Asiatic Lions of Gujarat...

Dear Friends,

I was just reading TOI news paper. There is one article on 'Lions for Kuno' that said Madhya Pradesh (MP) has again demand Gir Lions, and committee of National Wildlife Board said.. 'MP should be allocated lions from the nature i.e. directly from the wild and not the zoo-breed lions for the Kuno Palpur Sanctuary'.

The words of Murli Krishnan, Conservator of Forest, Gwalior..He said.. "We have renewed our demand for wild animals. These animals are given to us for the breeding centre and not for the Kuno Palpur Project".

Now, I wonder Why MP is so desperate for Lions? They can't even handle Tiger NPs and Sanctuaries of MP properly & in well mannered. We are losing Tigers!!! How they will handle Lions? None is talking about this serious part while demanding the lions from Gujarat!!!!

Lion is completely different from Tiger. Do MP forest department have experienced people (Staff) that understands different behaviors of lion? How they live in the wild? What are their necessities? What about notorious poachers of MP? (Poachers that captured from Gir NP for killing of lions were from MP, none has to forget this truth!!!)

LIONS ARE NOT SAFE IN MADHYA PRADESH

If Gujarat will ever give lions to MP...you'll surely get new Lion NP in no time in MP with big traffic and bunch of Gypsy...MP want to showcase Tigers and Lions in one state for tourism purpose and attract the tourists. Lion will never handle this kind of pressure like tiger for sure its social animal and not solitaire like tiger, b'coz they are not used to this kind of things in GIR....

For the name of conservation people are planning to earn big bucks...None thinking about the precious life of wild lions. Even a pride of 6-7 lions is so important for nature. We can't put their life on the edge for the sake of tourism & trial...If MP is really serious about the conservation of Asiatic Lions than Why they are not helping Gujarat Govt to save the lions in different other habitats / locations in Gujarat only?

Gujarat Govt. also finalized Gene Pool Bank for lions at 'Rampara Vidi' near Wankaner...far away from Gir. There is one also proposed site 'Barda Dungar' and many more...Gujarat Govt. has also declared Girnar Mountain's wild region as 'Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary'...Lions are also roaming here freely...

I'm not against the relocation of lions but I do feel MP forest department having no experience to handle lions. Just similar Habitat & availability of Prey is not enough to say Lions will survive in Kuno Palpur Sanctuary...There are answers to find for so many questions and some questions having no answers!!!!

I strongly believe MP should have concentrate & use all the powers & resources for the Protection of Tigers instead Demanding for the Lions. This is silly & shameful idea of MP Govt. I'm really surprised by the support of Conservation Organizations to MP Govt. without thinking deeply on this issue.

Tigers are vanishing from the Indian Jungle. From 4000 Tigers, now nearly 1000 tigers left in the wild or may be less....They should put pressure on MP Govt. to do something about the Conservation of Tigers instead Demand of Wild Lions. We don't have many Lions to sacrifice their precious life!!!! Gujarat has successfully save the species of Lion from merely 20 to 350...

Save Nature...Save Wildlife

'Save the Birds'

Dear Bird Lovers,

The kite festival is coming and we should get ready to save some precious life. I called this event as 'Festival of Massacare'. 'People enjoy & Bird perils'. This is certainly being stopped. Many avian lives comes into danger zone during December & January months. Many birds died during these months because of very sharp & fatal glass coated strings (Manja).

Please those who are reading this message and who loves wildlife art too, please take an oath that 'We will never fly a single kite in our life to save our precious bird life & natural world.' Please show your respect & love towards the nature. This is certainly very important duty to fulfil. Please also spread this awareness message to your friends, relatives & all the people.

Ahmedabad is considered as hub of the 'Kite flying festival' and my friend Vipul Ramanuj is doing excellent job to save our flying beauties in Ahmedabad. Please visit his blog http://vipulramanuj.blogspot.com/ to more information about this and to view images of some birds in peril at http://picasaweb.google.com/vipulramanuj/HelpTheBirds#slideshow. Please support in this humble activity to save the birds.

Contact No. of Vipul Ramanuj is 98257 14841. Please contact him at this number for any help needed in Ahmedabad to save the birds.

'SAVE WILDLIFE'

Vulture Conservation:

It’s a hot issue today. Vulture population has decreasing rapidly during last few years. Some organizations have researched that ‘Diclofenac’ drug is the main cause of this problem…..

>> If this is really a true cause than the use of this drug should be banned effectively & strongly in veterinary use.

>> Some veterinary doctors also said / give excuse that ‘Diclofenac’ can’t be a cause of this disaster. As per the doctors, this drug easily be flushed out / defecate from the body of the animal through urinary system and can’t harm the vultures while carrion eating. If these doctors are mistaken than they should be informed with the truth immediately.

>> Other big problem faced by the vultures is the shelter. There are very few tall trees remaining. Some are cut down by the human, some are fallen naturally, some are fallen during the natural clematis, and some are died during natural / man-made forest fire.

It is very difficult or not practical to plant many trees & cultivate them for near future but very effective & necessary for the far future. For the present scenario a ‘Pole Structures’ will be very effective for the nesting & roosting. If these structures be created at high points. No doubt this is an expensive idea.

>> Some villages have separate & open place for carcass eradicate. In this kind of place more vultures of different species gather with some local carnivores like dogs, jackals and other carrion eating animals & birds. This is very vulnerable for the vultures if some animals or birds are suffered from the disease and the vultures have no immunity for that disease!

Carcass eradicate places should be high fenced with big open area hence no animals can trespass, so vultures can easily eat their food and can be protected from the animal disease.

>> Many birding groups sometimes find the vulture roosting / breeding sites. These sites are very important to know How & Why these vultures have selected this particular place for their roosting & breeding site.

These sites should be pin point on the maps, to create a larger map of vulture sightings. These sites can be sub grouped in roosting site, breeding site, carrion eating site, aloft site, local migration / journey route site etc. These maps can be very useful to identity the vulture population, behaviour pattern, migration pattern, food eating habits etc. to plan the vulture conservation activity.

>> Feeding vultures maintain the strict social order as per body size and strength of beak. If the population of higher order vultures decreases then lower order vultures feel many troubles during the carrion eating. As higher order vultures have strong beak to rip the hides & meat of the carcass, while lower order vultures have weak beak but big feet adapted to walking & holding the carcass.

All vultures are very important for the nature. It’s our duty to maintain the food chain & social order for the conservation of the vultures. If any vulture species extinct other dependent species suffered a lot or may extinct very easily.

If higher order vultures extinct then lower order vultures extinct easily. If lower order vultures extinct then their may be a chance of massive disease massacre from the remaining carrion, so other animals & birds will also suffered.

This is my views about the vulture conservation as per my knowledge about the vultures. There may be good chances to save the vultures if we can gather more information about this important bird. These are basic conservation activity that we can conduct at a beginning level and from here we can move ahead with some scientific conservation approach. Undoubtedly this is very expensive conservation activity, and support from different experienced persons, conservation organizations, corporate & the government is must in terms of scientific knowledge and monetary funds.

This is a big joke as well as tragedy for the Nature…..

I don’t understand why people get active when some animals or birds species reached to the near extinction. This is the time to think over to preserve the nature in its true condition. If we doing something wrong than we will have to be ready to suffer a lot. Please read my article on ‘Wildlife Conservation: The Problem & Solution’.

Please share your ideas or views to save the vultures so we all can conduct or contribute in the vulture conservation activity effectively.

With all best wishes,

The Kat & The Kitty

It was an early morning when I’m getting ready for a morning walk. I heard a very soft me…aaw sound. I looked around but didn’t find the cat, again I heard the same me…aaw sound and this time I found it in the corner behind the flowerpot.

I looked at her. The face was familiar. She often comes to my home in search of food, but this time she looked tensed and worried. I thought she will move away quickly but, she didn’t, then I leave her alone and….

I went for a walk. When I returned home she was still there. I thought this is a strange behaviour. I observed carefully around and I found a cute kitty behind her. I felt very happy that she had chosen my home as safe shelter for her kitten and brought a new life to my home.

She was protecting & loves her kitten with sheer dedication. After all MOTHER is the greatest creation of the nature. I seated near her with keeping some distance for two - three hours, and when she felt relaxed, she came out from the corner and looked at me with some trust. Then I gave her milk to drink. Now she had put full trust on me and leaves her kitten alone for a while and the kitten also playing freely around.

After some time she feed the kitty and looked at me and said me…aaw for a while and leave her kitten alone with me. This was a very great feeling for me that an animal put complete trust on me with the intention that I will take care and will not harm her little.

By the time the kitty became sleeping kitty. After 20-25 minutes she returned and called her kitten but kitten didn’t waken up. She lay down for while and waited for the kitty to awake, then again she went out for 15-20 minutes. When she returned the kitten was awake and she taken the kitty with her to the new shelter.

This was a very fine morning for me. For almost six hours the cat and the kitty made my home as their home. I’ll never forget this experience in my life.

So, whenever someone makes your home as their home, please don’t mind it. You’ll get lots of happiness by treating them well.

Good News...

A two more lion cubs born at Rajkot zoo yesterday. A month ago there were five cubs born but sadly two of them have died some days ago, So now there are five cubs at the zoo and two happy mothers. The other good news is Rajkot zoo gets the status of 'Breeding Centre' for the endangered asiatic lion with the birth of these cubs.

Sad News.....

At the Rajkot Zoo, a beautiful asiatic lioness 'Rajvanti' passed away at midnight on 4 Feb. 2008 with multiple organ failure. She came to Rajkot zoo from Junagadh Sakkarbag zoo. she gave birth to 3 female cubs at Rajkot Zoo. Two of which now become a full grown lioness and one is very young. Here is the picture of the proud mother for remembrance. She was a pride for the zoo. Memories are very important and sometimes inevitable, and surely not to be forget.