Ground Reality

Betraying no sign of travel sickness, a Jungle King and  two Queens from  Junagadh in Gujarat have arrived in Eatwah  much to the delight of foresters of the upcoming Lion Safari there.After a three-day gruelling journey by road from Gujarat, Lion Pataudi, not Tiger Pataudi,nickname of former cricket tests star Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi of yesteryears, arrived there and walked with majestic gait to his confines . He was accompanied by two roaring lionesses -Jessica and Tapasaya- which showing royal attitude gazed at surroundings and retired to the warm quarantine house.Special arrangements were clamped in the sprawling Safari’s quarantine house to keep away icy cold winds sweeping  the open area in this peak winter months . Authorities are taking no chance with their New year gifts, earned by them after protracted dithering. The safari is getting decked up with both flora and fauna ahead of its formal opening ,possibly by April this year-months ahead ...

In response to the dramatic decline of lion populations in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has  this  week announced it will list two lion subspecies under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).   Panthera leo leo , located in India and western and central Africa, will be listed as endangered, and   Panthera leo melanochaita , located in eastern and southern Africa, will be listed as threatened. Concurrent with this listing rule, to protect lions and other foreign and domestic wildlife from criminal activity, Service Director Dan Ashe also issued a Director’s Order to strengthen enforcement of wildlife permitting requirements. The order, which aligns with President Obama’s  National Strategy for combating Wildlife trafficking  will ensure that violators of wildlife laws are not subsequently granted permits for future wildlife-related activities, including the import of sport-hunted trophies. In the last 20 years, lion populations hav...

The Upcoming Lion Safari in Etawah may appear as a pet project of  Ruling party in  India’s  Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh ,but it’s necessity can not be questioned in the wake of ever swelling population of  Asiatic Lions in  Gujarat’s Gir forest Sanctuary ,the only dwelling left for Asiatic lions globally. In recent floods in Gujarat ,many royal beasts could not swim to safety in violently gushing rain water in their habitation ,and several carcasses  were spotted when water receded. It was  shocking to watch  the fate of this rare animal in its only habitation  the world over . Now, census shows that the population of the big cat is increasing there and space of their free movement.  Natural disasters in any region can not be ruled out ,so in order to ensure  conservation of the endangered species,an alternative sanctuary is necessary in more ways than one ,and its responsibility of   the world’s ...