According to a recent news report from Greater Kashmir, thousands of birds may have perished in a freak storm that lashed the valley on the 18th of May 2007.

From the news report:

Nearly, 21,000 birds were killed by powerful winds that swept across the Valley on Friday, experts said.

'About 20,500 birds comprising mostly sparrows died during the high velocity winds on Friday in 40 villages of Beerwah Tehsil,' Sajad Nabi Parray, working with the Environmental Sciences Division of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences, told Greater Kashmir.

The birds were mostly affected in the Kanihama area where nearly 900 birds died in the storm. Besides, 105 dead sparrows were found in Narbal block. 'The death of birds was painful as strong winds tossed them on the ground. Most of them were eaten by dogs. I buried about a hundred birds to prevent outbreak of diseases,' he said. 'The main reason for heavy impact of the winds is the uncontrolled felling of trees across the Valley,' said Sajad.

When contacted, Chief Wildlife Biologist of Wildlife Department Dr Mir Mansoor said the department was unaware of the matter. 'If the reports are true then it is definitely a serious matter. We will have to first collect samples of bird carcasses and we can reach any conclusion only after postmortem,' Dr Mansoor said.

Five persons were killed and over 100 injured in the storm which swept the Valley at 80 kms per hour.



Image copyright Dr. Bakshi Jehangir

The image shows a scanned news report from last week. It's a statement made by a grandee very high up in the official hierarchy. Is the population diminishing or increasing satisfactorily from an estimated ± 150 animals with less than 20 adult males? If you decipher the meaning, please email me.


P.S: I am not aware of any established captive breeding programme for the Hangul in Kashmir.

On the face of it, the similarities between Dachigam in Kashmir and Ranthambhore in Rajasthan are obvious. Both are hunting preserves established by erstwhile maharajas that were later converted into National Parks. While both parks can boast of rich wildlife populations, they have achieved international fame for a single species - Ranthambhore for its tigers and Dachigam for the last viable population of the 'Hangul' or Kashmir stag.

Dachigam has the advantage of being easily accessible as it is located on the banks of the Dal Lake along the Zabarvan hills, within the municipal limits of Srinagar city, while reaching Ranthambhore involves a trip of several hours by train or car from Delhi to the foothills of the Aravalli range.

Ranthambhore has a thriving tourist trade based on well-regulated 'tiger safaris' in 5 different zones inside the park. Tourists are escorted by knowledgeable guides in open jeeps or minibuses twice a day for three hour long safaris in the mornings and evenings. Hundreds of nature-lovers visit Ranthambhore every week hoping for a tiger-sighting and contribute to the upkeep of the park. The positive effect on the local economy is visible everywhere, and Ranthambhore's many luxury resorts bear testimony to the vibrant tourist related activities the tiger has helped to generate in what would have otherwise been a small, dusty little town in the foothills of the Aravalli range.

In stark comparison, Dachigam is an inaccessible fortress with severely restricted entry, used only as a VIP getaway. I would like to imagine tourists visiting the park for a 'Hangul safari'. The thought may not be as far-fetched as it seems because the Hangul is the only surviving species of the Red Deer family in the subcontinent. Millions of people travel around the world every year to see exotic species of wildlife - African safaris are a prime example. If nature-enthusiasts are allowed to visit Dachigam, they can add valuable information about its flora, fauna and overall ecology, besides contributing to the local economy.

An entirely new 'Nature Tourism' sector can be developed in Kashmir, covering its internationally-recognised wetlands and other parks like Overa in Aru and Hemis in Ladakh. Normally I would not advocate increased human activities in protected areas but desperate situations call for desperate measures. Increased awareness about their threatened status may help to save these ecosystems. Maybe the proposed Siachen Peace Park will prove to be a step in the right direction.


P.S Did I mention that I was lucky enough to spot a tiger on my first safari in Ranthambhore? Check out the photo.

Image copyright Dr. Bakshi Jehangir

The phrase 'wild goose chase', attributed to Shakespeare, refers to the pursuit of something unattainable compared poetically to the elusiveness of wild geese. Trust us Kashmiri's to put our own spin on things and end up on a 'Wild Owl Chase'. If recent news reports are to be believed, an unknown person is offering a Rs. 30 lakh [approx 70,000 USD] reward for the capture of a 3-kilogram owl in Kashmir.

The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is a large owl classified as a locally common resident in Kashmir. Adults may weigh around 3 kgs. The Tawny Fish Owl (Ketupa flavipes) is an uncommon species slightly larger than the former. These are the only two species that qualify by weight, but are surely not worth the money. The 30-lakh offer is, therefore, either a hoax or an attempt to buy an extremely rare owl species that the person making the offer is certain exists in the area. I hope the Wildlife Protection Department is keeping an eye on things. If an unrecorded rare species of owl does exist, population studies and protection measures should be adopted without delay.

News Link:
Kashmiris chase owls - and millionaire dreams
True? Who cares; Fed on rumors, Kashmiris seek riches in owls, elusive strangers

Kashmir's Wildlife Department.claim to have formally constituted a team to verify the impact on the protected birds. According to the Yahoo News article, an official of the department informed reporters that no Indian owl weighs 3 kilograms. Too bad Wildlife Department officers dont even know what owls are found in Kashmir and how large they are.

P.S As an afterthought, could a new Harry Potter craze have something to do with this mystery? Check out this BBC link from 2001. Anyway, a Snowy Owl would be extremely rare in Kashmir.

UPDATE [22 January 2007]:

Seems like the craziness has spread beyond Kashmir:
A Kashmir rumour sparks owl hunt in North India
Giant Owl Terrorizing Community In England


Image Courtesy: Wikipedia Commons

There seems to be some more welcome news for Kashmir's beleaguered wildlife. It seems that there has been a 20-60% increase in the population of indigenous animals and birds, ostensibly due to the disarming of the local population and the reluctance of poachers to venture into the deeper forests. While the source of the information is impeccable - no less an authority than the Chief Wildlife Warden himself, I am inclined to agree with Asif Hameed in thinking that these figures need to be taken with an extra large pinch of preferably iodised salt.

We should realise the danger of presuming that the outlook is indeed that rosy, unless these figures are backed up by scientific studies. Even if they are farly accurate, there should be no easing up on critical conservation efforts in the future.


News Link:
Insurgency benefits Kashmir wildlife