121 Breeding Tigers Estimated To Be Found In Nepal

Kathmandu, Nepal – The first ever overall nation-wide estimate of the tiger population brought a positive ray of hope among conservationists. The figures announced by the Nepal Government's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) shows the presence of 121 (100 – 194) breeding tigers in the wild within the four protected areas of Nepal. The 2008 tiger population estimate was jointly implemented by the DNPWC, Department of Forests (DOF), WWF, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) with support from Save The Tiger Fund (STF), WWF-US, WWF-UK, WWF International and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).The 2008 nation-wide tiger population was initiated on 15 November 2009 in the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) of Nepal both inside and outside the protected areas of Nepal. [TAL encompasses the Terai region of Nepal and into tiger range states across the border into India.]"To obtain reliable population estimates of wide ranging species like the tiger, it is important to undertake the survey simultaneously in all potential habitats," says Dr. Rinjan Shrestha, Conservation Biologist with WWF Nepal. Previous studies had been undertaken in different time periods and at different spatial scales."To derive information on both abundance and distribution of tigers, the current survey employed two methods - Camera Trapping method inside the protected areas and Habitat Occupancy survey both inside and outside the protected areas."According to WWF Global Tiger Network Initiative, the wild tiger population is at a tipping point. Tigers are experiencing a range collapse, occupying 40 per cent less habitat than was estimated just one decade ago. The estimated number of tigers in important range countries is frighteningly low, with a recent government census suggesting there may be as few as 1,300 tigers left in India, the species' stronghold. And tigers are facing an epidemic of poaching and habitat loss across their range.The main reason for the decline of tiger populations has been attributed to poaching and illegal trade. This is linked to the illegal international trade in tiger parts and derivatives (skin, bones, meat in some cases although not reported in Nepal) and use in traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM). Apart from these, sporadic cases of retaliatory killing from irate communities have been reported. Other important reasons of tiger population decline are habitat shrinkage and fragmentation due to human intervention, loss/decline of prey species."The tiger numbers have increased in Chitwan but decreased in Bardia and Shuklaphanta," said Mr. Anil Manandhar, Country Representative, WWF Nepal."In spite of the decade long insurgency, encroachment, poaching and illegal trade, the present numbers is a positive sign, but we can't remain unworried. The declining numbers in western Nepal has posed more challenges, needing a concerted effort to save this charismatic endangered species focusing on anti-poaching and illegal wildlife trade."The Government of Nepal has approved and launched the 'Tiger conservation Action Plan 2008- 2012'. A comprehensive management plan has been devised in which the target is to increase the population of tigers by 10 per cent within the first 5 year period of the plan implementation."Tigers can not be saved by the effort of a single individual or a single organization," said Mr. Gopal Prasad Upadhyay, Director General, DNPWC. "The transboundary relation with India needs to be strengthened further and all organizations should work together to conserve tigers."http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727135537.htm

(Note: The tiger population in a tiger ranging country like India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Combodia, Thailand etc. indicates the health of the forests and ecological units of that country. Tiger is an umbrella species, symbolic species, flagship species... placed at the top of the ecological pyramid. If the tiger are wiped out means the forests will also go in due course of time or that will become 'green desert' as said by Valmik Thapar in an interview recently. How does it sound 1000 tigers left in India and 100 in Nepal? It is humiliating and discouraging. Would it be possible to convince the society about the meaning of these headlines? As a common human being of this county I ask these questions from myself only...Ramesh Pandey)

Just 1,000 tigers left in India

By Gill CharltonPublished: 8:00AM BST 18 Jul 2009, Telegraph,UK.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/5850187/Just-1000-tigers-left-in-India.html

Only a year ago there were calculated to be 24 tigers in the park, one of India’s 27 tiger reserves.
A century ago, India had about 40,000 tigers. By 1988, as a result of extensive hunting and poaching, there were just 4,500 left. Now the true figure is probably 1,000.
Panna, located near Khajuraho, is the second reserve in which there are now no tigers. Sariska National Park in Rajasthan lost all its tigers in 2005.
The decline is said to be largely down to poachers serving an insatiable demand for tiger bones, claws and skin in China, Taiwan and Korea, where they are used in traditional medicine. Other factors include electric fences erected by farmers, illegal logging and fights between male tigers over diminishing territory.
Several years ago I visited the forests of Bandhavgarh National Park, a few hours’ drive from Panna in remote Madhya Pradesh . The park contains about 45 tigers and offers the best chance in the world of seeing these kings of the jungle in the wild.
I saw six different tigers, including a magnificent young male. I followed through the jungle on the back of an elephant as the tiger marked his range. Eventually he strolled right up to us and dropped at our feet. It was a moving experience – his black-striped pelt was beautiful, so shiny and silken, his paws were huge, the size of dinner plates, and his large yellow eyes seemed to look straight through us. He was too young to fear, too old to be shy. Now he may be dead.
Even at relatively well-run Bandhavgarh there has been poaching. Just before my visit a gang had been caught with seven tiger skins. I was told that the men involved were from Tamil Nadu in the south and that they had struck – with local help – on the orders of a Nepalese-based gang.
It was said that the villager who led the poachers to the tigers was paid £100 for his services – a sum it is hard to resist in what is one of the poorest parts of rural India.
An official government census of the tiger population in all India’s reserves is being carried out this October; the results could make very sad reading.

(Note: This is the 'new number' given to the tiger population in India by the conservationists and international media. Earlier it was said that there had been 40,000 tigers in the country which declined to 1400 in 2007 as per the camera trap method estimation jointly done by NTCA and WII. Now it is said that there had been 1,00,000 tigers in India centuries back which has now come down to 1000. Is it true that only 1000 tigers are left in a vast country with 23% of total geographical area under forests. Only 1000 tigers left in our wilderness including tiger reserves??? It sounds frightening. It is more frightening when some people guess it even lesser. Are we going to loose all our tigers in wilderness in the next coming decade? This situation is extremely challenging. Efforts are continuously made from all possible quarters, but there is something missing... perhaps the spirit.....spirit to save 'our tigers'..........one of the most fascinating flagship species of 'our country'............our 'national animal'. It is a war like situation, as I strongly feel now and then...........but do we really have warriors??--Ramesh Pandey)

Forest dept relieved as master poacher is behind the bars

The department is relieved after the conviction of a poacher by a Pilibhit court in a tiger poaching case of 1992. The five-year sentence and a fine of Rs 25,000 to Dalipo (55) has given hope to the department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) that the activities of her gang would now be curbed.
The accused was caught with tiger skin and bones. During investigation, her name had also cropped up in trading tiger skins to notorious trader in wildlife products, Sansar Chand.
Dalipo’s gang, comprising mostly her relatives and locals, operated in the pretext of beggars and vendors. They would live on the border of tiger sanctuaries in makeshift huts. The gang was active mainly in Pilibhit, Pithoragarh and Lakhimpur Kheri.
Her brother Tota Ram had figured during investigation in a tiger poaching case in East Terai division of Uttarakhand in 2004-05. Cases of tiger poaching have also been registered against her son and daughter-in-law.
“The gang, operating as poachers, carriers and traders of tiger skin, bones, has been active for at least 30 years before it caught our attention in 2005,” said a senior WCCB official.
A native of Haryana, Dalipo was caught in 2005 with a tiger skin and skeleton. But she and her nine co-accused had got away with a sentence of only nine months.
Dalipo has been found involved in four cases of tiger poaching. In 2007-08, iron traps were found from her in possession in Mehrosa. A tiger skin was seized from her in Kishanpur in 2006-07.

Link:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/forest-dept-relieved-as-master-poacher-is-behind-the-bars/487926/

Katerniaghat echoed in Rajya Sabha

Here is a good news for all who love a place called Katerniaghat. It is also a good news for all who believe that hard work speaks louder than words and for them also who wish that such lesser known marvels must get their recognition before getting wiped out from the wildlife scene.

The day before yesterday there were variety of news stories in Indian dailies like 'depleting tiger population', 're-introduction of Cheetah or 'Say cheese-Cheetah is being imported' and so on and so forth. Actually the hon. MOS, MoEF, Mr Jairam Ramesh had remarkably replied the queries of the hon Members of Parliament during calling attention motion in Rajya Sabha on 07.07.09. The motion was called by hon Member of Parliament Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy on depleting tiger population in the country.

Yesterday one of my friend informed me that during the motion some hon member took the name of Katerniaghat for its revival and good tiger population in the area. And it was unbelievably true. The hon Member of Parliament and renowned media personality Mr Chandan Mitra (Editor The Pioneer, New Delhi) mentioned the success story of restoration of Katerniaghat while narrating the plight of tiger reserves of our country.

The Katerniaght finally figured out as one of important tiger areas. We; out team worked hard for almost four years to revitalize the area. It was our team work that payed finally and the tiger population got revamped.

It is very interesting to share that it took me almost one year to sight a tiger in Katerniaghat in 2005, staff took another year to sight tigers in their beats and ranges and visitors could locate tigers only third year onwards in the sanctuary. Our surveillance technique to monitor tigers and leopards on day to day basis worked remarkably well. It got institutionalised in the division afterward. It helped in strategising protection measures in the area. The breeding of tigers started from the first year itself after getting stress free habitat and subsequently every year3-4 tigers bred successfully.

I could take a photograph in which three tigers (mother and two sub adult cubs) were walking on bandha. That was probably the first ever photograph of tiger family in Katerniaghat. The poaching was controlled by mainly arresting 16 Bawarias including queenpin Dilipo and dreaded Dariya and not allowing them to come out from jail till conviction. Fighting against all odds we worked like bhoot, day and night and we could see jungle smiling, swinging and dancing.

Mr Chandan Mitra said"good example of a complete regeneration is a sanctuary called Kathaniya Ghat in UP, where at one stage it had been devastated by the maoists from Nepal but today, it has been regenerated and the tiger population has returned".

It is a great compliments for us. I remember it is said that beauty is in the eyes of beholder. No doubt such compliment is a reward for our team who worked day and night to fight against all odds (including 3 big dharnas, many FIRs, complaints, attacks and rumors). My all team members who did remarkable job during that time and were instrumental in arresting around 250 accused in almost 4 years time are here with me to share this compliments. I know how much time, energy and labour it takes to take an accused on judicial remand when the competent court is 70-100 Km away from the remote jungle. And then opposing bail, most of the time in session court also and finally filing complaints and fighting to get them convicted. It is tough job for the forest staff who has lot many other works to do. I remember one of the mafia after 'Operation Trishul' filed 19 writ petition in high court to get back the seized timber (11 trucks of teak and khair wood).

The successful natural breeding of Gharials (2005 to 2008), revival of swamp deer, increase in prey base were other symptoms of healing. There are other such remarks given by like AJT John Singh, PK Sen, Dr Asad Rahmani, Rom Whittaker, Ravi Singh, Bivash Pandav, Raja CKP Singh, Neeraj Srivastava, Rupak De, and other wildlife experts who had seen Katerniaghat earlier and can simply visualise and compare the changes in their subsequent visits. Thanks to all who encouraged us for our good works. There was always great support from our PCCFs and CWLWs. Some of our media friend were generous enough to give us lots of space from local to national level.

I left Katerniaghat on 17th July 2008 and has yet to complete one year in Delhi on deputation to GoI, but still feel a strong bondage with that area, which is unique in its nature. I say Katerniaghat is like Banaras, it takes time to understand it.

Recently one of my friend Sanjay Kumar could get photograph of 3 tigers together in Katerniaghat range. Tigers breeding is on and this year some of the females have given birth to cubs. Now they are coming out with them.

The problem which is cropping up there is of 'pressure' in two of the buffer ranges and two adjoining ranges of the sanctuary. The Katerniaghat and Nishangada range has still great potential to accommodate increasing tiger population.

The challenge is to keep the area healthier and better, because it takes too much time to revive an area, but when it start sliding down it takes no time to ruin the whole castle. There are many examples of it.

I wish all the best for Katerniaghat and for my team who worked there with me for those four years.