Now, conservationists are breeding the Mahseer and hope to release them in rivers in Indian Kashmir. The programme is the result of a peace process between India and Pakistan that has led to a drop in violence in the region.

“We have bred this fish nicely and reared it out,” Showkat Ali, joint director of Kashmir’s fisheries department, told Reuters.

Ali said hundreds of Mahseer used to migrate to Indian Kashmir each year until Pakistan completed the Mangla dam in 1967 across the Jhelum river, the traditional migratory route for the fish.

The omnivorous red-finned Mahseer, scientifically known as Tor tor, is prized by anglers because of its huge size — reaching up to 2.75 metres (9 feet) and weighing up to 54 kg (119 lb) — and for its fighting spirit.

The fish lives in clear rivers and lakes throughout India and Southeast Asia and needs fast-flowing rivers and streams in the mountains to breed.

Finding enough of the thick-scaled carp in the area to breed at a farm in southern Kashmir proved difficult. Over time, enough were collected and fisheries officials plan to introduce young Mahseer into Indian Kashmir’s rivers and lakes in coming months.

Two more breeding farms are planned in the region, including one in the Uri area, near the Line of Control — a 740 km (460 miles) line which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

A DREAM

Local anglers hoped the programme will bring back an exciting sport.

“I am sure, Inshallah (god willing), the return of the fish will attract more anglers to Kashmir,” Mohammad Amin, 65, said. “For me, fishing for Mahseer is only a dream now, the last catch was 15 years ago.”

To fulfil the dream, militancy in Indian Kashmir needs to remain under control.

Plans to conserve the Mahseer were disrupted in 1989 when Islamic militants launched a revolt against Indian rule in part of Kashmir.

Spiralling violence led to budget cuts and made the programme to unsafe for staff. But India and Pakistan’s 2004 peace process led to the project being revived.

While conservationists welcomed the move to restock Kashmir’s rivers with the Mahseer, they said it was crucial the government took a broader approach if they wanted the fish to remain in area for good.

“We need to look at this in more detail than just restocking,” said Sumantha Ghosh, naturalist and president of the Mahseer Conservation Society.

“We must study the habitat and see what other factors are causing populations to drop and also introduce protected areas as they have done in other Indian states like Uttaranchal and Karnataka.”

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/38098/story.htm

In a major boost for environmentalists, vultures were sighted in Uttarakhand after the recent discovery of the near-extinct birds in Himachal Pradesh.

Over 150 vultures of five species can be found nesting and feeding at three locations around Ramnagar in Uttarakhand — Van Gujjar village of Tumeria, Ringora and Hatidagar. The three sites fall under two categories:

Regular nesting sites (Ringora and Tumeria): Vultures are consistently seen roosting and occupying nests throughout the year and these are likely to be important breeding sites;

Regular feeding sites (Hatidagar): Cattle carcasses are regularly left here and vultures feed on them.

Ringora is an “encroached” village with around 25 families on either side of NH-121, about thee km north of Ramnagar in Nainital district. Earlier, Ringora residents used to keep a large number of cattle. However, at a time when the natural scavengers suffer a population catastrophe triggered by medicines; at Ringora, Indian white-backed vultures are seen roosting virtually every day on four trees, all of which are large kadam (Adina Cordifolia) trees. In a monitoring research undertaken recently by a Corbett-based vulture conservation NGO, 235 white-backed vultures were recorded in 60 observations spread over a month. Vultures in groups of 15 or more are often sighted here.

Significantly, the slender-billed vulture (SBVs), which is even more threatened than the tiger in India, has also been roosting occasionally at Ringora. A captive breeding scheme in India, run by a coalition of conservation groups, including the Royal Society for Protection of Birds and the Zoological Society of London, has seen successful hatching and fledging of two slender-billed vultures for the first time this year. Given that there are just 1,000 slender-billed vultures left in the wild, even the five resident SBVs recorded by researchers is good news for conservationists. Besides, Cinereous or black vulture and red-headed vulture have also been spotted at Ringora.

The second colony borders Tumeria dam, 22.5 km south-west of Ramnagar in Udham Singh Nagar. It is a village of Van Gujjars with about 15 families. Their general attitude is quite pro-vulture and, interestingly, the village also has an old Government poster dating at least 10 years with information on Rajasthani vultures. Well-known for their large holdings of buffaloes, these Gujjars have herds of hundreds grazing in and around the reservoir.

The village is surrounded on three sides by degraded sal forest (Shorea Robusta) and on these trees can be seen large numbers of white-backed vultures and their nests. The villagers say the vultures have been constantly roosting in the village for a couple of years now.

According to Tumeria residents, around 40 vultures can be seen roosting after 4 pm just about every day. Corroborating it, Sumantha Ghosh of Corbett Tiger Reserve in interactions with The Pioneer recounted having observed 49 vultures on August 24 and 39 vultures on August 2 this year.

The vultures found at Tumeria roost in the upper canopy of the sal trees in the village and appear to nest within the approximate boundaries of the village. Forest officials attributed the presence of the very large number of vultures in the area to frequent presence of carcasses nearby.

The third location is a regular feeding site of the white-backed, Egyptian and slender-billed vultures. Hatidagar is a scattered village 9.2 km south-west of Ramnagar in Nainital. The place where these vultures are being sighted is not situated within the village, but is close to a gurdwara by the side of a drying riverbed, where cattle carcasses are regularly left. On July 23, 17 SBVs and 12 WBVs were recorded (the majority observed feeding on the remains of a carcass) and on August 24, 17 WBVs were present at this site.

Information from local naturalists indicates that the vultures have been frequenting this place regularly in the last couple of years. Both slender-billed and white-backed species appear to use the Bombax Ceiba trees, popularly known as cotton trees, as temporary roosting spots while there is food available at the site. With their breeding season at its peak starting October, dedicated monitoring and preservation of these vulture colonies must be taken up on priority; for their extinction is likely in the next 10 years. We do not have any time to waste.

You can find this article by clicking on the following link:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/206903/Hope-takes-wings-as-vulture-colonies-thrive-in-Uttarakhand.html

RAMNAGAR – With the vulture population declining alarmingly in Uttarakhand’s Ramnagar area, which adjoins the Corbett Wildlife Sanctuary, a group of pro-wildlife activists and forest rangers are engaged in spreading public awareness about their conservation in the region.

Under the banner of the Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee, the NGO activists recently used the annual Ramlilas, held during the Dussehra festival, to promote awareness about vultures.

Jatayu Bhagwan, a Demi god in form of a vulture, who finds mention in they mythological epic Ramayana, was used to spread the message of conservation , the idea being to use mythology to educate the masses.

The near extinction of vultures has caused ecological concern as vultures eat up carcasses and keep jungles free of diseases.

As per reports, 99 per cent of the country’s vulture population has vanished mainly because of consuming cow carcasses are treated with the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac Sodium, the production of which was banned in 2006.

Officials say, the use of the drug is rampant and efforts are on to dissuade people from using the drug.

“It is awareness regarding this salt called Diclofenac because though the veterinary one has been banned, the alternate of that is human Diclofenac which is being used rampantly (for livestock of cattle). And they give you one dose, which you are recommended to apply three injections. So our studies show that in adjoining forested areas of the Corbett Tiger Reserve, which is in the Terai west area, not in the forested areas but in the habitat areas of the adjoining Terai west and Ramnagar.

There were many villages where the use of diclofenac, human diclofenac, is still quite rampant. So which is a huge cause of alarm. So this is what our awareness programme is all about,” said Sumantha Ghosh, Director, Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee.

Even renowned wildlife documentary filmmaker Mike Pandey has worked on the subject and made a movie titled ‘The Vanishing vulture’.

This movie was screened during the ‘Ramlila’ plays to draw public attention towards the declining number of vultures.

Besides, the activists also opted to talk to people and distributed pamphlets with information about the need for vulture conservation.

According to experts, connected to the conservation of vultures, the mission is important in the Indian subcontinent else it could lead to serious repercussions like the spread of disease.

“So this sort of global implication is mainly that, we have the awareness of the early warning signs, that some drugs are used and have become more commonly used, and may effect all kinds of animals in unknown ways. So some kind of testing for these kind of effects in the future, this is the warning that you get from this….as well as the implication to the health costs to the Indian subcontinent,” said Oliver Grey Reed, a vulture conservation specialist of United Kingdom, who is also associated with the conservation drive in Ramnagar with Corbett Vulture Conservation Committee.

Birds eating drug-infused carcasses suffer from kidney damage, increased serum uric acid concentrations, visceral gout and death.

The drug was introduced in India in 1995. Although the production and sale of Diclofenac has been banned, the implementation has been slow.

Vultures find a place in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the country’s only legal framework to protect endangered species, which prohibits hunting and trafficking of endangered species.

Conservationists around the world have also called upon the Indian Government to intensify a captive breeding programme for the threatened species.

You can find this article on the web at all the following links:

http://www.andhranews.net/India/2009/September/29-Vulture-conservation-gets-31097.asp

www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-120791.html

http://trak.in/news/vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand/8639/

www.newstin.co.uk/tag/uk/147629878

http://connect.in.com/dussehra-messages/article-vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand-565db71e5f23379559ea2fb270dd49493349b679.html

http://www.india4u.com/india4unews/Vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-Ramlilas-in-Uttarakhand-212407-1.htm

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/293104.php

http://blog.taragana.com/n/vulture-conservation-gets-a-boost-through-ramlilas-in-uttarakhand-180335/

http://sify.com/news/moreheadlines.php?tag=Ramnagar&vsv=tag

http://www.wikio.co.uk/entertainment/media/publishing/sanctuary_group

http://news.indiaid.com/blog/_archives/2009/9/29 (middle of page)

http://newsrack.in/browse?issue=Environment&catID=6&owner=indiatogether

Hanuman and Ram

Ram Leelas are one of the most celebrated festivals in the Hindu religion. The format is for every town and village to hold their own Ram Leelas re-enacting the Ramayana – the story of Rama – over 10 consecutive days, telling each “chapter” of the story on the different days.

The general overview of the Ramayana is that after Rama, Lakshman and Sita are exiled into the forest Sita is kidnapped by the king of Lanka, Ravana. With the help of the monkey army led by Hanuman and also some vultures who have seen Ravana taking Sita, Rama and Lakshman begin their epic voyage to rescue Sita and for Rama to gain his rightful place as the king of Kosala.

The Ramayana is a very animalistic story – there are various animals that are important to not only the Indian culture and Hindu religion but also crucial to the survival of the Indian wildlife and nature. For example there is the vulture that, after being mortally wounded trying to rescue Sita from Ravana, the king of Lanka, which informs Rama and Lakshman that Sita has been kidnapped. Also Rama is cursed after Rama’s father kills a Sarus Crane (the tallest flying bird) at the beginning of the story – and it is due to this curse that eventually Rama’s step-mother gets Rama exiled for fourteen years and gives the story reason to happen. There is also the golden deer that Sita wants Rama to kill which then leads to Lakshman leaving Sita by their hut and eventually being enticed out of the magic circle and getting kidnapped by the demon-king of Lanka.

Vanishing Vultures being Screened

Even in the small villages the Ram Leelas are made to be as impressive as possible. There are hundreds of people attending in the small villages and even more in the bigger towns; each Ram Leela is full of singing, dancing, music and general festivities.  Throughout the evening there are pauses in proceedings in between acts. These are primarily for changing the costumes, the background and also giving the people a little rest to get some food etc. Normally these intervals last between 20-30mins. It is these intervals that give Mahseer Conservancy the perfect opportunity to raise awareness to the local people and farmers about the critical decline of the vulture population throughout the whole of India.

The Ram Leelas are also used to raise awareness by Mahseer Conservancy as there are hundreds of people all in one place looking at the stage – where, of course, there was, during the intervals, a projector screen placed in full view. The plan was for the “V-team” to go to the Ram Leelas and during the intervals to put on a short film promoting awareness as to why the vultures are dying out at such an alarming rate and also showing how they, the people, could prevent the extinction of a creature that is vital to the eco-system.

Sanjay appeals for vultures

After the film was shown there was a short speech made to emphasize the most important parts of the feature and also awareness leaflets were handed out en-masse to as many people as possible in the audience.

Distributing Pamphelets

Although it’s impossible to measure the success of the campaign using numbers and figures it is possible to show how much people cared about it; the Ramayana and therefore Ram Leelas are big Hindu festivals and no-one objected to the film depicting dead cows and even the skinning of the cow carcasses which is quite amazing as it showed that even the more religious Hindus were prepared to look at pictures of to them, sacred, cows dead and dying in the name of vulture conservation. Not to mention the amount of press coverage that the campaign got – making it on to both local and nation television, and also getting into the newspapers.

Simple Message for an Important Issue

Audience watching Vulture awareness programme

Hopefully, and with the help of this type of awareness rising, in the near future we will be able to see vultures circling in the sky once again.

In this time of rising Man-animal conflict it is hard to see a way that these magnificent creatures will find a way to survive, it is surely only with local support and their respect of the wildlife that my grand children may visit here and experience what I have been privileged enough to.

Snakes have always held that ‘Fear” factor in man, just the mere mention of the word “Snake” can drive masses into panic, in India in particular there reputation as man Killers holds some truth to it with many thousands of people a year losing their lives to snake bites. It is therefore, understandable if the villagers here would first look to kill snakes out of self preservation.

However, yesterday when a snake entered a lady’s room and decided to rest there, no ones first thought was to kill the snake instead they reached for the phone in search of help to remove this snake so that it could carry on with its life in the jungle.  The snake in question was no ordinary snake either it was the King of Kings the King Cobra.  A snake so large and with such a fearsome reputation it would have been no surprise if the immediate reaction was to kill it out of self preservation.  Instead their reaction of reaching out for help to preserve this magnificent and rare snake is the first sign of conservation and a huge encouragement that the wildlife in this area will be saved.

Sanjay Chhimwal a renowned naturalist of the area stepped forward to rescue the King and although there was a lot of excitement and fear amongst the by standers, typified by many of them scurrying for safety atop the nearby roof, to look into their eyes was where the real hope lay, there was no malice no intention to kill this lost soul, only a fascination and awe of this hugely impressive King and all bar none gave it the respect it so richly deserves.

For me the most pleasing aspect of this whole episode was to see the amount of people who I had originally involved in the snake conservation project that I started last year.  Many of them like Hem Bahuguna, Khalidatt Kargetti, came from Ramnagar to lend their support, Sumantha Ghosh dropped everything to rush over and lend a hand, and looking around at the faces of people I now call friends it was easy to see that any of them if wouldn’t have hesitated in rescuing the snake.

When it finally freed from its confines to the nearby river the joyous hand and back slapping typified everyone’s wish to see the King back in the Wild where he belongs.

I can only hope that this sort of reaction will be long lasting and will lead to conservation of all species in the area because India without the Majestic and Mystifying Creatures that roam it is just another country and India so much more than that.