Coordinates Of Protected Areas In J&K:

Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary 33 o 28'13.30"N 78 o 34'41.93"E
Hemis National Park 34 o 0'60.00"N 77 o 31'60.00"E
Karakoram (Nubra Shyok) Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 42'60.00"N 77 o 25'60.00"E
Kishtwar National Park 33 o 32'34.52"N 76 o 11'10.56"E
Baltal-Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 14'51.32"N 75 o 29'2.66"E
Rajparian (Daksum) Wildlife Sanctuary 33 o 26'0.91"N 75 o 25'51.17"E
Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary 32 o 28'56.71"N 75 o 24'24.89"E
Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 8'14.21"N 75 o 15'45.86"E
Surinsar Mansar Wildlife Sanctuary 32 o 44'1.38"N 75 o 5'46.62"E
Dachigam National Park 34 o 6'16.57"N 74 o 59'51.32"E
Trikuta Wildlife Sanctuary 33 o 1'25.27"N 74 o 56'21.99"E
City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park 34 o 4'39.26"N 74 o 52'51.09"E
Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary 32 o 53'58.22"N 74 o 53'49.55"E
Ramnagar Rakha Wildlife Sanctuary 32 o 46'33.06"N 74 o 51'58.82"E
Hokersar Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 6'13.00"N 74 o 42'55.00"E
Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary 33 o 34'18.14"N 74 o 35'20.28"E
Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 3'7.99"N 74 o 22'46.48"E
Limber Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 11'50.94"N 74 o 14'59.91"E
Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary 34 o 10'1.11"N 74 o 3'25.69"E
Kazinag National Park (P) 34 o 11'33.06"N 74 o 13'11.27"E

Courtesy :
Shahid Bashir
Assistant Scientist, Avian Ecology
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

At a recent Consultative Stakeholders Workshop, the usual talking heads got together and made all-too-familiar sounds:

"We will be formulating a strategy from the suggestions"
"It will help us in the long-term recovery of the Hangul"
"the government is committed to the save the Hangul"
"media has to play an important role to spread awareness"
"wildlife sensitization workshops"

Somehow the fitting of radio-collars - often quoted as the magic bullet - was somehow omitted.

So whats killing the Hangul?
Is it
- the cement factories outside the Dachigam National Park?
- the sheep farm inside the Dachigam National Park ?
- the bakerwal presence inside the Dachigam National Park ?
- the armed garrison within the Dachigam National Park ?
- VIP movement within the Dachigam National Park ?
- limited resources and manpower crippling the Department of Wildlife Protection !!!
- the ban on hunting ?
- the LOC between India and Pakistan ?

The musical chair blame game goes on and on. Strangely enough, not even one of the above listed factors presents an unsurmountable obstacle if the powers-that-be have the will to make a change.

Meanwhile the noble animal slips away into eternal night despite local officials claiming its "recovery" while wildlife experts urge caution.

Hangul population in J&K: The maze of facts, figures

Maybe as my good friend Mir Mansoor suggests, we should just get used to it.

Just to avoid being too hangul-centric:
Biggies out to disturb natural Pahalgam habitat
Kishenganga Power Project threatens wildlife, natural resources



Update:
The Handsome Hangul

On occasions like World Wildlife Day and World Earth Day, Wild Kashmir hosts guest posts from environmentalists like Yawar Ali Masoodi.


CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT & WILDLIFE
Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Kashmir

On World Earth Day 2010, Do You Know?

1. that Kashmiri Saffron and Kashmiri Hangul, the Natural Heritage of Kashmir, are at the threshold of extinction, courtesy- State Pollution Control Board that has illegally permitted construction of 15 Cement Factories (Red Category Industry) and extraction of lime stone within and in close vicinity of Dachigam National Park, Khanmoh-Khrew Wildlife Conservation Reserve and Khrew-Pampore Saffron fields.

2. that cement factories have been set up in violation of Environment (Protection) Act, Wildlife (Protection) Act, National Wildlife Action Plan, National Environment Policy and Environment Impact Assessment Notification's 1994 and 2006.

3. that cement industry has been categorized as the RED category (highly polluting) industry and the primary and secondary pollutants emitted include, carbon oxides, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, ozone depletion gases, dust etc. which are lethal to human life, plant life and animal life.
4. that the yield of Saffron has decreased from 1.5 Kg per acre to 0.25 Kg per acre due to pollutants emitted by the cement factories.

5. that population of Red Deer has come down to 137 from around 5000 due to destruction of its habitat- Dachigam National Park and Khrew-Khanmoh Reserve.

6. that Wildlife Institute of India under the protected area proposals of National Interest had recommended extension of Dachigam National Park from existing 141 Km2 to 400 Km2 thereby increasing its area by 259 Km2. The adjoining areas and buffer zones like Dara, Brain, Khrew, Khanmoh, Shikargah Conservation Reserves and Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary were to be included into Greater Dachigam.
7. that Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Department had decided to have GPS enabled collars for Hangul, but nothing has been done yet.

8. that illegal mining in wildlife area by cement factories has destroyed the habitat of Porcupines who are now migrating to fields and destroying the saffron bulbs and other agricultural products.

9. that mining is posing a threat to Guryul Ravine Fossils in Khanmoh containing limestone rocks dating back to the pre-historic time of mass extinction. These rocks have an embedded treasure of fossil belonging to the period 260 million years ago and have global heritage value because of their Premian nature. Recently the experts from Institute of Earth Science, Academia Sinica, Republic of China were here for study and exploration of the world heritage discovered in Kashmir Valley and expressed their concern over the large scale mining of the fossils by cement factories.

10. that a recent study by National Geophysical Research Institute has also highlighted the adverse impact of cement pollution on the glaciers in Kashmir in particular the Kolahi.

11. that a recent study by Action Aid International has shown how the chlorofluorocarbon emissions from cement factories are responsible for climate change in Kashmir. This in the long run will destroy the Agriculture, Horticulture and Tourism economies of Kashmir.

12. that sheep rearing and breeding farms in Dachigam National Park & Daksum Wildlife Sanctuary are posing a threat to Hangul and its habitat.

13. that illegal gypsum mining in Limber & Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary is posing a threat to the habitat of Markhor.

14. that unplanned tourism activities in Aru, Thajwas and Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuaries are posing threat to their flora and fauna.

15. that large scale encroachment of Wullar, Hokera & Narkara Wetlands for residential colonies is posing a threat to migratory birds.

16. that a similar misadventure made three and a half decades back permitting construction of a chain of hotels on the banks of Dal Lake, adding dangerous effluents/pollutants to its waters, in the name of so called development and employment generation has done havoc to Dal Lake. Forget about the employment and development, billions are spent every year to set right the damage, of course without any success.

THIS IS THE TIME TO ACT
ACT NOW
DAL IS DYING TODAY; NEXT IT IS THE TURN OF
DACHIGAM, SAFFRON & HANGUL

Yawar Ali
Executive Director
Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Kashmir

The future of the splendid Kashmir Markhor [Capra falconeri cashmiriensis] hangs in the balance after the Supreme Court, following recommendations of the National Wild Life Board (NWLB), allowed construction of the Mughal Road through the Hirpur Wild Life Sanctuary in the Pir-Panjal. Spread over an area of nearly 195 sq kms, the Hirpur Wildlife sanctuary is the habitat of the Markhor, which is listed as 'critically endangered' as per the IUCN Red List. In India, it is included in the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and Kashmir Wildlife (Protection) Act 1978. This 86.9 kms Mughal Road from Bafliaz (Poonch) to Shopian (Kashmir) will divide the sanctuary into two parts. Hirpur is not an isolated example. Natural habitats across the globe are being disturbed by relentless urban expansion. Roads, highways and railway tracks cut off many animals from their feeding and breeding areas, as well as from escape and migratory routes.

However, the Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, Mian Altaf announced that his Ministry has received compensation worth Rs 17 crore in the form of Markhore recovery project for habitat restoration, fencing of the Sanctuary, soil conservation, pasture and fodder development and growing fruit bearing plants. Kazi Nag Wildlife Sanctuary in Uri where this species is also found has been included in the project. It has also been proposed to add nearly 150 sq km to the sanctuary.

I am dismayed that there was no mention of connecting the two parts of the sanctuary even though premier wildlife organisations active in the country are involved in the project. According to the news report, the National Wild Life Board and the J&K Wildlife department will be supervising the project in consultation with the construction agencies PWD/JKPCC/HCC engaged in the Markhor Recovery Project.

I would like to suggest that wildlife bridges may be constructed to connect the two parts of the Hirpur Wildlife sanctuary. These Wildlife bridges (aka Green Bridges) allow animal territories to be maintained, rather than being divided into smaller, more isolated areas that ultimately lead to less viable populations.



In the 1950's, France was the first European country to develop green bridges for wildlife. Currently it has hundreds of structures for wildlife passage including viaducts, bridges, pipe conduits, overpasses and underpasses. Similar structures have also been built in other European countries like Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Slovenia.

Central Europe's biggest conservation project intends to set aside 20,000 kilometers (12,430 miles) of forested or shrub-covered green corridors that would connect various national parks throughout Germany . According to their concept, wild animals passing through these green eco-tunnels would expand from their current habitats and settle new ones. The planners came to realise that Autobahns [highways], major roads and canals block the paths of wild animals, residential and commercial areas seal off forests and meadows, and farmland chops up habitats into tiny islands too small for many animals to raise their young, hide or hunt. According to Germany's Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) this "dissection of the landscape," has become one of the most significant and consistently effective causes of the endangerment of biological diversity in Central Europe.

Several similar projects have also been implemented throughout the world including the United States and Australia. An international design competition was organised to design and build a landmark wildlife bridge in Vail USA. Since Vail in Colorado is a world-famous ski resort, the terrain resembles that of the Pir Panjal somewhat. The winning design should interest our wildlife planners. A must-see documentary would be 'Prince of the Alps', about red deer in the Austrian Alps. Red deer are the European cousins of the Hangul. The show focuses on the network of green bridges and wildlife corridors that have been built above or beneath roadways to facilitate safe wildlife movement across them.

Wildlife bridges have successfully been used in third-world countries like Costa Rica. Wildlife bridges on the Mughal Road may be a necessity rather than a luxury, if the noble Markhor is to be saved. The knowledge gained from these pilot projects can be utilised to build similar projects over/under the National Highway, the railway tracks and the river Jehlum which has historically divided wildlife populations between its east and west banks. This would connect isolated populations of wildlife and give them the chance to intermingle and strengthen their gene pool. Even as Central Europe's biggest conservation project intends to build wildlife corridors to connect Germany's major national parks, we should consider ourselves lucky if we can save our Hangul and Markhor populations from extinction.

News Link:
Wild Life gets Rs 17 cr for 'Markhore' protection

Image Courtesy:
The Happy Pontist

Constant harping on the Man-Animal Conflict has literally landed a leopard on my doorstep. I live on the banks of the Jehlum in the Shivpora locality of Srinagar, the largest city of Kashmir. The Jehlum makes an almost complete loop around it and only a small strip of land connects Shivpora to the adjoining foothills of the Zabarvan Range. This strip is traversed by the the NH1, the main highway that runs through the Kashmir valley. The whole area is a high-security zone surrounded by high walls, barricades and barbed wire. Somehow a leopard has managed to overcome the obstacles presented by the barricades, the highway and the river to reach Shivpora.



The local residents experience of predatory animals has been limited so far to the occasional glimpse of a mongoose or the nocturnal howling of the jackals that inhabit the Dhar Bagh-Shaheen Bagh complex [X] where the leopard is believed to have taken up residence. This area has no roads or houses but orchards, thorn bushes, marshland and extensive patches of woodland along the river-bank provide perfect cover for the leopard in an area measuring arond 500 kanals. [approx 60 acres] Mass hysteria is developing among the residents of Shivpora, maybe with good reason. As per the Wikipedia article leopards can subsist on small prey and are less dependent on large prey and are less likely to turn to man-eating than either lions or tigers. However, leopards might be attracted to human settlements by livestock or pets, especially dogs, and they may resort to the eating of humans should conditions demand it, and no other food is available.

The most secretive and elusive of the large carnivores, the leopard is also the most cunning. It is the strongest climber of the large cats and capable of killing prey larger than itself. Its success as a ruthless hunter owes is due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, and its non-specialised diet. A leopard will eat any creature it can hunt down and catch - from small beetles to large cattle. Local lore relates a marked preference to kill and eat dogs - which is why the linked news article mentions a half-eaten dog carcass as proof of the presence of a leopard.

I hope the wildlife authorities capture and relocate the leopard before any infortunate incident provides us with one more statistic in the Man-Animal Conflict.

News Link:
Leopard 'infiltrates' into high security Shivpora

Wikipedia Article:
The Leopard