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Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Report flags tiger-human conflict risk as prey base shrinks in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha
Even as India celebrates a rise in its tiger population, a new national assessment has flagged an emerging conservation challenge: some of the prey species that sustain these big cats — chital (spotted deer), sambar (large deer), and the vulnerable gaur (Indian bison) — are declining across key tiger landscapes in east-central India, particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. These findings come from a first-of-its-kind assessment of ungulates (hoofed mammals) conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), using data from India's 2022 tiger census. Ungulates form the bulk of a tiger's diet and are also critical to the forest ecosystem. Yet, across tiger habitats in these regions, they are facing increasing pressure from loss of habitat due to deforestation, development, agricultural expansion, urbanisation, human-wildlife conflict, and subsistence hunting. The report points to the broader consequences, drawing a direct link between low prey numbers and human-wildlife conflict. 'High bushmeat consumption and civil unrest in the region negatively impact wildlife presence, leading to low ungulate densities,' the report notes on Odisha. 'Palamau (in Jharkhand), an important part of the Central Indian corridor, faces challenges such as Left Wing Extremism, which affects wildlife presence,' it says. To revive prey populations, the report recommends on-site breeding of chital and sambar in secure enclosures designed to keep out predators. However, even as eastern and central Indian states are seeing prey depletion, several other landscapes show healthier trends. The Shivalik Hills and Gangetic plains — from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to eastern Bihar — as well as tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have a stable prey base. In the Western Ghats, chital, sambar, wild pigs, gaur and barking deer are widely distributed, while the hog deer and wild pigs dominate in the Northeast. The report Status of Ungulates in Tiger Habitats of India is based on field data from the 2022 tiger estimation, supplemented with data from the 2018 and 2014 cycles. While ungulates have been mapped in each cycle, this is the first time their data has been analysed and published separately. Unlike tigers, whose individual numbers are tracked, prey estimation focused on mapping the density of chital and sambar. For other ungulates, scientists estimated where these animals are found and how many there might be, based on direct and indirect evidence such as field surveys, dung trails, and camera trap images. India is home to over 3,600 wild tigers — about 70% of the global population — and their survival depends heavily on prey such as chital, sambar and gaur. Other species in their diet include nilgai, wild pigs, hog deer, barking deer and chinkara. Leopards, wild dogs, jackals and hyenas also rely on the same prey base. 'The quality of forests within 40 per cent of tiger reserves — and outside them — is low. These assessments (of ungulates) are crucial as we have to look beyond the numbers (of tigers). These are measurable biodiversity indicators and can guide us on how to address forest quality on a large scale,' said Qamar Qureshi, wildlife biologist and co-author of the report. According to the report, a density of 30 ungulates per square km can support four tigers in 100 square km. Tiger numbers may rise with prey density, but plateau at about 75 ungulates per sq km due to ecological constraints such as territoriality, competition and lack of habitat connectivity. Among the tiger reserves, Pench in Madhya Pradesh has one of the highest chital densities — nearly 54 per sq km. 'Maintaining quality habitat and reducing pressures on the prey base is crucial. We are working with WII to improve prey density,' said Gobind Sagar Bharadwaj, Additional Director General of Forests (Project Tiger) and NTCA Member Secretary. The report draws a link between low prey numbers and human-wildlife conflict. In areas like Tadoba (Maharashtra) and Ratapani (Madhya Pradesh), tigers are attacking livestock due to the lack of natural prey, sparking conflict with local communities. The report also identifies strongholds of prey abundance. Chital populations were found thriving across clusters like Rajaji-Corbett-Ramnagar-Pilibhit-Dudhwa (Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh), Kanha-Pench-Achanakmar (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh), Bandhavgarh-Sanjay Dubri-Veerangana Durgawati (Madhya Pradesh), and the Nagarhole-Bandipur-BRT-Wayanad-Mudumalai-Sathyamangalam landscape (Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu). These clusters span diverse forest types — from the Terai-Duar savannas to the moist deciduous forests of Central and Southern India. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... 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Deccan Herald
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Assam, Meghalaya govts to build hydel project on dolphin habitat Kulsi river
Guwahati: Ignoring warnings by environmentalists, the Assam and Meghalaya governments have decided to jointly set up a 55MW hydro power project on the Kulsi, a small river known as a nesting ground for the endangered river was decided in a meeting between Assam Chief Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma, in Guwahati on Monday. "We have decided to set up the project after discussion with the local communities as it will lead to displacements of soma villages. While both the states will get benefts from the power to be generated on the Kulsi river, Assam will get additional benefits of irrigation," Sarma told satellite tagging of endangered Ganges river dolphin begins in Assam river to push for is a small tributary of the Brahmaputra that flows down from Meghalaya's West Khasi Hills district to Kamrup district of Assam. About 60km long river with average width of 70 to 80 meters flows in Assam before it meets the Brahmaputra. Sources said the dam for the project is likely to be constructed along the inter-state border. In the meeting, the two CMs also diccused ways to solve the long inter-state boundary disputes and the problem of flash floods. Dolphin the two CMs did not talk about the concerns over future of dolphins in the river, conservationists fear adverse impact of the dam on the river dolphins, an endangered species and the national aquatic species. The first-ever nationwide census of river dolphins carried out by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) counted at least 17 river dolphins in the 60kms stretch of the 40%, Uttar Pradesh home to highest river dolphin census, which was conducted with the help of the state forest departments, counted 6,327 river dolphins in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab. The report was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March this year. The survey found 584 dolphins in the Brahmaputra basins, including 51 in its tributaries. In the report, the experts expressed concerns over on construction of big dams on the dolphin habitats. "Although it is difficult to say the extend of impact the project may have on the future of dolphins in the Kulsi, hydro power projects always have adverse impact on the downstream," said a conservatinist based in local people had several times urged the two state governments against going ahead with the hydro project on the Kulsi saying this could endanger the future of the dolphins. They also objected to the rampant sand mining taking place in the river beds and construction of several bridges. There are 14 bridges over the Kulsi and construction of the pillars on the river beds have affected free movement of the dolphins, says the conservation December last year, the WII also carried out first satellite tagging of a Gangetic river dolphin in the Kulsi river to study its movement and behaviour patterns for future conservation activities.
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Assam: Clouded leopard caught on camera for the first time preying on Bengal slow loris
In a remarkable breakthrough for wildlife research, the first-ever photographic evidence of a clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) preying on a Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) has been documented in Assam's Dehing Patkai National Park. Captured on December 7, 2024, by a camera trap installed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department, this rare image offers new insights into the predatory behavior of one of Asia's most elusive big cats. The image, which was captured along a woodland route in the Digboi woodland Division's Saraipung range, shows a clouded leopard holding a Bengal slow loris by the nape. Because the clouded leopard is a nocturnal and elusive creature, it has been difficult to research its food; this new observation helps us better understand it. Read more: Goa achieves 100% literacy: How India's party capital hit this milestone Dehing Patkai National Park, upgraded from a wildlife sanctuary in 2021, spans 234.26 square kilometers and is part of the larger 937-square-kilometer Dehing Patkai Elephant Reserve. It is the only protected forest in India that hosts eight wild cat species, including the tiger, common leopard, fishing cat, golden cat, marbled cat, jungle cat, and leopard cat. The camera trap project involved dividing the park into 2-square-kilometer grids, with 95 camera traps strategically placed to monitor the feline population. This systematic approach led to the groundbreaking capture of the clouded leopard's predation event. The study's lead researcher, Bilal Habib, underlined the significance of the discovery, saying that it advances our knowledge of the diet and predatory habits of clouded leopards and emphasises the need for conservation initiatives for both species. Read more: 5 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Madhya Pradesh The nocturnal primate noted for its poisonous bite, the Bengal slow loris, is classified as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. Its observation as clouded leopard prey increases our understanding of predator-prey dynamics in this biodiverse area. This finding highlights the importance of camera traps in wildlife research by providing insight into the covert lifestyles of elusive species and guiding conservation efforts to save these distinctive residents of the northeastern rainforests of India. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Satellite-tagged Amur falcon named after Manipur village arrives in Russia
One of the two satellite-tagged Amur falcons (Falco amurensis), Chiuluan2, named after a village in Manipur's Tamenglong district, has arrived in Amur in Russia, covering approximately 6,000 km in 20 days from the northeastern state on its return migration with brief stopovers in between. This is the first time any satellite-tagged Amur falcon from Nagaland or Manipur has arrived in Amur, a region where they belong. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientist R Suresh Kumar said Chiuluan2 flew further north and crossed into Russia. He has been monitoring the bird's migratory route and return migration. Other Amur falcons satellite-tagged in Nagaland or Manipur are mostly in northern China. On November 8, the Manipur forest department and residents released Amur falcons, Chiuluan2 and Gwangram, after they were fitted with satellite transmitters as part of efforts to popularise the conservation efforts and study the migratory routes. Chiuluan2 is a male falcon, while Gwangram is a female named after are roosting villages of the Amur falcons in Tamenglong. Gwangram's transmitter stopped working on February 1 when the falcon was in Kenya, said a scientist who has radio-tagged over 10 Amur falcons. An Amur falcon was radio-tagged first in November 2018 in Tamenglong. In 2019, Tamenglong and Manipur were among the five birds radio-tagged to raise awareness about conservation. Amur falcons are the world's longest-traveling birds protected under the Wildlife Protection Act. They breed in southeast Russia and northeast China during the summer and migrate to their wintering grounds in Africa. Their yearly journey covers about 20,000 km via Afghanistan and East Asia. They stop in northeast India and Somalia. The pigeon-sized raptors, locally known as Akhuaipuina, arrive in the northeast in October. They leave in November after feeding enough to sustain their non-stop flight to Africa, where they spend their winters.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Ban night tourism, limit safaris: SC panel on tiger reserve mgmt
New Delhi An expert committee tasked by the Supreme Court to recommend steps for better management of tiger reserves in the country has proposed a complete ban on night tourism, recommended that the core and buffer zone be declared silent zones, and suggested providing arms and legal protection to forest officials, as part of a comprehensive overhaul in the management of these protected areas. The report of the four-member committee, having experts drawn from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and the MOEFCC was submitted to the court last week. The committee also dealt with the issue of tiger safaris and said that remedying the illegal construction and felling of trees for the Pakhro tiger safari at Jim Corbett National Park would involve a restoration cost of nearly ₹30 crore. HT has reviewed a copy of the report. The court on March 6, 2024 took serious note of the destruction caused to the environment due to the Pakhro safari, passing simultaneous directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to identify the officers responsible and asking the Union government to form a committee to propose the cost to be paid by the guilty officers, besides suggesting long term reforms for strengthening the ecosystem in tiger reserves. The Supreme Court had banned the tiger safari after it was found that the Uttarakhand forest department had felled trees in the Pakhro range for constructing a tiger rescue centre, which was to also function as a safari for vehicles and pedestrian movement, without seeking mandatory environment ministry's approval. The court had also said that the proposed safari was in violation of Guidelines for Safari Parks. Proposing that such tiger safaris only be established on 'non-forest land' or a 'degraded forest land in buffer zone that is not part of a tiger corridor' , the experts went by the court's suggestion to adopt an approach of 'ecocentrism' and not of 'anthropocentrism' (human-centric) and said: 'In order not to disrupt the circadian rhythm of wildlife, a complete ban on night tourism must be implemented in tiger reserves.' The committee's members are Chandra Prakash Goyal, Member CEC, Vaibhav C. Mathur, Deputy Inspector General of Forests, NTCA, Qamar Qureshi, Scientist G, WII, Dehradun, and R. Raghu Prasad, Inspector General of Forests, Wildlife as Member Secretary. The committee further proposed the entire area of tiger reserve and the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of protected areas that are part of it to be notified as 'silent zones' under Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. In addition, it proposed that NTCA guidelines that recommended phasing out of night stay facilities for tourists in core areas of the reserve be enforced strictly and implemented in six months. It also proposed a ban on the use of mobile phones within tourism zones of the core habitat of tiger reserves. Dealing with the Pakhro tiger safari, the committee estimated the potential ecological loss due to safari project to be about Rs.29.8 crores. The amount , collected (from the guilty officials) should be put in a separate account to be maintained by Field Director, Corbett Tiger Reserve who will ensure activities for the upkeep of the tiger safari. The top court in March last year had allowed the safari to continue on the condition that only injured, rescued or orphaned cubs in the wild are to be kept there while rejecting the proposal to introduce zoo animals sourced from outside. The committee supported the court's judgment . The committee also focused on people it called 'invisible green soldiers' or forest personnel who guard the forests, protect wildlife, and face life-threatening situations from the timber mafia and poachers. 'Ensuring their welfare is crucial for protecting the environment and sustaining ecological balance,' the committee said in its report. It added that this required states to ensure vacancies in all levels in tiger reserves are filled up on priority, with a separate cadre for veterinarians and wildlife biologists, along with one for sociologists to engage with the fringe communities on an ongoing basis, that will help build a 'social fence' in protection of forests. Noting serious gaps in the absence of legal protection to forest staff against organised criminal elements, the report said, 'At least 75% of such staff shall be provided with arms within a period of five years. States may also raise special forest battalions to be deployed in Tiger Reserves under the operational command of forest officers, as done in some states.' It suggested that provisions of Section 218 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (that requires prior sanction to prosecute government servants) be applied to all forest officers and in the unfortunate event of death in the line of duty, 'ex-gratia on par with paramilitary forces should be provided.' A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai is expected to consider the report with its suggestions later this week. The court's March 2024 order came on a petition filed by environment activist and lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal . The Pakhro project measuring 106 hectares was approved by NTCA in 2015, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in 2019 and forest clearances from the Union environment ministry in October 2020 and September 2021.
