Guns and Gaurds: Deployment of Tiger Protection Force in Katerniaghat

Katerniaghat wildlife sanctuary is one of the most sensitive protected areas of the state. The most important reason is presence of porous Indo-Nepal border all along the northern boundary of the sanctuary. It is very interesting that in Nepalese side there is no forest left. Actually they have cut there forests few decades back. It was always very difficult for the forest staff to tackle the biotic pressure mounted from Nepalese side in the past. Illicit felling and poaching use to be a great problem in these areas. Deployment of SSB on border has certainly reduced the pressure but still there was a need of man power support to the forest department to face such problems more professionally.
Recently the Government of India, National Tiger Conservation Authority decided to deploy Tiger Protection Force in all Tiger Reserve of the country. In the initial phase it had been decided that Ex-Army men and local villagers will be deployed for this purpose. In Katerniaghat we deployed the Tiger Protection Force from Feb 08 onward and the results are very encouraging.
We have got extra man power which is 24 hours available for patrolling and other preventive works. The guns, guards, vehicle and local youth have given an edge to the protection strategy in the division. Recently in an encounter with Nepalese poachers we could arrest 4 offenders with a muzzle loaded gun. The Forest Guard and the Tiger Protection Force was on patrolling in bordering area and got information from 'mukhbir' that people are planning to poach ungulates and will enter in the forest area. The 'gadabandi' was done and in an encounter the poachers were apprehended read handed.
Before this incident, when we were facing Leopard menace problem in Sujauli area, the force gave extra ordinary support to our efforts to mitigate the problem. I strongly feel that 'Guns and Guards matter a lot' when we have to protect our dwindling wildlife against all odds. The deployment of force is very helpful for the field staff...as the feed back I am getting from my range officers. Thanks for those who cares for our invaluable wildlife wealth.

But the question is who is to be blamed ?

Man-Animal Conflict is one of the most alarming issues in the field of wildlife conservation. In last few months we have faced many problems in the state. There are many views on this issue. Mr. Amit Misra is a professional C.A. but I know him as a keen wildlifer and bird watcher. He and his friends...rather good friends... Sameer Pandey, Manasvi Jain and Shekhar simply love forests and wildlife and always show very keen interest in related isssues.

Amit Misra Writes: A man-animal conflict results in a lot of bitterness for the wild animals. But the question is who is to be blamed ? On one hand we have the animals who do not know the boundaries of civilized living and while roaming free thinking the world to be their homes and often pound upon a person who the perceive as a threat walking into their homes. So from their side they are not at fault. On the other hand we have the human population living in and around the forest area with “living and surviving” primary in their minds . They too need the basics of living and also want that “development” to take place around them so their point of view is also correct. Then who is to be blamed ???. Well the answer lies in the fact that human population irrespective of the geography has increased rapidly and so have the pressure exerted by the population on the natural resources. Often the human victim of a wild animal, has actually gone too close to the wild animal and thus resulted in inducing the animal into attacking them. Another reason for these attack can be decrease in the prey base of the carnivores (again due to human related factors like deforestation etc.) which makes animals venture near the human population. What worries me more is that with the present declining populations we have reasonalbe numbers of conflicts , then whether the recent campaign to protect the Tiger, which in turn may result in a larger population of carnivores in general be supported by our present jungles or would it result in more conflicts. We have to set priorities as to whether we need to protect these carnivores and the jungle or the human population. Both cannot shake hands and move along as one is a wild animal and another a selfish species. People living the forest areas have to understand the basic safety requirements they are required to meet and also that they live in a dangerous area and so might result in some casualties (similar to a person living in say the border area with Pakistan and who understands the dangers of shelling from the other side) and also to be respected is the fact that animals do not have a voice to defend themselves for their actions.
As Posted by Amit Misra on April 26, 2008 12:08 AM

Gharials Breeding: Nesting completed in river Girwa

The Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) is recently placed in 'critically endangered' category. In present scenario not more than 150 beeding Gharials are left in the wilderness. The reasons are fishing, netting, mining, agriculture on the banks of rivers, loss of breeding habitat etc. Recently 'toxin insult' in river Chambal has made the situation worse.

River Girwa in Katerniaghat Sanctuary is one of the 'last resorts' of Gharials in India. In recent past though the population has gone up, particularly the number of males have increased from 4-5 to 10-11. But the situation was not like this in the recent past. When I joined this place the natural breeding of Gharial was definitely in stress. The anthropogenic predation was the main threat. The Nepalese tribals used to steal the eggs to eat. The biotic pressure and grazing on sand bars of river Girwa was very high. The sand bar were frequently trampled by cattle of nearby villagers. The Gharials were not breeding properly that time and there was no observation or record to understand what is actually going on. In the year 2005 we started protecting nests of Gharial and we could locate only 4 nests of Gharials on a single sand bar. And that was the beginning of the work 'Operation Croc' in the river Girwa. Romulus Whitaker and B C Chaudhary were always helpful and gave valuable advise time to time. We started observing Gharials particularly their population dynamics.

In the year 2006, the number of nests reached to 18, which was undoubtedly very encouraging result. But at the same time we observed that the nesting has been done again on a single sand bar, which is relatively elevated in shape and has less threat from flood. That sand bar was badly eroded in the flood season. In the year 2007, before the 'trial nesting' started, we took the risk to manipulate the sand bar to 're-construct' to its original shape. We used the sand of Girwa to recreate the natural environ for the Gharials. It was a successful experiment. the Gharials accepted the sandbar for the nesting and laid eggs in 24 nest pits...The number had gone up. In the last July more than thousand hatchlings could come out from them. The mortality during hatching was not a problem, but the survival rate remain very poor due to fast flowing water during high flood season.

This year i.e. 2008 we again manipulated the same sand bar for the natural breeding of the Gharials. Which has shown positive result. Nearly 27 nests have been located so far. The sand bar is over crowded and high stratification and layering in the nesting process has been observed. Competition amongst the female gharials have been noted. Recently Romulus Whitaker was in K'ghat and after a long discussion with him we have decided to manipulate the near by sand bar in next breeding season. It will require removal of vegetation and creation of gentle slope so that Gharial may occupy 'that sandbar' for the nesting purpose. It is really encouraging to observe the result that number of nest has gone from '5 to 25' in last 3 years. We have collected data related to natural breeding of Gharials of K'ghat so that it can be used in documentation purposes. My team members particularly MK Shukla, Range Officer, Ram Rup and Somayi boatmen have really done a good job.

(Photo: A Gharial hatchling of last year)

Man killed in a Tiger attack

Yesterday a young man was killed in a tiger attack in Bagulahiya farm area of Nishangada range in Katerniaghat sanctuary. Four people had gone to collect thatch grass in Central State Seed Form area at early in morning. They entered in swampy wet grassland area near Lathauwa Nala, which is one of the most congenial place for the tiger to take rest. The deceased whose name was Imran, aged 20, accidentally reached near the tiger who was taking rest in a 'bojhi' near by. The tiger just slapped the man on his head and caught his neck in his mouth and the life of the young man was no more. The rest three people who had come with Imaran ran away when they heard the help call of the deceased and a deep throated growl coming form the bojhi. Tiger did not dragged or carry away the body from the place of incident. The body was intact, not eaten at all. The dead body was recovered when the range officer rushed to the spot with local police.

This is the sixth incident in the last three years when a human life has gone in a tiger attack. It is notworthy to mention that in four incidents, the body parts were eaten by the tigers or tigress. In all last five cases, I made it a point that no 'man killing' has to be converted in to a 'man eating' case and I did not leave any stone unturned..., I am happy to share that we succeeded in all last five cases. No second incident was carried out by the tigers in all last five man killing cases. I am happy that we could not only saved the life of poor people but also proved that 'accidental killings' are not 'man eating' cases. The 'human killing' cases are not 'man eating' as it is very indiscriminately understood.

I have noticed that such incidents do occur in human dominated landscapes, where people are very poor, where they knowingly enter in the mouth of wild animals for their day to day needs, where the tigers are breeding and cubs are carelessly playing with the mother tigress and where the 'transient males' are in search of new territories...

Such incidents are important if we consider the wildlife conservation in a positive way but many a times it is a great problem to face in a democratic society when people say 'go back with your tiger' or 'keep your tiger inside your forests'... Still we need more awareness, more trainings, more eco-development works..more support from all quarters..

Croc Tales: Film on Gharials of Katerniaghat

In Katerniaghart, the crue members of the Icon films (Bristol, UK) is busy in shooting the Gharial's life for last few days. Noted herpetologist Romulus Whitaker is the expert commentator in the film, who will nerrate the life cycle of Gharials. This is the breeding time of Gharials and the nesting process has already been accelerated in river Girwa. Gharial has now been declared as 'Critically Endangered' by IUCN very recently . It is twenty time more endangered that tiger. There are not more than 150 breeding population of Gharial is left in the wilderness. The latest 'Toxin insult' phenomenon in Chambal has made the situation more pathetic. Katerniaghat is one of the places where Gharial population has shown a significant increase. The number of male Gharials have increased from 4 to 10. The number of nests have also gone up four times in last three years. It is due to serious efforts done by our motivated team in conservation of Gharial at Katerniaghat. Hope this movie will make people more aware to conserve our one of the oldest life form on planet earth.

Four cubs with tigress sighted in Dudhwa

I was in Dudhwa last week. I went there to attend a mock presentation which had to be given by 'Thumber Art' in connection with establishment of Interpretation Centre at Dudhwa. At evening we went to banke taal area in South Sonaripur range to sight a tigress who has given birth to four cubs few months back. Fortunately we could locate them. The four cubs were playing in grassland. The tigress was in side the tall grasses and did not come out. But the cute four cubs played amongst them for more than 30 minutes. It was a very interesting sighting. I had never seen four cubs together in wilderness ever before. Earlier I had seen two tiger cubs in Katerniaghat. This was amazing and a life time experience. I was fortunate enough to photograph them even in poor dusky light.

Photo-Four tiger cubs-Ramesh Pandey

Ray of hope: Vultures breeding going on

For last three years we are observing and recording that vultures are breeding in Katerniaghat. Recently I found that around 50 vultures mainly Long billed and White back are sitting on one of the sand bars of river Girwa in Katerniaghat range. Most of them had opened their wing as they are basking the sun. Some of them were sitting together at ground level. Same day I noticed that in grasslands vultures are sitting on a Semal tree in the same range. That tree had two nests. This year around 20 vultures have made their nest in and around Katerniaghat. Mostly they nest and roost on Haldu and Semal trees. In last three years first time I observed that they are 'sitting' on sand bars for a few days. Earlier I had contacted with Dr Rahmani regarding the nesting of the vultures then he had told me to notice the 'drooping neck' syndrome in them, which I did not find. They were agile and more active since last few sightings. I sighted vultures in Motipur range also on the same place and at the same tree where I had seen them last year. My friend Sanjay Kumar sighted around 50 vultures in Kishanpur sanctuary last week.

WWF-Nepal officials visit Katerniaghat

Katerniaghat is strategically located in between Bardia National Park and Dudhwa National Park. It is directly connected with Khata corridor with Bardia. It is therefore movement of Rhino, Elephant and Tiger species is being facilitated. The porous Indo-Nepal border is a great threat for illegal trafficking of wildlife parts. To discuss all these issues Dr. Bivash Pandav (WWF-International), Anil Manander and Santosh Nepal (WWF-Nepal) visited Katerniaghat recently. Dr. Johnsingh also joined them at Nishangara rest house. He came from Banglore. It was really a fruitful get together to study and analyse the trans-boundary issues at field level.