Ingestion of Plastic is Emerging as a Significant Threat to Asian Elephants in Haridwar and Lansdowne Forest Divisions, Uttarakhand

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The ecological implications of plastic pollution on ecosystem processes and human beings are well known. Increasing use of single-use plastic, poor waste management, lack of recycling, and fragmentation of plastic have made it ubiquitous, posing a grave threat to species across trophic levels. Over 1500 species ranging from invertebrates to vertebrates are impacted by plastic pollution. Globally, plastic in marine environments has been reported extensively whereas terrestrial ecosystems have remained understudied. The effects of plastic pollution are alarming, resulting in … Read More

Tiger Cubs with Plastic Bucket, Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand

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Three sub-adult tigers (Panthera tigris) in the Dhikala range of Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand were seen playing with and biting into a large plastic bucket in the Ramganga River.

Even though the use of plastic is banned in tiger reserves, the problem of plastic pollution persists. In this instance, park officials suspect that this bucket was likely disposed of from one of the villages along the river. This highlights the need for a better solid-waste management system in … Read More

Tigers with Plastic, Corbett Tiger Reserve

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I saw these 2 sub-adult tiger cubs playing with a plastic bucket / drum that was floating on the Ranganga in the heart of Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). This was around 4pm on 30th Jan, 2020, near Sambhar road in the Dhikala zone. I handed over the images to the forest department.

According to an article published by the Times News Network (TNN), the park director mentioned, “A group of tourists have given us some pictures where a tigress … Read More

Photographers Disturbing Elephants, Corbett

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A bunch of photographers in safari vehicles were getting very close to a herd of elephants that were bathing in the Ramganga in Dhikala, Corbett Tiger Reserve. There were calves in the herd and the elephants were visibly agitated at the proximity of the jeeps.

The poor elephants huddled together in a row, waiting for the vehicles to move so they could cross. Probably wanting dramatic close-ups, the jeeps gave no room for the elephants to cross. The nervous elephants … Read More

Human-Elephant Conflict, Corbett Tiger Reserve

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The Sunderkhal village falls in the crucial Kosi river corridor linking Corbett Tiger Reserve to the Ramnagar Forest Division. This landscape constitutes prime tiger and elephant habitat. A population estimation exercise done jointly by the state forest department and WWF-India revealed no less than 13 individual tigers — including breeding tigresses. The All India Tiger Estimate 2010 indicated a density of 14 tigers / 100 sq km in Ramanagar forest division.

Here is a stray tusker being driven away by … Read More

Bean Goose: First Record from Uttarakhand, India

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The Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) is a migratory bird breeding in the high Arctic regions. It has its wintering ground in temperate and sub-tropical regions such as China, Japan, Europe, and so on. A solitary Bean Goose has recently been sighted in a wetland near Corbett Tiger Reserve by a group of bird-watchers and naturalists from The Corbett Foundation led by Ms. Anushree Bhattacharjee. This was the first recorded sighting of this species from the State of Uttarakhand. … Read More

Road kill of Indian Jackal on NH-121, Corbett landscape, Uttarakhand

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The carcass of an Indian Jackal that was killed in a road accident on NH 121 that runs through Corbett Tiger Reserve, and on to New Delhi. This picture was taken near Peerumadara, on the stretch of the highway between Ramnagar and Kashipur. The animal was found on 10th of December 2011 at approximately 7:30 hours. The animal might even have been a pregnant female.

This highway poses a serious risk for all wildlife as it passes near Corbett Tiger … Read More

Three Tiger Cubs Die in Uttarakhand in Two Days

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Three tiger cubs have died in different parts of Uttarakhand in the last two days. The death toll for this year stands at 17, whereas only 7 cubs died last year. Bodies of a male and female cub were found on Tuesday in the Kilpura range of the terai east forest division. Another female cub was found dead in the Dhela range of Corbett Tiger Reserve on Wednesday night. Forest department officials believe that the cubs may have been separated … Read More

Corbett Records Highest Tiger Deaths on its 75th anniversary

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Corbett reserve and surrounding areas in Uttarakhand have recorded the highest tiger mortality rate this year. TRAFFIC India, a wildlife trade monitoring agency, has recorded 19 deaths in Corbett this year. Park management maintains that most of the deaths were natural. Observers are concerned that the high tourist numbers in Corbett are affecting tiger’s migratory habits and bringing them more into conflict with surrounding villages. According to the head of TRAFFIC India, the biggest threat faced by Corbett’s tigers is … Read More

Infamous Poacher Narayan Chand Gets Five Years Imprisonment

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Narayan Chand, younger brother of notorious poacher Sansar Chand, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment in a leopard poaching case dating back to 2005. Narayan Chand is infamous as the poacher who was responsible for the poaching which eradicated the tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve. Following his arrest in 2009, Narayan Chand confessed to having been involved in the purchase of pelts and body parts of 10 tigers from the Ramnagar area of Corbett Reserve. He also confessed to … Read More

Irate villagers burn alive captured leopard near Corbett Tiger Reserve

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300-400 irate villagers in Dhamdhar village in Kalagarh Forest Division, Corbett Tiger Reserve doused a captured leopard with petrol and burnt it to alive. Apparently, there were 35 wildlife officials and 4 policemen, but they were overpowered by the mob and could not prevent the act. The leopard was alleged to be responsible for three deaths, but according to Chief Wildlife Conservator of Uttarakhand, S. K. Chandola, the leopard had strayed from Corbett National Park and attacked three people causing … Read More

Arrest of six wildlife poachers operating in Corbett and Rajaji National Parks

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Six poachers operating out of Uttarakhand and active in Corbett and Rajaji National Parks have been arrested by a joint operation between Police and the Uttarakhand Forest department. Leopard pelts, big cat bones, ivory and firearms have been seized. The arrests include habitual offenders and one among them admitted to supplying a tiger skin and bones of three tigers to a man in Dharchula last year. Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) points out that a poaching nexus of Gujjars … Read More

Tiger killed in territorial fight in Corbett National Park

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A male tiger which had been killed by a younger male tiger in a territorial fight, was discovered in the Dhara beat of the Kalagarh range by forest department staff on patrol. The national park staff decided to investigate the site on hearing tiger roars and smelling a carcass. They came upon a scene where the victorious male was lying with its paws on the body of the dead tiger. The eyes had been gouged and the skin of the … Read More

Tiger Tourism or Trauma?

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I recently refused to write a travelogue on Corbett for a renowned travel magazine. With some reluctance, given that I am always scouting for an excuse, and an opportunity, to visit the reserve. But as author of a report that established that tourism is a major threat to Corbett, I could hardly cross the fence and promote the ‘evil empire’.

Wait a minute here: Isn’t tourism the best means to win supporters for the cause? Doesn’t it benefit the local … Read More