Dehradun: The death of eight tigers in Jim Corbett National Park since January has once again raised alarms over the dwindling number of animal in the country.

Though the concerned department has termed these deaths natural, the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) has indicated it to be an alarming situation and has demanded an inquiry into the matter.

“Government is expending Rs 4.50 crore rupees on platinum jubilee celebration but it is not concerned over the tigers’ death. National Wildlife Federation and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau should investigate the matter jointly,” said Rajendra Agarwal, Head of WPSI, Uttarakhand.

Disapproving Agarwal's concerns, Chief Wildlife Warden Srikant Chandola said, “The number of tigers in Corbett is very high. Annual data of natural deaths of tigers can’t be maintained.”

Though the number of tigers has increased this year in Corbett national park, but it is equally true that the death rate is also very high. The deaths include a tigress, which was pregnant with five cubs.

The rising number of tigers’ death in Jim Corbett National Park has also highlighted the possible food shortage in the park.

Rajaji National Park

Rajaji National Park :- The park has been created in 1983 by amalgamation of three sanctuaries- Rajaji sanctuary(estd. 1948) Motichur sanctuary (estd. 1964) and Chilla sanctuary(estd. 1977) after the name

of renowned statesman and freedom fighter Sri C.Rajgopalachariya - The first and last Governor General of independent India popularly known as "Rajaji". The park is spread over an area of 820.42 sq. km. in three Districts- Dehradun, Haridwar & Pauri

Garhwal of Uttaranchal State, India.

The Park has got the largest area representing Shiwalik Eco-system. The Shivalik trail is 10 million year old and very rich in fossils. It's fossils faunal remains include about 50 species of elephant, one of them is present today.

The majestic Ganges flows through the National Park for a distance of 24km, besides the innumerable streams and brooks making it rich and diverse. It offers ample opportunities to nature lovers to enjoy the captivating landscape and wildlife.

Rajaji is thickly foliated predominantly by the Rajaji is thickly foliated predominantly by the Sal Forest and a number of other forest types which include the Western Gangetic Moist and Northern dry Deciduous and Khair-Sissoo forests. Low Alluvial Savannah Woodlands cover the drier southern margins of the park, in contrast to the Shiwalik Chir-Pine on the high reaches of the hills.

The park is home to the Tiger, Leopard, Himalayan Bear, Cheetal, hog deer, barking deer, Sambar deer, wild boar, antelopes such as the Nilgai, Goral , Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Civets, Himalayan Yellow-Throated Marten, Sloth Bears, Pythons, King Cobra, Common Krait, Indian Cobra and the Monitor Lizard and above All the Asian Elephant.

Himalayan lakes called earthquake threat

DEHRADUN, India, May 16 (UPI) -- Glacial lakes in the Himalayas could threaten population centers if they were ruptured by earthquakes, scientists say.

The risk to settlements and infrastructure downstream in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayas region is difficult to assess, researchers say, but the Himalayan region is dotted with glacial lakes and is in a seismically active zone that records suggest is overdue for a large temblor, the BBC reported Sunday.

Melting glaciers have caused some of those lakes to grow at an alarming rate, scientists said, and some are already at risk of rupturing.

The U.N. Environment Program reports there have been at least 35 glacial lake outburst events in Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and China during the last century.

"Such a disaster is very much possible, more so, when we are expecting a big earthquake in the region now," said Sushil Kumar, a geophysicist with the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology in India.

"If the acceleration is very high in the epicenter of the earthquake, everything will be in the air as things will not be stable," he said. "So, naturally the liquids like waters in glacial lakes will burst out."

Glaciologists say the period of recent glacial melting that formed most of the new glacial lakes in the Himalayas began in the 1950s.

"And when the last earthquakes hit the region, there were barely any glacial lakes in the Himalaya region," Kumar said.

The last big earthquake to hit the region occurred in 1934.

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Students demand release of villagers held for killing leopard

DEHRADUN, 9 May: As the wild animals continue to kill and injure people in villages here, several groups and organisations have decided to draw the government’s attention to the issue. While the ‘Parivartankari Chhatra Sangathan’ raised its concern at the growing menace of wild beasts by staging a dharna at Gandhi Park here, today, the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, NCP and Human Rights Organisations, among others, also joined the programme.

It may be noted that the news about leopards and elephants killing, injuring or disturbing the life of the people in villages have been reported on a regular basis. However, no significant steps have been taken by the government regarding this, so far, it was stated. In a recent case, people of Dhamdhar village in Pauri had informed the forest department about a deadly man-eating leopard that was roaming around their area. As the administration turned a deaf ear to the issue, the villagers burnt the beast to death. However, then, the administration took no time in filing a case against the people and, now, 7 of them are in jail. The case had been filed against 65 people of the village! The entire case has fueled anger among the listeners, and as a result, more organisations are coming out in support of the villagers.

Speaking at the programme, today, student leader Nitish said that the 7 people in jail ought to be released immediately without any conditions. Similarly, Kamla Pant, member of the Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, said that the administration needed to take care of the life and comfort of both the animals and the villagers.
Those at the Gandhi Park were Bharati, Mahendra Singh, Rekha Bharati, Kamala Pant and Pawan, among others.