Man and Elephant in Conflict

Rumble in the Jungle: Man And Elephants Fight It Out in Jambi’s Forests


Sekutur Jaya, Jambi. Despite its serenity, complete with smiling, laid-back people, a serious problem is weighing heavily upon this remote village in central Sumatra.

                                          Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lazurite/


Just mention “Elephas maximus sumatranus,” or the Sumatran elephant, and the serenity and smiles are replaced by fear, angry comments and a sense of helplessness.



Since 2002, herds of wild elephants have continually rampaged through palm oil plantations belonging to residents of Sekutur Jaya, destroying their crops and leaving angry farmers at their wits’ end, as well as worried about their food security. The fact that the elephants are an endangered species, and are merely reacting to human encroachment into their habitat, does little to mollify the villagers.



Sekutur Jaya was only founded in 1997 by transmigrants from Java and Sumatra.



“Could you please give me the forestry minister’s phone number? I’d like to tell him about our despair,” Sukur Rahmat, 58, the weary-looking village head, told visiting journalists from the Jakarta Globe.



As the lowest-ranking government representative in the area, Sukur is not only the depository for frequent complaints from the 275 families in the village, but is also one of the them, as the herds also affect his farm. “This week, those beasts came every day, destroying our palm oil fields,” Sukur said, taking a deep breath.



Their sense of helplessness is understandable: What can a group of villagers do against an angry pack of pachyderms, most weighing several thousand pounds or more?



That’s not to say they haven’t tried. Every Thursday night, villagers walk to the fields to recite from the Koran, praying that the wild elephants will go away. They’ve also reported the problem to less divine authorities, including the district chief and Jambi’s governor, but no solution has been forthcoming.



“It’s very frustrating to see palm oil trees that you take care of every day destroyed by wild elephants,” said Lukman, a transmigrant from East Java. “It seems that we don’t have a future anymore.”



“Where else can we go now?” Fauzi, another resident, said emotionally. “I started my field with 245 palm oil trees, now there are only 39 left.”



Fauzi said he no longer had the energy to continue farming and attempting to fight back, and he’s not alone. Comments from numerous other villagers ranged from “I’m ready to leave this place” to “How come nobody will help us?”



The root of the problem, unfortunately, is beyond the comprehension of these palm oil farmers. Long before the first houses were erected in Sekutur Jaya, Sumatran elephants roamed through the area. The

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Dodo Arrives!

Dodo Arrives!




Dodo spent his entire life imprisoned underground in a concrete pit!

                                       A Dodo...but not this Dodo

                                        Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfields/



Dodo, an eight year old male, was liberated from his underground dungeon and arrived safely at the sanctuary on 23-12-2009.

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Now China calls for Tiger Protection!

China wakes up, calls for protection of tigers

India’s newfound partnership with China on environment issues has yielded results in the area of tiger protection as well. In what could be seen as a new year’s gift for the Indian tiger, China’s State Forestry Administration has issued a directive calling for the protection of tigers, especially the need to step up action against illegal trade in tiger parts and products.

                                    Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30775272@N05/


Poaching and smuggling of tigers fuelled by China’s incessant demand for tiger parts has been a thorny issue between India and China. This vital conservation issue dominated Jairam Ramesh’s first visit to Beijing as minister of state for environment in August last year. At that time, however, the talks between India and China to save the endangered animal failed to make much progress. Now, it would seem that the Indian government’s efforts have made some impact.



The Chinese order is aimed at protecting tigers in the wild, enforcing laws against illegal trading of tiger parts & products and better management and monitoring of tiger farms. Though silence on the issue of closing down the tiger farms could continue to be a cause of concern for India’s effort at conserving tigers.



The order has called for improved protection of tigers and their prey in the wild. This will have to be done through efforts in “research, monitoring, anti-poaching and alleviating human-tiger conflict”. China has some 20-odd tigers in the wild.



It has also mandated a crackdown on illegal smuggling and trade of tiger parts and products. The order has specifically asked local forestry bureaus to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to increase monitoring and undertake enforcement measures against tiger trade.



Officially, domestic trade in tiger parts is illegal in China. However, the ever-growing demand for tiger parts, which are used as aphrodisiacal drugs and to make Chinese traditional medicine, has contributed to a flourishing black market, which fuels increased poaching and smuggling of tigers out of India through the Nepal and Myanmar borders. The latest directive from the Chinese authorities seeks to address the issue by trying to curb this demand.



It calls for promoting public awareness to reduce consumption of tiger parts and a public rejection of illegal trade. It suggests encouraging and motivating the public to report wildlife crime to authorities. At the same time, those officials who repeatedly ignore public complaints about illegal trade will be held responsible.



The Chinese order has also called for increased monitoring and management of tiger captive breeding facilities. This will require creating a database that would track all tigers bred on these facilities, with special attention to tiger deaths in these farms. To prevent trade, stockpile of tiger bodies and parts should be sealed to prevent use.



Those facilities that do not have storage capabilities would be required to destroy stockpile, under the supervision of local authorities. Each tiger farm will be required to have permits and meet conditions before opening up for public viewing.



Nearly 4,000 tigers are bred in scores of these controversial tiger farms in China. While the government maintains that these farms have been developed to attract tourists, experts maintain that these farms are used to harvest tiger body parts, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Mr Ramesh has pushed for phasing out of tiger farms and destruction of stockpiles of tiger parts. The minister had sought an assurance from China’s minister
 
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Chimpanzee population under threat from Volcano

Volcanic eruption threatens rare chimpanzees in DR Congo

In the pre-dawn hours on Saturday, rangers at Virunga National Park were awoken by the sound of Mt. Nyamulagira erupting.

                                                                      Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davelau/

Located 16 miles from the eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park is home to the largest remaining continuous population of chimpanzees in the world.



In addition, the park is home to the endangered mountain gorilla, hippopotamus, leopard and other animals. The gorilla's are said to be safe as they live further east and are not in direct threat from the eruption.



Virunga National Park Director Emmanuel de Merode said that park staff, working in conjunction with civilian and military authorities, have been mobilized and continue to assess the risks and take appropriate action.



At 10,023 feet, Mt. Nyamulagira is the most active volcano in ....

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Zoo Keepers go on 'Marriage' hunt

Dwindling zoo populations force keepers to stage animal 'marriage' hunt

While "konkatsu," or marriage hunting, emerged as a trendy term in 2009, some zoos in Japan engaged in their own version of "konkatsu" -- trying to track down mates for popular animals to produce offspring.

                                           Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/macinate/


On the evening of Nov. 14, Momoko, a western lowland gorilla at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo, gave birth to a female infant roughly one hour, 50 minutes after going into labor. Zoo officials announced the birth of the gorilla, named Komomo, on Dec. 24. It was the first time in six years for a gorilla to be born at a zoo in Japan.



Altogether there are just 24 gorillas in Japan's zoos -- less than half the peak number of 49 in 1990 -- and producing offspring has become a pressing issue. But breeding has been slowed by aging of the primates. The optimal breeding age for gorillas is in their teens, but of the 11 female gorillas in Japan, six are aged 30 or older and three are in their 20s. Just two female gorillas are in their teens.



International trading of gorillas and other rare animals is restricted under the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.



"This is not an age in which you can simply buy animals with a wad of notes," says Kenichi Kitamura, a managing director at the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The remaining option is "breeding loans," in which the animals are loaned to other zoos.



Momoko came to Ueno Zoo from Chiba Zoological Park at the end of 2008. It was the second time that Ueno had borrowed Momoko. She was also brought to the zoo in 1999 and was returned after giving birth. This time, the gorilla that fathered the infant was borrowed from Australia.



"In 10 years there's a chance that the number of gorillas will be less than 10," said Motoyasu Ida, an education official at Ueno Zoo. "If we don't cooperate, we won't be able to overcome the crisis."



Breeding problems also temporarily put the pinch on Kagoshima City Hirakawa Zoological Park. When its only male koala of breeding age died, it loaned two female koalas to Kobe Oji Zoo and one gave birth, but in a disappointing turn for the zoo, the joey died. This month, however, zoo officials were able to exchange a female koala with a male from Higashiyama Zoo in Nagoya.



Demand has also been high for polar bears. Two zoos have put their hands up for Tsuyoshi, a 6-year-old female bear at Hokkaido's Kushiro City Zoo. At the time of the bear's birth at Sapporo Maruyama Zoo, the zoo mistakenly identified it as a male, and gave it the male name Tsuyoshi, but when it was handed over to the Kushiro zoo for breeding, it emerged that the bear was actually a female. In no time, the heads of Oga Aquarium GAO in Akita Prefecture and Osaka's Tennoji Zoo visited Kushiro with requests to borrow the bear. In the end it was decided to lend Tsuyoshi or another female bear to Akita.



In some cases, deals are made with zoos overseas. In order to diversify the lineage of its cubs, Maruyama Zoo plans to swap a 1-year-old polar bear cub with a zoo overseas.



Hamamatsu Zoo, meanwhile, with waiting for "brides" for its golden lion tamarins. The zoo is the only one in Japan that keeps the animals. It has asked a zoo in the United States for assistance, but Japan's law on the prevention of infectious diseases restricts the places from which monkeys can be imported.



"We have four between the age of 6 and 9 who are looking for mates, and the appropriate age is 4 to 9," says one zoo official.



Journalist Mieko Kenjo, a director of the Tokyo Zoological Park Society, says the loaning of animals may provide

Full Article: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20100102p2a00m0na014000c.html

Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula - Sharjah 2010

Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula - Sharjah 2010

                                                           Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevephillips/

The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) of the Government of Sharjah, takes great pleasure in announcing the first Conference on Biodiversity Conservation in the Arabian Peninsula, which will be held on the 3rd and 4th of February 2010, at the American University of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.


The conference is being organized under the patronage of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, in recognition of a decade of Sharjah Conservation Workshops and their achievements.

The conference has attracted regional and international experts in their fields. Dr Simon Stuart, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission is the keynote speaker with Dr Fareed Krupp, Dr Mark Stanley-Price, Dr Mohammed Shobrak and Dr Shahina Ghazanfar speaking on their specialist subjects, along with many other well-known local and international scientists and conservationists. Poster presentations illustrating current research and conservation projects from the around region will also be on display for the duration of the conference.

Participation in the conference is free but the number of participants is limited. To secure your place at the conference, please Register early to avoid disappointment. Flights and accommodation requirements are up to the individual. For general information on the emirate, please visit our Travel Information page. Details of accommodation in Sharjah can be found in the Where to Stay link.

We do hope that you and your colleagues will be able to attend this important conference and I look forward to a lively exchange of views and information, and opportunities to strengthen and extend the Biodiversity Network on the Arabian Peninsula, which we have jointly built over the past decade.

Abdulaziz al Midfa

Director General
Environment and Protected Areas Authority

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The objectives of the conference are:

To present and discuss biodiversity conservation issues in the Arabian Peninsula

To review the present status of biodiversity conservation in the Middle East

To link up with scientists from the region and internationally

To identify opportunities and priorities for future biodiversity conservation


Presentations topics include:


WWF Ecoregions and habitats

Hotspots and species

Protected Area networks

Animal Reintroductions

Plant and habitat restorations

Freshwater Fish and Marine Conservation

Flyways and stop-overs

Climate change




Scientific Committee

Dr Philip Seddon Director, Postgraduate Wildlife Management Program,
Zoology Department, University of Otago, New Zealand


Dr David Mallon Co-Chair, IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group,
United Kingdom

Dr Michael Knight Head, Park Planning and Development Conservation
Services, South African National Parks

Important Dates



Registrations Close: 31 December 2009 TO 15 January 2010



Deadline for Poster Submissions: 31 December 2009


To Register and learn more click HERE

Billy Arjan Singh Passes Away

Wildlife conservationist Billy Arjan Singh dies

Wildlife conservationist and Padma Shri awardee Billy Arjan Singh has died of prolonged illness in Jaswantnagar, family sources said today.


92-year-old Singh passed away at his 'Tiger Haven' farmhouse last night.

He was conferred a Padma Shri in 1975 for his efforts towards wildlife conservation, besides awards like World Wildlife Gold Medal, Lifetime Award for Tiger Conservation in 1999 and J Paul Getty Award in 2004.

In 2006, he was awarded with the coveted Padma Bhushan Award and the Yash Bharti by the UP government.

Apart from his active contribution to wildlife conservation, Singh authored many books on tigers and wildlife.

"Billy even in his last days was deeply concerned over the wildlife in Dudhwa and he was keen to know the genetic status of tigers in the park," convener of ....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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