How intelligent is the tiger?

Well, we human beings think that we are the most intelligent among all the living species on earth. We take a certain amount of pride in that as well. However, do the other animals have a lower level of intellect? Some scientists refuse to acknowledge that animals possess intelligence; rather they attribute some of the actions to intuition.

However, I have a healthy regard for the intelligence level of a tiger. I have never seen them attack their prey at the first sight. I have seen the tiger virtually crawling in the ground where there is insufficient cover and deciding to move back to the shelter of the bush when it realises that the distance is not enough for it to succeed in bringing down the prey. Once I saw the Jhurjhura tigress in Bandhavgarh stalk four times to return back without its prey even noticing her. Compare this to foolhardy actions of some of the armies who have unsuccessfully tried to storm the bastion and have paid with huge number of human lives. One such example that readily comes to my mind is the Charge of the Light Brigade of the British army in the Crimean war where a hundred odd soldiers were felled at the first few minutes of the open charge. Do you still think that the tiger has lesser intellect?

I am sure your doubts regarding the tiger’s intelligence will vanish when the tiger outwits you and slips away. Many a hunter will vouch for that. And if you are a wildlife photographer or researcher tracking and studying a tiger for a long time, then you may have such an experience as well.

A few years back, I was in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. It was raining in most of the days. In one afternoon, dark clouds were hovering over the sky. We ventured into the forest and despite signs of tiger, we didn’t see one. We saw a big herd of gaur with a huge dominant male. I think it is the biggest gaur that I have seen till date. It was ensuring that a small calf was physically shielded and after all the members of the herd crossed the road and moved into deeper jungle did the leader move.

After an hour or so we took a right turn and suddenly ahead of us at a distance we could see a tigress with cubs walking on the dirt track. It was an interesting sight. A few poodles had formed in the dirt track due to rain and leading our eye to the tiger. I clicked a couple of image and then asked the driver to move closer.

The cubs turned to their left and entered the forest where as the tigress kept on moving ahead. We reached the spot where the cubs had entered into the forest and stopped to spot them. Since we couldn’t find them and the tigress was moving on the road in front of us, the driver and the forest department appointed guide were interested in following her.

No sooner had we started the jeep, we could see that one of the cubs was just peeping from behind a bamboo bush. It was watching whether we have left the place or not. The cub then sharpened its claws on a dead tree and then moved back into the forest. We immediately, started following the tigress.

The tigress walked for a few minutes and then turned to her right and entered into the forest. Remember, that the cubs had entered the forest on our left, where as the mother enters the forest some distance ahead and to the right.

When we reached the spot, we could not locate her. We stood there for a few minutes to ponder our next course of action. The driver and guide were unanimous in their decision that the tigress had moved ahead and we should also move ahead. I was not sure that the tigress had moved ahead. If it wanted to do so, then why did it leave the dirt track and enter into the bush? I had a niggling suspicion that the tigress might have gone back towards her cubs. Nevertheless, we moved ahead for a few minutes and I was thinking all the time. I suddenly asked them to stop. The driver and guide thought that I had spotted the tigress. I told them to turn back and reach the place where we had left the cubs. The driver and guide started telling me that they know for sure where the tigress has gone; they have so much of experience etc. I was insistent because I realised that the tigress have fooled us.

I forced the driver to turn back and drive back to the place where we left the cubs. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I could see the tigress and cub sitting on a bund towards our left, about 15-18 feet high. This bund, due to its higher elevation, was obviously not visible to the people sitting in a vehicle. I had somehow managed to sight them. We then reversed the vehicle and came back to the spot.

The tigress was obviously smart. The cubs went into the forest on our left and she moved ahead and entered into the forest towards her right. She has then retraced her steps back to the spot, crossed the road and met her cubs. She has then taken them to the top of a bund which is about 15-18 feet high and not readily visible from the ground level. She was intelligent enough to fool us for some time. If I didn’t have an idea about the good level of intelligence a tiger possesses, then I would not have realised that it was a deliberate ploy of the tigress to lead us away from her cubs.

We photographed them for some time, and one of the cubs who were shy immediately moved into the bush and out of sight. So I photographed the tigress and one cub. Soon other tourist vehicles appeared in the sight and were unable to notice the tiger and moving away. Only after our guide pointed at the tigress and cub, the other tourist vehicles could see it and came back for a closer look. Such was the advantage of the elevation of the bund.

She was obviously not too happy at the presence of noisy tourists in four tourist vehicles that had lined up at the spot within 15 minutes. She gave vent to a snarl and soon disappeared into the bush. The light was pretty low. I clicked a few images solely for black and white purpose. We then moved back to the forest rest house, with a much better appreciation of the intelligence level of a tiger.

Post Script: Perhaps no one could have described the intelligence level of tiger vis-a-vis man much better than the late Kailash Sankhala, the founder director of Project Tiger. He had made a comment on the practice of people wearing a mask at the back of their head while entering into the Sundarban forests, in the belief that tiger will think people are looking at him and will not attack. In Kailash Sankhala‘s own words:

“My study of the tigers behaviour rules out any role for masks or dummies. The tiger never attacks at first sight. A lot of verification, re-verification, focus and refocus is practised, sometimes for hours before an attack is launched.

Too much of dependence on statistics to prove the predetermined result is dangerous. But who fools whom? Nobody is quiet sure. My guess is the joke is on us rather than the tiger“.

I came across a news item from Bangladesh and immediately sat up and took notice.

Bangladesh which had promulgated its wildlife laws in 1974 is revamping it. Under the present laws, the maximum penalty for a wildlife poacher or smuggler is 2000 taka which is equivalent to Rs1316/- and a two year prison sentence. Under the soon to be enacted new laws, the sentence has been enhanced to life imprisonment and 3,00,000 taka (equivalent to Rs. 1,97,529/-).

Now lets see what is happening in a biodiversity rich country like Malaysia, which is close to us.

Malaysia is scheduled to implement its new Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 by the end of this year. In this new law, killing of an endangered species like the tiger (Malay), Rhino (Sumatran) etc will invite a maximum punishment of RM 100,000 (Equivalent to Rs. 14,04,000/-) and five years in jail or both if the animal is young or is a female. The maximum fine for killing an endangered male species of rhino, tiger etc is RM 50,000 (equivalent to Rs. 702,000/-). Also, important is the fact that for the first time crime of setting up snares, hunting, or keeping certain species captive-such as rhinos and tigers- there is a mandatory jail sentence.

Now it is in sharp contrast to laws in India. According to the current laws the maximum punishment for murdering an endangered species like a tiger is three to seven years in jail and a fine of ten thousand rupees for first offence and twenty five thousand for second offence. And offences related to trade and commerce in animal trophies, articles derived from certain animals will result in a maximum punishment of three year imprisonment and fine upto Rs. 25000/- I am sure, you will agree that this is not a deterrent enough and the wildlife crime syndicates are able to easily get people to work in their channels.
It is said that the Government is interested in amending the laws to increase the punishment. The proposed punishments for killing a tiger is five to seven years for a first time offender and seven to ten years for a repeat offender. Needless to say that the present as well as the proposed quantum of punishment is not big enough to act as a deterrent.

Faulty Prosecution process:

We all agree that the prosecution process is faulty and drags on for a long time. The rich and mighty often get away with these crimes. For example, Hindi film stars like Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, and Cricketers like Nawab of Pataudi etc are yet to be punished for killing blackbucks. And this is despite the strong and vociferous protest by the Vishnoi community.

Wildlife crimes are heard in a magisterial court rather than a Sessions court. The evidence is often dismissed because the evidence is not able to be presented properly. Since, very rarely a wildlife crime is committed in front of other people it becomes essential to create evidences and link it to the criminals. So expertise in forensics, ballistics, biology, chemistry, apart from plain old logic is required to deconstruct the crime scene and prove it in front of the court.

Argument against stringent Wildlife Laws:

A number of conservationists believe that it is more important to reform the prosecution process rather than enhancing the quantum of punishment. They cite the slow and tardy nature of the prosecution process. It is often difficult to prove the guilt. So the rate of conviction is poor.

Unfortunately, the conservationists are basing their arguments on their perception and are unable to see the big picture. It is a kind of juvenile attitude, where each kid thinks his candy is better. The solution to the issue of preventing wildlife crimes is not just by improving the prosecution process, but by strengthening the wildlife laws as well.

Shabbir Husain Qureshi, the man who was arrested with one of the biggest catch of wildlife parts in Indian history – 4 tiger skins, 70 leopard skins and 18,000 leopard claws – was released after quickly finishing his sentence. Obviously, he went back to committing wildlife crimes again.

Why punishments should be exemplary?

I would disagree with people who feel the present level of punishment stipulated in the laws is sufficient or who feel that we need not focus our energy in enhancing it.

Take the example of Indians who travel abroad. The so called elites, or the middle classes as well as the working class people like plumber etc are all very careful in obeying the rules in a foreign country like Singapore. The supposedly simple acts of indiscretion like spitting or defecating in public, which people here are so used to, is not at all practiced by our people in a country like Singapore. The level of punishments in the small country like Singapore acts as a big deterrent. If we are able to slap exemplary punishment for killing a tiger, then definitely the people on the ground who actually kill the tiger or act as conduits will refrain from doing so. We will then have a small amount of crime to contend with.

Recognition for wildlife crimes as equally important:

Today, Wildlife crimes are given less importance as perhaps there is a feeling that wildlife is an expendable commodity. Murder of a schedule I species like tiger is not treated as equivalent to the murder of a human being. And this is despite the tiger being the vahana (vehicle) of goddesses Durga. And ofcouse, we use the term poaching for killing of wildlife, where as murder is the term used for killing a human being.
If we look at some of the gruesome murders committed in India, like killing a person and skinning him or killing a person and burning her body in a tandoor (clay oven), the crime was adjudged to be the rarest of the rare and the persons given death penalty.

Now let’s look at the modus operandi of a poacher engaged by a crime syndicate. The poachers lay snares to trap a tiger; the tiger is caught and tries vehemently to free itself. With every effort, the snare tightens more and more and the tiger keeps on bleeding due to the snare cutting deeper into the flesh. The tiger is then discovered a day or two later, sometimes ever later, and then the poacher places the gun virtually on the tigers head and shoots it point blank. The tiger is then skinned. The flesh and bones are dried and sent to be consumed in a country abroad. Is it not gruesome enough?

Do you think we should condone such cruelty? Is this not a rarest of the rare case and fit for capital punishment?

It is time, we toss away our rule books and rewrite those to keep in sync with the times. Also, apart from wildlife related laws, the laws related to falsification/fabrication of evidence etc should be made stringent, so that people don’t readily agree to testify to cover up a crime.

Apart from strengthening all our laws, we should not overlook the importance of educating the communities that get involved in wildlife crimes. At times, the accomplices of poachers are poor individuals from the local community, who succumb to enticements and agree as they are often told that the crime will not come to light and if at all it is known, then the tardy process of law enforcement will result in them coming out in bail. The forest department with the help of NGOs and local media should undertake sustained campaigns to increase the awareness about wildlife crimes. That will go a long way in saving our wildlife till the law ministry is able to strengthen the laws.

A word for conservationists:

I think it would be pertinent to recall the story of the blind men and elephant that we had read during our school days. A few blind men came across an elephant and each one touched a particular part of the elephant. One of them felt that the elephant is like a snake, the other thought it to be a rope. The third one felt the elephant to be like a wall. And there were answers like pillar etc. One can know that each one is right in his or her own way, but still collectively they were farther from the truth.

I won’t be surprised if someone feels that our conservationists are acting like the blind men and the elephant. I hope our conservationists share their perceptions with each other and arrive at the overall picture. That will go a long way in saving our last tracts of wilderness left in this country.

I can still remember that warm summer morning. It was the month of May, and as usual I was the first one to reach the forest gates much before it opened. It was an uninteresting start as for a long time we didn’t see anything. Then we came across a Eurasian thick knee. I clicked a few images and then we moved ahead. A solitary wild boar (Sus scrofa) was approaching towards us and as usual I was in no mood to click a wild boar. Suddenly it stopped in its tracks about twenty feet away from us. I could see that a cobra had raised its hood. The wild boar looked at it and then stepped aside and continued in its movement. We took a cue from the wild boar and moved ahead.

At 6.11 am in the morning I reached rajbehera grasslands. Two cheetal deer (axis axis) stags were sparring. The light was lovely. I immediately started clicking. The 1.4x converter was attached to my lens, and I removed it and started clicking. Hardly had I clicked a few images, we could hear growling of tigers. My driver started urging and partially blaming me that we missed tigers fighting just because I was busy shooting deers. Later after checking the time recorded in the images, I saw that I had spent a single minute in clicking deers. So I didn’t curse myself much.

We raced ahead to see two tigers growling and hitting at each other with their claws barred. However, the moment we reached the spot they separated and moved in different directions. It was not a full bloodied conflict. I could make out that both were tigresses. The smaller of the two was our Jhurjhura tigress. She moved ahead in the rajbehera dam direction and the other tigress moved in the opposite direction.

Soon the cheetal herd (Axis axis) saw the tiger and started marching ahead like an army towards the tiger. It was an interesting sight. Normally, one expects the deer to be scared of the tiger and run away. However, in this case it shows that the deers do have intelligence level as opposed to what we think of them to possess. The deers were keeping a close watch on the movements of the tigress and turned back when they were sure that the tigress moved away from that patch of forest. They then resumed feeding on grass.

I followed the tigress and could create images of her scent marking and defecating. She kept on checking the scent markes left on the trees and bushes and then finally crossed the dirt track infront of me and disappeared into the tall grass.

On any day, this would have been the highpoint for a wildlife photographer or tourist. However, there was much in store for us that day.

We turned back and proceeded towards climbers point to reach the waterhole, as the Jhurjhura tigress had gone in that direction. There we met one of the cubs of the Jhurjhura tigress. A couple of other tourist vehicles had reached there and the cub got disturbed as the vehicles started chasing her.

I don’t understand what fun people get by following behind a tiger walking in the road. Soon the cub moved into the grassland. It was an unfortunate incident, as this cub was separated from its mother and we didn’t even see this cub in the evening. Tourists should be careful of their impact on the tigers and other wildlife. We saw that the jhurjhura tigress and her other cub were on the other side of climbers point. I had agreed to carry a forest department officer in my vehicle and he informed the forest ranger about the tigers by wireless.

Within an hour the forest department ranger and the elephants arrived at the spot to conduct Tiger Show. At that time the Tiger Show had not earned its notoriety. I climbed on one elephant to go over the hill and have a look. I then realised that the jhurjhura tigress had killed a Sambar and hence she was fighting with the other tigress to protect her kill. The mahout wanted to go closer to the tigress; however, I always prefer photographing from a distance when I am on top of an elephant, giving the tiger sufficient space. The light was not good, so I just clicked a few images and then watched the tigress.

After sometime, the tigress and her cub went to the other side to climbers point and started feeding on the Sambar carcass. It was a delight watching the tigers use their rasping tongue to feed. Tiger is a fastidious in its habits. It starts feeding on a kill by first puncturing below the tail portion and pulling out the intestine. You will often find the intestine lying a few feet away from the kill. A leopard however, eats the intestine as well.

In the Sambar kill, the neck was neatly dislocated, the way an adult tiger kills. Its technique is completely unique. Other big cats kill by suffocating. At times, large leopards are reported to have killed in this manner, however I haven’t experienced it.

The climbers point was much more dense at that time, than it is today. There was a cave like ledge there and the tigress took rest after some time. The cub was busy gorging on the sambar kill with short rest inbetween.

After an hour or so, the tigress urged the cub to leave the carcass, but the cub was not willing. Soon a tug of war started. The cub had inserted its leg inside the carcass to get a better grip and was resisting the mother. Finally, the Jhurjhura tigress gave a mighty pull and the cub had to listen. They moved to the other side and into water.

By the time, around ten or eleven tourist jeeps had reached the spot. A group of excited school kids were also there and one can imagine the din created. The Jhurjhura tigress gave vent to a snarl and then entered into the water. I have seen this snarl getting stronger over the years. It was an irony that she used to resent the presence of noisy tourists and ultimately, she laid down her life under the wheels of a vehicle.

The tigress and her cubs were cooling off and the cub was swimming in the waters. Every ten minutes or so, the cub used to come near the mother and rub cheeks showing affection. It was nice watching unalloyed love and affection among species, whom we consider inferior to us. We call them beasts, animals etc, however anyone who has watched these supposedly ferocious animals, would concur that that they are more humane than us.

There were hardly anyone willing to get onto the elephants for the tiger show, as the tigers were infront of us in the open. The ranger got irritated and started driving away the tourists from the spot. A few moved away from the spot fearing the wrath of the ranger, and the ensuing din caused the tigress and her cub to get out of water and leave the spot too.

I too left the spot feeling happy having seen several facets of the Jhurjhura tigresses personality. She had defended her Sambar kill from a larger tigress, ensured that her cub is well fed and drinks water and cools off at the right time. She has resented the intrusion into her privacy by snarling and had moved her cub away from noisy crowd. The afternoon Safari brought another memorable experience with her family which I have already described here http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/when-a-tiger-cub-seeks-your-protection .

Today I am going to relate an incredible experience that I had in 2006 in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. While looking back at my old images I came across this black and white image of a tigress and cub in water and the memories came flooding back.

It was an eventful day. In the morning I had a good sighting of a tigress and her cubs on kill and in water in the climbers point and suaribah area. In the afternoon we reached the spot again but the tigers were sleeping on the hill and were not visible.

I moved ahead and then later around 6 pm we could sight a tiger in the stream opposite climbers point. It was the Sukhipatiha male, neck deep in water. There were a few trees in front of us and the tiger was hardly visible. The guide deserves praise for spotting the tiger. The light was very poor. I used my flash to get his eyes shining so that people can locate the tiger. We then left the tiger at peace with itself and moved to the other side of climbers point, to the suaribah area. The tigress and her cub had come back to water and there were a few other tourist vehicles there.

My vehicle was not in the right position, and I didn’t click beyond a record images as I was not getting the right images. We waited for some time and the tourist jeeps started leaving the place around 6.10 or so as the forest department gate closes at 6.45 pm and the vehicles have to be out of the forest by that time. It was 6.19 pm when the tigress and the cub got up and went up the hill. All the vehicles immediately left the spot. My driver commented that the tiger is irritated with the vehicles and hence left. I told him that definitely, the tigress and cub will come back to water after we left the place. So we moved ahead slowly and no sooner had we reached the corner, the tigress and cub started coming back to water. They had a heavy meal as they had finished a Sambar within a day and definitely wanted to be in water to cool off as well as to drink.

We immediately reversed and came back to the waterfront. The tigress and cub watched us and didn’t react. So we realized that they were comfortable. I started creating a few images. My driver, resourceful that he is, suggested that I can click till 6.30 pm and then leave by the other gate. However that meant a drive of about 15 kilometers more. The light was very low and the shutter speed in my Canon EOS 10D digital SLR camera was pretty low. I hardly used to shoot beyond ISO 100 in that camera. So I slowly opened my tripod and placed it on the ground and started creating images.

There were a few deers (Axis axis) grazing in the meadows. Suddenly there was an alarm call from them. I was surprised as the alarm call was in the rajbehera grasslands direction. I was told that it might be Sukhipatiha male. It was likely, as we had sighted the Sukhipatiha male on the other side of the hill in the stream. This male tiger is yet to establish its territory. So it was staying in caves on the hills opposite the climber point area and used to surreptitiously hunt and fend for itself taking enough care to hide from other male tigers.

I could see different reactions in the tigress and the cub. We could not see the Sukhipatiha tiger, but the tigress got up and started moving in that direction as if to confront him. Fear was writ large over the face of the cub. It would be pertinent to mention that a wild tiger can cause harm to a tiger cub from another litter in cases where the intraspecific competition is immense. In such cases, it can even kill a cub.

The tiger cub immediately got up and started coming straight towards me. I was worried, because I had placed the tripod on the ground and had placed my camera and lens on it. Even at the tender age of 8-10 months an adolescent tiger has enough power to twist the tripod like a plastic wire. However, my driver remarked that the cub wants to hide near us. I then realized that the cub is seeking protection from the male tiger. I still couldn’t believe it. A wild tiger cub trusts a human being to hide from a male tiger! I felt as if a kid is coming close towards me for shelter. In a world where other fellow human beings don’t trust you, a tiger reposing faith was an emotional moment for me.

Greetings!

It’s my pleasure to bring to you the IndiaWilds Newsletter Vol. 2, Issue 1. This newsletter contains some of the writings and thoughts of “Billy” Arjan Singh, and the updates on IndiaWilds.

Billy

With the passing away of “Billy” Arjan Singh, India has lost a great son. Instead of writing an obituary and eulogizing his good deeds – as is the standard practice – it would be better to learn from the triumphs and tribulations of this crusader.

In the foreword to Billy’s book “The LEGEND of the MANEATER”, John Aspinall writes “As a halfway house between man and wilderness, Tiger Haven could be compared to Kora on the Tana river in Kenya where George Adamson spent the last decade of his life. Adamson and Singh are unusual in that they crossed an emotional threshold and physically embraced the animals they protected. Both forged bonds with some of the creatures in their care. Let us all hope that Tiger Haven does not meet the fate of Kora – abandoned and forgotten within a few months of its founder’s heroic death at the hands of poachers”.

I think, it would be a tragedy to consider Tiger Haven as the only symbol of Billy and forget his crusade for the protection of wildlife and wilderness areas. I hope, with the passing of Billy, we don’t consign his wisdom – gleaned painstakingly over a period close to a century – to the cobwebs of history. Hence, I think it would be pertinent to relook at his key messages.

Strength of Character:
Few men have gone on to live long enough like Billy or as eventful a life as him. He was a remarkable man, not just because he relentlessly fought for conserving Dudhwa or raised his voice in support of ban on tiger shooting or for elephants mowed down by trains or in support of countless other conservation issues around the country; but because he had the strength of character to impassionately look back at his life and admit the mistakes and blunders that he had committed. It would be pertinent to quote him from his book “The LEGEND of the MANEATER”:

“A brief account of the activities of my elder brother runs through this narrative because I have attempted to show that the desire to kill compulsively is not an atavistic inheritance, but a deep complex of redirected aggression triggered by an insufficiency in the so-called sport hunter. In my own example, I see that a sickly childhood and a natural denial of talent led me to try proving myself in society. My brother, with his inborn abilities, was able to achieve competitive excellence unassisted. In contrast, I, whose development was retarded by sickness, had to rely on medical treatment, on physical exercise, and on sophisticated weaponry to overcome the powerful presence of animals as symbols of achievement. In every ‘sport hunter’, there probably lies an imbalance which he feels must be evened out in the society to which he belongs by the destruction of a symbol”.

Of course, Billy is not the only person whose strength of character has made an impression in me. I remember, Dr. AJT Johnsingh had mentioned in his book Field Days that he had once fired a tranquilizer gun at an elephant. The elephant, which was later discovered to be pregnant, fell on a ditch and died. How many researchers can openly admit death of mega fauna like tigers and elephants due to tranquilisation? Certainly, the world would be a better place, if each one of us can look at our own insufficiencies and the blunders committed in the past.

On the tiger habitat:
We are more or less aware that our forest cover has shrunk. However, the extent of destruction of our pristine wilderness areas can be gauged from Billy’s perspective, as he has seen it being destroyed since the early 1900s. Quoting Billy on tiger habitat destruction and its impact on the tiger:

“Forest habitat was unlimited, and the growing demands of the human population had not attained the degree of exploitation by which entire ecosystems were altered. Extensive buffer areas existed between forest and habitation. Gradually, and then with a frightening finality, tiger habitat has shrunk, buffer zones have disappeared, a massive exploitation has degraded the forests to an irreparable travesty of their former luxuriance, and the human has returned to live in the forests. With habitat destruction and degradation, and the commercial poaching of prey species, the life-style of the tiger has compulsively altered”.

“The end of the Second World War saw the beginning of massive reclamation schemes in Nepal, as well as land hunger and timber exploitation after the attainment of Independence by India. The Nepal habitat has virtually vanished, except for small and fragmented Reserves: over-exploitation has degraded the remaining forests, and the advance of agriculture has constricted the habitat, and now no buffer areas remain”.

Habitat destruction and Impact on the tiger:
Billy Speaks:
“Tigers have been crowded into a last bastion of refuge, where they are forced to live cheek by jowl with the human invader, and unless we can rationalize their existence they will soon disappear. From a selective occupancy far from the human presence, the tiger has been forced into a baleful coexistence where no expansion of space is possible, and inbreeding will soon exterminate the resident populations, already weakened by other pressures. It is against this background that we must view measures aimed at preserving the tiger”.

Billy’s words habitat destruction and its impact on the tiger rings true even in Corbett National Park, the place where Project Tiger was launched. For further details, you may refer to this discussion:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2818

It is a fact that inbreeding has become the norm in some of our celebrated Tiger Reserves. There is no contiguity among the various sanctuaries and tiger reserves. Our sanctuaries and tiger reserves have become oases amidst the concrete jungles. No tiger can come from the surrounding forests to repopulate when there is a vacancy due to the death of a tiger in some of our tiger reserves. So the only way to repopulate these isolated tiger reserves and sanctuaries is by forcibly translocating a tiger. It is not of course, without its vagaries. For further discussions:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2234

It is time that we seriously consider reestablishing corridors between our tiger reserves and sanctuaries.

Need for Inviolate Spaces:
“Billy” Arjan Singh has seen first hand, the impact of destruction of the tiger habitat by resetllers. This destruction of the tiger habitat had brought those resetllers in direct conflict with the tiger, eventually the later being branded as man-eater. Billy rightly believes that there is a need for inviolate spaces for the tiger. Quoting Billy:

“It is essential to appreciate that man cannot share space with the tiger for any length of time, for eventually a familiarity will evolve into the acceptance of man as a prey species, and nature’s safety valve will become infructuous. Therefore a tiger’s habitat, and the ecosystem which he represents, must remain inviolate. Wildlife areas must be rationalized for the tiger to exist in niches that are separate from the human population, for once a compromise is accepted it is the beginning of the process of attrition for the microcosm of wildlife, for a compromise is only possible between equals. The human must forever remain an intruder into the wildlife areas. Whether this is possible with a developing and surging democracy will depend on whether the tiger is going to survive into the foreseeable future. The recent proposal of Project Tiger to have multiple use areas occupied by both man and tiger is a regressive measure. A rethinking is essential if the tiger has to be preserved for the future, and it is unfortunate that the Project appears to be losing direction. Man and tiger cannot share space”.

Also, man and tiger cannot share space because tiger is secretive by nature. It needs an inviolate secluded space where it can give birth to its cubs who are immobile. This reduces the chance of the small cubs being noticed by other predators. It is indeed rare to find a tigress keeping her cubs in an area visited by humans and even cattle. In such cases, the tiger can stop breeding.

The tragedy that is unfolded when man penetrates into the jungle or when manmade roads and rail tracks cut across forests can be seen here:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2746

Siltation and Death of Mega Dams:

“…our denuded and exploited hillsides pour silt into massive dams built in a megalomaniacal splurge, choking their utility. We are felling forests, displacing age-old civilizations, and rendering their future both destructive and infructuous. The ecological crisis whereby cultivation and civilization are devastated by floods is sought to be remedied not by damming the errant river, but by tree plantations to hold the collapsing hills – not because of any desire to recompense nature for the piracy we have committed, but because of a terror of the finality of the reprisals that nature has in store”.

Written nearly two decades back, Billy’s above words are true even today. A couple of days back, India and Bangladesh signed a few agreements and one of them was regarding India’s help in desilting the dams in Bangladesh. Unfortunately, we are still not focusing on the root cause of siltation and our mega dams continue being rendered ineffective in a few years. I hope, the wisdom of such a great son of Mother India is not forgotten in haste.

On Culling:
“A wildlife management ploy, which is of immense harm to wildlife, is culling. Managers maintain this is essential in certain cases to maintain the biomass population in relation to the habitat available, and in preventing population pressures from degrading the habitat. In other words, the human has arrogated to himself the task of adjusting the wildlife population to the forage available in a given area. In these days of habitat reclamation for human use, this places an unwarranted onus on the human species, which, as we have already seen, is singularly unqualified to deal with population control”.

“Wild animals are eminently adaptable, and if certain ungulates overgraze the forage they have been used to, they will opt for other forms of life maintenance. Browsers may become grazers, and other sources may be discovered. The hardground swampdeer of Madhya Pradesh are genetically the same as the marsh inhabitants of Kaziranga. The sambhar, supposed to be solitary inhabitants of dense forest, now gregariously feed on water plants in Ranthambore, like the barasingha. Wild elephants propagate trees from the seed pods they ingest. When they cannot strip bark from trees, they switch to a diet of grass. Yet in Africa it is maintained that they have destroyed and are destroying their habitat, and should be culled for their own good. This reprehensible idea is implemented by the slaughter of entire herds of Zimbabwe, and is a crime against laws of the universe as ordained by nature. These insensate massacres are a greater offence than that of a country like Japan, which may illegally smuggle ivory, but those artisans have never seen an elephant”.

Infact, recent research suggests that culling has a huge negative impact on the wildlife. The errant behavior of adolescent elephants in killing rhinos, tearing down huge trees etc in Africa was found to be due to the trauma they suffered when adult elephants from their herd were shot dead. In the US it has been reported that when adult cougars were killed, their place is taken by young ones. Whereas the adults had lived in close proximity of humans and have rarely been observed, the young ones have been attacking humans. Perhaps, the young ones need a calming influence and guidance of the adults in their growth stage as we certainly do.

I agree that the human species having failed to control its population explosion, is perhaps the most unqualified among all the species on earth to talk about population control. This brings to the mind, are we qualified to play God?

Anthropomorphism:

Our understanding of nature is limited. Every other day, we learn something new from nature. In this context is it right to attribute an economic value to nature? I agree with Billy that instead of looking at every species from a monetary aspect, it is perhaps necessary to replace it with the emotive concept of the conservationist. Quoting Billy’s views on the need for emotion and his views on anthropomorphism:

“Considering the changed circumstances in wildlife conservation, anthropomorphism must give way to a more emotional outlook in which animal behavior should be equated with human reactions, for conservation has already in many cases given place to preservation. Wildlife can only be saved by a crusade. The rigid dogma of the scientist must be replaced by the emotive concept of the conservationist”.

“Anthropomorphism is an archaic and invidious concept by which the human has aspired not only to apotheosis, but has conspired to distance himself from the animal world. The human has a pregnancy, the animal has a gestation. We give birth, the animal litters. The animal trait is brutality, man is distinguished by humanity. In fact, animals merely differ from the human a s regards the intelligence quotient, and even here the great apes, dolphins, and the whales have primary intellects. It is only because man wishes to dominate and exploit the natural world that he has imposed these euphemistic distinctions on the bodily functions of animals which are essentially the same as his own, and thereby transformed killing them into a pastime. A denial of animal rights terms the deliberate slaughter of other animal forms as hunting, whereas that of one human by another is murder. This false principle has contributed to our regarding the animal as a lesser breed of creation, which is really only so according to evanescent human standards and not the eternal and evolutionary one which is the eventual touchstone”.

Is it right in our part to assume the role of God?

Message to Conservationists:
This can be considered as a message for the conservationists not to abandon the cause. Quoting Billy:
“It is tragic for me that, at the end of my life, I have fought a battle which can only end in defeat; yet I must soldier on. If I abandon the cause, I could never live with myself. Starting as a compulsive killer, I have run the entire gamut: conscientious evaluator to conservationist, preservationist, and, ultimately, crusader. I have the satisfying feeling that, inspite of eventual failure, tempered in nature’s crucible; I am a more civilized person than when I began”.

I hope, Billy’s wisdom will serve as a guiding beacon for us to conserve the last remaining tracts of wilderness and wildlife left in this beautiful country of ours.

IndiaWilds Forums Updates:
Wildlife tourism ought to be non-consumptive ie. tourism should not have any long term impact on the wilderness areas and wildlife and nothing should be removed from the area. However, wildlife tourism in India is far from non-consumptive and has impact on wildlife. Most of Our forest officials today are more busy in managing the tourists than their primary duty of patrolling our forests and taking steps for ecologically sound management practices. Today, the eco tourism has reached such ugly proportions that it threatens the welfare of the wildlife. For eg: the proposal to introduce night safari in Bannerghatta is one such idea. You may please refer to the details here and raise your voice:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2799

Wildlife Photography:
I am sharing a few links to some of the fine images shared by our members:

What is not crossing by Mohan Raj: An interesting perspective
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2780

Curious by Praveen P Mohandas
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2575

Great Crested Grebe by Ramesh Anantharaman
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2721

Praveen P Mohandas
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2692

Common Sergeant by Dr Hari Venkatesh K R
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2667

A string of Pearls by Bibhav Behera
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2554

Jog Falls by Dr Hari Venkatesh K R
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2717

Look forward to your inputs and your support in preserving the last tracts of wilderness and wildlife left in this beautiful country. For other interesting articles and photographs please check:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/

Regards,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com
Profile: http://www.indiawilds.com/profile.htm
Contact: http://www.indiawilds.com/contact%20us.htm
Twitter: indiawilds
Facebook: indiawilds

(Circulated in January 2010)

Greetings!
It is my pleasure to bring you the newsletter Vol 1, issue no. 10 on the eve of Deepavali – the festival of lights. May this Deepavali remove the darkness before our eyes and help us see the right approach to save our wildlife and wilderness.

The African Cheetah and Indian One horned Rhino: A study of an exotic species introduction and a native species reintroduction”
Reintroduction of an animal is often perceived as a good thing. If an animal becomes locally extinct then one can always bring back from a neighbouring country. It gives a good feeling, of turning back the clock. However, are we actually turning back the clock?

We are hurtling down an abyss at the speed of a Formula 1 car, without of course its brakes. The environmental destruction and the consequent climate change and its impact are still not being fathomed in its entirety. In the backdrop of this disturbing reality, do we need the artificial satisfaction of turning back the clock by introducing African Cheetahs in India?

We have lost the Sumatran Rhino, Asiatic Cheetah, Himalayan quail to name a few. These and other such species that has gone extinct reminds us about those wanton killings, clearing up huge tracts of forest on the pretext of so called development, drowning huge tracts of wilderness areas by ill planned dams…. It is a fact that we have abused nature and have been continuing to do so. Introducing a charismatic species – albeit a different subspecies than the one that that gone extinct – will serve in giving us a temporary and misguided sense of satisfaction of correcting a historical blunder.

Dr R L Eaton, who had worked on charismatic species like Cheetah was of the view that these animals should not be transported. Also a study on zoo tigers by Dembiec, D. P., Snider, R. J. and Zanella, A. J. in 2004 had noted that “Average respiration rates of all tigers increased from 56.1 breaths/min to 94.6 breaths/min during transport and to 132.3 breaths/min 10 min following release into their enclosures. Average immune-reactive cortisol concentrations peaked 3-6 days after transport at 239% above baseline and returned to baseline levels 9-12 days afterward”.
For further details please check the following link: http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1888

It is of course another matter that, in the past there have been tiger deaths due to improper dosage during tranquilisation, in cases involving foreign as well as Indian experts. Of course, the experts as well as cases where our Vets are involved have never accepted the fact.

The ministry has given the in principle go-ahead to the introduction of the African Cheetah in India, on the specious plea that there is not much difference between the African cheetah and the Asiatic cheetah. Of course, we know that “not much difference” means they are not the same. I wonder whether any detailed studies have been conducted to ascertain the degree of variation between the Asiatic Cheetah and the Indian Cheetah. I wish the Ministry places all the supporting documents and studies before the public for the sake of transparency.

I don’t think much would be achieved by the introduction of the African cheetah in India, except for shifting focus from pressing conservation issues. For further details, please click on the following link for discussions on introducing African Cheetah in India. http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1888

Rhino Reintroduction:
It would be pertinent to look at the state of our Rhinos reintroduced about 27 years back in Dudhwa. They were housed in and they continue to be in captivity to date. Now a turf war is ranging among them due to the cramped space. So it is a case of shifting them from wild to a cramped enclosure.

Is this what reintroduction is meant to be?
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1939

That means another set of wild animals – the African cheetah – albeit exotic, is going to meet the same fate. For our entertainment we are going to snuff the freedom out of a few African Cheetahs. I hope the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests) reconsiders its decision to introduce the African Cheetah in India. Please write to the Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh (email at mosef@nic.in and letter at Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110003) urging him to drop the project and rather focus on the more immediate task of revitalising our approach to wildlife management.

River Linking:
The central Govt. has announced shelving of the River linking project. This scheme if implemented would have caused tremendous damage to the environment. Species of flora and fauna, and I am sure some of them yet to be discovered, would have been wiped away.
Unfortunately, a day after the announcement by the Central Government the AP Government has announced its intention to link the rivers in Andhra. I am surprised that the state leadership of the same party takes a decision opposite to that of its central leadership. It seems grand schemes, however, muddle headed it may be has got its followers. For further details you may view the following link:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2094

Proposed YSR memorial on 1412 hectares in NSTR:
The AP Government has announced a plan to setup a memorial in the dense forests of NSTR. That would take up 1412 hectares or 14.12 square kilometers of pristine forests. The amount to be spent is 315 crores and the Government expects it to become an important tourist spot.
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1996

It is one of those ideas that have come from the loyal supporters. However, destroying a pristine wilderness area to construct a memorial is certainly not a good idea. Especially, since this is in the core area, the AP Govt. can’t denotify it on its own. Please raise your voice against this. You may write to the Hon’ble CM of AP Shri K. Rosaiah (Greenland’s Circle, Begumpet, Hyderabad – 500016, email: cmap@ap.nic.in and fax: 044-23452498), Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh (email at mosef@nic.in or jairam54@gmail.com and letter at Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110003) urging them to prevent this destruction of a critical tiger habitat.
Poisoning Wildlife:

It has come to the notice that Poachers have started poisoning Rhinos in Kaziranga. It is a very unfortunate situation and should be dealt with a strong hand. Exemplary punishment can deter poachers from such a heinous crime. For detailed discussion on the subject please click on the following link:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1934

Revitalizing Indian Forest Service:
Our wilderness and wildlife is facing its worst crisis due to the relentless assault by poachers, drowning of huge forest land by massive ill planned dams, roads cutting across forests, industries coming up in wetlands, Research centers being drilled through the hills, and last but not the least the forest department chasing misplaced priorities. It is time for the forest department to be reengineered and priorities set right.

An original article by Ranbir Mahapatra and the discussions on it can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2004

Tigers in Sanctuaries to get ID Cards:
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has issued an advisory to all the 17-tiger range states to keep an ID card specifying the details of each tiger in their sanctuaries, The identity card will be have a photograph of the tiger and its skin print, a unique characteristic of each predator, kill data and camera trap as well as radio collar records with regular updates of its behavior. The details and discussions on the topic can be found here: http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2111

Though we should track our tigers, I am surprised that why the NTCA wants to promote invasive techniques like radio collaring all the tigers. Don’t we want our wildlife to roam free? Why do we always decide the fate of other species? And it is mostly detrimental to them. Why do we Play God? Some similar views on the subject by Ranbir Mahapatra:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2125

Please write to the Secretary NTCA Shri Rajesh Gopal (Bikaner House, Annexe-V, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110011. Tele Fax: 011- 23384428 dirpt-r@nic.in ) urging him to kindly modify the advisory to drop the invasive radio collar idea.

Please remember that your voice matters. This newsletter reaches to 550 members of IndiaWilds and more than 1000 non members. It would have a great impact if each one of you raise your voice.

Natural History:
Langur Debarking:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1833
One needs to log in to access the above section. Registration is free. Please register with your full name if you haven’t already.

Wilderness Updates:
Wildlife tourism ought to be non-consumptive ie. tourism should not have any long term impact on the wilderness areas and wildlife and nothing should be removed from the area. However, wildlife tourism in India is far from non-consumptive and has impact on wildlife. In case of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, which is also under the Project Elephant, fishing is allowed in the core area. The interpretation is that “Manual angling of fish, catching and releasing does not amount to fishing” and it is supposed to be creating “intimacy and awareness”. For further details please click on the link below:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1926

Wildlife Photography:

I am sharing a few links to some of the fine images shared by our members:
A spot on Gaur that looks similar to the Sore spot found on Sambars.
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2003

Dhole killing Cheetal by Praveen Siddannavar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1988

Wild Ass by Atul Dhamankar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1994

Parambikulam by Bibhav Behera
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2033

An abstract vertical composition of Jog falls by Dr Hari Venkatesh K R
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2117

Skink by Jitendra Katre
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2077

Painted Grasshopper by Hari Iyer
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2064

Indian Burrowing Frog by Abhishek Jamalabad
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2054

Equipment Discussions:
This new section discusses the new releases of equipment as well as offers suggestions on suitability of equipment to our members.
Look forward to your inputs and your support in preserving the last tracts of wilderness and wildlife left in this beautiful country. For other interesting articles and photographs please check:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/

Regards,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com
Profile: http://www.indiawilds.com/profile.htm
Contact: http://www.indiawilds.com/contact%20us.htm
Twitter: indiawilds
Facebook: indiawilds

(Circulated in October 2009)

Wildlife Management: Tiger Translocations

What is the state of wildlife in this country?

Every month I keep on asking this question again and again. Every month there is news about the death of our mega fauna from various parts of the country either due to poaching or due to the improper handling by the forest department. In this month let us examine two cases of tiger translocation in two different National Parks.

The tiger translocation process from Ranthambhore to Sariska was hailed as a success. Is it actually so?

Sariska had come to the limelight after poachers systematically killed all its tigers. Panna has followed the same ignominious path. The response to Sariska was airlifting of a tiger and tigress from Ranthambhore. Nobody cared that the tiger and tigress taken from Ranthambhore were siblings. Are we not concerned about maintaining a healthy gene pool? Bringing two siblings to freshly populate a landscape defies all logic. I hope this situation is rectified by introducing more tigers from different areas to maintain genetic diversity.

At least, the tigers from Ranthambhore are reported to be healthy after relocation. Not so fortunate was a tigress from Nagarhole. She was supposed to have taken to cattle lifting and it was decided to capture here. She was tranqulised and displayed in a cage for 3 days for the stream of visitors from the surrounding areas, while a radio collar was awaited. She died after she was released in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. For further details please check:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1303

I wish the National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines are rigorously adhered to as well as experts consulted in all tiger relocations undertaken in any part of the country.

With this issue Karnataka remains in the news for all the wrong reasons. In the previous month the order to stop night traffic in the road passing through Bandipur was lifted – a move that is likely to increase disturbance and wildlife deaths due to road kills. And now comes the news of the sad death of a tigress in Nagarhole.

Please shoot an email to Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka at cm@kar.nic.in and urge him to take action. You may also email our Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests Shri Jairam Ramesh at mosef@nic.in . Please remember that your voice matters.

It is a fact that a number of tigers have died in different National Parks and sanctuaries due to improper dose while traquilising. This needs to be tackled and systemic deficiencies need to be removed. Please check the link for further details:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23

Natural History:
A few interesting discussions in the Natural history section are as follows:

Bird Behaviour – mobbing:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1212

Mimicry – by Vikram Gupchup
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1289

Wildlife Photography:

Short toed snake eagle in flight by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1247

Bonellis Eagle and Stepple Eagle fight by Kiran Ghadge
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1151

Crested Bunting by Kiran Ghadge
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1253

Reed warbler by Rahil Abdulghani
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1128

Great Egret by Bibhav Behera using a 135mm lens
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1166

Baya weaver by Sagar Patil using a Compact camera
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1224

Rat Snakes by Mrudul Godbole
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1238

Infant Mugger by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1144

Barasinga Portrait by Nishad Rangnekar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1128

Ethics in Nature photography is an ignored subject. However, it is pertinent topic as most of the photographers have no qualms in disturbing the subject and its habitat just to get that shot. Please refer to the following link for discussion on Nature Photography Ethics
http://indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1241

Regards,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com/forums

(Circulated in July 2009)

Wildlife Management- Bandipur & other issues:
What is the state of wildlife in this country? Is the forest department concerned? What is the focus of our forest department officials? These and many other thoughts came to my mind when I visited Bandipur National Park.

I discovered a funny rule that forces the open gypsys to have a roof (a plastic cover). I met the DCF and he told me that it was meant for our security. I just couldn’t believe it as the only security a soft roof can afford is prevent you from getting drenched in rain, of course the sides are open and still you can get wet. He also told me that since I was staying in a tourist resort so I should not use a SLR camera and lenses as those are supposed to be used by professionals; and I should take a special permission to use such equipment as I have a chance of making money out of it. I realized that there was no point in wasting time in arguing with such individuals. At that moment a speeding car on the road in front of the forest department office hit a monkey killing it instantly. The police in the outpost there picked up the dead monkey and threw it away. A few people came to complain in the forest department office but it just fell on deaf ears. One can see tourists eating and drinking and making merry on the road connecting Bandipur to Ooty via Mudumalai. The road is strewn with plastics. If our pristine forests are polluted then our water sources will be polluted as well. Civilisations have been known to vanish due to want of water. I hope history is not repeating itself. But who cares? The forest department is manned by such individuals who have poor understanding of wildlife and they are too busy in administering such funny rules.

This Bandipur-Mudumalai-Ooty road was earlier closed to traffic after six in the evening. However, that order has been reversed and now vehicles are plying all through out the night. There is no respite for the wildlife.

It has become difficult for serious photographers and wildlifers to spend more time in the forests of South especially Karnataka. Vehicles of a few resorts are allowed inside the National Park after paying a hefty fee. Serious wildlifers and photographers are highly inconvenienced. However, who cares?

Please shoot an email to Shri B. S. Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka at cm@kar.nic.in and urge him to take action. Please remember that your voice matters.

In our previous newsletters we had focused on issues in Bandhavgarh National Park. A number of our members had written to the Hon’ble Prime Minster as well as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. As a result the park officials including the field director has been changed. The hut like watch tower constructed in Rajbehera in the path of the tiger has been closed to people. So take heart and keep on raising your voice for a cause.

It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that we have completed six months of our existence. We have taken baby steps in taking actions to preserve our wildlife including marine life and wildplaces. Now we have added another feature in IndiaWilds – the Natural History section.

The Natural History section aims to increase our understanding of the wildlife primarily through field observations and photography of rare behaviour. I am sharing a few links for you to check and enjoy. Please remember that you need to login to access this section.

Mating behaviour of tigers
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1096

Tiger hunting Method
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1111

Sambar’s Sore spot
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115

Flesh eating behaviour of Wild Boar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1124

And there are many more. I need your feedback so that we can further improve this important section.

Wildlife Photography:

We have started discussing bird behaviour including habitat, distribution, id etc in the birds section apart from critiquing images. Invite all of you birders to enhance the discussion. To sample one please check the Black and Orange Flycatcher by Prem Sagar
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1109

Some other fine images:
Brahminy Kite by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1059

Female Redstart by Rahil Abulghani
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1017

Egyptian Vulture
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=989

Bats by Kiran Ghadge
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=990

Leopard by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=926

Kanchenjunga by Sumanth Sharma -A lovely image taken with a compact camera.
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=966

Kanchenjunga again by Sagar Patil – another image shot with a compact camera
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1027

Calotes by AB Apana
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1004

Look forward to your feedback and your action in preserving the last tracts of wilderness and wildlife left in this beautiful country.

Regards,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com/forums

(Circulated in June 2009)

Tiger Translocation: Panacea of all ills?

Sariska or rather the poaching of all the tigers from Sariska was a reflection of the sad state of our wildlife management in this country. I would have been happy if the Sariska episode would have been a one off affair. The condemnation from one and all forced constitution our Hon’ble PM to order constitution of a Task Force. The constitution of the task force left much to be desired. It was a case of Noble intent but flawed execution.

A tiger translocation project was conceived to bring back tigers to Sariska. The project objectives were met when the first tiger from Ranthambhore was relocated to Sariska.

Unfortunately, the powers at the helm of affairs started reading too much into the Sariska tiger relocation project and believe that this is a solution to all the problems of all our National parks. As a consequence, a tigress has been relocated from Bandhavgarh National Park to Panna without the close consultation with NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) and tiger experts.

As we are all aware, Panna has now lost its tigers to poaching. This has been helped by the presence of villages inside the park, as was the case in Sariska. The problem was compounded by the repeated denials issued by the Park authorities. Instead of looking for a solution to the systemic problems of poaching, lack of inviolate spaces, lack of protection etc the authorities have resorted to relocate tigers.

This brings a question to my mind. When will we understand the true value of the wealth we have – the value of our wilderness areas and of our wildlife. As a human being we understand the value of our limbs and protect them knowing that our limbs can’t be replaced. Similarly, if we would have understood the value of our wealth that Nature has bestowed upon us, then we would have taken adequate steps to preserve it. Relocating a tiger from one National Park to the other proves that we haven’t learn’t our lessons. Unless there is a thorough revamp of the Wildlife Management in India (not just renaming of Indian Forest Service or MoEF), the future won’t be rosy.

As concerned individuals please spend a few minutes to write to the Hon’ble PM of India at pmosb@pmo.nic.in

IndiaWilds forums updates:
IndiaWilds while taking its first baby steps has successfully completed three months. We have since added more sections, articles, photographs and ofcourse more of interactions. Here’s a small sample to tease your taste buds.

Conservation:
The Human Animal conlicts can be traced back to many of our thoughtless actions of the past. Unfortunately, we continue to get better with each passing day. Mistakes give way to blunders. It appears to be a never ending journey. An informative article on Elephants of North Bengal can be read by clicking on the following link:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=537

Wilderness Updates:
We invite our members to write updates on the health of our various National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Protected Areas. Your reports would help in educating others and strengthening the conservation movement.

The link to the Wilderness Updates category is as follows:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=18

Who’s Who:
We have introduced a Who’s Who section. Members are requested to introduce themselves by starting a thread along with their photo. This will help us recognise each other in the field as well. The link to this forum is as follows:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22

Photography Tips and Equipment Discussions:
I have tried to put together photography tips based on my nearly two decades of photography experience. You will find lot of tips and discussions that would not only help an amateur but is also likely to help in clarifying doubts of advanced photographers as well. The link to this section is as follows:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19

One needs to log in to access the above section. Registration is free.

Wildlife Photography:
A few links to some of the interesting threads in the wildlife section
Details of a Sambar’s sore spot and discussions on it:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468

Elephant mother and calf bonding:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451

Sensuous Nature: An abstract art
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20

Crested Serpent Eagle in Flight:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=522

An Olive Ridley nesting shot that was part of our campaign:
http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438

I look forward to your suggestions and feedback.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi Patra
www.indiawilds.com/forums

(This newsletter was circulated in March 2009)

It’s been three long years, since I had this amazing experience. It was the summer of 2005. Surjit called me to ask if I would be able to join him on a trip to Malani in Corbett National Park. I had not been to this part of Corbett National Park before and readily agreed. Sambit and Balu also joined us to make it a big party.

 The Malani forest rest house is located on a cliff overlooking a stream flowing below. As is the nature of these streams, the monsoon season sees it at its ferocious best and at other times of the year, the flow reduces to a trickle making pools of water here and there for the kingfisher to hunt or the langurs, deers and elephants to drink. When all these animals are there, how can be the king of the jungle be far behind? The tiger is seen cooling off in a small pool in this stream in the summer months.

Coming back to the story, we bought some fresh eggs, bread etc to add to the provisions we had procured from Delhi. The forest rest house doesn’t have a canteen, so visitors have to carry their own provisions if they expect to eat. We reached the rest house and handed over the groceries. We were hungry but rather than waiting for the meals to be prepared, we had some light snacks and moved on for the afternoon safari.

Sambit was in a jungle for the first time, and was pretty excited. We found deers and Sambars grazing or resting in the shade. Surjit was photographing them. I was on the look out for any signs of the tiger. We found lot of pugmarks in the dry river bed and then at a distance we found some tourists in a jeep. It took us some time to make out the outline of the sleeping tiger. The tiger rolled over and yawned. After a few yawns, the tiger got up and started walking and we could see that it was an adolescent one. It seemed to have had little success in hunting in the last few days as it appeared to be famished. The tiger soon crossed the dry stream and vanished into the undergrowth.

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful. We returned back to the forest rest house happy sighting a tiger. I was feeling good thinking that on every trip to Corbett National Park, I have sighted a tiger. Our tired but excited spirits soon got a boost with hot cups of tea.

Within half an hour the dinner was ready. Though it was hardly seven in the evening, we were pretty hungry and devoured the food. Surjit and I came out of the forest rest house to feel the evening air. The forest rest house is located at the base of the hill in a clearing of about a football field and half in length and breadth. The stream flowing in front of it, has carved a steep drop of fifteen to twenty meters at places. The forest department staff has made a gradual slope to approach the stream in front of the forest rest house. About fifteen feet in front of the forest rest house there was a tree, which is no longer there, and the base of it was cemented to create a rectangular platform of about fifteen feet by ten feet. We pulled two chairs and placed it below the tree in the compound. The edge of the forest is about a further thirty feet away sloping down into the stream. Towards the left the forest starts hundred feet away from the tree. Towards the right is the approach road and the clearing is about the length of a football field. Soon Sambit joined us by pulling a chair and placing it after me and closer to the edge of the forest. We were seated in a semi circular manner facing the approach road.

It was a moonless night and for the first hour it was pitch dark. We were enjoying the chill breeze and listening to the soft murmur of the flowing stream. We were happy having sighted the tiger and were discussing its emancipated state. Sambit was very happy on having sighted his first tiger on his first visit to the jungle. It is natural to be excited to watch God’s most magnificent creation in the wild. Sambit was telling us that he would definitely come back to this place with his wife. The deers were grazing in the compound. We could make out their blurred shapes at times and could here the sound of their grazing or occasional movement.

The playful banter came to an abrupt halt when we heard the sound of a twig cracking from the direction of the stream about 40 feet away. We were staring intently into the darkness towards the source of the sound, knowing fully well that it was done either by a tiger or a leopard. Sambit till that moment was blissfully unaware about our sudden alertness. The crickets had stopped chirping – there was an oppressive silence as if the entire jungle is watching with bated breath. Several minutes passed by and then suddenly the silence was pierced by a sharp alarm call about 30-40 feet in front of us. Even though we were alert, the sharp call, its proximity and the silent jungle gave it a sinister meaning. Till that moment, Sambit had never heard an alarm call in his life. He had no inkling about it and was so startled that he would have fallen from his chair had I not caught hold of him. A man with a weaker heart could have got a heart attack in such a situation. For Sambit it was too much to handle. He got up and shifted his chair to a position behind Surjit and closer to the Forest Rest house.

Clearly, the tiger was trying to hunt the deer barely few meters in front of us. Surjit suggested that it was too dangerous to be out in the open in the midst of the hunt and got up to move the chair closer to the wall of the Forest Rest House. We did so and realized that Sambit had vanished. He had got inside the Forest Rest house and had locked the door. We were straining our eyes to see any signs of the predator. At times we could see the white portion of the belly when the light of few stars could shine through the clouds. At times we could make out the outline of the deers. They had come closer to us. It seems the deers thought that coming closer to us might save from getting killed.

We kept on listening to the sounds as hardly anything was visible, breathing slowly through our mouth without making any sound. All our senses were in high alert mode. Minutes kept on ticking. After about half an hour or so, suddenly there was a sound of a charge. We could hear an animal abruptly run from left to right from a point about 30 feet straight in front of us. We knew the tiger is charging. However, we were shaken up when within a couple of seconds, there was another charge from right to left from the same point. All along, we were under the impression that there was one tiger. But it was physically impossible for a tiger to start a charge from the same point within a couple of seconds. We kept on straining our eyes to see any signs. And then soon the crickets started chirping again and the jungle came back to normal. We knew the predators are not there any more in the compound. I looked at the watch, and this experience had lasted forty five minutes.

After some time we got up and asked Sambit to open the door and we retired for the night. I was again woken up from sleep at the sound of an alarm call. It was 1.30 am in the night and the tiger was near the forest rest house again. I tried to listen for further sounds but didn’t know when I fell asleep. The next day we got up before dawn. Two tigers were roaring and answering each other at a distance from the forest rest house.

We had not taken a single photograph that night, but it was one of our most memorable tiger experiences. It gave a huge jolt to my ego. Despite several decades of tiger watching and studying, I could not know that there were two tigers in front of the forest rest house barely 30 feet away. It was a humbling experience as well. It teaches us that how ever experienced you might be, we are still scratching at the surface. Learning a single paragraph in a lifetime from the enormous book of nature, would be a big achievement.