The elephant census in Uttarakhand, which began on Tuesday, will conclude on Thursday. Officials of the Forest department involved in the census exercise begin their work as early as 4 am and continue till 7 pm.
New Delhi: Concerned over the blatant commercialization of areas around tiger reserves, the tourism ministry is considering stricter regulations for resorts and lodges. The guidelines will make it mandatory for lodges to follow ecology-friendly practises.
After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed concern over unregulated tourism posing threat to tigers, a seceratary level meet is scheduled next week between the Tourism and Environment Ministry to take stock of the situation.
A non-government society for bio-diversity conservation, Aaranyak, has found that the sprawling Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam has 32 highly-endangered tigers per 100 sq km area within the park and the figure is much more as compared to 20 in the Corbett National Park. Tiger density in other reserves in the country is found in the range of eight to 12.
With a view to ensure accountability of forest guards in patrolling tiger reserves and to enhance transparency in their functioning, the Government has launched a unique software monitoring system. Called M-STrIPES, it will be implemented in six tiger reserves to begin with within two months.
Concerned over 14 big cats dying in the last three months, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to convene a three-day meeting of wildlife officials of tiger-range states to review protection strategy in national parks.
By remembering the great naturalists of this country, people try to rekindle the slowly extinguishing fire that these men had once ignited in their minds. If some of these great men were great human beings as well, we remember them with greater affection and love. Jim Corbett, one of India's foremost conservationists, stands in the category of being a great and noble human being too.
