A WORD FOR THE “MAN EATERS”

The figure of 1411 shook the Prime Minister’s Office and the protection of our National Animal – “The Tiger” came under the ambit of the PMO. But it seems that the Tigers of the forests of Uttar Pradesh decided to move in their own ways and started straying towards the human population. It was indeed a records of sorts that since October 2007 there have been 22 incidences of straying. This somewhat unnatural behavior of the Tiger resulted in losses at both ends , by human deaths and the killing of the Tigers branded as “Man Eaters”.

A question which arises is why this sudden attraction of the Tiger towards the humans?

Any wild animal as a natural instinct general avoids humans and keeps their distance. The carnivores usually attack as a self defense to a sudden direct confrontation , a face to face with a human or when it has to extinguish its hunger.

One of the reasons for the straying and “Man-Animal Conflict” in the forest of Terai started somewhere when the sugarcane crop was in the harvesting phase. Wild Boars venture into the sugarcane and are followed by the Tiger. The Tiger does not differentiate between the Tall Grass and Sugarcane and stays in it , then while harvesting there is a direct confrontation with a human resulting in the loss of human life. This is not a intentional killing but a reaction in self defense.

The other and primary reason for the continuous exodus of the Tiger out of the forest is when it does not find sufficient food (i.e prey) inside the forest. This happens when there is a drastic fall in the population of the herbivores (which includes Chital, Nilgai, Hog Deer and Barking Deer). A general impression of a forest is that it should be full of trees , but in fact for a healthy forest there should be woodland , grassland and waterbodies. Grasslands are the primary requirement for a healthy population of herbivores to be able to sustain itself. This requires what is called “Grassland Management” a human interference in the forest to maintain the grassland and to sustain it. When grasslands are inadequate the herbivores venture out of the forest to feed on the crops in the fields around the forests. This on one hand results in the Tiger following them and finally resulting in conflict with humans with the Tiger also finding that the cattle and human are easier prey to kill and on the other hand the more dangerous and harmful exposure of the herbivores to be easily poached resulting in the further decrease in the already depleted population.

The forests of the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh are virtually dotted with human settlements in and around. This results in a lot of human pressure on the already restricted forest resources , further a lot of human presence and interference inside the forest also results in conflicts. Poaching in and around the forest of all wild animals takes its toll on the forest and the destruction of the forest habitat by encroachment of the forest land is the last nail in the coffin of loss of wildlife and forests.

A proper management of the forest and the protection of the wild inhabitants inside is expected and required from the Forest Department. This along with selective fencing , as done in the Sundarban Tiger Reserve , near human settlements could and would avoid such straying and conflicts. A hungry tiger needs food , if the needs are fulfilled within the limits of the forest the chances of such straying and killings would become remote. The Tiger is our National Animal let us take some pains to protect it or else the time is not far away when nominations for a new national animal might be required.

PROTECTING WILDLIFE

The Dictionary meaning of the word Protect is “to cover or shield from danger or injury; to defend; to guard; to preserve in safety” and Protection means “the act of protecting, or the state of being protected; preservation from loss, injury, or annoyance; defense; shelter. Thus protection comes into effect when something is under threat or is in danger.

The law which protects the Wildlife in India is the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It is noteworthy that the word used is “Protection” which entails that at the time of the formation of the Law the Law Makers had in mind that the wildlife of India was in “Danger and it need to the guarded and preserved safely”.

There are two kinds of danger which wildlife faces , one is the natural dangers which would include the natural calamities , the natural process of elimination of species , the natural competition within the species and climate changes. These dangers is part of the process of evolution. This danger is unpredictable and uncontrollable and at times necessary.

The second kind of danger to wildlife is that from the Human Species. We have for one multiplied in numbers which are reaching unsustainable proportions. Even Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection has bend on its knees in front of us. This unleashed population growth is the mother of all problems. With population starts the growth in demand for everything be it the nuclear bombs to toilet soaps and every demand directly or indirectly means extraction from mother nature , which in order to fulfill these demands is exploited in the most irrational manner. (Though there can be no system or rational designed to exploit nature , but a sustained exploitation or method of replenishing the exploitation can be considered good).

We have knowingly and unknowingly become a catalyst in enhancing the dynamics of aging of our environment , at times due to our limited knowledge or due to the requirements of our life style. We have not left any part of our planet untouched by our devastations , be it the littering around the Mount Everest or the spilling of the crude oil in the seas. The discovery of pesticides can be debated for being a boon or a bane , but the fact is that pesticide enters every element in the food chain and the effects are irrevocable , be it genetic changes to cancers. A recent study on microwaves and the waves from the cell phone towers has show that they microwave the eggs of birds resulting in a decline in their population , ma be we would fry ourselves a little later. We treat our rivers like sewage dumps and all the filth of our cities flow unhindered into them. These are just a few examples of our exploitation and influence on nature.

Forest Land is the easiest exploited land because it is state controlled and the sole owner is the state. So any diversion is not met with any protest from the inhabitants. The Minutes of the 6th Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) held on 20th January, 2006 in the Ministry of Environment and Forests can give some idea of the purpose of diversion of forest Land.

1. Diversion of forest land from Pakke (Eaglenest Sanctuary), Arunachal Pradesh, for construction of road for the Army by the Border Roads Organization (I.A.No. in CWP 202/95)

2.Diversion of 19.5 ha of forest land from Rajaji National Park for construction of charitable hospital by Raghaendra Sewashram Samiti.

3. Diversion of 5.68 ha of forest land from Mayureshwar Sanctuary for construction of Janai and Shirsai Lift Irrigation Scheme by the Irrigation Department (I.A.No.36 and 57 in WPC No.337 of 1995).

4. Diversion of 0.010490 sq. kms of forest land from Dhauladhar Sanctuary for the Lambadug Hydro Electric Project located in Sub Tehsil Multhan of Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh by Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board I.A. No.63 in WPC No.337 of 1995)

5. Dereservation of 4.56 ha of forest land from Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve for the joining of Totladoh Dam Reservoir to Nallah through a Tunnel (I.A.No.66 in WPC No.337 of 1995)

6. Diversion of forest land from National Chambal Sanctuary,Rajasthan, for construction of 4 lane Kota by-pass by National Highway Authority of India.

7. Diversion of 84 ha of forest land from Nagarjun Sagar Tiger Reserve,Andhra Pradesh, for construction of Srisalam Left Bank Hydro Electric Scheme by Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation.

8. Diversion of 84 ha of forest land from Nagarjun Sagar Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh, for construction of Srisalam Left Bank Hydro Electric Scheme by Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation.

9. Construction of Hydel Projects across the river Barapole within Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kadagu District of Karnataka and Kanoor District of Kerala (I.A. in WP ( C ) No.202 of 1995 and 171 of 1996).

10. Dereservation of 1 3.70 ha of forest land under Govind ViharWildlife Sanctuary of Naitwad Service Motor Road from 6 to 32 kms (I.A. No.88 of 2005 in WP ( C ) No.202 of 1995).

11 .Dereservation of forest land fro rehabilitation of rural oustees under Tehari Dam Project, Rehabilitation Scheme (I.A.No.74 in W.P. ( C )No.337 of 1995).

12. Dereservation of land comprised in the forest villages situated in the State of Chhatisgarh for conversion of forest villages into revenue villages (.A.No.75 in W.P. ( C ) No.337 of 1995).

13. Permission for transfer of 3.40 ha reserve forest land situated in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary on lease basis for the purpose of laying 0.60 M pipeline (I.A.No.77 in W.P. ( C ) No.337 of 1995).

14. Diversin of 78.165 ha of forest land from Pangolkha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim for construction of road by the army (I.A.No.1029/2004 in W.P. ( C ) No.202 of 1995).

15. Dereservation of 12.75 ha of already broken Forest Land from Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, Orissa for Mining by T.P. Minerals.

16. Diversion of land in the Hipora Wildlife Sanctuary in Jammu and Kashmir for the revival of Mughal Road.

17. Diversion of Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary area of 600.72 ha of the total forest area 1965.052 ha proposed for Durgawati Reservoir Project.

18. Diversion of 91.701 ha of forest land from Askot Wildlife Sanctuary for Dhauliganga Intermediate Stage Power Project by NHPC.

19. Permission for transfer of 0.4604 ha of reserve forest land situated within the Bindsar Wildlife Sanctuary for drinking supply.

20. Proposal for reopening of the diamond mine and continuing mining operations as 275.963 ha of the Mining lease area comes under Panna (Gangau) Wildlife Sanctuary.

How many of these proposals saw the light of the day is not known , but the intension can be gauged from above and it is this constant evasion of the little left forests and its inhabitants that a there is a need for “PROTECTION”. There is further exploitation from the local population which meets is fuel , fodder and monitory need (by poaching) from these forests.

A constant contraction of the forest along with the constant encroachment by humans finally results in what is called a “Man-Animal Conflict” which after a human causality , results in the capture or killing of the animal. Even a single human death is enough to sign the death warrant for the defenceless animal. The locals of the villages around forest reserves have been facing theses animals for as long as they have lived and causalities have always been there , but today the matter has become politically sensitive , hence the death sentence is given instantly without a second chance to the animal.

The forest reserves today have become a sort of a large scale zoos , surrounded by human inhabitants from all sides and therefore need to be treated and protected like one. The interference of the humans inside the forest needs to be reduced and the venturing of the animal outside the forest need to be reduced and the best method to enforce this is to construct a fence around our reserves. This has been done in the African reserves and has been successful. Further any unauthorized person inside a reserve need to be treated by exemplary punishments which act as an deterrent for others. Forest Villages have to be removed and reallocated , if this can be done for SEZs then why not for a forest which gives us fresh air and also form the sources of our many rivers.

We have to set our priorities straight – whether we want to “PROTECT” our forests and inturn its inhabitants as this would require some harsh steps or whether we would just like to see them disappear in a few decades time. Protection requires some extreme and special steps and therefore through the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 the same not only need to be exhibited in words , but also need to be exhibited by actions. The life of the wild animals and wildlife is in our hands it is upto us to protect them or see them is some museum as an extinct species.

We Have a Problem - Acknowledge It

We Have a Problem - Acknowledge It

To solve a problem the first and foremost requirement is to acknowledge the problem. Ironically , that our forest , rivers , fragile eco systems of the Himalayas are under constant threat and wetlands fast vanishing , has not been acknowledged by us. We have been pounding over the statistical figures making the figure of one State sound better that that of another and similarly shown that we are statistically better from other countries. But as it is said for figures that if you torture them enough they give the desired result.

We have been in the state of false assurance that our forest, wetland, wildlife and environment are fully secured and protect and are here to stay forever. Taking support of statistics will not do justice to this problem and a question being answered by each one of us being true to ourselves to take stock of the world around us as it is today and as it was say 10-15 years back would provide us with all answeres.

A miniscule portion of our vast country now is left wildlife and forests and that too are constantly under threat from development project and demand for their natural wealth. The forest and waterbodies are the sole providers of the for the life giving water and air and ignoring them would have disastrous implications. Over the years since independence we have only lost our green and wild cover and in turn lost or bought some of the species to or near extinction. This has further been accelerated by the overdosage of pesticide and fertilizer which though has not effected the humans in any big way but it is not far away when we humans would also have a similar fate as that of the Vulture.

The apex animal “Tiger” is the classic example of our ignorance and Sakiska the best result of the implication of this ignorance. When this can happen to the tiger which was usually found in protected area , than the plight of our winter visitors , who fly thousands of miles and find that their favorite lake has been filled up or has dried up can be well understood. Its hard to understand what these delicate birds must be feeling after the long efforts they put in. Crossing the Himalayas only to be shot down in large numbers during their migration.

In our country the government and its departments are the sole custodians of our wild wealth. They are the protectors and planners and therefore our expectations from them it enormous. They guard our factories of pure air and fresh water and carry on a serious work. It is only requested to the persons safe guarding our interest that on one hand more of these life giving factories are required and therefore have to be developed and on the second hand the PRIORITY inside a PA or IBA or that to any place where there is wild animal or bird or tree should be given to these voiceless creatures and not to us humans. This in the long term would only be in the interest of us humans. Every tree be in the forest or city is important , cutting the tree is easy but replacing the same requires another 20 – 30 years. A forest or water body lost is gone forever. The government departments could open their doors to external experts and volunteers and a public private partnership could also ease a lot of pressure on the forest staff and also bring a Transparency in their functioning which would be in the interest of all.

We have all joined the rat race to become a developed nation. But do not have an answere to – what is being developed in the Indian context ? when will we develop ? is development sustainable? And many more.

That does not mean that we should be against development. After all the number of mouths that we produce need food and employment . But in this race we have taken Mother Earth for granted. Since we are still getting water and air we have developed a false sense of security that it is here to stay. But as in any production line the raw material is always required for the finished product and hence for this air and water we do require the raw materials of our natural wealth which includes every plant and animal. As each has a purpose and role in nature to maintain its balance and the smallest to the largest has its own importance.

GDP (Gross Domestic Product) forms an important fiqure to determine our status as an nation in this world. But GDP as defined is the total market value of all final goods and services PRODUCED within the country in a given period of time. Production is the result of the input of raw material and hence GDP in a way give the measures of what we have consumed and made out of our resources.

Does not a wealth man mean the one who has all the gold and big bank balance. i.e the common form of our measurement of a rich person is the one who has more of gold , silver etc. etc and not the one who eats more (consumes) more and more and might have a lot of debts and loans in his backyard.

Let us take a example , if we package say 100 litre out of the water of the river Ganga then the GDP would be measure of this 100 litres. Now in order to grow we would require more and more of this water to make the figure of GDP grow and look better. Now on one hand we have started excess exploitation of the water and on the other hand have no measure of howmuch water is left.
Now had we been the wiseman we would have opened our teasure chest of the river Ganga , analysed the amount of water that he had and then used it wisely to our needs. This would have shown how rich we are in the true sense and would have also resulted in the judicious use of the resoure.


We have very little of natural wealth left. The western countries are already saving their wildlife , forest and water bodies on a war footing , then why are we lacking behind ? Population in our country is a problem , but if we give all the forest to be converted into fields and cities would this problem be solved? Our forefathers were foresighted and understood the necessity of the trees , lakes and forest and its is just due to their judicious use of there natural wealth that we are there to see the day , but if the present trend of mindless exploitation of our natural wealth continues for sometime the process of destruct would become irreversible. Lest us acknowledge that we have a problem and start working on it.

KINGFISHERS OF UTTAR PRADESH AND UTTRAKHAND -

There are five types of Kingfishers found in Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand . They are the Common Kingfisher , Stork Billed Kingfisher , Pied Kingfisher , White Throated Kingfisher and finally the Creasted Kingfisher. I have been fortunate enough to see all of them and also photograph them.

White Thoated Kingfisher -

The White Throated Kingfisher is the most commonly sighted. It can easily be seen in the populated city area also. It mostly feed on small lizards , frogs and insects and can be seen near thick vegetation , cultivation gardens , freshwater wetlands.

Common Kingfisher -
The Common Kingfisher as the name suggest is not seen commonly. The bird is small and an orange ear covet acts as an distinguishing feature. It is found near fresh water lakes and ponds sitting of the vegetation on the edges of such water bodies.

STORK BILLED KINGFISHER -
The Stork Billed Kingfisher inhabits mostly the forest areas and can be found near running water and lakes. It has an exceptionally long Red Bill with a brown cap along with an Orange Buff underpart and collar and blue upper part.

Pied Kingfisher - Pied Kingfisher as the name suggest is Black and White in colour. The best place to look for it is under or near Bridges. It prefers slow moving and fresh water.

Creasted Kingfisher - Created Kingfisher is often confused with the Pied Kingfisher. But there are two important point of distinction – It is much larger than the Pied and LACKS the Supercilium which the Pied has. It can be seen along the mountain rivers or at the rivers on the foot hill of the Himalayas

Honey Buzzard

(Above) Seen near Lucknow , Uttar Pradesh , India (Above) Seen near Raibareilly, Uttar Pradesh , India

(Above) Katernighat , Uttar Pradesh , India

(Above) Katerniaghat , Uttar Pradesh , India

The Oriental Honey Buzzard is one of the most frequent encountered raptor after the Black Kite , for me. Either I am able to identify them easily because of the prominent grey head or they are present in reasonable numbers , is a question for which I do not have an answer.

My list of encounters include five birds seen in Katerniaghat in May 2008 , one that was sighted 9 kms after Raibareilly on the Allahabad Road in March 2008 , where a large marsh is present or the most recently on 20.07.08 , a sighting near the Indira Barrage in Lucknow where for the first time the bird was caught on camera with a honeycomb in its claws. This sighting was a confirmatory record that the bird fees on bees , larve and honeycombs

The Shama

Katerniaghat 17.05.2008 -11:45 PM –
This was my first solo visit to Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary. I had gone to attend the First Meeting of the Katerniaghat Foundations and was suppose to wait at the Kakraha Forest Guest House (FGH) for the other to come. As the waiting was turned to be long I decided to go inside the forest next to the FGH . It had recently rained and the forest bed was full of damp leaves, the result was that that no sound of the crumpling of the leaves and my movement was some what soundless. As I moved inside the forest I heard a beautiful song of a bird . It was singing loudly in various tunes. Mesmerised , I followed the song and saw a White Rumped Shama singing. Though the Shama had seen me it did not make any effort to fly away and just hopped from one branch to the other , giving me ample time to catch it in my camera. My encounter with the Shama lasted for around 15 minutes.

White Rumped Shama – Copsychus malabaricus
Size – Bulbul with a relatively longer tail.
Field Character – An unmistakable cousin of the Magpie-Robin with chestnut underparts instead of white. A conspicuous white patch on above the root of he black and white tail which is visible on flight.
Distribution – Throughout India
Habitat – Affect forest clad foothills , shady broadleaved undergrowth.
Food – Chiefly insects

Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus)
Hindi name – Madhuya
About the Bird – Head and neck pale brownish grey , mantel light fawn, rest of upper part is dark brown with blackish flight and brown uppertail coverts. White tail sports a broad blackish-brown subterminal band with a narrow pale tip. Breast and upper belly fawn , paler than black. Lower belly onwards pure white. The white tail band separate it from the Lesser Fish Eagle.
The Eagle is an uncommon resident of low lying forested or wooded area having a perennial water source around. It ranges from the Terai of Uttar Pradesh andUttrakhand to the Northeast States and upto Kanyakumari in the south. It is absent in northwet Indian upto Punjab and in the desert and semi arid areas.
Sighting At Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary – The Eagle was sight twice on the on the Bundha Road in the month of April and May 08. It fishes its prey from the small pools of water on both side of the bundha. A early morning visit in the summer months when the water in the pools dries up and catching the fish becomes easy is the time to watch this bird.

CHITAL OR SPOTTED DEER

Potatoes – we eat a lot but never discuss about them. They invariably form a part of our daily food ,but alas are never given a thought - we take them for granted.

A very similar plight is that of the Chital or the Spotted Deer. Any person visiting the forest has his first experience of a wild animal in the form of a Chital which is seen the most , in herds, jumping , running and grazing in the grasslands or resting under the shade of the trees. But the eyes keep on looking for the big carnivores and these beautiful and delicate creatures are not given a second thought.

The Chital or Spotted Deer (Axis axis) is one of the most prominent deer species found in India. The are found almost in ever forest of the country but is at its best in the Himalayan foothills , in the jungles of the Terai and in Madhya Pradesh. Its coat is a bright rufus-fawn profusely spotted with white ,at all ages and in all seasons. Old bucks are more brownish in colour and darker. The stag (male) stands at 90 cms at the shoulder and weighs around 85 kgs. The graceful antlers have three tines , a long brow tine set nearly at right angles to he beam and two branch tines at the top. The usual size of a herd is of 10 to 30 animals which may contain two to three stags , but assembly of several hundred have also been seen. They feed till late in the morning and again in the afternoon. These chital have developed a very special relationship with the Rhesus monkeys and Langoors, which on one hand, sitting high in the trees provide the deer with food by dropping leaves and fruits and on the other are the first ones to give an alarm call for the Tiger or Leopard and alert the chitals. Chitals are the primary prey base for the carnivores.

Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) has an abundance of chital. In the Katerniaghat Range one can see large herds in the early morning or late afternoon on the Bundha Road. The left of this road are the open grassland where the herds graze with the adult alert at the slightest movement and the young playing around and the right side has water holes which quenches their thirst. There is a constant movement from one side of the bundha to the other.

Katerniaghat has a very special group of chitals , they to the best of my knowledge are the only pairs of Albino Chitals in the wild. Sighting of two male and two female Albino Chital have been reported from the Katerniaghat Range of this forest. These Albino are a one of the Jewels of the Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.

THE FOREST FIRE

THE TEAM
(from L-R -Back Row - Sameer , Jamuna, Amit . Front Row - Manaswi , Shekher)

A jungle is full of incidences and after thoughts result in a write up. As a sequel to the injured owl that was sighted at the Sujauli Area of Katerniaghat while we were returning back to our Tharu Huts at Katernia, at a turn on the forest road we saw a fire. It was a first one for us inexperienced group. Our guide - Jamuna immediately jumped from the vehicle and rushed towards the fire. We the lot stood still trying to figure out a way to extinguish the fire. Jamuna was our instant teacher and guided us to cut the near by bush and then to pat the fire with it. We immediately encircled the fire from all sides and started the operation. The cane with its thorns was our biggest enemy and often resulted in cuts . After around an hour the fire was extinguished. It was an achievement for us with a satisfaction that we could save the forest.

Dilemma at Katerniaghat

In a recent visit in May 08 , I along with my jungle mates were in the Central Farm Area of Sujauli Range of Katerniaghat. It was a hot and humid day and our water had finished , seeing a temple , it was decided that we walk through the fields at the edge of the forest and get some water. While walking through the fields we noticed some movement , it seemed to be a small animal. We immediately followed this movement and were face to face with a Twany Fish Owl. It was not flying and its left wing was injured. We were faced with a strange dilemma as to whether take this bird along with us and try to give it a treatment or follow the jungle law and leave it to mother nature. After much thought and weighing our situation and options it was finally decided that we leave the owl in the hands of mother nature. We gave the Owl some water and then left it inside the forest from the open fields ,with a hope that it would survive.