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Three tiger cubs that were allegedly abandoned by their mother after littering have died in Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) recently, officials said on Saturday. Tigress Hima Das gave its third litter of three cubs on July 7, and after giving birth, she did not take care of them, and consequently, all three cubs were injured, they said. According to the BBP, the cubs were shifted to a Hospital for intensive care and hand-rearing. Despite all interventions by doctors, the cubs didn't survive. On July 8, a male cub died, and on July 9, another male and a female cubs died. "A post-mortem was conducted by the veterinary team. One male cub died due to cervical injury due to stamping, another male cub died due to injuries to brain tissue and meningeal hematoma caused as a result of the mother's biting on its head, while the female cub succumbed to stamping," the BBP said, in a statement. The whole ordeal was CCTV-monitored, and animal keepers and doctors have taken utmost care in ...
Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has suspended two officials for negligence and dereliction of duty in connection with the 'unnatural death' of five tigers in the Male Mahadeshwara(MM) Hills, officials said. The minister has also recommended the suspension of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Y Chakrapani in connection with the issue, they said. A female tigress and her four cubs were found dead in the Hugyam range of the MM Hills on June 26. Khandre also recommended departmental inquiries into their conduct. Following the incident, authorities arrested three individuals, including the cow's owner, who allegedly poisoned the cow's carcass, suspected of causing the tigers' deaths. Khandre's decision came after reviewing the preliminary report submitted by a high-level inquiry committee headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Kumar Pushkar, which was set up to probe the incident. The minister has directed the committee to submit its final repor
Over 90 forest rights groups have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Union environment ministry is attempting to "subvert" the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and demanding that Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav clarify his reported statement that the "FRA leads to forest degradation." PTI reached out to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for comment. A response is awaited. The groups, comprising Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan and Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective of Himachal, among others, said in their June 28 letter, copies of which have been sent to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and the ministries of Environment, Tribal Affairs and Social Justice, that Yadav, in a statement published in a newspaper on June 5, "cited titles granted under the FRA as a reason for forest degradation." They called the statement "false, misleading, legally untenable and an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the FRA." They
The death of a tigress and her four cubs in this district has turned out to be a case of apparent revenge by a man whose cow was preyed upon by wild animals, Forest authorities said on Saturday. Three people, including the owner of the dead cow sprayed upon with poison and consumed by the wild cats, were arrested on Saturday in connection with the incident that happened in the Hugyam forest range of Male Mahadeshwara Hills, police said. The big cats were found dead on Thursday, and subsequent investigation revealed they were poisoned. The incidenr had created a furore in the state. The breakthrough came after the carcass of a poisoned cow belonging to Maada alias Maaduraju was found. According to Forest officials, Maaduraju was reportedly enraged after his cow named 'Kenchi' was killed upon by wild animals. To avenge the loss, he sprayed poison on the cow's carcass. His friends Konappa and Nagaraju too were allegedly part of the conspiracy. The tigress, which had initially feaste
Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Wednesday said the state's tiger count has gone up to 444 this year from 101 in 2000, and the government has approved funds of Rs 200 crore for solar fencing of villages near tiger habitats. Naik was replying to a debate in the state assembly on the issue of man-animal conflicts in a wildlife sanctuary near Bhandara. The minister said two persons were killed in the area in tiger attacks this year. Naik assured the House that he would pursue the demand for fencing of villages which are close to forests and fall on the route of tiger movement. "The number of tigers in the state has gone up to 444 now compared to 101 in 2000," he told the House. Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said there was anger among locals over tiger attacks. Farmers were living in fear as tigers and leopards destroy crops as well, he said. Members cutting across party lines expressed concern over the increasing incidents of human-wildlife ...
Authorities in Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri have launched a probe into the death of three tiger cubs after their mother accidentally bit them on their necks while shifting them together from one part of the enclosure to another, an official said. The cubs, born to tigress 'Rika' at the open-air zoo in Siliguri last week, died after their trachea was punctured as the big cat was trying to take her children inside the night shelter enclosure on Thursday. Senior West Bengal Zoo Authority member Sourav Choudhury told PTI "Rika accidentally killed the three cubs as she was taking them away from the night shelter to another part of the enclosure." "However, we have launched a probe to ascertain the circumstances," he said. The probe team consists of senior forest, zoo officials and one vet. Senior forest officials are also talking to the zoo keepers, handlers and ascertaining the behaviour and mood of the tigress before the incident, afterwards and kept her under watch though she has
Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, the first home to translocated cheetahs in India, continues to struggle with a high leopard population and a low prey base, while the twin challenges have delayed preparations at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary that will be the second site for cheetah introduction. Summary records from meetings of the Centre's Cheetah Project Steering Committee reveal that prey augmentation and leopard management are among the major challenges facing the grand initiative since the reintroduction of cheetahs in India in September 2022. The low prey density is also one of the reasons why cheetahs spent an extended period in enclosures in Kuno after being brought back from the wild in August last year, following the death of three cheetahs due to septicemia. As an interim solution, authorities have been introducing prey into both Kuno and Gandhi Sagar that is also in Madhya Pradesh. The high leopard population in both areas also prompted the initiation of a ...
Cheetah 'Gamini' on Sunday gave birth to five cubs in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, taking the total number of the big cats in the country to 26, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav said. Taking to social media platform X, the Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said, "High Five, Kuno! Female cheetah Gamini, aged about 5 years, brought from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa, has given birth to 5 cubs today." The number of cheetah cubs born in India now stands at 13, the minister added. This is the fourth cheetah litter on Indian soil and the first litter of cheetahs brought from South Africa, Yadav informed. "Congratulations to all, especially the team of forest officers, vets, and field staff who have ensured a stress-free environment for cheetahs, which has led to successful mating and birth of the cubs. The total number of cheetahs, including cubs in Kuno National Park, is 26. Gamini's legacy leaps forward: Introducing her adorable cubs," the Union .
The Union Cabinet Thursday approved the creation of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to set up a global network to conserve tigers and other big cats. The India-headquartered alliance was conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries and others to establish a common platform for conservation. Out of the seven big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and the cheetah), five -- tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah -- are found in India. The Cabinet has cleared a one-time budgetary support of Rs 150 crore for the IBCA for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28. Acknowledging India's leading role in conserving tigers, other big cats and many of its endangered species, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had during his speech on Global Tiger Day, 2019 called for an alliance of global leaders to curb poaching in Asia. The IBCA aims for cooperation among countries for mutual benefit in furthering the conservation ...
The tiger population in Uttarakhand has increased at a rate of 314 per cent between 2006 and 2022, officials said on Saturday. Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden Samir Sinha claimed the tiger population density in Uttarakhand is among the highest in the world. The tiger population which stood at 178 in 2006 rose to 560 in 2022, recording a rise of 314 per cent, Sinha said. He said the increase in the population of the wild animal in the state is due to steps taken by the forest department in recent years to improve their habitat conditions. However, a slight increase was recorded in 2023 in the number of people killed and injured in tiger attacks, the warden said. Two persons were killed in tiger attacks in 2021, 16 in 2022 and 17 in 2023, while eight persons were injured by big cats in 2021, 10 in 2022 and nine in 2023, Sinha said. The total number of people killed in encounters with animals such as leopards, elephants and snakes besides tigers was 71 in 2021, 82 in 2022 and 66
Goa Minister Subhash Phal Desai on Saturday spoke on the issue of declaring the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding areas as a tiger reserve by claiming "no one should teach us on how to protect the environment". The Goa Bench of Bombay High Court last month ordered that the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary and surrounding areas be declared as a tiger reserve. Phal Desai said the state government has already decided to challenge the HC order. Speaking about the tiger reserve issue, Phal Desai said at least 600 people from his constituency will have to be displaced after the areas are declared as a tiger reserve, adding that people living in the forest are already facing difficulties due to notification of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. "We can't face more difficulties. Right now even to construct houses on our own properties in these areas, we have to struggle to get permissions from the forest authorities," he claimed. "People living in the forest areas have respect for the environ
Two tiger cubs were found dead at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and a probe has been ordered to ascertain the reason for their death, Forest Department officials said on Thursday. The cubs were found dead during a patrolling by officials. An autopsy will be carried out as part of the probe to ascertain the reason for the cubs' death, they said, without elaborating.
A seven-month-old female tiger cub was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, officials said on Wednesday.According to the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, FS Ninama, it is suspected that the cub was killed during a fight with another tiger.The pugmarks of another tiger were found near the carcass of deceased cub, the official said.Further, officials informed that dog squads were brought in to aid the ongoing investigation into the incident.Last month, Madhya Pradesh had emerged as a tiger state yet again, inhabiting 785 big cats.According to the latest data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on the occasion of International Tiger Day - titled 'Status of Tigers Co-predators & Prey in India, 2022' - the state has topped the list of the highest number of tigers and again became the tiger state.Madhya Pradesh tops the country in tiger population at 785, followed by Karnataka at 563, ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release the latest tiger census data at a mega event to mark the completion of 50 years of 'Project Tiger' in Mysuru on Sunday. He will also release the government's vision for tiger conservation during 'Amrit Kaal', and also launch the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA). IBCA will focus on protection and conservation of seven major big cats of the world -- Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, with membership of the range countries harbouring these species. The Prime Minister will visit Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar district in the morning and interact with frontline field staff and self-help groups involved in conservation activities. He will also visit the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in neighbouring Tamil Nadu bordering Chamarajanagar district and interact with mahouts and 'kavadis' of the elephant camp. He will also interact with Field Directors of tiger reserves that have scored ..