A camera trap in Sirumugai Reserve Forest has recorded the movement of a Tiger. This is the third sighting of a tiger in the Sirumugai Range. A census conducted in March found several pug marks. The forest department plans to assess whether the tiger is a migrant one or native to the Coimbatore Forests. The Sirumugai range is contiguous with the lower reaches of the Western Ghats, Mudumalai Tiger reserve, Sathyamangalam Forests and Silent Valley in Kerala.… Read More
Six arrested near Rajapalayam for hunting Spotted Deer
Six persons who were carrying deer horn and venison were arrested near Rajapalayam by Forest Department Officials. The officials were on patrolling duty near Asaymani forests when they saw some suspicious persons with a jute bag. The bag contained knives and sickles in addition to the deer body parts. … Read More
Sathyamangalam Forests offer Safe Haven for Threatened Vultures
Sathyamangalam, along with Wayanad, Nagarhole and Bandipur sanctuaries is offering a protective environment for vultures. Sathyamangalam and Moyar offer open scrub forests that make it easy for vultures to spot carcasses. Since the region is located on migratory paths of animals, carcasses are plentiful too. Vultures have faced over 99.9% decline in their population since 1990s, primarily due to the use of Diclofenac – a painkiller used in livestock. Over 40 vultures of three species were found in Sathyamangalam and … Read More
Madras HC Gives Go Ahead To Tamil Nadu Government To Notify Elephant Corridor
The Madras High Court has declared that the Tamil Government is fully empowered to notify The Elephant Corridor in Nilgiris District. The government is also empowered by the Centre’s Project Elephant. The court order concludes that no fault can be found with the government’s action to declare the corridor, as it has acted towards Article 51-A (g) of the constitution. The GO on the topic dated August 31, 2010 had been questioned by various parties as erroneous and that it … Read More
Panther caught in snare freed in Anamalai Tiger Reserve
A panther caught in a snare made out of brake and clutch cables near Sholayar Dam in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, was freed by forest officials. The panther was found hanging with one of its legs caught in the snare which was tied to an immovable object. The animal was tranquilised and freed from the snare. In its attempts to free itself, the panther had suffered leg injuries. The injuries were treated and the panther released into the forest on … Read More
Fire in Pallikaranai Marsh in Chennai destroys nesting birds and site
Intermittent fires broke out in multiple locations in the Pallikaranai marsh in Chennai and destroyed hundreds of nesting birds, eggs and their nests. The fire is suspected to be caused by the release of methane or other inflammable gas from the nearby Perungudi dump yard. A team of forest officials entered the the marshland and put out the fire. A member of Care Earth, a bio-diversity research organization were also on the spot. The marsh is home to Pheasant-tailed Jacanas, … Read More
Masinagudi’s Developmental Aspirations Puts Pressure On Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Residents of around 14 hamlets in the Masinagudi Panchayat observed bandh on March 9th, protesting against lack of clearances from the forest department for developmental activities. Many hamlets, being adjacent to reserve forests have been identified as elephant corridors or as tiger reserves. According to the president of the Forum against Harassment by the Forest Department, the demands include the setting aside of GO 145 (identifies Mudumalai Tiger Reserve core area as 321 sq. km) and implement GO 50 (where … Read More
Sathyamangalam likely to get Tiger Reserve Status
Tamil Nadu Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden, R. Sundarraju said that the proposal to designate Sathyamangalam as a tiger reserve is under consideration. Studies done using camera traps revealed the presence of 19-25 tigers. Tamil Nadu has three tiger reserves that share borders with neighbouring states.… Read More
Dead Dolphin Washes Ashore the Marina Beach in Chennai
A five-foot long dolphin weighing more than 150 kgs washed ashore the Marina beach in Chennai. It appeared to have died from serious head injuries. The range officer who examined the body said that it could have died due to an injury from a trawler. Supraja Dharini, the founder of an NGO called Tree foundation says that this is the third such incident in Chennai in the past three months. She said that in-depth studies must be carried out to … Read More
Nine arrested near Coimbatore for possession of skins of a Tiger and five Leopards
An undercover officer from the Forest Department was shown the skins of a Tiger and five leopards (including a black panther) in Pollachi, by a man named Jailani who demanded five crores. The officer was from a team of plainclothes Forest department officials, who were acting on a tip off. After the skin traders ultimately agreed to sell all the skins for a sum of one crore, the officer told them he had to consult with his friends, after which … Read More
Freeing sea turtle nesting beaches from Casuarina plantations – A case study from Tamil Nadu
When two powerful entities such as the World Bank and a State Government agency make an expensive ecological blunder, what are the chances that they can be persuaded to undo the damage? In the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a massive coastal plantation project initiated by the two was about to permanently destroy sea turtle nesting grounds. Would a small group of conservationists be able to make them see sense? Shekar Dattatri recounts the untold story of a campaign … Read More
23 kg of Peacock Feathers Seized at Chennai Airport
CHENNAI: The air intelligence unit of customs on Wednesday seized 23 kg of peacock tail feathers from a Singapore-bound passenger at Chennai airport. The officials, during routine profiling, found the movements of M Sethuraman of Washermenpet, going by a Jet Airways flight, suspicious. He was intercepted while passing through the customs facilitation counter after the immigration check.
When customs officials grilled him, he said he was carrying nothing but used clothes and personal effects. The officials, however, weren’t convinced and … Read More
Hospital threatens Guindy National Park in Chennai
CHENNAI: Wood apple trees form a canopy over the mud trail leading through the forest, the chirruping of crickets fill the air, butterflies flit to and fro, and an ashy drongo sweeps across and settles onto a branch. It’s hard to believe that the busy Sardar Patel Road is just a 10-minute walk away. It’s noon at Guindy National Park (GNP) and not the best time to spot creatures but there’s still so much to see.
A recent announcement, however, … Read More
Tiger skin seized in Kolhapur, and Tiger dead in Anamalai TR, Tamil Nadu
A tiger skin was seized in Kolhapur, Maharashtra on 1 June 2010, in an operation by the Panhala police. Three people were arrested, all residents of Kolhapur in Maharashtra. The skin was allegedly obtained from a contractor and is said to have bullet marks on it. The adult tiger was apparently killed three years ago. A fourth accused was arrested yesterday.
On the same day, 1 June 2010, a ten year old male tiger was found dead in Anamalai Tiger … Read More
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