Sunday, August 19, 2018

Nauradehi WLS A Lost Paradise

Vanishing Ecosystems

Can humans take over any piece of land in India to acquiesce to our developmental and urbanization goals? Will the highest courts in India and the ministries stamp their foot down to see that development should not hinder? 

Should we repeat after a few decades because development is not contemporary anymore and ravage and ravage till all other lifeforms cannot survive except some in zoos, herbariums, and botanical gardens? 

Are we going to see the naked face of humanity and contend with evolving medical resources, artificial environmental dromes, and organized manicured floral landscapes?    

Yes, humanity will survive till armageddon, and few will escape to another kingdom in celestial oblivion to continue to ravage again and again till the whole Universe is lost. 

Nauradehi Tigers

It started with Nauradehi? Barely aged eleven, I was witness to a huge male tiger being skinned right on my porch. My first tiger sighting was a dead one. I could see the cobbler assiduously collect fat. "This is good for joint pains," he explained to us without any expression on his countenance.

The hero stood around nearby devouring accolades. "I shot him sitting on a bullock cart - point blank. Could see his face lit up by the moonlight, and I aimed right without fear and trepidation." 

He was from Mumbai a rich man who came every year for the hunt to Jabalpur along with the entourage of the Sahibs. They shot sloth bears, and sambars and spotted deer from amongst a fast-depleting lot of wild species in India. For a paltry sum in rupees as my father many times lamented.
Tiger By Uday Patel 

The accolades continued. Brilliant! I too was admiring the brave hunter. He got rid of the vermin - a bloodthirsty beast. It took me a decade to realize what grave error was being committed. This was in independent India, the Sahibs had left, and the barbaric Mughal invaders had been vanquished a long time back. This was us the Brown Sahibs. We took over immaculately from where they had left. 


Fox
The plunder was unprecedented, and forests and grasslands were being destroyed at a rapid pace. The burgeoning population needed food to be cultivated on thousands of acres, and there was no check on plunder and ravage of our ever-depleting ecosystems.     

There were no tigers left in Nauradehi and the surrounding regions. All the remaining big cats had been shot dead not only by the Sahibs but by anyone with clout. Today Nauradehi the kingdom of cats is devoid. No tiger no leopard. The wolf rules the roost! It is the indicator species.   


Waterbody


A few years back a lady DFO had come across a tigress with cubs and recently a tigress was found dead because of old age. It is conjectured that big cats somehow cross over to Nauradehi from the nearby Panna Tiger Reserve at a distance of 250+ km. Well, it is anybody's guess since there are inaccessible quarters in this forest itself for animals to hide and breed. 


Recently a pair of tigers were relocated here in order to kick-start the process. If the predators breed successfully the cats may permanently find heaven in Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary again. Situated near Jabalpur City in MP the distance is about 100 km. The area is about 1000 + sq. km and comprises of mixed forests and pockets of the grassland ecosystem. The undulating landscape actually encompasses more than 5000 sq. km of tiger habitat but the crown cover may not be adequate. 



Bengal Tiger - Uday Patel 


Fauna & Cheetah Relocation 


Some of the key fauna found here are the nilgai, chital, sambar, barking and four-horned deer, black buck, tiger, sloth bear, and small predators jackal, fox, civet, porcupine, and mongoose. The leopard is conspicuous by its absence but sooner or later will find a place here thanks to the protection offered. There is a proposal to shift African cheetahs to the grasslands of Nauradehi but this at present is only in the news.


Crocodiles and smooth Indian otters, turtles, and tortoises can be found in the river systems and the water bodies of the sanctuary. The sanctuary is a heaven for avian species and delightful prospects await the birders. No extensive survey has been carried out but the specific number may be more than 200. 





There are more than 60 villages in and around the WLS and plans are to shift them outside...some of them have already been shifted as per the news. Relocation is badly desired here since humans have occupied space reserved for other life forms and some are a big nuisance. Albeit under control, pilferage, and wood logging is still underway. I hope the relocation will solve the problem to a great extent. A lot of constructive work has been done by the forest department here.


For those interested in visiting Nauradehi can contact DFO office at Sagar at a distance of eighty km. There is a permit required for wildlife safaris for a charge. One has to organise the trip usually from Jabalpur airport or railhead. An open jeep is the best recourse on the rough jungle roads. There are two rest houses for accommodation but need prior reservation. It is good to carry lot of provisions as well. 



Marsh Crocodile

Early morning and evening drives could be planned from Jabalpur in Central India. The jungle is worth exploring hence organize at least two or three safaris. Jabalpur is a conduit for other tiger reserves like Kanha and Bandhavgarh hence Nauradehi WLS could be included in a circuit. Jabalpur accommodation is very good so there should be no problem with a stay here.



Tiger Relocated at Nauradehi - News
    

Friday, August 10, 2018

Future of Tigers in India

Some ten thousand years back tiger crossed into India from the cold climes of Siberia. It possibly migrated via IndoChina and entered the country to spread around many dense forest and grassland habitats.  It faced a little challenge since the prime predator preceding its arrival was the Asiatic Lion which incidentally had a different habitat preference. The leopard and other predators were no match for this magnificent beast.     

Tiger in Forest - Uday Patel


The predator spread far and wide in the subcontinent perhaps leaving a few States that did not contain the requisite habitat. The spread was gradual till the population came to more than a hundred thousand animals. The big cat flourished as a tertiary carnivore and settled down in the prevailing ecosystems well. That it could breed and multiply with ease confirmed that it had a strong survival instinct.     

For thousands of years, all went well but not in recent times of history. It faced a greater challenge from humans as they multiplied and spread. But the conflict was not daunting as there was plenty of space for all the species then. 

Tiger Reserve - Teerath Singh


It was the unchecked human populations...ever-expanding for more space and utilization of resources that put wildlife and their habitats under pressure including the tiger. Since the carnivore is an apex predator the impact was worse in its case.

As human settlements increased and resource utilization became unmanageable the negative impact increased tremendously as well. The big cat began to lose its habitat, and the ecosystems were gradually destroyed one by one. In dire need of space, humans began to invade habitats at a fast pace. 

Eventually, the grasslands began to recede and so did the forests. In the period of contemporary history, human populations in India grew at a rapid pace resulting in the unplanned acquisition of lands that were crucial for the tiger’s survival. Agriculture too expanded rapidly in recent times sounding a death knell for the homes of the big cats. Large areas of forests and a wide span of grasslands were taken over for human settlement and agriculture. Many species were lost and many are on the verge of extinction as a result.

After suffering decimation due to organized culling campaigns during the British Raj the remaining tiger populations were further being reduced drastically by modern-day hunters with guns. But the conversion of habitats into agriculture had a major impact on the tiger populations in India, especially during the post-independence period.    

Modern Day Challenges 

The human population in the country continues to grow and continues to acquire land for agriculture or other purposes, especially urbanization. The new threat is from development as perceived by the planners. Much under pressure to create a robust World beating economy the fast-expanding industrialization is threatening the very existence of remaining big cat habitats and other species in the country.  Mining, encroachment, and denudation of forests are slowly but surely suffocating the breath out of the big cats.     

It all depends upon what policies are shaped and executed. A lip service paid to conservation would be disastrous with habitats already decimated and surviving species on the verge of extinction. Conservation should be on the agenda of the governing bodies as well as the planners and executioners such that it evades the threat of rabid industrialization that can take place. We should also reckon that public participation is the need of the hour.

Climate change is being augured by the use of fossil fuels as well as the decimation of natural lands. This poses a certain threat to humans but it threatens the species' survival as well.  Our rivers the only source of drinking water, fresh air, and edible elements all are under severe threat.

Consumerism is posing a big threat to the environment. The frustrating plastic menace has come to note. The use of toxic chemicals like pesticides and toiletries is threatening the health of our environment and increasing the extinction risk of many life forms.    

Poaching is a threat that exists in various quarters where the big cats survive. Local poaching is very much there in some places while organized poaching has completely decimated populations in Panna and Sariska Tiger Reserves.

Demand for tiger parts in the Chinese system of medicine is proving to be an existential threat. This is correlated with the taste of exotic wild species in the cuisine of many countries. Pet keeping as a hobby is an unethical practice that is tolerated by many countries.  Activities like these encourage and help flourish the illegal wildlife trade. 

A large population in the country still considers wild species as inimical to human safety and interest. It is organized awareness campaigns and tourism that will perhaps mitigate these horrendous beliefs. If only the big cat could create equity for itself which it does to some extent due to tourism. But is this enough? Many erudite conservationists regret that the tiger cannot vote. Seriously!  

The Future
It would be unjustified to say that the ruling dispensation does not care for the wilderness. It does and so did the past Governments. What is questioned is the degree of commitment overriding political expediences and hasty development practices.   

Conservation cannot be considered just as a deemed policy matter and ethical or moral obligation. Concrete and sincere efforts have to be made from all quarters to preserve and populate other life forms including the tiger.

The creation of the Project Tiger Program was a shot in the arm for the beleaguered specie. The numbers were precariously low whence this effort was launched. In spite of all the initial hurdles and organized poaching racket the tiger in recent times has gained ground.       

The creation of tiger reserves or inviolate protected areas (critical tiger habitats) accorded much-wanted breathing and breeding space for the other life forms including the big cats. But the preservation of the protected area is subject to many challenges ironically whence there is a dire need to accord greater space and protection to the tigers in India. The biotic pressure on our natural lands threatens the coexistence of other life forms hence the inviolate spaces should be zealously guarded.  

As per the 2014 Census using a new methodology, the figure arrived at was 2226 a rise over the earlier estimates. The 2018 census is going to result in indicating the survival of more tigers in India. But is this enough? 
We have a long way to go...   

2014 Tiger Census

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Uday works as a senior naturalist at Kanha National Park in India
He loves blogs on conservation and related issues
Contact: pateluday90@hotmail.com
9755089323