The ambitious tiger revival plan at Panna National Park might be moving ahead amid hiccups since its inception early last year, but wildlife experts like World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-India secretary general Ravi Singh, are very much upbeat about the project.

A year after India decided to refuse World Bank aid for tiger conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forests is considering accepting aid from the Bank for moving forest dwellers out of tiger reserves.

The ongoing year is inching closer to an end but the passing year would be not be a memorable one for the major big cat conservation projects in the State. This year, the State Forest Department had to face the ignominy and all round criticism for wipeout of tigers from Panna.

The tiger census to be carried out in 2010 will see more camera traps being installed in the field to capture the movements of big cats. This, among other strategies, will be employed for census.

The training of UP Forest officials conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India under Project Tiger for carrying out the census completed at the Corbett National Park recently.

Aarti Dhar

KATHMANDU: India has revised the guidelines for the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) to deploy forest personnel in place of the local police, with scope for involving locals like Van Gujjars.

Aarti Dhar

KATHMANDU: Nepal is seriously engaged in taking the on-going peace process to a positive conclusion, writing a new democratic Constitution within the stipulated time-frame, and meeting the rising aspirations of the Nepalese people.