Latest news with #WII
New Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Rethink move to open Angul coal belt for mining: Study
BHUBANESWAR: A new study has urged that declaring the entire coal belt of Angul district for mining use must be reconsidered. Wildlife Institute of India (WII) researchers S Karthy and GV Gopi carried out the study to understand the status of elephants in coal mine landscape using geospatial methods. A snippet of the report 'Status of Management of Elephants in Coal Mine Landscape of Odisha' cautioned that operating inactive coal mines would result in destruction of about 390 sq km of forest Angul forest division. Employing Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) approach to determine the suitable elephant landscape in the division, the study found that most of the habitat utilised by the pachyderms in the region fall under the proposed coal blocks. 'There are already operational coal mines in Angul division which hinder the movement of the elephants. If all the inactive coal mines come into operation, it would lead to destruction of about 390 sq km forest in the protected area,' it stated. The report sought construction of adequate overpasses and underpasses in the southern part and stressed the importance of managing habitat outside protected areas and enforcing stringent environmental framework.
The Hindu
12 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
Coal mining in Odisha may turn out catastrophic for elephants, WII study says
Odisha would lose about 390 sq km of area used by migrating elephants as foraging ground and corridor in one district on account of massive coal mining alone in Angul district, says a study of Wildlife Institute of India. Beside, human-elephant conflict, which is already in a critical State, is likely to become acute following disturbance in elephant habitats. A study 'Status and Management of Elephants in Coal Mine Landscape of Odisha' conducted by Karthy S and Gopi G. V, scholars of WII, says, 'using geospatial analysis, habitat suitability modelling, and conflict data from forest department it is predicted that the Angul division would lose about 390 sq km of forest if the proposed coal blocks come into operation.' 'This loss of forest habitat, combined with the growing number of human deaths due to elephants in the Angul forest division would result in increase in conflict situation and devastating for the elephant population in Odisha,' they predicted. The study appeared WII's quarterly magazine 'Trumpet' says Odisha holds the highest number of Asian elephants (1,976 individuals) in the east-central region of India. This is 63% of the entire east-central population (3,128) and 6.5% of the total elephant population in India as per 2017 estimation. The State has elephant presence in 43 out of 50 forest divisions with a growth rate of 1.2% between 2015 and 2017. Some of the districts have recorded disproportionately high conflict. The study was conducted on the background that Angul forest division is important to elephants while it is also recognized for its coal wealth which accounts for 20% of India's coal reserve. 'As per Site Specific Elephant Management Plan for Angul Forest Division, 2022, this has led to rapid developmental activities like thermal power plant, steel plant, road and railway networks, transmission lines and pipelines in Angul division. Most part of the division is expected to be leased to coalmine industries in the near future, which may turn out catastrophic for the elephants as well as the existing conflict scenario in the entire state of Odisha,' the study finds. The WII scholars had adopted the MaxEnt approach, a geospatial data analysis, to determine the suitable habitat for the elephants in the Angul division. 'The MaxEnt output shows that most of the habitat utilised by the elephants fall over the proposed coal block region. There are already operational coal mines in the Angul division which again hinder the movement of the elephant,' the study points out. The WII scholars recommended reconsidering declaring the entire coal belt of Angul district for mining use. They also came up with a suggestion of establishing habitat connectivity between Satkosia Tiger Reserve and Sambalpur, Deogarh divisions by forest restoration along the west border of Angul division. (EOM)
The Hindu
a day ago
- Science
- The Hindu
Asiatic wild dog returns to Assam's Kaziranga landscape
The dhole, or Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus), believed to have been locally exterminated, has made a confirmed return to Assam's Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Landscape (KKAL), according to a new study by scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). The findings, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa, indicate that this elusive and less charismatic carnivore may have gone unnoticed for an extended period, despite its ecological significance. 'India is experiencing a decline in wildlife species due to habitat loss, deforestation, and climate change. Species once thought to be extirpated from certain areas are being rediscovered, offering hope for conservation efforts,' the study notes. Mujahid Ahamad, Jyotish Ranjan Deka, Priyanka Borah, Umar Saeed, Ruchi Badola, and Syed Ainul Hussain are the authors of the study, which highlights the first-ever camera-trap evidence of the endangered canid in the Amguri corridor of the KKAL. 'This finding is significant as it highlights the ecological value of the corridor in supporting threatened species,' said Dr. Ruchi Badola, Dean of WII's Faculty of Wildlife Sciences, speaking to The Hindu. 'Dholes require large, undisturbed forest habitats, and their presence here confirms the need to conserve this dynamic wildlife corridor, which also supports tigers, leopards, elephants, and other species.' 'With increasing threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, this discovery is a timely reminder of why these forest linkages must be protected and restored for the long-term survival of India's lesser-known carnivores,' she added. The study, conducted in 2022, focused on four key animal corridors within the 25,000 sq. km KKAL, which lies within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. These corridors include Panbari, Haldhibari, Kanchanjuri, and Amguri. The dhole was photo-captured on six occasions in the Amguri corridor. All images were of a single individual, recorded 375 metres from National Highway 37 and approximately 270 metres from the nearest human settlement. Dholes are social animals known to form packs of up to 30 individuals. However, depending on prey availability, they may also hunt alone or in pairs. The current distribution of the dhole is restricted to parts of Central and Eastern Asia, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Its global range, however, is now less than a quarter of its historical extent, significantly reduced due to threats such as habitat degradation, prey depletion, and retaliatory killings. The last confirmed sighting of dholes in northeast India was reported from Nagaland in 2011.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Union minister points to man-animal conflict as a key challenge
Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav has flagged man-animal conflict and tigers outside tiger reserves as two of the most critical challenges faced by the conservation sector. Bhupender Yadav Speaking at the Indian Conservation Conference hosted by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Yadav said: 'Just two days ago, I went to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve. There are two kinds of issues there. First, there is man-animal conflict. Second, tigers outside tiger reserves. This is also a big challenging problem. This problem is also seen in Tadoba... in Kabini... in Ranthambore...,' he said. 'We have also made a decision at the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in the last few days. We will have to revisit our forest management. And, this review will have to be done in the prospect of TN Godavarman judgment. What were the practices of pre-Godavarman judgment? Because we will have to see this problem due to the new pressures on wildlife areas. This is also a problem from Kerala,' Yadav said in his address in Hindi. A Supreme Court verdict in the TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India & Others case on December 12, 1996, directed that 'forests' would not only include those understood in the dictionary sense, but also any area recorded as forest in government records irrespective of the ownership. However, the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023, exempts 'unrecorded deemed forests' from being recognised under the modified law on forest conservation. 'Tigers in Dudhwa are being seen in sugarcane fields. Or our elephants in Karnataka are entering coffee plantations. Wild boars are destroying crops in other states,' he said. 'The solution is not just wire fencing. Its solution is not just electronic fencing... There is no such solution. We have to go with co-existence, new approaches, with our traditional knowledge. For a long time, documentation and codification of traditional conservation knowledge did not happen,' Yadav added. Yadav gave examples of Soligas in Karnataka, the Meena tribe in Sariska, Maldharis in Gir who have co-existed with wildlife for a long time. 'The tribes in Arunachal Pradesh, have coexisted with elephants for a long time. If you go to the area of Amarkantak, there are people from the Baiga tribe who have extensive knowledge of herbs,' Yadav said. Yadav said that for the first time, on June 30, MoEFCC has organised a conference in Kolkata, on documenting traditional knowledge. Along with a new assessment for wildlife management intervention, the Centre has decided that Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History in Coimbatore will focus on human-wildlife conflict. 'For the future, we have decided to develop it as an institute of human wildlife conflict management. Now we are moving ahead in dolphin conservation, but the way the sand is being excavated from the rivers, or the cutting of the river banks... because of that, the gharial is also likely to face a new problem. And for the conservation of gharial, We have started a new project,' Yadav said. Yadav said that the new conservation policy must have a humanitarian approach. 'I want to say one thing, I am a forest minister, but I am saying this very seriously. If you remove all the locals, is the forest safe? And then If you bring 10,000 tourists later, then is the forest safe? If the forest is safe with the arrival of 10,000 tourists, then how is it bad to have the one living in these forests for thounsands of years?' 'So, we have to add a humanitarian approach to and economy are together. Ecology is the most important. But, the economy is also important,' he added. As per the 5th cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 (usually done in cycles of four years) summary report, India has a minimum of 3,167 tigers and is now home to more than 70% of the world's wild tiger population. HT had reported in 2020 that one in every three tigers in India lives outside reserves, according to a report, Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India (2018). Yadav said that in the last 50 years, India has shown that 70% of the tigers in the world are safe in their habitats. 'They are safe in their habitats in India. From 2014 to 2025, we have moved from 47 to 58 tiger reserves,' Yadav said, adding that every year, despite all the development pressures, India has declared a new area as tiger reserve. 'When we came in 2014, there were only 25 Ramsar wetlands in the country. Today, their number has increased to 91,' he said.
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
TATR tiger density rose 30% in decade, buffer occupancy tripled
1 2 Nagpur: The tiger density (per 100 sq) in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) has increased by almost 30% in the last decade, while for leopards it grew by 60% in last five years since it was tracked. As per the report titled 'Status of Tigers, Co-Predators, and Prey in TATR (2024)', the number of tigers utilizing buffer zone exclusively has grown by a whopping 260% in 10 years due to overall development of the area by the forest department. From just 10 tigers using buffer zone (exclusively) in 2014, there were 36 tigers recorded there in 2024. Prabhu Nath Shukla, field director of TATR said, "The proper handover of buffer area was completed around 2014. Then the forest department started developing the landscape. As flora and fauna increased, herbivores increased. And with an increased prey base, the number of tigers in buffer also increased." He added that in the last three years, the number of tigers using buffer zone (exclusively) has now stabilized around the mid-30s number. The report also tracked density of tigers and co-predators in TATR, and for the big cat the density per 100 square km now stands at seven. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Activate your McAfee Antivirus Protection Learn More Undo In 2010, approximately five tigers were using 100 sq km area. You Can Also Check: Nagpur AQI | Weather in Nagpur | Bank Holidays in Nagpur | Public Holidays in Nagpur Leopard population has risen sharply as per the data provided for the period 2019 till 2014. From just 106 leopards back then, their numbers have touched 144. Their density (per 100 sq km) was just under seven in 2019 but now it has galloped to over 11. The report is published annually by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the state forest department. As a part of the research project titled 'Long-term monitoring of Tigers, Co-predators and prey in Tiger reserves and other Tiger bearing areas of Vidarbha, Maharashtra', the WII initiated this study in 2019. For gathering the data, camera traps were placed in 628 grids of 2.01 sq km area each in the core and buffer area of TATR in two blocks. INFO GFX Tiger Density (per 100 sq km) Year Tiger Population 2019 6.86 2020 8.39 2021 8.69 2022 9.74 2023 9.80 2024 11.02 Tigers utilizing buffer zone exclusively Year Tiger Population 2014 10 2015 14 2016 17 2017 19 2018 22 2019 23 2020 34 2021 36 2022 38 2023 35 2024 36
