Illegal traders of tiger body parts thrive along Indian border with Nepal and Bangladesh

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A tiger under captivity in a zoo in Mangalore, Karnataka

India’s borders with Nepal and Bangladesh have turned out to be the most active hot spots of illegal trade of tiger body parts, claims a new study report. Apart from the border areas, the report indicates that the Kerala-Tamil Nadu regions in South India as well as Madhya Pradesh in Central India are other potential hotspots of this illegal trade in the country.

Poaching major reason for elephant deaths in the Nilgiris in the last three decades: New Study

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A wild Asian Elephant in Western Ghats, South India

Veerappan may be long gone, but poaching still tops the list as the major reason for elephant mortality during the last three decades in the Nilgiris. Trying to untangle the hidden patterns of elephant mortality in the Nilgiris reported during the 33 year period between 1979 to 2011, a new study reveals that 40 percent of the total elephant deaths from the region during the period were due to poaching. 

18 percent of the tiger deaths in 2014 were due to poaching: MoEF

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70 percent of the wild tigers remaining in the world are found in India

Though the latest tiger population estimates in India point to an increase in the population of striped cats in the country, situation is far from safe for these big cats, shows the tiger mortality data from 2014. According to the data on tiger mortality from last year, 18 percent of the total tiger deaths in the country were due to confirmed cases of poaching. 75 per cent of the remaining cases of tiger deaths, authorities have not ruled out poaching as the cause.

Tiger Population in India shows 30.5 percent increase in 2014

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A tiger under captivity in a zoo in Mangalore, Karnataka.

As per the latest estimates released by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the number of tigers found in the wild, in India increased from 1706 in 2010 to 2226 in 2014. The new figures shows that there is a 30.5 percent increase in the tiger population compared to the last estimate. The results of the survey show that states like Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala marked an increase in the tiger population.

According to the press release issued by Press Information Bureau, the figures were released by Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in the inaugural address at the two day meeting of the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves. According to the minister conservation efforts related to Special Tiger Protection Force, Special Programme for Orphan Tiger cubs, efforts to control poaching and initiatives to minimize Human-Animal conflict and encroachment have resulted in the growth of tiger population in the country. 

The figures are derived from a comprehensive survey of 18 Tiger States, covering an area of 3,78,118 sq.kms of Forest Area. The double sampling procedure used in the survey, using camera traps made a total of 1540 unique Tiger Photo captures. 

“The third round of independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves has shown an overall improvement in the score of 43 Tiger Reserves from 65% in 2010-11 to 69 in 2014”, says the release. Moreover, the forest cover assessment also indicates improvement. “The assessment of Forest Cover Change in Tiger Landscape of Shivalik-Gangetic Plain has indicated an improvement of forest cover in core areas of Tiger Reserves”, says the release.

Wild Elephants in the Nilgiris help seed dispersal of fruit bearing plants: reveals new study

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Elephant herds in Silent Valley National Park in Western Ghats of Kerala
(Photo Courtesy: N P Jayan)

Wild tuskers in Southern Western Ghats are just like birds. Not that they can fly, but like their winged friends, they play a crucial role in the seed dispersal of some plant species found in this rare biodiversity hotspot, says researchers who studied the seed dispersal role of elephants here.According to their study, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are important seed dispersing agents of some fruit bearing plants in the semi-deciduous, thorny forests of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the oldest biosphere reserve in India which lies in the Western Ghats.

By examining the fruit seeds and remnants in elephant dung piles in the study areas, the researchers found that this biggest terrestrial animal plays a key role in the seed dispersal of at least eight different plant species found in the area like Acacia intsia (Twisted Acacia), Artocarpus heterophyllus (Jack Fruit), Bauhinia racemosa (Bidi Leaf Tree), Grewia hirsuta (Kukurbicha), Grewia tiliifolia (Dhaman), Mangifera indica (Mango), Tamarindus indica (Tamarind) and Ziziphus mauritiana (Indian jujube). Among these eight, Wild Tamarind and Twisted Acacia are the favorite fruit of the tuskers, since their presence was significantly more in the dung piles than the other six species, says the study which is published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

Earlier research in Asian and African forests have shown that elephants are a very effective seed dispersing agents. They devour huge amount of fruits and carry the seeds to long distances from the parent tree with their behavior of moving to wide-ranging areas. Moreover, seeds are defecated intact. It is also observed that the dung piles often provide a nutritious medium for seed germination.

Fruit Diet of the Pachyderms in the Nilgiris

The study has also revealed some interesting insights into the food habits of the wild elephants in Nilgiris. According to the researchers, elephants in the area consume more fruits during dry season when compared to the wet monsoon season. “Seeds and other fruit parts appeared in the dung piles significantly more frequently during the dry season than in the wet seasons”, says the study.

Moreover, tuskers prefer a fruity diet more in the thorny forests, than in a moist deciduous area, shows the results of the study. The study also confirms the sometimes notorious truth of the tuskers’ irresistible temptation for mango and jack fruits when they are in moist deciduous areas in NBR. Remnants of both of these fruits were frequently found in the dung piles from moist deciduous areas. Often, fruiting jack fruit trees are blamed for wild elephants raiding villages in the forest fringes of NBR.

However, pachyderms have dislikes for certain items in their fruits menu, says the study. Fruits of Z. mauritiana are less preferred by these animals, as indicated by the lower presence of these fruit remnants in the dung piles, despite the wide presence of the plant in the forests of NBR.

But don’t misunderstand that the wild elephants in Western Ghats consider fruits as their favorite item like their African and Malayan counter parts, reminds the researchers. Grass species like bamboo are the first preference for tuskers in these areas. Fruits are second or third in the list. “Elephants consume a lesser number of fruit species in the tropical dry forests of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve than in the rainforest habitats of Asia and Africa”, points out the study.

Asian Elephant Population in the Nilgiris

The study was carried out in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary which is presently a Tiger Reserve, Nilgiri North, Sathiyamangalam and Coimbatore forest divisions, Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary which all come under Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

According to the figures of the last elephant census, the area holds the one of the largest population of Asian elephants in the world, with approximately 4,500–5,800 individuals.

During the study period, the research team extensively followed elephant herds and bulls in these areas. According to the researchers, they have collected fresh dung piles whenever defecation was observed. On a total, they have examined 455 elephant dung piles during the whole study period.

Nagarajan Baskaran and Ajay A. Desai of  Bombay Natural History Society have co-authored the study.

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Common Mormon bags Butterfly Mumbai Crown

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Mating Common Mormon Butterflies at Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, India
(Image: Indian Biodiversity Talks)

Common Mormon now decorates the coveted title of Butterfly of Mumbai - the financial capital of India. Mumbaikars have selected the most charming common butterfly in their suburbs in a suspense filled competition between a dozen winged beauties. In the race to win the title of the most charming, common butterfly, Common Mormon overtook a couple of winged beauties like Tailed Jay, Common Crow, and Common Emigrant.

Known as Papilio polytes in scientific parlance, this Swallowtail butterfly grabbed the title when biodiversity conservation research organisation Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) organised a public poll on different common butterfly species, as part of their Breakfast with Butterflies programme, to create awareness among the city folk about butterflies. According to sources, the voting was held at the Facebook page of BNHS also.

During the programme, the 150 participants of the programme voted for butterflies like Common Crow, Tailed Jay, Common Mormon and Common Emigrant. 69 voters elected Common Mormon as the most charming one. Tailed jay, the closest rival in the race, managed to bag 35 votes.

Others beauties failed to make many fans among the voters with Plain Tiger scoring 28 votes and Common Emigrant managing to get 17 votes. Common Crow was the least voted species, with just 9 votes. According to organisers at the BNHS, butterfly species were selected for voting based on their popularity and wide distribution in Mumbai.

“Common Mormon is just like any Mumbaikar”

According to Dr. V.Shubhalaxmi, Deputy Director, BNHS, Common Mormon has a lot of similarity with an average Mumbaikar. “Common Mormon resonates the spirit of Mumbai by being elegant and beautiful yet ‘street smart’ to remain grounded. Like any Mumbaikar, Common Mormon fights the odds of life by adjusting with its environment by adopting strategy of mimicry”, she said.

She sketches out more striking similarities between the newly elected Butterfly Mumbai and the Mumbai life. “As the young love their food with a dash of curry leaf tadka and drops of lemon juice, so does the Common Mormon’s caterpillar”, she said. Next time you see a Common Mormon, remember they are our buddies and let them live and flourish with us, she reminds.

Watch mating Common Mormon butterflies. The female is mimicking Crimson Rose

The swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Papilionidae, is widely distributed in India and other parts of Asia. The female Common Mormon butterflies show an interesting example of mimicry in the insect world. Some female Common Mormon butterflies mimic Common Rose while some other mimic Crimson Rose, both distasteful to birds due to the poisonous food plants they eat during their larval stages. Common Mormon lays its eggs in Curry leaf plant or lemon plant. 

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Texting facility to warn about elephant raids in forest-fringe villages developed

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Unexpected elephant raids are the worst nightmare of a forest-fringe village in India. But what if there is somebody to text you in advance that the jumbos are on the way? Researchers in Tamil Nadu claimed to have developed an intrusion detection system which can text forest officials an early warning if an elephant heard is moving towards a village. 

An Indian elephant in the wild: from Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka

Texting an elephant raid warning

According to S. J. Sugumar of Coimbatore Institute of Technology and R. Jayaparvathy of SSN College of Engineering Chennai, who developed the system, it functions by tracking the movement of the elephants electronically with the help of the vibrations on the ground created by the footfall of the animal. The system, according to the researchers, has to be implemented in “specific pockets identified based on the analytical results along the forest border areas where the elephants can intrude from the forest into human habitation.” It consists of a geophone string, threshold comparator with amplification module, embedded micro controller, GSM, and the power supply.

A research article published in Current Science journal about the system says that the footfall of the elephant produces a vibration in the ground which is sensed by the geophones that are buried underground. After sensing the vibration, the geophone will generate an electrical signal which will be amplified and compared with a set threshold value which is based on that generated by the footfall of a single elephant. If it exceeds the threshold, the system is designed to trigger the embedded controller to send a warning SMS with the help of the GSM transceiver to the forest officials. The geophones with a range of 120 square meters can cover a large area when used as a string of five geophones, claim the researchers.

Impact on human-elephant conflicts

Geo-phone as part of the elephant intrusion detection system
(Image Courtesy: Current Science)

The study was carried out in Coimbatore forest division which has recorded a number of cases of human-elephant conflict. According to official figures, there were 680 incidents of elephant intrusion into human habitat in 2011 while it was 844 in 2010 and 560 in 2009. In 2011, 14 people were killed in elephant attack while the figure was 16 in 2010 and 11 in 2009. In the conflict, there was a reported death of 10 elephants in 2011, 11 in 2010 and 12 in 2009. The implementation of the system is expected to help bring down the number of incidents of unexpected elephant raids and resulting causalities on both sides.

However, there are chances that other heavy animals walking over the buried geophones trigger false alarms. To avoid this confusion, the researchers have identified four different types of possible responses and have designed the system in such a way that false alarms are not triggered. According to the researchers, on field trials, the performance of the system to differentiate the vibrations generated by different species of animals was 91.25 percent. Analyzing the migration data of elephants in an area can be well used to predict the possibilities of intrusion almost precisely, say the researchers.

Tamil Nadu shuts down tourist facilities in tiger reserves in the state

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Following the Supreme Court order to ban tourist activitiesin the core zone of the Tiger Reserves in the country, government of Tamil Nadu has directed the officials to close down tourists activities in three of the tiger reserves in the state until further order from the Supreme Court.

Pilgrim camps made inside KMTR during pilgrim season

The government authorities has informed that three tiger reserves – Mudumalai in Udagamandalam, Kalakkadu-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve inTirunelveli and Anamali near Pollachi should not allow tourist activities in their core zones.

Following the order, the tourists facilities in these tiger reserves are now are closed.

The tourist activities as well as pilgrim activities in the corearea of these reserves have made huge amount of human intervention in the area which has disturbed these forests which are the last resorts of the vanishing Tiger species.

However it is not yet clear if the order actually apples to the seasonal pilgrim activities happening in the tiger reserves like Mundanthurai which is part of Kalakkad Mundanthurai in Tamil Nadu and Sabarimala in Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala. Central government has formulated a set of guidelines to control pilgriminflux into forest areas, but it is yet to be practiced by the states.

Aadi amavasai festival threatens wildlife and ecology of Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

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Plastic and litter in a stream in the temple premises. 
Waste is the biggest visible aftermath of the fest, 
says forest officials. 

Heaping up waste

If poaching is an issue which is not yet noticed, waste is the biggest one yet noticed. According to a high ranking official of the Forest Intelligent Squad, Tirunelveli, management of the heaping up waste and its disposal after the festival is a big head ache for the forest authorities after the festival days.

“There will be a lot of plastic waste, especially glasses and packets scattered all over the place. It is a one week long Herculean task to clear them up as we got no help from other agencies except some NGO for the operation. We collect all the waste and then bring trucks to take them down leaving no trace of plastic in the forest area”, says he.

However, the removal of plastic is no mean feat here as a stroll on the odd 10 km road stretch that goes to the temple will show you that plastic litter is everywhere during the festive times, not to mention the temple premises.

Though many study reports in other protected areas have indicated the hazards brought by plastic containers to animals who are lured by the colors and salty taste of the wrappers, such studies are yet to take place in KMTR.

Health issues

The issue of pollution not only threatens the wild life of the crucial tiger reserve here, but also damages the health of devotees and the people in Tirunelveli, turticoin and Virudhanagr district to whom the river is the major water source.

Absence of clear waste management plans and facilities like toilets are making things worse. “People camp in unhygienic conditions. They put up a temporary tent and then cook and eat there itself not finding it an issue that the camp mates are often defecating near the camp areas itself”, says a forest official. “Studies have shown that small children who are carried to the festival get diseases like diarrhea and similar illness owing to eating in unhygienic conditions, said he.

Pilgrim camps inside the forest

A recent study down on the water in river shows that the quality of the water is degrading to alarming levels. According to ATREE open defection, animal slaughtering as part of the rituals, cooking, washing and bathing pollutes the origin of the river during the festival.

They have also found high presence of coliform bacteria near the temple and downstream during the period. According to the study, the Kani tribes who live on the banks in the downstream do not use the water during and after many days of the festival since they have found water borne diseases spreading after every festival season.

A.G. Murugesan, Professor at Manonmaniam Sundaranar University who has been studying the falling water quality of the river also made similar findings recently. According to him a surge in the fecal coliform bacteria level in the water is noticed during the festival period.

According to Indian laws to protect the forests, any tourist activity or any disturbance to the core area of a tiger reserve is not allowed. “That is the major concern with the festival and the increasing turn out of the devotees”, said, an informed source at the office of the Deputy Director, Amba Samudram range.

“The festival has been taking place from a long time back, though not with this much devotee presence, but new notifications from MoEF has put the whole area of the KMTR as a core zone which restrict any such activity that disturbs the wild life. So we are trying to bring down the crowd by enforcing stricter regulations and thorough checking which has considerably brought down the number of people turning up”, said he. Authorities are now mulling over bringing down the number of festival days.

Will it become another Sabarimala?

Sorimuthaiyan Temple is believed to house 1008 deities and is considered very sacred by the Hindus in Tamil Nadu. However, it can be seen that it is not just devotion that brings people here. The whole carnival atmosphere is taking people here, many of them adequately equipped with bottles to keep the spirits high.

However, if proper care is not taken and the pilgrim mayhem is not checked immediately in the coming years, it will be suicidal for the one of the last resorts of the vanishing animal –the tiger- the vehicle of goddess Durga- according to Hindu mythology.

The question is more paramount considering the fact that activists are not writing off the chances of religious groups hijacking the fest and attracting more people here as pilgrim centers are not just meant for gods and pilgrims. if it goes that way, it is undoubted that the fest will be another threatening menace to the tiger reserves in the country just like the pilgrimage to Sabarimala in Kerala which is situated at the heart of Periyar Tiger reserve.
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Aadi Amavasai festival threatens wildlife and ecology of Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

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Central government has recently taken a stand in the court that it is to control the pilgrim related activities in theprotected areas in the country considering the damage to the undisturbed forest patches. However the time coincides with the Aadi Amavasai fest celebrated at Sorimuthaiyan Temple in the banks of Tamiraparani River in the core area of Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.

The festival which attracts around 5 lakh devotees from the southern districts of the state and the resulting pressure and pollution of KMTR has become a growing concern among environmentalists and forest officials.

“It is a matter of great concern for us. Some five lakh people throng to this area during these days and they camp in the forest during the fest, it is strenuous to prevent hazards like forest fire, stampedes and the degrading hygiene of the place due to the heaping up waste during this time, said a forest official.
Ailing Forest Department

Despite facing acute human power shortage, forest officials are keen to check up all vehicles at least in the beginning days of the festival when the number of vehicles are just hundreds and are allowed only during the day time.  However, once it reaches the two peak days, there is virtually no traffic curb on the road and it is difficult to carry out a carpet check on the thousands of vehicles that move in and out of the sanctuary, admits forest officials.

The Indian Made foreign Liquor bottles seized from ‘pilgrims’ 

to the Sorimuthaiyan Temple at the first check post of KMTR. 

Photo: Indian Biodiversity Talks

 “ it is difficult to carry out the routine check-up for the vehicles moving into the forest during the festivities when the usual 6pm to 6 am traffic ban in the area is lifted, however we are doing our duty to the best possible level”, says Assistant Conservator of Forests, KMTR. The fact can be understood easily with the heaped up alcoholic bottles which have been seized from the devotees at the first check post.

So the whole staff from the neighboring ranges is drawn to the Mundanthruai range for crowd management operations and to be part of the vehicle checking operation in the three check posts which are put up in the route. Though some hundreds of state police personnel are usually pressed into the service, it is restricted to the peak days only.

“Most often during the peak days, we will be in such a state that we cannot sit for a moment. The continuous standing and checking will leave our backs paining for rest”, said a woman forest guard who was deputed on special duty since the smuggled in alcohol bottles are easier to find if women staff question the women members of the pilgrim group, as per Forest department intelligence. 
Festive time for Poachers too

The festival is causing major concern for many reasons. During the days of the festival, the whole anti-poaching patrolling which is a crucial routine in the tiger reserve is virtually stopped since all the anti-poaching watchers in the Mundanthurai and neighboring ranges of KMTR are deployed at the check posts to make sure that excessive alcohol is not adding to the spirit of the festivities and that no arms and plastic are taken into the forest areas.
It was recently reported that the tiger poaching rackets are alive around the tiger reserves and other protected areas in South India when a six member gang from Haryana was nabbed by forest officials near BRT Tiger reserve in the neighboring state of Karnataka.

At least five lakhs people throng to this core area of KMTR 

during the festival, says forest authorities

The group had very clear knowledge about the anti-poaching operations in Tiger reserves and was camped near BRT reserve on specific instruction from the top of the network. The group had an interesting modus operandi which made use of the vulnerabilities of the patrolling system. 

Since the whole anti- poaching patrolling takes place during the day, the poachers used to go to the forest areas in the evening to spread their traps and then kept hiding all through the day to avoid being detected by patrolling party. The move makes it clear that tiger poaching networks are still active in the country and are dangerously organized in when they are on the prowl.

When asked about the chances of poachers making use of the situation, officials told that the chances cannot be completely written off. “There are no anti-poaching patrols taking place these days since all anti-poaching patrol staff have come back there to carry out special duties related to the festival crowd. Though we have not noticed any such poaching taking place in connection with the festival period, the chances cannot be completely set aside”, said a forest official at the rank of forester at KMTR.

“We have a very efficient network of intelligence around the villages neighboring the reserve which will help us get an alert whenever such things happen”, said the Forest Range Officer at KMTR. “We have successfully built up a cordial relationship between the villagers in the surrounding area so that they notice the arrival of strangers and their activities to inform us anytime”, says he. That would be enough prevention towards poaching during this festival period, he said. 

Disturbance to wild life

During this whole festive season, wild life keeps draws itself back into the deep forest, annoyed by the huge human movement and continuous honking of vehicle horns, says a forest official whom we talked to at the tiger reserve. However, no issues of animal –devotee conflict have been reported from this area where leopards and tigers are occasionally spotted while wild boars are usual visitors.

A  baby spotted deer crossing the road inside KMTR

The chances of forest fire also keep the forest staff on the top vigil to avert an accident. The situation is very prone to trigger a massive fire considering the way at which individual cooking ovens are set up to cook food burning firewood. The presence of dry forest and strong wind add to the chances of such a mishap.

Such a fire will not only destruct the semi deciduous and deciduous areas of the sanctuary, it may also trigger mayhem and stampede among the crowded devotees.

Less is studied about the disturbance caused by the continuous traffic through the roads inside the reserve during the festival season. At an unofficial estimate, more than 500 vehicles pass through the road every day during the festival. Research studies on the impact of roads through protected areas have shown that the roads seriously restrict large mammal’s movements and usual tracks.

Though reports on road kills from KMTR are not available in the form of records, the chances cannot be completely written off. 


Now watch pilgrims/tourists  shooting spotted deer in KMTR

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