Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award 2010

The Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award each year chooses 5 conservationists from across the country through an expert panel led by Mr.Valmik Thapar. This award recognizes individuals who contribute in the field of Tiger conservation.

I was fortunate to be chosen as one of this year's awardees. Union Minister Mr.Salman Khurshid presented the trophy & a prized Zeiss binocular. MoEF Mr.Jairam Ramesh too was present.

The august gathering was glittering with the likes of Dr.Ullas Karanth, Dr.Raghu Chundawat, Mr.P.K.Sen, Mr.Shekar Dattari, Ms.Belinda Wright, Ms.Joanna Van Gruisen and other special guests.

Though my name as an individual has been selected but the achievement belongs to both myself & Suchandra.

For this achievement, we must thank our mentor Mr.Bittu Sahgal for his non-stop energetic influence. We thank the legendary Mr.Fateh Singh Rathore for being our father figure. Dr.Anish Andheria for being a constant teacher, and Mr.P.K.Sen for his inspirational words that have stood by us always.

We must also thank the West Bengal Forest Department for all their support throughout.

Thanks to our friends - Pinaki, Kaushik, Ananda, Dipankar, Kumkum & a battalion of others and above all Chhaya Dutt & Tomtom.

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Times of India news strip

12.04.2010

Conservationist rewarded

He loves the woods and swears by the tiger. Watching the forests through the lens of his camera, he gradually fell in love with them and turned a conservationist. For nearly a decade now, Joydeep Kundu and his wife Suchandra have been tirelessly campaigning in favour of measures to save the endangered animal and its fast dwindling habitat around the country. Travelling far and wide across the sanctuaries, the Sunderbans in particular, the conservationist couple has been urging everyone concerned to take note of the urgent need to come to the aid of the tiger.

Joydeep’s efforts won him the Carl Zeiss Wildlife Conservation Award at a glittering ceremony in New Delhi last week. “Even though Kundu doesn’t have formal training, he has an instinctive feel for the jungle and a fierce desire to protect species and habitats,” said the citation.

The desire has grown over the years. Kundu remains a keen wildlife photographer and his photographs are still published in wildlife magazine Sanctuary Asia. But he now takes his role as a conservator more seriously. Last year, Kundu organized a unique march titled “Walk for the Tiger” in the Sunderbans, which saw more than 2 lakh taking part across six islands of the mangrove forest. Kundu has also been a part of the “Bengal Tiger Banchao” campaign run by Sanctuary Asia and Bengal Tiger Line.

“This award will inspire me to keep working for conservation and contribute towards saving the tiger. This is a challenging period for conservationists in India. We need to be on guard all the time,” says the conservationist.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIKM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&GZ=T

PM Announces New Department Of Wildlife Under The Ministry Of Environment & Forests

Many hopes behind this ray of light .. ..

At the fifth National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) meeting held in New Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his capacity as Chairman announced the setting up of a dedicated Department of Wildlife under the charge of Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge) Jairam Ramesh.

Informed sources confirmed that the decision was taken after Mr. Valmik Thapar, Member NWBL made a statement on the dire situation of wildlife in the country, as exemplified by the fate of the Sariska and Panna Reserves, which suffered local extinction of tigers at the hands of poachers. A proposal for a separate lion conservation project was also mooted by Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Other matters that came up for discussion included crop raiding by chital deer and a demand to delist corals from schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. This was opposed by all non-official members because corals are vital to the biodiversity of our oceans. Members also expressed concern at the rising number of accidental deaths suffered by wild elephants that were being run over by trains in wildlife areas, particularly in North Bengal and Uttarakhand.

The National Board for Wildlife is the apex body that decides wildlife policy in India and it has a total of 45 serving members, the Minister of Environment & Forests, plus 15 non-official members, four of whom are part of a 12-member Standing Committee of the NBWL, which handles day-to-day decisions and monitoring of the directions issued by the NBWL. Dr. Karan Singh, who was the first Chairman of Project Tiger when the project was first launched in 1973.

Maoists war make life hell for Jumbos

Who is to be blamed ?

CAUGHT IN RED ZONE

Foresters looking for alternative route for jumbos

The herd of 80 elephants that came to West Midnapore from Dalma and finds itself trapped in south Bengal — as its forest route has been “taken over” by Maoists and joint forces — triggered panic in villages on the Bankura border on Friday. Moving from Gangajal Ghati on the banks of the Damodar, the elephants have now taken cover in Borjora, a forested block on the Bankura-Burdwan border.

The entire herd came out of the jungle and started attacking potato and pumpkin fields at Morar, Kulupukur and Basudebpur. Fields of at least 100 farmers were completely ransacked and huts damaged, though no major injury was reported from the area.

Forest officials who are tracking down the elephants and trying to get back them on the return path feel that the animals may avoid the old route and stay back in south Bengal, which can lead to serious damage in parts of Bankura and West Midnapore. Traditionally, their route in Bankura goes through Simlapal, Raipur, Jhilimili and Raipur blocks. These blocks have enough forest cover and so the elephants find sufficient food. However, these blocks are now being avoided by the elephants, who have taken the Bishnupur-Sonamukhi-Borjora route because the dense forests are full of Maoists even as the joint forces are closing in.

The forest officials are scared that the herd, which is showing clear signs of distress, may cross over into Durgapur across the border and create havoc in the densely populated urban areas.

The herd did try to take its normal return route via Kantapahari and Lalgarh, but turned back due to the “disturbance” caused by Maoist activities, split into two groups and moved into Hoomgarh and Garbeta, which is on the Bankura border. They converged after crossing Garbeta and moved together into Bishnupur, Jaipur and Sonamukhi in Bankura, wreaking havoc all the way. “The temperature borders 40 degrees Celsius here. This coupled with lack of food and the inability to return home is making them wild,” said V K Yadav, deputy chief wildlife warden (western circle).

The officials are now trying to put the elephants on an alternative route via Goaltore. While they are likely to avoid the Goaltore-Kantapahari-Lalgarh-Belpahari-Bhulebheda-Dalma route, the elephant squad is “suggesting” the alternative route of Goaltore-Sarenga-Belpahari.

“We will try our best to guide the elephants back on the alternative route, which is not too unfamiliar to them because a small group did come to Bengal this year using that route,” Yadav explained.

DFO Bankura, S Kulan Deival, said villagers have been told not to harm elephants even if they attack their fields. “We would compensate for the losses,” Deival said.

_TIMES NEWS NETWORK