Q: Surely, Chinese people talk about these things (poaching, illegal trade in wildlife)? It’s not a country that’s untouched from global debate on these topics? Moreover, they themselves are facing these problems- the giant panda is facing extinction. What has been done to educate the Chinese? Isn’t the Chinese government doing anything? I think that each time such news arises, China is blamed, but what can we do to change the Chinese mindset? Stop buying chinese goods is not the way to go. China is the strongest economy in the world, and boycotting the largest economy is not in anyone’s interest. Surely, activists have thought of other, more workable ways of dealing with this problem?

May 3, 2013

Q: I am from Odisha and interested in wildlife conservation. From where can I start my mission? Please give me some information about NGOs working towards protecting nature in Odisha. Thanks.

April 23, 2013

Q: “I have seen news reports that radio collaring in tigers affects mating? How true is that?”

February 23, 2013

Q: “We are a group of people interested in protecting lakes and wildlife of Bannerghatta National Park (BNP). We noticed that a lake is encroached near Kaleshwari village, Mantapa Grama panchayat, Bangalore 560083. Also, a new layout is coming up in the safe zone of BNP, and they are planning to release sewage water to the lake and drainage water to the stream, which passes through the heart of BNP. This Lake is the main water source for the wildlife of BNP. How can we protect this lake and wildlife of BNP?”

February 4, 2013

Q: “I would like to make a career in wildlife and ecological conservation, however I do not have any background in Biology or zoology. I am a service professional with 6 years of operational experience in management”

January 29, 2013

Q: “UN report lauds India for adding 300,000 hectares of forest every year”. How far is this actually true? Can it keep up with the rate at which deforestation is taking place in Indian forests? I would also like to know how afforestation is actually done when people are waiting to encroach any piece of land available in this over crowded country and when so many industries are waiting to set up establishments? I realise it is very hard to convince the govt. to highlight the importance of India’s forests and stop developmental projects in forests, in such a case how is it possible to actually effectively reverse this and add to the already existing forest area?

November 8, 2012

Q: Why is spotting a tiger in South India very rare? But in North India when we enter a tiger reserve, we often spot a tiger. What is the difference between the north and the south?

September 3, 2012

Q: Do we have any scientific data to show if tigers bred in captivity can be successfully relocated in the wild ?

August 30, 2012

I would like to know if there are rules and limits on the number of resorts that can spring up in the buffer zones of a tiger reserve or a wildlife habitat? I have heard from people that it’s getting increasingly difficult to obtain land to do so but have been seeing quite the contrary at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve where I have been working. Thank You.

August 29, 2012

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.

August 25, 2012

Q: What must a reserve forest fulfill to be protected as a wildlife sanctuary or a national park?

August 20, 2012

Q: With the ban on tiger tourism, is virtual tourism through remote cameras an option that can be looked into? Previously it could have been considered a threat to the revenue generated from safari ticket sales for the Forest Department. Remote cameras in various reserves in Africa allow anyone to view wildlife through africam.com, and scientists in the U.S. are installing such cams near osprey, heron and eagle nests (Cornell lab of ornithology and others). This helps in generating interest, and encourages citizen scientists to study nature. Is this a viable option for India, since remote cameras have become increasingly accessible and affordable? They can also aid the forest department in surveillance of places where there is a lot of activity, such as a game trail or a waterhole. An added bonus would be our ability to watch hard-to-view wildlife species and nocturnal wildlife. I would like to have an expert’s opinion on this. Thanks.

August 10, 2012

Q: Is it necessary that a buffer area of a Tiger Reserve should geographically surround the Core? Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve of Karnataka has got very little notified buffer. There is a good forest patch which is adjacent/surrounding the Core but not included in buffer, please guide.

August 2, 2012

Q: We live in a small village, Thekambattu, near Salem in Tamil Nadu. Recently we had elephants near us for the first time in living memory of the oldest inhabitants here. We are glad to see your site because it is perhaps what would have helped us at that time. Anyway, the elephants seem to be wandering; so perhaps this is not the last we see of them. We need to know what can be done here as and when they show up without any resources, trained manpower etc. There has to be something like an Elephant Rescue team on call in the country at different places, I guess…

July 7, 2012

Q: Hi, a lot of temples in Tamil Nadu sell peacock feathers. I would like to know how one would visually differentiate between a plucked feather and a naturally-shedded feather.

July 7, 2012

Q: Is Baiting Crocodiles Illegal?

June 23, 2012

Q: I would like to know what kind of rights for worship are provided to tribals and forest dwellers (villagers) inside PAs? We have been recording the temple festivals inside Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary over the last two years and the situation is one of absolute mayhem. Between 70,000 to 1,50,000 visitors, over 700 buses, trucks visit two temples deep inside the sanctuary. One temple, Karuvannarayar, is 18 kms from the Forest Checkpost and the Masi Temple is close to 45 kms deep inside the Moyar valley. Liquor flows freely, animal sacrifice is rampant, plastics, tree felling, open air cooking in dry scrubland is causing enormous stress. The land otherwise is a haven for wildlife with the highest density of tigers reported here. The Forest Department is a mute spectator. Kindly advice.

June 21, 2012

Q: Often herpetofauna rescued from urban spaces cannot be reintroduced at the original home range due to human pressure. Is it advisable to release them in some other favorable ranges? What can be some other feasible measures? Have some studies been done on human-herpetofauna conflict in any indian city?

June 19, 2012

Q: What are the advantages and hazards of radio-collaring wild animals, particularly elephants?

May 21, 2012

Q: How can we spread the need of conservation in our schools? how can we organise any kind of campaign in our school?

April 25, 2012