Friday 28 November 2014

Tiger killed in train accident

A tigress was killed after it was hit by a speeding train at Ramnagar in Nainital district in the wee hours today. The body of an adult tigress with its head badly crushed was recovered from the tracks near Hempur army depot at Ramnagar in Nainital district.
http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tigress-killed-after-being-hit-by-train/15800151

Tiger skin trader Dalbir acquitted

Notorious tiger skin trader and poacher from Haryana Dalbir was acquitted in trafficking of tiger skins by Kamptee judicial magistrate first class (JMFC), Maharashtra.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Setback-for-forest-dept-tiger-skin-trader-Dalbir-acquitted/articleshow/45301713.cms

Thursday 27 November 2014

Accused acquitted in leopard skin seizure case

Trial court in Delhi had acquitted two persons from Himachal Pradesh whom were caught with a leopard skin by police in July 2010. A complaint on this regard was filed by the wildlife department of Delhi in court. Some of the court observations when acquitting the accused are:

The investigation of the case is not upto the mark. It is pertinent to mention here that  complainant was one of the experienced Wildlife Inspector and had appeared before the court in number of cases and as such better investigation/act is aspected on his part. The complaint appears to have been filed in a mechanical manner and without perusing the records. Had he visited the spot on the date of incident, he must have mentioned the correct facts in his complaint and  he ought to have   done   further   investigation or to   record   the   disclosure   statements   of accused himself as the disclosure statement recorded by a Wild Life Officer is admissible in evidence. Had done so, the fate of the case would have been different. 

It creates doubt over the prosecution story as well as two views and chances of false implication of the accused can not be ruled out. 


Electrocution take heavy toll on elephants in Odisha

The rising number of electrocution of elephants by accidental or deliberate is a big concern in Odisha.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2014/11/27/Live-Wires-Take-heavy-Toll-on-Elephants/article2543336.ece

Leopard electrocuted in Madhya Pradesh

A leopard was allegedly electrocuted by unidentified poachers near Kudra forest area, 25 kms away from Umaria.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/leopard-electrocuted-by-poachers-in-mp-114112601008_1.html

8.5 tonnes of red sanders seized in Maharashtra

The Thane forest division's special squad has seized 8.5 tonnes of red sanders from APMC market, Vashi, on 26 November 2014.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/5cr-worth-red-sanders-seized-from-APMC/articleshow/45288157.cms

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Monday 24 November 2014

Bushmeat trading racket busted

Forest officials of Chimur range, Maharashtra busted a major wildlife meat trading racket and nabbed four poachers and seized six kg blue bull meat and two manually loading guns and other equipment used for poaching on 21 November 2014 in Doma forest beat on the outskirts of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Wildlife-meat-trading-racket-busted/articleshow/45235533.cms

Kaziranga fightback yields results

Effective anti-poaching strategies by Kaziranga National Park have resulted in the killing of 21 poachers till date this year — the highest in the past five years at least.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141124/jsp/northeast/story_19079432.jsp#.VHLRGDSUeIA

Thursday 20 November 2014

Wildlife criminals convicted in Himachal Pradesh

A court in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh has convicted two persons for offences having committed under Wildlife Protection Act. Court observed that crimes of such nature as in the present one, offence go untreated as they are committed in accusative manner. Therefore, when the offence is committed the convicts are per-se detrimental to the ecological environment and security of the country. If the same goes unpunished or inadequately punished, it may effect the ecological and environmental security of the country.

Both the accused were sentenced to simple imprisonment for a term of two years under Section 51 of the Wile Life Act read with Section 34 of IPC and to pay fine of  Rs. 2,000/-(Two thousand only) each. In addition to that one of the accused further sentenced to simple imprisonment for a term of three years under Section 25 of the Arms Act and to pay fine of  Rs. 2,000/- (Two thousand only). The sentences of imprisonment shall run concurrently.

Monday 17 November 2014

4 years imprisonment for leopard skin smuggler

Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Almora, Uttarakhand has convicted a person who was arrested by police with a leopard skin on November 2009, accused was sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment and Rs. 10,000 fine.

ACF charged with land-grab in tiger reserve

Karnataka forest department inquiry confirms encroachment of tiger reserve land by their own man, an assistant conservator of forests (ACF). Report confirms that the ACF has encroached upon a crucial patch - buffer zone of the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, which is part of a critical habitat to Asian elephants and tigers. The ACF and his family, the report states, have encroached upon land measuring 18.20 acres of Devamachi Reserve Forest.
http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/ACF-charged-with-land-grab-in-tiger-reserve/articleshow/45170483.cms

Leopard poached in Tamil Nadu

The carcass of a four-year-old leopardess was found hanging from a tree with steel cables stuck to its back, in Anikorai village in Nilgiris north forest division on 15 November 2014.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil_nadu/Leopardess-Trapped-in-Snare-Dies-Causes-Serious-Concern/2014/11/17/article2527424.ece

Poachers killed a rhino in Pobitora, Assam

An adult male rhino was gunned down and its horn taken away by poachers in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam on 15 November 2014.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/poachers-gun-down-adult-rhino-take-away-horn-in-assam/

Three leopards killed in road and rail accidents

Three leopards were killed in road and rail accidents on last weekend. One leopard each killed in road accidents on NH-8, Haryana and Wadsa forest division, Maharashtra; rail accident was reported from Mahasmund district of Chhattisgarh.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Leopard-killed-in-accident-on-NH-8/articleshow/45163248.cms
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Leopard-hurt-in-mishap-dies/articleshow/45154215.cms

Friday 14 November 2014

Tiger brings down crime rate drastically

A stray tiger that has wandered out of the Dudhwa Tiger reserve and has made the forest area in Malihabad, on the outskirts of Lucknow, its new home, has drastically brought down the crime rate in four police stations, namely, Kakori, Maal, Malihabad and Bakshi Ka Talab, in the post one month. A senior police official disclosed that in the past one month since the tiger was first seen in Maal area and then in Kakori, there has been a 90 per cent reduction in criminal activities in the area.
http://www.asianage.com/india/tiger-brings-down-crime-rate-drastically-625

10.7 Kg pangolin scales seized in Manipur

Assam Rifles seized 10.7 Kg of pangolin scales and apprehended a person who is a resident of near Myanmar border in Manipur.
http://e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=Snipp26..141114.nov14

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Ex-DFO sentenced to 32 months imprisonment in graft case

The Special Vigilance Court, Bhubaneswar on 10 November 2014 sentenced a retired Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to two years and eight months of rigorous imprisonment (RI) after convicting him on the charges of accumulating properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/ex-dfo-gets--32-months-ri-in-graft-case.html

5 years imprisonment for 3 poachers in Haryana

Special Environment Court in Kurukshetra, Haryana was convicted three persons and sentenced them to 5 years imprisonment and Rs. 20,000 fine each for hunting wild animals in Kalesar National Park on January 2008.

Two poachers shot dead in Kaziranga

Two poachers were killed in an encounter with forest guards in Kaziranga National Park on 10 November 2014.
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/two-poachers-killed-in-kaziranga-44101.html

Monday 10 November 2014

Wednesday 5 November 2014

The other side of red sanders smuggling

Rise in smuggling activities puts question mark on police-forest staff coordination. What irritates the forest personnel is that whenever a seizure of red sanders logs is made, the credit invariably goes to the police.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/the-other-side-of-red-sanders-smuggling/article6561283.ece

Rhinoceros killed in Manas, Assam

Park officials found the decomposed carcass of a male rhino with bullet injuries and horn missing in Manas National Park on 31 October 2014.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Manas-rhino-killed/articleshow/45007713.cms

Red sanders seized at Chennai Central Rly. station

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) foiled an attempt to smuggle red sanders from Chennai Central to Kolkata, on 31 October 2014. A total of 145 kg of red sanders wood was seized.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/smugglers-ferry-red-sanders-in-train-145-kg-seized/article6555809.ece

Ivory seized in Tamil Nadu

Forest officials seized elephant ivory in Erode district of Tamil Nadu on 4 November 2014.
http://www.dinakaran.com/Latest_Detail.asp?Nid=116518

Tuesday 4 November 2014

10 Kg pangolin scales seized in Uttarakhand

Special Task Force of Uttarakhand police arrested a person in Dehradun who is a resident of near to Rajaji National Park with 10 Kg pangolin scales on 3 November 2014.
http://archive.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/dehradun/stf-nabs-man-with-10kg-pangolin-scales.html
It is not right that putting the value of seized goods before the general public. An advisory on this regard had already issued by WCCB in 2012.
http://wccb.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/New%20Advisories/6.pdf

Monday 3 November 2014

2 wildlife criminals convicted to three years imprisonment

The court of Judicial Magistrate/Civil Judge Jr. Division in Barkot, Uttar Kashi, Uttarakhand had awarded three years imprisonment and Rs. 10,000 fine each to two wildlife criminals whom were caught with two leopard skins in Upper Yamuna forest division on July 2013.