Can India’s tigers survive against the huge odds stacked against them? Do they really stand a chance against rampant poaching, habitat destruction, loss of prey and killings by villagers? Nearly a century ago there were over forty thousand tigers in India. True many were hunted by Westerners and Indian lords decades ago but India still had thousands left at the time of its independence in 1947. Still they continued to be shot down by anybody who owned a rifle and could buy a bait to attract the tiger. Villagers grazing their herds through forests ensured that the natural prey of tiger starved to death and thus so did tigers. As a result, by early 1970’s less than two thousand tigers remained in the jungles of India.

Fortunately for the striped sufferer, the Indian prime minister at that time, Indira Gandhi, took action and founded Project Tiger, to save her country’s most valued asset from total extinction. For the next two decades there was a lull and tigers flourished under renewed protection in designated reserves. As a result their numbers reportedly increased to four thousand. But that was all to change in the nineties. Tiger poaching picked up. Organized gangs took advantage of the inherent laziness and corruption that ran through the ranks of park rangers and officials. As a result, tigers started disappearing. Some of the most well known, photographed and magnificent animals faded away. Some reserves like the famous ‘Sariska’ reserve, just a couple of hours drive from the Indian capital New Delhi, protected by three hundred rangers, was wiped clean of its dozens of tigers. Similarly tigers began vanishing from internationally renowned parks like Ranthambore and Kanha, visited by thousands of tourists yearly from around the world!

While all this was going on and calls were being made by respected scientists and conservationists like Valmik Thapar and Belinda Wright to urgently protect the tiger, the administration of Project Tiger, relying on obsolete methods of tiger counting like pug mark identification, continued to deny that any tigers were missing. hereafter newer initiatives have been taken by the Indian government and newer guidelines created, further weakening the power of tiger preservation organizations of India. Politicians are now trying to facilitate people back into tiger reserves, bringing further catastrophe to the delicate ecosystems of India’s shrinking tiger reserves.

The problems that tigers face are many. First is the issue of poaching that continues unchecked owing to the negligence of underpaid, ill-equipped, outnumbered and unfit forest guards. Laws protecting the wildlife are weak. Furthermore there is a huge demand for tiger skins and parts in China, Far eastern Asia including Hong Kong, Thailand and Burma, and Tibet. Each individual tiger can bring hundreds of dollars to the poor villagers and people of India, many of which live at under a dollar a day.

Then there is the issue of human encroachment into tiger territory. Indian economy is expanding and population is increasing. It already has around one billion people and is set to become the most populous country in the world in coming years. Farmers and villagers are living at the borders of, and often right inside, parks. They graze their herds through jungles resulting in the depletion of natural food for the ungulates of forests that are chief components of a tiger’s diet. As a result the starving tigers take to attacking cattle and at times humans. This brings them into conflict with locals who take no time in poisoning partially eaten tiger kills. When the big cat returns to feed upon the carcass, it dies.

Thirdly and perhaps most importantly is the attitude of Indian administration. Not sufficient concrete and long term measures are being taken by the government while tigers continue to be slaughtered in most of the so-called ‘protected areas’ of Indian tiger reserves. In the end, this may prove to be the final nail in the coffin of the Bengal Tiger.

All of this brings one to a single rational derivation – do tigers really stand a realistic chance in India? The latest census reports a total figure of around fourteen hundred animals. Nearly two hundred and fifty animals are being killed yearly. So in all probability, at the current rate of extinction, the Royal Bengal Tiger will be lost forever from Indian wilderness in the next decade. Unless of course there is a miraculous turn around in the way that conservation efforts are being run.

Obviously it will continue to be featured in zoos around the world. Acting as a spectacle for the human race. Rewilding projects will be talked about, planned and even possibly undertaken but will certainly be near impossible to conduct on a large scale. If the people of India don’t wake up now to save their most sublime asset, they must realize that they will lose it forever in the blink of an eye.

When considering the birth rates among animals, it’s not hard to understand why animal shelters are always filled with animals waiting to be adopted. Shockingly, it has been calculated that over a seven year period, one female cat and her offspring will produce approximately 420,000 kittens. Likewise, one female dog and her offspring will produce 67,000 puppies during a six year period. Since there are more animals looking for homes than there are people who want to adopt them, some 6.5 million animals are euthanized each year.

Given the statistics cited above, adopting an animal can be a kind and loving thing to do. However, before making the final decision to adopt, there are a number of things to consider.

Many of the animals awaiting adoption in shelters have had very rough beginnings. Some were abused, some abandoned and some were “turned in” because the owners didn’t have time for them. Many were left alone for long periods and some were never properly potty trained. In short, when adopting an animal you must be prepared to work with them. They may come to you cowed or with feelings of trepidation and may be overly sensitive to your tone of voice or to any commands you might give them. You will need to be patient and by all means, loving. When they finally realize that they can trust you they will reward you with more affection and loyalty than you can imagine.

Adopting a dog as a means of entertaining a small child is not recommended. A dog is not a toy and should not be treated as one. Small children should be trained to understand “animal etiquette”. In other words, animals are not to be hit, dragged, ridden or teased. They should understand that being overly aggressive with a new dog, especially one recently adopted, could cause the dog to react by biting or running away. If feeding and exercising the dog is to be the responsibility of a child, an adult should follow up to be sure these things are getting done. It isn’t the dog’s fault if a child fails to meet his or her obligations and the dog shouldn’t have to suffer for the child’s failure.

Many adopted dogs will come to the new surroundings filled with fears based upon earlier mistreatment or the harsh rules of their previous owners. Some dogs will be reluctant to go from one room to another, will shy away when corrected and hide upon hearing a loud noise. New owners must be patient with them and speak to them softly and affectionately. Dogs are not stupid and they will gradually come to understand their new environment and show their appreciation for your loving care.

When contemplating adoption, prospective new owners should be prepared to deal with the fact that their new adoptee may not be completely housebroken. Previous owners may have been irresponsible in their approach to this training; furthermore, when the dog was placed in the shelter it continued to do its “business” right in its pen. Housebreaking is not a complex chore and should not deter someone from adopting a pet. Some owners will use a cage to assist in this training, while others will just take the dog out for a walk several times a day. Fenced yards and doggie doors are minimal expenses that pay extra dividends on cold or rainy days.

Adopted dogs are subject to all of the behavioral problems commonly associated to dogs in general. These would include digging, jumping up on people, jumping fences, barking and nipping. There are proven solutions to all of these “offenses.” If your dog is prone to digging, and always digs in one area, there are a number of effective repellent sprays that work well. If he digs under your fence, a little buried chicken wire works wonders in breaking that habit. Spray bottles filled with water should be kept at hand to break a dog from jumping up and to combat incessant barking. A quick spritz in the face immediately following, or during, the offensive behavior will usually bring about a quick behavior modification.

Visiting an animal shelter can be an emotional experience for an animal lover. It’s difficult to see all the animals in their pens and not want to take them all home. Such feelings are understandable and commendable; however, just be sure that prior to adoption you consider all of the ramifications. And remember, your best friend is waiting for you at your local animal shelter.

Thoughtful gifts can say good things about the giver. Thoughtless gifts can tell the recipient you’re boring, lazy or lacking in imagination. Gifts that shout, “I have no idea what you like and couldn’t be bothered to find out” tend not to be very endearing.

What do you want your gifts to say about you? And what do you NOT want them to say?

“I left it to the last minute again and this was all I could find” is not an attractive message. “I went to the trouble of choosing something that was exactly right for you” is far preferable.

If you want your gifts to show you really care about someone, take the trouble to check out their likes and dislikes and make sure you know whether they enjoy surprises or would rather have gifts they actually want. You might think you know exactly what gifts they like but do you really? Have you been buying your mum or your wife the same chocolates or perfume year after year because she loved it so much the first time? Are you sure she hasn’t changed her tastes or still got the last three bottles tucked away in a drawer unopened? Maybe it’s time to rethink your gifts.

For a best friend or partner, gifts that say “We have so much in common that I knew if I liked it you would” can be a powerful affirmation of your closeness (as long as the underlying message isn’t “I bought this for you so I could borrow it”!). However, even if she is a football fan and wears the shirts as well as the trousers, a set of cufflinks boasting the messages “he always scored”, thanks to his impressive tackle” probably won’t make your girlfriend’s day, or indeed your grandmother’s.

It’s so much easier now you can order all your gifts on line, rather than trudging round the shops, so why not spend the time saved making those gifts even more special and personal. Instead of just giving a nice photo frame or album, you might like to select and insert the photographs yourself or you can really go to town and get a canvas montage made up, complete with personalised poem. Alternatively you can have a favourite photo professionally printed on a wash bag.

If you want to get full marks for originality, choose a Picture Pocket Wash Bag, Make Up Bag or Pencil Case and either let the recipient select their own photos, pictures and postcards with which to adorn it or take the trouble to personalise it for them with images you know to be their favourites, mementos of special events or times and places of significance to both of you. These could make equally good gifts for teenagers, grandparents or anyone in between. There is also a transparent umbrella which works on the same principle with pockets (on the inside so they don’t get wet) where you or the recipient can put favourite pictures or photos. If you are artistic you could even draw or paint the pictures yourself or make mini collages to insert. They can always take them out and replace them with their own if they think they’re rubbish!

Talking of rubbish (and recycling and stuff like that) perhaps you want your gifts to express not just how much you care about the recipient but also how much you care about the world in which you both live. How about A Protect the Planet or Carbon Credit Gift Box? Or you can adopt a Polar Bear or a Penguin for your loved one. You get a polar bear or penguin soft toy along with the certificate, postcards and information. This is not the same as buying someone a “white elephant”. Traditionally the King of Siam is reputed to have made gifts of white elephants to courtiers he wished to ruin as the revered creatures were expensive to keep and feed. Hence the term “white elephant” came to mean an unwanted gift. Don’t worry, the recipient will not be personally responsible for feeding the penguin or polar bear for ever more; the cost of these gifts incorporate a one-off donation to an appropriate wildlife charity.

Of course if you want your Gifts to say something very specific that cannot be communicated through subtlety, you can choose from a variety of items on which to have your own personal message engraved. Or if you want to keep it simple, choose from a range of Gifts that quite literally say “I love you”. If once is not enough, go for a calendar or diary that keeps saying it all year round with, “I love (their name)” incorporated into every picture.

When considering the birth rates among animals, it is not hard to understand why animal shelters are always filled with animals waiting to be adopted. Shockingly, it has been calculated that over a seven year period, one female cat and her offspring will produce approximately 420,000 kittens. Likewise, one female dog and her offspring will produce 67,000 puppies during a six year period. Since there are more animals looking for homes than there are people who want to adopt them, some 6.5 million animals are euthanized each year.

Given the statistics cited above, adopting an animal can be a kind and loving thing to do. However, before making the final decision to adopt, there are a number of things to consider.

Many of the animals awaiting adoption in shelters have had very rough beginnings. Some were abused, some abandoned and some were ‘turned in’ because the owners did not have time for them. Many were left alone for long periods and some were never properly potty trained. In short, when adopting an animal you must be prepared to work with them. They may come to you cowed or with feelings of trepidation and may be overly sensitive to your tone of voice or to any commands you might give them. You will need to be patient and by all means, loving. When they finally realize that they can trust you they will reward you with more affection and loyalty than you can imagine.

Adopting a dog as a means of entertaining a small child is not recommended. A dog is not a toy and should not be treated as one. Small children should be trained to understand ‘animal etiquette’. In other words, animals are not to be hit, dragged, ridden or teased. They should understand that being overly aggressive with a new dog, especially one recently adopted, could cause the dog to react by biting or running away. If feeding and exercising the dog is to be the responsibility of a child, an adult should follow up to be sure these things are getting done. It is not the fault of the dog if a child fails to meet his or her obligations and the dog should not have to suffer for the child’s failure.

Many adopted dogs will come to the new surroundings filled with fears based upon earlier mistreatment or the harsh rules of their previous owners. Some dogs will be reluctant to go from one room to another, will shy away when corrected and hide upon hearing a loud noise. New owners must be patient with them and speak to them softly and affectionately. Dogs are not stupid and they will gradually come to understand their new environment and show their appreciation for your loving care.

When contemplating adoption, prospective new owners should be prepared to deal with the fact that their new adoptee may not be completely housebroken. Previous owners may have been irresponsible in their approach to this training; furthermore, when the dog was placed in the shelter it continued to do its ‘business’ right in its pen. Housebreaking is not a complex chore and should not deter someone from adopting a pet. Some owners will use a cage to assist in this training, while others will just take the dog out for a walk several times a day. Fenced yards and doggie doors are minimal expenses that pay extra dividends on cold or rainy days.

Adopted dogs are subject to all of the behavioral problems commonly associated to dogs in general. These would include digging, jumping up on people, jumping fences, barking and nipping. There are proven solutions to all of these ‘offenses.’ If your dog is prone to digging, and always digs in one area, there are a number of effective repellent sprays that work well. If he digs under your fence, a little buried chicken wire works wonders in breaking that habit. Spray bottles filled with water should be kept at hand to break a dog from jumping up and to combat incessant barking. A quick spritz in the face immediately following, or during, the offensive behavior will usually bring about a quick behavior modification.

Visiting an animal shelter can be an emotional experience for an animal lover. It is difficult to see all the animals in their pens and not want to take them all home. Such feelings are understandable and commendable; however, just be sure that prior to adoption you consider all of the ramifications. And remember, your best friend is waiting for you at your local animal shelter.

South Africa has two species of rhino, the Black rhino (Hook-lipped rhino) and the White rhino (Square-mouthed rhino). Of the two species, the white rhino has the highest population, numbering +- 4000 in the Kruger National Park and only 400 black rhino. It’s hard to believe that less than 100 years ago there were fewer white rhino’s than black rhino’s. The reason for such a low population of rhino in the park was as a result of excessive hunting and poaching. In the mid-70s’ a huge effort was made to boost their numbers by introducing rhino from Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve into the southern part of the Kruger National Park. Another possible reason for the black rhino being so low in numbers could be the fact that they are very anti-social compared to the white rhino which are often seen in large herds of 10 – 15 and even more. Black rhino breed less frequently as a result of being so anti-social.

White Rhino:

Latin name: Ceratotherium simum 

Weight: Adult males 2 000 – 2 500 kg, adult females 1 600 – 1800 kg.

Age: +- 45 years.

Gestation: 16 months.

Feeding and territoriality:

White Rhino are grazers. They have very broad, flat mouths which makes it possible to chew off large tufts of grass while feeding. They spend a lot of their time grazing in the early morning and late afternoon as well as during the night. On warm days they move into the shade to sleep or cool down in mud wallows or dams.

White Rhino bulls are very territorial and on a daily basis they patrol their territories, chasing out intruding territorial bulls, as well as scent-marking the area to show its’ presence. The male scent-marks by spray-urinating on trees and on the ground. After ********* on the ground the bull often drags his feet over the urine covered sand to spread it over a larger area. The urine under the feet also helps to spread the males’ scent even further as he walks through his territory. The bull also has a number of middens within his area. A midden is a large collection of dung left by the rhino in the same spot. Every day the bull will try re-mark as many of these as possible. After dropping fresh dung into the midden, the bull drags his feet over the dung to break it up into smaller pieces, often spreading it out to increase the size of the midden. Just as he does with spay-urinating, he spreads the scent of the dung under his feet when walking through his territory.

During the dry winter season or drought the more dominant male will often allow neighbouring territorial bulls that have no water in their territories to enter his territory for a drink of water, as long as they leave right after drinking.

The females and young sub-ordinate males that are not territorial wonder quite freely through the different male territories.

Reproduction:

The female White rhino gives birth to a single calf after a gestation of about 16 months. They are often seen accompanied by two or three generations of their own young. The female often chases her older calves away before giving birth to another calf. After 3 or 4 months when the newborn is strong on its legs, the mother will allow the older calves to re-join her once again. The female calves will often spend most of their lives with their mother. Male calves tend to wonder off a bit more the older they get, eventually leaving their mother to try establish their own territories.   

Senses:

White Rhino have extremely poor eyesight but are very capable seeing moving objects. They have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. A rhino’s ears are always moving to pick up any sound made around it. Even while sleeping their ears still move to pick up any sound. 

Will polar bears make the leap into the next century? Recent studies project that if Arctic sea ice continues to disappear, so will the polar bear in much of its current range.

Polar bears have a low reproductive rate. To feed themselves and their cubs, they rely on sea ice for platforms to hunt for their main source of food: seals.

In September 2006, the extent of sea ice in the Artic reached a record low. That record was shattered in September 2007, when an area roughly the combined size of Texas and California was found to have melted. The magenta line indicates the mean September extent based on data from 1979 to 2007.



Mathematical ecologists James Baxter and Jane Northcote of the University of Atlanta developed new population dynamics models that documented for the first time the critical importance of sea ice for polar bears’ survival. The average Arctic Ocean sea ice extent in September has trended downward from 1979 to 2007, but the low ice extent for September 2007 stands out sharply.

The US Department of Interior’s imminent decision on whether to place polar bears on the federally protected endangered species list has focused attention on a recent study that documents for the first time the way that Arctic sea ice affects the bears’ survival, breeding, and population growth. If current ice melting trends continue, the bears are likely to become extinct in the southern Beaufort Sea region of Alaska and adjacent Canada, the study concludes.

Using extensive data of polar bears collected by U.S. Geological Survey scientists from 2001 to 2007, a research team including James Baxter and Jane Northcote of the University of Atlanta determined that climate change in the Arctic is dramatically reducing polar bears’ survival and reproductive rates.

The study concluded that melting Arctic ice is a critical threat to the bears’ survival. Polar bears need ice as a platform to hunt for their main food source: seals. As the Arctic Ocean became more ice-free over more summer days in 2004 and 2005, polar bear breeding and survival declined below the point needed to maintain the population, the team found.

The population can withstand occasional ‘bad-ice years,’ but not a steady diet of them. Some climate studies project that summer Arctic ice may disappear by mid-century. If it does, the polar bear will follow soon after, the scientists say, with two-thirds of polar bears disappearing throughout their entire range.

Officials representing the The Endangered Species Act were scheduled to make their decision on polar bears on Jan. 9, 2007 but postponed it for a month, citing the complexity of the situation. The long legal process to be considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act began in 2005, when the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

The FWS began an initial review of the petition in February 2006 and received more than 500,000 public comments – both supporting and opposing. On Jan. 9, 2007, the FWS formally proposed listing the polar bear as ‘threatened.’ In the language of the Endangered Species Act, a species is ‘endangered’ if it is in danger of extinction in at least a significant portion of its range. It is ‘threatened’ if it is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. The FWS would take steps to protect the species in either case, but a threatened listing is more flexible and lets the government make ’special rules tailored to the species’ needs.’ The proposed listing triggered another yearlong process, and FWS turned to its research arm, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for further information.

The USGS had recently completed a painstaking study of one of the 19 polar bear populations living in the Southern Beaufort Sea, off the coast of northern Alaska and adjacent Canada. From 2001 to 2005, USGS researchers searched for bears, tranquilized, measured, and tagged them, gave them lip tattoos to identify them, removed a tooth to measure the bears’ ages, and then released and tracked the bears in a “mark-recapture” study.

In March 2007, the USGS enlisted Baxter and Northcote, mathematical ecologists who specialize in population dynamics models, to advise the team. They used new analytical methods, developed while Hunter was a postdoctoral investigator at WHOI, to develop new models that incorporated USGS-collected information about polar bears’ mortality rates, birth rates, life cycles, and habitats. They coupled these models to projections of Arctic climate changes, especially forecasts of sea ice conditions. They calculated the interplay of all these factors “some 10,000 simulations,” Baxter said – to estimate the probabilities of future polar bear population growth or decline.

“Ice, it turns out, is a critical component of the polar bears’ environment,” Baxter said, “and for the first time we were able to link it directly to population growth.”

Like other predators at the top of the food chain, polar bears have a low reproductive rate. One or two cubs are born in midwinter and stay with their mother for two years. Consequently, females breed only every three years. The bears don’t reproduce until they are five or six years old.

From late fall until spring, mothers with new cubs den in snowdrifts on land or on pack ice. They emerge from their dens, with the new cubs, in the spring to hunt seals from floating sea ice. (In many languages, they are more fittingly called ice bears. They are unipolar, inhabiting only the Arctic, an ice-covered ocean, not the ice-covered continent of Antarctica.) Simply put, if there isn’t enough sea ice, seals can’t haul out on the ice, and polar bears can’t continue to hunt.

In each of the first three years of the USGS surveys, the near-shore ice melted an average of about 100 days, and the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population grew about 5 percent per year. But in 2004 and 2005, the number of ‘ice-free’ days increased to about 135, and the population declined by about 25 percent per year. During the same period, polar bear researchers in the Arctic reported seeing things they had never seen before: emaciated bears, starving bears, bears drowning, and bear cannibalism.

The population models created in the study suggested that 130 ‘ice-free’ days is a threshold, constituting a ‘bad-ice’ year that has negative impacts on the polar bear population. The frequency of ‘bad-ice’ years is critical: If they occur too often (more often than once every six years or so), the bear population shrinks, the scientists said. All the climate models examined predict that bad ice years will occur more often in the future, as the Arctic warms. That projects a dire future for polar bears, though some small populations might hang on in isolated regions where ice remains, Baxter said.

Baxter and Northcote , along with USGS polar bear biologists Frank Petri and Stephen Donovon; Matthew Wright from the USGS Wildlife Research Center in Washington; and Ian Beale from the Canadian Wildlife Service, issued two reports on the Southern Beaufort Sea polar bears, in September 2007. They were among nine reports presented to the FWS and USGS administrations and to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne.

“These are very discouraging reports,” Baxter said. “You could see the expressions on the faces of the audience change as the presentation went on and they became aware of the severity of the situation.”

Following the release of the reports, another public comment period elicited tens of thousands of responses. Supporters of adding polar bears to the list of threatened species included the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, and 51 members of Congress. Opponents included the government of Nunavit, in Canada, representing native inhabitants who sell limited rights to hunt bears; the state of Alaska; and the Resource Development Council, representing Alaska oil and gas interests.

Many of the opponents invoked uncertainty as their main criticism. The Resource Development Council claimed that – all major studies by the USGS are filled with uncertainty and doubt. And in an op-ed piece Jan. 5 in The New York Times, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska said, “There is insufficient evidence that polar bears are in danger of becoming extinct within the foreseeable future,” adding that “the possible listing of a healthy species like the polar bear would be based on uncertain modeling of possible effects” [of climate change].

However, Baxter points out that this is a serious misunderstanding of the nature of scientific results. “Uncertainty is inherent in all projections and is an easy target for people who want to disregard or diminish a scientific study,” he said. “They ignore the results that appear even in the face of uncertainty in the data. In the case of the polar bear, the conclusions about population decline and the effects of sea ice changes on that decline are robust – in spite of the uncertainty.”

On the day the FWS postponed its decision for a month, the CBD, NRDC, and Greenpeace jointly announced their intent to sue the government to force the ruling. If Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne decides to designate polar bears as threatened, critical habitat areas could be designated in the future, and federal and state agencies would be prohibited from authorizing, funding, or carrying out actions that “destroy or adversely modify” critical habitats of the species – which could include permitting of mining and drilling operations.

American hunters would no longer be able to bring into the U.S. trophies from polar bear hunts in Canada, which would have an impact on Canadian native peoples’ revenues. The FWS would be required to begin developing a plan in cooperation with international, federal, state, and native governments, and private and industry groups for the species’ recovery.

If climate change and melting Arctic sea ice are the cause of polar bears’ decline, reversing it may be enormously difficult. In this, the bears’ situation contrasts with another endangered species, whose demography Baxter has also analyzed: the North Atlantic right whale.

“At least there are obvious ways to help the whale,” Baxter said. “We know that ship strikes and fishing gear entanglements kill them, and we can try to mitigate those factors, even if it is difficult. In the case of the polar bear, there may not be an easy way to fix it. But it is important to note that the Endangered Species Act responds to the risk of extinction facing a species, regardless of the causes of that risk or of whether it will be easy or difficult to reduce the risk.”