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Monday, August 02, 2010

IN NEWS

India to reintroduce cheetahs into grasslands
By NIRMALA GEORGE (AP) – 3 hours ago
NEW DELHI — The Indian government plans to import cheetahs from Africa and introduce them into the country's grasslands, six decades after the fleet-footed feline was hunted here until it disappeared, officials said Monday.
Two wildlife groups have already carried out a feasibility study on bringing the cats to three reserves that will total more than 4,500 square miles (about 12,000 square kilometers) in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states, India's ministry of environment and forests said Monday.
The cheetah, the world's fastest land animal, roamed the wilds of central and western India until, in the face of relentless hunting by trophy-seekers and poachers, it vanished from here about 60 years ago.
The Asiatic cheetah — the sub-species that once lived in India — no longer exists in the wild, though some survive in zoos.
So scientists will import 18 wild cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa, said a ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media…………..
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Maharashtra forest officer released after 83 days in captivity

PTI
Itanagar, Aug 02 (PTI) A senior IFS officer of Maharashtra cadre, who was held captive allegedly by Bodo militants for 83 days after his abduction from a forest in Arunachal Pradesh, has been released, police said here today.Vilas Bardekar, the Joint Director of Social Forestry in Maharastra, was released yesterday at Dhekiajuli in Assam and left immediately for Guwahati, the sources said.Bardekar, a 1984 batch IFS (Indian Forest Service) officer, was kidnapped on May 12 from a forest in Arunachal's West Kameng district while he was carrying out a study on butterfly species there.


Forest officers transferred to Lokayukta
Bangalore:July 29, DHNS:

With the Lokayukta intensifying its probe into the illegal transport of iron ore, the State Government on Wednesday deputed four forest officers for investigation.


The Lokayukta had asked for Biswajeet Mishra, Deputy Forest Officer, (DCF), Wildlife Division, Chamarajnagar; TS Ranawat, Interim DCF, Dharwad; Vipin Singh, DCF, Bidar; and R Udaya Kumar, DCF (State Forest Service), Water Rejuvenation, Dharwad as the investigation officers. 

The team will be headed by Dr UV Singh, Chief Conservator of Forests, who had earlier led a probe into illegal mining. Gokul, Karwar DCF, will also be part of the team. ………………………
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/84800/forest-officers-transferred-lokayukta.html


Can we hear the roar again?

P. JEGANATHAN

The Hindu
The Asiatic Lion is classified as one of the most endangered mammals in India. There are just 360 of them left in the wild. A disturbing fact, indeed.
The minute you say that you are going to visit a forest area in India, almost everyone asks, “Do you get to see the Lion there?”But we need to realise that in India the Asiatic Lion lives only in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat.
The Asiatic Lion once roamed Asia from Palestine in the West to India in the East. Over the many years they were wiped out throughout their range mainly due to habitat alteration and hunting. In India they were found from Haryana in the north to Baroda in the south and Palamau in the east. However, big game hunting by several kings and British rulers resulted in the disappearance of this king of the beast from many parts of India during the mid 20{+t}{+h} century.
The British administrators and more importantly, the Nawab of Junagadh state realised that there was a need to protect this carnivore. In 1879, the sixth Nawab of Junagadh state, Mahbatkhanji II ordered strict protection of the lions in his state. After him Mahbatkhanji III and Nawab Rasulkhanji continued the protection by setting up exclusive reserve for lions. Due to their initiative and the protection by the Government of India since then, a single population now thrives in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary and in the surrounding areas in Gujarat. The Asiatic Lion is classified as one of the most endangered mammals in India since there are only about 360 individuals left in the wild……………………………………….
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Vedanta, Posco being probed over forest law violation


Mon, Aug 2 02:33 PM
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is investigating alleged violation of forest laws by Vedanta Co and Korean steel maker Posco in Orissa, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.
Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said a four-member expert group is currently in Orissa looking at all cases of alleged violation by Vedanta Co.
An iron ore mining project may comprise both forest and non-forest area and a company can initiate action in non-forest area only after it has received approval for mining in the forest area, he said.
Vedanta Co is being investigated by the ministry for alleged violation of this guideline, he said. "We will take a final call after report of the expert group is received."
Similarly, Posco was under investigation for alleged violation of forest act in acquisition of land for the mega project.
"Any violation of forest act will not be tolerated," he said…………………………….
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Endangered vultures will be back: Minister

2010-08-02 14:20:00

As environmentalists raise concern over the near extinction of some species of vultures, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh Monday assured a comeback of the bird, known for its scavanging qualities, soon as a result of a successful breeding programme.
'The breeding programme has been successful, soon we will see the come back of the vulture,' Ramesh said, replying supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha.
As many as three species of vultures in India are endangered because of the use of painkiller diclofenac in cattle on whose carcass these birds feed.
Long-billed, slender-billed and oriental white-backed species of vultures have died in South Asia over the past several years after eating cattle carcasses laced with medicines which is given to sick animals.
Scientists announced the successful breeding of the long-billed vulture in captivity for the first time in June this year. The other two species have been bred earlier……………………………………………………………………………………..
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