Where do our leather bags, belts and such accessories come from? And how?

Where do our leather bags, belts and such accessories come from? And how?

Please don't use leather accessories…

We have no right to kill animals to make some vain fashion statement!

Remember…Killing will stop only when demand dies!

Please send this to as many people as you know…

They are crying for help…..Lets help them survive!

Gandak plays havoc with tiger reserve

Binod Dubey, Hindustan Times
Valmiki Nagar, Bihar, July 08, 2010

The internationally known and Bihar's sole tiger conservation unit, the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in West Champaran district, may soon be history. The changing course of the meandering Gandak river is fast eroding its western edges and devouring large parts of the sanctuary at a fast clip. Admitting thedanger to the wildlife sanctuary, which was the first to be designated under Project Tiger, field director of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve JP Gupta said, "If immediate measures were not taken to prevent the erosion, the project area could be lost forever."

The project area is important, as it is spread over 840 square kilometres with a core area of 335.64 square kilometers consisting of sal and deciduous spread littered with cane breaks, lakes and swamps, live 53 species of mammals, 26 species of reptiles, 13 amphibian species and at least 145 species of birds besides tigers.

"We have already informed the higher authorities of the crisis with the request, that they take up the matter with the Bihar Water Resources Department," Gupta told Hindustan Times.

He, however, could not quantify the exact area of the reserve, already swallowed up by the river.

"The Gandak has developed a tendency to take a course towards its left. In the absence of any survey conducted in the past, we are not in a position to measure the area submerged by the river," a forest expert said on the condition of anonymity.

The forest department is carrying out a survey of the affected area presently, they added.

An appraisal team constituted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) of the Union Government had also noted the development in its report of November last year and suggested remedial measures.

Confirming it, assistant manager of the Wild Life Trust of India and a member of the appraisal team, Samir Kumar Sinha, said, "A vast expanse of forest land has already been engulfed by the river. It is now posing a serious threat to the existence of the reserve."

A spot visit by the HT team to the sanctuary found that a substantial portion of Chunbhatta and Katraha areas of the Valmiki Nagar forest range and Naurangia and Sirsia falling in the Madanpur range were already submerged.

These are the mixed forests with alluvial grassland and canebrakes inhabited mainly by hog deer, wild dogs, spotted deer, leopard cats, black bucks and wild boars (a preferred food species of the tiger).

The submergence of the land has apparently forced the wildlife including tigers inhabiting the area to migrate to the Chitwan National Park across the border in Nepal, which has no physical barrier to hinder their movement.

"We have no authentic evidence to establish the migration of the animals but its possibility cannot be ruled out," said Gupta.

A part of the Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki landscape, the Valmiki Tiger Reserve once attracted kings, zamindars and nawabs for hunting expeditions.

King George V and Kind Edward VIII of England are said to have visited the forest, which had a huge wildlife population.

Till 1997, the reserve was home to 53 tigers and 54 leopards. In the years that followed, the sanctuary came under tremendous poaching pressure and the number of the precious animals dwindled. As per a government figure now, the national park has only 10 tigers. The continuous erosion of the forest has also substantially contributed to the flight of the animals.

Forest owlet may replace hariyal as Maharashtra state bird

Priya Ramakrishnan / DNA
Mumbai: The critically endangered forest owlet may soon take over from the green pigeon (Hariyal in Marathi) as the state bird of Maharashtra. The Bombay natural history society (BNHS) is in the process of recommending an elevation in the status of the bird to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF).

The bird is an endemic species found in the Toranmal reserve forest and the Melghat tiger reserve in Amravati. For 113 years, the forest owlet was thought to be extinct, but was rediscovered in 1997 at the Toranmal forest.

“The last bird count in 2005 estimates its population between 100 and 250. It is now categorised as critically endangered. We are now looking for sponsors and funding to conduct a thorough bird count across the whole Satpura region,” said Raju Kasambe, project manager, important bird areas (IBA), BNHS.

“The green pigeon is found across India and has no special connection to Maharashtra. The forest owlet, by contrast, is found only in Maharashtra and we should be proud of this endemic species,” said Kasambe.

According to him, unlike other owls, forest owlet is diurnal, hunting only in daytime “This bird is on the verge of extinction because it requires a specific habitat at an altitude between 300 and 500 metres. The biggest threat to the bird is the encroachment and conversion of forest areas into agricultural land,” said Kasambe.

Ian Barber, international officer, Asia, royal society for the protection of birds (RSPB), who is working on the project along with BNHS, said, “We need to spread awareness about this unique bird and if it is made the state bird, it would garner more support from various organisations. It is currently facing threat from the tribal population spread across these areas.”

Mommy, where have all the birds gone?

Experts have noticed a sharp decline in the bird population. Some of the factors responsible for it are global warming, environmental pollution, cutting of the trees and illegal hunting.

OUR FOREFATHERS were very wise and generous men, who always respected and worshipped the elements of Mother Nature. They always abided the laws set by the nature and respected every living form. But unfortunately today, the cruel industrial world has affected the lifestyle of every single organism on earth.

The race for survival has made the man more selfish than ever. Man with his selfish ambitions has replaced the jungles with cemented monsters which have drifted the existence of birds toward extinction.The environmentalists have noticed a continuous decline in the diversity of various species of the birds. According to the study conducted by Stanford and Duke Universities, 12% of the existing species would disappear by the end of the century.

What experts say is that besides having natural predators against them, global warming, environmental pollution, cutting of the trees and illegal hunting are some other factors responsible.

Gradually many species have become prone to diseases like bird flu which is even a big threat to the human race.In the never ending list of extinct species: Dodos, Maus, Kangaroo Island Black Emu, Great Elephantbird, Hawaiian Drepanididae, Great Auk, Bonin Wood Pigeon, The Cuban Red Macaw, Guadeloupe Island Caracara, Mysterious Starling are some of the innocent victims of climate change.

The condition of birds in India:From the Trans Himalayan range to dense jungles India has been blessed with 1250 species of birds. Major attraction among them are Peacock, European Roller, "Alectoris chukar"Chukar (juvenile), The Indian Peafowl, Indian Roller, Common Kingfishers, Cuckoo- the Koel, Hill Myna, Racquet tailed drogas , tree pies jungle owlets, Minvets and Sarus Crane. The Indian Peacock is the national Bird of India because of its historical and religious significance since from the days of Rig Veda. Not only these, many Swans, Geese, Ducks, Terns, Swallows, Martins, Warblers and Siberian Cranes also travel India as a part of their seasonal migration. But how long can India preserve this species from disappearance is still a matter of big concern.

There was a time when India was considered as a paradise for bird watching. In India the long list of critically endangered bird species includes: White-backed Vulture, Long-billed Vulture, Jerdon's Courser, Forest Owlet, Sociable Lapwing, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Great Indian Bustard, Lesser Florican, Spot-billed Pelican, Greater Spotted Eagle, Darter, Painted Stork, etc. The deteriorating condition of birds can be traced everywhere in the metropolitan cities. They don’t have proper water to drink, food to eat and air to breath. One may not pay attention, but thousands of scavengers fed themselves on rotten and contaminated waste lying near the Ghazipur slaughter house at Delhi.

The large scale concretisation has drifted the bird population to other places also. Steps to be taken to protect these species:The distinction these common species share is the potential to become uncommon unless we all take initiative to preserve them. Every person can contribute in this process by just sitting at home like: individual energy conservation methods, emission cutting, planting tress and providing shelter in the form of bird house. Individuals can pressurise the Government for protecting the wetlands and forests through emails and creating awareness.

Jack Dumbacher (Curator of birds and mammals at California Academy of Sciences) has concluded that birds are an important component of our ecosystem, they eat rodents and insects which attack the agricultural crops. There are also evidences when birds go extinct then automatically the trees also go extinct. It's hard to imagine that the disappearance of bird species making much difference to human well-being. It is very important for humans to think differently on how they would interact with the animals around them. The need of the hour is maintenance of the eco system services for preserving the winged beauties.

Mimic 151 Different Types of Birds Sound World Record

For the last three years, Gautam Sapkota has been after birds and only birds. He follows birds in national parks, forests, nearby gardens and the central zoo in Kathmandu and spends his time imitating their sounds -- the way the birds communicate with each other in different situations. And it is hard to believe that within a span of three years, he has been able to mimic 151 different types of birds.

"I know the birds won't be here forever, they are being killed and getting extinct due to loss of habitat and human encroachment," he says. "Although I won't be able to save them, I will preserve their voices."

Although there are many exotic birds, crows are Gautam's best friends. He can communicate with the crows more efficiently. He opines that these birds use only a few basic sounds to communicate things like "come," "go," "run, there's danger," "let's gather, one of us is in danger" and a few others.

It was his long study and experience that allowed him to call a conference of crows during the auspicious festival of Kag Tihar (the first day of the Hindu festival of Deepawali, when people worship the crow, the messenger of Yama, the god of death). Hundreds of crows came, responding to his calls at the Open Theater in Kathmandu.

"They are my friends, and they come to me when I call them," says Gautam. "They know that their friend needs their help and flock to me."

Once hounded by the media, he has been surviving on the presentations that he holds everyday in different schools. So far, he has visited more than 6,500 schools in 45 districts of Nepal, interacting, entertaining and educating the kids about birds, their habitats, their ways of life and their calls.

When asked what inspired him to take up this hobby, he says, "When I was a little kid, I wondered how people imitated animals. … When I grew up, I realized that I could mimic a lot of different sounds, so I started my journey and the beautiful birds became my friends."
He can also imitate other animals. Following and studying the monkeys of Swayambhunath stupa and Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, he has learned their sounds, too. He can initiate a brawl between two or more monkeys. And if you really pester him, he can arrange for all the monkeys to attack you at once in a gang.

You would never get bored with his bird calls. However, to entertain students better he has composed songs in different bird voices. An album of popular Nepali folk songs remixed in the voice of different birds (particularly the heron's voice) is on the offing.

Although born in a lesser-known Gadhi village of Makwanpur district in central Nepal, he is aspiring to record his feat with Guinness World Records. He is in correspondence with its officials and they are positive about recording this extraordinary feat.