Archive for the 'national parks' Category
Indian Cheetah
Author: Binoy Gupta
Reintroduction in India
The Cheetah is the fastest land animal on earth.
The word “cheetah” is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘chitraka’, meaning “speckled”.
Asiatic Cheetah
read comments (0)The Vanishing Tigers of Panna
Author: Binoy Gupta
Panna National Reserve was created in 1981 (from the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1975).
It was upgraded to a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994 – the 22nd in the country.
The Reserve forests and some protected forests in Chhatarpur district were the hunting preserves of the erstwhile rulers of princely states of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar.
The official figures of tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve were as follows:
| 1993 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
|
| |
|||||
| |
23 |
| |
22-27 |
| |
23-28 |
| |
22-24 |
| |
21 |
Around that time, a field researcher submitted a report that some 23 tigers had died or gone amissing in the Panna Tiger Reserve over the past two-and-a-half years.
The Director, Tiger Project, Govt. of India, New Delhi poo poohed the report and insisted there were 32 tigers.
In June 2009, Madhya Pradesh Congress demanded formation of an all-party MLAs
committee to probe into the reason behind the disappearance of the big cats from the reserve.
The same month Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State for Environment and Forests, said the government will fix accountability for the exaggerated projection of the tiger population in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna forest reserve.
What is needed is not enquiry by expert or in-expert committees, but fixing of responsibility.
How is it possible that the officials in charge of the Panna Reserve were not aware of the vanishing tigers?
They should have been the first to point this out.
And how could the Director sitting in his cosy office in Delhi discredit a researcher’s findings instead of trying to ascertain the facts.
Responsibility should be fixed and stringent action should be taken fast.
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Travel India Sariska Tiger Reserve
Author: Binoy Gupta
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
Travel India Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary
Author: Binoy Gupta
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.
Mass Nesting Sites in Orissa
The three mass nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles in Orissa are: Read the rest of this entry »
Travel India Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary
Author: Binoy Gupta
Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary
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.
Travel India The Great Indian Bustard
Author: Binoy Gupta
extinction
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.
You can see the Great Indian Bustard in the Desert National Park (Rajasthan) and in the Lala-Parjau Sanctuary in western Kutch (Gujarat).
Travel India Kanha National Park
Author: Binoy Gupta
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.
Travel India Rishikesh
Author: Binoy Gupta
Gateway to the Himalayas
Rishikesh is a picturesque holy city on the banks of the Ganga or Ganges River at the foothills of the Himalayas.
Rishikesh and its surroundings are ideal for Vedic learning, yoga, spiritual meditation and similar activities. You can climb into the ice and snow covered mountains; stroll through the dense forests harbouring a variety of animals and birds; or engage in a number of adventure sports.Rishikesh is also the starting point for onward travel to the Char Dhams – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri (the four holy pilgrimages) - and is therefore known as the gateway to the Himalayas.
Mythology
Lord Rama performed penance here after killing Rāvana, the demon King of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Read the rest of this entry »
Travel India Point Calimere
Author: Binoy Gupta
Unique Wildlife Sanctuary
According to the Ramayana, Lord Ram himself stood at this point and carried out reconnaissance of Ravana’s kingdom in Sri Lanka just 48 kms. away.
A stone slab at Ramarpatham (meaning Rama’s feet), the highest point of Point Calimere, bears the foot prints of Ram.
Now it is a unique wildlife and bird sanctuary.
Travel India Ranthambore – the land of the Tiger
Author: Binoy Gupta
An Amalgam of Antiquity and Nature
How about a vacation under the shadows of one of the oldest fort in India – with tigers for company at breakfast and tea ?
Ranthambore is the place I selected.
History
The magnificent Ranthambore Fort is one of the oldest forts in India. The Fort was built by the Kachhwaha Rajputs (Chauhans) but there is no certainty about the time and who the actual founder was. Some historians tell us that it was built by King Sapaldaksha in 944 A.D. Others historians say it was built by King Jayant of the same dynasty in 1110 A.D. There are other historians who give the credit to some one else.
Read the rest of this entry »