Madhya Pradesh, once famous as the “Tiger State,” lost 453 animals over the last decade. And how many culprits did the government bring to book? Just two. Recently accessed documents reveal only two cases of poaching reached their logical conclusion of conviction during this period, as of March 2012.

Sample the facts: according to the conservation programme ‘Project Tiger', the population of big cats in Madhya Pradesh in 2001-02 stood at 710. However, the 2011 census revealed there were only 257 tigers left in its six reserves — Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay Dubri and Pench.

In a bid to ensure greater accountability, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided to conduct an annual tiger census from 2012 in all 39 tiger reserves of the country.
This will continue in tandem with the ongoing practice of conducting the tiger census every four years.

To foster public awareness about the need to protect the country's diminishing tiger population, former MP Kamal Morarka is presenting a weeklong solo exhibition of pictures of the magnificent big cats captured by him during his trips to India's various sanctuaries.

The exhibition – first mounted at Mumbai's Jehangir Art Gallery in June this year -- will be held at Lalit Kala Akademi here beginning December 6

Two tiger deaths were reported on Sunday taking the total big cat fatalities this year to seven — four in the current month alone. A full-grown male tiger was found dead, entangled in a wire snare laid by some villagers to kill bluebull near Bahattar village, about 500 metres from the boundary of Tipeshwar Sanctuary in Yavatmal district. According to sources, the Tipeshwar tiger apparently got trapped a day before its death and desperately tried to extricate itself before losing the battle.The sanctuary is currently known to have a male tiger and a female with three cubs.

Total 50 bisons would be translocated to Bandhavgarh National Park from Kanha National Park in February 2012. About 435 other surplus wild animals will also be shifted to other parks for breeding from Van Vihar next year.
The Forest Department has initiated the procedure of translocating several animals in the Ratapani, Kanha National Park, Bandhvagarh National Park and Ratnagiri area.

Bhopal : Ahead of the hearing on the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking banning of tourism in Madhya Pradesh’s tiger habitats by the apex court, wildlife experts Monday slammed the idea, terming it an “anti-community step”. “The PIL proposes that the tiger reserves should be free from all human interference. What we are saying is that wildlife tourists are not even involved in poaching and harming the wildlife ecology. Then why have such an anti-community move,” said Belinda Wright, executive director, Wildlife Protection Society Of India (WPSI).

Kolkata: On her last legs, Machli — often called Ranthambore’s matriarch for presiding over a majestic legacy of over a decade — can still make a tiger-lover crave for her glimpse. But her offsprings in the 400-500 sq km tiger abode in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district face a genetic threat that could hit the population hard in the long run.

Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said in his message on the occasion of Wildlife Week that full protection should be given to wildlife along with increasing greenery.
This occasion has assumed added importance since it is being observed during 150th inception year of International Forest Year and forest department.

In an attempt to make tribal women self-reliant, the Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to recruit 25 tribal women as professional guides after training them to guide tourists visiting Kanha National Park. This is one of the first initiatives of its kind in the country by any State Government.

Despite drawing severe flak on the translocation of gaurs the MP Forest Department is going ahead with the similar process of shifting barasingha from Kanha to Satpura and few animals from Van Vihar to some favourable destination, writes Vivek Trivedi