No hotels within 2 km of Gir Lion Sanctuary, Gujarat, India

Hoteliers eyeing business opportunities around Gir Sanctuary, Gujarat, India may not have many options left. The State Forest Department has banned such activities within the two- km radius of the sanctuary.

The department recently issued a notification restricting setting up any new hotel business in the two km periphery of the sanctuary. The decision is aimed at giving Asiatic Lions free access to the Sasan Gir Sanctuary and to project their natural corridor.

Forest officials said, however, those Hotels and Farmhouses which are already in the business would continue to do so. He said after the tourism department’s advertisement featuring Gujarat brand Ambassador Amithbh Bachan, there was a mad rush of the tourists to the sanctuary. Sensing opportunities, businessmen started buying land in the area. This forced the state forest department to come out with the regulation.

S.K. Nanda, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment Department said the restriction on the Hotel Industry was only to give free excess to the Lions.

He said that the movement of the Lions was getting restricted because of the developments happening around the Sanctuary. Nanda said the Department has also asked existing hotel owners to have their flood lights placed in such a way that it would not affect the movement of Lions.

Coutesy :- The Times Of India.

Vulture Colony in Zampodar Village, Gujarat, India – VANISHES!!!!

An entire #Vulture colony at Zampodar village in Rajula Taluka of Amreli district, #Gujarat, #India which had been a roosting and nesting site for nearly 31 #WhiteRompedVultures, has gone missing for past two months.

“We had early spotted 31 Vultures, mostly White Romped Vultures, at Zampodar village in Rajula Taluka. It was a traditional Vulture colony. But, not a single vulture is found here since the past two months. It is unusual and shocking. We fear that it may have just vanished,” said #RuchiDave, Vulture #Conservationist and honorary #wildlife warden, Bhavnagar District.

“During the last survey, more than 81 vultures were spotted in the Mahuva-Nageshri range. Now, we need to find out the cause behind the disappearance (of the colony)” said Dave. Vultures are endangered species and falls under the schedule one category of Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972. “The forest department should appoint a monitoring committee to look into the matter and prepare scientific status report about the missing Vulture colony,” she added.

Dave said the Mahuva-Nagashri and Rajula ranges on #Saurashtra coast are a few of the last sites for vultures in the state where they roost and nest on coconut trees.

Wildlife activists fear that further negligence could lead to the complete disappearance to these birds. In fact, there is no regular monitoring mechanism for vultures by the forest department. “There are no measures in place to rescue and treat ill vultures and monitor vanishing ones. In 2006, 31 vultures were found dead. The same thing can happen again. Before things get worst, we need to act fast,” Dave said.

Dave has been actively involved in vulture conservation and is a member of #BirdConservationSociety Gujarat (BCSG) which runs a feeding site for vultures at Asharana village.

However, the forest department is not aware of the entire episode. When contacted, J.K. Makwana, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Amreli district, said, “We have come to know about it from local volunteers and we have asked the local forest department to look into the matter”.

Sources said there are three major Panjrapols – (Animal Shelters) in the area Rajula Chhaparivaku and Nalga where vultures can be given animal carcasses feed. “But, vultures do not land there for various reasons… So there is a need to develop a few more feeding sites,” said Dave.

“Mostly, local voluntary groups are monitoring the vultures’ activity with the help of the forest department. We have also asked local volunteers to submit a project plan to carry out the conservation work,” said Bharat Pathak, Director, GEER Foundation, which monitors vanishing Vulture species.

Apart from missing the vulture colony, sources confirmed that six vultures have had died since January 2011. They include three White Romped Vultures in Mahuva-Rajula range and three #Long-Billed Vultures in Girnar. “As of now, we do not know the exact reasons for the death of these vultures but we have sent two samples for analysis at #PinjoreVultureBreedingCenter. We would be able to know the exact reason once the report arrives.” said Dave.

Courtesy :- Times Of India.

India Goverment okays Eco-Sensitive zones around 4 Sanctuaries in Gujarat

Gujarat’s #wildlife just got a new lease of life. The central government on Thursday declared the setting up of #eco-sensitive zones in a five km radius around four important sanctuaries- #Gir, Purna in the Dangs, Vasda National Park in Navsari and Narayan Sarovar in Kutch.

The Supreme Court had directed the state government to identify eco-sensitive zones around wildlife reserves. The Center’s stamp of approval came in Thursday.

The new guidelines on eco-sensitive zones ban construction. Mining, other industrial activities and other tourism activities in these areas. Felling of trees, change of agricultural systems, commercial use of natural water resources, setting up of #hotels and #resorts, flying over in an aircraft or hot air balloon, discharge of effluents and solid waste in natural water bodies will be regulated.

Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said the minstery is also considering #Balaram-Ambaji in #Banaskantha, #MarineNationalPark, #Jamnagar and #Shoolpaneshwar sanctuaries for similar zones.

Ramesh in a letter to chief minister Narendra Modi, said he hoped to finalize them in the next four weeks, Balaram – Ambaji sanctuary is know for #slothbears while Shoolpaneshwar has #four-hornedAntelope and #BarkingDeerPopulation.

Monitoring of the zones will be done by a committee headed by the district collector. Other members will include a representative from the Union ministry of environment and forests, regional officer of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, the local town planner and the deputy conservator of forests.

The notification issued for Gir Sanctuary says 8318 hectares have been declared eco-sensitive in Junagadh and Bhesan talukas of Junagadh District.

In #NarayanSarovar, 22588 hectares of Abdasa, Lakhpat, Nakhatrana talukas in Kutch are now eco-sensitive zone of Purna sanctuary will cover Ahwa and #Songadh while that of #VansdaSanctuary will cover parts of #Ahwa, #Vansda and #Vyara.

Courtesy:- Times Of India, May 13th, 2011, Friday.

17 species of se recorded at Marine Park

As many as 17 species of sea slugs were reported and recorded for the first time in India during a recent study by a team of scientists led by Dr Deepak Apte from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at five different locations in the Marine National Park, Jamnagar.

A total of 45 species of sea slugs — soft-bodied marine creature — were recorded. Of these, 35 were being recorded for the first time in Gujarat. “The new findings have added to the richness of marine biodiversity in this park. A total of 45 species belonging to 35 genera and 18 families of opisthobranchias were encountered during the survey conducted during 2009-10,” said R D Kamboj, Chief Conservator of Forests, Marine National Park.

The highest species richness was found at Poshitra; with 24 species whereas Narara recorded 14, Dwarka and Okha recorded nine and 10 respectively and the goose reef recorded six species of opisthobranchs.

These soft-bodied mollusks belong to the order opisthobranch of phylum mollusk of the animal kingdom. These are highly evolved gastropods having a single gill behind the heart and one pair each of oral tentacle and rhinophores. The members of this order include sea slugs, sacoglossans, sea hares and nudibranchs. They maybe herbivores, carnivores or omnivorous.

According to Dr. Apte, many more species can be recorded if a consortium of scientists works on the project. “It is important to record these species because often we don’t even know what we have lost,” he said.

Scientists say that these mollusks are highly sensitive to slltation due to dredging of ocean floors to construct jetties, ports and ship traffic in the marine ecosystem. Small confined populations like that of sakuraeolis gujaratica, an endemic species to Poshitra region, Gulf of Kutch, can even face extinction due to loss of Habitat.

“This is only a rapid assessment. Once the full surveys are done, species count is likely to increase manifold. Poshitra bay is also home to several rare species such as facelina lineata, lomanotus vermiformis and cuthona yamasui. Another species sakuracolis gujaratica is endemic to Gulf of Kutch and found only in Poshitra, There are only two known existing sites for this species at Okha and Poshitra,” Kamboj said.

During the study, scientists found that in view of the rich marine biodiversky of corals and molluscs in Poshitra bay, this area needs to be insulated against various degradation factors, particularly industrial and port development activities, which may spell doom for the last remaining good quality of corals and other rare marine fauna in Gulf of Kutch.

The Marine National Park in ,Jamnagar is spread over 161 sq km area and has major species like sponges, corals, jelly fish, sea horse, octopus, oyster, pearl oyster, starfish, lobster, dolphin, dugon and waterfowl among others.

Courtesy:- Times Of India, Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011.

Another Vulture Chick born at Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh, Gujarat, India.

It Was Born On February 21; First Was Born On February 1 at Junagadh Zoo

The joy is palpable on the faces of forest officials at Sakkarbaug Zoo here in Junagadh as the second white backed vulture chick was born at the zoo in February. The first was born at the zoo’s Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre on February 1 and second was born on February 21.

The Sakkarbaug Zoo is managed by state Forest Department. According to forest officials, the success of vulture breeding in captivity at the Zoo is a significant development for the conservation of the endangered species.

“This is the second chick born at the captive breeding centre. The efforts which we have spent got encouraging results. We are hopeful that the same would continue in the future as well. It makes good news for the species which faces extinction,” said V J Rana, Director, Sakkarbaug Zoo, Junagadh.

Rana said that Sakkarbaug is one of the five captive vulture breeding centers in the country. The vulture breeding aviary was started in the zoo in April 2009 at the zoo. The success in vulture breeding in captivity came after one and a half year.

“We have observed a very good progress of the first vulture chick which was born on February 1. Our officials are working round the clock and are keeping a watch on them. All the necessary facilities have been created at centre such as artificial nesting sites and trees. We maintained its food habits regularly,” Rana added.

Forest officials say that the Pinjore Vulture Breeding Centre in Haryana has succeeded in breeding vultures in captivity. “During this year’s vulture breeding season, four eggs were laid of which two hatched. We have been closely monitoring the chicks,” Rana said.

Forest officials say that there are total 43 vultures at the Zoo which includes white backed vulture, long billed vultures and Egyptian vultures. All vultures have been rescued from various parts of the state such as Ahmedabad, Rajula, Bajana, Surat, Gandhinagar Dhrangdhra, Vyara, Amreli, Morbi and Junagadh. “Most of these vultures were injured by kite strings during the kite festival,” said Rana.

Sakkarbaug zoo is known for its conservation programmes. Currently, the zoo is running conservation and breeding programmes for the Asiatic lion, vultures, Indian wolf, Indian wild ass, Asiatic cheetah and the four horned antelope with aid from the Central Zoo Authority of India.

Courtesy:- Times Of India, Thursday, Feb 4th, 2011.

Cowherds want to live close to Lions

The Cowherd community has written to Union forests and environment minister Jairam Ramesh requesting that they may not be moved out of the Gir sanctuary. They have said that the authorities should not consider them eriemines of big cats.

The community has sent a memorandum to Ramesh through anon- government organization, Setu, opposing the rehabilitation. Since 1972, the government has officially resettled 952 Cowherd families and many other inhabitants when the Gir national park was established. They say that these families have suffered badly as they were deprived of basic requirements like drinking and irrigation water, electricity school and transportation facilities. The memorandum said that they did not even get the benefit of government schemes such as Rojgar Yojana and other welfare schemes.

They claim that the land they got was of poor quality arid because of water shortage, cultivating that land was difficult. They also said that the eight acres of land which they got as the compensation put them in the category of big farmers and disqualified them from government schemes and thus made them poorer. A report by Gujarat government’s directorate of evaluation on the rehabilitation programme of Gir cowherd scheme said, “It has not been possible to achieve the objective of bringing the socio-economic uplift of the Gir cowherds. On the contrary the net income earned by the shifted families in 1986-87 is significantly less than the net income earned by families still inside, 10 years after rehabilitation.”

Cowherds have also urged the minister and environment experts to understand that the lion has been part of their lives and culture. “They have been living together since centuries, without which, the survival of both is difficult. The cowherds worship lions as one of their gods,” the letter said.

Courtesy:- The Times Of India, Thursday, 3rd February,2010.

The movie is part of a new plan which aims to reduce conflicts between villagers and lions that prey on their livestock. The department will also shift 800 other families residing at Jambutala village. These families were moved earlier from the forest and brought to the village to resettle. The government has worked out a compensation package which may be acceptable to them, said the forests official.

The state forest department has decided to shift more than 400 Cowherds families staying in Gir sanctuary limits.

The move is part of a new plan which aims to reduce conflicts between villagers and lions that prey on their livestock.

The department will also shift 800 other families residing at Jambutala village. These families were moved earlier from the forest and brought to the village to resettle.

The plans are part of the Rs 262 crore Brihad Gir (Greater Gir) project aimed at lions’ Conservation. It will include, apart from shifting Cowherds, developing new sanctuaries in the Sasan Bhavnagar stretch, where also the big cats are found these days. The rehabilitation of the Cowherds alone will cost Rs 179 crore.

The 2010 Lion Census revealed that lions have now found homes in Amreli, Junagadh and Bhavnagar districts. Forest officials said that according to the plan, each family relocated outside the sanctuary will get Rs 10 lakh as compensation.

Generations of Cowherds have been living inside the Gir forest and have consistently refuted State Government’s proposals to relocate them starting 1972. However, the government has worked out a compensation package which may be acceptable to them, said the forests officials.

The officials found that with the big cats moving out of the protected area, there
was a threat to the Cowherds lives. Also, an increase in livestock numbers had increased the pressure on the ecosystem within the sanctuary.

Gujarat’s principal secretary for forest and environment S.K. Nanda told Times of India (TOI) that the Centre and state government had cleared the proposal and the department is now waiting for the money.