special mention? One could list species whose numbers have dropped so low as to virtually guarantee their disappearance within the next 50 years or less, and sorrowfully write their obituaries. The other approach, which might be more useful, is to look at species that can still make it IF we get our act together NOW. In that spirit, here are five of my favourite endangered species in India and what we can do to keep them from going the way of the dodo and the passenger pigeon.

TIGER

The most magnificent predator on earth.

Estimated population: Less than 3,000 in the wild in India. l The Downside: Depleted prey in most parts of its range makes it harder for the species to bounce back. The tiger’s highly coveted hide, whiskers, claws and bones make it a prize target for poachers. l The Upside: Adaptable to a range of climatic conditions and forest types, from freezing, snowbound Siberia to muggy mangrove forests. Prolific breeder (a tigress can raise three to four cubs every three years). l Conservation Strategy: Make tiger reserves inviolate; strengthen protection by posting the right people with enough resources to manage reserves; make saving the national animal a national priority.

GOLDEN LANGUR

The most startlingly beautiful monkey of all. l Estimated population: Less than 1,500. l The Downside: Inhabits a small range on the Assam-Bhutan border, some of it highly fragmented and under threat. Remoteness of its range removes it from the public eye, so conservation efforts are lackadaisical. l The Upside: Not a commercially hunted species. Not a specialised feeder and is therefore able to survive on a variety of leaves, fruits and nuts.

Conservation Strategy: Ensure interconnectedness of protected habitats and involvement of local communities.

GHARIAL

The strangest looking crocodile in the world. l Estimated population: Less than 1,000 adults. l The Downside: Most of the river stretches it inhabits are subject to heavy fishing activity by humans. Hundreds of juveniles and dozens of adults get trapped in these fishing nets every year and die. Agriculture has steadily encroached on to riverbanks, diminishing basking and nesting sites. Sand mining to supply the construction boom is making further inroads into its limited habitat.

The Upside: Prolific breeder, breeds well in captivity too and can be restocked in the wild without much effort. l Conservation Strategy: Ensure large stretches of its riverine habitat are free from fishing, agriculture and sand mining.

GREAT PIED HORNBILL

One of the most spectacular birds on earth. l Estimated population: Unknown, but on the decline. l The Downside: Needs large areas of pristine moist deciduous and rainforest for survival, and these habitats are shrinking fast. Hunted by tribal communities in its range for food and for golden-yellow casque. Not prolific breeders (females raise just one or two chicks every two years). l The Upside: Not in demand for Chinese medicine - yet! l Conservation Strategy: Protect its habitat and involve tribal communities living in the region.

OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLE

A passenger pigeon in the making.

Estimated population: Unknown, but still numerous in India. That can change, however, in the next 50 years if adequate steps are not taken. l The Downside: Thousands of breeding adult Olive Ridleys die every year after getting accidentally trapped in the nets of mechanised fishing boats. Rising sea levels due to global warming are likely to submerge current nesting beaches. l The Upside: Prolific breeder (lays over a hundred eggs at a time). Responds well to conservation initiatives and can be saved with minimal expense and intervention. Ordinary citizens and even students can make a significant contribution to its conservation. Global warming is finally receiving more attention worldwide. l Conservation Strategy: Enforce existing mechanised fishing laws, particularly in breeding congregation areas; protect nesting beaches; involve students all along India’s coastline to participate in sea turtle conservation, along the lines of Chennai’s Student Sea Turtle Conservation Network.

The writer is a wildlife and conservation filmmaker.

Email: dattatri@vsnl.com

Going, going...

Species that could go extinct in India within the next 25 years unless urgent measures are initiated

Jerdon’s Courser: Rediscovered in 1986 after being considered extinct since 1900, this long-legged, largely nocturnal bird is only known from the small Sri Lankamaleswara Sanctuary in Cuddapah District in Andhra Pradesh, an area of scrub jungle that is now being threatened with destruction by the Telugu-Ganga canal.

Forest Spotted Owlet: Rediscovered in 1997 after being thought extinct for over a century, less than a 100 of these tiny owlets are known to exist. Most of these have been spotted in Maharashtra’s Melghat Tiger Reserve.

Great Indian Bustard: A large, handsome bird that was once fairly abundant in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, less than 1,000 survive today, the primary reason being hunting and the expansion of agriculture and cattle grazing into their diminishing grassland habitat.

Brow Antlered Deer or Sangai: Also known as the dancing deer because of their mincing steps while walking in their marshland habitat, the Indian population of this deer is predominantly found in Manipur’s Keibul-Lamjao National Park. Poaching, habitat loss and inbreeding are continuing threats to the species.

Asiatic Lion: Only about 350 Asiatic lions survive today, most of them in Gujarat’s Gir forest. Conservationists worry that an outbreak of disease could wipe them out in one go. Efforts are underway to relocate some prides to a forest in Madhya Pradesh, but the plan has faced stiff opposition so far from the Gujarat Government.

... Gone

Species that went extinct in India during the last 200 years

Sumatran Rhino: A smaller rhino who lived in the north-east India.

Pink-headed Duck: Although rumours of sightings have been heard occasionally, there have been no confirmed reports of this attractive species in India since 1935.

Cheetah: Very similar in appearance to the African and Iranian cheetahs, the last Indian cheetah was shot in 1951. In recent times there has been talk about bringing back the cheetah through cloning. While it may be technically feasible to recreate an extinct species using this expensive and time-consuming technique, it serves little purpose if the animal’s habitat has been destroyed in the meanwhile as in the case of the cheetah.

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The Ark was made by amateurs. Experts built the Titanic.

Mehul Kamdar

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