Inter-state gang held in Tumkur for smuggling tortoise, boa

‘Wild’ bid to make quick buck lands 9 in jail

Tumkur:

A nine-member inter-state gang ran out of luck in its bid to make quick bucks and landed in the police net while trying to smuggle wild animals.

The gang – six members from Karnataka and three from Andhara Pradesh – were arrested in Tumkur on Tuesday and four double-headed red sand boa and two tortoises were seized from them. The accused are Krishnappa (41), a real estate agent from Bangalore; Chikkanna (42), owner of a TVS showroom in Bellur, Hospet taluk; Balakrishna (44) and Suresh (27) both from Bangalore; Murugesh (32), an auto driver in Agrahara Dasarahalli, Bangalore, Suresh (31) from Adigerahalli in Rajarajeshwarinagar; Srinivas Reddy (44), Satyanarayana Reddy and Bimal Kolleri, all realtors from Andhra Pradesh. Besides, a four-wheeler, six cellphones and articles used for sorcery have also been recovered from the arrested. Superintendent of Police P S Harsha at a press meet here on Tuesday said that the three men from Andhra Pradesh had allegedly conned the six accused from the State into supplying the red sand boa and tortoise for a worship, which they promised, would fetch quick bucks. Lured by the offer, the five, with the help of agents in Bagepalli, Gudibande, Chikkaballapur and other places, purchased the animals by shelling out Rs 20 lakh. The desire to make fast money has cost them dearly - their site and jewellery - to raise money for purchase of these animals, the SP said. However, when their counterparts from Andhra Pradesh failed to keep their promise, Krishnappa and his associates detained them in their custody and demanded Rs 20 lakh for their release. The district police, acting on the clues provided by Andhra Police, have arrested all the nine accused. Story

197 species sighted during butterfly survey

KALPETTA, September 23, 2009


The Hindu The Blue oakleaf, a rare, endemic butterfly among the 197 species of butterflies sighted in the three day Butterfly survey conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department in Wayanad.

A survey of the butterflies in the district conducted by the Wildlife Department has reported sighting of 197 butterfly species. The three-day survey, which concluded on Monday, was conducted in association with the Hume centre for Ecology and wildlife biology, a wild life research organisation of the district. This was the first ever survey of butterflies of Wayanad, adopting a new scientific methodology.

The survey was conducted in 14 locations spread across the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary and the North Wayanad Forest division including Maragadha, Cheeradan Kolly, Rampur and Chethalayam under the Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary (WWLS), and Begur, Chandanathodu, Peria, Brahmagiris, Makkimala, Doddakulassi, Panoth and Makkiyad under the North Wayanad Forest Division.

As many as 56 researchers and students from three southern States took part in the survey. The team reported the sightings of 52 species of skippers, 34 species of blues, 17 species of swallow tails, 23 pierids, and, 66 species of Nymphalids, C.K. Vishnudas of the Hume centre said.

As many as 149 species of butterflies were sighted in North Wayanad division, and 141 species in Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary. “As many as 334 species of butterflies have been sighted in the Western Ghats and recording nearly 200 species in a three day survey is evidence of a healthy habitat of butterflies in the region, E. Kunchikrishnan environmentalist and Professor, Department of Zoology, University College, Thiruvananthapuram, told The Hindu.

Rare species of butterflies such as the Baronet was sighted at Rampur and Nallathanni in the sanctuary. Endemic Species such as the Shiva sunbeam, the Banded blue Piorrot, the Malabar raven and the Southern bird wing were sighted in many places. Other significant species were the Common caster, Grey Pancy, Blue tigers, Angled Piorret and water snow flat.

The results and feedback from the survey will be used for developing the host plant and nectar plants in the sanctuary, V.K. Sreevalsan, Wild Life Warden, Wayanad Wild Life Sanctuary told The Hindu. We are also planning to set up a butterfly garden at Muthanga and Tholpetty under the sanctuary, he added. The survey results will also help us to develop a proper management plan for the habitat improvement of butterflies, he added.

The survey was lead by Prof. E. Kunhikrihnan, Dr.Kalesh, C.Susanth, Vinayan P.A, Daisy Caroline, Balakrishnan Valappil, Pavithran Vadakara and Ajayan, butterfly experts, in each base station. The three day survey was coordinated by J. Ratnakaran, Dr. Anil Zacharia and Vinayan P.A of the Hume centre.

The Common map, a rare, endemic butterfly among the 197 species of butterflies sighted in the three day survey conducted by the Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and the North Wayanad Forest Division, in association with the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, a research organisation on wildlife in the district.

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163 new species found – let’s not lose them now!

25 September 2009

A new WWF report celebrates the recent discovery of 163 new species in the Greater Mekong region of South-east Asia – including a bird-eating fanged frog, a leopard-patterned gecko and a bird that would rather walk than fly – but we also warn they could soon face extinction because of climate change.

Our report, entitled Close Encounters, lists 100 new plants, 28 fish, 18 reptiles, 14 amphibians, 2 mammals and a bird, all identified in the last year by scientists within the jungles and rivers of the Greater Mekong, which spans Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the south-western Chinese province of Yunnan.

The discoveries include: a bird-eating fanged frog that lies in streams waiting for prey; a bird called the Nonggang babbler, which walks longer distances than it flies, only taking flight when frightened; and the leopard gecko, a reptile with orange eyes, spindly limbs and technicolour skin.

But recent studies show the climate of the Greater Mekong region is changing, and models suggest continued warming, increased variability and more frequent and damaging extreme climate events.

Rising seas and saltwater intrusion will cause major coastal impacts, especially in the Mekong River delta, one of the three most vulnerable deltas on Earth, according to the most recent International Panel on Climate Change report.

WWF’s Heather Sohl says: “It’s great news that science is uncovering exciting and unusual new species like these, but it’s very worrying that no sooner do we find a new species than we have to sound an alarm over its prospects for survival.

“Rare, endangered and endemic species like these will be especially vulnerable to climate change, which has the potential to reduce their already restricted habitats.

“WWF is already working with governments and industries in the six Greater Mekong nations to conserve and sustainably manage 600,000 km2 of trans boundary forest and freshwater habitats in this unique and rapidly changing land. But we also need global action.

“With UN climate talks beginning in Bangkok this week, we’re urging world leaders to sign a strong global climate deal to prevent runaway climate change and to help safeguard regions like the Greater Mekong.”

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