tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6711123846813053622024-03-19T11:46:49.240-07:00VANISHING SPECIES IMohan Pai's ArticlesMohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-11033195915110142542008-08-25T05:51:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:06:13.642-08:00Vanishing Species - The Sangai<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >The Sangai</span></strong></div><div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><em>Cervus eldi eldi</em></span></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238438298723040594" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 387px; height: 386px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIekZ-Ct0GVHnPBNzkCnD7hL3BfcUwSaXdtZ3DWJNRgmYS2RtG17UjuvbDkBdElk-gaTol7-YPu1sDn29TMlV_r2-w39fk96VPP-FoJuM36vJf9R29JDiTy7cnbXKLMTf1LsrbWj8jA8/s200/Bitmap+in+Sangai.jpg" width="343" border="0" height="319" /><br /><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" >The Sangai, the brow-antlered deer is found only in Manipur and only 162 animals survive.</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong> </div><div>The Sangai was believed to be almost extinct by 1950. However, in 1953 six heads of the Sangai were found hovering at its natural habitat. Since then, the State Government has taken serious and positive measures for the protection of this rare and endangered species. The Sangai is also the state animal of Manipur and is projected as the social and cultural identity of the state..The Sangai lives in the marshy wetland in Keibul Lamjao National Park( 40 sq km). Its habitat is located in the southern parts of the Loktak Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Eastern India. It is also one of the seven Ramsar sites of international importance. The habitat of the Sangai is now a protected area.<br /><br />The Sangai Forum was formed to protect the Sangai and other wildlife like hog deer, wild boar, Indian otter, civet cat, box turtle, and migratory water birds who have their home in the National Park. Although banned by law, hunting of the Sangai and other wildlife continues. Then again people hunt the deer for its meat. The Loktak Hydroelectric Power Project too has become a threat to the Sangai habitat. A constant high water level is maintained in the lake and this has led to many changes, one of which is the rise in the water level in the Keibul Lamjao National Park during the rainy season. Manipur experiences heavy rains during the monsoon season. So, the Sangai's home is constantly threatened. What happens during the rainy season is that the deer seeks shelter in isolated dry patches in the National Park and poachers lie in wait for such opportunity. Many times the deer drown. One of the duties of the Sangai Forum volunteers is to keep a watch for signs of danger. They organise search parties to locate deer that are in trouble inside the park. They also keep a lookout for the poachers and organise awareness campaigns in villages, stressing on the importance of the Sangai and the need to save it. The villagers are requested to report to the nearest Sangai Forum unit if they have any news of the deer in danger. Forum volunteers also work with Forest officers and forest guards to protect the deer. In January 2003, Sangai Forum volunteers caught two poachers who had killed a Sangai. The poachers were handed over to the local Police Station and a criminal case was filed against them. </div><div> </div><div>Present status:It is reported that there are only around 162 Sangai deer left in Keibul Lamjao National Park.This last natural habitat of the deer - covering a total of 40.5 sq.km with a core zone area of 15 sq.km, is peculiar by itself as it is mostly made up of the floating biomass locally known as Phumdi. The KLNP forms part of the southern portion of the greater Loktak lake, and so the park is within the water body area of the Loktak. It is for this reason that the park has often been termed as the 'only floating national park in the world'.<br /><br />The Sangai faces a two-pronged danger to its life. Firstly, its habitat is steadily degenerating by reason of continuous inundation and flooding by high water caused as the result of artificial reservoir of the Loktak hydroelectric power project. Secondly, poachers are out there to trap and slay the deer at the slightest opportunity. In February 1998 poachers trapped two Sangai doe inside the KLNP, killing both female.<br /><br />In 1983 the 103 Megawatt capacity Loktak hydroelectric power project was commissioned with the objective of ensuring rapid development in the State. One failure of the project has been that it has never been able to provide regular power supply to the villages in the Loktak lake periphery. And a very disturbing effect of the project has been its share of harm to the ecology and the environment of the Loktak, threatening the lake ecosystem, the humans and their lands, the wildlife, and all other life forms dependent on the lake for their living.<br />A maximum high water level of 168.5 meter above MSL is maintained in the Loktak Lake to feed the reservoir for the hydel project. At this level, much of the land on the periphery of the lake had been submerged under water, rendering huge loss of productive agricultural lands and localised fish culture farms. On the other hand, this high water level had wreaked havoc in the KLNP. The high water level, maintained continuously through the year, had disturbed the natural life cycle of the vegetation growth, the through the year, had disturbed the natural life cycle of the vegetation growth, the phumdi, upon which the Sangai thrives. The deer feed on several types of vegetation that grow on the phumdi. The vegetation also provides shelter to the deer and other wildlife in the park.<br /><br />The life-cycle of the phumdi involves floating on the water surface during season of high water as in the monsoons. In the lean season, when the water level reduces, the biomass come into contact with the lake bed and they secure the required nutrient from there. When the rains come again and they become afloat, the biomass have enough 'food' - the nutrient - stored in their roots and their life continues. What is happening now, according to local scientists who are studying the phenomena, is that with continuous high water in the lake throughout the year much of this process of 'feeding' on the nutrient in the lake bed had discontinued. The result - the biomass are losing weight and getting thinner by the year. Around January last week in 1999, it was reported that a large chunk of the biomass in the northern part of KLNP had broken up into pieces and had drifted freely from the park area. This was a bad sign for the Sangai habitat.<br />Very recently this year, reports came in about local people cutting up the phumdi into sizeable pieces and then towing away these with dugout canoe for 'selling' to fish culture owners. This is another potential danger to the Sangai habitat. It meant humans are now aiding the process of annihilating the habitat area, supplementing to the rapid degeneration of the habitat.<br /><strong></strong></div><div><strong><br />Conclusion:</strong></div><div>The Sangai - a jewel in the crown for Manipur - is one of the most unfortunate animals living in the world today. Human activity - read development process - had caused extensive damage to its last natural habitat, threatening its very existence. Humans continue to hunt and slay the deer on the sly in spite of legislation (Manipur Wildlife Protection Rules 1974) and public outcry. There is no State sponsored conservation programme for securing the safety of the deer and its habitat. Manipur is poised to lose this animal wealth, forever, if timely help does not come now.</div><div><strong></strong> </div><br />MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><br /><div> </div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong> </div><div> </div>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-46195144486376008902008-08-25T05:30:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:07:45.737-08:00Vanishing Species - The Wild Boar<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em> <div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Indian Wild Boar</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">Sus scrofa cristatus</span></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238433394135702994" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 497px; height: 445px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebze_msDgFioR0Z6sV9dbredCSGQk3Q4i7ojMIyocOA089VhUUwW5siyN6FV19q8-ic6eCIflRD106AAy30Cox7-PPfjUpBp2q2Ld_IYL8UV9ynA7pNF0L_FIzaOZBm53mYkEPg7i9ZM/s200/Bitmap+in+The+Wild+Boar.jpg" width="353" border="0" height="266" /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Pic by Ajay Gaikwad</span></em></div></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" >The ‘Varaha’ of the Hindu mythology (the 3rd Avatar of Lord Vishnu) is the Wild Boar of the Indian Jungles.</span></strong></p><p>You would do better to be on your guard against this animal when in the jungle. This is the species that has the guts to challenge even the tiger. With typical pig-like features, an average wild boar rises to a height of 90cm, and weighs more than 100 kg, although some can weigh as much as 225 kg. The most distinctive feature of the wild boar is a pair of elongated canines that grow upward and outward. It wears a greyish-black coat that is scantily covered with thick bristle-like hairs arising from its nape and winding their way to its posterior. The wild boar has an incredible sense of smell, although it has fairly average eyesight and hearing. Its body is well built, but what really makes it stand out is its courage and determination to live and to win the wild bouts. Its thick coat with its layer of fat helps it recover even from the gravest of injuries. It is not an unusual sight to see a herd of 5-6 animals grazing silently in the middle of the forest, but come nightfall, and the herd becomes really confident. Wild boars are known to raid and damage crops of the farmers living on the peripheries of National Parks and Sanctuaries. Amazingly, wild boars do not have any fixed cycle for breeding. But whenever it is the mating season, a fair and formal contest decides the dominant male who gets to mate with the female boar. After a gestation period of four months, the mother gives birth to 4-6 cubs. Thanks to poaching and the loss of habitat, the number of the wild boars is fast decreasing. Once there were 6-7 species found in the sub-continent, but today only two species survive. The widespread Indian Wild Boar(Sus scrofa cristatus and the very rare and recently rediscovered Pigmy Hog (Sus salvanius) which occurs in northern Assam. </p><br /><p>Wild boar is considered to be the wild antecedent of the domestic pig of the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to the Suidae biological family, which also includes the Warthog and Bushpig of Africa, the Pygmy Hog of northern India and the Babirusa of Indonesia. Indian wild boars are also quite closely related to peccary or javelina of North, Central and South America.<br /><em>“These creatures, found all over India, have become very wary and are difficult to photograph because of widespread persecution. They are generally classed by States as vermin because of their habit of raiding food crops, and can be shot by anyone at any time. In addition they are much relished as a meal by tigers and leopards and by lions of Gir forests, though a large boar can be more than a match for a tiger or a lion.These are the same animals that are the quarry in the well-known sport of pig-sticking, which still takes place in north India where there is flat, grassy terrain suitable for horses to gallop over.”</em> --<strong> E. P. Gee.<br /></strong><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Physical Traits</strong></p><p>The thick coat of the wild boar of India is grayish-black in color and is covered with bristle-like hair. It can grow up to a length of 6 feet and may weigh as much as 440 lb (200 kg). The features of a wild boar are quite similar to that of a pig. It has a prominent ridge of hair, which match the spine. The tail is short and straight and the snout is quite narrow.<br />The most noticeable as well as most distinguishing feature of the wild boars comprise of a pair of extended canines. These canines grow both upward as well as outward. Indian wild boars possess an acute sense of smell. Even their eyesight and hearing power is fairly strong.<br /><strong>Behavior</strong></p><p>Wild boars can be found roaming around in groups, known as sounders. The number of sows, in a characteristic sounder, is two or three and rest of the members are the young ones. A typical sounder comprises of 20 animals on an average. In exceptional cases, the membership of a sounder may go up to 50 also. Adult males join a sounder only during the mating period and for the rest of the year they prefer to stay alone. Indian wild boars are basically nocturnal creatures, which forage from dusk to dawn. When surprised or attacked, they may get aggressive.<br /><strong>Diet</strong></p><p>Wild boars eat anything and everything, including nuts, berries, carrion, roots, tubers, refuse, insects, small reptiles, etc. Young deer and lambs may also form a part of their diet.<br /><strong>Habitat</strong></p><p>Wild boar is found inhabiting the woodlands of Central Europe, Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and most of Asia (including India).<br /><strong>Mating Behavior</strong></p><p>There is no fixed mating period of the wild boars of India. However, whenever it takes place, it results in a formal contest between the males to decide the dominant male. The winner gets to mate with the female boar. The maturity period is one year and gestation period lasts for four months. A female wild boar usually gives birth in the spring season and the litter normally consists of 4 to 6 cubs. </p><p><strong>Status</strong></p><p>The population of Indian wild boars is declining at a fast pace. The reasons for this are large scale poaching as well as habitat destruction. At some point of time, Indian sub-continent consisted of 6-7 species of wild boar. However, today only two of them are left.<br />Subspecies Sus scrofa scrofa (North Africa, Europe, and Asia) Sus scrofa ussuricus (North Asia and Japan) Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor to India)Sus salvanius (Pigmy Hog) - (India) Sus scrofa vittatus (Southeast Asia to Indonesia) </p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">The Pigmy Hog<br /></span></strong>The Pigmy Hog is so secretive and limited in distribution that it was thought to be extinct until 1971 when an animal was authentically sighted and then specimens were captured. They are diminutive in size, adult male weighing about 9 kg and standing 23 to 30 cm at the shoulder, while adult female weighs about 6 kg. They are shy and secretive, with family groups spending the day burrowed under a nest which they construct of piled-up chopped sedge and grasses hidden in some thicket. They move with lightning rapidity through the thick vegetation and when confronted are bold, aggressive and can inflict severe lacerations with their razor-sharp incisors. The entire world population is presently believed to survive along a narrow foothill belt in the extreme northeastern border of Assam. Recent studies have shown that females produce only one litter a year and that is born in April or May during the dry season. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238435448100790802" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPIdABouaHLFOye3xZ4EdUjcXLm_kL0cCzWvqF4oz6GIqT9X-KbDVMPZw1rL-OXh9xvBDI_ggEKLAZRLnw-HIqLbvCO-qvSKne9f3pEQon8vySoh9OOd_v2eYk9rnILstN7tn5djlYvQo/s200/Bitmap+in+The+Pigmy+Hog.jpg" width="284" border="0" height="357" /></p><br />MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><br /><p> </p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-5497403926681382942008-07-12T21:31:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:09:13.339-08:00Vanishing Species - The Tiger<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><div><em><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Tyger! Tyger! burning bright</span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">In the forests of the night;</span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">What immortal hand or eye</span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);">Could frame thy fearful symmetry?<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;">- William Blake</span></strong></em></div><br /><div><span style="font-size:180%;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">The Tiger is going ...</span></strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"> </span></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">and it is a crying shame !</span></strong></div><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222354594302189570" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 373px; height: 331px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWuPstmbeZ00wL2AgnjP5Fst55XQaxCfM0tXQ-ZIQRu0mU_t8d94S_Dwm8Nrvm5pveYdWCv0hpIDTZZzykqWn36q_hUGBjWIACn-odPwByOWEv_7KMRfokcMHLTYeM2ZfQmc6p-I9oro/s200/Tiger_panthera_tigris_tigris_Bengal.jpg" width="320" border="0" height="240" /> </span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong> </p><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">2,200 tigers lost in the last 7 years</span></strong></p><p></p><p>India has lost 2,200 or more than 60 per cent of its tigers in the last seven years says the latest Tiger Census just released.<br />The report which did not take the tiger population from the Sunderbans (West Bengal) and Indravati ( Chhattisgarh) into account, has put the total number of tigers in the country at 1,411. The last tiger census carried out in 2001-02 had pegged the total count at 3,642.<br />Poaching appears to be the main cause for the big cats vanishing in large numbers. Habitat shrinkage and loss of forest cover are the other two factors responsible for the dwindling count in some areas.<br />Madhya Pradesh has witnesses a massive loss - from 710 animals in 2001-02 to 300 animals in the 2008 census. Orissa and Assam are the other two big losers where the count has plummeted from 173 to just 45 and from 354 to mere 70, respectively. Karnataka has lost 111 tigers and Andhra Pradesh 97.</p><p>The Project Tiger initiated way back in 1973, it now appears, has turned out to be an utter and dismal failure. Government’s apathy to the problem in recent years is also an indirect cause for the depletion of tiger population.<br />The population of tigers is now at a critically low level and the species is in imminent danger of extinction. In animal population, the tempo of decline accelerates after a gradual fall to a low level; once the local population of a species is much reduced its ability to recoup deteriorates progressively, and with the fall in numbers often the factors of depletion gain lethal potency.<br />There have been a number of crusaders fighting for the cause of the Tiger for several decades now and prominent among them are:<br />1. Billy Arjan Singh, India’s well-known conservationist who single-handedly carved out the Dudhwa National Park, a forest sanctuary near Nepalese border. He is known for having reared and returned a Tigress ‘Tara’ and two leopards to the wild. His book ‘Tiger Haven’ is a chronicle of his conservation efforts.<br />2. Fateh Singh Rathore, the uninihibited Rajput who cheerfully risked his life defending the jungles in his charge.<br />3. Valmik Thgapar, who began as Fateh’s desciple. Since 1976 he has worked with tigers documenting their natural history and campaigning for their preservation. He has written numerous books and article’s on tigers.<br />4. Ullas Karanth, India’s finest field biologist and the tiger’s most persistent and vocal advocate. He has written two books: ‘The Way of the Tiger’ and ‘A view from the Machan.<br />5. Bitu Sahagal, editor of Sanctuary Asia, has promoted the cause of Saving the Tiger, now for several decades.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222356408056234114" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 348px; height: 273px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFw2eyXtGtlBADG_26GTy5uzomImJV1TFvDu1O-B8gG5CQiESy_and0hA5ZJw3qX4JHueHgKYeE4osv39htpb4mAm0E6DFUxYQ-5vql3CBAs5dM-35Sugg6z-pZryEuBqD4tU5WWsLY1I/s200/billy_arjan_singh_tiger_haven.jpg" width="306" border="0" height="228" /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The legendary crusader Billy Arjan Singh with Tara, his controversial pet tigress, at Dudhva.</span></em><br /><em></em></p><p><em>Excerpts from Chapter 14 of my book “The Western Ghats” published in 2005</em></p><p><strong>Project Tiger</strong><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">It is believed that there were more than 40,000 tigers in India some 80 years ago. Habitat destruction, rampant poaching and hunting brought about a sharp decline in their numbers. The National census of tigers in 1972 recorded the existence of only 1827 animals.<br />Considering the alarming endangered status of this majestic animal, the Government of India with support of WWF launched a scheme to protect the tiger called “Project Tiger” with nine sanctuaries declared as tiger reserves.<br />More tiger reserves were added in due course of time and today there are 28 national parks/sanctuaries under Project Tiger.<br /></span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The main objective of Project Tiger was: “To ensure maintenance of a viable population of tiger in India, and to preserve, for all time, areas of biological importance as a national heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people”.<br /></span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, a strong supporter of the Project, and of conservation in general observed, “The tiger cannot be preserved in isolation. It is the apex of a large and complex biotope. Its habitat, threatened by human intrusion, forestry and cattle grazing, must first be made inviolate”.<br />Project Tiger is a holistic conservation programme. The tiger cannot be saved in isolation. Saving the tiger involves the maintenance of a viable population of its prey species - the herbivore animals. For the herbivores to survive it has to be ensured that the vegetation of the forests is rich and varied. Thus saving tiger means saving an entire ecosystem. </span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">The project is administered jointly by the wildlife departments of both the states and the centre. Project tiger, initiated in 1973, is one of the most comprehensive conservation efforts ever launched. At the apex of a complete biota, the tiger can be saved, not in isolation, but by making its habitat sacrosanct. Populations of rhinoceros, elephant, swamp deer, gaur and several other species have been preserved in this way. </span></em></p><p><em>Excerpts from Chapter 13 of my book “The Western Ghats” published in 2005</em></p><p><strong><em>Natural Extinction of Species</em></strong></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Despite, the seemingly complex and stable nature of ecosystems, a large number of animals which roamed the earth in early geological periods have become extinct. Extinction is a natural phenomena in the evolution of animals. Certain species disappear gradually as they are unable to withstand the competition from those that are better adapted. Sometimes a whole group of animals have become extinct as had happened with dinosaurs at the end of Cretaceous period, some 70 million years ago. Many mammals like mammoths and mastodons have also become extinct. Countless other forms of animals and plants have flourished and disappeared. We know about them from fossil records preserved in the crust of the earth. Extinction is irreversible. This has been part of the evolutionary process which has produced more advanced forms of life - a process that has occurred over a vast span of time over millions of years. The greatest contribution of Charles Darwin, who propounded the Theory of Evolution, in his logical explanation for evolutionary changes and appearance of new form of life - natural selection - the success of those organisms that are capable of adapting to the environment, to survive and reproduce.<br />Extinction of species has taken place over millions of years, long before the advent of man. Primitive man lived in harmony with nature and did not cause the extinction of animal species. However, the spread of civilization across the world and the progressive exploitation of Nature have had an adverse impact on wildlife. Hunting for animals, alteration of the environment, habitat destruction, pollution of the land, air and water, the human population explosion - all these have been responsible for the extinction of animal species in recent times. Since the 17th Century about 120 mammals and 150 birds have become extinct. The rate of extinction due to human interference has accelerated since the dawn of industrial age. In India, the Cheetah, the lesser one-horned rhinoceros, the pink- headed duck and the mountain quail have become extinct in the last one century. Many mammals and birds have become rare and endangered and many a natural range diminished in size with increasing deforestation, often confining the animals to small territories.</span></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-52406744809061395392008-07-10T05:21:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:09:58.015-08:00Vanishing Species - Asiatic Wild Ass<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><em></em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">ASIATIC WILD ASS</span></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(Equus hemionous khur)</em></span><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:180%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221360335406165330" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 374px; height: 266px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUiSuWm5Y09ujPa2HnhvBDDTrvfrbOiKl4aYYpL9ait0dGbBmB7-USVeo4tctieXyDqRLzwiSQdmHD1AKIkkQjqqiqGES18FO3YozKXxoPaiuT4DYGsXwRhYUIGFqOCGofXshVnXUVc0/s200/AsiaticWildAss21.jpg" width="343" border="0" height="233" /></span> </p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Only about 2,000 Wild Asses are now surviving in India.</span></p><p>The Asiatic Wild Ass belongs to the family Equidae, and is a close relation of the Horse and the African Zebra. Within the subcontinent it is found only in the Little Rann of Kutch and probably only became extinct in Baluchistan within past forty years. It has a larger cousin, the Kiang, living on the high plateaus of Ladakh and Tibet. The Asiatic Wild Ass stands about 115 cm at the shoulder, therefore considerably taller than the domestic donkey. The male is larger and sturdier than the female. They live in mixed troops of 10 to 30 animals except for 2 or 3 months after the young are bornWhen the mares accompanied by the foals live apart and the stallions keep singly or in scattered twos and threes. Their typical habitat is the flat salt desert around Dhrangadhra and Jhinjuwada in the Little Rann of Kutch which gets inundated during the monsoon, leaving exposed little ‘islands’ or bets of slightly raised ground supporting scanty grasses which comprise the principal food of this animal. The Wild Ass is fleet of foot, being capable of attaining a maximum speed of 50 kmph over a considerable distance. </p><p>The Rann of Kutch, Gujarat is the only habitat for this endangered sub-species of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus khur) and most of the population survives in the Wild Ass Sanctuary in Little Rann of Kutch.They are chestnut brown and white in colour with a dark stripe, made up of dark brown mane which runs along the animal’s back ending with its tufted tail. The area is a saline desert with extremely sparse cover of vegetation. In the past, the habitat supported a thriving population of wild asses. However, due to extensive changes in the land-use around the Rann of Kutch, there has been an increase in the conflict of interests between man and the wild ass. Epidemics of surra and South African Horse Sickness also considerably decimated their population in 1950s. Their total population had dropped to less than 1,000 animals in 1962.</p><p>The Wild ass is an endangered mammal, and is classified as such by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The current official population of this mammal is about 2000. This population is confined mostly to the Little Rann of Kutch, a unique salt desert-wetland ecosystem which also contains several other rare species.<br /></p><p>Though a large area of 4900 sq. km. of the Little Rann of Kutch had been declared a wildlife sanctuary, the study by researchers from the Wildlife Institute found that the Wild ass mostly uses the fringes of the vast desert area, including the fallow and wasteland which abounds in the adjacent villages. This is precisely the habitat where Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project (SSP) irrigation canals proposed to extend around the last habitat of the Wild Ass, will cause drastic land use and vegetational changes, including conversion into permanent cultivation, replacement of native vegetation which is favoured by the Wild ass into unpalatable weed, and waterlogging/salinisation. In addition, the existing Wild ass movement between the Little Rann of Kutch and the Great Rann (to its north), where a small population of the species exists, will be cut off, "causing genetic isolation". All these factors, says the study, "would have dire consequences for the long-term survival of the species".<br /></p><p>The other main threat faced by the sanctuary is the illegal salt mining activity in the area. 25% of India's salt supply comes from mining in the area. The transportation of salt leads to noise and air pollution. Another major threat to the animals is due to the 217 km² firing range of the Indian army located within the sanctuary. Other threats faced by the sanctuary are poaching and proliferation of chemical factories in the region.</p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic: Courtesy: shunya.net</span></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-83680932505261034622008-07-10T04:38:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:10:50.215-08:00Vanishing Species - Indian Pangolin<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">INDIAN PANGOLIN</span></span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Manis crassicaudata</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221349538263094194" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 366px; height: 265px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQ9jRPMRPaig4CVWwuqR53UMfPMxTWbttowVGYTKBissk4ZD-uhUHhXG9gcbSKfrZYAwimzD_YEFRwTXuTluUO8wrjmlPMmmUkXR93khp42MCEXz118B62CR2_8BQaEJ6BTZO_RuwY3g/s200/Pangolin.jpg" width="366" border="0" height="216" /></span></em></div><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >The Scaly ant-eater.</span></strong></p><p>The pangolin or scaly ant eaters are curious animals. Unlike other mammals the pangolin is characterised by the presence of large overlapping scales on the body which act like protective armour. These scales are considered as modifications of the hair or spines flattened into scales. The underside of the body has some coarse bristle-like hair which can be seen in-between the scales. Pangolins are nocturnal in habits, spending the day in their burrows, which are long tunnels ending into a large chamber. Burrows may be fairly deep (6 m) in loose soil. The entrance of the burrow is closed with earth when animal is inside. It walks slowly with the back well arched and sometimes stands up on its hind feet with the body inclined forward.<br />The food of pangolins consists of various kind of ants and termites. The termite mound is torn open by the powerful claws and the pangolin thrusts its long tongue, lubricated with saliva into the passages and withdraws it with white ants adhering to it.<br /></p><p>Pangolins have no teeth. They are particularly attracted by the leaf nests of the big red ants. Pangolins can climb walls, they climb trees in search of tree ants. Pangolins roll into a ball for defence and exhibit enormous muscular power that defies any ordinary attempt to unroll them. Probably stronger carnivore can prey upon them. Habitat destruction and killing for so called medicinal purposes have considerably reduced the population of the pangolin.</p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221349543431693266" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUjsngHiJ54gecCF5skqd96bkcr390ytCT5Wp9lXSTzqjiGhMM8Yx6cWJywpmkKJr_qF_QbZmjzg4o7sXtSVtPYZubQwD6KIFxDJ1K_JBPRkHGb9xbYF3A-ENkgxIeuDBZf-ub9FyvMM/s200/Pangolin+3.jpg" width="286" border="0" height="335" /></p><p></p><p>The name Pangolin is derived from Malayan phrase ‘Pen Gulling’ meaning ‘rolling ball’, while the term Pholidota came from a Greek word meaning ‘scaled animals’. They are also known as Scaly Anteaters because of their food habits. </p><p><strong>General Characteristics</strong> </p><p>Elongated tapering body, covered with large overlapping scales, except on snout, chin, sides of face, throat, belly and inner surface of limbs. Scales may be regarded as hair or rather as spines enormously enlarged and flattened. The movable scales with sharp posterior edges attached at the base to the thick skin from which they grow. The shape and topography of scales change with wear and tear. Colour varies from different shades of brown to yellow. White, brown or even black bristle like hair covering the scale less areas. Eyes small, with thick heavy eyelids. Limbs with five clawed digits, hind leg Longer and stouter than fore leg. Tail thick and tapering, tongue long, upto 25 cm. Skull oblong or conical, without teeth. Female with two mammae in the thoracic region. </p><p><strong>Distribution </strong></p><p>Indian Pangolin occurs sporadically throughout the plains and lower slopes of hills from south of the Himalaya to Kannyakumari, excepting the north-eastern region. It also occurs in Pakistan.SriLanka andprobably in Bangladesh. Indian Pangolin occupies different types of tropical forests, mainly moist, dry deciduous, wet to semi-evergreen, thorn as well as grassland. It is also recorded from degraded wasteland near human habitation. Chinese Pangolin mainly inhabits subtropical broad-leaved forests and tropical wet, semi-evergreen and moist forests. Both the species are nocturnal. During the day, pangolins are found curled in burrows with many sealed outlets of loose earth. Burrows are usually made under large boulders or rocks. The depth of the burrow varies, depending on the soil type, 1.5-1.8 m in rocky soil and 6 m or more in loose soil. Though terrestrial in habit, they are excellent climbers, using ‘caterpillar locomotion’, with the firm grip of forefeet on the tree. The tail provides auxiliary support. The pangolins are highly specialized in their feeding habits. They feed mainly on eggs, young ones and adults of termites and ants by digging the termite or ant nests. Before digging the termite or ant nests, they utilize their sense organs, smell rapidlyaround the area to select the most suitable spot to start with and feed rapidly by extending protrusible, long, thin, copiously lubricated tongue into the galleries of nests. Eggs are relished more than the adults. Pangolins are particularly attracted by the leaf nests of large red ants, which hold the swarms of adults and their eggs. A close correlation exists between the range of distribution of M. pentadactyla and the abundance of termite species, Coptotermes formosanus. In captivity, pangolins are fed with milk, meat and eggs. Due to absence of teeth, food is directly taken into the Stomach and grinded with the help of strong musculature and pebbles collected during feeding. </p><p>Pangolins are timid and inoffensive. For defence they tackle their head towards belly and curl up under the broad scaly tail so that all the vulnerable parts of the body are protected. Squirting of an aromatic liquid from the anal region has been reported as another method of defensive mechanism. Male and female are found to occupy the same burrow with the young, but very little is known about the breeding habits. Breeding season varies from January to March in Deccan plateau, with the rare records of births during the month of July. </p><p><strong>Threats </strong></p><p>The flesh of pangolins is relished by some tribal communities and scales and skins are found in trade. Hunting, during ‘Shikar Utsav’, on a particular day of the year in eastern states also poses a serious threat. Owing to uncommon appearance, unusual apathy of the common people towards pangolins is another threat. Rapid loss and deterioration of habitat, steady increase in the agrarian economy combined with improved irrigation and random use of pesticides appear to be the most serious threat resulting in decline of pangolin population in the country.</p><p><strong>Status and Conservation Measures </strong></p><p>Both the species of pangolins of India are listed as Lower risk threatened (Lrnt) by IUCN. As per Red Data Book of Indian Animals (Z.S.I 1994), M. crassicaudata is considered vulnerable and M. pentadactyla as insufficiently Known. </p><p>A Centre for excellence in Pangolin Research, Conservation and Monitoring studies has been set up at Ajmer in Rajasthan.</p><p></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic 1 by: Pankaj Sharma</span></em></p><p><br /><em></em></p><p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-1790661682282423522008-07-08T22:15:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:12:02.287-08:00Vanishing Species - The Asian Elephant<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><div><div><em></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The Asian Elephant</span></strong></em></div><div><strong><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Elephas maximus<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220880371592263378" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 421px; height: 398px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJwyVo7llAxOW022sfsmkIaswdZxLfxswGUa0kzWcah0mM2gv2up_lgmp-vWraKR9VQCQn9Dc2UAvkpLTVyKJUmzRYquY0aw5mci0a4WX4Tyh85fZiasyFvNyjEUZSbjf3dct7qAaBCY/s200/Tuskar+-+V+Ramnarayana.jpg" width="359" border="0" height="313" /></span></em></strong></div></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >A magnificent beast and the largest land mammal, has a very special place in the Indian psyche.</span></strong></p><p>India has been the main habitat of the Asian elephant. In spite of a drastic reduction in their numbers over the last century, India still has the highest population of the Asian wild elephants (about 25,000). The beast was tamed and domesticated and has been a part of the country’s religious, cultural, social scene for more than 5,000 years. The animal is inextricably linked with our history and lore. The seals of ancient Harappan civilization of the Indus valley(3000-2000 B.C.) depict figures of elephants.<br /></p><p>One of the most venerated gods of the Hindu pantheon in India today is the elephant-headed Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles. Gajalaksmi, the elephant goddess is always shown with two elephants forming a triangular canopy with their trunks for goddess Lakshmi. </p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220881411962088898" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1dDD5Klv20WVOkbvzewJGpGHoWnXPschHzaarJTTUNHj3LD9qIihsiTLgiZ9yQh04XrCkbHeRYXc71tt8T1qv17tmDf1Y9-omVUOxhCuY6kUbUqZVqvn2CwOWYaFBEtW6Lw36_CAr9Nk/s200/Indra+%26+Aiyavat.jpg" width="339" border="0" height="277" /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">God Indra's eight-trunk elephant - Airavat</span></em></p><p>Vedic God Indra’s vehicle is an eight-trunk white elephant called Airavat. The Buddha himself is considered an incarnation of the sacred white elephant. There is a remarkable manuscript “Gajashastra” (Elephant lore) dated around sixth - fifth century B.C. giving the natural history of elephants. The Aryans who arrived in India around 1500 B.C. realised the value of the great beast and captured elephants in large numbers through kheddah operations (driving entire herds into stockade), the method of capture adopted even in our own times in Kakankote, Mysore until 1971 the year in which the last kheddah was held.<br />Elephants feature quite prominently in the Vedas as well as the two great epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, where the elephant is used as a war engine.<br />When Alexander the Great invaded India in 323 B.C. He faced a formidable array of King Porus’s 200 war elephants and elephants continued to be prized possessions of kings for the next 2000 years.</p><p>There is a profusion of elephant images in the sculptures of all the ancient and famous temples of Khajurao, Ajanta Elora, Badami & Pattadakal, Belur/Halebid, Hampi, Tanjore and many other temples in the south.<br />Elephants, even today are maintained by a lot of Hindu temples, especially in the south. Gurvayur in Kerala maintains several temple elephants which are used in religious processions. The pageant of the caparisoned elephants in the world famous Mysore Dussera is an annual feature that still continues to attract large number of visitors from abroad.<br />Elephants were the prized possessions of the Indian kings throughout the history of India. They were an integral part of their pomp and pageantry. The Mauryan kingdom maintained a large elephant army of about 9,000 elephants. The passion of the Hindu kings for elephants was passed on to the Muslim rulers who maintained large elephant stables or pil-khanas. The Moguls captured a large number of elephants both for their armies and their sports hunt. Jehangir (1605-1627 AD) reputedly maintained a stock of 12,000 elephants in his army.</p><p>There is a profusion of elephant images in the sculptures of all the ancient and famous temples of Khajurao, Ajanta Elora, Badami & Pattadakal, Belur/Halebid, Hampi, Tanjore and many other temples in the south.<br />Elephants, even today are maintained by a lot of Hindu temples, especially in the south. Gurvayur in Kerala maintains several temple elephants which are used in religious processions. The pageant of the caparisoned elephants in the world famous Mysore Dussera is an annual feature that still continues to attract large number of visitors from abroad.<br />Elephants were the prized possessions of the Indian kings throughout the history of India. They were an integral part of their pomp and pageantry. The Mauryan kingdom maintained a large elephant army of about 9,000 elephants. The passion of the Hindu kings for elephants was passed on to the Muslim rulers who maintained large elephant stables or pil-khanas. The Moguls captured a large number of elephants both for their armies and their sports hunt. Jehangir (1605-1627 AD) reputedly maintained a stock of 12,000 elephants in his army.</p><p><strong>THE DECIMATION</strong></p><p><em>“There was a strange conjunction between wilderness and civilization in these elephants. One moment we saw them as living monuments to the past and symbols of the vanishing forests. The next they evoked visions of the pomp of kings and emperors, and of docile beasts of burden hauling logs out of forests, ironically assisting the destruction of their home. They seem lost between two worlds” -</em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">George B. Schaller in the Foreword to Raman Sukumar’s book “Elephant Days & nights”.<br /></span></em></p><p>The elephant has been around in India for a considerable amount of time, right from mid-Pliocene, for nearly four million years. Now, they face a precarious existence and a possible extinction in not too distant a future.</p><p>Demand for ivory, combined with habitat loss from human settlement, has led to a dramatic decline in elephant populations in the last few decades. In 1930, there were between 5 and 10 million African elephants. By 1979, there were 1.3 million. In 1989, when they were added to the international list of the most endangered species, there were about 600,000 remaining, less than one percent of their original number.Asian elephants were never as abundant as their African cousins, and today they are even more endangered than African elephants. At the turn of the century, there were an estimated 200,000 Asian elephants. Today there are probably no more than 35,000 to 40,000 left in the wild and Indian population is now around 25,000 animals.</p><p>By the end of the tenth century, the wild elephant had disappeared from most of the northern Indo-gangetic plains, the river valleys in the southern peninsula, and the coastal tract. The distribution of wild elephant seems to have remained largely unchanged at the end of the Mogul rule, until the middle of the nineteenth century. One population extended along the Himalayan foothills into the hills of the northeast, another large population roamed over the Western Ghats and tracts of the Eastern Ghats, while a third smaller population was confined to primarily Orissa and Bihar.<br />During the nineteenth century, the British penetrated the hill forests and began cultivating tea and coffee on a large scale. Capturing combined with the clearance of the elephant’s jungle for plantation became a powerful depletion force. They also helped decimate the wild elephant population in these tracts through their sport of hunting ‘big game’. The killing of elephant for sport had not been part of the Indian ethos. One British planter is reputed to have shot about 300 elephants, most of them cows and calves, in the Wyanad district of Kerala. Some of the Indian rules of the princely states in imitation of the colonial rulers, also began hunting elephants for sport. It is estimated that 30,000 to 50,000 elephants were captured or shot in India, largely in the northeast, during the period 1868 to 1980. This figure could be as high as 1,00,000 for Asia as a whole.<br />The country’s forests have shrunk by over 30% since independence in 1947. Dams have submerged river valleys in the forests , mines have stripped entire hill slopes bare and the burgeoning population has pushed further into the forests. The colonization of the terai moist forests along the Himalayan foothills has separated the elephant population of the northwest and the northeast. Poaching and killing of elephants by ivory hunters (In 1982 over a dozen elephants were shot in the Satyamangala division in Tamil Nadu) has been rampant and seems to continue unabated in spite of the government’s new ivory trade policy. In recent years, the man-animal conflict appears to be on the increase. The elephants raid fields and orchards doing a lot of damage to the crops, often turning violent. The reason for this conflict is very apparent. The fast reduction of their habitats and closing or blocking of their regular corridors has resulted into the elephant encroaching on human settlements that results into both man killing the animal and the animal attacking the man. </p><p><strong>The Asian Elephant</strong></p><p>Indian elephant, known with the scientific name of 'Elephas maximus indicus', is a subspecies of the Asian Elephant. It is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, that to in the scrub forested areas. The other counties where Asian elephants are found include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Borneo, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Sumatra, and Vietnam. Since Indian elephants are very huge and can trample all other creatures, they have no natural enemies. Even lions, hyenas, and tigers attack only the very young elephants and not adults.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Physical Traits</strong> </p><p>Asian elephants of the Indian subcontinent grow to a height of between 8 ft and 10 ft. Slightly smaller than the African elephant, they weigh as much as 7,000 to 11000 pounds. The feet of an Asian elephant are very large and broad, which enables it to balance its enormous weight quite easily. There are thick soles below the feet, which absorb shock and cushion legs, when the elephant walks and runs. Their length varies between 216 inches and 252 inches.<br />The huge and beautiful tusks of the Indian elephant only serve as the icing on the cake. These tusks are actually incisor teeth made up of ivory, which may grow up to 5 ft in length. The tusks are used by the elephants in digging for food, clearing debris, and carrying logs. The only other animal that has ivory tusks is the walrus.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Natural Habitat</strong></p><p>Though Indian elephants are found everywhere, they prefer the scrub forests of India, with abundant food supply and shady areas. They do not stay at a particular place for more than a couple of days. One of the reasons for this is that their diet is very huge and they have to move to new areas to keep them supplied with food all the times. At times, you find Asian elephants roaming around in the Indian jungles. However, this is possible only if there is a there's a meadow or open space (with grass) around. They also prefer muddy areas in summers, where they can cool off during the hot daytime.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Diet</strong></p><p>Asian Elephant is herbivorous and survives on bamboo, berries, mangoes, bananas, shrubs, tree foliage, wood, apples, wild rice and coconuts. Only half of the food eaten by elephants is used by their body. Therefore, it is necessary for them to eat 330 and 350 pounds of food every day. Their diet also consists of approximately 22 to 30 gallons of water per day.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Behavior</strong> </p><p>The groups (herds) of elephants are matriarchal i.e., a female elephant leads the herd. Males remain isolated and rarely form groups. They usually join the herd only when the mating season approaches. The members of a herd make use of a number of gestures and sounds while communicating with each other. Their sense of commitment towards the other members of the group is very strong. A female elephant protects her young one very fiercely. In her absence, this responsibility comes in the hands of the other females of the herd.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Mating Behavior</strong></p><p>Male elephants fight to establish rights over a female herd. Indian elephants reach maturity by the age of twelve. The gestation period is between 630 and 660 days and the number of offspring is only one. The baby elephant is known as calf and usually weighs between 200 and 250 pounds.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Senses</strong> </p><p>Indian elephants are highly intelligent creatures and have acute senses of hearing and smell. They have large ears and can hear even those sounds that other animals do not. However, elephants have poor vision and their small eyes can see only up to 60 ft. Even though they are huge, elephants can easily balance their weight on two legs, especially while reaching the leaves of a tree. Even their sense of smell and sense of taste is very delicate.</p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><em>PROJECT ELEPHANT</em></span></strong></p><p>Realising the indiscriminate slaughter that was taking place, the British in 1873 in Madras enacted the first law to prevent the rampant slaughter of the herds. Six years later, British India as a whole followed suit. But the so called legal killing and poaching continued.<br />By eighties it was clear as a day light that unless the government comes forward and try and save the animal its future was doomed. The estimated population of elephants in India had dropped to 15,000-18000 animals in 1980s. The Government of India launched the Project Elephant in 1992 to help save the elephant.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220880377061376642" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 437px; height: 283px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrYfsspnlAGN_iNrZYdoAEDsK8ZvBJsnkp6pirWwmi5FrEH3jO6npcMa-Z-i4iUG9fjs7EOYaTsVTybXEYnKkFEakMq9Q5uKdPBIdybI9s6t52PMkYgYhfBL6vDhdLU7hFwAFw7pFYLHY/s200/asiaticelephant2.jpg" width="336" border="0" height="219" /></p><p>The project was predicated on the need to focus conservation action on the Asian Elephant and its habitat, which currently face a number of threats. The main threats included: a) Reduction and fragmentation of habitat and consequent isolation of populations into small and genetically unviable units; b) Conflicts between wild elephants and human populations, leading to loss of human life and property and retaliatory killing of wild elephants; c) Poaching of elephants for ivory and, in some parts of the country, for meat; d) Elephant mortality due to other causes, such as from transmission lines, rail lines, highways etc., passing through the elephant habitat and other natural causes such as floods; e) Inadequate finance, infra-structure and human resources for proper implementation of management priorities at the field level. Project Elephant differs from other wildlife conservation projects such as Project Tiger in that it covers not only the protected areas (national parks and sanctuaries) but also other areas, which constitute the habitat of the wild elephants such as reserved and protected forests and other habitats. The projects covers an area of approximately 60,000 sq kms in 12 states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Under Project Elephant, 11 elephant reserves have been identified in the country.</p><p>Since the launch of the Project Elephant there are indications of the population faring better. </p><p>Some of the positive impacts of the project are : </p><p>a) The Mahananda sanctuary in West Bengal today retains elephants throughout the year as against about one month annually at the beginning of the project. b) Elephants displaced from Tamil Nadu in 1985-86 have been accommodated in the forests of Andhra Pradesh and restricted to the Kaundinya sanctuary. c) Human-elephant conflict in Madhya Pradesh resulting from displaced elephants from Bihar has been specifically mitigated. d) Wild elephants straying towards Calcutta in South-West Bengal have been controlled. e) There is a downward trend in the loss of human life from human-elephant conflict in the states of Karnataka, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. The major areas of concern yet to be fully addressed under the project include : a) Inter-state co-ordination for succe-sful implementation of the project, particularly anti-poaching efforts. b) Rationalisation of human use of various habitats included within the elephant's range of distribution. c) Problems arising out of displaced and disoriented elephants, resulting from habitat fragmentation and their population growth. d) Genetic isolation of certain populations and imbalance in the sex ratio. e) Control of poaching and illegal trade. These are some of the major priorities, in addition to the on-going efforts which the project seeks to address in the coming years.<br /><br />The elephant is considered a symbol of fertility, wealth and abundance. The status of the elephant is a good indicator of the health of the habitat. A habitat which is good for elephants is also good not only for its associate species like sambar, cheetal, kakar but also for predators such as panthers and tigers. The habitat will also have to be flora-rich to support animal biodiversity. When the forest is good for all these animals, the eco-system is in good condition, which means the water regime is right and so also the condition of the soil. Because the elephant requires a much larger home range than any other terrestrial animal, it is usually one of the forest species which has to suffer the consequences of habitat fragmentation and destruction. The historical and present day distribution of the elephant in the Indian sub-continent is in many ways a record of the progressive deterioration of the environment in the sub-continent. </p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">References: Elephant Days & Nights by Raman Sukumar, India’s Wildlife History by Mahesh Rangarajan, Wikipedia.</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Picture credit: Pic 1 by: V. Ramnarayana</span></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-64435333791204090142008-07-08T21:44:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:13:19.949-08:00Vanishing Species - Hoolock Gibbon<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);font-size:180%;" >Hoolock Gibbon</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Hoolock hoolock<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220871730778869922" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 403px; height: 305px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-oLeVU9GQoPg0ah3YWuNEXv_FN0MPfoz2FH52Uxg8Ella39vAMElSfoMxQC21cxNIoejE3aVZ_jSgMGc-eaMfVUdG-m1-6AeYXmH8rUji869EN-XaBVP6BN4W8avkISoNlEr6GPlBgc/s200/Female+Hoolckgibbon+-+Dhritiman++Mukherjee.jpg" width="329" border="0" height="231" /></span></em></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:180%;" >Hoolock Gibbon is the only ape to be found in India and is a rare, highly endangered species.</span></strong></p><p>Hoolock gibbon also known as white-browed gibbon, is the most accomplished acrobat of all the apes. A round face with a distinctive white band in place of eyebrows, long arms and absence of tail are the distinguishing features of this ape. Its flexible shoulder joints permit greater freedom of arms movement. Its long hands fasten on to branches like hooks. It seizes the branch with one hand, then it swings forward to grasp the next branch with the other hand, and in this way covers m in a single swing, almost literally skimming through the forest canopy at amazing speed. The most common position is hanging and sometimes swinging to and fro, referred to as ‘the crucifixion pose’.<br />The gibbon’s arms are very long, allowing the fingertips to touch the ground when the animal stands. On the ground the hoolock has a very characteristic gait. Its nose-bridge is more prominent than that of other apes. The gibbon would look quite human if it were not for the fairly heavy brow ridges and the low, sloping forehead.</p><p>Hoolock gibbon inhabits all the 7 states of northeast India from 100 to 1,370 m, and the northern, north- east and northwest limit of its range is the river Brahmaputra (Dibang in Arunachal Pradesh) which acts as a physical barrier for its distribution. It inhabits primary evergreen and less seasonal parts of semi-evergreen rainforests and rarely semi-deciduous forests. Habitat loss jeopardizes its survival and it is hunted in its entire range. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220873061126159218" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 415px; height: 368px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXbw6m0wHButiG_OQPMa4EwUJC7K6NMkFiDDgsdi0JF4t2LVUCNKi8Jzdpk2zb0GO3a3245-4-4sn9JgaOc3supxeTkJq3SKaft-4PTUmnE_ML0nx3XyxqYKlag_xnv9Ysp9BsQJTuYGI/s200/Hoolock+gibbon+habitat.gif" width="332" border="0" height="276" />Hoolocks are the second largest of the gibbons, after the Siamang. They reach a size of 60 to 90 cm and weigh 6 to 9 kg. The genders are about the same size, but they differ considerably in coloration: males are black colored with remarkable white brows, while females have a grey-brown fur, which is darker at the chest and neck. White rings around the eyes and around the mouth give their face a mask-like appearance.The range of the hoolock extend from Assam in North-East India, to Myanmar. Small populations (in each case few hundred animals) live also in the eastern Bangladesh and in southwest China. Like the other gibbons, they are diurnal and arboreal, going through the trees with their long arms. They live together in monogamous pairs and stake out a territory. Their calls serve to locate family members and ward off other gibbons from their territory. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, insects and leaves.Young hoolocks are born after a seven month gestation, with a milky white fur. After about six months their fur turns black. After 8 to 9 years they are fully mature and their coat reaches its final coloration. Their life expectancy in the wild is about 25 years. <p>In India and Bangladesh its range is strongly associated with the occurrence of contiguous canopy, broad-leaved, wet evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. The species is an important seed disperser; its diet includes mostly ripe fruits, with some flowers, leaves and shoots. Western hoolock gibbons face numerous threats in the wild, and are now entirely dependent on human action for their survival. The debilitating threats include habitat encroachment to accommodate ever-growing human populations and immigration, forest clearance for tea cultivation, the practice of jhuming (slash-and-burn cultivation), hunting for food and “medicine”, capture for trade, and the degradation and decline in quality of their forests that impacts fruiting trees, canopy cover and the viability of their home ranges. Isolated populations face the additional threats arising from the intrinsic effects of small populations. Some populations surviving in just a few remaining trees are subjected to harassment by locals and to lack of food, and are attacked by dogs while attempting to cross clearings between forest patches. </p><p>Mostly hunted for food, it is also hunted for other purposes such as ornamentation, taboo, religious ceremonies, traditional medicine, etc. without any restriction.It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. IUCN SSC–Red Data Red Book records this species in the ‘Data deficient’ category. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220871736388984850" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPz3JofJg7lYnNVGC0vVNJN8WLF-d53I5kvq8NhMlAzoJCFErsBP_gob6FfuFlqlp2MZz2IlA6iGVTc8dvDJunsCzWv3w3zd3qbrDI5zi1KLy3qWlAniRvCu3RmhkIRz1Cj4wm5BGznIQ/s200/Hoolock+Gibbon+-+Ritu+Raj+Konwar.jpg" width="322" border="0" height="329" /></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic 1:Female Hoolock gibbon. Pic by: Dhritiman Mukherjee</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic 2: "The Crusifixion Pose" by Ritu Raj Konwar</span></em></p><p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><br /><em></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></em></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-64434799854191711132008-07-08T19:51:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:14:00.078-08:00Vanishing Species - The Asiatic Lion<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><br /><em></em><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >The Asiatic Lion</span></strong><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Panthera leo persica</span></em><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220842375445214210" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 447px; height: 382px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8R-buQM2GRcBOkbQQeCcZtZuO0lQ86r_st-GX_2CKg_3WTbnjq8-emD-1jbjC44OE_tYIeG2oVwU2lvkCGj13XwnSfq5n-DjGWor0gS4RSjGc5rIP4xbeKNFx_uzTa128uaHjt-Evv8M/s200/Gir+Lion+-+Yogendra+Shah.jpg" width="315" border="0" height="220" /></span></strong><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Gir, the last bastion of an almost extinct species.</span></strong></p><p>In 1901, the Nawab of Junagadh invited the then Viceroy Lord Curzon to Gir for a hunt. Lord Curzon backed off at the last moment when as if by providence a letter in a local newspaper criticised the damage a Viceroy's visit would cause to a species on the verge of extinction. Wisely, he requested the Nawb to protect the last surviving animals in his territory. The total Lion population was around 20 when the Nawab enforced a ban on hunting. This move resulted as the first conservation effort for the continuous well being of the Lions. After India got its independence from the British rule in 1947, the government had come to realise the importance and fragile nature of this last bastion of the Asiatic lion, and the Nawab’s Lion conservation policy was upheld. The Indian government then created the Gir National Park and Lion Sanctuary collectively known as Gir Protected Area covering over 1,000 sq-kms.The sanctuary area is made up of dry scrubland with hills, rivers, and teak forest. In addition to the lion population, the wildlife includes Leopards, Antelopes, Deer, Jackals, Hyenas, and Marsh Crocodiles Naturalists were assigned to study and take a census of the Gir’s lion population, which at that time was around 200 lions.</p><br /><p>Gir Widllife Sanctaury is the last refuge of Asiatic lions in India and the lion population residing in the park is about 350. The protected area of Gir Sanctuary is about 560-square-mile (1,450-sq-kms). In India too, the Lions were spread across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. History bears witness to the fact that this majestic animal is so deeply etched in our minds that King Ashoka depicted them on his rock pillars around 300 BC. Today India’s National Emblem is based on the Lions featured on Ashoka’s pillars. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220843399723935186" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxFEtlJ0evpPX_4o7UUOoRl-H6Yb3GkCMcglPywku3IpS965jESid3hV7BDwAnhP5iBLw-l_kBLLVyihggUTqutXU0KXzwErN6YFDrwuFLgR-DXoVcwiO_UveBYpl_GGb7t5QPUXBzTQ/s200/200px-Sarnath_Lion_Capital_of_Ashoka.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>The Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is a subspecies of the lion which survives today only in India hence it is also known as the Indian lion. They ranged once from the Mediterranean to India, covering most of Southwest Asia where it is also known as the Persian lion.The current wild population consists of about 350 individuals restricted to the Gir Forest in the state of Gujarat, India.The historic distribution included the Caucasus to Yemen and from Macedonia in Greece to present-day India through Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan through to the borders of Bangladesh.</p><p>Lions have gradually disappeared from many regions of the world as a result of habitat destruction and reckless hunting, as well as exploitation for the purpose of public amusement; in the days of the Roman Empire for instance, lions would be imported to entertain the masses by doing battle with either human gladiators or other animals. Eventually they became extinct throughout much of their former ranges. But unlike many of the populations of African lions that continue to thrive today, the formerly vast population of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) has now been confined to the Gir Forests. The Asiatic lion is exceptionally rare, and is in extreme danger of extinction. Our Asiatic lions are part of the breeding project of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP). </p><p><strong>Asiatic Lions in Europe and Southwest Asia</strong></p><p>Lions were once found in Europe. Aristotle and Herodotus wrote that lions were found in the Balkans. When King Xerxes of Persia advanced through Macedon in 480 BC, several of his baggage camels were killed by lions. Lions are believed to have died out within the borders of present-day Greece around AD 80-100.The European population is sometimes considered part of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) group, but others consider it a separate subspecies, the European lion (Panthera leo europaea) or a last remnant of the Cave lion (Panthera leo spelaea).Lions were found in the Caucasus until the 10th century. This was the northernmost population of lions and the only place in the former Soviet Union's territory that lions lived in historic times. These lions became extinct in Armenia around the year 100 and in Azerbaijan and southwest Russia during the 10th century. The region was also inhabited by the Caspian Tiger and the Persian leopard apart from Asiatic Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) introduced by Armenian princes for hunting. The last tiger was shot in 1932 near Prishib village in Talis, Azerba?an Republic. The principal reasons for the disappearance of these cats was their extermination as predators. The prey for large cats in the region included the wisent, elk, aurochs, tarpan, deer and other ungulates.</p><p>Lions remained widespread elsewhere until the mid-19th century when the advent of firearms led to its extinction over large areas. The last sighting of a live Asiatic Lion in Iran was in 1941 (between Shiraz and Jahrom, Fars province). In 1944, the corpse of a lioness was found on the banks of Karun river, Khuzestan province, Iran. There are no subsequent reliable reports from Iran. By the late 19th century the lion had disappeared from Turkey.</p><p><strong>Physical Traits</strong></p><p>Asiatic Lion is the second largest 'Big Cat' in the world, after the ferocious tiger. A fully-grown male tiger reaches a length of 1.7 m to 2.5 m (head and body), with its tail being somewhere around 70 to 105 cm long. The tail of an Indian Lion has a dark tuft of fur at the end. Its shoulder height is around 1 to 1.23 m and the animal weighs between 150 kg and 250 kg. A lioness is smaller in size as compared to the male and reaches a height of 80 to 107 cm. The length of the head and the body is 1.7 to 2.5 m, while the weight is 120 to 180 kg.<br />The males are orange-yellow to dark brown in color, while the females have a sandy or tawny color. Males also have a mane, which is usually dark in color, but is rarely seen to be of black color. This characteristic mane is absent in the females. The mane of an Asiatic Lion is also shorter than that of an African Lion. However, Indian Lions are much more bushy, with longer tufts of hair at the end of the tail as well as on the elbow joints, than their African cousins.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Behavior</strong></p><p>Indian Lions are the only Big Cats that are seen living in large groups, known as 'prides'. A typical pride comprises of around 15 members, which includes related lionesses, their cubs and a few males. The number of males in a pride is usually around three and one of them dominates the rest of the group, including the other males. In a pride, it is the lionesses that do all the work, right from taking care of the cubs to hunting. The males only make the first claim on the game hunted by the female.<br />The lionesses as well as the cubs eat only the leftovers. Male lions establish their pride's territorial boundaries by roaring and scent marking and fiercely defend it. All the members of the pride are closely attached with one another. In fact, majority of the lionesses remain with a particular pride throughout their life. However, a male is expelled from the pride the moment it is 3 years old. The few male lions that do not join any group become a major threat to the ones with a pride. Asiatic lions usually hunt in groups and are rarely seen stalking a prey in isolation.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Mating Behavior</strong></p><p>Male lions attain the age of maturity around 5 years of age, while the lionesses become mature after becoming 4 years old. There is no particular mating season of the Indian Lions. They can mate anytime during the entire year. The gestation period lasts for 100 to 119 days, after which 3 to 4 cubs are born.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Diet</strong></p><p>Indian Lions are carnivorous and depend upon hunting for food. Their prey mainly comprises of Deer, Antelope, Wild Boar and Wild Buffalo. At times, lions have also been observed attacking young hippopotamus and elephants.<br />Geographical RangeAsiatic Lions are highly endangered species and have become extinct from all the countries of the world, except the Indian subcontinent. In India also, the animal is found only in the Gir forests of Gujarat.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Current Status</strong></p><p>The last census on the Asiatic Lions was carried out in the year 2006. It revealed the population of the species to be somewhere around 359, including over 50 lions kept in captivity.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Trivia</strong></p><p>Asiatic lions form prides (groups), in which all the work, including hunting, is done by the lionesses. The only work that males do is to make the first claim on the prey hunted by the females. Apart from that, they just laze around and do nothing. </p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Reintroduction</span></strong></p><p>The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an effort to save the last Asiatic lions from extinction in the wild. The last wild population in the Gir Forest region of the Indian state of Gujarat is under threat from epidemics, Natural disasters and Man-made disasters. The goal is to establish a second independent population of Asiatic Lions at the Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is important to start a second population to bolster the population of Asiatic Lions, and to help develop and maintain genetic diversity enabling the subspecies to survive.Wildlife Institute of India researchers confirmed that the Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is the most promising location to re-establish a free ranging population of the Asiatic lions and certified it ready to receive it's first batch of translocated lions from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary where they are highly overpopulated. There are large scale deaths in the population annually because of ever increasing competition between the human and animal overcrowding. Asiatic lion prides require large territories but there is limited space at Gir wildlife sanctuary, which is boxed in on all sides by heavy human habitation.Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was selected as the reintroduction site for critically endangered Asiatic lion because it is in the former range of the lions before it was hunted into extinction in about 1873. It was selected following stringent international criteria and internationally accepted requirements & guidelines developed by IUCN/SSC Reintroduction Specialist Group and IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group[5] which are followed before any reintroduction attempt anywhere in the world.Twenty four villages of the Sahariya tribe, which had lived in the remote core area set aside for the reintroduction of the Asiatic lions in Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, agreed to move out.] They were rehabilitated by incurring an expense equal to millions of dollars under a Central Government of India sponsored scheme so that they can have access to basic amenities and infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals, communal housing and security.They were also allocated housing and agricultural land at Village Agraa outside the sanctuary in order to create a safe home and an inviolate space for the translocated prides of critically endangered Indian lions.</p><p>InbreedingThe wild population of more than 300 Asiatic Lions has been said to be derived from just 13 individuals, and thus was widely thought to be highly inbred. However, this low figure, quoted from 1910, may have been publicised to discourage lion hunting; census data from the time indicates the population was probably closer to 100.Many studies have reported that the inbred populations could be susceptible to diseases and their sperms were deformed leading to infertility. In earlier studies Stephen O'Brien, a geneticist, had suggested that "If you do a DNA fingerprint, Asiatic lions actually look like identical twins... because they descend from as few as a dozen individuals that was all left at the turn of the 20th century." This makes them especially vulnerable to diseases, and causes 70 to 80% of sperms to be deformed - a ratio that can lead to infertility when lions are further inbred in captivity.Indian scientists have since reported that the low genetic variability may have been a feature of the original population and not a result of the inbreeding. They also show that the variability in immunotypes is close to that of the tiger population and that there are no spermatazoal abnormalities in the current population of lions.[15]Recent information from the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) reports that "the Asiatic lions and Indian tigers are not as inbred as previously reported by S.J. O' Brien and do not suffer from inbreeding depression".Threats to the last wild population</p><p><strong>Inbreeding</strong></p><p>The wild population of more than 300 Asiatic Lions has been said to be derived from just 13 individuals, and thus was widely thought to be highly inbred. However, this low figure, quoted from 1910, may have been publicised to discourage lion hunting; census data from the time indicates the population was probably closer to 100.Many studies have reported that the inbred populations could be susceptible to diseases and their sperms were deformed leading to infertility. In earlier studies Stephen O'Brien, a geneticist, had suggested that "If you do a DNA fingerprint, Asiatic lions actually look like identical twins... because they descend from as few as a dozen individuals that was all left at the turn of the 20th century." This makes them especially vulnerable to diseases, and causes 70 to 80% of sperms to be deformed - a ratio that can lead to infertility when lions are further inbred in captivity.Indian scientists have since reported that the low genetic variability may have been a feature of the original population and not a result of the inbreeding. They also show that the variability in immunotypes is close to that of the tiger population and that there are no spermatazoal abnormalities in the current population of lions.[15]Recent information from the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZA) reports that "the Asiatic lions and Indian tigers are not as inbred as previously reported by S.J. O' Brien and do not suffer from inbreeding depression".</p><p><strong>Threats to the last wild population</strong></p><p>Although the Gir Forest is considered to be well-protected, there have been incidences of lions being poached, and claws regularly are found missing from their carcasses. Lions have also been poisoned for attacking livestock. Some of the other major threats include floods, fires and disease. In addition, with the lion population of the Gir Forest having reached about 350, the local population is increasingly strained by its relatively small environment, which is surrounded on all sides with areas inhabited by humans. Severe local overcrowding in Gir wildlife sanctuary has been causing very high annual death rate in the last critically endangered Asiatic lions leading to accelerated Genetic erosion in their already limited relict gene pool left surviving here. Asiatic lions's natural habitat of grasslands, scrub and thin forests closely resembles surrounding farmlands and orchards where being highly territorial excess lions are being pushed out on a regular basis hence several have migrated out of Gir into unprotected farmland and orchards, where they have come into severe conflict with humans.Over the decades hundreds of lions have died, drowned or broken bones by falling into the 20,000 open wells dug by farmers in and immediately around Gir Forest within an 8km radius. Open wells are now a documented threat to the Asiatic Lion population, though they remain legal. Non-governmental organisations seek to work with the farmers and educate them to construct drilled tube wells instead, which pose no threat to wildlife.Farmers on the periphery of the Gir National Park have been known to illegally use homemade electrical fences to protect their crops from raiding wild animals, specially from herds of Nilgai and connect high voltage overhead power lines directly to these fences. This has on several occasions led to the electrocution of lions and other wildlife.</p><p>The biggest threat faced by the Gir National Park is the presence of Maldharis. These communities are vegetarian and do not indulge in poaching because they are basically pasturalists, with an average of 50 cattle (mainly "Gir Cow") per family. So during grass-scarce seasons Maldharis, even from outside the sanctuary, bring their cattle into the park in the guise of selling them and take them away after the monsoon season. So eventually it has become grazing ground for a large number of cattle, not only of the Maldharis but also for those living in an area of say 100 km around the park. These people are legally entitled to live in the park but slowly the area around the nesses (small hamlets where Maldharis live) is becoming denuded of vegetation. The population of Maldharis, as well as their numbers of cattle, is increasing and some Maldharis have houses outside the forest but still keep their cattle inside the forest to get unlimited access to forage. One of the outcomes of this is that the natural population of the wild ungulates of the protected area, which forms the prey base, has suffered.</p><p>The famous original sandstone sculpted Lion Capital of Ashoka preserved at Sarnath Museum which was originally erected around 250 BCE atop an Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath. The angle from which this picture has been taken, minus the inverted bell-shaped lotus flower, has been adopted as the National Emblem of India showing the Horse on the left and the Bull on the right of the Ashoka Chakra in the circular base on which the four Indian / Asiatic lions are standing back to back. On the far side there is an Elephant and a Lion instead. The wheel "Ashoka Chakra" from its base has been placed onto the center of the National Flag of India. Found famously on numerous Flags and Coat of Arms all across Asia and Europe, the Asiatic Lions also stand firm on the National Emblem of India. Narasimha ("man-lion") (also spelt as Narasingh, Narasinga) is described as an incarnation (avatara) of Vishnu within the Puranic texts of Hinduism and is worshiped as "Lion God" thus Indian or Asiatic Lions which were commonly found throughout most of India in ancient times are considered sacred by all Hindus in India. Singh is an ancient Indian Vedic name meaning "Lion" (Asiatic Lion), dating back over 2000 years to ancient India. It was originally only used by Rajputs a Hindu Kshatriya or military caste in India since the 7th Century. After the birth of the Khalsa brotherhood in 1699, the Sikhs also adopted the name "Singh" due to the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh. Along with millions of Hindu Rajputs today, it is also used by up to 10 million Sikhs worldwideThe island nation of Singapore (Singapura) derives its name from the Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn is from the Sanskrit siṃha and pura. According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on shore that his chief minister identified as a lion (Asiatic Lion). Recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there, and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger. The Asiatic lion makes repeated appearances in the Bible, most notably as having fought Samson in the Book of Judges. The Asiatic lion is the basis of the lion dances that form part of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations, and of similar customs in other Asian countries. </p><p></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic by Yogendra Shah</span></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><p></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-5266411521018423552008-07-08T19:17:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:14:58.458-08:00Vanishing Species - Nilgiri Tahr<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Nilgiri Tahr</span></strong></div><div><em>(<span style="font-size:85%;">Nilgiritragus hylorcrius)</span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220837184001268194" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 431px; height: 318px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcmFdfqbs3ixE3HYn_woX9QJcksKu46ZKPoqMtM3Vft3gymAiJDgqjtP3TFmlVfE7YC8HytxFNU2CbVGGYSfbzsem6lHTI-u7Jtv0tiSsg1F0i1ofuCa-vKOG0WqJqX9WohyLlOW4iB8w/s200/Tahr+1.jpg" width="337" border="0" height="247" /></span></em></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Uncontrolled hunting & poaching had brought the tahr to the point of extinction.</span></strong></p><p>Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is an ungulate living in the ranges of Western ghat mountains of Kerala, most of them are seen in Eravikulam National Park. They are also found in small groups at Nilgiri hills, Siruveni Hills , Elival Mala, Nelliampathi Hills, Top Slip & Parambikulam, Eastern Slopes of Ananmala, Grass hills of Anamala, Swamaimala …etc. Nigiri Tahr is declared an endangered species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Mammals with surviving number estimated just below 2000 animals. It is also called Nilgiri Ibex and ‘Varayadu’ in Malayalam and nicknamed the ‘cloud goat’because it is often seen moving in and out of mist, fog and cloud. They can climb steep rocks easily. Adult males are much larger and darker in color than females , weigh about 100 kilograms and measure 100 centimeters at shoulder high when fully grown up. Both males and females have horns which are bigger in males at about 40 centimeters. They move in small groups and prefer to graze in high grasslands of Rajamala and adjoining mountains. </p><p><strong>Physical characteristics</strong> </p><p>Male: A fully grown male Nilgiri tahr stands about 100 cm at the shoulder and weighs about 100 kg (Schaller, 1971). The overall coloring is a deep chocolate brown. This is particularly dark almost black on the front of the fore- and hind legs, the shoulder, the side of the abdomen, side of the face and the front of the muzzle. This contrasts sharply with the white facial stripe which drops from the forehead towards the corners of the mouth just anterior to the eyes, the white carpal patches on the front and outside of the forelegs, and the silvery saddle. The side of the neck where it meets the shoulder is also sometimes lightened as is the flank posterior to the saddle, and an area around the eye. Long black hairs form a mane and mid-dorsal stripe. The horns (in both sexes) curve uniformly back, and have twist. The outside and inside curves are constant. The tips diverge slightly due to the plane of the horn being divergent from the body axis posteriorly, and tilted slightly so as to converge dorsally. This means that the tips continue to diverge the more the horns grow. The inside surface is nearly flat, and the back and outside are rounded. There is a distinct rib where the inside and front of the horns meet and the horn surface covered with numerous fine crenulations amidst the more slightly more evident annual rings. The horns of males are heavier and longer than those of the females reaching a maximum length of about 40 cm.Female: Female Nilgiri tahr are shorter and slighter than their male counterparts. In contrast to the striking pelage of the male, the female is almost uniformly gray. The carpal patch is black against this light background. The facial markings are present, but only faintly, and the area around the eye and the cheek below it are brown. The mane and mid-dorsal stripe are also present, but much less conspicuous. The horns are slimmer and shorter, reaching a maximum length of about 26 cm. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220838860969125874" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 313px; height: 392px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvjJZW7YTMbIdYexlL_ruQeYcnzfyG6DKOy5-pzJGelmrY_EdsR7to7-Tsqz4O2f0Dzz8vT3DHUHGR_Nwd8lhhyphenhyphenLwphUT6D5J8AY7Q-_ghDP0WpYm6H7KQdRtrd9dCIyzI8cZkgZxMMY/s200/habitat.gif" width="239" border="0" height="294" /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Habitat</strong></p><p>The Nilgiri Tahr's domains are the hills of Southern India, ranging from the Nilgiri to the Anamalais and thence southwards along the Western Ghats. The Nilgiri tahr prefers open terrain, cliffs and grass-covered hills, a habitat largely confined to altitudes from 1200 to 2600 m. Their habitat extended far and wide all along these hills in the past, but hunting and habitat destruction have decimated them to such an extent that they now exist only in a few isolated sites - the Nilgiri hills, the high ranges in Central Kerala and the Anamalai hills about 100 Kms to the South and some pockets in the Southern tip of the peninsula. The ancestors of the tahr are supposed to have originated in the later stages of Pleistocene period, which ended 10,000 years ago. Forests covered much of the plateau in the past, with grasslands only in boggy hollows and on steep slopes. Annual fires during the dry seasons in January and February and grazing by domestic buffalo belonging to the original inhabitants, pushed back the forests slowly until only patches of it remained when the first Europeans looking for areas to plant tea reached these areas in the early years of the 19th century.<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >ON THE BRINK</span></strong></p><p>According to reports, the Tahr appears to have roamed at will in vast herds all over the grassy uplands of the higher plateau of the Nilgiris. By the closing years of the 19th century, uncontrolled hunting and poaching had however, reduced the tahr to such an extent that their numbers probably did not exceed a hundred. But survive they did - on the perilous western edge of the plateau, an area remote from human habitation where the huge cliffs and inclement weather naturally protected them. Some 1500-2000 Nilgiri Tahrs now survive.<br />The Nilgiri Tahr is a grazer needing a constant supply of food. They enjoy the grasslands that hug the rocky cliffs above 1200 metres. But they also prefer the sholas which they share with, elephant, gaur, sambar and barking deer. For most of the year they live in segregrated groups. Adult males live in bachelor herds and the females and young in separate groups. Only during the breeding season (June-September) do the two groups mix. The gestation period is six months. If a female’s offspring dies, she quickly conceives again. And probably it is this ability that has played a vital part in the survival of this species.</p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic by Dhaval Momaya</span></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><p></p><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-15409514762419477052008-07-06T22:06:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:16:20.528-08:00Vanishing Species - Leopard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhTz7SNH05czL9xq8Uxx7vuVERLOznP16_z3qEsdHrhnOX1wPKfe3vvzOHQ8BW0sRPn3TDMA3Xw8Ymafl4Sh4gKk9HhigBqt-d0qWA2PaR-u4teWZsRfWReH4_FUD-_4ArHHEEhN1KiY/s1600-h/31330245847de9a8127799.jpg"></a><br /><div><em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em></div><div><em></em></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 51);font-size:180%;" >The Indian Leopard</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Panthera pardus fusca</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220135116725066786" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 453px; height: 432px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFJp7sAyLbQDqhQfw36C86G0J05r50FEl9RLMKzh6s1kmwC9OjYRTsLlwBnCQixqUMQgn1-LySOL5JKGkOqxAVlUEh1AdA3qmPWA3Ga0TFjp9mBPzL_gMOtFpLhfNJZou0rHK01SV3Sc/s200/Leopard+-+Dinesh+Kumble.jpg" width="377" border="0" height="311" /></span></em></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" >One of the most efficient and cunning predators whose survival is now as precarious as that of the tiger.</span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong></p><p>The leopard without doubt is the most immaculate of all cats. … Just as beautiful as dexterous, just as powerful as agile, just as intelligent as cunning, just as daring as sly, he represents the predator on the highest level.</p><p>Indian leopard is one of the 8-9 valid leopard subspecies found throughout the world. Known by the scientific name of Panthera pardus, it is the fourth largest of the four 'big cats' of the Panthera genus. At the same time, leopards are also the fifth largest of all cat species. The name 'Leopard' has been derived from a combination of two Greek and Latin words leo and pard, 'leo' meaning lion and 'pard' meaning panther. This name was given to the animal since it was initially believed to be crossbreed of a lion and a panther.<br /></p><p>The leopard is one of the most maligned animals, chiefly by sport killers who have suffered from, and resented, his almost uncanny capacity for effective retaliation when wounded. Thus it is often claimed that they are unpredictable and treacherous. However such behaviour of incidents where man is attacked only reflect the leopard’s exceptional capacity for survival. The black panther Bagheera in Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book appears to be a noble soul who offers one fat bull he had killed to save little Mowgli’s life.</p><p>The largest leopard recorded is 9 ft 1in. in length shot by the Maharaja of Nepal. They are considerably slimmer than the tiger, with an average weight of 120-150 lb, and a 250-lb animal could be considered the maximum. There entire body is one of integrated suppleness and weight for weight no animal can hold a candle to its abilities. Their arboreal capacity is phenomenal and they are as much at home in trees, which they use for caching prey out of reach of other predators and they have the capacity to haul almost double their body-weight up a perpendicular trunk. There is a growing evidence that the leopard’s future survival is as precarious as that of the tiger and throughout its range it is becoming increasingly rare. </p><p><strong>Physical Traits</strong></p><p>These cats have an elongate and muscular body. Their paws are broad and their ears are short. In tropical regions their coats tend to be shorter and sleeker, whereas in colder climates their fur is longer and denser. The coloration varies from the color of straw to grayish to even chestnut. The backs of the ears are black except for a spot either located centrally or near the tips. These appear to other animals as eyes. The throat, chest, belly, and the insides of the limbs are white. The rest of the head, throat, chest, and limbs all have small black spots. The belly has larger black spots, almost like blotches. Region and habitat have an affect on the appearance of leopard. As far as the length of the Indian leopard is concerned, it may be anywhere between one meters and two meters. Their average weight hovers somewhere around 30 kg and 70 kg (65 lbs to 155 lbs). Leopards have an elongated body and muscular body and their head is larger in proportion to their body. The coat of a leopard is covered with rosettes and they can climb trees with effortless ease. The cubs of a leopard have longer and thicker fur than the adults and even their pelage is grayer.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Behavior</strong> </p><p>Indian leopards are nocturnal creatures and are considered to be one of the most surreptitious animals. They can easily make themselves undetected, even while living proximate to human settlements. Leopards are very good swimmers, but lead a solitary life. Occasionally, one can find them roaming in a group of 3 to 4 animals. They have an acute sense of hearing, along with sharp eyesight.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Diet</strong></p><p>Leopards are carnivores and eat almost every animal, ranging from monkeys to reptiles to fish. In fact, it is believed that they hunt from amongst 90 species of animals. Injured, sickly or struggling leopards, with a shortage of prey, may even hunt humans.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Mating Behavior</strong></p><p>The mating season of leopards depends upon the areas they inhabit. For example, the leopards of India mate throughout the year while those in Siberia mate from January to February. Their estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually remains in heat for 6-7 days. They give birth to 2-3 cubs at a time, out of which 1 or 2 survive in most of the cases. Three months after being born, the cubs start joining their mother in hunts and live with her for the next 18 to 24 months.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Natural Habitat</strong></p><p>Till some centuries back, leopards used to roam around in almost all parts of Africa and southern Asia. However, today, their habitat has been reduced to Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Minor, the Middle East, India, Pakistan, China, Siberia, much of mainland South-East Asia and the islands of Java and Sri Lanka.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Current Status and Threats</strong></p><p>The worldwide population of leopards is considered to be around 50,000. Nevertheless, the population of the 'Big Cat' has been decreasing at quite a rapid pace in all the countries, including India. The major reasons for this are their large-scale poaching as well as destruction of their natural habitat by humans. The subspecies that have been declared as endangered are Amur, Anatolian, Barbary, North Chinese and South Arabian Leopards.</p><p>The Indian leopard is one of the most successful members of Indian big cats. The animal is distributed throughout the subcontinent, including in the border nations of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and southern China. Habitat varies from dry deciduous forests, desert ecosystems, tropical rainforests, northern coniferous forests, to near human habitation.ThreatsDespite being the most widespread cat, the Indian leopard has faced several types of threats. The animal shares its habitat with other predators, which include Asiatic lions, Bengal tigers, bears, wolves, hyenas, and wild dogs. These animals may kill leopard cubs if given a chance. In addition, lions and tigers may even attack a full-grown leopard. Apart from its natural enemies, the leopard's main threat is people. They were also hunted for their prized furs. For years, it has been threatened, due to loss of habitat and poaching. In some parts of India, the animal thrives alongside human populations. There, it may find domestic livestock to make for easy prey, resulting in a man-leopard conflict. These conflicts have increased in recent years due to population growth among humans and, in some areas, leopards. To avoid such problems, India's Forest Departments regularly set up traps in potential conflict areas. After capturing the animal, they release it in an appropriate habitat, away from human development.</p><p><strong>Man-eating Leopards</strong></p><p>Although most leopards will tend to avoid humans, people are occasionally targeted as prey. Most healthy leopards prefer wild prey to humans, but cats who are injured, sickly or struggling with a shortage of regular prey often turn to hunting people and may become habituated to it. In the most extreme cases, both in India, a leopard dubbed "the Leopard of Rudraprayag" is claimed to have killed over 125 people and the infamous leopard called "Panar Leopard" killed over 400 after being injured by a poacher and thus being made unable to hunt normal prey. The "Leopard of Rudraprayag" and the "Panar Leopard" were both killed by the famed hunter Jim Corbett. Man-eating leopards are considered bold by feline standards and commonly enter human settlements for prey, more so than their lion and tiger counterparts. Kenneth Anderson, who had first hand experience with many man-eating leopards, described them as far more threatening than tigers;</p><p>“Although examples of such animals are comparatively rare, when they do occur they depict the panther [leopard] as an engine of destruction quite equal to his far larger cousin, the tiger. Because of his smaller size he can conceal himself in places impossible to a tiger, his need for water is far less, and in veritable demoniac cunning and daring, coupled with the uncanny sense of self preservation and stealthy disappearance when danger threatens, he has no equal...”—<em><span style="font-size:85%;">Nine Man-Eaters and One Rogue, Chapter II The Spotted Devil of Gummalapur</span></em></p><p>However because they can subsist on small prey and are less dependent on large prey, leopards are less likely to turn to man-eating than either lions or tigers. However, leopards might be attracted to human settlements by livestock or pets, especially domestic dogs.</p><p><strong>Black leopards<br /></strong>A melanistic morph of the leopard occurs particularly in mountainous areas and rain forests. The black color is heritable and caused by only one recessive gene locus. In some regions, for example on the Malayan Peninsula, up to half of all leopards are black. This may be a beneficial mutation that helps them survive in their rainforest habitat. In Africa, black leopards seem to be most common in the Ethiopian Highlands. While they are commonly called black panthers, the term is not applied exclusively to leopards, as it also applies to melanistic jaguars. Black leopards are less successful on the African plains because their coloration makes them stand out. While known as panthers, there are no known cases of melanistic cougars.</p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Pic of the Leopard by Dinesh Kumble</span></em><p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><br /><em></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></em></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-74857124118068673062008-07-06T21:47:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:17:05.888-08:00Vanishing Species - The Great Pied Hornbill<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><em></em><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">The Great Pied Hornbill</span></span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Buceros bicornis)</span></em></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220130536357368098" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 244px; height: 316px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iJTticGVgTrwvyWwkdgEKpjvE1nNU4lT_fJthYOC6Nn1RYh44Ts3VlJXrm-oHo2_fxQuG8fpiW2QpWYDAHope5uYmxki3okeBEtmogTxV86BvGH99ST3rnl-UGjtTjP2xZKsFLpRHpU/s200/Hornbill.jpg" width="220" border="0" height="303" /></span></span></strong></div><br /><p></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Another of our big bird on its way to extinction</span></strong></p><p>Hornbills attract naturalists the world over on account of their large size, bizarre bill, projecting casque, colourful beaks, feathers, and peculiar breeding habits. Most of the hornbill species nest in cavities of old trees. The breeding pairs usually exhibit high nest site fidelity as they tend to use the same nest site every year. After selecting a suitable nest hole, the female goes in and incarcerates herself by sealing the entrance leaving a narrow slit, through which she, and later her chicks, receive food from the male.</p><p>The Great Hornbill, Buceros bicornis also known asThe Great Pied Hornbill, is the largest member of the hornbill family. Great Hornbill is distributed in the forests of India, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. Their impressive size and colour have helped make them a part of local tribal cultures and rituals. The Great Hornbill is long-lived with a life-span approaching 50 years in captivity.The Great Hornbill is a large bird, nearly four feet tall with a 60-inch wingspan, tail feathers reaching 36 inches and a weight of approximately six pounds. The most prominent feature of the hornbill is the bright yellow and black casque on top of its massive bill. The casque is hollow and serves no known purpose (“tame” hornbills are known to enjoy having them scratched) although they are believed to be the result of sexual selection. Male hornbills have been known to indulge in aerial casque butting flights. Females are smaller than males and have blue instead of red eyes. The male spreads the preen gland secretion which is yellow onto the primaries to give them the bright yellow colour.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220130528977570898" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5kg9Qpurz7GQJWDaKlNBAXhvljI5Bng9Z7p1X38OuHdOXkoC4XCqFPP8fd6h50S2nd5DpvLdqURnk2ljgBafbWCtTDPAfNxNZfy4ARATqBBaS1ovXaf1Rvuu5soum0rU6uEeWwl5GRI/s200/737px-Buceros_bicornis2.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>The largest of the nine hornbill species found on the Indian subcontinent, the Great Pied hornbill also has one of the widest ranges, living everywhere from sea level to heights of nearly 5,000 feet.The Great Pied hornbill can have wingspans of nearly five feet, with tails that can measure three feet. It is an incredibly beautiful bird as well, covered in black plumage, with a yellow bill that curves downward. Most distinctively, the hornbill's head is topped with an ivory formation, also known as a casque. The Great Pied hornbill's diet consists mostly of fruit, which it collects inside its beak during feedings. A male hornbill will collect as much food as it can, swallow it, and then return to its mate, and regurgitate the meal into her mouth. The wing beat of a Great Pied hornbill can be heard more than a half mile away.</p><p>The Malabar Pied Hornbill occurs more frequently and abundantly in the northern part of the Western Ghats, with a key conservation area being the Amboli-Madei-Mollem-Dandeli region spanning three states. The strongholds of Great Pied Hornbill populations appear to be localised at a few sites in the southern half of the Western Ghats (e.g., Anamalai hills). </p><p>In India, nine species of hornbills occur, of which four species have been recorded in the Western Ghats. They are the Great Pied Hornbill (Buceros bicornius), Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), Malabar Grey Hornbill and Common Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris). The Malabar Grey Hornbill is endemic to the southern portion of the Western Ghats. In Nilgiris and the adjoining hill areas, the hornbills are known by various names by the different groups of indigenous people. The Great Pied Hornbill is known as Ongil by Kurumbas, Haradaya by Kattunayakkas, Peraanthi by Irulas. In the adjoining state of Kerala, where Great Pied Hornbill is the state bird, it is known as Malamuzhakki and Pondan Vezhambal . All the hornbill species are known by a common name aanthi by Irulas. Intensive bird surveys in Nilgiris and the adjoining Coimbatore district covering seven localities indicate the presence of all four hornbill species here. While Malabar Pied Hornbill and Common Grey Hornbill were sighted in only one locality, the Great Pied Hornbill was sighted in three localities and Malabar Grey Hornbill in two localities. Studies conducted by other ornithologists in the southern part of Western Ghats indicate that these birds are also sighted frequently in Anamalai hills, Mundanthurai-Kalakad hills, Silent Valley, Parambikulam, Periyar Tiger Reserve and in the forests of North Kanara districts.Trends indicate that the pied hornbills are threatened with local extirpation. </p><p>The largest among these four species is the Great Pied Hornbill which is most vulnerable to local extinction in the Western Ghats. This species requires large stretches of evergreen forests. Being large birds, they have to find a sufficiently large sized nest hole in order to house the female and chicks during the long breeding cycle that extends to more than 100 days. Also the slightest disturbance at the nest site can result in the male refusing to feed the nest inmates, thus threatening the survival of the female and chicks. The levels of disturbance are on the increase due to increasing deforestation activities. According to Raghupathy Kannan, who conducted a study on the Great Pied Hornbill in Anamalai hills, poaching of the female and chicks during the breeding season is an immediate threat to these birds</p><p>In human culturesLocal tribes further threaten the Great Indian Hornbills with their desire for its various parts. The blood of chicks is said to have a soothing effect on departed souls and before marriage, tribesmen use their feathers for head-dresses, and their skulls are often worn as decorations. Conservation programmes have attempted to provide tribes with feathers from captive hornbills and ceramic casques to substitute natural ones.</p><p>A Great Hornbill by the name of William is the symbol of the Bombay Natural History Society. Sir Norman Kinnear described William as follows: “Every visitor to the Society's room in Appollo Street will remember the great Indian Hornbill, better known as the "office canary" which lived in a cage behind Millard's chair in Phipson & Co.'s office for 26 years and died in 1920. It is said its death was caused by swallowing a piece of wire, but in the past "William" had swallowed a lighted cigar without ill effects and I for my part think that the loss of his old friend was the principal cause.”</p><p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /></p><p><br /></p>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-70958530463517350622008-07-06T21:26:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:17:47.967-08:00Vanishing Species - Slender Loris<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em> <div><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:180%;" >SLENDER LORIS</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Loris tardigradus malabaricus)</span></em></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220127618661474818" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 372px; height: 319px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqGlr3ERALgoGF8RpzTGUo7oYF5RN3PAl8OmmXkgOAK7Tb8m9V2WiR4ArcHblyUGGPfIZB0r8hhdd6F4zS23XTmQfTjKsW2Bw-8tKAZQfn2f6F_J4cLsHF3n0-E8wCh_5hwJmhw4bUEg/s200/90.jpg" width="322" border="0" height="262" /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Hunted, trapped and killed for medicinal and magical properties!</span></strong> <div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></div><div></div><div> </div><div>The Slender Loris is a small adorable looking creature with large ‘dish’ eyes. It’s a nocturnal primate found only in the tropical rainforests of Southern India andSri Lanka. They are able to live in wet and dry forests, as well as lowland and highland forests. They prefer thick thorny vegetation wherein they can easily escape predators and find the large assortment of insects that is the mainstay of their diet.<br /></div><div> </div><div>Loris tardigradus malabaricus is a subspecies of the slender loris which is only found in India. Their greatest concentration is found in the Western Ghats.<br />The Slender Loris is considered highly endangered and is listed in the IUCN Red List</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>The slender loris is about the size of a chipmunk, with long, pencil-thin arms and legs. It is between 6-10 in. (15-25cm) long and has a small, vestigial tail. It weighs about 10.5-12 oz. (275-348g). The slender loris' round head is dominated by two large, closely set, saucer-like brown eyes. They flank a long nose which ends in a heart-shaped knob. The eyes are surrounded by dark-brown to black circles of fur, while the bridge of the nose is white. It has a small, narrow lower jaw. The ears are large and round. Its coat is light red-brown or gray-brown on its back and dirty white on its chest and belly. The fur on its forearms, hands and feet is short. The slender loris has small finger nails on its digits. The second digit on the hand and foot are very short. They move on the same plane as the thumb, which helps them grasp branches and twigs.</div><div></div><div>The slender loris is an arboreal animal and spends most of its life in trees. Their movements are slow and precise. They like to travel along the top of branches. For the most part they hunt by themselves or in pairs at night, although they will come together and share a food supply. They live alone or with a mate and an infant. They will sleep with up to seven other lorises in a hollow tree or sitting up in the angles of branches. They are very social at dusk and dawn, playing, wrestling and grooming each other.Mating occurs twice a year; in April-May and October-November. Gestation is 166-169 days, after which one, and occasionally two infants are born. During the first few weeks mothers carry their infants constantly. The infant will grasp its mother around the waist with both its front and hind legs. After a few weeks the mother "parks" the infant on a branch at night while she forages. The babies move around carefully at first but by two months they are maneuvering around quite well. More mature lorises who sleep in the same tree may visit them at night to play and eat with them. Females will reach sexual maturity in 10 months and 18 months for males. The slender loris has a life span of 12 to 15 years.</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>The slender loris is for the most part insectivorous. This means they eat insects, but they will also eat slugs, young leaves, flowers, shoots, and occasionally eggs and nestlings. They can stretch and twist their long arms and legs through the branches without alerting their prey. The slender loris eats a lot of noxious and bad smelling insects. They particularly like the acacia ant whose bite can numb a human arm. They also like toxic beetles and roaches. The slender loris will engage in urine washing, or rubbing urine over their hands, feet and face. This is thought to soothe or defend against the sting of these toxic insects. Native people have always believed that all parts of the slender loris have some medicinal or magical powers. This has contributed greatly to the decline of the slender loris. Destruction of their habitat is another reason for their decline.It is not clear how many slender lorises survive in the wild. Because of their small size and nocturnal habits, it has been difficult to do an accurate count. Until recently not much attention has been paid to the plight of the slender loris, but new interest has been shown in their species and studies are under way. The Indian government has laws protecting the slender loris, but its effect is difficult to guage<br /><br />MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br />.</div>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-47313631150944595102008-07-04T05:05:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:18:35.603-08:00Vanishing Species - The Sloth Bear<span style="font-size:78%;"><em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /></span><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" >The Sloth Bear</span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>(</strong>Melursus ursinus)<br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316724498321714514" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 308px; height: 305px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-ibo8DlR_qVV4Y2H4dOdOnZwuUBWnFHFm9R4uRT_EbOYDaLhYapJQylMcSLKM3d23RrLhqBHn4FUGfOI1-utbFwMOTHD_EAPSrA7wa30FdT1RNpbmJVqQIhYONc4T8uvjhjtGCz3G2M/s200/Bitmap+in+Sloth+Bear.jpg" border="0" /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">The “dancing” bear is now an endangered species.</span> </strong><br /></span><br />Perhaps the most familiar of our region is the dancing Sloth Bear. He is also Baloo, the “sleepy old bear” from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book.<br />Despite protection afforded under Wildlife protection Act 1972, about 1,000 bears are kept in captivity as dancing bears and 100 cubs are poached annually to replenish the supply.<br /><div><br /><p>Even though the sloth bears are protected by international and national laws, they face severe threats from various angles. The current population in the Indian sub continent is estimated to be a little over 4000 and the population is rapidly declining. Although some estimates place the figure at a higher level. The most important threat is the poaching of live bear cubs for Bear Dancing in India. The mother bear is often killed while trying to protect her cubs. The Adults are poached for their body parts such as gall bladder, bile, claws and genital organs which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Habitat destruction (illegal Quarrying, deforestation and mining, illegal tree felling etc) is further accelerating the rapid decline of this species. Shrinking habitat and encroachment by humans in forest areas has given rise to increasing incidences of man-bear conflicts in various parts of the country.<br /><br />The body of the sloth bear is 150–190 cm long, covered in long, shaggy fur, ranging from auburn to black, with a distinctive "V” shaped white mark on the chest, a whitish snout and black nose. The snout is long with bare lips and a lack of upper incisors, adaptations for its insect-based diet. The front feet are turned inwards and have non-retractable, curved ivory claws that are adapted for digging. The males, weighing 80–140 kg, are larger than the females, which weigh only 55–95 kg. Its pug marks are very similar to a human footprint. The tail is 15-18 cm (6-7 inches) long, the longest in the bear family.<br />Female Sloth Bears typically give birth to two cubs after a seven month gestation, although singleton and triplet births are also known. The cubs remain in the den for two to three months, and continue to accompany the mother for at least a further two years.Because of their warm native habitat, Sloth Bears do not hibernate through the winter, as some more northerly species do.<br />The Sloth Bear does not move as slowly as a sloth, and can easily outrun a human. One theory has it that early explorers saw these bears lying upside down in trees and gave them their common name for the similarity to the way a sloth hangs in trees. Another claims that the Sloth Bear gets its name because its normal walk is more of a meandering shuffle. The shaggy coat, light-coloured muzzle and long claws are common qualities of a sloth.<br />The Sloth Bear primarily eats ants and termites, breaking into termite mounds with large powerful claws and eating the occupants. It may also eat honey, eggs, birds, flowers, tubers, fruits, grains and meat.<br />The animal's fondness for honey has caused it to be nicknamed the Honey bear. It has been known to scale the occasional tree to knock down a bee honeycomb, which it will then enjoy on the ground below.<br /><strong>DISTRIBUTION</strong><br />The sloth bear is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is found in a variety of habitats -from dry grassland to evergreen forests - but has a preference for tropical deciduous forests. Within that category, the Sloth Bear prefers dry deciduous forests and rocky outcrops to wet deciduous forests. Presently, its distribution range is shrinking and populations are becoming fragmented due to continuing habitat degradation and fragmentation.<br /><br />Poaching and loss of his habitat and fragmentation of available habitat are the primary threats to the survival of the Sloth Bear on the Indian subcontinent. Predators such as the Leopard, wolves, and the Tiger may attempt to prey on the young, though the female Sloth Bear with young is exceptionally vicious regarding any threats to her young. Adults defend themselves quite well with their claws. Humans hunt the Sloth Bear primarily for its gall bladder, which is valued in eastern medicine. The Sloth Bear's current conservation status is Vulnerable.<br /><strong>Attacks on humans</strong><br />Sloth bears are more feared than tigers, due to their more unpredictable temperament, said to be the most aggressive and least predictable of Asian bears. In Madhya Pradesh, sloth bear attacks accounted for the deaths of 48 people and the injuring of 686 others during five years from 1989.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219130661272959618" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 381px; height: 356px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZra-B-gNFFU8ALTz4zWBuDNGuQUEpwrpzioL6sFdCdwWzuUfhtDruttLmEa684NB51dzLs097xW3DEWsCdpJMgQeqX99gBVLFGua9SkdmmtUjOz_TTv3mgZGPCkiTGp32H9F5_qtP9Pk/s200/Daroji+-+M.+Y.+Ghorpade.jpg" width="330" border="0" height="287" /></p><br /><br /><p><strong>Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka</strong></p><br /><p>Hampi near Hospet, in Bellary district is a renowned world heritage centre. The unique Sloth Bear sanctuary is situated very close to this heritage site. Situated only 15 kilometers from Hampi, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka. Though the sanctuary is relatively new, which began in 1994 in the eastern plains of Karnataka, it has proved to be a suitable habitat for the Indian Sloth Bears in a span of few years. The rock-strewn hillocks that stretch between Daroji of Sandur taluk and Ramasagar of Hospet Taluk in Bellary district have been the abode of Indian Sloth Bears since ages. In October 1994, the Government of Karnataka declared 5,587.30 hectares of Bilikallu reserve forest as Daroji Bear Sanctuary. However, at the time of declaration, the forest had nothing but barren stony hillocks and thorny trees. Owing to the arduous efforts of the staff and support of the surrounding villagers, the sanctuary has transformed into a lush green area boasting of a verdant forest with exuberant local species of flora and fauna. It is estimated that about 120 Sloth Bears are living in this sanctuary, apart from Leopards, Hyena, Jackals, Wild Boars, Porcupine, Pangolins, Star Tortoise, Monitor Lizard, Mongoose, Pea Fowls, Partridges, Painted Spur Hen, Quails etc. About 90 species of birds, and 27 species of butterflies have also been identified in this sanctuary in a preliminary survey. How do the Bears stay confined within the range of the sanctuary? According to Range Forest Officer Sangamesh N Matt, the sanctuary has innumerable wild fruit-bearing trees and bushes like kavale (carissa carandas), jane (grewia teliafolia), ulupi (Grewia salvitidia), nerale (Eugenea jambolana), bore (zyziphus jujuba), etc in its premises. These trees and bushes yield fruits one after the other. Also, the authorities have started raising orchards of custard apple (seetaphal), Singapore cherry, mango, banana, maize, etc within the ranges of the sanctuary. Bears are fond of termites and honey, which are also available in plenty here. There are waterholes too, for quenching the thirst of the wildlife. Mr. M. Y. Ghorpade, a well-known wildlife photographer and ex-minister of Karnataka has been the guiding force behind the development of this sanctuary.</p><p><br /></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /></div>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-9464336987537790632008-07-04T04:22:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:19:17.033-08:00Vanishing Species - The Dhole(Indian Wild Dog)<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >The DHOLE (Indian Wild Dog)</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Cuon alpinus</span></em></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em> </div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219120173298612274" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 444px; height: 338px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mPOXwhC_GVw3MW4rXEqW7QgzCYUUJJOK1iko9RTZ2qRAeMwRcJFgINgbPxWbPK16VI4TwPLsG0PDxgfN0WWlfJGpTB5sCI6zxX6Z8Zj4rUVV9QaUYbtzxOe-csLlt9LdcZchL7ffFP8/s200/The+Dhole+at+the+kill+-+Yatin+S+K.jpg" width="347" border="0" height="238" /></span></em></div><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" >A predator, par excellence, feared even by the tiger and the panther</span></strong></p><p>The term ‘Dhole’ has its origin in Kannada language, possibly due to the fact that the animal was more common in the Karnataka region in the past. The current world population of the Dhole is estimated to be only about 2,500 animals. While Bandipur and Nagarhole in Karnataka has a fairly good share of the surviving population, Periyar Reserve appears to have a better and more visible population.<br />The Dhole is a pack hunter and this is where his supremacy lies as an efficient predator. The Dholes hunt together and sometimes merge with other groups to bring down bigger animals like Gaur and if provoked, even a tiger or a panther.<br />Kenneth Anderson, who was more of a naturalist than a hunter who lived in Bangalore during the last century, gives a very vivid description of the Dholes’ attack on a tiger in his book ‘The Tiger Roars’. It’s worth reading his description which is reproduced below:<br />“The wild dog of the Indian forest is the cleverest of all hunters and the implacable foe of every living creature. Once a pack of these creatures scents or sees a deer and gives chase, its fate is sealed. They hunt it down mercilessly and intelligently. The main body of dogs run behind their quarry, giving voice to a hunting cry that resembles the high-pitched call of a bird more than anything else, while a few dogs gallop ahead at a terrific speed and on both flanks of the quarry. These flankers then ambush the victim and worry it, if they are unable to bring it down themselves, till the main body catches up and completes the job.<br />I heard the clashing sound of horns against wood and a splendid sambar stag appeared. Foam flecked his mouth and sprayed backwards to his neck and shoulders, and his eyes were wide with terror as he galloped in headlong flight. The next instant there was a terrific roar and a mighty striped form launched itself through the air an directly on to the sambar’s back.<br />My earlier thoughts had proved correct. A tiger had been patrolling the parkland in search of meal. He had heard the wild dogs approach and knew they were pursuing a quarry that was coming his way. Ordinarily, tigers avoid wild dogs and fear them for their reckless bravery, their intelligence and their numbers. Probably this tiger would have avoided them too but for the chance that the hunted animal and his pursuers happened to be coming along in his direction. So before he quite realized what he should do about it, he took the decisive step.<br />The sambar’s back bent to the sudden weight of the tiger and he let out a hoarse bellow of terror. Their tightly entangled bodies sank from view into the long grass. I heard the sharp crack of bone as the vertebral column was broken skillfully by the tiger, and the drumming of the stag’s hooves upon the earth as the twitching muscles and nerves of his four legs continued to respond to the last message to flee. Upon this scene, the next instant, burst the pack of baying snarling wild dogs !<br />Recovering from their momentary surprise at seeing themselves forestalled, they quickly rallied. In a flash they surrounded the tiger and the body of the quarry they regarded as their own. I counted nine of them. The bird-like hunting call that had been coming from the pack only a moment earlier changed abruptly to a series of long and plaintive notes. I had heard these cries on an earlier occasion, many years before, in the far distant jungles of the Chamala Valley. There a pack of wild dogs had been chasing a tiger and this queer new cry was the same those dogs had made on that occasion. They were summoning reinforcements. Every wild dog within miles would hasten to their aid. It appeared to be an unwritten law of the species that no member dared disobey.<br />The tiger rose to his feet threateningly and I could see him clearly. His body turned slowly to enable him to see how many enemies beset him. His face was contorted hideously as he snarled and roared with all the strength of his lungs, and his tail twitched from side to side spasmodically, a visible indication of nervous tension, rage, doubt and an unaccountable fear of these unruffled, implacable and cruelly clever foes.<br />The circle of dogs stood fast, legs firmly yet slightly outspread, each member of the pack now making that loud, shrill summons for help. The roars of the tiger and yelping call of the nine dogs were pandemonium. The jungle echoed and re-echoed with the din.<br />The tiger realised that every second lost now counted in favour of his foes. In two bounds he charged the dog directly in his path. The dog skipped nimbly aside, while those behind leaped forward to attack from the rear. The tiger sensed this and whirled around, flaying wildly to right and left with his two forepaws. The dogs within reach of those mighty paws fell back helter-skelter, but one was too slow. The raking talons struck the dog’s hindquarters, his body was thrown into the air with one leg almost torn off, and the dogs behind the tiger leaped forward to bite off chunks of flesh from his sides. Once more the tiger whirled around, once again his enemies scattered before him, while those at the back and on both sides raced forward to bite him where they could.The tiger feinted and made a double-turn and the dogs from behind him that had rushed forward could not turn back. They met the full force of his powerful forelegs with their widely extended talons. Two quick blows and two more dogs were torn asunder. One of them tried to drag itself away, but its nearness to the tiger tempted him to make a false move that immediately offset the advantage he had just gained by his clever double-turn. He pounced upon the disembowelled wild dog and buried his fangs in its body.<br />The dogs from behind and both sides now fell upon him and covered his body, tearing out scraps of the living flesh. The tiger roared and roared again, but now there was a note of fear in each roar.<br />The huddle of tearing rending beasts disintegrated and the tiger had freed himself for the moment. There were now but six dogs around him and some of them were injured. But the tiger was bleeding profusely from the many wounds he had received. He gasped for breath. The dogs would not relax. From all sides they renewed the attack, yelping and snapping. The tiger roared again, but not nearly so loudly. The will to continue the fight was ebbing. He was definitely afraid.<br />Just then quite another sound could be heard above the pandemonium: the distant cries of answering wild dogs, not from one direction, but from several, all at once. Reinforcements.<br />The harassed tiger heard them too, and the fight went out of him. He turned tail and raced away with the six dogs, despite their wounds and exhaustion, after him.<br />Within a minute the reinforcements began to arrive. First three dogs, then another and yet another. They halted a moment at the scene of battle and sniffed the blood-tainted grass and the three mangled dogs. This roused them to a fury and they growled and snarled. Then they raced in the wake of the fleeing tiger and his six pursuers. Soon a larger pack of about a dozen dogs arrived on the scene. In a few seconds they had taken stock of the situation and followed the five that had preceded them. The fate of the tiger was sealed, for by now there were two dozen wild dogs on his trail. They would not relax their pursuit till they had caught him and torn him to shreds.<br />The sounds of the chase died away in the distance as I stepped from behind the tamarind tree to look at the three dead dogs and the scene of battle. The sambar stag that the tiger had slain lay untouched a few feet away. After disposing off the tiger, no doubt the surviving dogs would return and eat their fill.”</p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Kenneth Anderson in “The Tiger Roars”</span></em></p><p><strong>Fascinating Predator</strong></p><p>Arguably the thrill of sighting a Tiger or a Leopard in its natural habitat is beyond words. While every common man on earth has heard of these large cats and their domination in the wilderness, not many even know of the Wild Dog (Cuon alpinus) which is probably the third most feared predator in the jungles of India after the two big cats. Though they closely resemble the domestic dogs, Wild Dogs differ in the behavior, habitat and style of living.<br />The Dhole was classified as a vermin during the colonial days and bounties were offered for its elimination. Thousands of animals were hunted and killed for several years by the local communities around Indian forests, Wild Dogs are known as blood thirsty predators. Their journey reached a stage where experts believed extinction was bound to happen very soon. Wild Dogs which flourished in the dry deciduous forests of India were nearly wiped out. In Schedule II of the Wildlife Act of 1972 Wild Dogs are a highly protected species and permission has to be obtained to kill any individual unless in self defence or if there has been reporting of them harming humans.</p><p><strong>Distribution </strong></p><p>Known as Dhole, the Wild Dog population has seen considerable growth in the last decade. While hunting of Wild Dogs has nearly stopped, they are thriving in the forests of Bandipur, Nagarahole sanctuaries and they are occasionally sighted in and around Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent valley, Periyar and other places around. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources states that less than 2,500 mature individuals remain in the wild and this trend of a decline in population is bound to continue. Wild Dogs feature in the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species. Other than <em>in eastern India, the dhole is rare or extinct in Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Assam. About 10 years ago, a pack was seen in Goalpara district near the Bhutan-Assam boundary. In 1953, a pack was reportedly seen by forest labourers in Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam. The dhole is still widespread in the Garo hills of Meghalaya. In the forests of Arunachal Pradesh, dholes are frequently sighted in Nandhapa Tiger Reserve, but are rare in other areas. The dhole is extinct or extremely rare in the hill tracts of Nagaland (Bombay Natural History Society has not received skins from Nagaland since 1931). In West Bengal, dholes are occasionally seen in the Mahanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, the Jhalda-Baghmundi Matha zone of the Pundia forest division, and the Cooch Behar forest division. They have not been reported in the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. The status of the dhole in the Himalayas is much more precarious. The last skin from Sikkim was collected in 1931. In recent years, the dhole has not been recorded in Himachal Pradesh. In 1977, a pack was seen in the forests around Dudhwa, Uttar Pradesh. Dholes are probably extinct in other parts of Uttar Pradesh. Dholes are rarely seen in Chitwan, Nepal, and Langtang National Parks. The status of the dhole within India has been reviewed recently by Johnsingh (1987). The dhole is extinct in the Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat. There is no reliable information from Kashmir. The dhole is nearly extinct in Ladakh, a pack of four individuals in Rumbak valley in Hemis High Altitude National Park being the only recent sighting.In southern India, dholes have been sighted in forest areas of Adilabad, East Godawari, Khamman, Kurnool, Mahabudnagar, Srikakulam, Vishakhapatnam, and Warangal districts. The dhole is a common predator in the Bandipur and Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuaries in Karnataka. In Kerala, occasionally seen in the Wynad Sanctuary, the Nilambur Valley, Silent Valley, the Elical mountain range, the Siruvani mountain range, the Nelliampathi hills, and in parts of the Nettar Wildlife Sanctuary. Dholes are frequently seen in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. In Tamil Nadu, dholes are seen in the Kalakadu-Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuaries, the Anaimalai Wildlife Sanctuary, the Nilgiri Tahr Sanctuary, and the Mudumalai-Sigur area.</em></p><p><em><strong>Appearance:</strong> </em></p><p><em>Wild Dogs are distinguished by its reddish color, hairy black tail and rounded ears at the tip. With less than 3 feet in length and 2 feet in height, the major strength of the Wild Dog lies in its socializing behavior which makes it a highly successful predator. While females weigh as much as up to 10-14kg, the males are larger and heavier who can weigh up to 15-20kgs.<br /><strong></strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Behavior:</strong> </em></p><p><em>Considered as one of the most social canids, Wild Dogs often live and hunt in packs of 5-12 animals. Wild Dogs are territorial and often work together in every aspect of their existence in the wilderness. Wild Dogs are known to hunt together and sometimes even merge with other groups to bring down bigger mammals like gaurs. With a strong belief in unity, Wild Dogs have occasionally been capable competitors to Tigers and Leopards. Wild Dogs display tremendous care for young ones and often help out pups of other females while feeding and hunting.<br />Surprisingly, Wild Dogs never bark but their means of communication include growling, chuckling, screaming, whistling and hissing. Usually, Wild Dogs hunt in the day and chances of them encountering cats like Tigers and Leopards are very slim. Wild Dogs live in packs of 10-12 individuals generally. But there have been several packs with sizes more than 20 sighted. Often Wild Dogs merge with other packs and achieve the most difficult of hunting spectacles. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219120176538602834" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 454px; height: 308px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIiGvi1kikkF5Ob2917wdw-fgxsbGK5OPKCH3jjT42KGdCkACP5WP9gsH4SmU8yb0fEp9JF-l5g0VoeVxl2dqhJRHypYNypBlcEQbDtgOI-uxo54Hxx2E4EluNZqmYXCqDeT25ggXmOK8/s200/Dhole+by+Maximus.jpg" width="387" border="0" height="251" /></em></p><p><em>Sambar deer, nilgai, spotted deer, black buck, pigs and wild boars are commonly hunted species by the wild dogs. When need arises, larger groups dare to attack Indian bisons, leopards and tigers during rare occasions. Wild Dogs swim very well and often drive their prospective prey in to water. Some times Wild Dogs do hunt in pairs or individually when the requirement is much lesser. Unlike the larger cats, there is nothing clean about the way Wild Dogs hunt. With limited physical capabilities Wild Dogs often kill prey like spotted deer by repeatedly biting them in groups and letting the prey die due to blood loss. Chital constitutes as the major resource of food for Wild Dogs while Sambar is their next preferred choice of meal. Wild Dogs do consume rodents and small herbivorous mammals like hares very often.<br /></em></p><em></em><strong></strong><p><em><strong>Reproduction:</strong> </em></p><p><em>Interestingly only one pair in a pack will breed at any given point. One great lesson to learn from this character of Wild Dogs is their sense of understanding and willingness to work as a group. The reason why only one pair breeds at a time is to make sure, the success rate of breeding is high and other members of the pack can provide maximum help and attention to the young ones. Wild Dogs display amazing sense of roles and responsibilities in their daily life. For instance, while a mother is taking care of young ones in a den, there is a sentry on guard outside and others probably are out to hunt meat for the young ones.<br /><strong></strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Threats:</strong> </em></p><p><em>Some of the major reasons for the decline in population is habitat loss due to agriculture, infrastructure development, killing of Wild Dogs by humans as they are treated as a dangerous predators, diseases such as rabies etc. Other reasons include competition with other species such as Tigers and Leopards. </em></p><p><em>Pic 2 by Maximus</em></p><p><br /><em></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-72909659589121599662008-07-03T22:15:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:20:10.314-08:00Vanishing Species - Lion-tailed Macaque<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em> <div><em></em></div><div><em></em></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" >Lion-tailed Macaque</span></strong></div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Macaca silenus</span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219024671168490850" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 376px; height: 380px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO3DngH8Fum_QNF7L-jsqLf1fhxucVhnmR8JAInoUzsBQyhQTlr_p0wKFpwFf8FxokneYFKCoGtxz3wQA4nNCHGIC73zE7MuD39K5J7-bt0wp-KUJuLJuYMepoBfDtN3cAV5sydIndZM/s200/350px-LTM02.jpg" width="307" border="0" height="293" /></span></em><strong><em> </em></strong></div><div><strong><em><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >On the brink!</span></em></strong></div><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">The rarest and the most threatened Primate.</span></strong></p><p></p><p>This is an endemic and one of the most endangered primates in India which came to lime-light when the controversy over the Silent Valley hydro-electric project in Kerala was raging. Its range in the Western Ghats is limited to Kudremukh, Nilgiris, Anaimalai, Silent Valley, Cardamom hills and Periyar sanctuary. The population of this primate in a recent study (1998) has been estimated as around 1000-2000 numbers in Karnataka, 2,000 individuals in Kerala and a smaller population in Tamil Nadu. The total population is estimated to be about 4,000. It is a delightful little creature with black hair, a well-developed grey mane, a tail like that of a lion with tufts of hair at the end that gives it the name.<br />It has a baboon like appearance and inhabits dense, tropical evergreen forests spending much of its time feeding in the upper canopy. The large cheek pouches serve as food containers until the food can be chewed at leisure. It has a varied diet of fruits, seeds, buds, nectar, gum and resin, mushrooms, lichen, insects, snails, lizards, small mammals and birds. The diverse diet means that lion-tails have a different kind of stomach from other macaques; it can digest sugar and carbohydrates but not leaves. This adaptation explains why the species survive only in tropical forests, where its mixed diet is readily available. Lion-tails live in troops of 15-35 individuals covering a range of 1.5 - 5 kms.<br />A troop consists of 5-10 adult females and their offspring of various ages, ruled over by a single adult male who will mate with any receptive female. Females give birth once every three years, a much lower rate than other macaques, and will probably produce four young in a lifetime. </p><p><strong>Physical Characteristics</strong></p><p>The fur of the Lion-tailed Macaque is dark-brown or black. Its outstanding characteristic is the silver-white mane which surrounds the head from the cheeks down to its chin, which gives this monkey its German name of "Beard Ape". The hairless face is black colored. With a head-to-tail length of 45 to 60 cm and a weight of 3 to 10 kg it ranks among the smaller macaques. The tail is medium length with a length of approximately 25 cm and is a black tuft at the end, similar to a lion's tail. The males tail-tuft is more developed than that of the females.Gestation is approximately six months. The young are nursed for one year. Sexual maturity is reached at four years for females, six years for males. The life expectancy in the wild is approximately 20 years, while in captivity up to 30 years.</p><p><strong>Behavior</strong></p><p>The Lion-tailed Macaque is a diurnal rain forest dweller. It is a good climber and spends a majority of its life in the upper canopy of tropical moist evergreen forests. Unlike other macaques, it avoids humans. In group behavior, it is much like other macaques: it lives in hierarchical groups of usually ten to twenty animals, which consist of few males and many females. It is a territorial animal, defending its area first with loud cries towards the invading troops. If this proves fruitless, it brawls aggressively.Lion-tailed macaque behaviour is characterized by typical patterns such as arboreal living, selectively feeding on a large variety of fruit trees, large inter-individual spaces while foraging, and time budgets with high proportion of time devoted to exploration and feeding The Lion-tailed Macaque primarily eat indigenous fruits, leaves, buds, insects and small vertebrates in virgin forest but can adapt to rapid environmental change in areas of massive selective logging through behavioural modifications and broadening of food choices to include fruits, seeds, shoots, pith, flower, cone, mesocarp, and other parts of many non-indigenous and pioneer plants</p><p><strong>Population<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219024668687692322" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 345px; height: 465px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsR9QkaADsFWkNlxLxFwLvNNLKB73pXh2Z0fk25sndlOysRJ4NTG5hGtCGlHIDT3VZh_-q2fLvTt2ViCH2-Sxj8P4pG3EdKUexHaSjg7JPeLeGIlMQm9Io3hay-9LheRXHJ2BzhHC4xY/s200/250px-LTM06.jpg" width="254" border="0" height="347" /></strong></p><p>According to the IUCN, only approximately 2,500 of these animals live scattered over several areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Lion-tailed Macaque ranks among the rarest and most threatened primates. Their range has become increasingly isolated and fragmented by the spread of agriculture and tea, coffee, teak and cinchona, construction of water reservoirs for irrigation and power generation, and human settlements to support such activities. They don't live, feed or travel through plantations. Destruction of their habitat and the fact that they avoid human proximity, has led to the drastic decrease of their population.During 1977 to 1980, public concern about the endangered lion-tailed macaque became the focal point of Save Silent Valley, India's fiercest environmental debate of the decade. During 1993 to 1996, fourteen troops of lion-tailed macaque were observed in Silent Valley National Park, Kerala, one of the most undisturbed viable habitats left for the lion-tailed macaque. A self-sustainable single population of 32 groups of lion-tailed macaques occurred in Sirsi-Honnavara, Karnataka, the northernmost population of the species. A local census concluded in 2007, conducted in the Theni District of Tamil Nadu, put their numbers at around 250, which was considered encouraging, because till then, there had not been any records of Lion-tailed Macaques in that specific area. Many zoos take part in breeding programs which help to secure the survival of this species. Over 500 of these Macaque are reported to live in zoos.</p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-91680649132286176422008-07-03T21:54:00.002-07:002009-12-10T03:20:58.355-08:00Vanishing Species - The Great Indian Bustard<em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:180%;" ><strong>The Great Indian Bustard</strong></span><br />(Ardeotis nigriceps)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219018631254812866" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 440px; height: 497px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3HzV2c6JKR5RE7BZ3VsqlpwWleROQuelXma_5D3s4oMgTN4GgzKkhURReD1L0lHXByFqwpvI5KAIZUdG58mJCj4DZb6W5CYrQlzHLP6T9LRCeH-8YCobPO6LafE9Xe2UMK4m2ZlmVoU/s200/ibustard.jpg" width="325" border="0" height="338" /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >On the verge of extinction.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"></span><span style="font-size:130%;">(Only less than 1,000 birds are now surviving in India)</span></strong><br /><br /><br /><p>The Great Indian Bustard is the most famous endangered and rae bird of India which dates back to the Eocene period 40-50million years ago. It is a large spectacular bird and good to eat and as it frequents open country where there are great pressures of human population and agriculture, protective measures are extremely difficult. The Indian Board of Wildlife, in late 1950s had considered this bird as a possible choice of the National Bird along with the Peacock. Apart from other shortcomings, there was an apprehension about the misspelling and mispronunciation of the word ‘Bustard’ ! It is now on the endangered red list of IUCN due to its small and declining population. In olden days it was widely distributed in almost all the arid and semi-arid plains from Uttarpradesh in the North to Tamilnadu in the South, and, from Rajasthan-Gujarat in the west to Orissa in the east. Spread of agriculture, destruction of its habitat by over grazing by livestock, and indiscriminate shooting has made the bustard a highly endangered species. However it still survives in six states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharasthra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradash. Rajasthan state holds more than half of the Great Indian Bustard population. </p><p>The main strong hold of the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan is the western portion consisting the Great Thar Desert. Some birds are found in Kota, Ajmer and Bhilwara districts. The birds are surviving in the desert regions of Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore districts mainly because human population is comparatively low and agricultural activities are minimal. Nevertheless, with the development of the Indira Gandhi Canal in western Rajasthan more and more portions of bustard habitat will go under the plough. But marginal expansion of agriculture does not affect the bird if some areas are left for them to breed undisturbed.</p><p>The Great Indian Bustard is classified as Endangered because of its very small, declining population, a result of hunting and continuing agricultural development (Birdlife International 2000). It has entirely disappeared from five Indian and Pakistani states. </p><p>It is a large ground dwelling bird with a long neck and long bare legs like that of an ostrich. It stands at about a metre high and is a large, brown and white bird, the male is about 122 cm (48 in) in length, its weight is 18–32 lb (8–14.5 kg) and the female 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. In the female which is smaller than the male, the head and neck are not pure white and the breast band is either rudimentary or absent.The male is polygamous. The female lays only single egg once in a year and incubates it for about 27 days. Nests are situated in the open ground and males take no part in incubation or care of the developing young. The eggs are at risk of destruction from other animals. The fledglings tend to remain with their mother until the following breeding season.It lives in arid and semi-arid grasslands, open country with thorn scrub, tall grass interspersed with cultivation. It avoids irrigated areas. It is omnivorous in diet feeding on seeds of grasses, small shrubs, insects, rats, grams, groundnuts, millets etc. depending on the season.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 current population is estimated at less than 1,000. The main threat is habitat loss. Ghatigaon and Karera santuaries in Madhya Pradesh had sizeable population earlier but now there is no Great Indian Bustard. Other sanctuaries with the species include Karera wildlife sanctuary in Shivpuri district; Nannaj, 18 km from Solapur in Maharashtra and Shrigonda taluka in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5219018634583215794" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 388px; height: 434px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixh0GmLXFUAH2m3Q8oa12nV0kDKP9nXwzk0DNZD4oBu6jzg-mnOwSfAhL_x1xL60VURQ0hhF3wk2n9XYqG85fFCNPlTDBcZt9Vbbj46Wrl44gKlLwiegBYSfX4vML883KD1UwaK-7bgC4/s200/Bustard_Aus-IrianJ2c.jpg" width="324" border="0" height="345" /> </p><p>In the 80's, the five states where the bustards were resident, created 8 protected areas for the birds. But some of these sanctuaries have been destroyed due to bad management and government apathy. According to Dr Asad R. Rahmani, bustard expert and current director of the BNHS, there has been a 50% decline in the bustard population in the last 10 to 15 years. The BNHS is starting a one-year campaign to convince the government to start Project Bustard on the lines of Project Tiger and Project Elephant. Unless there is protection and proper management of the grasslands, the bustards along with his fellow inhabitants of his home may soon disappear altogether</p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-62734664216838060622008-07-03T19:41:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:22:05.608-08:00Vanishing Species - The King Cobra<div><em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">KING COBRA</span></span></strong><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Ophiophagus hannah) - hamadryad</span></em><br /></div><div> </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238429282796471970" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 504px; height: 661px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nfyNTAMna_CqbqfmOtCThakPUmSrFgxQ2erSe7Q6iuHrDCm_sGy4pLaSO9SWpLOTbr3JrhVA2O64wGXTLIXJ-C-Wuh90nBS5PpiojjRnTKNLoHRVXK9Jf2jLyMvfezlBhBvzEXFcJwQ/s200/DSCN4236.jpg" width="305" border="0" height="353" /><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Pic by Amrut Singh</span></em><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" ><em></em></span></strong></p><p><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);font-size:180%;" ><em>The vanishing ‘Kaliya’</em></span></strong></p><p>The King Cobra is a snake respected above all others, and for good reason. It is by far the largest venomous snake in the world, packs enough venom to kill an Asian elephant with a single bite to the trunk, and possesses a rare intelligence that scientists are only beginning to understand now. The King Cobra features quite prominently as ‘Kala Nag’ or ‘Kaliya’ in the Hindu Mythology.</p><p>Though widespread, the king cobra is uncommon in every part of its range and is considered rare in India. Habitat loss is a major threat to its survival. Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate in many parts of its range, driving the shy snake into populated areas where it's often killed out of fear. The king cobra is also harvested for commercial purposes. Its meat, skin and bile are used in traditional Chinese medicines, and its venom is used to treat pain and illness. </p><p>The king cobra is revered as a deity in many parts of India and southeast Asia. Some believe that it controls the rain, thunder and fertility. In one Indian snake cult, a large king cobra is brought to the village in a basket. When the lid is open, the snake rises up and a priestess kisses it on the head, guaranteeing both human and crop fertility. Some believe that if this secretive snake is seen by 100 people, it will die. So, in accordance with this belief, the king cobra will enter a village when it's ready to pass on to the next life. </p><p>The king cobra belongs to the family Elapidae, which includes cobras, kraits and coral snakes — all highly venomous species that share the common trait of relatively short, fixed fangs. Once classified as a cobra (genus Naja), the king cobra was eventually moved to its own genus, Ophiophagus. The name "king cobra" is therefore a bit of a misnomer, as it's not a true cobra. Ophiophagus combines the Latin words for snake ("ophio") and eater ("phagus") — an accurate description of its habits. It is sometimes called the hamadryad, a Greek name for "wood nymph." The snake was first scientifically described by a British naturalist named Dr. Thomas Edward Cantor in 1836. The king cobra ranges far and wide throughout tropical Asia. It's found in India, southern China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, where it reaches record lengths. It prefers habitats with dense undergrowth and heavy rainfall, such as rain forests and mangrove swamps.</p><p><strong>Uncanny Intelligence</strong> </p><p>The king cobra possesses a rare intelligence that scientists are only beginning to understand. Some snake experts have experienced a type of communication with the king cobra that is quite unlike any other snake species they've encountered. It has an awareness and alertness far beyond most other snakes; for instance, the male is very conscious of its territory and will chase other males away. In captivity, the king cobra is able to distinguish its care giver from strangers, and is said to be a faster learner than other snakes. The fact that it builds a nest — the only snake to do this — is another indication of its intelligence, according to experts. </p><p><strong>Princes and Princesses</strong> </p><p>After a 60- to 90-day incubation period, the king cobra's eggs are ready to hatch. Just before they do, the mother departs; she's fasted for two to three months and might otherwise be tempted to eat her young, as king cobras feed almost exclusively on snakes. At birth, a king cobra hatchling is around 14 inches in length and 1/2 inch wide. It's glossy black with bright yellow bands, and its venom is as potent as an adult's. Even at birth the king cobra is very alert and will flare its hood if provoked. Ten days after birth, the hatchlings molt and are ready to begin hunting. They are vulnerable to civets, mongooses, giant centipedes and army ants for the first several months. The Cannibalistic Cobra The king cobra preys almost exclusively on snakes, and will even cannibalize smaller individuals of its own species. It mainly preys on non- venomous snakes, like small pythons and rat snakes, but will also eat cobras, kraits and other very venomous snakes. It will also eat the occasional monitor lizard. In captivity, the king cobra can be "taught" to eat warm-blooded prey by making the animal — often a mouse or rat — smell like a snake. A diurnal snake, the king cobra actively forages for prey during the day, using its sense of smell to locate prey and excellent eyesight to strike. </p><p>Ready to Strike When a king cobra is under attack or about to strike at prey, it quickly coils the lower two-thirds of its body, raises the front third and spreads its narrow hood. If on the defense, it will let out a long, low hiss to warn of an impending bite. If on the attack, it will skip the hissing and strike downward at its target. Unlike many of its short-fanged relatives, which have to hold and chew their victims to inject venom, the king cobra can do so with a quick strike. If its prey flees, the king cobra will give chase in an upright position so that it's ready to deliver the fatal blow at any moment. </p><p><strong>Lovestruck Snakes</strong> </p><p>Late in the dry season (January through March), the normally solitary king cobra goes looking for love. Shedding skin at the beginning of the breeding season causes the female to release hromones, which helps the male track her down in the thick underbrush. The male rubs his head on the female's body to announce his intentions. If she doesn't seem interested, the Casanova will butt and push her until she agrees to mate. If another male is on the scene, the cobras will wrestle, attempting to push their opponent's head to the ground. When the female is agreeable, the male will wrap his body around her, and the two will remain in this position for several hours. It is thought that male king cobras mate with the same female in successive seasons. The female can store the male's sperm for several years until she's ready to have offspring. </p><p><strong>A Protective Parent</strong> </p><p>In April, May or June, the female king cobra lays a clutch of 20 to 50 eggs in a nest made of twigs, leaves and other vegetation, which she scrapes together into a pile with her coils. No other species of snake does this. The heat created by the rotting vegetation helps incubate the eggs. Once the eggs are deposited, the mother hollows out a second chamber for herself. There she sits for two to three months, guarding the eggs against monitor lizards and mongooses, which may eat them; elephants, which may trample them; wild boars, which may do both; and other predacious or "clumsy" animals. If necessary she will fiercely defend her clutch, but if sufficiently disturbed may abandon the eggs early. </p><p><strong>Packing Poison</strong> </p><p>Though not as potent as its relatives, the king cobra's venom is still deadly. What it lacks in potency the king cobra makes up in quantity, delivering more than a teaspoon of venom in a single strike. One dose contains enough toxin to kill an Asian elephant or between 20 and 40 humans. The venom acts quickly to destroy the victim's nervous system, shutting down both the heart and lungs in a matter of minutes. The venom contains another toxin that begins digesting the prey before it even reaches the king cobra's belly. King cobra venom is used to treat tuberculosis and cholera in India, and has been developed into two pain relievers, Cobroxin and Nyloxin, in the United States. A Growling Moan While most snakes hiss, the king cobra lets out a growling moan. This lets intruders or potential predators know that the snake is perturbed and ready to strike. To make the sound, the king cobra fills its lungs with air, then quickly constricts its body. This forces the air through the glottis, the space between the vocal cords, resulting in a long moan, which some say resembles a dog's growl. A special resonating chamber in the snake's tracheal lung may give the sound its characteristic low pitch, which is unique among snakes. (The tracheal lung is an enlarged throat that wraps around the windpipe, allowing the king cobra to breathe while it's swallowing prey.) </p><p><strong>About Romulus Whitaker</strong></p><p>Romulus Whitaker is a herpetologist, wildlife conservationist and founder of the Madras Snake Park, The Andaman and Nicobar Environment Trust (ANET), and the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. In 2005 he was a winner of a Whitley Award for outstanding leadership in nature conservation. </p><p><strong>Work in India</strong></p><p>Whitaker was the founder director of the Snake Park in Chennai. The park was conceived to rehabilitate the Irula tribe who are known for their expertise in catching snakes. The tribals were left jobless after the ban of snake trading. Whitaker helped the Irula tribe to get involved in extracting snake venom used for the production of antivenom drugs. Currently he is associated with the Center for Herpetology, popularly known as the Madras Crocodile Bank. The Crocodile Bank is actively involved in a crocodile breeding program.His wildlife documentary King Cobra made for National Geographic won him an Emmy award. He has also authored several books on reptiles , more specifically on snakes, and has recently co-authored a comprehensive field guide, titled "Snakes of India - The Field Guide" on the Snakes of India. He has set up the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station in the Western Ghats of Karnataka which is involved in the study of King Cobras and plans to establish the world’s first King Cobra Sanctuary.Whitaker is currently coordinating an effort to save the Gharial (Gavialus gangeticus); a species on the brink of extinction with less than 250 individuals left in Indian waters.In February 2007, he was the subject of a critically-acclaimed documentary produced by PBS, under their "Nature" banner, on "supersized" crocodiles and alligators, which was filmed in India, East Africa and Australia.</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218986244112399298" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEUWZGO4pUTwPJ9WCHcanDylaWo2NqyxYd_Z94DlAmVREHsgsI9VYh6vYUVZrdamtbT_6dDP-BYdfZAyrKYGVUcLNu0QGy73SiIgw9hZRdnIjEciTk04gjsXtGsTgofQ6XfGLuOa1rdU/s200/image018.jpg" width="318" border="0" height="295" /><br />MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-85957504764640908552008-07-03T19:12:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:23:10.754-08:00Vanishing Species - The Gaur (Indian Bison)<em><span style="font-size:85%;">An Article by Mohan Pai</span></em> <div><div><br /><br /></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Gaur (Indian Bison)</span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" >(Bos gaurus)</span></em></span></strong></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218979547400436914" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 503px; height: 495px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTtQIR3Nd8TkW5rnS6HCcG9gauAdrk48icB_QUYsHOEZM2oEqFGpj7raGsyxoPRiXwtRxjOQV2H3ZU2gTmubyeY3pjcnPeKVn89Nq_5GgYDzc6MdYxkXCaIpRwJFRuifvs97DsaBrjCo/s200/Indian_Bison.jpg" width="340" border="0" height="285" /><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong> </div><div><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 153, 153);font-size:180%;" >The Largest Bovine in the world is also an endangered animal.</span></strong> </div><div></div><div> </div><div>Gaur (Bos gaurus) commonly referred as the Indian bison, is the largest living bovine, confined to the Asiatic region. The gaur, belongs to the group of wild oxen which include the Asiatic buffalo, African buffalo, true cattle and bison. The ancestors of the gaur are known to have evolved in Asia some 20 million years ago. Gaur bulls are larger in stature as compared to the cows. Bulls weigh 600 -1000 kg and stand 1.6 - 1.9 m at shoulder whereas cows are shorter and weigh about one fourth the males. These animals are known to have acute sense of smell and good hearing but the visual senses are relatively less developed. One of the most striking features of gaur is the muscular ridge on its shoulders, which slopes down to the middle of the back where it ends in an abrupt dip. This is often referred to as the dorsal ridge and is the result of the extension of the dorsal vertebrae. Both sexes have horns and in the males especially larger at the base with more outward swath and lesser incurving at the tips. There is a high bulging forehead ridge between the horns referred to as bos. The average spread / length of one horn is 80-100 cm. The distance between tips of horns may be up to 120 cm. The colour of the eyes are brown.The old males have two prominent skin folds (dewlap), one small at the chin and a long one hanging below throat. At the time of birth newly born calves are light golden yellow in colour. The younger bulls and females have brown pelage but the older males are almost jet black. The forehead is ashy and both hind and fore legs are white or slightly yellowish colour up to the knees, forming stockings. In Satpura there are four totally white Gaurs, presumably albinos, who, amid their black companions, appear like ghosts!<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">DISTRIBUTION</span></strong></div><div>The present and the past distribution of gaur suggests that B. gaurus is an animal of the Indo-Malayan realm, and would have traversed into the Indian sub-continent through the North-eastern region downwards to the eastern peninsula and then west to the Central Indian highlands and to the Ghats southwards. The gaur population in India occurs in more or less isolated pockets largely corresponding to the major mountain systems of the Western Ghats, the Central Indian highlands and the north-eastern Himalayas. Apart from this gaur are also found in forests of South Bihar, West Bengal and South-eastern peninsula. Their habitats range from Tropical Wet, Semi-Wet Evergreen and bamboo forests in the North-east to Tropical Moist Deciduous in the Western Ghats to Tropical Dry Deciduous forests in Central India to Shola forests and Tropical Thorn forests on the eastern slopes in the Western Ghats. In these areas gaur are known to occur, in relatively undisturbed habitats, up to elevations of 2500 m. Gaur occurs in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and West Malaysia.<br />Estimated population of gaur in India is approximately 23,500.<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">ECOLOGY<br /></span></strong>Gaur is a gregarious and sociable animal. The group size may range from 2 to 16 animals or, sometimes more than 20 animals. A typical group consists of cows and few calves, one to two adult bulls and sub adults. Old males are generally solitary in nature and join the group, more frequently, during the rut. Younger and old solitary bulls at times associate with other males to form bachelor groups. Adult cows generally lead the group. Cows and young usually stay in a group. The strongest bond is of mother and the calf. </div><div>Cows give birth to a singe calf after a gestation period of eight to nine months. Twins are unknown. The bulls exhibit flehmen, an up curled lip movement, when approaching a cow in heat. The cow moves away from the herd before giving birth and remains with the calf for few days before rejoining the herd. The newly born calf becomes active after few minutes of birth and stays with the cow. For almost 5 to 8 months the young suckles milk and then switches over to green feed.<br />Disease is the primary cause of natural mortality in free ranging gaur. Gaur have succumbed to epidemics of foot and mouth disease, rinderpest and anthrax in many areas. Riderpest took a heavy toll in Bandipur and Mudumalai Sanctuaries in 1968 and Peryiar in 1974-75. Predation by tiger (Panthera tigris) is another cause of mortality in gaur, and tiger is the major predator. Leopard is also known to predate on calves and yearlings. Wild dogs have also been reported to attack gaur. Poaching of gaur has been reported from the borders of Kerala-Karnataka, Kerala-Tamil Nadu and in the North East<br />The early morning and evening hours are predominant feeding periods. During the hot hours of the day gaur retire to the shade of thick trees or tall bushes. On an average they feed for 15 to 18 hours a day. Their diet chiefly includes young and mature leaves of trees, shrubs, herbs, bamboo shoots and buds and some fruits. Like other herbivores gaur also visit salt licks periodically for minerals. Gaur needs water every day and may visit water bodies twice a day during the hottest periods. While feeding they move to water holes and then resume feeding.<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">BEHAVIOUR<br /></span></strong>The mating season of gaur varies through the entire distribution range. December-January is the peak mating season for gaur in central India. In south India, this may range from November to March.<br />Leadership among gaur is only apparent during travels of a group from one place to another in a single file when an animal takes a leading position in initiating or directing the movement prior to their shift from a forest patch. Leadership is not readily detectable particularly during foraging. Females generally lead a group. In case of all male groups, the older and larger male leads the herd, i.e. age and size being the criterion for determining of the leadership of the group.<br />Licking in gaur is a social gesture, which probably facilitates to minimize aggression (tension), strengthen the social bond, assertion of the hierarchy, cleaning, and during courtship. During the rest hours such an activity is conspicuous. Members of all age and sex class participate in such an activity. The bulls lick the cows more during courtship. Adult females take part in grooming more compared to other age –sex classes. The mother constantly licks the newly born calves. Licking is mostly oriented to the head and the neck regions that are inaccessible to self-licking.<br />Gaur exhibit different vocalizations advertising their mood and temperament. They snort and give phoo / pffhong calls when alarmed or surprised, the moo call is given when they come out to feed in the open, the bulls during rut give out a high pitched and far carrying whistle-like call. The cow – calf bond is perhaps the strongest association in gaur. The cows about to give birth get separated from the group and become solitary. The cows with the newly born calf remain away from the group for some days and then rejoin the group. The newly born calf becomes active after a few hours from birth. It stays with the mother for almost 5 to 8 months.<br />Having an acute sense of smell gaur can detect danger very well and are extremely alert as they sense it. When startled or threatened due to the presence of predators they assume an ‘alert’ posture – the head is held up to the level of dorsal ridge and facing the source of threat. When alarmed, gaur at times thump their forelegs onto the ground in unison and communicate to the other members of the group with a series of sounds and gestures. Gaur seldom attacks people. When harassed by predators like tiger, gaur is known to attack humans without any provocation.<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">CONSERVATION<br /></span></strong>Gaur is an Endangered animal listed in Schedule – I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and is included in the Appendix I of the Conservation on International trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). IUCN has classified gaur as ‘Vulnerable’.<br />Past records indicate that populations of gaur have succumbed to epidemics of foot and mouth disease (FMD), rinderpest and anthrax in many areas of distribution. This is largely due to the fact that gaur has little immunity to some cattle diseases. In fact no wild animals in India so profoundly influenced by transmitted infections from domestic livestock as gaur. Further, poaching of animals and sport hunting in the past, and habitat degradation are mainly responsible for the decline or extinction of small local populations.<br />The overall trend in gaur population reported from the 52 PA’s, showed that, much of the population is stable with exception to some PA’s of Peninsula India and North-East where population has declined.The Western Ghats and their outflanking hills in the south India constitute one of the most extensive extant strongholds of gaur, with good numbers in Wynaad – Nagarhole – Mudumalai – Bandipur complex. The other areas with sizeable population of gaur in Peninsular India are Billiranganswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka), Tadoba – Andhari Tiger Reserve and Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. Rapid loss and fragmentation of forests, disease and illegal hunting seem to be the primary cause of decline of the gaur population in India. This has been a result of the mounting anthropogenic pressures. If not kept under check, this may result in the slow retreat of the gaur from other habitats too. There is a need to implement a wide vaccination programme for the domestic livestock in and around protected areas to prevent these livestock transmitting diseases to the gaur.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218981387772708866" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 428px; height: 461px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxs6Yvl0ZCIN6griw7xbI8AF5fHHcA3We4Ch6dpbeW_krTO8mTAe4mfJaNaxPTCflHbs_pJ2ayyCxLyN4veVCw2TpjTeRjvn1TBj9SnNXy5UmV1BiZ2YdccqeoOeX3cPgYWDrkQ13_P8Y/s200/map_8.jpg" width="354" border="0" height="365" /></div><p><em><span style="font-size:78%;">Gaur habitats in India</span></em></p><p><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Acknowledgements:M.K.S. Pasha, K. Sankar, Q. Qureshi and G. Areendran</span></em></p><p><br /><em></em></p>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671112384681305362.post-73252164502978129262008-07-03T18:27:00.000-07:002009-12-10T03:24:00.526-08:00Vanishing Species - the Indian Wolf<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:85%;" ><strong><em>An Article by Mohan Pai</em></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><strong>The Indian Wolf</strong></span></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(Canis lupus pallipes )</em></span></div><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218966402393084946" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 414px; height: 386px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ii0aOPpiLb_TBlnz3gNKTXrOaumbuqUXYd5ll7xRmxOIVIFeVnGvaYjsVgM8hPi0p5vXKTD1Zbs8G6Es0t60nbE95KuMY-OZvN1clMH3_ApAb5fcIxKTIVt_ewo6xg3gGQPZ1_rdGYo/s200/200px-Indian_wolf.jpg" width="351" border="0" height="286" /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" >It has been listed as a highly endangered species and only around 2,000-3000 wolves are now surviving in India. </span></strong><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >The wolf has been featured all along in human mythology, folklore, and language and had an impact on the human imagination and been the victim of levels of misunderstanding that few animals have shared. In Rudyard Kipling’s “the Jungle Book”, the hero Mowgli is raised by a pack of Indian Wolves, and is one of the most popular of feral children in fiction. There have always been rumours and stories in India about child lifting by wolves.</span><br />The recent incidents are: the mystery of the Pavagada Wolves where in a period of five month seven children had been snatched in 1983 and the child-lifting by wolves in Hazaribagh West, Koderma and Latehar forest divisions of Bihar State, India, where five wolf packs created problems in 63 villages. 80 child casualties occurred from April 1993 to April 1995 and only 20 victims were rescued. All the children were taken from settlements primarily during March to August between 5.00 and 7.00 pm. There were more female victims than males and the majority were 3-11-yrs old.<br />During a 2-year period (1996–1997) in Uttar Pradesh, wolves killed or seriously injured 74 humans, mostly children under the age of 10 years. One of the worst cases ever recorded occurred in 1878 in British India. During a one year period 624 people were killed by man-eating wolves.The Britishers classified the wolf as vermin and there was a wholesale slaughter of the animal. 2,00,000 wolves were exterminated in a period of 50 years from 1875 to 1925 (Mahesh Rangarajan).<br /><br /><br /><br />With the exception of humans and the lion, the gray wolf once had a larger distribution than any other land mammal, once ranging over all of North America from Alaska and Arctic Canada southward to central Mexico and throughout Europe and Asia above 20° N latitude. It lived in every type of habitat except tropical forests and the most arid deserts, and it was the premier hunter of the large hoofed mammals. Approximately 5 subspecies are recognized in North America, 7 to 12 in Eurasia. Wolves were domesticated several thousand years ago, and selective breeding produced dogs.The wolf is built for travel. Its long legs, large feet, and deep but narrow chest suit it well for life on the move. Keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws, and the ability to pursue prey at 60 km (37 miles) per hour equip the wolf well for a predatory way of life.<br />Early human societies that hunted for survival admired the wolf and tried to imitate its habits, but in recent centuries the wolf has been widely viewed as an evil creature, a danger to humans (especially in Eurasia), a competitor for big game animals, and a threat to livestock. Depredation of livestock was the primary justification for eradicating the wolf from virtually all over the world.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >Today, the Gray wolf which was once the most widely distributed terrestial mammal on this planet, has become one of the most endangered species of the world. In fact, they had huge territories and some wolves were known to travel as far as 1,000 kms. However in the last few hundred years, it has been becoming rare in almost all of Europe, the U.S., the U.K. and Japan, while in many other parts, it is on the verge of extinction. In India too, it is on the road to perdition. According to 1999 World Wolf Status report, Indian Gray wolf population is estimated to be less than 1500. Fortunately, a recent revolutionary finding on "ancient origin and evolution of the Indian wolves" based on evidence from mitochondrial DNA typing of wolves from Trans-Himalayan region and Peninsular India has come as a shot in the arm. Scientists have discovered about 32 sub-species of the Gray wolf (Canis lupus). In India, the two wolf species found are believed to be two sub-species of Gray wolf - the Himalayan wolf or Tibetan wolf from Upper Trans-Himalayan region and Indian Gray wolf from the Peninsular India. While the Indian Gray wolf is included in the sub-species of Canis lupus pallipes, a name assigned to small, arid and semi-arid wolves found throughout the Indian subcontinent to the Middle-Eastern countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Israel, the Himalayan wolf continues to remain more of an enigma. Adapted to the cold environment of the mountains, Himalayan wolves are considered to be representing the extinct population of the relatively better-known Tibetan wolf (which is found throughout Central Asia with its range extending into Tibet, China, Nepal, Manchuria and Mongolia. Until now, Indian and Himalayan wolves had not been studied genetically. However, the recent genetic study by Dr. Ramesh K. Aggarwal of Centre for Cellular And Molecular Biology , Hyderabad, and another independent research by Dr. Yadavendra Jhala of Wildlife Institute of India have revealed astonishing facts. The study reports that both the India Gray wolf and Himalayan wolf are genetically unique within themselves and from the other wolf species found worldwide. Thus, they are two new wolf species. This remarkable discovery is of extreme importance and pride. It is more so of the Himalayan wolf as they represent a more ancient lineage - about 8,00,000 years back. But unfortunately, they hang at a population of just 350 today, and if no immediate conservation efforts are taken, they might soon be lost.</span><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Taxonomy</span></strong><br />A current proposal suggests that the Indian Wolf has not cross-bred with any other wolf subspecies for nearly 400,000 years, which could possibly make them a separate species altogether from the grey wolf. British naturalist B. H. Hodgson was actually the first to describe an Indian Wolf as a separate species, Canis laniger, in 1847, but the wolf he was describing was indeed separate from today's modern Indian Wolf (he was instead describing the former Himalayan Wolf).Another British naturalist, W. T. Blanford, working for the Geological Survey of India, described the modern Indian Wolf as a separate species called Canis pallipes in 1888. He distinguished Canis pallipes from Canis laniger by its smaller size, much shorter and thinner winter coat, and smaller skull and teeth. Furthermore, he identified Hodgson's Himalayan Wolf as nothing more than a subspecies of Gray Wolf (i.e., C. lupus laniger, as opposed to C. laniger).The confusion was sorted out in 1941 when British taxonomist R. I. Pocock classified both as separate subspecies of the Gray Wolf – C.lupus pallipes and C.lupus laniger, respectively. Today, the Himalayan Wolf originally identified by Hodgson in 1847 (C.lupus laniger) has been stripped of its subspecies title and placed with the Eurasian Wolf (C.lupus lupus), whereas the Indian Wolf {C.lupus pallipes) has maintained its subspecies status, though this could, as previously mentioned, change as more genetic data is interpreted.Lately research of the mtDNA of the Indian Wolf, formerly known as Canis lupus pallipes, supports the suggestion to treat the Indian wolf as a new species of canid (Canis indica). Probably, the Indian wolf migrated to India about 400 thousand years ago, during the Pleistocene and separated from its common wolf ancestors. But other Indian wolves not from India but from the Arabian pennislula, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are included in the category of Grey Wolf and should be called the Southern-East Asian Wolf (Canis lupus pallipes).<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Appearance and adaptations</span></strong><br />The Indian Wolf has a very short, dense coat that is typically reddish, tawny, or buff coloured. It reaches 60-95 centimetres in height, and typically weighs 18-27 kilograms, making it smaller than the Gray Wolf. Breeding generally occurs in October, after the rains – early compared to the Grey Wolf.The Indian Wolf is adapted for life in the semi-arid and hot areas that they typically inhabit. Its relatively small size allows it to survive on the smaller ungulates, rabbits, hares, and rodents that roam its territory. The Indian Wolf is a prime example of the canid's adaptability as a species, given that its cousins can be found in areas starkly contrasted to the scrubland, grassland, and semi-arid pastoral environments that the Indian Wolf thrives in.<br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Distribution</span></strong><br />It is a semi-desert-adapted canid that is exclusive to the eastern Indian subcontinent. In India, The Indian Wolf is mainly distributed across the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. A study released in 2004 estimates that there are around 2000-3000 Indian WolvesThe Indian Wolf, because it lifts children and preys on livestock, has long been hunted, though it is protected as an endangered species in India under schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. The Jai Samand Sanctuary, Rajasthan, is believed to be the only place in which the animal is breeding in captivity.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Rudyard Kipling’s “Mowgli”</span></strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218970536896112546" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 379px; height: 384px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfiinHWT4Nc6nm4MluxS9g-gs72vNT_BUrRDZinn4z709mon6xVH2gbkxOb0RV21mcMM2sNeVchFT6DCpTGK8c5Vf5qm_aQBVaGwJ_yXsjhOCjFvYS8EVb0PchnMl4G7CF_r-OkyJICwE/s200/106501373_tp.jpg" width="321" border="0" height="298" /></p><p> </p><p>For the past one hundred years, Rudyard Kipling's classic tales of Mowgli, the lost boy raised by wolves in the jungles of India, have captivated children and adults alike.Mowgli's days are filled with danger, wonder, and excitement. He learns the ways of the jungle from the wise old bear, Baloo, and the great black panther, Bagheera. He is befriended by the faithful wolf, Gray Brother, and is carried off by the crafty Monkey-People -- only to be rescued by the mighty python, Kaa. And through it all, Mowgli knows that he must someday face his sworn enemy: the ferocious man-hating tiger, Shere Khan.</p><br />The bushes rustled a little in the thicket, and Father Wolf dropped with his haunches under him, ready for his leap. Then, if you had been watching, you would have seen the most wonderful thing in the world—the wolf checked in midspring. He made his bound before he saw what it was he was jumping at, and then he tried to stop himself. The result was that he shot up straight into the air for four or five feet, landing almost where he left ground. ‘Man!’ he snapped. ‘A man’s cub. Look!’ Directly in front of him, holding on by a low branch, stood a naked brown baby who could just walk—as soft and as dimpled a little atom as ever came to a wolf’s cave at night. He looked up into Father Wolf’s face, and laughed. ‘Is that a man’s cub?’ said Mother Wolf. ‘I have never seen one. Bring it here.’ A wolf accustomed to moving his own cubs can, if necessary, mouth an egg without breaking it, and though Father Wolf’s jaws closed right on the child’s back not a tooth even scratched the skin, as he laid it down among the cubs. ‘How little! How naked, and—how bold!’ said Mother Wolf softly. The baby was pushing his way between the cubs to get close to the warm hide. ‘Ahai! He is taking his meal with the others. And so this is a man’s cub. Now, was there ever a wolf that could boast of a man’s cub among her children?’ ‘I have heard now and again of such a thing, but never in our Pack or in my time,’ said Father Wolf. ‘He is altogether without hair, and I could kill him with a touch of my foot. But see, he looks up and is not afraid.’ The moonlight was blocked out of the mouth of the cave, for Shere Khan’s great square head and shoulders were thrust into the entrance. Tabaqui, behind him, was squeaking: ‘My lord, my lord, it went in here!’ ‘Shere Khan does us great honour,’ said Father Wolf, but his eyes were very angry. ‘What does Shere Khan need? ’ ‘My quarry. A man’s cub went this way,’ said Shere Khan. ‘Its parents have run off. Give it to me.’ Shere Khan had jumped at a woodcutter’s camp-fire, as Father Wolf had said, and was furious from the pain of his burned feet. But Father Wolf knew that the mouth of the cave was too narrow for a tiger to come in by. Even where he was, Shere Khan’s shoulders and forepaws were cramped for want of room, as a man’s would be if he tried to fight in a barrel. ‘The Wolves are a free people,’ said Father Wolf. ‘They take orders from the Head of the Pack, and not from any striped cattle-killer. The man’s cub is ours—to kill if we choose.’ ‘Ye choose and ye do not choose! What talk is this of choosing? By the bull that I killed, am I to stand nosing into your dog’s den for my fair dues? It is I, Shere Khan, who speak!’ The tiger’s roar filled the cave with thunder. Mother Wolf shook herself clear of the cubs and sprang forward, her eyes, like two green moons in the darkness, facing the blazing eyes of Shere Khan. ‘And it is I, Raksha [The Demon], who answer. The man’s cub is mine, Lungri—mine to me! He shall not be killed. He shall live to run with the Pack and to hunt with the Pack; and in the end, look you, hunter of little naked cubs—frog-eater—fish-killer—he shall hunt thee! Now get hence, or by the Sambhur that I killed (I eat no starved cattle), back thou goest to thy mother, burned beast of the jungle, lamer than ever thou camest into the world! Go!’ Father Wolf looked on amazed. He had almost forgotten the days when he won Mother Wolf in fair fight from five other wolves, when she ran in the Pack and was not called The Demon for compliment’s sake. Shere Khan might have faced Father Wolf, but he could not stand up against Mother Wolf, for he knew that where he was she had all the advantage of the ground, and would fight to the death. So he backed out of the cave-mouth growling, and when he was clear he shouted:— ‘Each dog barks in his own yard! We will see what the Pack will say to this fostering of man cubs. The cub is mine, and to my teeth he will come in the end, O bush-tailed thieves!’ Mother Wolf threw herself down panting among the cubs, and Father Wolf said to her gravely:— ‘Shere Khan speaks this much truth. The cub must be shown to the Pack. Wilt thou still keep him, Mother?’ ‘Keep him!’ she gasped. ‘He came naked, by night, alone and very hungry; yet he was not afraid! Look, he has pushed one of my babes to one side already. And that lame butcher would have killed him and would have run off to the Waingunga while the villagers here hunted through all our lairs in revenge! Keep him? Assuredly I will keep him. Lie still, little frog. O thou Mowgli—for Mowgli the Frog I will call thee—the time will come when thou wilt hunt Shere Khan as he has hunted thee.’ ‘But what will our Pack say?’ said Father Wolf. The Law of the Jungle lays down very clearly that any wolf may, when he marries, withdraw from the Pack he belongs to; but as soon as his cubs are old enough to stand on their feet he must bring them to the Pack Council, which is generally held once a month at full moon, in order that the other wolves may identify them. After that inspection the cubs are free to run where they please, and until they have killed their first buck no excuse is accepted if a grown wolf of the Pack kills one of them. The punishment is death where the murderer can be found; and if you think for a minute you will see that this must be so. Father Wolf waited till his cubs could run a little, and then on the night of the Pack Meeting took them and Mowgli and Mother Wolf to the Council Rock—a hilltop covered with stones and boulders where a hundred wolves could hide. Akela, the great grey Lone Wolf, who led all the Pack by strength and cunning, lay out at full length on his rock, and below him sat forty or more wolves of every size and colour, from badger-coloured veterans who could handle a buck alone, to young black three-year-olds who thought they could. The Lone Wolf had led them for a year now. He had fallen twice into a wolf-trap in his youth, and once he had been beaten and left for dead; so he knew the manners and customs of men. There was very little talking at the Rock. The cubs tumbled over each other in the centre of the circle where their mothers and fathers sat, and now and again a senior wolf would go quietly up to a cub, look at him carefully, and return to his place on noiseless feet. Sometimes a mother would push her cub far out into the moonlight, to be sure that he had not been overlooked. Akela from his rock would cry: ‘Ye know the Law—ye know the Law. Look well, O Wolves!’ and the anxious mothers would take up the call: ‘Look—look well, O Wolves!’ At last—and Mother Wolf’s neck-bristles lifted as the time came—Father Wolf pushed ‘Mowgli the Frog,’ as they called him, into the centre, where he sat laughing and playing with some pebbles that glistened in the moonlight. Akela never raised his head from his paws, but went on with the monotonous cry: ‘Look well!’ A muffled roar came up from behind the rocks—the voice of Shere Khan crying: ‘The cub is mine. Give him to me. What have the Free People to do with a man’s cub?’ Akela never even twitched his ears: all he said was: ‘Look well, O Wolves! What have the Free People to do with the orders of any save the Free People? Look well!’ There was a chorus of deep growls, and a young wolf in his fourth year flung back Shere Khan’s question to Akela: ‘What have the Free People to do with a man’s cub?’ Now, the Law of the jungle lays down that if there is any dispute as to the right of a cub to be accepted by the Pack, he must be spoken for by at least two members of the Pack who are not his father and mother. ‘Who speaks for this cub?’ said Akela. ‘Among the Free People who speaks?’ There was no answer, and Mother Wolf got ready for what she knew would be her last fight, if things came to fighting. Then the only other creature who is allowed at the Pack Council—Baloo, the sleepy brown bear who teaches the wolfcubs the Law of the Jungle: old Baloo, who can come and go where he pleases because he eats only nuts and roots and honey—rose up on his hindquarters and grunted. ‘The man’s cub—the man’s cub?’ he said. ‘I speak for the man’s cub. There is no harm in a man’s cub. I have no gift of words, but I speak the truth. Let him run with the Pack, and be entered with the others. I myself will teach him.’ ‘We need yet another,’ said Akela. ‘Baloo has spoken, and he is our teacher for the young cubs. Who speaks besides Baloo? ’ A black shadow dropped down into the circle. It was Bagheera the Black Panther, inky black all over, but with the panther markings showing up in certain lights like the pattern of watered silk. Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down. ‘O Akela, and ye the Free People,’ he purred, ‘I have no right in your assembly; but the Law of the Jungle says that if there is a doubt which is not a killing matter in regard to a new cub, the life of that cub may be bought at a price. And the Law does not say who may or may not pay that price. Am I right?’ ‘Good! good!’ said the young wolves, who are always hungry. ‘Listen to Bagheera. The cub can be bought for a price. It is the Law.’ ‘Knowing that I have no right to speak here, I ask your leave.’ ‘Speak then,’ cried twenty voices. ‘To kill a naked cub is shame. Besides, he may make better sport for you when he is grown. Baloo has spoken in his behalf. Now to Baloo’s word I will add one bull, and a fat one, newly killed, not half a mile from here, if ye will accept the man’s cub according to the Law. Is it difficult?’ There was a clamour of scores of voices, saying: ‘What matter? He will die in the winter rains. He will scorch in the sun. What harm can a naked frog do us? Let him run with the Pack. Where is the bull, Bagheera? Let him be accepted.’ And then came Akela's deep bay, crying: ‘Look well—look well, O Wolves!’ Mowgli was still deeply interested in the pebbles and he did not notice when the wolves came and looked at him one by one. At last they all went down the hill for the dead bull, and only Akela, Bagheera, Baloo, and Mowgli’s own wolves were left. Shere Khan roared still in the night, for he was very angry that Mowgli had not been handed over to him. ‘Ay, roar well,’ said Bagheera, under his whiskers; ‘for the time comes when this naked thing will make thee roar to another tune, or I know nothing of Man.’ ‘It was well done,’ said Akela. ‘Men and their cubs are very wise. He may be a help in time.’ ‘Truly, a help in time of need; for none can hope to lead the Pack for ever,’ said Bagheera. Akela said nothing. He was thinking of the time that comes to every leader of every pack when his strength goes from him and he gets feebler and feebler, till at last he is killed by the wolves and a new leader comes up—to be killed in his turn. ‘Take him away,’ he said to Father Wolf, ‘and train him as befits one of the Free People.’ And that is how Mowgli was entered into the Seeonee Wolf-Pack at the price of a bull and on Baloo’s good word.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218970540604394978" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTrnhHklx6q9wSHAoOAVDfU2mxnYy5Jdh8lY7vk2bm0D8jdD8ECLOeAazLJoxGSEFKk50-Cwg_GEUrWWl4bj1e48WxA-EQuTsXUZ9NRg6cPpAfuMoUQRwHt9OgIkbWwH3Wzl1io1NBHY/s200/106501429_tp.jpg" width="293" border="0" height="260" /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">From “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling.<br /><br /><br /></span></em>MY BLOG LIBRARY<br />For some of my articles visit:<br /><a href="http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaiblogger.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpaisarticles.blogspot.com/</a><br /><a href="http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://biodiversity-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For some key chapters from my book "The Western Ghats", please log on to:<br /><a href="http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://westernghats-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />For detailed blog (6 Chapters from my book) on Mahadayi/Mandovi River Valley, please log on to:<br /><a href="http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://mohan-pai.blogspot.com/</a><br />For the book 'The Elderly' please log on to:<br /><a href="http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://omashram.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://oldagecare-paimohan.blogspot.com/</a><br />You can also access my blogs on Sulekha and Wordpress<br /><a href="http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.wordpress.com/</a><br /><a href="http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://mohanpai.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br />For my book "The Flight of Gods - Hindu Temples & Shrines of Goa" please log on to:<br /><a href="http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm</a><br /><a href="http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://flightofgods.blogspot.com/</a><br />For “Miscellany” log on to:<br /><a href="http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paimohan-mohanpai.blogspot.com/</a><br />(Traditional Hindu Central Courtyard Houses of Goa)<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></em><em><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></em><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ></span><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 204, 204);font-size:180%;" ></span></strong>Mohan Paihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15156964451969519724noreply@blogger.com1