Lions pressured by fodder shortage

Gujarat foresters are dealing with a new threat to the Gir wildlife Sanctuary. Scarcity of fodder on the periphery of the sanctuary is forcing politicians to pressure the forest department to permit Maldharis to bring their cattle inside the sanctuary for grazing.

Forest officials said that MLAs from the ruling party were trying to ensure that the Maldhari community around the sanctuary was allowed into Gir, Girnar, and Mitiyala sanctuaries. Sources said the pressure was constant.

This being an election year, officers are in a fix as members of the two main political parties want local inhabitants to illegally enter the area.

Bhagvan Bharwad, the MLA from Talala, said: “We will wait till Sunday and if there is no rain, we will make representations to the state government and even write to chief minister to permit grazing in the forest.” Bharwad said grass was not available and one could not let animal’s ir for want of food. “If the forest department or the state government refuses to give us permission, we will enter the forest without permission” he said. “Let them take action”.

A forest official said that in the recent past, a couple of attempts were made to enter the forest but guards prevented people from venturing deep into the sanctuary.

The sanctuary is closed for public for four months during monsoon, from June 15. Forest officials said that during this period the danger of lion attack was high. If Maldharis were permitted to enter the forest with cattle, risk to their lives would be immense.

Forest officials said that Maldharis were illegally allowing their cattle to graze in areas near the boundary of the sanctuary. “This is the park season for breeding for not just big cats, but even for the herbivores,” a forest official said. “The newborn of the herbivores learn to walk. At such a time, if cattle are permitted to graze in the sanctuary, they could be a nuisance to the newborn.

Birding in Bhutan

Bhutan is enormously rich in bird diversity. Of the 675 species recorded, 78% are resident and breeding, 7% are passage migrant, 8% are winter visitor, 6% are uncertain and 1% fall in the data deficient category; 27% show elevational migrations.

 Bhutan has two critically endangered (white-bellied heron Ardea insignis is white rumped vulture), one endangered, 12 vulnerable (black-necked crane Grus nigricollis, rufous-necked hornbill Aceros nipalensis, chestnut-breasted partridge Arborophila mandellii, Pallas’s fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus, beautiful nuthatch Sitta Formosa, wood snipe Gallinago nemoricola, Blyth’s tragopan Tragopan blythii, greater spotted eagle Aquila clanga, Imperial eagle Aquila heliaca, Baer’s pochard Aythya baeri, Hodgson’s bushcat Saxicola insignis, dark-rumped swift Apus acuticauda, and grey-crowned prinia Prinia cinereocapilla), 11 near-threatened, and 11 restricted range bird species (Blyth’s tragopan Tragopan blythii, chestnut-breasted partridge Arborophila mandellii, dark-rumped swift Apus acuticauda, ward’s trogon Harpactes wardi, rufous-throated wren babbler Spelaeornis caudatus, hoary-throated barwing Actinodura nipalensis, brown-throated fulvetta Alcippe ludlowi, white-naped yuhina Yuhina bakeri, yellow-vented warbler Phylloscopus cantator, and broad-billed warbler Tickellia hodgsoni) as per IUCN 2003.

On a global scale, the country is recognized as forming a part of several globally important bird regions. It is a part of the Sino-Himalayan mountain forests, Indo-Burmese forests, Indo-Gangetic grasslands, South Asian arid habitats, and Tibetan plateau wetlands – all categorized as globally important bird regions by BirdLife International.’

For Birding Trips Contact:- 00-91-281-246523

500 Artificial Ponds to be filled for thirsty Lions

Junagadh district has received only 10 per cent of the rain it normally gets, forcing the forest department to put in place its contingency plan to ensure that lions’ thirst is quenched.

The forest department has to keep replenishing more than 500 artificial waterholes in the Gir National Park and its periphery. However, the department is worried because there are no such arrangements for lion zones in Amreli, Bhavnagar and coastal areas.

Foresters said that due to deficient rainfall this year, water levels in rivers, ponds, and wells are plunging. The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is the only abode of the Asiatic lions- their current population is 411. Other animals in the sanctuary include Leopards, Spotted Deer, Nilgais, Wild Boars, and thousands of bird species and various reptiles.

In the normal course, forest authorities stop filling the artificial waterholes in and around Gir by June 15 every year- unless it is required in summer. But nearly after a decade, the authorities are being forced to fill these ponds in August. The water holes are filled twice a day.

Chief Conservator of forests R.L. Meena said that the main worry is that the waterholes filled using wind and solar power will be rendered useless because the water level is falling drastically. The department may have to provide supply to these waterholes too. “A water tanker of the forest department is making eight to ten trips a day,” he said.

Senior officials said that with natural water getting exhausted, the forest department will have to get water from distant places. The department may have to call in more tankers to meet the demand. 

The water situation deteriorated when seven rivers – Hiran, Saraswati, Machhundri, Ghodavdi, and Raval- passing through the sanctuary started drying up.

Principal secretary S.K. Nanda had visited the sanctuary earlier this month to assess the situation.

Gujarat is India’s Lesser Florican Capital

Gujarat has the highest number of Lesser Floricans in the country. A recently published study of the Wildlife Institute of India reveals that Lesser Floricans in the northwestern region of the country were sighted only in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. And Gujarat recorded the most sightings, 54; in Rajasthan, 18 were sighted; and 12 in Madhya Pradesh.

During the study— carried out by G.S. Bhardwaj, K Sivakumar and Dr Y V Jhala —84 Lesser Floricans in all were sighted during the breeding season of 2010. However, the number was 65% lower than the figure reported in 1999.

The team surveyed 91 grasslands, which included the grasslands studied in 1999. Lesser Floricans were found in only 24 grasslands as against 37 in 1999.

Indeed, all is not well with the Lesser Florican population there has been a fall of about 62 per cent in sightings in Gujarat since 1999. That year, according to the report, there were 141 Lesser Floricans in Gujarat, 63 in Madhya Pradesh, and 34 in Rajasthan.

The population and habitat of Lesser Floricans in western India have been continuously declining at an alarming rate. The study states that most of the grasslands belonging to state forest departments in that part of the country were either pure grasslands or mosaic grasslands. The latter are saline patches. The study revealed that over 68 per cent of the birds were seen in the grasslands 35 per cent in pure grasslands and the rest in the mosaic grasslands.

Several grasslands have degraded due to grazing, or been planted with trees that make them unfit for Lesser Floricans.

Recommendations

Avoidance of tree plantation
It is important to have a National Policy on Grasslands Management in India. The practice of tree plantation by the forest department or by other agencies in grasslands should be avoided. Moreover, current practice of taking grasslands as source of only fodder for cattle needs to be reconsidered.

Inclusion of more Florican habitats in existing wildlife protected area network
Less than five protected areas exist exclusively for conservation of Floricans in north western India. Less than 5% of globally endangered Lesser Florican habitat is protected by Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is imperative that some grassland in Naliya region is included in the protected area network. Similarly, grasslands in Rajkot district as well as in Ratlam and Dhar districts of Madhya Pradesh should also be included.

Management of invasive species
Eradication of gando baval and other invading tree species from the selected grasslands in the north-western India should be taken up on a war footing.

Dangers that threaten to clip birds’ wings

Lack of national policy on grassland management in India
Due to inadequate grassland conservation policy, people assume grasslands as wastelands or pasture. These areas have been extensively planted with trees species including ‘gando baval’ (Prosopis Juliflora). Several grasslands in the regions have been converted into either woodlands or fields.

Invasive species
Invasion of gando baval was reported in several grasslands in the north western India. Apart from gando baval, several other tree species were also observed invading the grasslands largely due to grazing. Grazing of cattle expedites the spread of invasive species.

Rampant pollution
Lesser Florican is an omnivorous species. Foods of Florican include many types of invertebrates, and various plant parts along with grass hoppers, beetles, flying ants, hairy caterpillars, centipedes, worms, frogs, small lizards, crop shoots, leaves, herbs and berries. Insects form a large part of their diet. It shows that the Floricans prefer areas near the agriculture farm largely due to better availability of food. Intensive cultivation using rampant pesticides is a challenge to remaining population of Floricans.

Courtesy:- Times Of India

Barda Dungar to have lions by December

Barda Dungar, the area which was declared a sanctuary in February 1979, will hear the roar of lions soon. After the monsoon or at latest by December this year, this part of Gujarat will get its own pride of Asiatic lions.

Chief Conservator of Forests R.L. Meena said that if everything goes to plan, lions will populate Barda in Porbandar District. Barely 15 km from the coast near Porbandar town, the hill forest of Barda stands as a bulwark against salinity ingress in the region. This area was declared a sanctuary in February 1979. It has a forest area of 192.31 sq.km, which is relatively small.

Barda has long been identified as a possible new home for lions and the forest department expects eight lions to make their new home there. Officials said that there was a delay in lions moving to Barda Dungar because of the delay in building up a sufficient prey base in the area.

The sanctuary has sizable populations of leopards, hyena, wild boar, wolf, jackal, blue bull, chital, sambhar among other species. Officials said that prey base has reached sufficient levels for the re-introduction of lions.

Officials said in the event of an out break of disease or a natural disaster, the existence of the entire Asiatic Lion population could be at risk. “We will have an alternative site in place in such an eventuality,” the officer said. Adding that the department has allowed the lions to wander out of Gir naturally. This year by October we are expecting a group of lions to move there,” said the forest officer.

Lions drive leopards away from their kills

The king of the jungle turned plunderer. Lions of the Gir chase leopards away from their kills. A recent incident bore testimony to this phenomenon. A lioness browbeat a leopard away from its kills of a chital and feasted on it along with her three cubs in Dedakdi area.

In this incident reported earlier this week, the lioness got attracted to the kill much after the leopard killed chital and started eating it. A beat guard who witnessed this incident said that as the smell of the flesh wafted, it drew the lioness and her cubs. Seeing the lioness approach, the leopard beat a retreat and climbed up a near by hill.

“The lioness and the club finished off the kill within a half-an-hour and left the area. The leopard kept staring at the remains, said Sandep Kumar, deputy conservator of Forest, Sasan.

Kumar said this was not an isolated incident. “About 25-30 per cent of the kill by leopard was snatched away by the lions. A detail study about the food habits of the lions has revealed that there were more incidents of this kind this year compared to the past,” he said.

Such incidents occur usually when lioness are roaming with their cubs in search of food. Those lions that are not in pride and are leading isolated lives also resort to such practice.

Leopards who lead solitary life easily fall prey to lions’ plundering. However, there have been also instances of role reversal when leopards tried to steal lions’ prey. But these attempts usually result in calamity recently; a leopard was killed by a pride of lions when it tried to steal their kill.

Foresters claim that there have also been some rarest of the rare instances where leopards have been successful in driving the lions away from their kills. Leopards generally target hyenas to snatch away their kills, said the forest officials.

Avian Wonder: Birds Conduct Survey before nesing

It is not just human beings who usually undertake a survey before launching a new venture. Even birds are known to carry out survey before finding a nesting place for themselves.

A flock migratory Asian bird has already begun a survey in and around Kankaria lake. The survey is a part of their nesting activity at Kamala Nehru Zoo, popularly known as Kankaria Zoo.

Over 2000 Migratory birds, including Spoonbill, White Ibis, Little Cormorant, Night Heron and Cattle Egrets, have been coming to the zoo for nesting. “Over 2000 birds come to the zoo for nesting. This year, these birds have already begun their initial activities”, said R.K. Sahu, zoo superintendent.

“Before the birds finally come to the zoo for nesting, a group of 10-15 birds comes to the area and carries out the survey about the availability of food and water in the lake. Once this group is satisfies with the facilities, it goes back only to return with a larger group of suck birds”.

According to Sahu, the area is best suited for nesting because of the greenery and a lake with good fish. The water is also suitable for these birds.

The nesting season begins by June 15 and continues till October and November. Birds like Cattle Egret, Little Cormorant and Night Heron come to the zoo by June 15; others like Spoonbill and Ibis come in July. Officials said that two species of Cattle Egret come to the zoo for nesting.

Each bird gives birth to three to four baby birds and at the end of the season, the number of birds at Kankaria becomes around 10,000. These birds come to the zoo from nearby states as the water level in the lakes there goes down drastically. When they come, the birds also use the old nests which were left behind the previous season.

Brief Profile of some Winged guests


Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) a species from heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. These birds are originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals. The cattle Egret removes ticks and fillies from cattle and consumes them. The breeding season various within South Asia. Nesting in Northern India begins with the onset of Monsoon. The breeding season in Australia is November to early January.



Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salty but are found in both environments. They feed for many hours each day. The male gathers nesting material, mostly sticks and reeds, sometimes taken from an old nest, the female weaves it into a large, shallow bowl or platform which varies in its shape and structural integrity according to species. They female lays a clutch of about three smooth, oval, white eggs and both parents incubate.


Night Heron

Adult Night Heron are shot-necked, short-legged and stout herons with a primarily brown or grey plumage and in most, a black crown. Young birds are brown, flecked with white. Night Herons nest alone or in colonies on platforms of sticks in a group of trees; or on the ground in protected locations such as islands or reed-beds. About three to eight eggs are laid. They primarily eat small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, and small mammals. During the day they rest in trees or bushes.


Little Cormorant

The Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Niger) is small as compared to other cormorants. The bird is 55 cm in length with an average mass of 442.5 grams. It is a resident species in most of tropical South Asia, commonly found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam; additionally, it is a vagrant species in Afghanistan. These birds nest in colonies, typically located in trees near a water body.