On a recent visit to Ramadevarabetta Vulture Sanctuary along with my friends Hrishikesh and Preetham, we came across a group of miscreants who were caught red-handed while trying to poison vultures at the sanctuary. Five of them were caught by the local Iruliga tribe while they were trying to poison vultures using chicken meat. An insecticide called PHORATE was applied to the chicken meat and dispersed near the vultures nests. The motive behind hunting these vulture was not clear. However, … Read More
Dog chasing Griffon Vulture
I shot this photograph at Jorbeer, Bikaner. There is a dump-yard where carcasses (cattle, camels, etc) from all over the city are dumped. During winter, a large number of Eurasian Griffons (Gyps fulvus) gather here. Even last year, over a 1000 Griffons congregated here. They are also joined by Himalayan Griffons and Cinereous vultures, in smaller numbers. I counted about 30 cinereous vultures there this weekend. That apart, this place also attracts a very large number of Steppe … Read More
Brutal hunting of birds, Baisha Bil, West Bengal
On the morning of 5th September 2013, Sourav Mondal and I went to Baisha Bil (wetland) on a birding outing. There were hundreds of Baya Weavers, Zitting Cisticolas, and other birds in the wetland. We were shocked to see two people trapping many of these birds (mainly Baya Weavers) using nets. We heard from the local people that other birds, such as the Open-billed Stork, Little Egret, Pond Heron, and Lesser whistling Duck, are also trapped and killed in this … Read More
Poisoning Egrets for a Village Booze Party
I recently witnessed a grotesque ritual in my village, Rettanai, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu. We grow paddy at our farm there, and the flooded fields form a nice breeding ground for frogs and crabs which attract egrets. One evening, three young men came to our farm and asked permission to cross our farm to go to the neighboring field. They were carrying an assorted collection of stuff in their hands, and out of curiosity I asked them what they intended … Read More
Long-billed Vulture Chick, Ramanagara, Karnataka
The welcome sight of a Long-billed Vulture chick on the crags of Ramanagara signal some hope for the augmentation of the very low population of this bird in the south of India. As of now, the number of Vultures at this location seem to have dwindled from thirteen, a year or two earlier, to only nine or ten. The painkiller chemical, Diclofenac, which is still not banned for human use, has decimated the population of Long-billed Vultures across the Indian … Read More
Radio-collared Tiger Poisoned in Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal — A Bengal tiger fitted with a GPS tracking collar and translocated from Nepal’s Chitwan National Park to Bardia National Park has been killed, according to Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation officials. Authorities believe the tiger died after eating the flesh of a cow deliberately laced with poison. Three men suspected of involvement in the death have been arrested.… Read More
Bharatpur — Can we Regain this Bird Paradise?
The year 2004 was a fateful one for Bharatpur, India’s most famous bird sanctuary. In order to appease farmers belonging to particular community, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, issued an order diverting water from the Ajan Bund away from the Bharatpur marshes and into the fields surrounding the park, unleashing catastrophic consequences for this 250 year-old artificial wetland. Since then, Bharatpur has never been the same. While various schemes to bring water to the park are under consideration, bird … Read More
Forty-five peacocks die in Gwalior infected by contaminated water
Forty-five peacocks have died in Narvalli village in Gwalior district, allegedly after drinking contaminated water. 26 were found dead on Apr 23 and the rest on Apr 30. The post mortems suggested that the birds died of intestinal congestion. The Gwalior collector has sealed a distillery in Rairu, following complaints from locals that effluents released from the distillery had contaminated water bodies and led to the death of the peacocks.… Read More
Pesticide ban call for around India’s Kaziranga park
Forestry officials in the north-east Indian state of Assam have demanded the creation of a no-pesticide zone around the famous Kaziranga game sanctuary after the alleged poison-related deaths of two pregnant elephants and other animals near tea estates. … Read More
Leopard Poachers Convicted to Six Years Imprisonment
Katni, Madhya Pradesh: Shri A.A. Ansari, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Katni, today sentenced two poachers, Ittu Baiga, Bahilal Baiga to rigorous imprisonment of six years and a fine of Rs. 10,000 each under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The third accused Iqbal (alias Atiq Ahmed), is still absconding and his trial is still pending.
On 25 June, 2009, the three poachers had poisoned a water-hole in the Dhimarkheda range of Katni division with an organo-phosphate pesticide (phosphamidan) which led to … Read More
Locals poison two tiger cubs in Ranthambore
JAIPUR: Even as India struggles to keep its tigers alive, in a shocking incident, two 17-month-old cubs were found dead, allegedly poisoned by villagers on the outskirts of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on Sunday. Forest officials said it could have been revenge by the villagers, upset over the killing of their livestock by tigers. Officials say that such incidents may happen again, as straying of tigers from the over-populated reserve was expected. The tiger population in Ranthambore reserve has now come … Read More
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