New family of legless burrowing amphibian discovered in India’s vanishing habitats

New species of tailless burrowing caecilian is a new family

February 2012. For the first time in decades, researchers have discovered a new family of legless amphibian, commonly known as Caecilians, one of the three groups of Amphibia.

New species, genus and family
The new family of tailless burrowing caecilians was described based on differences in external and internal appearance compared to the nine families of legless amphibians already known. Scientists performed DNA analysis of the specimens and confirmed that it is an entirely new family. They have named this new family as Chikilidae and the new genus as Chikila. The scientific name Chikilidae is derived from Garo (a Northeast Indian tribal) language for caecilians.

EGG CLUTCH OF CHIKILA SP. AN EGG-LAYING AND DIRECT DEVELOPING CAECILIANS ENDEMIC TO NORTHEAST INDIA. COPYRIGHT: SD BIJU, WWW.FROGINDIA.ORG 

Caecilians
Caecilians lead a secretive, under-soil, lifestyle making it extremely challenging to find them. This remarkable discovery came following an unprecedented fieldwork effort of soil-digging surveys in about 250 localities spread over five years (2006-2010) in various parts of every Northeast Indian state, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim and Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The work is the most extensive systematic program of dedicated caecilian surveys ever attempted.

Discovery of a new vertebrate (animals with backbone) family is a rare feat in science and most of the world's 61 amphibian families were described in the mid-1800s. The majority of new discoveries come from remote tropical rainforests. However, the new family described here is mainly from human-inhabited areas. "This makes the conservation of species more challenging", said Prof SD Biju from University of Delhi who led the research.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/Chikilidae-caecilian.html

At home in the wild – rehabilitated bear spotted safe and well

Another success for India's orphaned cub rescue programme

February 2012: A hand-reared two-year-old Asiatic black bear has been found thriving in the wild in north-east India. The discovery marks another success for the Wildlife Trust of India's (WTI) Asiatic black bear rehabilitiation programme.

The programme has seen 26 orphaned cubs raised and then released into the wild, with the latest sub-adult tracked to the Khari area of Pakke TR in Arunachal Pradesh.

Cub was brought in aged just five months‘This animal was brought to the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation in April 2010 from Donchimagre, Meghalya at the age of five months,' says WTI's chief vet Dr NVK Ashraf. ‘It was shifted to Khari for acclimatisation as part of a soft-release programme. The team has been monitoring it since its release.'

The team first located the bear on at the beginning of the month, tracking the signal from his radio-collar. They were aiming to tranquillise the animal, examine it and remove the collar if all was fine. The bear was, however, moving on the edge of a high, steep hill so tranquillising was not feasible until the following morning, when the animal was cornered and tranquillised using a dart.

'This is a good sign...'Dr Jahan Ahmed, the IFAW-WTI vet who led the team, said: ‘There were no external wounds, the mucus membrane was pink, the coat was lustrous, skin was soft and pliable and the body weight was normal.'

The animal was seen returning to its den after revival. Dr Sathyakumar, of WTI, said: ‘This is a good sign and normal behaviour. Black bears use caves and other natural crevices for resting. They may also use very dense undergrowth or thickets in undisturbed densely forested habitats.'

Indian vulture crisis update – Diclofenac still widely used

Diclofenac vials still designed for cows, not humans - Courtesy of The Bombay Natural History Society 

February 2012. Nationwide road surveys in India, initially conducted in 1991-1993 and repeated in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007, revealed that, by 2007, Asian white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) had fallen to 0.1% of its numbers in the early 1990s, with populations of Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) having fallen to 3.2% of their earlier level. The last nationwide survey in India was undertaken in 2007

A new nationwide census in India was undertaken from March to June 2011, which followed the same methods and transects as previous surveys beginning in 1992. The results indicate that populations of all three species of vulture remain at very low levels, but that the rate of decline has slowed and might even have reversed for Gyps bengalensis (details to be published in 2012).

However, the rarity of vultures means that estimates of the most recent population trends are necessarily imprecise, so slow declines may be continuing. The degree to which the decline rate of Gyps bengalensis has slowed is broadly in accord with the effects on population trend expected from a reduction in the prevalence and concentration of Diclofenac in carcasses of domesticated ungulates since the ban on veterinary Diclofenac was introduced in 2006.

These results are encouraging and suggest that conservation actions implemented in India are beginning to take effect on the remaining population of vultures. However, further action to remove all remaining Diclofenac in the veterinary sector must be enforced in order to allow numbers to increase.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/diclofenac-vultures.html

Vigil saves rare birds

Bhagalpur, Feb. 19: The administration has stepped up vigil against poachers to save migratory birds at the eco-friendly Gangetic diara in the district.

The diara (sandbar) is considered a green belt and was in the news recently when the residents of Dharhara, a village in the riverine area, decided to celebrate the birth of a girl by planting saplings. But there are places in the Naugachia sub-division where many people earn their livelihood by catching and selling migratory birds.

These areas fall in the 63km-stretch between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon.

The administration’s bid to check poaching paid off on Saturday when a team of Naugachia sub-division officials caught six poachers and found 48 migratory birds on them.

“I had asked my officials to step up the vigil on such illegal activities. I had also told them not to divulge our plan to anybody,” district magistrate Narmadeshwar Lal said.

He said the officials posed as prospective buyers and approached some poachers at Birbanna village under Narayanpur block. Though the poachers demanded Rs 1,600 for a pair of birds, they finally agreed to sell them for Rs 1,000.

Naugachia sub-divisional officer Sushil Kumar said: “They handed me 48 birds that they had caught. It was then that the officials arrested the six poachers.”

Indian Bird Conservation Network and Wetlands International State co-ordinator Arvind Mishra said all the birds recovered were protected under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120220/jsp/jharkhand/story_15155877.jsp

The poster that may save India’s parrots

Blanket ban on trading in all Indian bird species

February 2012: A parrot in captivity is one of the more visible symbols of illegal trade in India, where all native wildlife receives full protection. To help enforcement officers identify native parrot species, TRAFFIC India has produced an identification poster.

Identification of parrots and other species in trade is a major challenge, but the new poster will help enforcement officers identify the 12 native Indian parrot species. The posters will be distributed to Police, Customs, Forest Departments, Railway Protection Forces, educational institutions such as schools and colleges.

Despite the blanket ban since 1990-91 on trade in all India's bird species, hundreds of parrots are collected and traded each year. They are taken from the wild and smuggled to various parts of the country and beyond. The bulk of the trade is in three to four week old chicks.

Huge demand in the pet tradeParrots are caught using nets and bird-lime. Adult parrots are traded throughout the year, with chicks arriving in trade between December and June. For every bird that reaches the market place, several are believed to die en route.

For centuries, parrots have been kept as pets mainly because they are straightforward to look after and easy to replace because of the large numbers in trade. This has in turn created demand that has led to an organised illegal trade in parrots.

Abrar Ahmed, ornithologist and a bird trade consultant to TRAFFIC India said: ‘The Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the most sought after species in the Indian live bird trade and is traded in large volumes throughout the year. The chicks are collected from forested areas and transported to bird markets in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Patna, Lucknow and Kolkata.

Read more:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/india-parrot.html

Animal laws fawn over ‘murderer’ dogs

Had the resident leopard bitten off the sambhar fawn's neck, nature's court would not have charged the big cat with homicide. But here in the lush jungles that wedge in Siswan dam, a pack of stray dogs were prevented from adding another innocent to their serial murders across the Lower Shiwalik foothills. These are lean and mean unnatural predators and animal welfare laws literally fawn over dogs. 

Accompanied by photojournalist Gautam Singh, this correspondent had taken a rugged trail deep into the Siswan jungles. At high noon, as we returned to the dam's waters, a grim drama was unfolding. A fawn, which had come to drink water, had been separated from its mama by three dogs. We had seen these dogs earlier indulging in the socializing rituals before a hunt. The fawn was at the water's edge, where the dogs were somewhat uncomfortable in pursuing it. 

Cunning as canines are, the pack withdrew. The inexperienced fawn made a dash for the seeming safety of the jungle only to find dogs lying in wait. Making a U-turn, the fawn plunged into water. Sensing their victim was escaping, two dogs followed while the third circled ahead to cut off an escape route into jungle. The fawn swam desperately but one dog managed to catch its ear and its teeth locked in hard. The most piteous cries, not unlike that of a pup whose leg is trapped under a car wheel, emanated from the fawn. The ear is loaded with multiple nerve-endings and being close to the brain, the pain of a dog bite paralyses an animal. Hunting dogs are known to tackle huge wild boars similarly by latching onto the ears and flooring an otherwise lethal adversary. We threw stones, waded into the water and challanged the dogs, who fled. The fawn swam away, literally, from the jaws of death.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Animal-laws-fawn-over-murderer-dogs/articleshow/11944858.cms

India’s tigers are making a comeback

Breeding success across many reserves

February 2012: India is home to the world's largest population of wild tigers - and more positive news is emerging from the country, with the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) pointing to the number of new cubs as a good measure of success.

'Where they are being well protected, where there is a good relationship between forest officials, scientists and NGOs, tigers are breeding and returning to the forests from which they once vanished and taking up residence rather than just being transient,' said EIA campaign leader Debbie Banks.

News of cubs in Kudremukh National Park, in Karnataka, which has historically been ravaged by iron ore mining, and of 25 tigers residing in the Sathyamangalam forests of Tamil Nadu is further testimony to the emergence of the southern states as tiger conservation champions.

Assam now home to more than 140 tigersKanha Tiger Reserve has 21 to 23 cubs; Pench Tiger Reserve has 21 cubs, while in Panna Tiger Reserve translocated tigers have given birth to seven cubs.

Further north, tigers have returned to the Nandhor Valley of Uttarakhand, while Assam is home to 143 tigers, 118 in Kaziranga National Park alone - the highest tiger population density in the country.

While the EIA admit things are still far from perfect - poaching, habitat loss and human/tiger conflict continue to put pressure on the country's tiger population- they are delighted with the progress being made.

Debbie added: ‘None of us can take our foot off the gas when it comes to saving tigers. But what the good news from India tells us is that the tiger's decline is not an irreversible situation; that with the right set of circumstances, tiger populations can recover, and with them the watershed forests that all our futures depend on. 

‘We must take heart that we are on the right path.' 

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-comeback.html

Siblings from India don't expect to marry due to 'werewolf syndrome' Heartbreak of three India sisters (via Peter Park)

By RITA DELFINER

THE NEW YORK POST, Thursday, February 9, 2012, p. 25

These three sisters in India have dreams of getting married, but are caught
in a nightmare - each is cursed with an extremely rare genetic disorder
sometimes called "werewolf syndrome."

There are only a few hundred cases in the world of hypertrichosis
universalis, which results in excessive hair over the body and for which
there is yet no cure.

The Raut sisters, Savita, 23, Monisha, 18, and Savitri, 16, of Sangli, a
small village in central India, use a special hair-removal cream, but the
hair grows back quickly on their brow.

"Marriage is not an option for us; it's not likely to happen," Savita was
quoted as saying by the Daily Mail Online. "Who is going to marry us when
hair keeps growing on our faces?"

The girls' mother, Anita Sambhaji Raut, said the trio inherited the
condition from her late husband.

She said when Savita was a baby, she had "little hairs all over her face."

"When I used to take her out as a child, they used to shout 'Here comes the
beast, the witch!' That's what they said."

The girls' mom said that of her six daughters, three have the condition.

Anita was only 12 when she wed her husband in an arranged marriage, and she
did not see him until the day they tied the knot.

"It was only on the day of my marriage that I discovered what he was; [he]
was hairy on his face, ears and body. That's when I found out," she said.

"I was very young. I didn't know what kind of boy he was.

"He scared the hell out of me when he arrived at the [ceremony]."

Savita said that "when I used to go to school, the boys and girls would
shout, 'hairy face,' 'horrible looking,' 'Don't sit next to her,' that's
how they behaved," the paper quoted her as saying.

Her mother said that Savita tries to hold a job, but "they keep her at work
now for 10 to 15 days, and then after that, they ask her to leave as soon
as the hair starts showing through.

"I tell people this is the type of girl she is - hair grows on her face,
she has to apply medicine."

The mom said she would like to get Savita a husband.

"If a good proposal comes in, I'll get her married. If nothing comes in,
she'll have to work and survive. As long as I am living, I have to keep
trying," Anita said.

A documentary filmmaker is planning to tell the sisters' story, which they
hope could help them raise funds for laser surgery to help them get rid of
the unwanted hair, the newspaper said.

In August, BangaloreMirror.com said the sisters were to be treated by
specialists at a hospital in Bangalore, which is getting together a team of
specialists from the United States and Germany to work toward a cure.

The Web site said that only 300 cases of the disorder had been reported
worldwide, and there were only five known cases, including the sisters, in
India.

"These cases are a challenge to the medical fraternity. We hope they find a
cure," said Mansoor Chetlu, coordinator of the New Life Karnataka,
Bangalore Chapter, which is helping the family, according to the site.

rita.delfiner@nypost.com

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/werewolf_curse_ja39KCXDRrjK45Qlqk9ODL

Rare slender-billed vulture sighted in Terai

Lakhimpur (UP), Feb 9 (PTI) A slender-billed vulture, which is on the verge of extinction, has been sighted by ornithologists in Terai area of Kheri. Apart from slender-billed vulture, white-backed vultures, Eurasian Griffin and Hundya Griffin vultures have been found in Dhakherwa region of the district, Vijay Prakash Singh, convener of Terai Nature Conservation Society and member of UP state wildlife board, said. Slender-billed vultures are critically endangered vulture species. The sightings have enthused vulture conservationists engaged in making the Terai region diclofenac-free zone, the drug held responsible for mass casualties of vultures. The vultures were sighted during a field-survey on vultures by a team of UK-based Royal Society for Birds’ Protection (RSBP), Bombay Natural and History Society (BNHS) and TNCS experts. The team is headed by RSBP conservationist Tobby Heath Gelligan and Ananya Mukherjee from England. BNHS experts Janki Teli and Manas along with TNCS convenor Vijay Parakash Singh are assisting in the survey. "Indiscriminate application of diclofenac drug for veterinary medication has left the vultures on the verge of extinction," Singh noted. "The vultures inadvertently take in excessive doses of diclofenac while feeding on carcasses resulting in renal failure," he said. Singh said that RSBP has undertaken the assignment to make entire Terai-region diclofenac free zone. PTI CORR AVA PG
http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/rare-slenderbilled-vulture-sighted-in-terai/961024.html

Also read: http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2710/stories/20100521271006400.htm

Conflict elephant rescued from death sentence

Authorities ordered tusker be put to sleep

February 2012: An adult tusker has been relocated to a new area of India's Rajaji National Park after allegations of human/elephant conflict - rescuing it from an official death sentence.

The successful, if complicated, move from Narendranagar Forest Division to the Chilla Range of the park was a joint operation between the Uttarakhand Forest Department, Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and is the result of two months of careful planning.

17 deaths
Human elephant conflict has resulted in 17 deaths in the area over the past two years and, after complaints about this tusker, the authorities ordered the animal be put to sleep. But analysis of casualties revealed that most of the killings were accidental and as a result of people venturing inside the forest area or were on roads that are in an elephant corridor. Simultaneously, other options were explored that involved capture and translocation to similar habitat to reduce conflict.

Four-tonne elephant has now been moved across riverIt took three attempts to sedate the elephant - capturing had been unsuccessful on two previous occasions because of unfavourable terrain and conditions. The four-tonne tusker was loaded on a truck and moved 20km across the river Ganga to the pre-selected site.

‘This site has been identified as a rich elephant habitat,' said NN Pandey, Divisional Forest Officer, Narendranagar. ‘It is separated from the capture site by the Chilla Power Channel and its steep embankments and also the river Ganga, minimising chances of the animal returning there. Our task, however, does not end here and the animal shall now be monitored closely by the team.'

Dr Anil Kumar Singh, WTI has been working on human-elephant conflict mitigation for the past 18 years. He feels there is a need to educate and sensitise people to respect wildlife and give it space. Building of physical barriers and deterrents, such as electric fences and trenches, will reduce incidents of elephants entering human habitation.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-rescue2012.html

Why is the land of snakes, so inept at dealing with snake bites? (via Herp Digest)

The number of people who died of snakebite in India was not known for decades. But there was no doubt thousands perished. This was, after all, the proverbial land of snakes. Finally, in April last year, a study estimated about a million people were bitten by snakes and approximately 46,000 died annually. These first reliable figures illustrate the enormity of the problem rural people face in this country. We also know more people are killed by snakes in India than any other country in the world.

Snakebite is a major occupational hazard in a country where farmers typically walk barefoot along field bunds. While we can exhort them to wear footwear, it will take years for this long-observed practice to change. People also tend to walk in the dark without a torch. For several decades, the price of disposable batteries was prohibitive for ordinary villagers, but the use of the new, affordable Chinese-made rechargeable torches may reduce the death toll. The other habit that puts rural people in harm's way is sleeping on the floor. When farm economy is floundering, advising them to sleep on bedsteads will only elicit blank, uncomprehending stares. If people get bitten and are rushed to the hospital, the lack of doctors, trained in treating snakebite, as well as the limited availability and effectiveness of antivenom serum, jeopardize their lives further.

The only way to save a person from a lethal venomous snakebite is the administration of antivenom serum, even though too many people rely on superstition and alternative forms of medicine. Indians have had a surefire way of surviving a lethal bite as early as the 1920s, when the Central Research Institute began producing this life-saving drug commercially. Yet, almost a century later, despite snakebite continuing to be a major public health crisis, the availability of antivenom serum in small towns and villages, where bites usually occur, is limited.

Six manufacturers produce a serum made from the venoms of the Big Four: cobra, common krait, Russell's viper and saw-scaled viper. Despite advances in antivenom production techniques, those of the Indian companies remain relatively unchanged since the 1950s. Several international publications have criticized Indian antivenoms for their impurity and for causing complicating side effects.

All the companies claim identical potency for their antivenom serums, which is astonishingly low. This means many more vials are needed to neutralize the harmful effects of a venomous snakebite. One study says a person needs an average of 51 vials to treat cobra and krait bite, while 32 vials are needed to treat Russell's viper bite. Another study quoted as much as 91 vials being used to neutralize cobra and krait bites. Such high doses of impure antivenom serum can potentially cause adverse reactions. In Sri Lanka, up to 87% of snakebite victims who were treated with Indian antivenom developed untoward side effects.

A standard clinical procedure to validate the claimed potency values has never been published. Inexplicably, prior to the mid-1950s, antivenom serums were much more potent than those currently available. It's not clear why the Indian authorities lowered the standards.

The low potency and high adverse reactions have raised doubts about the effectiveness of Indian antivenom serum. Venom is a protein-rich soup with numerous toxins, peptides and enzymes. What snakes eat determines the combination and proportion of these elements in their venom. In many species, the venom of young snakes, which eat small creatures like frogs, undergoes a transformation as they grow older and switch to eating larger animals like rodents. Where they live also appears to influence the kind of venom they produce, even within a species. For instance, the venom of Russell's vipers in south India is quite different from the north. So antivenom made with the venom of a southern viper may not work against the same species in other parts of the country.

Indian antivenom is produced for four snakes against the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of twelve high-priority species for South Asia. In short, we do not know what coverage the antivenom serum has. Does it neutralize the bites caused by the young of the same species, and is it as effective anywhere in the country. Does the serum made for the Big Four counteract the venom of any others? In the absence of these tests, physicians have no choice but to try and save the lives of their patients with the only tool they have.

In 2010, WHO recommended a set of standard procedures for the assessment and evaluation of antivenoms anywhere in the world. David Williams, a clinical toxinologist working with the Global Snakebite Initiative, says Indian antivenom has to be tested for effectiveness against the high-priority snake species. Only then can doctors be sure that the treatment they are providing their patients, which is often expensive and beyond poor people's means (between Rs. 450 and 500 a vial), is effective.

Williams further advises that once the lack of effectiveness of the available antivenom serum is established, if the problem cannot be fixed easily, then a new start has to be made to produce a broad-spectrum antidote for the entire region. Several manufacturers should be licensed to produce this life-saving drug. Antivenom should be distributed free or at heavily subsidized rates through the public health system. In Tanzania, people sought antivenom treatment much more readily when it was provided free, which indicates their reliance on traditional medicine and superstition is at least partly driven by cost considerations.

Indian health authorities must recognize snakebite for what it is: a neglected tropical disease that maims and kills tens of thousands of poor people. While the WHO acknowledged this fact in 2009, snakebite is yet to feature in any of the organization's programs. Besides the development of an effective antivenom serum and training doctors, a major awareness campaign needs to be launched to teach people to avoid being bitten by snakes, as well as the appropriate first-aid practices to follow in the event of a bite. India has to overcome poor governance, abysmal regulation of antivenom quality, and social inequity to arrest the unconscionable loss of lives to snakebite

Ancient Fungi-Plant Duo Discovered in Amber

A walnut-size piece of amber from 52-million years ago reveals what scientists say is the oldest, tight-knit partnership between a fungus and a tropical tree.

An international team of scientists from the United States, Germany and India discovered the rare fossil in the Tadkeshwar Lignite Mine of Gujarat State, western India.

Such symbiotic partnerships (which benefit both parties) as the one preserved inside amber, or plant resin, have made possible the survival of most land plants today, the researchers note. The fungi have threadlike cells that increase the surface area of the plant's roots, increasing the plant's access to necessary nutrients from the soil. In return, the fungus gets sugary foods that the plant produces. This fungus-plant root partnership is called a micorrhizal relationship.

"Mycorrhizal relationships are believed to have arisen more than 400-million years ago, as plants began to colonize terrestrial habitats," Paul Nascimbene, of the American Museum of Natural History's division of invertebrate zoology, said in a statement. "They are seen as a key innovation in the evolution of vascular plants."


Read more here ...

Extinction may be on the cards for most of India's amphibians

Most of India's amphibians may go extinct: Biologist

NEW DELHI: To discover a new species is a huge honour for a biologist. By that yardstick, the achievements of Dr Sathyabhama Das Biju, an amphibian biologist at Delhi University, are staggering. He has discovered 42 species and is in the process of describing another 28, six new genera and one family - all of frogs.

Meet India's Frog Man, the champion of our amphibian diversity. This week, The Economist magazine featured him on its cover, a rare recognition for an Indian scientist. But for Biju, being in the limelight is an opportunity to make people aware of our vanishing wealth - 66% of Indian amphibians are under the threat of extinction, and if these little creatures vanish, a major ecological imbalance would follow.

"Amphibians were the first land animals and have a 350-million-year history. They are an environmental barometer and we can analyse the quality of our environment by studying them. We cannot imagine life without frogs. If there are no frogs, it would not be possible to grow anything in our fields," he says.

Read more here ...

'Expand green cover to save rare species'

KOCHI: The three major biodiversity hotspots in Kerala - Agasthyamala, Silent Valley and Anamalai are facing the crisis of reduced gene flow and increased genetic drift. This is contributing to the loss of rare, endemic and threatened species, V N Rajasekharan Pillai, executive vice-president of Kerala Council of Science, Technology and Environment, said on Friday.


He was delivering a lecture on 'Greening the forests for safe living,' at a seminar organized by Cochin University of Science and Technology and Swadeshi Science Movement as part of Swasraya Bharat 2011, being held in the city.


http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-17/kochi/30529047_1_forests-rare-species-sq-km

Rare species of vulture found

A rare species of vulture was found in Bhansia village of the district, forest officials claimed today.


“This is a rare find. After its examination, we will declare the name of the species,” District Forest Officer Chandra Bhuvan said.

The wing-span of the vulture is about nine feet against normal size of eight feet. Its height is about three feet and weighs about 20 kg, Bhuvan said.

Villagers had spotted four vultures of this type but three of them flew away, he said.

It was handed over to forest deputy ranger T C Pant.

“We will send it either to Delhi National Zoo or Lucknow Zoo,” Pant said.

http://www.discoveryon.info/2011/11/rare-species-of-vulture-found.html

Endangered Hoolock gibbons moved to safety in India

Some of the last apes found in India

December 2011: An isolated group of endangered gibbons is being rescued from a remote Indian village.

Stranded in small clusters of trees, the Hoolock gibbons are some of the last apes found in India. The first two individuals have now been successfully translocated and released into a safe habitat in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary.


A team of experts from the International Fund for Animal Welfare - Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) have been assisting the state Forest Department in the operation that aims to ensure better survival prospects for 18 stranded gibbon families.

Habitat fragmentation is leaving them vulnerable

Hoolock gibbons are the only apes found in India, with their distribution restricted to the country's northeast region.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the serious concerns to the conservation of the Hoolock gibbons, which are also threatened by poaching and illegal trade.

There are populations of both these species of lesser apes struggling to survive in discontinuous patches leaving them highly vulnerable to local extinction.

‘Gibbons are highly specialised canopy-dwellers using their long arms for movement along tree branches. Their physical attributes are not suited to walk and they become easy prey on the ground, so it is very rare to see them descend from the canopy under natural circumstances,' said Dr Ian Robinson, IFAW Emergency Relief Director.

Desperate bid to find food
In Dello, however, the stranded gibbons have been seen to descend on the ground in a desperate bid to find food.

‘Dello is a small village once hosting a good tree cover and undoubtedly supporting a healthy population of the eastern Hoolock gibbons. But extensive felling of private forests has restricted the remnant population comprising 18 families in small clusters of trees surrounded by swathes of farmlands,' said Ipra Mekola, Arunachal Pradesh State Wildlife Advisory Member.

After deliberating on ways to save the gibbons, the team of experts decided that moving them to a better habitat was the only realistic option.

Close-knit family bonds
‘The family of gibbons we selected was the most vulnerable of the 18 families. This comprised an adult male, a female and a youngster. The female has been missing - and we have not been able to fnd her,' said WTI Coordinator Sunil Kyarong, who along with Dr Roy, veterinarians Dr NVK Ashraf, Dr Abhijit Bhawal and biologist Soumya Das Gupta formed the IFAW-WTI team.

Despite the missing female, the move of the remaining two members was successfully carried out as scheduled and their progress will now be carefully monitored.

‘A month or so ago, a female and her young were killed in attack by dogs. We fear that the missing female may be dead too, as gibbons have very close-knit family bonds lasting their lifetime, and wouldn't leave the family to wander off alone,' IFAW-WTI primatologist Dr Kuladeep Roy said.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/hoolock-gibbon.html

Four lane highway to destroy Indian tiger corridor

Do we want roads for our cars – or a home for our tigers?

December 2011: The face-off between development agencies and environment conservationists is once again at the fore with the issue of expansion of India's National Highway (NH) in the central state of Maharashtra.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently rejected the plan of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for mitigation of damage to wildlife due to the expansion of highway NH6.

This is one of the most important landscapes for tigersWhile the expansion work - turning the road into a four-lane highway - is already underway, it is an 85km stretch running through a tiger corridor that is the cause for conflict between the two bodies.

The Nagzira-Nawegaon corridor connects nine tiger reserves in central India and is also included in the proposed Nagzira- Nawegaon Tiger Reserve. The corridor connectivity presently remains as two narrow strips of forest running almost parallel to each other, connecting Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in the north and Nawegaon National Park in the south. The corridor's contiguity is broken by NH6 crossing East-West.

‘This is one of the more important landscapes for tigers, supporting about one-sixth of the world's tiger population, said Dr MK Ranjitsinh, the chairman of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

Mitigation measures need to be put in placeAfter a legal fight, the WTI has succeeded in halting the work until mitigation measure are put in place.

The subsequent NHAI report had suggested creation of three-metre-high underpasses in critical sections of the corridor for animals to cross through. It had recommended chain-link fencing in other areas to compel the animals to use these underpasses, and stop them from crossing the highway in other areas to prevent road hits.

‘This recommendation was literally amounting to narrowing down the corridor further and leaving only a few small passes for the animals,' said Prafulla Bhamburkar, of the Wildlife Trust for India (WTI)

Now, with the NHAI-recommended plan rejected, the WTI has been brought in to develop a new one.

Meanwhile, it emerged that even with the expansion work already in progress, NHAI has violated the Forest Conservation Act (FCA).

‘The FCA necessitates clearance by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for any developmental activities within 10km radius of the country's protected areas. This was not adhered to,' said Bhambhurkar.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/tiger-india2011.html#cr

Angry India charmer lets loose snakes in office

An angry snakecharmer in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has let loose dozens of snakes in a government office, sparking chaos and panic.

Hakkul, of Lara village in Basti district, dumped the snakes, including a number of cobras, at the land revenue office in Harraiya town on Tuesday.

Many of the frightened villagers and officials ran out of the office, while others climbed on top of tables.

No-one was bitten or injured but the snakes are yet to be caught.

Plot of land
Mr Hakkul is usually called in whenever a snake is spotted in the area and he has saved many lives over the years, local journalist Mazhar Azad told the BBC.

Mr Hakkul has petitioned various government offices over the years demanding a plot of land where he can "conserve" his snakes.

Mr Azad said Mr Hakkul had even petitioned the president.

Read more here ...

Rare butterfly sighted in State

GUWAHATI, Nov 26 – Branded Yeoman butterfly, known as Algia fasciata (earlier Paduca fasciata) to the scientists, which is not known to have been found in the North Eastern part of India before, was sighted at Kaliabor in Nagaon district by a Gauhati University (GU) research scholar Prarthana Mudai recently.

This development has proved the authenticity of the statement made by Isaac Kehimkar, the General Manager of the Bombay Natural History Society that the NE region is the ultimate Mecca for a butterfly enthusiast, Prarthana said.

On the significance of her discovery, Prarthana, who is now also working as a project assistant in the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd’s Butterfly Valley, described it to be a path-breaking finding. This has underlined the need of serious work in the area of butterfly diversity of the NE region, recognised to be one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world, she said.

She said that the butterfly she had sighted was confirmed to be the Branded Yeoman by Nikhil Bhopale, Programme Officer of the Bombay Natural History Society recently. Prarthana had sighted the butterfly on April 13 last.

Referring to The Identification of Indian Butterflies (1932) in which WH Evans, one of the most distinguished entomologists, she said the presence of this butterfly was reported from Karens-South Burma, Andaman and Nicobar Island. The distribution of this species of butterfly is reported by various sources to be spread in South Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indonesia, Taliabu Island and The Philippines. Its habitat is hill forests, Prarthana said.

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=nov2711/at092

Is it a tiger? Is it a leopard?

By: Ranjeet Jadhav

Date:  2011-11-07

Place: Mumbai

A milkman claims to have seen a tigress with cubs in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, but forest officials are convinced that what he saw must be a leopard

If Balu Shinde is to be believed, you may not have to travel to the distant Tadoba Tiger Reserve or Ranthambore National Park to spot a tiger anymore. The 46-year-old milk distributor claims to have spotted a tigress and her two cubs behind Mahananda Dairy in Aarey colony on Friday.

The forest officials, however, refute his claims and say that it's not possible to spot a tiger in Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) for the simple reason that there aren't any in the park. They believe that Shinde must have spotted a leopardess, which locals have frequently spotted in the area, roaming with her two cubs.

Bombay Natural History Society Project Head (Forest) Krishna Tiwary said, "With no evidence, it's impossible to say that a tiger was spotted within the limits of the Aarey colony area."

No doubt it's a tiger
Shinde, however, is adamant that he saw a tiger at 8.45 pm on Friday. He said, "My colleagues and I were standing within the premises of the dairy when we heard people screaming, claiming that they have spotted a tiger. We immediately rushed to the gate in our jeep towards the Aarey colony forest. With our headlights switched on, we reached the gate; I was shocked to see a full-grown tigress along with her two cubs. We then saw them run into the forest." Shinde added, "I am certain that the creature I saw was a tiger. It had stripes on its body and not black spots like leopards do."

In 2003, tribals residing in the forest claimed to have seen a tiger at Nagla block, towards the northern end of SGNP. In order to verify their claims, officials from the forest department undertook a detailed study in the area. After verifying the pugmarks and looking at the bullock that was killed by the predator, it was confirmed that the animal spotted by the tribals was indeed a tiger. Since then, however, there have not been any tiger sightings in or around the park.

Taking note of the reported sighting, the estate department of Mahanand Dairy has written a letter to SGNP. Another letter has been dispatched to the local police station.

Chief Conservator of Forests and Director of SGNP Sunil Limaye said, "As soon as we received information that locals had spotted a wild animal, we sent our team to the spot and installed two camera traps in the area, so that images of the animal can be captured, if it visits the area again."

An animal expert revealed that the chances of a tiger sighting in the area were very slim. "The SGNP forest is a highly disturbed forest. There are many human settlements inside the park and tigers cannot adjust themselves in this kind of forest, as they prefer a dense forest as their habitat. If tigers were dwelling in the SGNP forest, they would have mauled the tribals. Tigers cannot stay in close proximity to human settlements, the way leopards can. The man must have seen a full-grown leopard."

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/nov/071111-Is-it-a-tiger-Is-it-a-leopard.htm