Would you walk away from a tiger lying 10 feet in front of you? Well, I did and only for the lure of that elusive, enigmatic predator – the leopard. We were at Ranthambore, face to face with a handsome male tiger (T6 aka Romeo) when our guide Hemraj suggested that we head off to a nearby waterhole to wait at a leopard’s spotted deer kill. The reluctance was momentary, the chance of a leopard on a kill was too … Read More
Supreme Court order for the Tiger Tourism Case dated 29th August 2012
ITEM NO.1 COURT NO.9 SECTION IVA
S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A
RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS
Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No(s).21339/2011
(From the judgment and order dated 19/01/2011 in WP No. 12351/2010 of The HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH AT JABALPUR)
AJAY DUBEY Petitioner(s)
VERSUS
NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTH. & ORS. Respondent(s)
(With application for permission to file additional documents, directions, exemption from filing Official … Read More
The Tourist Isn’t An Endangered Animal
Tourism can increase its natural capital by converting farms to wildlife viewing land, with shared profits.
The media splash—exemplified by a hyper-ventilating Guardian report following the Supreme Court’s July 2012 interim order suspending tourism in some tiger reserves—has convinced the public that all wildlife tourism activity in India stands permanently abolished. Following the August 22 ruling on a review petition by the SC, in which it extended its ban on tourism in the ‘core areas’ of tiger reserves, people might … Read More
Q: Hi, I read that photography of GIB during the breeding season of April-Oct has been banned by Ministry of Environment and Forests. We would like to understand more about it. Since folks post GIB images on our INW website, your response will help us to take appropriate steps to update our posting guidelines if required.
Answer from Shekar Dattatri, Conservation India:
As part of the Species Recovery Programme for the Great Indian Bustard, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has reportedly banned photography of the Great Indian Bustard during its breeding season from April to October. The reason cited is: “Unethical photography during breeding season often acts as a constant source of disturbance to the bustards and disturbs breeding patterns.”
Anyone found photographing GIBs during the ban period is liable to be prosecuted … Read More
Expand Reserves, Involve Locals in Tiger Tourism — On Record Dr. Ullas Karanth
Originally an engineer, Ullas Karanth decided to become a professionally trained wildlife biologist. A Senior Conservation Scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Dr Karanth has adjunct teaching faculty status at the National Centre for Biological Studies, Bangalore (part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), and at the Department of Wildlife Biology, University of Minnesota. He has conducted pioneering long-term research on the ecology of tigers and other large mammals. Dr Karanth was elected member of the Indian Academy … Read More
Police Department Vehicle and A Tigress Nearby
This was photographed from a resort boat on safari in the Kabini backwaters. A police vehicle was very close to a tigress resting at the edge of the forest cover and it looked like the occupants of the vehicle were unaware of the tiger’s presence!… Read More
Tourists Chase Away Bonnet Macaques in Bandipur
Tourists choose to have a picnic right beneath a warning sign board in Bandipur National Park, on the Mysore-Ooty Road. A bonnet macaque interested in their food invites their wrath. The Karnataka Forest Department has marked this exact place as an elephant crossing zone.… Read More
Tourism Ban in Tiger Reserves – Some Points to Ponder
Conservation India received this letter from Joanna Van Gruisen on July 29th 2012. Joanna has lived in the subcontinent for nearly 35 years. She has filmed, photographed, written and been an advocate for wildlife throughout this time. Two years ago she and conservation biologist, Dr Raghu Chundawat, began a small, earth-friendly lodge in Madhya Pradesh, designed as an alternative place to stay for tourists visiting Khajuraho. It also lies close to the Panna Tiger Reserve.
Regulation and bans are two … Read More
Stray Dog Chasing Blackbuck
Here is an image of a stray dog chasing a herd of Blackbuck in the Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve (formerly Maidenahalli). There were at-least 5 or 6 more dogs chasing the bucks, in a very organized fashion (not unlike dholes). This is a serious threat, as the fawns are easy targets for these dogs.
The reason these dogs enter the sanctuary is unchecked tourism. Often, tourists from nearby villages picnic inside the reserve and leave behind food, thus attracting dogs. … Read More
Ambulance Available for Jungle Safari
I saw this scene in Tadoba, where an ambulance, supposedly on its way from Moharli to a village named Jamni to check on a patient, actually ventured into the forest to check out tigers. With excessive rights, comes great responsibility too.… Read More
Nilgai in Tadoba Fed by Humans
There is a Nilgai on the banks of the Tadoba Lake in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, which has been relocated from a zoo. The Nilgai is obviously used to human presence and humans feeding it. Hence the scene shown in the picture. Animals in forests may behave in various ways due to various reasons. The onus is actually on us to refrain from interacting with them in irresponsible and dangerous ways.… Read More
‘Onti Kombu’ — The Tusker that met with a tragic end
Meet Onti Kombu, the infamous single tusk elephant that used to roam the forests of Bandipur in the Nilgiris. If you have visited Bandipur before 2009, chances are that you would have seen, or atleast heard of this elephant. He was known for his temper and for killing 10-12 people on the Mysore-Ooty highway. Most people thought of him as a crazy rogue elephant who was intolerant of humans.
During my 3-month stint as a naturalist at Jungle Lodges and … Read More
Road Rash in Tadoba
The car pictured here was being driven rashly in Tadoba on 30th March 2012. We had stopped for some spotted deer to cross the road, but the car in the picture did not. It overtook our stationary jeep and scared the deer in the process. It could have caused a road kill too.
Editor’s note: Also read Private Vehicles – Bane of Wildlife Tourism?
Chitals Chewing Plastic and Paper, Bandipur
This is an image from Bandipur. After a fine morning drive, having sighted a leopard in all its glory, the constituents of our vehicle were beaming with happines. However, the drive back to the resort brought everyone back to reality. Very close to the checkpost of Bandipur National Park, we saw tourists proceeding towards Ooty, feeding bread and jam to a herd of Chital. It has to be noted that of late, drivers and naturalists of Jungle Lodges and Rests … Read More
Private Vehicles – Bane of Wildlife Tourism?
Screeching tyres, engines revving noisily, exhausts spewing black smoke, horns blaring, cars cutting in front of each other, people shouting and even the odd bang or two. Sounds like normal urban India? Think again, this is a scene from a safari in the heart of a tiger reserve in Maharashtra!
Some tiger reserves allow private vehicles (albeit with a forest guide) for safaris. The drivers have no sensibilities on how to drive in a forest (we barely have any road … Read More
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