Asiatic lions are listed as endangered by the IUCN due to their small population.
In retaliation, Gujarat government filed a review petition in May. Although the verdict on the petition was still pending a 12 member committee was formed by the ministry of forest and environment for the translocation of lions. The panel, which met in Delhi on July 29 for a maiden meeting, comprised pro-shifting experts Ravi Chellam and Y V Jhala who are the brains behind the translocation plan to decide on the number of lions to be shifted.
Gujarat government had put forth its arguments against the move but environmentalists slammed it by saying that the lions were being caught in a political tussle between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
Significantly, the battle over the translocation had taken an ugly turn. Modi had refused to entertain the request of his MP counterpart Chouhan government to agree to the translocation. Many government officials and local activists in Gujarat questioned that is conserving the lion really MP's aim or does it basically want to enhance its tourism?
Dineshgiri Goswami, green activist from Kodinar based Prakruti Nature Club, says "I do not think anybody is thinking about the lion but the battle is becoming more political. Forest officers appearing in court do not care for the lions." Goswami threatened self-immolation if lions are shifted.
As a much needed boost to the Gujarat government, a Mumbai based NGO, Empower Foundation, presented a study on lion translocation. They stated that lions should not be translocated and be allowed to migrate naturally. The study also found that the Gujarat government has not powerfully positioned the fact that the lion habitat in Gujarat goes much beyond Gir.
Over a period of time lions have migrated naturally hundreds of kilometers away to places like Amreli, Savarkundla, Liliya Porbandar, Paniya, Mitiyala, Barda, Una, Chhara, Sutrapada, Babariya, Kodinar, Visavadar, Hipavadli, Jamvada, Jasadhar, Girnar, Bhavnagar and Palitana.
"The 1,412 sq km abode of Asiatic lions has now spread across 10,500 sq km, thus mitigating concentration risk in one area," explained Jalpesh Mehta, founder chairman, Empower Foundation. Thus, the spread of an epidemic which was the primary argument of wildlife activists and biologists seeking translocation does not hold true, according to him.
One would not, however, undermine Gujarat's valid concerns about the security of the lions in Madhya Pradesh. Asiatic lions are listed as endangered by the IUCN due to their small population. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, C.N.Pandey says, "Success of lion conservation in Gujarat may largely be attributed to the tolerant, friendly and supportive local people. This is missing at Kuno Palpur."
Another major concern is that Madhya Pradesh is major poaching arena with a strong gun culture. According to several cases reported in the past the 'tiger state' lost its moniker when 453 tigers out of 710 (63% loss) were killed in last decade alone. The state as per the 2011 census has only 257 tigers left.
The loss of tiger in Madhya Pradesh was 50 per cent of the total loss of the tigers across the world. Palpur Kuno had 25 tigers earlier but reduced to a shameful figure of two in the present time. Sheopur district also has 4800 fire arm licenses for a population of six lakh. As these are licensed guns, one cannot assess the illegal fire arms present in the area.
Risks cannot be ruled out, but these risks must be taken considering the larger benefits for the species, feels Dr Rahul Kaul, Chief Ecologist, Wildlife Trust of India. He observes: "Long-term viability of lions or any other wildlife will benefit greatly if there are multiple populations. Restricting the animals to a single population, however big, can make them extremely vulnerable to stochastic extinctions."
International Fund for Animal Welfare - Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) has undertaken relocation of animals in the northeast India. "Working with the Assam Forest Department and Bodoland Territorial Council authorities, we have aided in reintroduction of rhinos in Manas after its entire population was wiped out during the civil unrest of 80s and 90s. With advancement of science and understanding, proper planning and effective implementation, the degree of success has increased and can be increased further. Anyway, in cases like these, the possibility of success must matter more than the fear of failure," says Kaul.
Clearly in this battle MP has an upper hand but with the endangered animals at stake the issues may have become more political than ecological. And while one smile and the other sulks a species survival is at risk.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
NGO seeks global body’s intervention to stop translocation
There has been no successful lion translocation in the past in the country
Jalpesh Meha
Founder chairperson, Empower Foundation
Sravani Sarkar
On eve of the World
Lions Day (August 10), a Mumbai-based NGO has sought intervention of
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - the oldest global
environment network - on the issue of the translocation of Asiatic Lions from
Gir in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh.
The NGO - Empower
Foundation - has been opposing the translocation of lions - saying that the
conditions are adverse in the proposed site of Kuno Palpur and that serious
animal rights’ issues are involved with the entire process. The organization is
rather insisting on increasing habitat availability for lions through
restoration, connectivity, corridor establishment, habitat protection and
natural movement of lions.
Now, the NGO has also
said that the translocation would amount to serious violations of IUCN
guidelines on 29 counts and has urged the IUCN authorities to appoint an
international expert/team of experts to intervene in the matter and guide the authorities
in two states.
The founder chairperson
of the Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta has written to the IUCN authorities
including the chairman of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) Reintroduction
Specialist Group Dr Frederic Launay seeking this intervention. In the letter to
the authorities, the NGO has given details of all the 29 guidelines violation
and the 12 adverse conditions in Kuno Palpur (based on NGO’s own study) to draw
attention of the international body.
The translocation issue
is hanging fire between two states - Gujarat
and Madhya Pradesh since more than a decade. Recently, the Supreme Court
mandated translocation of Lions to MP, but Gujarat government filed a review
petition pointing out that the decision was one-sided and highlighting the
poaching culture of MP (50% of world’s tigers over the last decade were poached
in MP).
“We have been working on
this issue since a while and in a situation where there has been no successful
lion translocation in the past in the country and concerned persons having no
expertise on Lions, we thought it apt to seek the intervention of IUCN,” Mehta
said while talking to HT.
He added that the
Empower foundation was not against translocation, but concerned with the end
result. “We simply want to save lions from being pushed to extinction,” he said.
IUCN help sought to oppose translocation
NGO opposes movement of Gir beasts to MP claiming adverse conditions
BHOPAL: On eve of the World Lions Day ( August 10), a Mumbai-based NGO has sought intervention of International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) - the oldest global environment network - on the issue of the translocation of Asiatic Lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh.The NGO - Empower Foundation - has been opposing the translocation of lions - saying that the conditions are adverse in the proposed site of Kuno Palpur and that serious animal rights’ issues are involved with the entire process. The organization is rather insisting on increasing habitat availability for lions through restoration, connectivity, corridor establishment, habitat protection and natural movement of lions.
Now, the NGO has also said that the translocation would amount to serious violations of IUCN guidelines on 29 counts and has urged the IUCN authorities to appoint an international expert/team of experts to intervene in the matter and guide the authorities in two states.
The founder chairperson of the Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta has written to the IUCN authorities including the chairman of the Species Survival Commission ( SSC) Reintroduction Specialist Group Dr Frederic Launay seeking this intervention. In the letter to the authorities, the NGO has given details of all the 29 guidelines violation and the 12 adverse conditions in Kuno Palpur (based on NGO’s own study) to draw attention of the international body.
The translocation issue is hanging fire between two states - Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh since more than a decade. Recently, the Supreme Court mandated translocation of Lions to MP, but Gujarat government filed a review petition pointing out that the decision was one-sided and highlighting the poaching culture of MP (50% of world’s tigers over the last decade were poached in MP).
“We have been working on this issue since a while and in a situation where there has been no successful Lion translocation in the past in the country and concerned persons having no expertise on Lions, we thought it apt to seek the intervention of IUCN,” Mehta said while talking to HT. He added that the Empower foundation was not against translocation, but concerned with the end result. “We want to save lions from being pushed to extinction,” he said.
'Don't relocate Gir lions'
MID-DAY: August
11, 2013, Mumbai, Ranjeet Jadhav
On the occasion of World Lions Day, city NGO writes to international conservation body to put pressure and prevent relocation of Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh
Many aspects need to be considered while thinking of relocating animals. Mumbai-based NGO, Empower Foundation, has written a letter to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) for intervention in the Lion Translocation issue between two states, citing 29 guideline violations, on the eve of World Lions Day.The NGO feels that translocation of lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh should not be done, as not only it will have a negative impact on the population of lions but chances of poaching will also increase.
Appoint an expert
Speaking to SUNDAY MiD DAY, Founder chairman of NGO Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta, said, “We are not against translocation, but how, where and the end result is our concern. We have urged IUCN to appoint an international lion expert or a team to save the lions from being pushed into death beds (see box).”
Against judgment
In June this year, the team analysed 10 global failures of translocations and submitted a report citing 12 adverse conditions of the proposed translocation site in Kuno Palpur, which would be fatal for the lions.
“Translocation is a serious animal rights issue. The Supreme Court judgment dated April 15, 2013 states the proposal of translocating a pride of Lions to Kuno, and every three to five years, moving the male lion from the wild to captivity in zoo. This is a sheer violation of Wildlife rights and is a cause for grave concern,” added Mehta. Empower Foundation is also involved in various other activities to conserve the Asiatic Lions and build awareness on the issue.
Born
free and living free
The list of issues raised by Empower Foundation include:
Poaching hub: MP is a major poaching ground, as it has lost 453 tigers out of 710 in a decade with 257 tigers remaining according to the 2011 Census.
Location: Situated on the border of MP, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, poaching, infiltration and allied crime probablilty is very high
Water: Kuno-Palpur forest has very less water sources unlike the Gir region
Temperatures: The minimum temperature is 2°C, while the maximum 49°C. This is fatal for lions
The list of issues raised by Empower Foundation include:
Poaching hub: MP is a major poaching ground, as it has lost 453 tigers out of 710 in a decade with 257 tigers remaining according to the 2011 Census.
Location: Situated on the border of MP, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, poaching, infiltration and allied crime probablilty is very high
Water: Kuno-Palpur forest has very less water sources unlike the Gir region
Temperatures: The minimum temperature is 2°C, while the maximum 49°C. This is fatal for lions
‘Translocation plan violates important IUCN guidelines’
Mumbai NGO Writes To International Body, Seeks Its Intervention
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN
Ahmedabad: On the occasion of World Lion Day on August 10, a Mumbai-based non-governmental organization, Empower Foundation, has written to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its guidance and involvement in the translocation of Asiatic lions from Gir National park to Kuno-Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.
The foundation had earlier submitted a report to the state government highlighting the adverse conditions that prevailed in the proposed translocation site. It had also analyzed 10 translocations across the globe which had failed. Further, the NGO had cited 12 adverse conditions at Kuno-Palpur which could prove fatal for the lions.
In his letter to Dr Frederic Launay (chairperson of the IUCN SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group), Jalpesh Mehta, founder-chairperson of Empower Foundation, has said that the NGO is not against translocation. He says that it is farcical in the case of the Gir lions that the petitioner and the party interested in translocation are both part of the deciding or recommending and advising body on the issue.
“Since the matter has become political with various people having vested interests, the only solution is international intervention in the matter, keeping in mind wildlife welfare first and the rest later,” Mehta says in the letter. The NGO requested IUCN to get involved by either appointing an international lion expert or a team of lion experts who could guide “the self-claiming wildlife experts who may be having some expertise in tigers, birds or hospitality among others but not lions for sure, but are keen to try their hands at lions to get some experience and visibility at the cost of the precious wildlife.”
Key IUCN guidelines violated
Guideline 3.2:
There should generally be strong evidence that the threat(s) that caused any previous extinction have been correctly identified and removed or sufficiently reduced.
NGO's view: The previous threats of extinction to tigers in Kuno Palpur came from poaching. This has neither been reduced nor removed. In fact, it has increased. Sariska and Panna tiger reserves lost all their tigers in the recent past due to poaching. Madhya Pradesh has become India's poaching capital and, in the last decade, was responsible for 50% of the world poaching of tigers.
Guideline 3.6:
Justifying a conservation introduction requires an especially high level of confidence about the organisms' performance after release, including over the long-term, with reassurance on its acceptability from the perspective of the release area's ecology, and the social and economic interests of its human communities.
NGO's View: Three accounts of forest dependence on the periphery of the Kuno sanctuary by Dr. Asmita Kabra, Samrakshan Trust, state that from time to time, the sanctuary had provided refuge to various tribes of Chambal. The gun culture of today is also a public fact. The Sahariya and Ladar tribes depend mainly on the forest for its produce and hunting.
Guideline (3.8):
Where a high degree of uncertainty remains or it is not possible to assess reliably that a conservation introduction presents low risks, it should not proceed, and alternative conservation solutions should be sought
NGO's View:
Lions in Gujarat are not limited to 1412 sq km of Gir National Park and Sanctuary but have migrated naturally and are living successfully over 10500 sq km across Saurashtra region. There is a need to correct the perception of there being a risk to the lions dure to their concentration in one forest.
Guideline 4.2:
A monitoring process, data requirement, methods, protocols, responsibility matrix for collection, analysis and dissemination of information is an important aspect [of translocation]. A multidisciplinary team with access to expert technical advice for all phases of the programme [is a must].
NGO's view:
Monitoring process, data requirement, methods, protocols, responsibility matrix for collection, analysis and dissemination of information are missing in the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh. Further, formation of an inexperienced team without any experience or expertise in dealing with lions also violates this guideline. Tiger conservationists, bird experts and hoteliers are not equipped to handle this programme.
Guideline 5.1.2:
Matching habitat suitability and availability with the needs of the candidate species is central to feasibility and design.
NGO's view: The proposed habitat in Kuno-Palpur, outside the indigenous range of lions, is unsuitable for the big cats. This challenges the 'feasibility and design' clause of the IUCN. The biggest concern, besides the adverse topography and terrain, is the prey base. The overall prey-base of all animals per sq km had showed a growth of 79%. On the face of it, this calls for a global conservation award to Kuno. The anger of the displaced local tribes also poses a challenge to translocation efforts. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/NGO-writes-to-international-body-seeking-its-intervention-for-a-review/articleshow/21742888.cms
Say 'no' to Kuno: Wildlife activists
Linah
Baliga, TNN Aug 4, 2013, 10.41PM IST
MUMBAI: The Gir Forest
National Park and
Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as SasanGir) is believed to be the last
residence for last 400 Asiatic lions over this earth. Gir proved not only just
a home to these majestic Lions, but as a paradise to them. Had it been the
terrain, vegetation, climate, or medical care, Gir always stood the best for
them. It's not only the Gujarat government, but even the people of Gujarat has shown much affection towards these lions. To
people of Gujarat, Gir Lions are like members
of their family. Gir has always stood the best fighting poaching, hence the
Lions there feel themselves safe from cruel hands.
"However, the decision
for translocation of Gir Lions to Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) has been thrown
over everyone and precisely the animals there in. The decision slapped down not
only Gujarat government but also all the
Wildlife lovers and conservationists. While Indian Govt. claims this plan to be
the most needful and call of the hour which would offer the Gir Lions more
space to expand their prides, on the other hand paved the path for the wild
Lions to end up in hell i.e. Zoo. While the whole world is protesting against
captivating wild animals, we Indians are denoting this act as beneficial?"
said Jalpesh Mehta, NGO, Empower Foundation.
No translocation only natural migration
No Need to Shift Big Cats to MP, says Report
Himanshu Kaushik, TNN | Jun 28, 2013, 05.28 PM IST
AHMEDABAD: Not only the translocation of lions to Chandraprabha wildlife sanctuary has failed but ten other translocations across the world have also failed, the latest one being the Indian Rhino's translocation in 2013. Atleast three incidents of translocation of lions have been taken up across the world including two in India and all three have failed.
The NGO’s analysis of the arguments, on which the translocation of lions was finally allowed, shows that several factors relating to shifting the big cat was either not considered or ignored while allowing for the translocation.
NGO, Empower Foundation’s analysis titled, ‘Failure of the proposed lion translocation to Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh’ also found that the government has not rightly and strongly positioned the fact that the lion habitat in Gujarat goes much beyond Gir.
The analysis argues that there is no history of any major successful translocation in India. The study mentions 10 case of failed translocations covering elephants, gaurs, leopards, rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (from Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh in 1956), which show only 16% success rate in a study of 119 cases of translocated animals. In the rest of the cases, the animals returned causing major conflicts, dying or being killed by locals due to severe man-animal conflicts. Mehta said that even in case of captured leopards, they were released in areas similar to their earlier homes, but it was observed that the animals found their way to their original habitat.
Jalpesh Mehta and his team who carried out the analysis opine that the argument regarding an epidemic killing the entire populace of lion does not hold true as the lions are not concentrated in Gir alone, but have dispersed far and wide.“If an epidemic can kill all the lions, the same thing can happen to all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt and Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu belt as the distance in these areas is more or less similar to that between Gir and other areas where the lions are spread,” said Mehta.
The analysis also talks of the stress suffered by animals during capture and transfer to new locations apart from citing various cases of failed translocations particularly those concerning carnivores. It also mentions other problems associated with releasing an animal into a new location including predation, starvation and movement away from the actual release site.
“There was some success in translocation of rhinos in Assam. But then the one-horned rhinos are herbivores,” Mehta explained.
Apart from the above points the analysis has also made references to MP’s high incidence of poaching and Kuno-Palpur’s drought-prone status.
The NGO has already sent a copy of the analysis to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the state forest department too.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/No-translocation-only-natural-migration/articleshow/20816506.cms
AHMEDABAD: A report submitted by an NGO, Empower Foundation, to the forest department has stated that lions should not be translocated and the big cats should be allowed to migrate naturally only.
The report has suggested that even if the need arises, the lions should be given a safe passage and should be given a natural corridor to any other place, but they should not be translocated to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh, which will result into a failed translocation and extinction of the endangered lions from the new proposed habitat, a big loss to the wildlife.
The report has stated that lions are not present only in the Gir National Park, but over a period of time have migrated naturally hundred of kilometres away to places like Amreli, Savarkundla, Liliya Porbandar, Paniya, Mitiyala, Barda, Una, Chhara, Sutrapada, Babariya, Kodinar, Visavadar, Hipavadli, Jamvada, Jasadhar, Girnar, Bhavnagar and Palitana. The 1,412 sq km abode of Asiatic lions has now spread across 10,500 sq km, thus mitigating concentration risk in one area.
Jalpesh Mehta of Empower Foundation said if an epidemic can kill all lions in Gujarat, it can also kill all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt (Pench-Kanha-Bandhavgarh-Ranthambhor) and south India's Karnataka-Kerala-Tamilnadu belt (Mudumalai-Nagarhole-Bandipur-Waynad) as the distance is almost similar between Gir and other areas as compared to tiger reserves. The report has further stated that Gujarat should stop using Gir lions, in fact the Gujarat government should communicate that they are found everywhere and should mention lions in Gir, outside Gir or in Greater Gir or Saurashtra region to correct the world's perception on the issue.
The report has suggested that even if the need arises, the lions should be given a safe passage and should be given a natural corridor to any other place, but they should not be translocated to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh, which will result into a failed translocation and extinction of the endangered lions from the new proposed habitat, a big loss to the wildlife.
The report has stated that lions are not present only in the Gir National Park, but over a period of time have migrated naturally hundred of kilometres away to places like Amreli, Savarkundla, Liliya Porbandar, Paniya, Mitiyala, Barda, Una, Chhara, Sutrapada, Babariya, Kodinar, Visavadar, Hipavadli, Jamvada, Jasadhar, Girnar, Bhavnagar and Palitana. The 1,412 sq km abode of Asiatic lions has now spread across 10,500 sq km, thus mitigating concentration risk in one area.
Jalpesh Mehta of Empower Foundation said if an epidemic can kill all lions in Gujarat, it can also kill all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt (Pench-Kanha-Bandhavgarh-Ranthambhor) and south India's Karnataka-Kerala-Tamilnadu belt (Mudumalai-Nagarhole-Bandipur-Waynad) as the distance is almost similar between Gir and other areas as compared to tiger reserves. The report has further stated that Gujarat should stop using Gir lions, in fact the Gujarat government should communicate that they are found everywhere and should mention lions in Gir, outside Gir or in Greater Gir or Saurashtra region to correct the world's perception on the issue.
10 translocations have failed worldwide
Himanshu Kaushik, TNN Jun 28, 2013, 05.22PM IST
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-06-28/ahmedabad/40255333_1_translocation-gir-lions-manas
AHMEDABAD: Not only the translocation of lions to Chandraprabha wildlife sanctuary has failed but ten other translocations across the world have also failed, the latest one being the Indian Rhino's translocation in 2013. Atleast three incidents of translocation of lions have been taken up across the world including two in India and all three have failed.
Empower Foundation, a NGO working on Sanjay Gandhi National Park's man-animal conflict, has submitted a detailed report to the Gujarat forest department highlighting why translocations should not be taken up. Jalpesh Mehta and his team have in the report "SAVE THE LION, Say no to Translocation," stated that "Empower foundation has analyzed 10 Case Studies of Translocation failures covering Elephants, Gaurs, Leopards, Rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (From Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in UP in 1956). These show a success rate of only 16 per cent, while the rest either return to their own region (causing major conflicts), die or are killed by locals due to severe conflicts. India has had no majorly successful translocation."
Mehta said that in 2013, 18 rhinos were shifted to Manas from Kaziranga and Pobitora. The translocation was a part of Indian Rhino Vision 2020 Programme. Poachers continued their killing and four rhinos were killed in Manas after they were translocated. Another translocation happened in 2011, where elephants were translocated from Bokakhat to Masan and the locals had killed some of the creatures.
For India's lions, three translocations have been held and all have failed. In 1904, cubs of African lions were included in Kuno and all of them were shot dead; in 1956, Gir lions were shifted to Chandraprabha and all three died due to inadequate area, lack of systematic monitoring and unrestricted movement of grazing animals.
Between 1997 and 2001, 22 lions were translocated to multiple areas and all of them returned to their original territory from where they were captured and this was due to human-wildlife conflict.
After studying various research papers and issues, "We concluded that all translocated animals will be chronically-stressed to some degree upon release. Chronic stress makes translocated animals more vulnerable to other environmental factors, and thereby amplifies the potential problems encountered when released such as succumbing to disease or predation even though they could have had a better potential to survive, reproduce and establish a self sustaining population in the wild. But a lot of factors in context to Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary are against the overall interest of the lions who will ultimately become victims of chronic stress, disease, reproductive issues and predation," said Mehta.
Empower Foundation, a NGO working on Sanjay Gandhi National Park's man-animal conflict, has submitted a detailed report to the Gujarat forest department highlighting why translocations should not be taken up. Jalpesh Mehta and his team have in the report "SAVE THE LION, Say no to Translocation," stated that "Empower foundation has analyzed 10 Case Studies of Translocation failures covering Elephants, Gaurs, Leopards, Rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (From Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in UP in 1956). These show a success rate of only 16 per cent, while the rest either return to their own region (causing major conflicts), die or are killed by locals due to severe conflicts. India has had no majorly successful translocation."
Mehta said that in 2013, 18 rhinos were shifted to Manas from Kaziranga and Pobitora. The translocation was a part of Indian Rhino Vision 2020 Programme. Poachers continued their killing and four rhinos were killed in Manas after they were translocated. Another translocation happened in 2011, where elephants were translocated from Bokakhat to Masan and the locals had killed some of the creatures.
For India's lions, three translocations have been held and all have failed. In 1904, cubs of African lions were included in Kuno and all of them were shot dead; in 1956, Gir lions were shifted to Chandraprabha and all three died due to inadequate area, lack of systematic monitoring and unrestricted movement of grazing animals.
Between 1997 and 2001, 22 lions were translocated to multiple areas and all of them returned to their original territory from where they were captured and this was due to human-wildlife conflict.
After studying various research papers and issues, "We concluded that all translocated animals will be chronically-stressed to some degree upon release. Chronic stress makes translocated animals more vulnerable to other environmental factors, and thereby amplifies the potential problems encountered when released such as succumbing to disease or predation even though they could have had a better potential to survive, reproduce and establish a self sustaining population in the wild. But a lot of factors in context to Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary are against the overall interest of the lions who will ultimately become victims of chronic stress, disease, reproductive issues and predation," said Mehta.
TOI : Madhya Pradesh unsuitable for big cats: Study
TNN Jun 25, 2013, 02.49AM IST
AHMEDABAD: Madhya Pradesh is a major poaching ground with a strong gun culture. This was the finding of Empower Foundation, a Mumbai based NGO working on Sanjay Gandhi National Park's man-animal conflict.
The NGO in its report submitted to the forest department has stated that lions should not be translocated to Kuno as Madhya Pradesh is known to be a major poaching ground and the state has lost 453 tigers out of 710 (63% loss) in a decade. The state as per the 2011 census has only 257 tigers. The loss of tiger in Madhya Pradesh was 50 per cent of the total loss of the tigers across the world.
Jalpesh Mehta has claimed that between 2000 and 2010, about 1079 tigers have died across the globe and of these 453 were in Madhya Pradesh itself.
It was also pointed out that Sariska and Panna have recently lost all their tigers. The two sanctuaries had 28 and 25 tigers respectively and Palpur Kuno had only two tigers. Once upon a time, Kuno used to have 25 tigers.
Sheopur district has 4800 fire arm licenses for a population of six lakh and the sanctuary area was once a hub of dacoits from Chambal. As these are licensed guns, one cannot estimate the illegal fire arms present in the area. Also the state has an adjoining sensitive location - situated on the border of three states namely Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Geographically, Mehta said that the hilly terrain of Kuno-Palpur forest with very little water sources unlike Gir region will also not support translocation.
The government of Madhya Pradesh has declared Sheopur as a drought-prone area and district affected by natural calamity. These conditions are unfavourable for lion translocation.
Further, he added that tigers and bears live in Kuno-Palpur and this would lead to in-fighting and territorial wars among the wild animals, further increasing the chances of man-animal conflict.
TOI : Threat to conservation: Lion bone trade on rise
TNN Jun 25, 2013, 06.44AM IST
AHMEDABAD: The international market value of lion bones range between $ 300 and $ 500 for every kilogram. The bones are used in China for traditional Chinese medicines. Lion bones are being used as substitutes for tiger bone potions, finds Empower Foundation, a Mumbai based NGO working on Sanjay Gandhi National Park's man-animal conflict.
In 2007, eight lions were killed in Gir by poachers from MP. Investigations carried out by CID (Crime) officials had concluded with the arrest of several poachers including Sarkas Lal, leader of this poachers' gang
In that case too, CID officials had concluded that the lion bones were passed off as tiger bones and were smuggled to China for "medicinal purposes."
The report submitted to the government stated that South Africa has been supplying a considerable volume of lion bones to mainly Laos, Vietnam and China. A warning against such trade has been issued by LionAid, an organisation which is into lion conservation. LionAid has warned that such trade could well stimulate a demand that would increasingly involve poaching of lions.
The South African trade involves lion breeders, canned lion hunters and taxidermists. The value of a lion skeleton could therefore be in excess of $10,000. "In China, lion bones are soaked for a variable period in rice wine, whereas in Laos and Vietnam, the bones are made into a paste with added ingredients like herbs. The paste is then dissolved in rice wine. Such bone tonics are used to treat a variety of ailments. Bones from wild lions are considered more efficacious than those bred in captivity. In South Africa, Vietnamese and Thai nationals have been arrested at O R Tambo International Airport with illegal lion bones in their luggage, but levels of the illegal trade are considered much higher than such occasional seizures suggest.
The report stated that lion carcasses should now be treated with the same degree of suspicion. As per LionAid, in India, all carcasses of tigers are considered poaching incidents and same treatment has to be given to lion carcasses.
DNA : Lion translocation : NGO sites 10 failures in the past !
Smitha R, DNA | Jun 25, 2013, 06:17AM IST
Ahmedabad: The issue of translocation of Asiatic Lions from Gir sanctuary to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur has hit another wall — this time that of an NGO. The social organisation opposes the move on various grounds, including the fact that most of earlier translocation attempts carried out in Independent India ended in failures, often endangering the animal itself.
The NGO’s analysis of the arguments, on which the translocation of lions was finally allowed, shows that several factors relating to shifting the big cat was either not considered or ignored while allowing for the translocation.
NGO, Empower Foundation’s analysis titled, ‘Failure of the proposed lion translocation to Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh’ also found that the government has not rightly and strongly positioned the fact that the lion habitat in Gujarat goes much beyond Gir.
The analysis argues that there is no history of any major successful translocation in India. The study mentions 10 case of failed translocations covering elephants, gaurs, leopards, rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (from Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh in 1956), which show only 16% success rate in a study of 119 cases of translocated animals. In the rest of the cases, the animals returned causing major conflicts, dying or being killed by locals due to severe man-animal conflicts. Mehta said that even in case of captured leopards, they were released in areas similar to their earlier homes, but it was observed that the animals found their way to their original habitat.
Jalpesh Mehta and his team who carried out the analysis opine that the argument regarding an epidemic killing the entire populace of lion does not hold true as the lions are not concentrated in Gir alone, but have dispersed far and wide.“If an epidemic can kill all the lions, the same thing can happen to all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt and Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu belt as the distance in these areas is more or less similar to that between Gir and other areas where the lions are spread,” said Mehta.
The analysis also talks of the stress suffered by animals during capture and transfer to new locations apart from citing various cases of failed translocations particularly those concerning carnivores. It also mentions other problems associated with releasing an animal into a new location including predation, starvation and movement away from the actual release site.
“There was some success in translocation of rhinos in Assam. But then the one-horned rhinos are herbivores,” Mehta explained.
Apart from the above points the analysis has also made references to MP’s high incidence of poaching and Kuno-Palpur’s drought-prone status.
The NGO has already sent a copy of the analysis to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the state forest department too.
DNA : Shifting Gir lions will bring disaster: Experts
Tuesday, Jun 25, 2013, 10:35 IST | Place: Ahmedabad | Agency: DNA
The issue of translocation of Asiatic Lions from Gir sanctuary to Madhya Pradesh has hit another wall — this time that of an NGO. The social organisation has opposed the move on various grounds, including the fact that most of earlier translocation attempts carried out in independent India had failed, often endangering the animals.
The NGO’s analysis of the arguments, on which the translocation of lions was finally allowed, shows that several factors relating to shifting the big cat were either not considered or ignored while allowing the translocation.
The NGO, Empower Foundation’s analysis titled — ‘Failure of the proposed lion translocation to Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh’ — also found that the government has not strongly positioned the fact that the lion habitat in Gujarat goes much beyond Gir.
Jalpesh Mehta and his team who carried out the analysis said the argument regarding an epidemic killing the entire populace of lion does not hold true as the lions are not concentrated in Gir alone, but have dispersed far and wide.
“If an epidemic can kill all the lions, the same thing can happen to all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt and Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu belt as the distance in these areas is more or less similar between Gir and other areas where lions are found,” said Mehta.
The NGO also talks of the stress suffered by animals during capture and transfer to new locations apart from citing several cases of failed translocations particularly those concerning carnivores.
The NGO argues that there is no history of any major successful translocation in India. The study mentions 10 cases of failed translocations of elephants, gaurs, leopards, rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (from Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in UP in 1956), which show only 16% success rate in a study of 119 cases of translocated animals. In the rest of the cases, the animals returned causing major conflicts, dying or being killed by locals due to severe man-animal conflicts.
The NGO’s analysis of the arguments, on which the translocation of lions was finally allowed, shows that several factors relating to shifting the big cat were either not considered or ignored while allowing the translocation.
The NGO, Empower Foundation’s analysis titled — ‘Failure of the proposed lion translocation to Kuno Palpur, Madhya Pradesh’ — also found that the government has not strongly positioned the fact that the lion habitat in Gujarat goes much beyond Gir.
Jalpesh Mehta and his team who carried out the analysis said the argument regarding an epidemic killing the entire populace of lion does not hold true as the lions are not concentrated in Gir alone, but have dispersed far and wide.
“If an epidemic can kill all the lions, the same thing can happen to all the tigers in the MP-Rajasthan-Maharashtra belt and Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu belt as the distance in these areas is more or less similar between Gir and other areas where lions are found,” said Mehta.
The NGO also talks of the stress suffered by animals during capture and transfer to new locations apart from citing several cases of failed translocations particularly those concerning carnivores.
The NGO argues that there is no history of any major successful translocation in India. The study mentions 10 cases of failed translocations of elephants, gaurs, leopards, rhinos, African and Asiatic Lions (from Gir to Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary in UP in 1956), which show only 16% success rate in a study of 119 cases of translocated animals. In the rest of the cases, the animals returned causing major conflicts, dying or being killed by locals due to severe man-animal conflicts.
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