Poachers Trapped in Camera in Orang National Park, Assam

(written with inputs from my fellow biologist Kamal Azad)

The Orang National Park in Assam is an important rhino habitats floodplain grassland habitat next to the famous Kaziranga National Park. The 78 sq km area is facing severe threats of poaching activities particularly for the rhino horn. Strong protection measures taken by the Forest Department, Assam is leading to conservation population of 60-70 rhinos in the park.

The protection of habitat for rhino has added benefit to other animals in the park. Though small in size, a breeding population of tiger is thriving in the park. Aaranyak and Assam Forest Department is monitoring tigers and its prey animals regularly in the park since 2008. 

As stripe of a tiger never lie, automatic cameras (trap camera) are used to photograph and monitor elusive mammals like tiger. The traps record almost everything happening on the trail or road it is placed. Though we target cameras for tigers all other animals are photographed using the trail that is certainly known to use by tigers. The camera traps help researchers and managers beyond their main objective understand individual identity and abundance of tigers. Information on other animals, activity pattern, health-injuries of animal, animal behaviours and so on can be simultaneously recorded in such camera traps.

In the beginning of December 2010 we were ready for the fourth camera trapping operation in Orang National Park. Our target was is to capture all tigers in the park enriched with new digital PANTHERA[1] cameras and three years prior experiences about the tigers and terrain in the park. We were very excited to use these digital cameras for the first time. We had lots of bitter experiences using the film cameras and heavy gears during the last few years. All our cameras were installed by 29^th December 2010. Then it is monitoring those regularly and knowing what is being captured, particularly our target, the tiger.

On 9^th January we learnt that one rhino was poached near Half Camp (N 26° 35^’ 29.4^”, E 92° 19^’ 15.5^”) and the horn was taken away. Next day we checked our camera nearest to that poaching location. Back in the field station we were going through the photographic events of that camera. The photographs of 5^th January 2011 surprised us when we saw three persons armed with .303 rifles were walking on the road. We had little doubt that these guys were poachers; one of them was field guide.

We immediately informed Salim Ahmed, Range Officer and Sushil Daila, Divisional Forest Officer about the events recorded on camera. Poaching is not new in rhino bearing areas in Assam, but capturing poacher is new to us and we presumed that the culprits could be identified as the pictures were very clear, even though in side profile.

The park management acted swiftly and decided to hang poster with photo of the poachers in the fringe areas. A reward of Rs.25000/- to informer leading to identification and arrest of the gang was mentioned in the poster. In fact, the identity of the poachers was confirmed soon after the posters were hanged. Under pressure, the two armed poachers finally surrendered to police and then arrested and sent to jail.

It was indeed a satisfying moment to all of us, the Aaranyak team and the Park management as the poachers are now behind bar. We thank Panthera for developing this quality camera and giving us to use the same. The trap cameras also has proved in this case that they are not just for research and can be used for effective protection in the areas that are constantly under pressure from poachers.

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[1] Panthera (www.panthera.org) is a global cat conservation organization and has developed a digital camera for cat monitoring.

Fig Wasp: Fig cann't survive without them!

I am amused to learn about fig wasp (from Karthik Teegalapalli) and its 80 million years association with fig tree. The fig wasps has a species specific relationship with fig trees. Their life is only around figs!!

The female fig wasp enters the fig flower, lays eggs and dies. The eggs (already fertilized) then develops into wasps and male fig wasps emerge before females. The wingless male then fertilize the female and chew open the closed fig flower for the females. Then all the females with fertilized eggs and pollens from the fig flower venture out looking for exactly same species of fig to lay eggs and pollinate.

This cycle goes on. Imagine what if we continue using pesticides and chemicals that are harmful to fragile insects like these, what will happen to the fig trees in the nature. Fig trees are known to support several species of animals with its fruits and leaves though their flowers are pollinated by just one species of fig wasp.

This is a wonderful association of plants and animals I have learnt today. Thanks to Karthik.

Interested to know more? Read here as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fig_wasp

Education as a tool for species conservation in India.

My friend Kishore Rithe (of Satpura Foundation) and myself had been talking about holding an environmental education training programme for young professionals of India. This was on since we attended the same programme since 2004.

Finally it was organized at Amravati, near Melghat Tiger Reserve of Maharastra state India. Kishore invited me to attend the programme and share our experiences. This also included a talk at the Amravati University, on any conservation success story from Assam. Well what else than Rhino conservation in Assam.

My presentation on rhino conservation was well taken by the audience and there were lots of questions coming from them. It was nice to talk to such a smart gathering.

That's not all. I had to give an extempore presentation on environment education activities and achievements of Aaranyak at the training hall. This groups is comprised of participants from Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal and India including one of my colleague, Jayanta Pathak.

I still remember this training and what I learned during Thailand course. I always recommend people interested/involved in EE to this training. It is a must if you had not been through a formal training on Applied EE. Go for it next time where ever it is. I wish this be hold in Northeast India next time.

Ed McCrea, the principal resource of this training has a long experience in EE around the world.  More about EECG and Ed http://www.eecg.org/home.htm

Good to meet all the participants and friends.

Thanks to Kishore and Ed for making me a part of this.

Firoz

Indian, Arunachal, India.. & China

Have you been to Arunachal Pradesh? You should go there as an ordinary Indian, not as VIP/VVIP realize what I am writing below.

Any Indian visiting Arunachal Pradesh require ILP (Inner Line Permit), which is OK to get from a few (http://arunachalpradesh.nic.in/enter_ap.htm) in the country. I happen to be from Guwahati, Assam and very often go to Aruachal for Research on wildlife. It takes a day or even two to get an ILP in Guwahati!!

The Arunachal Govt also gives an Annual ILP, better for frequent/regular visitors. This is though where a visitor feels the pain, usually a genuine citizen of the country. I tried to get it (annual ILP) few times but failed They ask document like voter list (copy) or permanent resident certificate which is not available with me as I never had them. However, being an Indian citizen by birth, I have the Indian Passport, and that is not 'good' for the officials in Arunachal Political Department!!

Why is this? Why not the passport be a valid document of permanent residence or citizenship in this important office in Arunachal, which I have used to travel to several countries around the world?

I feel like Arunachal itself is a 'country within a country'. No wonder why China claims Arunachal and did not give visa to a top official of the state.

My suggestion would be that record the passport information (whoever carries it) at the entry point into Arunachal Pradesh and let the person get in rather than pushing the visitors to go through the long and cumbersome process of ILP.

I wish the concerned people will be aware about this.

Let us kill this (ILP/RAP) this Dussehra...

Firoz