Mumbai (Maharashtra) : Actor Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Heropanti 2 released on April 29 with mixed reviews and tough competition from Runway 34 and KGF Chapter 2, despite staggering odds, the film has managed to collect approximately Rs 7 crore on the opening day and now shows a huge jump on Sunday.Ahmed Khan's directorial, Heropanti 2, a standalone sequel to Heropanti, took the root franchise to a whole new international vibe, with stellar ensemble and hit music. And now shows a massive jump of 40 per cent in term of business.According to industry trade pandits, if the film holds its ground till Eid, it will clocks massive number at the box office, and given the steady growth at box office, the film is definitely headed towards clocking double digits collection.Recently released Runway 34, posed a massive threat to the opening of the film, plus KGF: Chapter 2 is still ruling the ticket window, despite tough competition, Heropanti 2 has managed to clock great progress at box office.Sajid Nadiadwala's is synonym with Eid release, his movie always collects great revenue, and Heropanti 2 being the quintessential massy action thriller, it will definitely gather momentum post Eid.—ANI

Actor Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria and Tara Sutaria starrer Heropanti 2 released on April 29 with mixed reviews and tough competition from Runway 34 and KGF Chapter 2, despite staggering odds, the film has managed to collect approximately Rs 7 crore on the opening day and now shows a huge jump on Sunday.

Tiger Shroff starrer Heropanti 2 show solid Growth

Actor Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria and Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Heropanti 2 released on April 29 with mixed reviews and tough competition from Runway 34 and KGF Chapter 2, despite staggering odds, the film has managed to collect approximately Rs 7 crore on the opening day and now shows a huge jump on Sunday.

Chennai: Central intelligence agencies have issued warnings against the possibility of former cadres of the now-defunct LTTE trying to regroup and carry out attacks during the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on May 18, sources in the Tamil Nadu Home Department said. The Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day is marked annually by the Sri Lankan Tamils on May 18, the date on which the over 25-year-old Civil War in the island nation ended in 2009.With Sri Lanka undergoing the worst-ever economic crisis since it gained independence in 1948 as well as the recent violence that erupted in the island nation, the possibility of certain Tamil groups, including the former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres, regrouping and planning attacks is worrying the Indian intelligence agencies, the sources told IANS. The Tamil Nadu Police have given directives to all the district Superintendents of Police, especially in the coastal areas, to be on alert about the possibility of an influx of the former cadres into the state. In the wake of the economic crisis, more than 70 people from Sri Lanka have reached Tamil Nadu after being dropped at Dhanushkodi and Rameswaram by fishing boats at a huge price.These people are currently being lodged at the Mandapam refugee camp in Rameswaram after the Tamil Nadu government's decision to not send them to jail.The Tamil Nadu Coastal police and Indian Coast Guard have also alerted fishing boats from Tamil Nadu to be vigilant on any movement from Sri Lanka crossing the International Marine Boundary Line (IMBL) and to report on any suspicious movements.Former LTTE intelligence operative Satkunam was apprehended last year after he was charged with smuggling narcotic drugs and collecting funds for regrouping the militant group in India. A woman who was boarding a flight to Mumbai from Chennai was also arrested by Tamil Nadu Police after she was found trying to retrieve a dormant bank account connected to the LTTE. The Central intelligence agencies have also warned that certain sections of the global Tamil diaspora are supporting the cause of Tamil nationalism and with Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa family on the defensive, the possibility of some unorganised attacks on the island nation is high, the Home Department sources added.—IANS

Central intelligence agencies have issued warnings against the possibility of former cadres of the now-defunct LTTE trying to regroup and carry out attacks during the Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day on May 18, sources in the Tamil Nadu Home Department said.

Intel agencies on high alert ahead of Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day

Pilibhit: Karnataka will send four elephants to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to conduct patrolling and other activities, said wildlife authorities.Sanjay Singh, Uttar Pradesh's chief wildlife warden, said, "The two elephants were seized by the department officials from private keepers who did not have valid permission with them. One of them is a 20-year-old bull elephant which has been living in Phulpur forest nursery at Prayagraj for a year, while the second is a 50-year-old cow elephant in Jaunpur district. These two pachyderms are also being provided to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve authorities had sought 10 elephants in 2018 as part of "Project Tiger". This was reduced to six by the Karnataka authorities in December 2021. Now with two elephants from Prayagraj and Jaunpur, only four pachyderms will be taken from Karnataka.However, the formalities for transporting the four elephants from Karnataka have been completed, including assigning the contract for transporting them by truck.Naveen Khandelwal, Divisional Forest Officer of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, said, "The "no-objection" certificates from the Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh governments through which the elephants will pass have been obtained. We are now waiting for the early monsoon to let the high atmospheric temperature dip. We have been issued certain guidelines for taking proper medical care of pachyderms during the transit period, which we will strictly follow."A five-member team comprising a Sub-Divisional Forest Officer, a Range Officer, one Departmental Veterinary Officer and two other Forest personnel has been constituted for fetching the elephants. In addition, six mahouts arranged from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve will also be leaving for Karnataka a week before the departure of the five-member team, Khandelwal added.—IANS

Karnataka will send four elephants to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to conduct patrolling and other activities, said wildlife authorities.

 UP's Pilibhit Tiger Reserve to get 4 elephants from K'taka

Chandrapur: &nbsp;A 65-year-old man was mauled to death by a tiger in a forested area near Chandrapur town in Maharashtra, an official said on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday, when Dashrath Pendor, a resident of Sinhala village, ventured into the forested area to graze goats and did not return, a senior official from Chandrapur forest division said. Villagers and forest personnel conducted a search and the victim's body was found in the area on Saturday morning, he said.A big cat from Tadoba, identified as Waghadoh, has been roaming in this area and the forest department has been monitoring his movements to ensure the safety of villagers, the official said. An initial compensation of Rs 30,000 has been given to the deceased man's family, it was stated.—PTI

 A 65-year-old man was mauled to death by a tiger in a forested area near Chandrapur town in Maharashtra, an official said on Saturday.

Maha: Elderly man mauled to death by tiger in Chandrapur

Bahraich: Forest workers on patrol duty have found a tiger carcass in the Katarnia range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division, officials said on Wednesday. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Akash Badhawan said the estimated age of the animal is around five years, and the carcass was found at 4.30 pm on Tuesday. "No parts of the tiger's body is missing. Porcupine quills were found in its chest near the neck. It is suspected that the tiger tried to hunt a porcupine and died due to the injuries it sustained in the struggle," the officer said. Badhawan said as per standard operating procedures issued by the National Tiger Conservation Agency, a panel of veterinarians would conduct an autopsy on Wednesday in the presence of senior officials. The exact cause of the tiger's death will be known after that, he added. There are about 35 tigers in the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division.—PTI

 Forest workers on patrol duty have found a tiger carcass in the Katarnia range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division, officials said on Wednesday.

Tiger carcass found in UP's Bahraich

Pilibhit: As many as nine rare parrots have been rescued from a bird catcher at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district, wildlife officials said. The rescued parrots included four Alexandrine species, an exotic breed. The accused fled the spot leaving his bike behind at Nanakmata junction under Amaria police station when he sighted a team of forest officials.Devendra Singh, the Forest Range Officer of Pilibhit range of the division, said on Monday that as many as nine parrots were rescued from the bird-catcher, who was carrying them in a plastic bag.A departmental case under section 9, 51 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act has been registered in the matter. The parrots have been kept in safe custody of the Wildlife department.Singh said the registration number of the bird catcher’s bike belonged to Pilibhit district and he would soon be identified.The forest official added that the raid was conducted by him along with several other police officials, following a lead about smuggling of the parrots. “The rescued parrots are enlisted in schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act. We will seek permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate to free the parrots and let them fly,” Singh said.—IANS

As many as nine rare parrots have been rescued from a bird catcher at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit district, wildlife officials said.

UP Forest Team Rescues 9 Parrots At Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Mandla: Police have arrested four poachers and seized from them a tiger hide, its claws and the teeth of a wild boar in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district, an official said Sunday.Based on a tip-off, the police intercepted four men moving on two motorcycles on Saturday near a temple under Bahmani police station limits.The skin of a tiger, its claws and four teeth of a wild boar were seized from their possession, sub-divisional officer of police Akansha Chatruvedi said.Some wires and axe allegedly used for poaching the animals were also seized from their possession, she said.The four persons, identified as Makhanlal Yadav (40), Anand Kushram (30), Manoj Pandram (32) and Itwari Posham (27), were arrested.The official said during initial questioning, the accused told the police they had poached a tiger in Bhalwani forest of the district three-four months back by using the wires, and were searching for a buyer of the animal body parts.The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and further investigation is underway, she added.According to the All-India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, Madhya Pradesh was home to 526 tigers, the highest in any state of the country.The state has a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.—PTI

Police have arrested four poachers and seized from them a tiger hide, its claws and the teeth of a wild boar in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district, an official said Sunday.

Tiger hide & claws seized in MP; 4 poachers arrested

New Delhi: Starting this year, along with tiger estimation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC) will also carry out elephant and leopard estimation simultaneously.The tiger census is held once in four years while for the elephants, the exercise is carried out once in five years. There are 2,967 tigers as per the 2018-19 data, and as per the 2017 data, there are less than 30,000 elephants in the country.The elephants' data came from what the Ministry officials called a "head count" which, they said, is fraught with potential errors."The head count method is outdated and leads to errors," the officials said, adding that "The new ways rely on robust scientific methods based on statistical models."The tiger population is estimated using camera traps, matching/identifying their stripes; while for elephants, it is their dung that plays a vital role. It was announced that the data for all three species would be out in December. Stating that elephants and tigers share almost the same habitat, the Ministry officials said that "A protocol for the pan-India estimation of tigers and elephants was ideated, worked upon, adopted and released in August last year." —IANS

Starting this year, along with tiger estimation, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will also carry out elephant and leopard estimation simultaneously.

Environment Ministry To Carry Out Leopard & Elephant Estimation Along With Tigers

Panna: A tiger was found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Panna reserve on Thursday, a forest official said.The tiger, named P-111, was nearly 13 years' old. Prima facie, it appears that the feline died due to age-related issues as there was no sign of any illegal activity near the spot where the carcass was found, he said.A forest patrolling team spotted the carcass on the Panna-Katni state highway, he said.It was the offspring of tigress T-1, the official said.The feline's samples were sent for virology and toxicology testing to ascertain the exact cause of the death, he said.After the autopsy, the carcass was disposed of in the presence of senior forest officials and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representatives, he added.As per the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of 526 big cats in the country.The state has a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Pench, Panna and Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve.—PTI

A tiger was found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Panna reserve on Thursday, a forest official said.

Tiger dies in MP's Panna reserve

A tiger was found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Panna reserve on Thursday, a forest official said.



Gondia: A tiger was found dead with injuries marks near a railway track in Maharashtra's Gondia district on Saturday, an official from the forest department said.A railway trackman spotted the carcass near the tracks between Vadegaon and Wadsa in the morning and the forest department was alerted, he said.The area where the big cat was found falls in Korambhi beat of Arjuni Morgaon forest range, assistant conservator of forest (ACF) Dada Raut said.While there were injury marks on face, legs and tail of the tiger, all body parts were intact, he said, adding that it is suspected that the big cat may have been hit by a train.Honourary wildlife warden Mukund Dhurwe said the accident is likely to have taken place on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.The carcass was disposed of as per the standard operating procedure of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), it was stated.—PTI

 A tiger was found dead with injuries marks near a railway track in Maharashtra's Gondia district on Saturday, an official from the forest department said.

Maha: Tiger found dead near railway track in Gondia

Lakhimpur Kheri: An adult tiger, who has strayed away from Manjhra Purab forests, attacked a priest of a nearby temple and killed him, a forest official said on Saturday.Mohan Das (52), was walking near the temple on Friday night when the big cat attacked him.&nbsp;The official said that the temple is located near Tikunia-Bahraich railway track in close vicinity of Dudhwa buffer zone forests, where movements of tigers, elephants and other wild animals is reported frequently.&nbsp;The tiger attacked the priest and dragged away his body to the neighbouring forests, official said, adding that the mangled remains of the deceased, including head and some other parts, were recovered on Saturday.&nbsp;The human killing has agitated the locals, who staged a demonstration demanding relief from tiger menace.Deputy Director, Dudhwa buffer zone Sundaresha along with SDM Nighasan Rajesh Kum rushed to the spot and held talks with agitated villagers.The deputy director confirmed the human casualty in tiger attack and said that the forest department has agreed to pursue the wire-fencing proposal to be sent through Kheri District Magistrate as demanded by the villagers. The forest authorities assured the villagers to encage the errant tiger, he added. Moreover, forest teams would be deployed in the area to keep a watch on the wild animals’ movements and keep them away from the human habitations. Cameras would also be installed in the region to identify the stray tiger, the official said.&nbsp;—PTI&nbsp;

 An adult tiger, who has strayed away from Manjhra Purab forests, attacked a priest of a nearby temple and killed him, a forest official said on Saturday.

Tiger Kills Elderly Man In UP's Lakhimpur Kheri

Lakhimpur Kheri: BJP MLA Arvind Giri who had partied with friends at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in 2007, has now been served a non-bailable warrant by the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Lakhimpur Kheri.The MLA's driver Arjun Kumar has also been served a warrant.Giri and his relatives had "violated DTR guidelines while having a party inside the Kishanpur range of the reserve forest".Advocate Sanjay Rai, representing Dudhwa officials, said that Giri, a five-time MLA and the current legislator from Gola in Lakhimpur Kheri, had failed to turn up in earlier court summons.ACJM Mona Singh has now directed Kheri SP Sanjeev Suman to "arrest the accused and produce them at the next hearing on July 28".Incidentally, in a recent directive, the Allahabad High Court (HC) had asked the lower court to complete the trial proceedings within the next two months."A chargesheet against the MLA was filed in court in 2009. But he never appeared. He once took a stay from the HC and then the case file disappeared from the court's record room. The file was reconstituted and summons were served but again he did not turn up. Now, the HC has given specific directions to ensure speedy trial of this case," Rai said.An FIR was registered against Giri under multiple sections of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act at Bheera police station in 2007. Eight separate criminal cases have been registered against the legislator till date, Rai added.The 61-year-old politician, however, claimed that the state had withdrawn five of the other pending criminal cases. "I was a Samajwadi Party MLA in 2007, and this (Dudhwa) case was politically motivated. My relatives were in Kishanpur and had a tiff with the then ranger. Subsequently, two FIRs were registered against me, my kin and my driver. The state had withdrawn the criminal cases against me before the pandemic. The courts were closed then and so now the warrant has been issued in this one, maybe due to some miscommunication and also negligence of my advocate. I will personally appear before the court and put forward my case," Giri said. Kheri SP Sanjeev Suman, meanwhile, said, "We will take appropriate action as per the directions of the court and ensure the accused are produced before it." —IANS

BJP MLA Arvind Giri who had partied with friends at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) in 2007, has now been served a non-bailable warrant by the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Lakhimpur Kheri.

Non-Bailable Warrant Issued Against UP BJP MLA In 15-Year Old Case

Bhopal: India has lost 1,059 tigers since 2012 with Madhya Pradesh, which is known as the 'tiger state' of the country, recording the highest number of deaths of striped felines.According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), 75 tigers have died this year so far, while 127 had died last year, the highest in the 2012-2022 period.As many as 106 tiger deaths occurred in 2020; 96 in 2019; 101 in 2018; 117 in 2017; 121 in 2016; 82 in 2015; 78 in 2014; 68 in 2013 and 88 in 2012.Madhya Pradesh, which has six tiger reserves, logged the maximum number (270) of deaths during this period, followed by Maharashtra (183), Karnataka (150), Uttarakhand (96), Assam (72), Tamil Nadu (66), Uttar Pradesh (56) and Kerala (55).Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh saw 25, 17, 13, 11 and 11 tiger deaths, respectively.Madhya Pradesh has lost 68 tigers in the last one-and-a-half years, while Maharashtra has seen 42 tiger deaths in this period.In the 2018 Tiger Census, Madhya Pradesh had emerged as the 'tiger state' of India with 526 tigers, followed by Karnataka which had 524 tigers.According to data, 193 tigers died due to poaching in the 2012-2020 period. Data of deaths due to poaching since January 2021 is not yet available.The authorities identified "seizure" as the reason for the death of 108 tigers, while 44 big cats died due to "unnatural" causes in this period.According to the NTCA, poaching is considered as the reason for all tiger deaths in the beginning.—PTI

India has lost 1,059 tigers since 2012 with Madhya Pradesh, which is known as the 'tiger state' of the country, recording the highest number of deaths of striped felines

'Tiger state' MP with 6 reserves has seen maximum big cat deaths

Chennai: Tamil Nadu would organise the 'TN Global Tiger Summit' in partnership with the central government in the month of October this year, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Friday. On his twitter handle, Stalin said: "Tamil Nadu is home to nearly 10% of India's tiger population with 264 Tigers as per NTCA. I am happy to announce that Tamil Nadu will organise 'TN Global Tiger Summit' in partnership with GOI at Chennai in October 2022 as a fitting tribute to TN's pioneering efforts in Tiger Conservation.—PTI

Tamil Nadu would organise the 'TN Global Tiger Summit' in partnership with the central government in the month of October this year, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Friday.

TN will organise tiger summit, says Stalin

Nainital / Dehradun: The Uttarakhand tourism department is working on a plan to develop a "Modi circuit" at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, covering the places visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while shooting for a television programme in 2019. Modi had undertaken a slew of adventure activities while shooting for an episode of "Man vs Wild", hosted by Bear Grylls on Discovery channel. During the shoot, Modi and Grylls crossed the Kosi river on a makeshift raft and walked through a tiger trail, with the prime minister holding a spear in his hand."Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a big influencer of our times. Places that he visits generate great interest among people," Colonel Ashvini Pundir, Additional CEO of the adventure sports wing of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, told PTI on Friday.He cited the example of a cave at Kedarnath where the prime minister meditated a few years ago. "It became so popular that people started booking it months in advance to visit the place," Pundir said.The "Modi circuit" will further boost tourism at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is already a popular tourist destination, he added.However, the details of the plan are still being worked out, Pundir said.The spots inside the reserve visited by Modi and Grylls during the shoot will first be identified. Then it will be seen what arrangements can be made to take tourists to those spots, Pundir said.The idea of developing a "Modi circuit" in the tiger reserve first came to Uttarakhand Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj during a trip to Croatia, where a "Game of Thrones tour circuit" has been developed for tourists, covering the locations where the popular television series was shot. PTI&nbsp;

The Uttarakhand tourism department is working on a plan to develop a "Modi circuit" at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, covering the places visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while shooting for a television programme in 2019. 

U'khand Tourism Department To Develop 'Modi Circuit' At Corbett Tiger Reserve

Chandrapur: A tiger was found dead on a railway track in a forest in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Wednesday morning, a forest official said. A railway gangman while patrolling spotted the feline's badly mutilated carcass on Kazipet-Balharshah railway track in Rajura range and alerted forest personnel, the official said. Senior forest officials then went to the spot for an inspection. Notably, the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is located in Chandrapur district. Prima facie, the tiger died in an accident on the railway track probably in the wee hours of Wednesday, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Central Chanda Division, Swetha Boddu said. The actual cause of the death would be ascertained after an autopsy, she said. "The dead feline was possibly a tigress. The carcass was badly mutilated in the accident," the official said. —PTI

A tiger was found dead on a railway track in a forest in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Wednesday morning, a forest official said

Maha: Tiger found dead on railway track in Chandrapur

Jaipur: Do you know India once had 1,00,000 tigers? Over the years, this number kept dwindling as Britishers and the erstwhile maharajas took up hunting. Meanwhile, no comprehensive law was in place to look after the wildlife till the 1960s even as widespread hunting of tigers was reported all over India, says wildlife expert Harshwardhan.
Queen Elizabeth II of Britain along with her consort, Prince Phillip, who visited Ranthambore in the early 60s reportedly to hunt tigers, was hosted royally by the then government, he said.
Then came Project Tiger (PT) in 1973 where the WWF-International assumed a lead role and clueless forest officers adopted a fudging tactic to show increasing tiger numbers.
Even now, things have not changed and the tiger faces yet another challenge -- its forest cover is shrinking thereby increasing man-animal conflict.
Almost 10-15 tigers and tigresses are roaming outside almost all the best breeding reserves in India as dominant males do not allow newly-born, young and sub-adult males to remain inside the park, he added.
These vagrant tigers face tough challenges in their newly adopted 'homes' which are people by villagers and their livestock.
The additional population of tigers inside the reserves therefore is getting rehabilitated outside the reserves.
Further, tiger corridors are missing. The outcome: many tigers are killed by the villagers, or get knocked down in road accidents and mishaps.
In fact, Rajasthan famous for its tigers and jungle safaris, is in the news these days for the skewed gender ratio, tigers' fight for survival and missing tigers reports.
The Rajasthan Assembly recently discussed the issue of 13 missing tigers from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR).
The state forest department said that it has no evidence of 13 tigers in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in the past three years -- January 2019 to January 2022 -- while answering a question related to missing tigers which was raised by state BJP president Satish Poonia. The forest department stated that among these 13 tigers, no evidence has been found of two tigers (T-20 and T-23) since 2019, seven tigers (T-47, T-42, T-64, T-73, T-95, T-97 and T-92 ) since 2020 and four tigers ( T-72, T-62, T-126 and T-100) since 2021.
While four out of these 13 tigers were old, it is possible that the others may have died naturally, fled from their territory due to high density of tigers or died in territorial clashes with other tigers, it said.
Among the 13 tigers, nine were from the Ranthambore core area and two were from the Ranthambore buffer area. The other two lived in the Kailadevi reserve forest outside the RTR, the data showed.
In its reply, the government said that due to the increase in their population and density around Ranthambore, more cases relating to missing tigers, territorial fights between tigers and deaths have surfaced.
The ratio between male and female tigers in RTR is 1:1.3, which is unnatural. Most of the tigers, out of the 32 females, at present in the breeding age have also contributed to an increased population, the data said.
"The tiger population has increased in Ranthambore and we have already passed the carrying capacity. There are around 55 mature tigers while as per our carrying capacity, we have space for around 40-45 mature tigers only. As a result of this overpopulation, tigers migrate or end up fighting with other tigers in territorial battles," said a senior forest official.
PS Somashekar, a retired forest officer from Rajasthan said, "We might see the big cat numbers growing, but in reality, we are losing the battle."
"There was a time when the stories of man-animal coexistence sounded real. This was in the 70s and 80s but now it is a thing of the past. The development of areas around jungles, four-lane highways, electricity, sound of bikes and jeeps many a times prompt these animals to come out of their peripheries."
As the tiger is a carnivore, it needs regular movement from one area to another, however, we have created obstructions in its movement area, he said.
"The government land has been converted into agricultural land, agricultural land into commercial land and so on. Hence when the animal moves into corridor areas, it gets confused on seeing four-lane highways, dazzling lights and sounds, leading to conflict," Somashekar said.&nbsp;
—IANS

Do you know India once had 1,00,000 tigers? Over the years, this number kept dwindling as Britishers and the erstwhile maharajas took up hunting. Meanwhile, no comprehensive law was in place to look after the wildlife till the 1960s even as widespread hunting of tigers was reported all over India, says wildlife expert Harshwardhan.

 Despite success of Project Tiger, national animal fights for survival

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Centre and Kerala government to file a compliance report within six months on the reported construction of a mega car parking facility and a football ground inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve allegedly without sanctions.&nbsp;
The southern bench of NGT comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati was dealing with two similar applications filed by different persons alleging violation of provisions of the Forest Act, Forest (Conservation) Act, and other allied Acts dealing with the National Tiger Conservation project.
After the submissions, the tribunal asked the Centre to respond as to whether the repair and formation of the football ground can be treated as a forest right under Section 3 (2) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and to reply on its impact on the wildlife.
The tribunal also 'deprecated the attitude' of the applicant for not mentioning the entire facts in the application, including the existence of a tribal settlement and the vacant area, as seen from Google image etc.
The Chief Secretary of the state was also directed to produce all the relevant documents, including from the Vigilance Department on the matter.
From the vigilance report, it was revealed that as per the Conservator of Forest, (I&amp;E), Kottayam, all the works related to the construction of the football ground were done violating the existing forest and wildlife legislations, the applicant had argued.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary covering an area of 925 sq km in Idukki district was declared as Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in 1978.
Kerala obtained approval from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for tiger conservation plan as per an order dated March 21, 2013, for the purpose of conservation of tigers in the reserve and for other purposes.
While approving the Tiger Conservation Plan, NTCA had clearly stated that the project shall not overrule the existing laws in the country, especially the Indian Forest Act, 1927, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The plea alleged that in the guise of the sanction order, the state Department of Tourism wanted to develop the area and make certain constructions in the tiger reserve, and constructed a mega car parking facility at Anavachal.
It further pointed at another activity, wherein a football ground was being developed near the Vanchivayal tribal settlement area under Vallakkadavu range inside the core area of Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR), a crucial zone of the forest where tigers are sited frequently.
The forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe namely Urali community of Vanchivayal tribal colony is located in the buffer zone of the tiger reserve, and they are included in the buffer area as per a 2011 notification of the state government.
The tribal representative denied the allegations that the authorities were taking steps to convert the core area located in Periyar Tiger Reserve as a playground. The open ground is not a part of the core area of Periyar Tiger Reserve, he said.
The tribal colony is inhabited by 76 tribal families since 1940 and located inside the forests and around 3.5 km away from the nearby public road. Most of the families of the tribal colony earn their livelihood through organic agriculture, particularly the cultivation of pepper.
Till two decades ago, they had been living in complete drudgery and penury and suffered heavily at the hands of middlemen till the Periyar Tiger Reserve management intervened with the constitution of a tribal eco-development committee, as per the locals.
On the other hand, the petitioner argued that in both the cases the Google image produced along with the documents will go to show that they have enlarged the area for the purpose of expanding, though claimed to be an existing playground to a larger extent and a football tournament was also conducted which is not a permissible activity even assuming that the tribal community has got any right under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
It also produced additional documents to establish that heavy machinery was used for the purpose of removal of mud, and the nature of publicity made for conducting the football tournament, and the presence of people at the time of the tournament.
The state government argued that it is part of the buffer zone of Vanchivayal tribal settlement colony situated within the Periyar Tiger Reserve area and it is not within the core area and this area is being used as a common place for gathering for festivals, marriages etc.
The state authorities said that the said notification of buffer area states that to promote the co-existence between wildlife and humans with due recognition to livelihood, developmental, social and cultural rights of local people, the area of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary kept out of the critical tiger habitat is now declared as buffer area to the critical tiger habitat.
During the 2018-19 floods, a huge sand deposit was made in that area, and even in 2017, Gram Sabha of the tribal settlement community had resolved to repair the playground and that was forwarded to the Eco Development Committee and with the funds available with the committee, repair works were undertaken.
No additional area has been added and no trees were cut for these purposes. Any irregularities committed therein is being inquired into by the government and appropriate action will be taken against the officials, if there are any serious irregularities against the provisions committed by the officials.
The green court observed that though representations were made, no action was taken is the complaint made by the applicant in both the cases.&nbsp;
—IANS&nbsp;

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Centre and Kerala government to file a compliance report within six months on the reported construction of a mega car parking facility and a football ground inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve allegedly without sanctions. 

 NGT red flags football ground, building activity inside Periyar Tiger Reserve

New Delhi: Amidst the governments increased focus on conservation of wildlife, instances of human-animal conflict have resulted in loss of life of both humans and animals over the years.
As per the information from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, between 2018-19 and 2020-21, a total of 29 tigers were killed by poachers while the deaths of 197 tigers was under scrutiny. A large number of elephants also died due to various reasons including electrocution and others. The data said that a total of 222 elephants died by electrocution across the country, 45 in train collisions, 29 were killed by poachers and 11 by poisoning during the same period.
On the other side, a large number of humans also became victims of the conflict leading to their deaths. Elephants killed 1,579 humans in three years – 585 in 2019-20, 461 in 2020-21, and 533 in 2021-22. So far as the states are concerned, Odisha recorded the highest number of these deaths at 322, followed by Jharkhand at 291, West Bengal at 240, Assam at 229, Chhattisgarh at 183 and Tamil Nadu at 152.
So far as the deaths of elephants are concerned, out of the 222 elephant deaths caused by electrocution, Odisha recorded 41, Tamil Nadu 34 and Assam 33. Odisha (12 out of 45) also had the highest number of elephant deaths caused by trains, followed by West Bengal (11) and Assam (9). Poaching deaths were the highest in Meghalaya (12 out of 29) while poisoning deaths were the highest in Assam (9 out of 11, including 8 in 2018-19 alone).
The Ministry in a Parliament reply on July 25 said that assessments of human-wildlife conflicts indicate that their main causes include habitat loss, growth in the population of wild animals, changing cropping patterns that attract wild animals to farmlands, movement of wild animals from forest areas to human dominated landscapes for food and fodder, movement of human beings to forests for illegal collection of forest produce, habitat degradation due to growth of invasive alien species and others.
The Parliament standing committee on Environment and Forests in its March, 2022 report took note of the human-animal conflict observing that the cases of man-animal conflict are on the rise and it still remains an area of concern. “As such, there is an urgent need to minimize the instances of man-animal conflict that was resulting in both human and animal killings,” it said.
The Committee recommended that the Ministry should take proactive steps to sustainably manage and minimise man-animal conflict in a balanced manner, whereby the wildlife habitat is improved. “The Committee urges upon the Ministry to evolve a mechanism at the national level for uniform compensation, early settlement of compensation and rehabilitation of the victims of man-animal conflict. The Committee recommends that efforts should be made by the Ministry at local level and especially among the communities living in peripheral forest areas to sensitise them towards ecological balance through co-existence with wildlife,” it said.
As per the Ministry, financial assistance is provided by the Ministry to States/Union Territories under the centrally sponsored schemes of ‘Development of Wildlife Habitats’, ‘Project Tiger’ and ‘Project Elephant’ for activities like creation and maintenance of water holes for wild animals in the protected areas, soil and moisture conservation measures, establishment of anti-poaching camps, strengthening wildlife veterinary care, eradication of weeds, creation and maintenance of fire lines, deployment of Tiger Protection Force and others.
Critical elephant habitats are notified as ‘Elephant Reserve’ for focus and synergy in elephant conservation and to reduce conflict. The notification is carried out with the approval of the Steering Committee formed in the Ministry. So far 31 Elephant Reserves have been established in 14 major elephant states.
Similarly, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued Standard Operating Procedures to deal with emergencies arising due to straying of tigers into human dominated landscapes and tiger depredation on livestock and for active management towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level.&nbsp;
—IANS

Amidst the governments increased focus on conservation of wildlife, instances of human-animal conflict have resulted in loss of life of both humans and animals over the years.

 Elephants, tigers main victims of rising human-animal conflict

Kolkata: In June this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the West Bengal government to immediately close down all hotels, camping sites, homestays,
lodges and restaurants within the Buxa Tiger Reserve, currently in Alipurduar district and earlier in undivided Jalpaiguri district in the northern part of the state. The NGT order gave hope to environmentalists that this is the first positive move for freeing the jungles not only in Buxa but the entire north Bengal of human encroachments.
However, almost three months have passed since the NGT order, and the activists allege that the judgement has not been honoured in its true spirit and tourism activities within the core area are still being carried out albeit in a reduced manner. They also allege negligence on the part of the state government in putting in place a proper displacement and
rehabilitation policy for the tribal population in the villages within the core areas.
Speaking to IANS, environmental rights activist Dr Raja Raut said that although after the NGT order the state government has
taken some steps to limit tourism within the Buxa Tiger Reserve, the order has not been implemented in its true spirit.
"Although night stays within the reserve forest area have been banned after the NGT order, some lodges with dining arrangements are still operating during the day till sunset. And with these arrangements continuing, the tourists flock, play music, litter food and food packets which continue to affect the natural ambience of the forest. We along with other environment activists had intimated the state forest department several times and what we got are just assurances. I understand that the state government is promoting tourism and homestay culture in north Bengal. But it cannot be at the cost of the natural ambience of the jungle," Raut said.
Besides the Royal Bengal tiger the fauna of Buxa Tiger Reserve, a part of which is also in neighbouring Bhutan, includes elephants, leopards, giant squirrels, chital deer, wild boar and
Indian dhole.
Raut said the continued existence of around 100 small forest villages within the core forest areas scattered over the three districts in north Bengal, namely Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Darjeeling is yet another hurdle in making the core forest
areas totally free of human encroachment. "These are extremely small forest villages housing hardly 1,000 to 1,200 families. I do not think that rehabilitation of these families is a difficult task. But I think some political interference poses hurdles in that rehabilitation process," Raut said.
According to forest minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, the state government is keen on rehabilitating the population in the forest villages and talks are going on in this regard.
However, there is a technical hitch since these forest villagers mostly do not have land rights and it is often difficult for the state government to offer rehabilitation packages under the existing legal framework.
Mullick added that the state government has urged the Union government to share the compensation burden. "We expect the rehabilitation package to be finalised soon," he said.
On the issue of the continuing day time operations of some homestays, he said that he will ask his officials to look into the matter.
However, a senior state forest official, on condition of anonymity said that ensuring a 100 per cent closure of all tourism-related commercial operations in the forest areas like
homestays and restaurants is not an easy task. "As it is, entry
restrictions in the core area have left the local villagers fuming since that was an important source of income. The people have invested in setting up homestays after the state
government encouraged that. Now the overnight closing down of all operations will antagonize them," the official said.
He said that unless the state government arranges for alternative sources of income for these villagers besides
giving them a one-time compensation, displacing them from the core areas will be an uphill task.&nbsp;
—IANS

In June this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the West Bengal government to immediately close down all hotels, camping sites, homestays,

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