1,000 pangolins hunted in 2 months

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Aug 14: The pangolin has become a hot favourite with wildlife traders in the region as it is believed their scales have medicinal properties that can cure arthritis, fever, venereal diseases and skin disorders. Only a week ago the police busted a poachers gang in Kamalapur village near Hampi and arrested seven men with 2.5 kg of pangolin scales, clearly meant for the international market where there is a huge demand for them.

Honorary wildlife warden, Bellary district Santosh Martin, … Read More

Organized International Pangolin Wildlife Trade Busted

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Conservationists headed by Santosh Martin, President Sloth Bear Foundation and also the honorary wildlife warden of Bellary district, Karnataka, with the help of Kamalapur police have unearthed a major organized international wildlife trade in Bellary district with the seizure of several kilograms of Pangolin scales. These scales were heading towards China and other south Asian Countries like Korea, Taiwan, etc., where the demand for scales and other animal body parts has increased exponentially over the recent years due to economic … Read More

Frontline of a New War: Environmentalists Under Threat

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‘Amit Jethwa shot dead’ read the SMS received at about 9 pm on July 21st. I did not know him personally, but I knew Amit,  activist, and warrior for any ecological cause — be it the case of an elephant being treated cruelly in a circus or illegal mining in Kodinar bordering Gir or protesting against a shipyard that would impact the nesting of olive ridley turtles. It was a sleepless night, and I spent most of it trying to … Read More

Assessment of recent elephant poaching in Simlipal Tiger Reserve

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Simlipal Tiger Reserve (STR) is part of one of the largest contiguous tiger and elephant habitats in the world. With a Biosphere Area of over 5,000 sq km, it is one of the most promising landscapes for tigers and their prey species.

After a number of elephant deaths were reported in April and May 2010, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) constituted an independent assessment team on 3rd June 2010. The two-team members (Biswajit Mohanty and Belinda Wright) proceeded immediately … Read More

Notorious Tiger Poacher Dariya convicted

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New Delhi: In a major victory for tiger conservation in India, notorious tiger poacher Dariya and his wife Bhagwati were convicted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 today by Justice A.K. Dwivedi, Judicial Magistrate First Class in Sihora, Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The trial of this case has been pending for more than 21 years. The prosecution of this case was conducted on behalf of the Forest Department by Advocate Ms Manjula Shrivastava, a lawyer of the Wildlife Protection … Read More

Tiger skin recovered from Pardhi settlement (Maharashtra)

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Amravati, Jul 27 (PTI) A hide of a tiger and country made liquor was recovered from a Pardhi settlement here today, police said. The police stumbled upon the booty when they had gone to investigate a robbery case in a Pardhi settlement at parodah in the tehsil, they said.

During search police found a 7 ft long tiger skin hanging from a wire. As police further searched the settlement, they also found 4,900 litres of country liquor in 24 drums … Read More

RTI activist Amit Jethwa shot dead in Gujarat

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Ahmedabad:  A prominent (Right to Information) RTI activist and ‘green crusader’ Amit Jethwa was shot dead near the Gujarat High Court on Tuesday evening.

Jethwa was campaigning against alleged illegal mining in the Gir Sanctuary areas in Saurashtra region, which is allegedly backed by some politicians. He was shot at by unidentified assailants. Joint Commissioner of police, Satish Sharma “Amit Jethwa was killed in firing by two assailants who came on a motorcycle. The murder happened in the evening between … Read More

Tiger skin seized in Kolhapur, and Tiger dead in Anamalai TR, Tamil Nadu

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A tiger skin was seized in Kolhapur, Maharashtra on 1 June 2010, in an operation by the Panhala police. Three people were arrested, all residents of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The skin was allegedly obtained from a contractor and is said to have bullet marks on it. The adult tiger was apparently killed three years ago. A fourth accused was arrested yesterday.

On the same day, 1 June 2010, a ten year old male tiger was found dead in Anamalai Tiger … Read More

Team formed to look into Simlipal elephant massacre

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The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a two-member independent team for assessing the ground situation at the Simlipal tiger reserve in Orissa (Odisha), particularly against the backdrop of incidents of elephant massacre.

Two carcasses of elephants were found burnt and two others were found buried with dismantled bones. At least 12 pachyderms have been killed here in the last two months.  

The team set up by the NTCA comprises Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary, Wildlife Society of Odisha and Belinda … Read More

Assessment of Elephant Poaching in Simlipal Tiger Reserve

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After a number of elephant deaths were reported in April and May 2010, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) constituted an independent assessment team on 3rd June 2010. The two-team members (Biswajit Mohanty and Belinda Wright) proceeded immediately to Simlipal to visit the Tiger Reserve from 6 to 11 June 2010 and compiled the attached report. … Read More

Twelve Tiger poachers convicted

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Allahabad: In a landmark judgment, Additional District Judge Hon. Satyanarayan Agnihotri convicted 12 tiger poachers under the Wildlife Protection Act in an Allahabad court today. The poachers, who belong to Katni in Madhya Pradesh, have been sentenced to 3 years rigorous imprisonment and have been fined a sum of rupees 10,000. Ten of the twelve convicted were women.… Read More

Sansar Chand discharged in Tiger bone Case

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In a blow to the wildlife conservation movement in India, notorious wildlife trader, Sansar Chand, allegedly involved in possessing and trading skins of tigers, leopards and other animals, was discharged today by a Delhi court, after the prosecution failed to prove his guilt in a case dating back to 1993.

This case was registered against Sansar Chand on 30th August 1993 when a huge cache of illegal wildlife goods were siezed at Majnu-ka-Tila and nearby areas in Delhi. The seized … Read More

Locals poison two tiger cubs in Ranthambore

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JAIPUR: Even as India struggles to keep its tigers alive, in a shocking incident, two 17-month-old cubs were found dead, allegedly poisoned by villagers on the outskirts of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on Sunday. Forest officials said it could have been revenge by the villagers, upset over the killing of their livestock by tigers. Officials say that such incidents may happen again, as straying of tigers from the over-populated reserve was expected. The tiger population in Ranthambore reserve has now come … Read More

Amur Falcon Hunting near Umrangso, Dima Hasao District, North Cachar Hills, Assam

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As the ‘Friends of the Amur Falcon’ initiative was underway in Doyang, Nagaland, the NGO NWBCT had parallely set-up ‘Amur Counts’ across a dozen locations in Northeast India. The objective of these counts were to document migratory routes, and roosting areas, as well as potential harvesting sites of Amur Falcons in the entire Northeast. NWBCT is the Nagaland-based NGO that, along with Conservation India, discovered the mass killings in Doyang last year and launched the ‘Friends of the Amur Falcon’ … Read More