माळढोक वाचविण्यासाठी..

डॉ. प्रमोद पाटील ,गुरुवार, २८ जुलै २०११

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नान्नज अभयारण्याचे क्षेत्र कमी केल्याने माळढोक संवर्धनाच्या दिशेने एक महत्त्वाचे पाऊल पडले आहे. याच्या पुढे आता नेमके काय उपाय करायला हवेत याबाबत वन्यजीव संशोधकाने केलेली अभ्यासपूर्ण मांडणी..माळढोक पक्षी अभयारण्याचे क्षेत्रफळ ८,५०० वरून केवळ १२२२ चौरस किमीपर्यंत कमी केल्यावर उलट सुलट चर्चा सुरू झाल्या. केवळ कागदोपत्री असलेल्या या अजस्त्र अभयारण्याचा आकार कमी झाल्यामुळे स्थानिकांचा रोष कमी होऊन माळढोक संवर्धनाचा मार्ग मोकळा होत आहे. आता या पक्ष्याच्या संवर्धनाचा गांभीर्याने विचार करावा लागेल. सध्या देशात फक्त २५० माळढोक शिल्लक असून, नान्नज परिसरात ९-१० पक्षी उरले आहेत. याचवर्षी आंतरराष्ट्रीय समुदायाने माळढोकला अतिदुर्मिळ (क्रिटिकली एन्डेन्जर्ड) घोषित केले आहे. माळढोक संवर्धनासाठी पुढील उपायांची खूप गरज आहे.
१) प्रजननाचा अभाव- सद्य:स्थितीत माळढोक अभयारण्यात प्रजननाचा अभाव दिसून येतो. माळढोक वर्षांतून एकदाच प्रजनन करतो आणि मादी उघडय़ा माळावर एकच अंडे घालते. नैसर्गिक शत्रूंपेक्षाही मानवी हस्तक्षेपामुळे माळढोक प्रजननात बाधा येत आहे. माळढोकच्या यशस्वी प्रजननासाठी अतिसंरक्षित क्षेत्रांची (कोअर एरिया) निर्मिती करण्याची गरज आहे. अतिसंरक्षित क्षेत्रामध्ये संपूर्ण संरक्षण व अधिवासाचे व्यवस्थापन करावे लागेल. हे क्षेत्र माळढोकबरोबरच लांडगा, खोकड, कोल्हा, काळवीट तसेच अनेक प्रकारच्या पक्ष्यांना प्रजननासाठी उपयोगी पडेल. अतिसंरक्षित क्षेत्राचा आकार साधारण ५०० हेक्टपर्यंत असल्यास माळढोकच्या सर्वच गरजा पूर्ण होतील. या क्षेत्रांना लागून राखीव माळरान क्षेत्र ठेवणे गरजेचे आहे. या राखीव क्षेत्राचा उपयोग माळढोकप्रमाणेच स्थानिक लोकांनाही पारंपरिक शेती व योग्य प्रमाणातील गुरेचराईसाठी करता येईल. अधिवास व्यवस्थापनासाठी दरवर्षी मोठय़ा निधीची तरतूद करावी लागेल.
२) शिकार व रानवणवे- शिकारीमुळे पूर्वी माळढोकची संख्या घटली. आजही ती होत असल्याची शक्यता नाकारता येत नाही. अभयारण्य व लगतच्या परिसरात शिकारीवर नियंत्रण ठेवायचे असल्यास नियमित गस्तीची गरज आहे. दरवर्षी अभयारण्यात आगी लागून गवत व लहान मोठय़ा वन्य प्राण्यांची हानी होते. नियमित गस्तीमुळे आगीवर नियंत्रण राहील. पण नियमित गस्तीसाठी वाहन व इंधनाची आवश्यकता आहे.
३) कुत्री आणि कावळे- नान्नज परिसरात माळढोकच्या प्रजननातील दोन मोठे अडथळे म्हणजे कुत्री आणि कावळे! आसपासच्या गावातील कुत्री अतिसंरक्षित प्रजनन क्षेत्रात घुसतात. कावळे तर माळढोकची अंडी फोडून खातात. कुत्र्यांच्या नियंत्रणासाठी ठरावीक क्षेत्राभोवती चर खोदणे अथवा कुंपण करण्याचा प्रयोग करावा लागेल. कावळ्यांवर नियंत्रण ठेवण्यासाठी आजूबाजूच्या सर्वच गावांची पूर्ण स्वच्छता करावी लागेल.
४) मानवी हालचाली व हस्तक्षेप- माळढोकच्या प्रजनन काळात प्रजनन क्षेत्रामध्ये मानवी हालचाली बंद करणे अपरिहार्य आहे. यासाठी प्रजनन काळात चराईस निंर्बध आणि अतिसंरक्षित क्षेत्रालगतच्या रस्त्यावरील वाहतूक काही काळासाठी थांबवणे गरजेचे आहे. स्थानिकांना विश्वासात घेऊन पर्यायी रस्ते उपलब्ध करण्याचा विचार करावा लागेल.
५) पारंपरिक शेती, कीटकनाशके- पारंपरिक शेती व धान्य पिके माळढोकच्या अधिवासातील अविभाज्य घटक आहे. माळढोक धान्य खातो, पण त्याहूनही अधिक प्रमाणात शेतातील कीड खाऊन शेतकऱ्यांची मोठी मदत करतो. पण आधुनिक शेती व कीटकनाशकांचा वाढता वापर त्याच्यासाठी घातक ठरत आहे. माळढोक आणि माणूस दोघांच्या आरोग्यासाठी सेंद्रिय शेती करणे आवश्यक आहे.
यासाठी सरकारी मदत, कीटकनाशकांच्या दुष्परिणामाबाबत जनजागृती व सेंद्रिय शेतीमालाला बाजारपेठ उपलब्ध करून देणे जरुरीचे आहे.
६) स्थानिक जनजागृती- अभयारण्य क्षेत्रामध्ये सध्या माळढोकविरोधी वातावरण आहे. तसेच नवीन पिढीमध्ये माळढोकबद्दल काहीच माहिती नाही. माळढोकविषयी प्रेम व आपुलकी निर्माण होण्यासाठी शाळा, महाविद्यालयांतून जागृती करण्याची गरज आहे.
७) वनखात्याचे सक्षमीकरण- माळढोक संवर्धनासाठी आधी वनखात्याचे सक्षमीकरण गरजेचे आहे. एवढय़ा मोठय़ा अभयारण्यावर नियंत्रण ठेवण्यासाठी बऱ्याच वनकर्मचाऱ्यांची गरज आहे. यासाठी त्यांची क्षेत्रनिहाय नियुक्त करण्याची गरज आहे. त्यांच्या चांगल्या कामांचा पुरस्कार, समस्यांचे निराकरण, माळढोकसाठीच्या कामासाठी आर्थिक पाठबळ व प्रोत्साहन, छोटय़ा अभ्यासप्रकल्पांसाठी तसेच कायमस्वरूपी सर्वेक्षणासाठी मदत अशा गोष्टींची गरज आहे. वनकर्मचाऱ्यांमध्ये शास्त्रीय दृष्टिकोनाची वाढ होण्यासाठी नियमित कार्यशाळा व अभ्यासप्रकल्प राबवावे लागतील. वनखात्याच्या समस्या सुटल्याशिवाय माळढोकच्या समस्या सुटणार नाहीत.
८) माळढोक गणना- पुणे वन्यजीव विभागामार्फत दरवर्षी माळढोक गणना केली जाते. वनखाते व माळढोक फाउंडेशनमार्फत मागील वर्षांपासून गणनेआधी कार्यशाळा घेण्यात येते. तसेच माळढोक प्रगणना पुस्तिका (सेन्सस मॅन्युअल) बनवण्याचे कामही सुरू आहे. माळढोकची नेमकी संख्या व हालचालीची माहिती मिळवायची असेल, तर एकाच वेळी बऱ्याच मोठय़ा प्रदेशावर गणना करावी लागेल. तसेच जी.पी.एम. सारख्या प्रगत उपकरणांचा वापर करावा लागेल.
९) माळढोक पर्यटन व स्थानिकांचा फायदा- माळढोक पक्षी पाहण्यासाठी दरवर्षी अनेक पर्यटक नान्नजला भेट देतात. माळढोक संवर्धनात स्थानिकांचा सहभाग वाढवायचा असेल तर माळढोक पर्यटनातून त्यांचा प्रत्यक्ष फायदा करून देता आला पाहिजे. यासाठी पर्यटन शुल्क आकारून त्या पैशातून लोकहिताची कामे करणे तसेच स्थानिक उत्पादनांच्या विक्रीतून आर्थिक पाठबळ निर्माण करण्याची गरज आहे.
१०) संशोधन- पावसाळा सोडल्यास माळढोक अन्य ऋतूंमध्ये नेमके कुठे जातात व कसे राहतात हे जाणून घेणे गरजेचे आहे. यासाठी प्रत्यक्ष सर्वेक्षण, स्थानिक लोकांकडून माहिती मिळवणे तसेच उपग्रहांच्या मार्फत (सॅटेलाइट ट्रेकिंग) अभ्यास होणे जरुरी आहे. हे उपकरण माळढोकच्या पाठीवर बसवण्यासाठी त्यांना पकडावे लागते. त्यात पक्षी गमावण्याची शक्यता असते. अभयारण्य सीमेच्या बाहेर आढळणाऱ्या माळढोकच्या संवर्धनासाठी स्थानिक संस्था व शेतकऱ्यांनी एकत्र येणे महत्त्वाचे आहे.
११) राष्ट्रीय माळढोक संवर्धन आराखडा- माळढोकच्या संवर्धनासाठी राष्ट्रीय माळढोक संवर्धन आराखडा व राज्य आराखडय़ाचे काम सुरू आहे. या दोन्ही योजनांमध्ये माळढोकच्या सर्व समस्यांचा ऊहापोह केला असून त्यावर नेमके उपाय सुचवले आहेत. सध्या या आराखडय़ाचे काम सुरू आहे. त्यानंतर लवकरच या योजना मंजुरीसाठी केंद्र सरकारकडे पाठवण्यात येणार आहेत. या योजना यशस्वीपणे राबवल्या गेल्या, तर माळढोक संवर्धनाचे नवे पर्व सुरू होईल. याचा फायदा माळढोक, माळरान आणि माणसालाही होईल.
१२) बंदिस्त प्रजनन- भारतीय गिधाडे झपाटय़ाने नष्ट झाली. ती समूळ नष्ट होऊ नयेत यासाठी त्यांचे बंदिस्त प्रजनन सुरू केले गेले. याच धर्तीवर माळढोकचे देखील बंदिस्त प्रजनन होणे आवश्यक आहे. जगातील माळढोक गटातील अन्य पक्ष्यांचे यशस्वी प्रजनन सुरू आहे. आपल्याकडेही ते अवघड नाही. यासाठी थोडेसे धाडस, आंतरराष्ट्रीय मदत व सरकारी सहकार्याची गरज आहे.
हा राजबिंडा पक्षी आपल्या आजूबाजूच्या माळरानावर सर्रास आढळायचा, आज फक्त २५० माळढोक उरले आहेत. त्याच्या बिकट परिस्थितीला आपणच जबाबदार आहोत. आता त्याला संकटातून बाहेर काढण्याची जबाबदारीही आपलीच आहे. त्यासाठी गरज आहे, प्रत्येकाच्या वैयक्तिक इच्छाशक्तीची!


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Snow Leopard Population Discovered in Afghanistan

The Wildlife Conservation Society has discovered a healthy population of the felines in a mountainous, northeastern area of war-torn Afghanistan. Between 4,500 and 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild scattered across 12 countries in Central Asia, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Studies.

"It shows that there is real hope for snow leopards in Afghanistan," Peter Zahler, WCS Deputy Director for Asia Programs, said in a press release. "Now our goal is to ensure that these magnificent animals have a secure future as a key part of Afghanistan's natural heritage."

Among the threats the snow leopard faces in Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor are poaching for their pelts, attacks by shepherds and their live capture by those hoping to sell the animals in the illegal pet trade. In a program supported by the WCS, a team of 59 trained rangers are monitoring the region to protect the snow leopards and outreach intiatives are teaching local communities about the importance of protecting the animal.

Snow leopard populations have dropped more than 20 percent over the past 16 years and are considered endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

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Karnataka Wildlife Board launches website

BANGALORE: Now you can post your comments and suggestions, express your opinion, participate in wildlife conservation and start discussion groups about any national park or wildlife sanctuary in the state, because, for the first time in the country, a State Board for Wildlife has developed and launched its website.

Even the National Board for Wildlife, which is chaired by the Prime Minister, does not have its own website.

This is a first of its kind in the country and gives the general public a platform to express their opinions.

The idea, conceived by Anil Kumble, Vice Chairman of the board, has details of all the protected areas in the state, wildlife laws, details of forest staff who have shown exemplary courage in saving our wildlife, the importance of every national park and wildlife sanctuary in the state and other such details. It also provides details about dos and don’ts in the protected areas, the best times during which to visit the area, accommodation facilities and so on.

“We would like to encourage more public participation in wildlife conservation through this website. Our vision is to save wildlife and wild lands of Karnataka through policy, science and outreach, and further democratise the way protected areas are managed,” says Anil Kumble.

Website http://www.karnatakawildlifeboard.org/

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On trail of India's lost amphibians

MUMBAI: After scouring forests and marshlands across the nation trying to locate rarely sighted amphibians, wildlife researchers and naturalists, who are part of the Lost Amphibians of India (LAI) initiative, will share their findings today at a press conference in Navi Mumbai.

LAI is a search taking place simultaneously in 16 states for 67 amphibian species that have been 'missing' for a period ranging from 16 years to 169 years. Around 24 teams of researchers and nationalists are involved in the project.

Dr Caesar Sen Gupta, who is a member of the expedition teams from Mumbai, said, the aim of the project is to locate species that have not been spotted since their first sighting.

"Until now, five species of amphibians have been rediscovered in the eight expeditions, carried out mainly in the Western Ghats and the Northeast." LAI rediscovered rare frog species, including the Chalazodes bubble-nest frog, Anamalai dot frog, Dehradun stream frog, Silent Valley tropical frog, and the Elegant tropical frog. Each of these species was last seen decades ago, and had been classified 'missing'.

Dr S D Biju, the programme coordinator of LAI, said, "For a successful conservation programme, we first need to know what we have to save.

The fact that these species were rediscovered gives us hope that all is not lost. We have gathered more data on other lost species." With around 341 recorded species, India can be called a 'global hub of amphibians'. On the flip side, however, over 40% of Indian amphibians are facing extinction. LAI hopes to garner more support and spread awareness in the coming months. Monsoon is the best time for such expeditions, and the teams have planned 20 more field trips before the rainy season ends.

According to experts, amphibians are indicator species and act as environmental barometers, making them an important part of the ecosystem. The roles they play-from controlling the population of insects and the spread of disease to humans and crops-are an important part of the ecology.

Massive habitat loss is one of the main threats that amphibians in India face. "The aim of the project is not only to find our lost amphibians, but also to see how we can conserve and protect their habitats," Biju added.

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Illegal constructions at Kas under scanner

Atul Deshpande, TNN Jul 14, 2011

SATARA: District collector N Ramaswami has asked revenue officials to immediately conduct a survey of the Kas plateau area for identifying illegal constructions. The officials have been told to send notices to owners through the gram panchayat.

Since the plateau is located at a height of more than one thousand meters above the sea level, no developmental construction is allowed. The district administration has also sought information on how many properties are used for residential purpose on a regular basis. This development is viewed as a step towards recognizing Kas plateau as a no-development zone.

Ramaswami has sought a report on the constructed properties and instructed the officials to set up a check post of forest and police departments. Preparation of a development plan from town planning department is also on cards.

These decisions were taken at a special meeting held on Tuesday by the district collector with other government departments and villagers in the surrounding areas. The meeting was attended by resident deputy collector Sonappa Yamgar, sub-divisional officer Ramdas Jagtap, Satara tehsildar Subhash Bhagde, Jawli tehsildar N N Kumbhare, assistant deputy forest conservator M M Pawar and assistant director of town planning Sunil Sudamate.

The Ministry of Environment & Forests has prepared a nomination dossier for the inscription of 39 sites in the Western Ghats on the World Heritage list. Of the 39 sites, four, including the Kas plateau, are in the Sahyadri (Maharashtra) range. Better connectivity to the plateau has resulted into huge number of visitors flocking the plateau, careless handling of plants and flowers and littering which is a serious threat to the biodiversity.

State forest minister Patangrao Kadam recently made an announcement to provide Rs 8 crore for conservation and protection of the Kas plateau. The flowers, with variety of colours grow during the monsoon, are a major attraction of the plateau that attracts tourists from places like Mumbai and Kolhapur.

With the increasing number of visitors every year, the district administration has undertaken some initiatives like gathering data of constructions at the plateau, preparing modified tourism plan with help from the state town planning department and setting up check posts of forest department among others. Besides providing parking facilities with support of local villagers, the district collector has also sought suggestion to classify the Kas plateau either as green or yellow zone. Ramaswami has asked to prepare a report on these issues pertaining to Kas plateau. The district administration has also decided to push for Rs 5 crore funding for Kas plateau development during the cabinet meet scheduled to discuss tourism development at Kas.

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All of a flutter! Experts find new species of butterfly in Northern Ireland and it's 70,000 years old

A new species of butterfly has taken scientists by surprise after it was discovered fluttering in Northern Ireland.

Experts had no idea that the Cryptic wood white even existed as they launched a conservation project across the UK.

The rare butterfly looks identical to the Réals wood white and the wood white, a delicate insect found in English woodlands in summer.

Discovered: The Cryptic wood white butterfly stunned scientists when it was found fluttering in Northern Ireland

But experts who have studied the Cryptic wood white found that it has more chromosomes and genetically it is 70,000 years old meaning it has been on earth far longer than the other two species.

It's a very exciting discovery. We are going to have to rewrite the butterfly books,' Martin Warren, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, told the Guardian.

The discovery came as Sir David Attenborough urged people to take part in a nationwide count of butterflies to help find out if the hot, dry spring has hit the 'bewitching' insects.

The naturalist, who is president of wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, said butterflies were one of the 'stars of the British countryside', but warned they were in long-term decline.

And in the wake of one of the hottest and driest springs on record, with some areas of the country hit by drought, the nationwide survey is important to find out how butterflies are faring, Butterfly Conservation said.

Butterfly count plea: Conservationist Sir David Attenborough

The wildlife charity wants to see whether butterflies, many of which emerged much earlier than usual as a result of the hot, dry conditions, have managed to turn round declining fortunes or have starved as the plants they feed on wilt in the drought.

Butterfly Conservation is running the annual Big Butterfly Count from July 16-31, and is urging the public to take 15 minutes in a sunny place to count all the butterflies they can see, and then submit their sightings online.

The results will help conservationists see the impact of the unusual spring weather, as well as track the progress of garden favourites such as the small tortoiseshell and the peacock butterfly, which have seen populations plummet.

Butterflies are also seen as a key indicator of the health of the countryside and can give conservationists a good idea of how the environment as a whole is doing.

Sir David said: 'Butterflies are one of the stars of the British countryside. Summer just wouldn't be summer without them. But they continue to be in long-term decline.

'It's more vital than ever to know where they can be found and in what numbers. Now you can play your part in helping to save them by getting involved in the Big Butterfly Count.

'Taking part is easy and great fun. By recording butterflies in a 15-minute count, you can make a real contribution to our understanding of these beautiful creatures.
'I urge everyone, young and old, to take part in the Big Butterfly Count to help us assess the fortunes of these bewitching creatures.'

Last year's count, in which 10,000 people recorded 189,000 butterflies, revealed that the most common butterfly in Britain, the meadow brown, had its worst year on record but the common blue had a very good summer.

This year, the count is focusing on 19 widespread species including a couple of day-flying moths, and Butterfly Conservation is providing a downloadable chart to help people identify them.

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Gharials return to banks of the Chambal

Sharp-toothed crocodilians a welcome sight for local residents, especially since they only eat fish.

An Asian gharial at a crocodile farm in Pierrelatte, France. Conservation efforts on the Chambal river, in India, seem to be paying off. Photograph: AFP/Getty

We realised how lucky we were to see one of the remaining gharials in the Chambal river in Uttar Pradesh in northern India: they are now only found here and in Nepal, there being just 200 adult breeding pairs left in the wild. I could just see the characteristic tremendous bulbous knob on the end of the male gharial's long fine snout, as he glided past in the fast river.
My friend David has a real empathy for these reptiles.
"Do you know that they get gout too!" he says, amazed, as he nurses his sore foot and winces in pain, while we read a report about the mysterious deaths – seemingly from gout – of many of these reptiles. We wonder if the sick gharials also suffered from incredibly sore joints like humans experience from the disease, a form of arthritis.
Over four years ago, more than 20 gharials were found dead on the Chambal. They seemed to have been poisoned – dying from kidney failure and gout from eating contaminated fish from polluted rivers. "What a horrible death! Poor gharials," sympathises David, as we imagine the sick reptiles suffering.
But a few weeks later we hear some welcome news. The new breeding centre further up river, in the Sheopur district, is proving a success. More than 1,000 baby gharials from more than 40 mothers have hatched in the last month. On the drive back on the bus we talk to a few locals who are very excited about the gharial babies. One young boy tells me thousands have been born; a young woman tells me that there are tens of thousands.

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Volunteers try to restore Maryland's vanishing butterfly

Baltimore Checkerspots reared in captivity to offset wild declines

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A Baltimore Checkerspot hangs… (JERRY JACKSON, Baltimore Sun)

July 05, 2011|By Timothy B. Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

Don't look now, but Maryland's state insect is fluttering away.
The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, named for the state's founding Calvert family, has dwindled to just a handful of places, mostly in Western Maryland. Experts worry that the butterfly, once fairly common, may disappear entirely from the state.
Pockets of dedicated butterfly lovers, though, are trying to slow or even reverse the decline by breeding the species in captivity. One such nursery is in a tent in back of an old maintenance shed at Black Hill Regional Park in Montgomery County.
"Here's where the larvae are," said Barbara Kreiley, pointing out tiny caterpillars clinging to the stem of a white turtlehead plant inside the tent. The crawlers are recently hatched and still green, not yet displaying their distinctive orange-and-black markings. "My little babies — see them?"
From a single caterpillar-infested plant collected from the wild last year, Kreiley, a retired nurse, and four other volunteers reared about 250 hatchlings to adulthood. About a month ago, they released them as butterflies, in spots primed to be suitable habitat for the seemingly picky creatures. Since then, patches the women recognize as butterfly eggs have been spied on the undersides of leaves at the release sites, and they have been waiting like expectant parents for them to hatch.

Meanwhile, behind the old maintenance shed, they're already working to step up production for next year, tending to nearly 20 white turtlehead plants inside the tent on which butterflies have laid eggs. Many of the plants have the beginnings of silky "tents" in their tops, spun by newly hatched caterpillars as they feed on the leaves.
Kreiley said it's "awesome, just awesome" how well the group's initial effort has gone, but acknowledges that the real test is yet to come — can the butterflies they released flourish in the wild?
On that score, the record is not encouraging. Others, including the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, have tried captive breeding and given up after failing to see their "colonies" take hold and sustain themselves year after year. Ruth Eisenhour, a teacher at the Harford Glen Environmental Education Center in Bel Air, said she's had some success raising and releasing the butterflies in Harford County, but she's only been doing it for three years.


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Project MonarchHealth

Project MonarchHealth is a citizen-science survey of the occurrence of the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha  (OE), which parasitizes monarch butterflies. Best known for their migrations between breeding and wintering sites throughout North America, these butterflies are also found in non-migratory populations in places such as southern Florida. This parasite is not harmful to humans; however, it can harm the butterflies by inhibiting normal growth and lowering butterfly survival in the wild.

To check for parasites, surveyors can swab the abdomen of live butterflies to collect parasite spores. MonarchHealth participants help scientists map the location and infection levels of OE in monarchs throughout the United States and determine how much disease the parasites cause.

The most essential activity is capturing and sampling wild monarchs. Either capture monarch butterflies as adults or raise the caterpillars in separate containers until they become adult butterflies. In either case, you will gently tape each butterfly’s abdomen with a sticker to collect the OE spores. Next, you will send the sample, along with a simple data sheet for each butterfly, back to the scientists at the Altizer lab where they will analyze the sample. After the data are compiled, we will send you the results of your sampling contribution as well as post them on our results page for the public to see.

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Smuggling of medicinal plants rampant in Joida

Karwar, June 25, DHNS:

Even as the controversy on the Unesco tag for the Western Ghats continues, rich flora from the forest regions continues to be plundered for gain.

Indian medicinal plants are in great demand in the international market. Varieties like the saptarangi plants (Salacia Reticulate) and guvada (Mappia Foetida) medicinal plants are abundantly available in the forests of Khanapur, Bheemgad, Talewadi, Aamgaon Holda regions of Belgaum district. Medicinal plants are found in abundance at Kuveshi, Mayare, Castle Rock and Anamod forest regions near Diggi in Joida taluk. Spices like Dalchini Moggu (cinnamon buds) and its leaves are also smuggled out. The Forest officers had seized a lorry transporting guvada leaves about three months ago near Jagalpet. The department has to its credit a few such cases.  The medicine prepared from guvada leaves is useful in treating cancer and liver conditions and is in great demand in China and Japan, according to a forest officer. Innocent people residing in the forests of the border areas are roped in for smuggling. Dearth of staff in the Forest department is a major setback in tackling illegal activities. Since most of the staff are aged around 50, they are unable to conduct surprise raids. A team of enthusiastic youth is required in the department to tackle the menace, says the forest officer. Full Story

The butterfly effect

Author(s): Sayantan Bera

Issue: Jul 15, 2011

As India continues to lose its rich butterfly diversity at an alarming rate, a handful of individuals work towards creating newer habitats

Arjan Basu Roy at his laboratory in Kolkata (Photo: Sayantan Bera)If you happen to see a swarm of butterflies flying above the terrace of your office in the crowded Bengaluru city, count yourself lucky. You are witness to the largest annual butterfly migration in southern India. Every year between October and December, swarms of Dark Blue Tiger and Double Branded Brown Crow fly through the Bengaluru-Mysore area to their summer homes in the evergreen forests of Sahyadri in the Western Ghats. There they crowd in dense congregation for weeks, court and breed.
The Western Ghats, along with the Himalayas, the country’s north-east region and the Andaman Islands, are home to butterflies unique to India. With 1,800 known species and subspecies, the country boasts an impressive 10 per cent of the global biodiversity in butterfly.
Butterflies are crucial pollinators and their contribution to global agriculture is valued only next to honey bees. A fall in their population would also lead to a fall in their predator population like the wasps, spiders and birds.
A Harvard butterfly specialist
According to Krushnamegh Kunte, India’s leading lepidopterist and a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard, habitat destruction and deterioration are the foremost threats to butterfly population. “In India, widespread and excessive use of pesticides and herbicides has exacerbated the problem,” he says. Several intended or unintended human interferences, such as agriculture, fires and dams, alter forest structure and plant composition, or completely destroy butterfly habitats. This has had the most serious impacts in the eastern Himalayas and northeastern India, where butterfly habitats are vanishing at an alarming rate.

Widespread and excessive use of pesticides and herbicides in India has exacerbated the problem       — KRUSHNAMEGH KUNTE, India’s leading lepidopterist

Add to this the thriving illegal trade in butterflies. High altitude species like Kaisar-I-Hind, Bhutan glory, Pale Zezebel and Ladakh Banded Apollo can fetch up to Rs 20,000 in the international market. They are used by collectors to adorn greetings cards, paperweights and jewellery. One can also buy rare species over the Internet. A visit to www.insectdesigns.com can be chilling. Taking advantage of the fact that in most countries other than India, trade in butterflies is legal, the site makes available different varieties priced between US $2 and $330. In India, several cases were reported in the last decade where researchers and tourists from abroad were caught with huge consignments of dead insects, including butterflies. In 2008, for instance, two Czech nationals were caught with 2,000 specimens of larvae and insects collected from the Singalia National Park in north Bengal. The biodiversity hot spots of eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats are the prime hunting grounds.
In April 2008, on a field trip to Sikkim, Kunte rediscovered the Scare Jester Butterfly—a species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act implying it enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger. The species was not sighted in the last 90 years and for him the rediscovery emphasised “the need to conserve hitherto unprotected forest fragments as biodiversity parks”. Kunte believes common people can support butterflies. “A native sapling could be planted that butterflies use either as a larval host plant or as a nectar plant—lemons, mangoes, any native caper, pipevine, ficus (relatives of figs). People could maintain a small unattended patch in their gardens or neighbourhoods where wild plants are allowed to grow.”
If you are more ambitious and hardworking, and have some space, you could develop an exclusive butterfly garden, much like what Jyoti and Yashodan Heblekar have done in Goa or Arjan Basu Roy has done in West Bengal.

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