‘Criminal tribes’ target big cats in protected reserves

The year bygone has proved to be unsafe for wildlife in Karnataka. As many as 15 tigers died in the State’s protected forests in 2012, according to a report of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The tiger census conducted in 2010 disclosed that Karnataka had 300 tigers. Of the 41 tiger reserves in India, five are in Karnataka - Bandipur, Nagarahole, Bhadra, Anashi-Dandeli and Biligiri Ranganathaswamy protected tiger forest.

Tiger population in India has significantly increased in the wild, thanks to protection of additional habitat of the big cat and stringent anti-poaching patrols, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) said.

In south-western India, where WCS research and conservation efforts began 25 years ago, a major rebound of tigers in the Western Ghats region of Karnataka has taken place. In Nagarahole and Bandipur National Parks, tigers have actually reached saturation levels, with surplus young tigers spilling out into forest-reserves and dispersing using secured forest corridors through a landscape that holds over a million human beings.

Stating in unequivocal terms that no forest conservation activity would be possible without community participation, over 19 organisations representing traditional forest dwellers and other aborigi

The Karnataka Forest and Health authorities have alerted their counterparts in Kerala on a suspected outbreak of Kyasanoor Forest Disease (KFD), commonly known as monkey fever, in the Bandipur Tige

The forest department on Thursday indicated that it is thinking to adopt eco-friendly measures to attend to the needs of the field staff.

The Karnataka government on Tuesday allowed resumption of wildlife tourism in the State tiger reserves, after a gap of three months.

The Supreme Court had earlier this month lifted the ban on tiger tourism. Official sources in the Forest department said the tourism resumed on October 23 afternoon. “We received official confirmation to resume tourism. We conducted our first safari on Tuesday afternoon,” said a senior official. Officials said there was a good response to safari at Bandipur and that visitors enjoyed good sighting of animals as waterholes were brimming due to good rains last week.

The tiger needs more space, the lion a second home. And the government is confused

They want to adopt the model to save jaguars

A team of wildlife experts from Argentina is visiting the Bandipur and Nagarahole tiger reserves to study the conservation methods adopted. The teams will take back lessons from the tiger reserves so that Argentina’s own endangered species, the Jaguar, is reintroduced and protected in that country. Ignacio Simenez, Sofia Heinonen and Valeria Francisco of The Conservation Land Trust (CLT), who are visiting the world’s largest tiger density areas, plan to reintroduce the Jaguar in Argentina’s first naturally protected area, Poa de Corrientes (in the north of the country).

The Supreme Court’s directive banning all tourism activities in core areas of all tiger reserves in the country had an immediate effect in Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks. By early Wednesday morning, many tourists -- confused, angry and disappointed-- left the place.

After the State forest department had on Tuesday decided to stop all tourism activities. For the first time in 40 years, the busy Bandipur tiger reserve as well as Antharasanthe guest house at Nagarhole came to a virtual standstill, following the State forest department deciding on Tuesday to conform with the apex court directive.