China Premier Warned of Tiger Pledge ‘Mockery’

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EIA’s personal letter highlights gap between China’s promises and actions for wild tiger conservation.

PRLog (Press Release) – May 19, 2011 – THE Environmental Investigation Agency has written a personal letter to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to warn him that significant failings within a key state department in China are making a mockery of his pledge to “vigorously combat poaching, trade and smuggling of tiger products”.

At last November’s Global Tiger Forum in St Petersburg, five leaders of Tiger Range … Read More

Adult Female Rhino Killed in Valmiki Tiger Reserve

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In a first of its kind incident, an adult female Rhino was found lying dead in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) with its horn missing and two bullet injury marks. The animal appeared to have been killed 15 days ago. While the reserve is not home to the Rhino, the adjoining Chitwan National Park in Nepal has around 500 Rhinos which sometimes stray into Valmiki Tiger Reserve. Belinda Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) says … Read More

Forty-five peacocks die in Gwalior infected by contaminated water

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Forty-five peacocks have died in Narvalli village in Gwalior district, allegedly after drinking contaminated water. 26 were found dead on Apr 23 and the rest on Apr 30. The post mortems suggested that the birds died of intestinal congestion. The Gwalior collector has sealed a distillery in Rairu, following complaints from locals that effluents released from the distillery had contaminated water bodies and led to the death of the peacocks.… Read More

Armed Poachers Arrested While Attempting to Enter Kaziranga

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Police arrested three armed poachers in the Bihali area of Sonitpur district in Assam, while trying to sneak into Kaziranga National Park. The three were found during a combing operation, hiding in the house of a local. The local escaped. A .303 rifle, ammunition, some food and camp materials were found on them. It is believed their plan was to spend a week inside Kaziranga and poach Rhinos. … Read More

A ‘Real’ Great Hornbill Mount, Nagaland

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This image taken at the annual 2010 Hornbill Festival in Nagaland shows real (top) and fake hornbill mounts being sold. According to the photographer, there were at least half a dozen real heads on display in addition to hornbill tail feathers. The govt. of Nagaland has been attempting to move various tribes from using real hornbill body parts (head, casque and feathers) as part of their costumes and handicrafts — with mixed results.… Read More

Speedpost Parcel Containing Ivory caught in Guwahati

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Acting on specific intelligence, customs sleuths in the Guwahati airport confiscated an Ahmedabad bound parcel containing 3.45 kgs of Ivory. The parcel was seized as it was being boarded onto a Spicejet flight. The Ivory was concealed under paddy husks and the value of the tusks is estimated to be around Rs. 10.35 lakhs in the domestic market and crores abroad. Smuggling in the north east is increasingly said to be taking an aerial route.… Read More

TRAFFIC Post, March 2011

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TRAFFIC Post is TRAFFIC India’s quarterly newsletter on issues related to wildlife trade.

TRAFFIC is an international network, consisting of TRAFFIC International, based in Cambridge, UK with offices on five continents, seven regional programmes in 25 countries and territories, with ongoing research and activities in several others. TRAFFIC came to India in 1991, operating as a division of WWF-India. It has since worked closely with the National and the State Governments and various agencies to help study monitor and influence … Read More

Legal Framework for Wildlife Conservation in India

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Reworked from Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Report May 2007*.

Many people are under the impression that India does not have strong wildlife conservation laws. On the contrary, we have some of the most stringent legislations to protect wildlife and habitats. It is imperative that all conservationists familiarize themselves with these laws, so that they can contribute effectively. It is also vital to understand which institutions control land in India before any conservation interventions can be attempted in any landscape. … 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

Habitual wildlife offender from Bawaria community sentenced to five years imprisonment for trade in Tiger Parts

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Dilipo, a member of the Bawaria community was sentenced to five years and three months of rigorous imprisonment and Rs. 50,000 fine for illegal trade in tiger parts. She had been arrested in 2007 following a seizure of tiger parts. This conviction is her third. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) advocates Rakesh Kumar Srivatasava and Sanjay Kumar Rai assisted the prosecution. The Bawarias are a nomadic community and traditional bushmeat hunters. There have been many incidents of wildlife goods found … Read More

Panther caught in snare freed in Anamalai Tiger Reserve

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A panther caught in a snare made out of brake and clutch cables near Sholayar Dam in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, was freed by forest officials. The panther was found hanging with one of its legs caught in the snare which was tied to an immovable object. The animal was tranquilised and freed from the snare. In its attempts to free itself, the panther had suffered leg injuries. The injuries were treated and the panther released into the forest on … Read More