Wildlife crimes_ illegal trade flourishing day by day

We all know that live or any products of the wildlife in the country is banned according to the Wildlife Protection Act. But at the same time every year we hear that thousands of wildkinds were caught in raids. What does this indicate, it simply says that the wild is not safe in the wild habitat and thus they are easily smuggled from there. Airports and railways have caught many such consignments but have we ever thought what all might be getting transported through other means like the roadways and the water ways?

The live species that are in most demand is for consumption in and around the country. India exports a large number of species to the other countries, the money behind this trade is used to develop the wildlife underworld. More and more animals, birds, reptiles are hunt from their wild natural habitat and either sent to secret breeding centres or are slaughtered to separate the products that are the demand of the market. People do both keep as well as consume wildlife products, and this is followed since ages but with the development in science and culture human had developed so much that it started misusing the brains but hunting and poaching animals on a very large scale other than the usual activities which cause threat to the wild. This has led to a decrease in the population of many species some are endangered and some are on the verge of extinction, but still the species are smuggled and found in large numbers.

The fault is of the system and that is the reason that the fear among the people does not exists as everyone knows that the loop holes in our rulebooks have favourable conditions for the convict. Irrespective of calling it one of the top offense, the guilty are released on bails and there is where the others get motivated to get involved into this world. From a small spider to a tiger everything has tremendous value in the market and the ever increasing demand has made it in the most expensive items of the world. From the nails of a lion to the skin of a tiger or tusk of an elephant or horn of a rhino everything is smuggled. The city has many such illegal practices which are carried on since a very long time and nobody has ever caught or thought to stop it and the ones who have tried have not yet succeeded and will not even do. The main reason is the system and the corruption which is like a good habit followed almost in every sector for every small big purpose. The top most level officials and the concerned authorities are very poor in decision making and communicating to the people so as to make them aware of the things that are supposed to be done and followed. Even wildlife enthusiasts are a part of the crime on a very larger level.

Some of the species that are seen in and out of Mumbai are the red sand boas, the peacock feathers, the tusks of elephants and rhinos, skin of leopards and tigers, nails of lions, meat of monitor lizard, venom of cobra, krait and viper and the list goes on. These products are collected by locals who hand over to the purchasing party who later sell it to the customers.

As wildlife enthusiasts we have attended more than 500 people on phone calls, emails, chats etc where people have demanded different species and products and the main reason within the country for this trend to survive is the blind faith and superstations. People have been crazy to get into this world and see the showers of currency but practically that never happened. We have also got threatening calls for getting involved into this but have managed to be far away till now.

Its very sad on the part of human beings that we misuse the surroundings in such a way and create so much of trouble for the existing species on the planet. Tthe Ministry Of Environment and Forests should take up positive initiative to make the people aware about the protocols and also inculcate respect for other animals. But so far we have seen that nothing much has been achieved till today where we can say the conservation has entered the next level.

And if the same will continue the species on the verge of extinction will extinct soon and the future will never get to see it live in it natural habitat. 

A report on the visits carried out in January 2013 to leopard conflict areas of Aarey colony, Mumbai.- 19/1/2013

To understand what went wrong last year with so many attacks at aarey colony we decided to conduct a survey and figure out some facts and figures that may clear the blur picture of the causes of human wildlife conflict.On 19.1.2013 our team of 10 visited the red alert areas of Aarey colony for a survey
and interaction with the locals and residents of the area so as to get an idea of the
leopard issues faced by people in the area. We visited Maroshi Pada where two
leopard attacks on humans and five leopard trappings had taken place,
Khambachya Pada where one attack had taken place, and Vanichya Pada where one
attack had taken place in recent times.
In Maroshi Pada, we observed a change may be because of the awareness given to
the people by the rescue team and our team the area was much cleaner than before.
The area was well lit during the night and many new lights were added including
at the last house, where the attack on the 17 year old boy had taken place and was
the only house of the area on the top and most close to the forest too.
Mostly every second house had installed lights for their safety, had cleared the
excessive vegetation which had grown and could possibly be a hiding spot for the
leopards at night.
People had become more alert and were taking special care of their children and
live stock, which was a good sign.
The new toilet with a good capacity of users at a time is being constructed, which is
again a positive sign of the awareness programmes carried out there. But at the
same time a new area was flourishing so as to support for a new conflict. It was the
area next to Maroshi Pada and the ground opposite, where leopards are spotted
frequently. The main reason was garbage as we could see a very big and long patch
of unmanaged garbage. People of the adjoining pada (bangoda) not much
interested responding or listening to the awareness may be because nothing had
happened there , so we come across a common human tendency that not to react
unless there is a issue or something has happened , this lack of a proactive interest
in the issue could result in a complacency until a leopard attack occurs.
Important thing here is to look at the unmanaged garbage, as it attracts dogs in
large numbers , also the goats and cows are seen near it, Also to make people
participate and make them realise that it is in their hands to avoid potential conflict.
We also asked the people about the latest leopard spotting and its frequency which
had reduced but wildcats were spotted. However people said that they avoid
moving out in the night and most of the sightings were from inside their houses,
through the windows.
We then moved towards Khambachya Pada, where the latest of all attacks had
happened on a woman who had come to fill water at the above spot. This is the
only spot from where the people from more than 100 houses come to fill water as it
is the only source of fresh water. A need of bright light is really required at this spot
as even the leopards may come for water here plus while coming in the night to fill
water, because its late evening when water comes. There is no pipeline near that
place is the only spot from where fresh water is available, rest there are hand
pumps but that water cannot be used for drinking and cooking. I understood when
i spoke to a group of women who had come there to fill water when we were on the
spot.
In the above picture , we can see that there is too much of vegetation on both sides ,
more important near the toilet , which is required to be cleared from time to time
for a clear visibility, also lights are needed. (can the local youth be assisted to clear
the vegetation? becuase finally they have to take the issue up.) Any unpredictable
incident can cause a leopard attack and also many people may not prefer to use the
toilet at night because of darkness and try going to some other place and it is
observed that during the night dogs are seen companying the people , so there can
be an encounter with a leopard because of the dog.
There is also a hand pump and need of lights and clearing the vegetation near it is
important. The garbage accumulation is again a problem here as people are
allowing garbage to be accumulated near their houses as in the picture below.
There should be a lot of attention on this area as there is a cage installed here, at the
same time lights, garbage and unwanted or excessive vegetation is a platform for
the leopard conflict to happen here.
People have lost hope and are least interested in entertaining anybody, but we still
tried to talk and make them aware but they are over confident or can say a group of
leaders who are representative speakers, do not allow others to speak and only
raise the demanding issues.
We then proceeded towards Vanichya Pada, where we found that the houses are
nearby areas were clean , but at the same time the problem there was the
accumulation of garbage near the temporary toilets which are being used during
the night , here dogs can company humans at night and feed on or get attracted to
the garbage and then leopards can attack them or can mistake a human as prey
which is really possible.
At nights people don’t prefer going to the toilet that have been made and attend
natures call in this place, behind it we can see the garbage. We also told them to go
in pairs in the night so that one person is standing close to the person who is
squatting. The problem with the proper toilets is also like the previous one, there is
excessive vegetation around the area for the leopard to hide in.
The road is covered by garbage which is again a simple act that can lead to a
potential conflict.
There is a movie shooting set and a tabela (large cattle shed) and the whole road
which leads to a picnic point is highly polluted with garbage like plastic
plates ,alcohol bottles, wrappers, carry bags etc.
The following are issues if implemented could lead to lower conflict.
Lights
Garbage
Toilets
Excessive vegetation near houses and toilets
Understanding and making people aware
Dealing with the pressure groups
We tried telling the people that demanding for cages to be installed is not a
solution, the forest department is not the only department that is to be blamed, the
wildcats are not the trouble makers. Also tried telling them that being independent
in the matter of safety will keep them more safe rather than depending on someone
or some institution. some simple steps and practices can keep them more safe than
they are or they feel.
Soon our team will go for another follow up to the same areas.

Leopard distress_report for the month of June and July 2013

On 19/6/2013 - 1:00 AM, our team got a distress call from Highland Park society in Mulund regarding leopard sightings on the compound wall of the society. We visited the spot with the officials of the Mumbai range interacted with the security guards and some residents too.

On 21/6/2013- 12:30 AM, we attended a leopard distress call regarding sightings of a baby leopard with the Mumbai range officials at New Zealand Hostel located in Aarey colony. We visited the area and interacted with the security guards and locals.

On the same day- 2:30 AM, we got a distress call from Mulund regarding leopard entering inside Lok Nisarg society and killed a dog. The video was spread like a virus all around media and many questions were raised on this specific incident. We interacted with the security and residents.

On 22/6/2013 - 4:00 AM, a distress call was made to us from Pine woods society in Mulund regarding leopard sightings near the society. We soon visited the spot and interacted with the security and the available residents.

On 24/6/2013 - 3:30 AM, there were leopard sightings inside Sardar Tara Singh garden. We visited the area and interacted with the security guards.

On 26/6/2013 - 11:30 PM, a distress call was made from Lok Nisarg society regarding frequent leopard visits in the premises of their building and insisting on the trapping of the cat. We interacted with the residents and security.

27/6/2013- 5:30 AM, a distress call was made from Teak Woods society regarding a stray dog being killed by a leopard in front of the society. We soon attended the society and interacted with the people there.

On 19/7/2013 - evening with the Yeoor Rescue Team and RFO Mr. Salgavkar we visited Swastik society located in Thane. Leopard expert Krishna Tiwari also was also present with us. The people pressurised on trapping and removing the wild cat, we all tried our best to make them understand to take precautions and rectify the human errors because of which the leopards are facing problems and thus take an initiative so as to help in co existing with them leading to better conservation and welfare of wildlife in the city.

In all our interactions with the security and residents of various societies – we performed the following tasks:

1.       Providing the emergency contact numbers of the Mumbai Range and SGNP.

2.       Informed people about the different tasks and duties performed and jurisdiction covered by both SGNP and Mumbai Range.

3.       Made people aware of the basic safety and security tips that they can follow to avoid human-leopard conflict.

4.       Informed that only trapping is not the real solution and shared our thoughts by which they can take right initiatives so as to support the wildlife by participation and interaction with the department.

Also made them aware of our role and provided with our helpline numbers too. 
The attitude of the people towards the wildlife has worsen over the years and now it is felt by the majority that the wildlife within the city is of great threat to the human lives and thus people demand to the concerned wildlife officials to relocate them as soon as they are sighted. 

15/7/2013 - Croc in a wrong lake_Mumbai

We received a distress call from B.M.C (L - ward) Kurla and few locals  regarding sightings of baby crocodiles inside Sheetal Talao which comes under the jurisdiction of B.M.C. The complaint stated that there are five baby crocodiles released inside the lake few days ago which was creating panic amongst the locals because the lake was used for Ganpati Visarjan which is months away and thus the presence of crocodiles in the lake was considered as a safety issue. We were also told that small children swim in the lake and thus chances of Human-wildlife conflict were more and an immediate help was needed so as to avoid it.

We then decided to visit the site and make a survey of the lake and try locating the reptile. As soon as we reached the spot and started interaction with the B.M.C officials and locals, we were shown videos and photographs of a baby crocodile. We soon intimated the control room and carried out our further survey.Our team of 16 members carried out a survey at the spot from the afternoon to midnight of the above date mentioned. We came across some facts and also observed some activities carried out there which according to us is of high concern and immediate action should be taken regarding the same.

1.       We tried to locate the reptile which included ten hour monitoring divided in to two parts, five hours in the day time and five hours during the night but did not locate any crocodile in the lake.

2.       We came across some photographs and videos of a crocodile, which according to the locals was caught and taken away by some unknown person/authority to an unknown place. As the reptile comes under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act giving it highest priority and immediate enquiry has to be made regarding who caught the crocodile and where is it taken.

3.       We also came across the fact that the lake is used for fishing, and many flap shelled turtles which were fished out of the lake which too come under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act.

4.       The lake is used by many people for dumping foreign species of fishes and turtles which disturbs and destroys the natural habitat of the native species throwing a challenge to their survival. Thus a high security check has to be implemented by the concerned authorities to stop these activities.

5.       We also came across the fact that the lake needs to be maintained better, by cleaning it from time to time as a good number of aquatic wildlife resides in it and thus an initiative for their betterment and welfare must be undertaken. The eye opening incident is shameful and requires to be looked up on seriously, or else there will be no point in taking up big initiatives just to show of!

15/8/2013 - Abandoned horse left to die on the streets.

In another case of negligence by the animal owners horse was found abandoned on the foot path near Chembur yesterday. Animal lover Chirag Katira while returning back home spotted a collapsed horse on the side of the road, he soon reduced the vehicles gear and got down to see what was wrong with the animal. Soon some more people gathered around the horse and started approaching some animal rescuers.

“I was on my home when I saw a horse collapsed on the service lane of the highway and found no owner or care taker anywhere. I called up an NGO for help and decided to wait till help reached” said Katira.

Within an hour a team from Mulund came forward for help with a tempo arranged so as to shift the horse to animal hospital. Members from RAWW(Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare) reached the spot to rescue it. “It was late night and we knew that animal ambulances would not be available and thus decided to arrange for a tempo in advance as the caller described that the animal was critical. We lifted the horse and loaded it into the tempo with the help of the locals and our team and left to reach the hospital, the whole rescue act was in the presence of the police officials” said Darshan Patel , who leaded the rescue team.

The animal was safely taken to SPCA and was admitted there for further care and treatment. “We are sure that the owner will not turn up as the animal is ill and thus abandoned so as to escape from taking care and treatment of the horse. It’s a Male horse with few external injuries and major internal injuries and thus is not able to balance its body. We will be treating the horse and taking its proper care in our animal shelter” said Colonel Khanna the head of SPCA.

“We will be following up with the case and try to find the owner and approach right authorities to take legal actions for such an act of cruelty” said Patel.  “The horse is in a miserable condition and its treatment has started. It is suffering from severe joint disorder and there are less chances of its recovery due to old age. We will be treating the horse with the best of medications and care” said Dr.Lokhande who has taken charge of the treatment and well being of the horse.

According to the latest surveys we came across the facts that more than 80 percent of the horse owners in Mumbai are illegal and do not have official permit to keep them within the city limits, we strongly criticize the vigilance of the concerned authorities and expect strong actions against the cruel owners of such animals.  

Domesticated wildlife _say not to it

Elephants being protected under the schedule 1 of the Wildlife protection Act 1972 were sold since years and people were allowed to purchase and use it to earn daily living in both legal and illegal ways. The wildkinds were exploited and are being done even today all over the country. The best example of the worst treatment to these species which are under highest level of priority to be protected in the whole nation was from the richest city of Mumbai.

Two such elephants Bijlee (58) and Laxmi (18) lived in Mulund a famous suburb of the city with their owners who were a family of more than 20 individuals totally dependent on the elephants for their daily bread. Irrespective of the ban by the High court on elephants within city limits the duo were maintained fearlessly. They were made to walk for hours begging on the streets everyday with no proper food, water and medical support whenever needed Controlled by the mahouts who used a pointed iron rod. No proper paper work and health certificates were maintained or produced whenever needed. Their hair and urine was sold for thousands of rupees, ears pierced to decorate them with flowers during festive seasons or on a birthday or a threading ceremony of the rich. No regular health check up was done until June 2013 when Bijlee collapsed in the compound of a garage and could not get up on her own since 24 hours. We monitored her 24*7 assisting the doctors and the forest department officials who had turned up to rescue her. The 58 year old was daily lifted up with the help of a crane and man power for 19 days but unfortunately stopped responding to medications and rejected food and water during the last 3 days. After doctors gave up it was decided to form a committee of CZA to think about euthanization, but before any decision was taken the poor succumbed to a painful death naturally. The best doctors of the country who had treated her declared that she was overweight and was suffering from traumatic arthritis, degenerative joint disorder(other than the external injuries) which was because of unhealthy feeding habits ( Bijlee ate lodoos,chapaties fried in ghee and lot more). It was very tough to treat her where she was and was not in a condition to be shifted to another state as our city and state had no infrastructure and provisions for the treatment of elephants. Bijlee died a very unfortunate death in spite of living more in captivity compared to life in wild habitat where the factor of survival of the fittest matters most. We do not want to see anymore elephant going through the same traumatic and torture in future. It is the right time to strike and raise a voice to the concerned authorities to get into action and set an example and relocate all the elephants to a better place. The best example of the best action is again from our city, Laxmi who lived with Bijlee was confistigated by the forest department and rehabilitated to a rehabilitation centre at Mathura where today she is leading a better life.

Official report since 2012 - March 2013_wildlife distress@Mumbai

A report on the wildlife rescues / conflicts/awareness  that our team attended in 2012- March 2013 with Mumbai range and SGNP Rescue Team.

1.   On   April 21, 2012 when a leopard had entered the basement of N.E.S school in Mulund (W) throwing a challenge to the forest department. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team successfully rescued the leopard from the school by trapping it.

2.   One month later on May18, 2012 a 6 foot crocodile was spotted at Ganesh pada in Mulund (W) in a nullah. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team successfully rescued the crocodile.

3.   One month later on June 28, 2012 a couple of leopards had entered in the premises of IIT (Powai) and had created distress and panic among the people there. Officers from the Mumbai range SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and found the leopards mating, we followed the leopards and next day the leopards were chased and sent to the park. No harm to anybody including the two wildcats leading to a successful operation.

4.   One month later on July 15, 2012 a 6 year old girl Sanjana Thorat was killed by a leopard when she was attending natures call outside her house at Shankar Tekdi in Mulund (W). Officers from Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and began the rescue operation as it was night and heavily raining the body was recovered next morning.

5.   On July 18, 2012 a baby crocodile was rescued from water pumping station at Bhandup water purification plant by SGNP Rescue Team, Mumbai range officers and our team.

6.   Four months later on November 2, 2012 a 52 year old Sitabai Paghe was killed by a leopard when she was attending natures call at Maroshi pada in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team, and our team reached the spot and set up a trap cage on the spot.

7.   Next day on November 3, 2012 a male leopard was trapped at Maroshi pada in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and safely loaded the leopard into the rescue van which then took it to the rescue centre at SGNP.

8.   On November 5, 2012 dead body of a 60 plus year old man was found in the premises of the national park , the body was eaten by a leopard. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and carried out the further investigations and proceedings.

9.    On November 19, 2012 two leopards were trapped at Maroshi pada in Aarey milk colony early morning and late evening. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and rescued them, and then they  were  taken to the park.

10.                     On November 20, 2012 a 2 year old girl Usha Yadav was killed by a leopard when she was attending natures call at Tembi pada near Bhandup. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot , the body was recovered from Bhandup water purification plant’s premises.

11.                      On December 2, 2012 a leopard had entered ONGC society in Jogeshwari early in the morning. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot, the leopard tranquilized and safely rescued from the complex and brought to the rescue centre in the park.

12.                     On December 7, 2012 a 50 plus year old security guard Anthony Fernandez was killed by a leopard inside the premises of Bhandup water purification plant. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and carried out the further investigations and proceedings.

13.                     On December 18, 2012 two leopards had fell inside a 20 feet long pit at a fort in Ghorbandar in thane. SGNP rescue team and our team had gone for the rescue , but when we reached the spot the leopards managed to escape from the pit with the help of a ladder that the villagers had put in the pit.

14.                     On January 1, 2013 a 19 year old boy Vinod Hadal was attacked but not killed by a leopard, when he came out of his house to attend natures call at Maroshi pada in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and installed trap cages and night patrolling in the area.

15.                     On January 7, 2013 a leopard attacked and injured 25 year old Savita Varthe when she was filling water late in the evening at Mathai pada in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot and laid down a trap to catch the leopard and also started night patrolling. On the similar day in the morning a man was injured by a leopard in unit no.28 in the same area, our team with the SGNP Rescue Team visited the area.

16.                     On January 14, 2013 a female leopard was trapped at Maroshi pada in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP rescue team and our team reached the spot, rescued the leopard and brought it to the rescue centre in the park.

17.                     On January 26, 2013 another female leopard was trapped at Mathai pada in Aarey milk colony where a woman was injured two weeks ago. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP rescue team and our team rescued the cat and brought it to the rescue centre.

18.                     On January 26, 2013 a leopard killed a 10 year old Saurabh Yadav at Adarsh nagar in Aarey milk colony in the evening. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team reached the spot, surveyed the area and laid down a trap. We also started night patrolling in the area.

19.                     On January 31, 2013 a female leopard walked into the trap which was set at Adarsh nagar in Aarey milk colony. Officers from the Mumbai range, SGNP Rescue Team and our team rescued the leopard and brought it to the rescue centre in the park.

Other than this we also carried out awareness program with groups, individuals, security guards, residents, workers etc at the places wherever the conflict took place. The areas we covered are as follows,

ü Shankar tekdi – Mulund

ü IIT –  Powai

ü Yogi hills – Mulund

ü Tembi pada – Bhandup

ü Bhandup water purification plant

ü Royal palms – Aarey

ü Maroshi pada – Aarey

ü Mathai pada – Aarey

ü Tabelas (cow sheds)

ü Adarsh nagar

Pet shame_criticizing illegal pet keepers

According to the Wildlife protection Act 1972, all the native species of the country available in its wild habitat are not allowed to be kept as pets. This protocol is applicable in the whole country, but still we see that it is violated at many places and we can the best of some examples from our city itself.

In a city like Mumbai where thousands of wildlife enthusiasts live, it is seen that irrespective of the definitions being clear that it is illegal to keep wildkinds like pet people don’t pay much attention towards it. Not only these people but people within our society motivate and encourage wild pets. From a parakeet to a snake all are kept as pets in different corners of the city. It is very strange to believe this but there are illegal pets in large numbers. This according to the protocols is a crime then let it be buying, selling or maintaining and wild animal, bird, reptile or any of its product too.

But it is clearly seen that corruption has won over everything and thus nobody can do much, other than this we can clearly make out what the concerned authorities are doing regarding the issue. It is also found that they too are part of such rackets and practices themselves. So when the keys are in the hands of the robber we don’t need to find around. It is true economics that when there is a demand then only there is supply and production.

So the breeding, hunting and overall exploitation of the wildlife in the city is because of the demand which comes from within the import and export too is a part of it. We will not fall into the exotic species even f wild as we are focusing on our native wildlife. Today thousand of turtles and tortoises, snakes and lizards, birds and animals are sold in and out of the city, to name so of the most common species are the star tortoises, sand boas, parakeets and so on. Every year thousands are rescued in the raids in different part of the city maximum in the air ports and railways but still the game has not yet stopped. It indicates to a very simple but dangerous fact that needs to be accepted that the natural habitat of these animals are not safe and that is the reason that they are so easily brought outside.

Sometimes I fail to understand the motives of the people, I wonder what is the craze or the desperate need to keep wildkinds as pets when there are no laws framed in its favour. This is happening every day and this city can give you any pet that you can afford to keep, you need space and money that is it. From a turtle to a crocodile you will get anything here if you have money in your pocket. Things are so open in this city but the concerned authorities show a deaf ear towards it, so once again the combination of the people in both the ends together put the wildlife in trouble and trauma leading to something very illegal.

At the same time the people with filled pockets are ready to spend as much as they can and thus making an attempt to make the wildkinds as their pets without realizing that the money that they invest here is used against the national peace and integrity. And at the end of everything we end up supporting and getting involved in such groups who work against the country and the society. So tomorrow if something wrong happens in and around you, please note that it may be because of your support if you support illegal pets. The people don’t feel or think much about this issue as they think that such things will not affect them or their life, but they don’t know that the pit dug with the help of them will one day make them fall in it and that fine day will be too late to realize or react. 

Monkeys of our city _ criticizing humankind

Our city is filled up with a variety of wildkinds which exist in and around human habitat, out of them the most successful are the monkeys. Our country regards the monkeys as the messengers of the most powerful god ‘Hanuman’. Royal treatment is given to the monkeys from food to shelter maximum is provided by we humans. But somewhere we forget that they are wild animals and interfering in their life is actually unethical.

We feed them with fruits, sweets and other eatables and thus attract them towards us and by doing this we feel that we are doing a great job and in return god will definitely shower his blessings on us. It is very stupid when highly educated people also follow the same trend, feeding the wild animals and at the end calling trouble for ourselves.

Monkeys are very smart animals and very well know the art of survival, and that is reflected from the current population of them. Many suburbs of our city share a boundary with the national park which is the actual habitat of the monkeys, but today they have started living within the city limits too. This thus is not a positive indication as wildkinds are coming closer to the humans which indeed is not safe as well as correct according to the life in a city.

But the main problem arises when the good, gentle monkeys turn out to be mischievous and start troubling us, entering houses and grabbing all possible eatables, destroying well maintained kitchens, splashing food and water here and there and finally ending up attacking the humans. The rule of the wild says that how cool and calm the behaviour of the animal is we should not try to judge them. Wildlife is unpredictable and we should accept it and act according with it, by entertaining them we only call trouble for us. The simplest way to treat any wildlife inside the city is to just leave it alone, forest is its house and it will definitely return there if we do not attract it here.

No matter if it is injured or in distress it is very important to get it rescued but just by spotting a monkey it is again a stupid act calling on helpline numbers to get it removed and relocated. We should act responsible as a society and respect the wildkind by just letting it go and not try to feed, follow, provoke or trouble it. But what we do is start cornering or surrounding the animal, throw stones on it, try attracting it and when it gets attracted and starts its activities it no longer remains fun and excitement.

They are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and thus we should bring it under our kind notice that hunting, killing or making an attempt to do so will land us behind the bars. Trying to keep it as a pet, catching or transporting it is also an offence and will lead similar charges on one.  And once when these animals start causing trouble for the mankind then the god within it disappears, people start killing it , demanding to catch, trap, tranquilize and relocate it to the forest and during this process the animal goes through severe trauma ending up its life or getting badly injured. We all know how much our city has provisions to maintain and treat the injured kinds and thus at the end we as a society fail to understand our responsibility and perform our duty.

So the facts say that the humans are the ones because of whom the conflicts with starts leading to the loss of wilderness available in the city. Human errors on various levels from a common man to an authority have all together highly disturbed the whole atmosphere of wild in and around the city.  If we really were sensible then we would never end up doing this what we are doing today.

A monkey is a very beautiful animal which plays a very important part in the ecosystem where it is present. We don’t need to be big naturalists, researchers or wildlife experts to enjoy the wild beauty. One can explore the wild by just respecting it with sense and simplicity, rather than complicating the situation as we always do. 

Some practices just look to be good

We all know that SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) is a protected forest and thus any activity within that destroys the eco system is illegal and wrong. Then what happened last month and which is happening since decades is something that is undefined.
Last month the city celebrated ‘Ganesh Chaturti’ where more than 1.5crore idols were booked within the city. The lakes, ponds, beaches and seas are exploited every year and that cannot be stopped or brought under control and the same happened this year too. But what we found disturbing was the immersion which took place in the national park. Thousands of people visited and celebrated the festival in the park.
People from Borivali and neighbouring suburbs came there with their family for the immersion of the elephant headed god and thus worship one of the favourite hindu god. The park has a lake used for boating, which was targeted as the spot where the immersions took place, thousands of people came in, threw plastic and other such water materials including colours, flowers and so on. We did not interact with the people as we had decided to conduct a study where we would only monitor the activities of the people.
We observed that such large population was in no control and the numbers of people to take care and keep an eye on them and their movements were not enough. We saw people dumping large amount of unwanted substances in the lake and to understand the effect on the water we had taken the sample of the water during all the ten days and also before the festival began. With a research oriented activity we wanted to find the levels of constituents of water along with toxicity. We later evaluated the facts and figures and made a report on how the human activities will have an adverse effect on the forest and the lives within.
The highest threat was to the aquatic life including the fishes, turtles, plants and water itself. It was followed by the other animals, birds and reptiles that were depended on the water. The threat was not only to the animals that were directly dependent on water but also the indirect kinds. We took these reports to the concerned authorities and expected some actions for a better future. But we were disappointed with the lack of interest and the kind of response that we got in turn after the study.
We were told by everyone that this was against the sentiments and feelings of the people and thus there was no participation of those who presence did matter to the issue. Public sentiments with due respect are considerable and very important in a country like ours, but at the same time it is also very important to make the public aware of some facts and figures where the actions evolving from the sentiments lead to degradation of nature and thus destruction of habitat. But this idea of ours was rejected in the very beginning because all felt that we are opposing what the people wanted to do but to clarify we were just trying to show the impact of our actions and wanted it to become positive by making some changes and modifications.

The ignorance of the concerned authorities have made the situation so worse that it is a shame on us, the wrong people are placed at wrong places then how can we expect anything right to happen in and around. We can’t change the whole world but we can be a part of the changing world, it is on us what we choose just to look or to look and act accordingly. Everywhere in the city immersion is done on a large level then why is a protected area, a home, habitat, ecosystem to a thousand species of protected kinds is exploited and destroyed?

The silence between the human leopard conflict breaks again

In another instance of human wildlife conflict a four year old was mauled by a leopard at Aarey colony. The incident took place at Khadakpada a tribal hamlet in the early hours of 1^st October, when Hiya was accompanied with her grandmother to relieve herself. It was when her grandmother went inside the home to get a tooth brush a leopard came out of the bushes and caught the juvenile dragging her into the forest. No sooner than this happened a loud call for help was made and immediately a group of neighbours gathered for help.
A team of neighbours soon ventured into the forests with sticks, knives and stones to search the girl. After some time probably 150 meters away the leopard was spotted firmly holding the neck of the girl, soon loud noise was made to scare the leopard away which did not work. Not waiting for anything the locals started throwing stones aiming the leopard, and then the leopard decided to leave the body and vanished in the bushes. The girl was brought to the nearest hospitals where she was declared dead by the doctors. Soon the incident became viral and all possible emergency helpline numbers started ringing. I soon confirmed it with the forest department and got in touch with the concerned officers to discuss the further plan of action.
It was the orders from the superior officers to install the trap cages at the spot where the conflict took place. We then accompanied the team with the trap cages, took it to the location and placed it at the decided spot after a short survey. Well this was not the end of everything the day had just started and this was probably the first time in my knowledge when such instant actions were seen. Many efforts were made by the concerned authorities to make up for the loss of life. As per the new orders passed the amount of compensation was increased to Rs. 5lakh, and the higher officers decided to follow up with the procedures and make the amount available for the family. A senior forest officer promised that Rs.1lakh to be given to the family within a day.
From media to wildlife enthusiasts all were discussing the incident and overall issue with the concerned and the game of attack and defend had begun. But it was a very unfortunate day for the forest department irrespective of doing all possible actions immediately, soon as the sun had set there was another distress call and the facts revealed that another juvenile was attacked by the leopard. According to the latest report the boy was injured and was sent to the nearest hospital for treatment and was out of danger. The incident happened very near to the initial spot and again the news was viral.

The mail problem of Aarey colony according to a survey conducted by us initially this year revealed that the area was having poor waste management system, excessive stray population, improper toilet facilities and very poor lighting system. Other than this the tribal hamlets which belonged to the adivasi had increased as compared to the past and many parts of the forests were encroached in the names of adivasis. The promising politicians who are concerned to keep a check of the well being of their voters have failed since more than decades. The issue is getting serious every year and is a shame for us that we as a city including all, are not able to manage and sustain. The feeling of co-existence will only come from within, but it will come when all necessary things are on their right places. The infrastructural condition of the areas near to the green patches and protected forests are not capable to maintain the balance and distance between people and wildlife and thus leading to the destruction and loss of both the sides.  

Save the lungs of Mumbai

We all know that SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) is regarded as the lungs of our city as the 100 plus sq.km area supplies fresh oxygen to the ever growing human population. The park is exploited from decades and even today. Mumbai becomes very famous for the human-animal conflict whenever there is a distress caused to humans by animals or the other way round. And every time the blame game continues where at the end we end up finding 'Mr. Nobody' who is behind all that's happening today. 
The main reason for all wrong within the city is detected since years but the treatment is not yet done irrespective of having all the necessary equipments. 'Encroachment' is the real cause or can say the biggest reason for creating problems both for man and wild. Humans have entered the forests from all sides legally and illegally, from small huts to a big complex - humans have occupied a very large area of the green patch which was not for them. We all know that Mumbai is running short of space since years and at the same time the number of people willing to come and reside in the city is increasing every day. 
A national park is a protected area and is a treasure of the country , but the level of exploiting such an area has crossed all limits , today people venture in the park - break rules - disturb the ecosystem - ruin the natural habitat of the real residents (wildlife). People have not only constructed houses on the forest land and done wrong but also have added to it while visiting it. The park allows visitors from only one gate in Mumbai which is located at Borivali , but people have explored x number of ways to enter in. People not only enter in they also perform great deeds from pollution to hunting inside. 
Everything is known to the concerned authorities but the real need is of acting to the issues , but they are just enjoying the cold war between the 100s vs 100000s. Hundreds of people have raised thousands of issues against lakhs of people but rarely any of them are resolved leading to a permanent solution. Actions are just taken for the sake of showing that the concerned are performing their duties - but this is not enough , infact the speed of destruction is faster than that of conservation and protection. 
Everybody hates corruption but hardly realize that they too are a part of it either by supporting it either by practicing or ignoring the contemporary issues. 
There is urgent need to make up for the losses that have already taken place and for that it is very important to manage the city well. Encroachment can only be stopped by rehabilitation of the current population and keeping a check that the vacant places are not occupied by others, these areas need to be monitored very strictly and should be continued as a good practice. The authorities have promised to do many tasks so as to clean up the mess, but the actions are very slow as compared to the need and expectation. We do not understand how the green patches especially the park holds our island city in being firm, but it is very important to understand as well as accept the right facts. 

Right actions can be taken the very next moment but it is very important to keep a track of it and that will be done only if it happens with a constant flow. Consistent performance from the concerned authorities is what the city needs. The decision makers and the panel which influences these decisions must also be transparent in dealing with the facts and figures. The detected problems should be solved by active participation and contribution in the solution itself. But today the authorities play an undefined game where they just blame each other and thus there is no proper or expected out put out of the tremendous efforts made to bring a change. Necessary actions instead of the unwanted are really the need of the hour. 

Nature is wild and we are RAWW (Resqink Association for Wildlife welfare)

RAWW – Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare is a Mulund based NGO that works for the welfare of wildlife. The main aim of the RAWW is to spread awareness to people and include them in supporting and being part of conservation of wildlife of the city. There is a serious need for a new level conservation to be practiced in the city as maximum human activities have only caused destruction of nature and wildlife, the natural habitat of all the wildkinds is almost under great threat.

All the members and volunteers belong to different walks of life and majority of the team consists of the youth – from the age of 18 to 25. At present the team consists of more than 50 active members.

Different tasks undertaken or performed by us and our team members are as follows:

A group of well experienced and ethically trained snake rescuers is the most special feature and service of our NGO , our numbers are registered with the Forest department, Police department , fire brigades , B.M.C , disaster management and so on – we provide the service of rescue of snakes from commercial and residential areas of our suburbs – we then register them with the forest department Mumbai Range and then release them back to wild ( almost keep the release site secret for the protection of the species as disclosing the location may be misused by some individual or groups leading to wildlife crimes etc. )

Whenever we rescue a snake – we try making the locals aware about snakes – inform them basic safety and security tips that can avoid human reptile conflict. Provide with emergency helpline numbers for distress situations.

We also conduct awareness program's in schools, clubs and societies – with power point presentation and not live snakes – as according to the rules laid down by the department it is illegal to conduct snake shows / awareness sessions with live snakes, its only possible if there is a written permission from the concerned forest officer. We make people aware about such things, rules, regulations – dos and don’ts.

Snakes fascinate all of us and many times people feel like keeping them as pets or trying to catch them from the forest – we educate people that all the species of reptiles of our country are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and thus making such attempt can lead one behind the bars other than a fatal snake bite.

We also have a team of independent researchers – who are researching on different areas of science in wildlife like reptiles, birds, mammals their distribution, behavior etc.  Many national and international research papers are published, which can be further used and read by the future generations.

We also volunteer the Mumbai range forest department during human wildlife conflicts – where  wildlife is either in threat or the humans because of its presence – the main reason for this is animals do not understand boundaries like we humans do and thus sometimes cross the wild habitat and enter human habitat. What we try to do is motivate the people to co exist with the animals , by direct or indirect actions like not killing or threatening any wildlife and if a distress situation – approach the rescue team. This usually happens with the leopards – leading to human leopard conflict.  We conduct awareness program's with the rescue teams of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and also volunteer them during emergency rescues – by different strategies during different situations and thus showing people that even common man can be a part of wildlife welfare.

Most common things we come across are,

Common snakes - 

rat snake , checkered keelback water snake , buff striped keelback ,common kukri, common sand boa , wolf snakes , bronzeback tree snake, Indian rock python – all non venomous snakes.

Cobra, krait, russell’s viper, saw scaled viper, bamboo pit viper – all venomous snakes.

Vine snake, cat snakes ( common & foreston’s cat snakes ) – all semi-venomous.

Common Birds-

Kite, owls, pond heron, bats etc.

Common animals –

Monkeys, langurs, leopards.

Our teams make people aware regarding these animals and also helps the forest department in various activities for wildlife conservation and welfare by following all the official protocols which is actually very important.

The difference between rehabilitation and dumping of wildkinds.

As we all know that the city has a very rich wildlife within its limits, there are some serious things that cannot be ignored. It is all about the rehabilitation of the rescued species by various organizations/individuals and the concerned government departments. Today the main reason for the human-animal conflict is because of the miss management of wildlife.We will concentrate on the dumping of species.
There are several organizations and individuals in the city who claim to rescue the wild animals, birds and reptiles in distress. The whole city feels its a job by doing which you get blessed! This is unfortunately not the truth, a very sorry moment to reveal the fact that the rescue of animals in distress or causing distress has increased as compared to the past but the rehabilitation is very poor.
Several animals are rescued every year but they are not released properly, which actually is a major concern for the future. Maximum wild animals are more territorial as compared to the stray or domestic ones and thus the job of rescuing and rehabilitating them is not so easy as it looks.
For instance any reptile rescued from a place is supposed to be rehabilitated within 3 kilo meters according to the international protocols, however this is not possible in a city like ours. But it is very important to relocate the wildkinds to a near distance that where it is done today. Organizations and individuals not all but many - who call it rehabilitation are actually dumping the rescued species which is unethical as well as something which created a negative impact on the habitat where released.
Introducing any species to a new area is a sort of experiment and it has been proved over the years that this practice is actually not kind job. At the same time it is a shame on the part of the concerned authorities that they are not capable of regulating and maintaining the balance. When an animal,bird,reptile is introduced to a new place while rehabilitation many factors are supposed to be checked and rechecked. A rescue cannot be called a rescue unless there is a successful rehabilitation - and a successful rehabilitation in this city is not a joke. Like humans - even animals are facing the shortage of space - all because of human errors on various stages and ignorance towards wildlife unless there is a problem/ distress.
According to the protocols that I had come across when I wear the shoes of a rescuer - any rescued snake is supposed to be rehabilitated in the mangroves , so its amazing to think that how a tree snake or a snake which belongs to a different habitat will survive there.Maximum snakes in the city enter into the open drainage system during the rains from the national park and such green patches. Also if over the years it learns to survive somewhere where it is not supposed to  - how will it affect the existing species today and tomorrow. There are many such dangerous questions that many may come across everyday.
Today in Mumbai we all know the craze of pets and the super craze of pet reptile and other wildlkinds both legal and illegal. Imported as well as native species of wildkinds are kept as pets by the people and one final day many of the owners realize that they can not take further care of them and thus feel to do a task to releasing the animal in the wild thinking that setting the imported foreign animal free in the native wild habitat here is a very noble cause. Today majority of the city's lakes are filled with imported turtles,fishes,crocodiles and so on, and similar is the case with the birds and animals too these days we rescue love birds and imported parrots too. We can call it the failure of the system for what is happening within the city today , the infected roots are located deep but are detected I just wonder when will they be uprooted - something next to impossible.
It is a very sincere request to all the current organizations and individuals in the city to think about it , if this continues - in the future there will be nothing to rescue and not because every thing will be sorted but because everything will be destroyed. Time to unite and move in a similar direction if not same, and thus spread awareness and practice something which is actual and ethical.

The secrets of human-animal conflict of Mumbai.

Mumbai is regarded as the financial capital of the country , its a city that never sleeps and has many more tags. I wonder when it is the richest city , why are so many things going wrong within. There are some serious issues which reflect some serious problems that the city is facing , the city forest is under great threat which is having an adverse effect on the environment. The green patches of the city include small forests , mangroves , and a national park which is surrounded by suburbs.
All these green areas are homes to thousands of lives which includes insects, reptiles, birds, and animals both land and aquatic other than different species of plants and trees, thus a threat to these greens are automatically a threat to the lives which it supports.
Today we all know the term human-wildlife conflict , which is very commonly used for a leopard attack or a snake bite or something else caused by a wildkind to humans, but we never try to understand the complex meaning behind the term or are miss using the term as we can read write and explain.
I m not expressing what wildlife and nature feels about and i m not a wildlife expert or something like that, what i m trying to do is express what i feel as a human being.
Human-wildlife conflict for me is everything because of human errors both intentional and unintentional on various levels , which have led to a very big threat for both wildlife and humans , for humans it will be felt or experienced in the long run.
We have always exploited the forest and the lives that is supports , from cutting a tree for wood , hunting an wild animal to taste to encroaching on the lands that belong to them. Other than this there are many problems which have been experienced all because of improper planning and management. This is not to point fingers or play the blame game but this is simple criticism done on the basis of analysis and experience acquired while performing and participating in various tasks for conservation and protection of the wildlife of the city.
The current status of the wildlife is under such threat that immediate actions , decisions , new laws and their instant implementations - in short a modification of the current system is required.
There has to be awareness amongst the people regarding various things which should be known by them , maximum people don't know the basic rules, regulations and protocols which are implemented since ages. Wildlife conservation is something which has a very big scope but more important is the need of practicing it with proper ethics. You don't need to be someone special , trained , experienced and so on to contribute and participate in conservation. The mantra for it is the feeling and believe in co existence with wildlife , this land belongs to both the man and the wild. The SGNP (Sanjay Gandhi National Park) is regarded as the lungs of the city as it provides so much of fresh oxygen other than the fresh drinking water which quenches the thirst of the dense population of the city's human and animals.
But today very few of us know the problems faced by the park one of the major problems is the encroachment which has disturbed the wildlife within , there are many other issues which too contribute to the problems. There are so many NGOs and firms that are trying to participate and contribute in conservation but at the end very less amount of success is achieved , this is because the numbers of individuals and the quality of information and awareness has to be enhanced in a simplified way so that it reaches the common man so that he clearly understands and accept it. Other than this are the group of biased individuals and the influential pressure groups who dominate the system here and also support the illegal and unethical practices for personal profits which acts as a barrier for many activists to perform their work and duties for the betterment of wildlife.
From declaration of buffer zones to permissions to enter into the national park is controlled by politics and politicians, constructions have emerged on areas which should be buffer zones, plastics and garbage is littered in and around the park by the visitors , speeding vehicles of the big shots of the city have killed and injured so many wildkinds that the real number has never come up and will never.
This is a never ending topic on which i can keep on writing , almost every day there is a new story in front of me where there is human-animal conflict , but i find that the animal is not at fault as it does not understand  the funda of boundaries and borders defined by humans , but still we can make out the difference how it behaves when it visits human habitat and how we behave when we visit their wild habitat.
Go to the forests and see how the monkeys and longoors run away after spotting a human and go to a location where a monkey has visited outside forest how people surround it , start clicking , teasing , feeding , chasing and disturbing it. And then i get a call for a distress situation created by the monkey ( actually by humans who provoke the wild animal) and i m requested to catch , take away , remove the animal from there. Wildlife is already unpredictable we cant make out whats going to be the next reaction of the animal and thus the curious human mind provokes the monkey to start somethings that seems to be entertaining which is very disturbing.
The leave me alone call for tiger conservation and protection should be implemented for all the wildlife, today the national animal is endangered and on a verge of extinction, tomorrow the whole nations animals will be in threat.

And a small information on the leopard attacks of 2012 and 2013 - majority of the attacks on humans were when they were sitting in the dark for relieving themselves at the night time, thus the leopard can not be blamed when someone in and around his territory is sitting in such a position that the cat miss identifies it as a  prey like a monkey , langoor or a dog. Majority of the locations where human life was lost was either encroachment or a forest area where leopards are living since years. An other reason contributing to it is the accumulation of un-managed garbage which attracts rodents and srtay dogs and cats which are easy prey to the leopards and thus a center of attraction.
 I was a part of all the rescue and trap operations undertaken by the forest department and concluded with the whole write up is  on the basis of my observation and no doubt with the references and thoughts of the experts of this field.