Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar, Rajasthan has been
in the news for the past four years – unfortunately for
the wrong reasons.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

The Sariska Tiger Reserve (866 sq. kms.) was originally a hunting preserve of the Kings of Alwar in Alwar District in the state of Rajasthan.
The area was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955.
In 1978, it was declared a Tiger Reserve and is now a part of India’s Project Tiger scheme.
It became a National Park in 1979.

The Sariska Tiger Reserve is larger than Ranthambore Tiger Reserve with similar topography, but is far less commercialized.

Sariska Tiger Reserve in the news

From the summer of 2004, there were persistent reports from people connected with tourism that no tigers were being sighted in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan.Even more alarming was the fact that there was no other contemporary evidence (pugmarks, scratch marks on trees, etc) indicating the presence of the tiger. The Rajasthan Forest Department shrugged off any suggestions about the complete absence of tigers with a simple explanation – “the tigers had temporarily migrated outside the Reserve and would be back after the rains”.
The Project Tiger authorities endorsed the Rajasthan Forest Department’s view.In January 2005, Jay Mazoomdaar, an Indian Express journalist, broke the startling news that there were no tigers left in Sariska.
The Rajasthan Forest Department and the Project Tiger Directorate declared an “emergency tiger census” in Sariska and the Central Bureau of Investigation conducted a probe.

After a two months exercise, every one finally conceded that Sariska Tiger Reserve did not have any tiger left.

Relocation of Tigers to Sariska

But what is much more interesting, and cause for happiness for environmentalists, is that for the first time in India, the Rajasthan Government have decided to relocate tigers into the Sariska Tiger Reserve from the neighbouring Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.On 28th June 2008, one three and a half year old, male tiger, weighing 220 kgs., was tranquilised in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and flown into Sariska Tiger Reserve (200 kms.) in an Indian Air Force helicopter.
The tiger has been temporarily kept in a 100 metres x 100 metres enclosure to help it get acclimatised in the new surroundings.
A four year old female, weighing 170 kgs., was flown in from Ranthambore on the 4th July 2008.
It has been kept in a separate enclosure.After the pair settle down, the door of the enclosure would be opened and the tigers would be allowed to wander off into the wilds.
Sariska has a rich prey base, and environment quite similar to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
It should be easy for the tigers to re-establish themselves.

If everything goes on well, and there is no reason why it should not,
within two years, three more tigers will be relocated to Sariska. Relocating tigers to a new habitat is being tried out in India for the first time.
If successful, this will revive the tiger population at Sariska and open up fresh opportunities to save the majestic tiger.

Most likely, the disappearance of the tigers in 2004 was due to poaching. The other major hurdles are: 
·         11 villages in the core area;
·         Heavy traffic on a portion of the Jaipur-Alwar highway that passes
        through the Sariska Tiger Reserve; and
·         Heavy traffic to the ancient temple at Pandupole – in the core forest –  22 kms. from the entrance.The authorities have already shifted one village.
Each relocated family has been paid a generous compensation of Rs 10 lakhs (earlier this was only Rs. 1 lakh).
Three more villages will be shifted soon.

The traffic on the stretch of the Jaipur-Alwar highway passing through the Sariska Tiger Reserve has already been diverted via a bye pass.Efforts are on to minimize traffic to the Pandupole temple by pursuasion.

Adverse impact on Ranthambore Tiger Reserve

There is no fear of the number of tigers in Ranthambore being adversely effected.
In fact, Ranthamore has 34 tigers and their numbers are fast increasing.
It has actually become necessary to relocate some tigers.
Moving them to Sariska is the best decision.

There has been some criticism that relocation of tigers has always failed, and that the relocated tigers would die.
The relocated tigers are being fitted with radio collars and their movement will be constantly monitored through satellite.
The collars, costing Rs 8 lakh each, have been purchased from a Canadian firm, Lotek.
The satellite is operated by the Argos system, supported by Nasa (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US)), and the French space agency, CNES.
The Argos system is already monitoring more than 4,200 animals worldwide.The radio transmitters send out information in short pulses.
The pulses are picked up by the satellite which retransmits them to the Argos centres for processing.
The radio tracking will help wildlife authorities keep effective track of the movement of each tiger and prevent poaching.

Vegetation

The landscape of Sariska comprises of hills and narrow valleys of the Aravali hills.
The vegetation is scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses.
Other Animals

Some of the other animals in the Reserve include the leopard, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, chital, sambar, carecal, langur, wild boar, four-horned deer (chowsingha) and several species of birds.In the morning and evening, the animals in Sariska head towards the many water holes, which litter the park, providing the guests their best chance of viewing animals.It is possible to book hides situated in prime spots for wildlife viewing at some of these watering holes.
What to see around

There are temples, forts and ruins in and around Sariska.
There are historical buildings associated with the Maharajas of Alwar such as the Sariska Palace (the royal hunting lodge of the former Maharaja of Alwar State Jai Singh).
The Kankwadi Fort (located near the centre of the Sariska Reserve)  has a long history.
In the 17th century, Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb briefly imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh here in the battle for succession to the Mughal throne.
There are ancient temples, such as the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple and Garh Rajor temples dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries.

Location

Sariska Tiger Reserve is situated 200 km from Delhi and 107 kms from Jaipur.
It covers an area of 800 sq km in total, with a core area of approximately 500 sq. kms.

I am delighted that the Wildlife Institute of India and officers of Rajasthan Forest Department are jointly and actively involved in this experimental project.
But there is no excuse why the two set ups could not detect the complete absence of tigers much earlier ….. and continued giving out lame explanations. Unfortunately, this is not the first relocation attempt of tigers.
In 1928, Maharajah Lakshman Singh of Dungarpur ordered the first successful relocation of a pair of tigers from the forests of Gwalior to the forests of Dungarpur where they had all been killed by hunters.
The tiger population gradually increased to 25 in 1947.

But once again, there are no tigers left in the forests of Dungarpur.
And remember, there were no radio collars, no helicopters and all the back ups available and used today.

the largest mass nesting site of
Olive Ridley turtle
in the world

Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is the only marine sanctuary in Orissa (Eastern India).
This Sanctuary is extremely important because it is the largest mass nesting site of the Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the world. There are only four mass nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles in the world.
Of these four, the ‘Playa Ostional’ is in Ostional village in Costa Rica.
The other three are in Orissa.

The three mass nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles in Orissa are:        ·         Nasi Islands of the Gahirmatha beach near the mouth of rivers Brahmini and Baitarani.
      ·         Devi river mouth in Puri district (100 kms south of Gahirmatha), and the 
      ·         Rushikulya river mouth (320 kms south of Gahirmatha).

The estimate of the numbers of Olive Ridley turtles who come to the three nesting sites in Orissa vary according to different estimators.
They may exceed 1 million.
On an average, around 15,000 Olive Ridley turtles get killed every year – largely due to drowning, after getting entangled in the fishing nets.

Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary

The most important nesting site in Orissa is Gahirmatha.
The 35 kms coast of Gahirmatha (in Kendrapara District of Orissa), covering an area of 1435 sq kms, was declared a Turtle Sanctuary in 1979.On an average, 700,000 turtles lay 120 eggs each on the beach here every year.
The total is a cool 84 million eggs.
The eggs hatch in 45 – 70 days depending on the weather and temperature conditions.

The hatchlings emerge and make a frantic run to the sea, chased by predators such as crabs, vultures, and seabirds.
Even after they reach the sea, they are in danger from such predators as sharks, fishes and crocodiles.
Some years, there are no nestings at all.
We do not know why mass nesting does not take place in some years.

Olive Ridley Turtle
The Olive Ridley turtle, named after H.N. Ridley FRS, who first reported sighting of Olive Ridleys in Brazil in 1887, and because of their overall olive green colour, is the smallest of the marine turtle species in the world.They grow to a length of 70 cms. The adults weigh about 45 kgs.
The carapace is tear-drop shaped.
They are omnivorous and feed on crustaceans and molluscs.

They can dive to great depths and may be bottom feeders.
They are highly migratory, travelling thousands of kilometers between foraging and nesting grounds.

The most fascinating feature of Olive Ridley turtle is their mass nesting called ‘arribada’ – a Spanish word meaning mass arrival.

It is believed that they nest at intervals of one to four years.
In India, the nesting season is between November to March.
Olive Ridleys nest sporadically in other coastal places of India, such as,.Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gorai, Kihim, Manowrie, Versova, between Ambolgad and Vetye, Morjim and Galgibag; Kozhikode district (Calicut) in and some places  in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and in the Sundarbans.

According to the IUCN, the status of the Olive Ridley turtle is ‘Critically endangered’.

Incredible Mass Nesting

The mass nesting or arribada is an unforgettable sight.
On a clear moonlit night, during the nesting season, you can see thousands of turtles crawling out of the sea, puffing and laboring as they drag themselves on the beach, select a suitable site, dig a hole in the sand with their hind flippers, lay nearly 120 eggs each, cover and compact the holes with their own body, sweep out all traces of their visit and crawl back to the sea – all within 45 minutes.
This indeed is one of Nature’s miracles!

Nesting Sites in Danger
Gahirmatha has come into the news recently due to construction of the Dhamra Port in the area.
The Port is being built by the Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DAPCL) – a joint venture of Tata Steel and Larsen and Toubro.The port is less than 15 kms from the turtle nesting beaches at Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary and less than 5 kms from the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary, India’s second largest mangrove forest.

25 percent of the Port work is already over (May 2008).
The first phase of the project, worth about Rs.24.63 billion, will become fully operational by April 2010. National and international environmental activist group raised objections.
The work was stopped for a short spell.
But the concerned Government agencies, including the National Environment Appellate Authority, have given clearance and construction work has again begun.These agencies are of the view that the northern stretch of the Dhamra river is muddy and silty and therefore unsuitable for turtle nesting.
The Wildlife Institute of India has also opined that the marine turtles nest south of the river and do not come to the beaches on the north.

Role of IUCN

DAPL had invited the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to identify areas with potential to adversely affect the turtle habitat and precautionary measures that can be implemented to nullify the possible negative impact.

The IUCN made certain suggestions. One of the measures involves using turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in the fishing nets and trawlers.
Bittu Sehgal, editor of Sanctuary magazine, is of the view that construction of the port “would disrupt the food chain cycle in the entire marine system”. According to him, the damage by the port would be irreversible. “Olive Ridley turtles feed on invertebrates and play an important role in open ocean and coastal ecosystems. …The effect will be visible after five years but who will answer then? ”

Bhitarakanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park

Close to Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary is the lovely Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
The Bhitarkanika area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975.

This is the second largest Mangrove ecosystem in India and is known for its crocodiles, water monitors, creeks and canals and kingfishers.
There are also white crocodiles.
There are herds of deer on the banks.  There are also a large variety of migratory and resident birds. 

Cause for concern

A number of national and international environmental groups have expressed concern that the port, in proximity to the two Protected Areas, poses an unacceptable environmental risk. Greenpeace has released a critique that exposes serious and fundamental flaws in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted for TATA’s Dhamra port project in Bhadrak district, Orissa.According to the environmentalists, the risk is not limited to the nesting sites alone.
The turtles live in the off shore waters for about six months a year.
The port site is a breeding ground for horse-shoe crabs, as well as rare species of reptiles and amphibians including the amphibian Fejervarya cancrivora.

Recommendation

The presence of the turtles actually helps the fishermen and results in higher fish productivity. There is higher abundance of fish –  leading to higher catches.The reason is the preference of turtles to feed on jelly fishes which otherwise would have eaten the fishlets,

The law in Orissa requires that the trawlers should be fitted with turtle excluder devices (TEDs). But the fishermen are averse to this device. They feel that this will greatly reduce their catch.
The environmentalists, several NGOs and students are doing a good job educating the public and protecting the turtle hatchlings.

Visit the incredible mass nesting, if possible.
Local tour operators will organise a visit to the nesting sites.Other wise, you can visit the mangrove forests and the area any time of the year except during the monsoons (rainy season). 
 

 

The Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Thane district.
It is 90 kms, or one and a half hours drive, from Mumbai.
It covers an area of 355 sq. kms. – more than three times the size of the 103 sq. kms. Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Yet, according to census reports, Sanjay Gandhi National Park had 20 Indian Leopards in 2007.
Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary had seven leopards in 2005. The number fell to five in 2006, and to two in 2007.
The number has dropped to one in 2008.

And this is a cause for serious concern amongst all environmentalists and lovers of wild life.

Flora
The land vegetation is southern tropical moist deciduous forest.
The major tree species found are Teak, Khair, Ain, Hed, Kalamb, Bibla, etc.
There are small patches of Bamboos.

Fauna

The Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary has a wide range of species.
There are about 50 species of animals, including the Indian Leopard, Sambar, Four-Horned Antelope, Chital, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Wild Boar, Hyena, Jackal, Hare, Common Langur, etc.
There are about 200 species of birds.  

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary is from November to May.

Other Attractions

Other attractions near the sanctuary are the historical Mahuli Fort; Mahadeo Temple at Tilsa and the Suryamal Plateau.

Where to Stay

Accommodation facilities are available at Log House and Ascu Hut at Tansa; and Forest Rest House, Suryamal.
These can be reserved through the D.C.F. Wildlife, Thane.

Indian Leopard

I have written this blog to draw the attraction of my readers to the dwindling number of leopards in this Sanctuary.
The Indian Leopard is one of the most successful members of the Indian big cat family.

It is found throughout the subcontinent, including the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and southern China.Its habitat varies from dry deciduous forests, desert ecosystems, tropical rain forests, northern coniferous forests, to the neighbourhoods of human habitation.
Problems

The sanctuary is plagued with a series of problems:
·         The Middle Vaitarna dam project involved the felling of more than 1 lakh trees.
·         Encroachments – there are about 110 villages housing 1,300 families in about 510 hectares of land.
·         Forest fires, often lit by the encroachers.
·         Felling of trees for firewood and for commercial purposes.
·         Rampant grazing of cattle, which leaves little food for herbivorous animals.
·         Inadequacy of funds.
·         And of course, poaching.

All these problems require urgent attention.

       

    ……….. on the brink of
                        extinction                                               

The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps) is a highly endangered, ground dwelling bird.
In fact, it is the most endangered member of the bustard family in the world;
and has disappeared from almost 90 per cent of its former habitat.
The total population of the Great Indian Bustard is estimated to be around 700. The Great Indian Bustard is found in sanctuaries located in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
You can see the Great Indian Bustard in the Desert National Park (Rajasthan) and in the Lala-Parjau Sanctuary in western Kutch (Gujarat).

Nanaj Bird Sanctuary (18 km from Sholapur)

The Nanaj Bird Sanctuary covering an area of 8,500 sq. kms. in Sholapur and Kolhapur Districts of Western Maharashtra was set up in 1975.
At that time, there were about 100 Great Indian Bustards.The number have dwindled down and only 34 Bustards remain in the Nanaj Bird Sanctuary today,

The State Government has taken a decision to cut down the Sanctuary to a shocking 300 sq. kms even though an expert committee appointed by the Government under the directions of the Supreme Court of India suggested a minimum of 1,190  sq. kms. to save the Bustards from extinction.The reason for this political decision is that land within a sanctuary cannot be sold or purchased.
Therefore, there is always a lot or pressure from various quarters to reduce the area.

As you can see from the picture, the Great Indian Bustard is a large, brown and white bird, with a long neck and long bare legs like that of an ostrich. It stands about a metre high.
The male is about 122 cm (48 in) in length. Its weight is 18–32 lb (8–14.5 kg).
The female is shorter and lighter – about 92 cm (36 in) in length. Its weight is 7.8–15 lb (3.5–6.75 kg).

The sexes are similar in appearance although the male is deep sandy buff coloured. The crown of the head is black and crested.
The female is smaller than the male. Its head and neck are not pure white and the breast band is either rudimentary or absent.
The male is polygamous.

The Bustard breeds during March to September during which time the inflated fluffy white feathers of the male are inflated and displayed.
The male also raises the tail and folds it on its back.
The neck is folded and the male periodically produces a resonant, deep booming call. The female lays a single egg once a year and incubates it for about 27 days.
Nests are situated in open ground
Males take no part in incubation or care of the developing young.The eggs are at risk of destruction from other animals.
The fledglings remain with their mother till the following breeding season.

Habitat

The Bustard prefers dry, short grasslands, and open country, tall grass interspersed with cultivation where the vegetation is below its eye level (less than one metre high).
It avoids dense grasslands that hamper its movement.
It avoids irrigated areas.
It is omnivorous and feeds on seeds of grasses, small shrubs, insects, rats, grams, groundnuts, millets etc.

Reasons for the steady reducing population
The main reasons for the seriously fast declining population are poaching and the reduction of habitat due to cultivation and farming.

Present Status


According to the 2008 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by Bird Life International – the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN), the bird has been classified as: Endangered.

The IUCN has also passed a resolution requesting the Indian Government to initiate Project Bustard, on the lines of Project Tiger to help the bird from extinction.

But something more drastic than mere paper resolutions are necessary to save the magnificent bird from extinction.

Backdrop of Rudyard Kipling’s
Jungle Book

You can imagine the beauty and fascination of Kanha National Park by the fact that Kanha National Park was the backdrop of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Jungle Book’.
Today, Kanha National Park is one of India’s largest and finest National Park and Tiger Reserve located in Madhya Pradesh, India.In the 1930s, Kanha was divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar, of 250 and 300 sq. kms each.Kanha National Park was created on 1 June 1955.Today, it covers an area of 940 sq. kms in the two districts of Mandla and Balaghat.
Together with a surrounding buffer zone of 1009 sq. kms, and the neighboring 110 sq. kms Phen Sanctuary, it forms the Kanha Tiger Reserve.  

Flora

There are dense forest zones with good crown cover.

The lowland forest is a mixture of sal (shorea robusta) and other mixed forest trees, interspersed with meadows.
The highland forests are tropical, moist dry deciduous, with bamboos (dendrocalamus strictus) on the slopes.
You can also see the interesting Kullu tree (nicknamed the Indian ghost tree).There are abundant species of climbers, shrubs and herbs.
Meadows, or open grasslands, have sprung up in fields of the villages evacuated from the National Park.
There are many species of grass at Kanha, some of which are important for the survival of Barasingha (Cervus duvauceli branderi).There are Aquatic plants in the numerous ‘ tals ‘ (lakes) attracting a lot of migratory and wetland species of birds.

Mammals

Kanha has over 27 species of mammals.
They include the Indian Bison or gaur, the largest of the world’s cattle; Sambar, the largest Indian deer; the Chausingha, the only four-horned antelope in the world; Nilgai antelope; Sloth bear, Dhole, or Indian wild dog (Cuon alpinus dukhunensis).; the Rare Indian Wolf (Canis (lupus) indica), and the Panther.

The Barasingha (Cervus durauceli branderi), fondly known as the ’’The Jewel of Kanha’’, is found only in Kanha.
It is a sub species of the Swamp Deer, but is somewhat different in having a darker coat and well-knit hooves instead of the splayed hooves of the other subspecies.
During the early 1970s,  this deer was on the brink of extinction, but sustained conservation efforts have pushed their number to about 500.

The most abundant prey animal for the large predators in the park is the Spotted Deer or Chital.
The second largest population of prey animal is the Sambar (Cervus Unicolor) which constitutes an important prey of the tiger.

Birds  

There are 175 varieties of birds.
If you are a bird watcher, you will enjoy your stay.

Places to see in Kanha National Park  Bamni Dadar

 
This spot, also known as the sunset point, is quite popular among tourists.
Most tourists visit Bamni Dadar to have a wonderful view of the setting sun.
But this is also the most beautiful location in the park.
You can see a lot of animals from here – sambar, barking deer, gaur and the four-horned antelope.

Kanha Museum
You can learn about the plants, animals of the National Park and about the local tribes in the Kanha Museum inside the park.

Tourist Places around Kanha National Park Kawardha Palace

The Kawardha Palace was designed and built by Maharaja Dharamraj Singh during 1936-39.
This Palace, made of Italian marble and stone, is set in eleven acres of lush gardens. You can also see the other places of interest in and around Kawardha – The Krishna Temple, Bhoremdeo Temple, Mandawa Mahal and Madan Manjari Mahal all dating from the 11th century.

Bandhavgarh National Park

 
This is a small but compact National Park full of birds and animals.
(You can see my blog on this).

Nagpur

The present Nagpur city was founded by the Gond King of Deogad, Bakht Buland Shah in 1702.
Nagpur is located at a distance of 260 kilometres from Kanha National Park
It is famous for oranges and is nicknamed the orange city.

Jabalpur


You can see the Marble Rocks, Dhuandhar Falls, Chausath Yogini Mandir, and a number of other places here.
(You can see my blog on this).
Reaching There


Air

Jabalpur                160  kms  ( 4 hours )
Raipur                   230  kms  ( 5 hours )

Rail

Umaria                    35 kms    ( 1 hour )
Satna                    130 kms   ( 3 hours )
Jabalpur                160 kms   ( 4 hours ) 

Road

Jabalpur              160  kms   ( 4 hours )
Nagpur                260  kms   ( 6 hours )
Raipur                 230  kms   ( 5 hours )
Bandhavgarh     325  kms   ( 7 hours )

Recommendation
Kanha National Park is one of India’s finest National Parks.
There are all kinds of accommodation to suit all pockets.
MPTDC log huts, named the `Bagheera Log Huts” are good and cheap.
Kanha National Park is closed from July 1 to September 30.