Wednesday 31 January 2018

NEWSLINK: In 2017, 17 people fell prey to tigers in Pilibhit

As many as 17 people lost their lives due to man-tiger conflict in Pilibhit district in 2017. Seven of those killed were mauled by two tigers that had strayed out of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR).The situation was so grim that it was not safe for any human being venturing into agricultural fields near PTR.

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NEWSLINK: Ban on river sand mining delays plan to relocate tigers in Rajasthan’s Mukundra

The state forest department has deferred its plans to introduce tigers in the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR), at least till February. Reason: The ban on mining of river sand in Rajasthan.
River sand, used in construction projects, is not available due to the mining ban. As a result, the department is not able to complete the construction of fence around the reserve to prevent human and cattle intrusion.

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NEWSLINK: Two More Tigers Found Dead in Madhya Pradesh; Third Case in a Month

Chilling in water.jpgTwo tigers were found dead in Seoni and Kanha reserves of Madhya Pradesh in the last 24 hours.
The carcass of an adult tiger with its paws chopped off was found in Barghat area of Seoni on Saturday. The animal's body appears to be at least four-day old as most of its parts had decomposed.
Chief Conservator of Forest Dhirendra Bhargav said the carcass was spotted by a patrolling team on Kanha-Pench corridor. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident and other details would be known only after a post-mortem report, he said.

In another case, a tigress was found dead in the Kisli range of the Kanha reserve.


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NEWSLINK: Sheep farmer captures escaped leopard roaming countryside for one week

Clouded leopard.jpgA leopard spent nearly an entire week roaming the Cornish countryside and hunting sheep after escaping its closure.

The leopard's presence in the Cornish countryside didn't stop until a sheep farmer set a fox trap to capture the big cat, which killed some of his sheep.

It has been reported that the leopard belongs to Todd Dalton, who won a legal battle to keep the animals, usually native to Nepal and China, in a south-east London garden 12 years ago.

Mr Dalton has since moved to Cornwall, where it escaped from his garden in Great Treverran, near Par on Boxing Day.

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NEWSLINK: Tiger census come to a close in biggest habitat

Dudhwa national.jpgThe tiger census taken up across the country has came to an end in Karnataka, with Nagarahole and Bandipur Tiger reserves, being the biggest habitat of the big cats in the wild in India.


The carnivore and mega herbivore sign survey taken up as part of All-India Tiger Estimation 2018, which concluded in the State, saw a surge in both species sightings in the two major Tiger habitations.


This entails sampling of the vegetation, human disturbance and pellet count along the transect lines, officials taking up the important census on Monday said.

The census work came to and end with hundreds of forest workers and NGOs taking up the work in Karnataka on Sunday.
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NEWSLINK: Two villages to be relocated from Kawal tiger reserve

Panthera tigris amoyensis.jpgThe proposal to relocate two hamlets in the core area of Kawal tiger reserve was finalised at a high level meeting presided by chief secretary, SP Singh, here on Wednesday.


Though as many as 23 villages in the heart of Kawal tiger reserve have been proposed for relocation, only two villages will be shifted in the first phase. Other villages will be shifted in phases after holding talks with the residents. Incidentally, people living in these two villages - Rampur and Mysampet - have volunteered to leave their homes and settle down elsewhere.

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Tuesday 30 January 2018

NEWSLINK: A Deadly Dog Virus Has Infected the World's Most Endangered Big Cat

Canine distemper virus (CDV) causes a serious illness that can threaten the lives of our beloved dogs, so many pet owners take care to vaccinate their furry buddies against it. But CDV can also infect a diversity of wild carnivore species, from coyotes to skunks and raccoons. Unfortunately, CDV has now found a new target—the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis), the most endangered big cat in the world.

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NEWSLINK: Serval cat makes Milwaukee County Zoo debut

Leptailurus serval - ausgewachsener Serval.jpgIf visitors don't notice the black spots and stripes first, they definitely see the ears.
Amos' ears seem way too big for his head but then servals, a cat at home on the African savannah, are known for the appendages that seem almost like furry satellite dishes protruding from their heads.

"If (humans) had ears their size, they would be the size of dinner plates," said Sheri Guay, a zookeeper in the Milwaukee County Zoo's Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country.
The Milwaukee County Zoo hasn't had a serval since 1993. On Thursday, Amos, a 9-year-old male born in captivity in Idaho, was formally introduced to zoo visitors.

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VIDEO: Snow leopard enjoys winter weather at Mill Mountain

Snow leopard sleeping - Buffalo Zoo.jpgWhile winter weather may be unbearable for some, cold temperatures have the big cats at Mill Mountain Zoo more active than ever.
     Frigid temperatures have many of the animals laying low, snuggled up in their dens.

But it's actually the best time of year to see Nina the mountain lion or Bali the snow leopard.
Mill Mountain Zoo co-director Robin Lentz escorted 10 News up close to the snow leopard's den to see Bali in action. Although Lentz said big cats typically sleep around 20 hours a day, the snow has Bali particularly active.
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Saturday 27 January 2018

ARTICLE: Capturing big urban cats

A leopard.jpgHe is not only an award-winning wildlife photographer, but is equally dedicated to preserving the habitat of wildlife. Mumbai-based photographer and conversationalist Nayan Khanolkar started his career as a bird photographer. A research fellow with the Bombay Natural History Society and a biology teacher, he fell in love with photography at the age of 12 after reading The Man-eaters of Kumaon by Jim Corbett. “For the first time I realised that somebody has made a careful observation of nature and written it in a very interesting way. That’s when I decided to go for trekking in western ghats and that kindled my interest in natural studies, and led to research in Bharatpur and photography,” says Nayan.

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NEWSLINK: MP's Tiger Conservation Losing Teeth as Big Cats Continue to Drop Dead

Stud 327 with Blesbuck.jpgMadhya Pradesh has lost 29 tigers since January 2017, bringing into question the implementation of conservation schemes in a region once known as the ‘tiger state’ of India. Four of these deaths have been reported in the first month of 2018, with the latest one being recorded on Saturday.

Blessed with dense forests, Madhya Pradesh had 308 tigers as per the 2014 wildlife census in six tiger reserves – Panna, Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Satpura, Pench and Sanja. This was a significant improvement over the previous 2010 wildlife census conducted in 2010 which put the big cats number at 257.

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ARTICLE: Do big cats really prowl the Australian bush?

Have you ever seen a big cat in the Australian wild? Not just an oversized house cat, but a panther, a lion or a tiger?


If you have — or at least, think you have — then you're not alone.

Many Australians say they've encountered some kind of mysterious big cat in the bush. So is there a whisker of truth to all these alleged sightings?


In the central Victorian town of Lancefield, it's not hard to spot a big cat.


Right in the centre of the main street, the hulking frame of a jet black panther stands ready to pounce.


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Thursday 25 January 2018

NEWSLINK: 6 tigers venture out of Pilibhit reserve, leave villagers on edge

In Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, a man-animal conflict rages on which the forest department blames on tigers living in sugarcane fields. The reserve and the adjoining areas have six tigers on the prowl at present. The felines have been spotted living either on the fringes or outside the forest for months.

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VIDEO: The screams of an in heat mountain lion

Mountain Lion (14223030832).jpgThe sound of a mountain lion screaming is one of the most terrifying things you might ever hear. This sounds like something out of a horror movie where you might see the young man get mauled at any moment. To think that any creature in nature actually sounds like this at any given time when they’re not in pain or seriously angry at something is kind of creepy. 

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Thursday 18 January 2018

NEWSLINK: 9 Healthy Lion Cubs Killed At Zoo In Sweden Causing Outrage Worldwide

File:Lion cub with mother.jpgA zoo in Sweden has attracted worldwide controversy after admitting to killing nine lion cubs – despite the fact that they were all perfectly healthy.

BorÃ¥s zoo said that the nine cubs were all under two years old when they were euthanized, the reason being that they didn’t ‘fit in’ to the pride and were then considered surplus.

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PHOTO: Tigress and 2 cubs sighted in Kerwa

Tigress along with two cubs in Kerwa jungle kept the forest officials on toes for past two days. Worried over safety of the feline, Forests Department started patrolling in the area from Monday morning.

According to Forest Department, there is probable chance of territorial fight between tigress T-123 and tiger T-121, who has already set up his territory in the area. Officials said poachers are also active in the area so patrolling has been raised. Location of camera trap has been also changed to keep an eye on tigress and cubs through e-surveillance. As per camera recordings, tigress has been spotted in Kerwa and Kaliyasot jungle along with the cubs.


The cubs are about 6 months old. Earlier in December 2017, the tigress was sighted with cubs in Kathotiya jungles. She has move towards Kerwa jungle through Ratapani area. As other tigress T-21 has already set up territory along with cubs, tigress T-123 left the area and move out in Kerwa-Kaliyasot. Young male tiger T-1 is already there in Kerwa-Kaliyasot jungles. Forest officials said male tiger usually attack the cubs and in such condition territorial fight happened between the tiger and tigress.


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NEWSLINK: Essex Wildlife Trust respond to black panther sighting in Sible Hedingham

Essex Wildlife Trust has responded to reports that a black panther has been sighted in a rural village in the county.

A resident took to social media claiming to have seen the animal walking near the river bank in Sible Hedingham and posted a paw print photo on Facebook.


Darren Tansley, Essex Wildlife Trust Water for Wildlife officer, and co-author of ‘Mammals of Essex’ book, said: “These paw print photos are not of a big cat but a dog, cats walk with their claws retracted but here a claw mark is detectable.

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Wednesday 10 January 2018

ARTICLE: In the footsteps of a man-eater: As a tigress kills at will, villages live in fear

Tigergebiss.jpgIt’s 4 pm. The mellow winter sun gives way to a crisp breeze on the outskirts of Borati village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district.


Beyond the cotton fields, a slight man watches over a herd of grazing cows. The mild chill doesn’t explain his attire. His torso is wrapped in a band of rusted metal. A similar band wrapped around his neck has sharp spokes pointing outwards. The armour is fastened and secured with a lock and key.
“I made this gear last month after I saw a tiger in the forest,” says Shankar Atram, 48. He earns a living as a cowherd — Rs 150 per animal per month, he says.

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PHOTO: Tiger dies in hit-and-run mishap near Bazargaon

Indrah the Sumatran Tiger.jpgIn a bizarre hit-and-run mishap, an unidentified vehicle knocked dead a full-grown tiger near Bazargaon off Nagpur-Amravati Highway on Friday evening. The accident spot is not popular for tiger sighting, though the big cats often cross over the busy Highway, under a nearby bridge, while moving across the jungle.

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Tuesday 9 January 2018

VIDEO: Little girl gets shock of her life when she tries to play with feisty jaguar

Jaguar Amneville.JPGOne girl learnt about wild animals the hard way after her bid to play with a jaguar was met with a shocking reaction.


Alongside her two siblings – a younger brother and sister – the brown-haired girl appears fascinated by the animal behind the glass.


The jaguar looks back at the three of them inquisitively and remains calm in the early stages of the clip.


But that soon changes when the youngster pulls out a novelty giraffe toy.

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ARTICLE: Panama's Jaguars In Danger, Humans Major Cause Of Death, Says Study

Panthera onca at the Toronto Zoo.jpgA study revealed residents near national parks in Panama, Central America, were causing problems to the jaguar population there. With the residents living near two major national parks in Panama supporting road building in the parks and developmental activities, the population of the big cat continues to deteriorate.


Though these parks are taking huge efforts to conserve the population of the majestic feline, which is the largest big cat in the Americas, their numbers continue to decline.


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Monday 8 January 2018

NEWSLINK: Tiger lovers expect to see rise in numbers as big cat census begins today

2012 Suedchinesischer Tiger.JPGThe much-awaited all-India tiger census starts on Monday and animal enthusiasts are waiting with bated breath to know the results.


Karnataka boasts of housing 406 tigers, the largest number in the country. "We hope that the population has reduced, even if there is no increase," said Forest minister Ramanath Rai.


Speaking to DH, Somashekar, southern region head of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said the census was being done at different periods in different places. However, in south India it is being held simultaneously to ensure that there is no duplication and error.

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Thursday 4 January 2018

NEWSLINK: Rarest big cat in world dumbfounded when its roe deer meal vanished

Leopard kill - KNP - 001.jpgAmur leopard - one of only 80 still living in wild - kept returning to road where its newly-killed prey was grabbed by a passing motorist.
The confused big cat was seen by several drivers beside a remote road in the Land of the Leopard nature reserve in eastern Russia.

It was sniffing around as if looking for something.
Several drivers noticed the unusual behaviour and reported it to rangers.

They caught the highly endangered creature on dash cams.
The leopard did not look injured, but seemed to be missing something.

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ARTICLE: Gun-Toting Zoo Owners in Showdown With PETA and the Feds Over Baby Tigers

One day in October, Randy Stearns walked out to a Florida campfire, dressed in a fringed leather top like a modern-day Davy Crockett. “Hello, friends, Randy the Tiger Man,” the animal trainer greeted the camera, which was set between a teepee and totem pole out in the woods near his family’s Dade City zoo.

“You can’t believe a damn thing you see on the news,” the 34-year-old declared in the filmed fireside chat posted on Facebook. “Just look at me. I’m the newest Charlie Sheen. Every time you go on, there’s something on about us, the park…”

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NEWSLINK: 115 big cats died in 2017 across India

2586888 orig.jpgOne tiger was killed every third day in 2017, taking the total tiger deaths to 115 last year. This is for the second year running that over 100 tigers have died due to poisoning, poaching, natural deaths and conflict with humans.


The data for the year shows that 98 tigers bodies were recovered and in 17 cases, body parts were seized by authorities. The highest number of 30 tiger deaths was reported from Madhya Pradesh, followed by 25 in Maharashtra and 17 in Assam.

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Monday 1 January 2018

NEWSLINK: Alberta cougar hunt sparks debate among scientists, hunters and activists

Hunters have been killing cougars in Alberta for decades.


They often follow prints in the snow or use dogs to track the big cats before they are shot with guns or bows.


Last month, outdoor television host Steve Ecklund's cougar hunt led to online threats and criticisms – including a penis comment from Laureen Harper, wife of former prime minister Stephen Harper – after he bragged about it on social media.

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