Hyderabad, June 29: Two Asiatic lions from the Nehru Zoological Park will be relocated to a national park in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. The Conservator of Forests, Mr Shekar Reddy, said, "We are sending two Asiatic Lions, aged two years, to Bhopal. "They' would be relocated to the Vanvihar National Park there. Two lions from every zoo are being relocated to the Bhopal park as there are no lions there.'

Iranian and Western wildlife experts are working together to save rare cheetahs from extinction in this arid, mountainous region, despite a nuclear row between their governments.

Breakfast with an orangutan. Close encounter with a panda. No, you aren't on a jungle safari. It could all happen in apnu Amdavad, with plans afoot for a new zoo that would have animals not bound in cramped enclosures. The Ahmedabd Municipal Corporation (AMC) has already begun frantic search for land for the new zoo in the city, to be spread over 100 acres. At present, the areas

The much-publicised zoological park of international standards at Aarey Milk colony may finally see the light of day. State Forest minister Babanrao Pachpute said that Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has given his approval to the project on June 5, following the state forest department seeking an approval from him.

The 185-km railway track from Siliguri to Alipurduar has taken the lives of 18 pachyderms in the past few years. An expert committee has now suggested that the situation should be improved by introducing a speed limit and educating train drivers to look out for "danger signs", which include elephants. Unfortunately, this track falls on the much preferred elephant corridor and despite patrolling by forest staff and efforts to make a detour for these elephants, they continue to use it.

Forest officials arrested three persons and detained one Tata Mobile vehicle for allegedly involved in catching frogs at Gaonkarwado-Usgao on June 7 at about 12.30 am. According to reports, arrested ones include Thomas Sebestiao and Patrick Pacheco (both from Raia, Salcette) and Anand Chandwadkar from Bethora-Ponda and recovered 70 frogs from them. They have been arrested under Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. Frogs are in demand in many restaurants and hunting is done specially during the monsoons.

The elephant of the Samayapuram Mariamman temple will be handed over to the Forest Department. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department has issued an order to shift the pachyderm immediately. The 19-year old male elephant, Mariappan, has often been turning restive for the past couple of years causing anxiety to temple officials and devotees. Officials have arrived at the decision in consultation with veterinary experts from the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and local veterinary assistants.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), set up at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is grappling with an acute shortage of staff with around 70 per cent of total posts yet to be filled. The Bureau, which set up last year by Environment Ministry, aimed to develop infrastructure and capacity building for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crime.