Gandhinagar, Aug 10 (IANS) In a move to celebrate World Lion Day, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel introduced a mobile application named 'Sinh Suchna'. 

The official launch event in Gandhinagar marked a step towards modern wildlife conservation, allowing both the state's forest department and the general public to monitor lion movements effectively. 

The 'Sinh Suchna' app empowers people to report lion sightings directly to the forest department, paving the way for real-time tracking and rapid conflict resolution. 

During the launch event, CM Patel emphasised the importance of this app in enhancing public participation in wildlife conservation. 

Alongside the app, a new lion safari park near Naliya-Mandvi village in Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district is in the planning stages. 

This initiative is expected to relieve the pressure on the Gir National Park in Sasan-Gir due to the growing tourist influx, thereby benefiting both the region's ecology and its majestic inhabitants. 

The event also witnessed the release of a 'Lion Anthem', and two books celebrating the state's natural heritage, titled "The King of the Jungle – The Asiatic Lions of Gir" and "Hu Gujarat no Sinh". 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his support on World Lion Day, writing about the importance of lion conservation and India's pride in being home to the Asiatic Lions. 

He acknowledged the consistent rise in India's lion population and praised the efforts of those working towards protecting the habitat of lions. 

The lion population in Gujarat has reached 674, spreading across 30,000 sq km, attracting approximately 800,000 tourists to Gir last year alone. 

CM Patel also underlined the Central government's commitment to lion preservation through 'Project Lion', backed by a budget of Rs 2,900 crore. 

This project will include the establishment of a breeding center, an isolation facility, and enhanced medical treatment for lions, with advanced technological solutions like CCTV cameras, radio collars, and drones to assist in monitoring and conservation efforts. 

London, July 17 (IANS) An Indian-origin man in central England has been sentenced to eight-week prison and ordered to do 80 hours of unpaid work for starving and chaining his dog to the fridge after it gave birth to seven puppies.

Gurminder Singh, 41, was sentenced recently after he pleaded guilty to one offence under the Animal Welfare Act, and banned from keeping dogs for two years, the Coventry Telegraph reported.

The Magistrates' Court in Coventry heard that an inspector from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), an animal welfare charity in the UK, visited Singh’s property on October 12, 2022.

He found Sasha, a Presa Canario dog, tethered to a freezer by a metal chain, appearing extremely underweight with her spine, ribs and pelvic bones visible.

Her seven young puppies, around three weeks old, were kept close to her in a rusty metal box, the newspaper reported.

The RSPCA inspector took Sasha and her puppies to the charity’s Birmingham Animal Hospital where she was found grossly underweight and was admitted for treatment.

The vet who examined Sasha found her to weigh 25.7 kg, nearly half the 40 kg healthy average for the breed.

"Due to the extent of her poor body condition and the lack of other pre-existing conditions detected on blood work, which may have exacerbated this lack of body condition -- it can be confirmed that this dog had been suffering through a process of a lack of appropriate nutrition. The duration of this is approximately three weeks, though likely longer," the vet said in a statement to the court.

The court heard that within a month of being in the RSPCA’s care, Sasha gained 6 kg in weight.

In mitigation, Singh told the court he was not a bad dog owner and that he had 222 pounds worth of dog food in his fridge which he had been feeding Sasha.

"You are not accepting responsibility, you are not showing any remorse here. I have got to punish you based on what is before me. Whenever the court sentences anyone we have to look at guidelines -- putting it simply, this crosses the custody threshold. I am not sending you to prison today though," the magistrates said in their sentence.

The court imposed an eight-week prison sentence now suspended for 12 months and also asked him to pay 400 pounds costs and a 128 pounds victim surcharge.

The seven puppies have all since been rehomed by the RSPCA.

Sasha has now been renamed Flora and is up for adoption at the charity’s Bryn-y-Maen Animal Centre in Colwyn Bay, Wales.

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 13: Crown Vet, the leading chain of first-point-of-care 24×7 veterinary hospitals, is delighted to announce the opening of its latest clinic in Hyderabad. This expansion marks another significant milestone in the company’s mission to revolutionize the field of pet care across India.

Crown Vet has gained recognition for its commitment to providing top-notch veterinary services and exceptional care for pets. With existing facilities in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi, and Hyderabad, the decision to establish a 2nd clinic in Hyderabad comes as a response to the growing demand for high-quality and accessible pet care in the city.

The new Crown Vet clinic in HItech City Hyderabad will offer comprehensive veterinary care, including emergency services, consultations, surgeries, diagnostics, grooming and an onsite fully licensed veterinary pharmacy. Equipped with the latest in ultrasound technology, the clinic will also focus on cardiology cases. It will be staffed by a team of highly skilled veterinarians, and support staff including pharmacists, receptionists, groomers and veterinary technicians. 

CEO Sheroy Wadia expressed his enthusiasm about the expansion, stating, “We are excited to open our second clinic in Hyderabad, bringing our expertise and compassionate care to the pet owners. Crown Vet is committed to improving the overall well-being of animals and strengthening the bond between pets and their families.”

Hyderabad has long been recognized as a city with a deep appreciation for pets and their welfare. With the opening of Crown Vet, pet owners in the region can now benefit from a great facility that prioritizes the health, comfort, and happiness of their beloved companions.

Crown Vet’s unique approach to pet care extends beyond medical treatment. The dedicated team at the clinic also offers valuable guidance on pet nutrition, behavior, and preventive care. By emphasizing the importance of regular check-ups and implementing preventive measures, Crown Vet aims to ensure that pets lead happy and healthy lives. The new clinic in Hyderabad comes at a time when pet owners are seeking high-quality and round-the-clock medical care for their beloved furry companions. With Hyderabad’s growing pet population, Crown Vet’s expansion into this city is expected to meet the increasing demand for specialized pet care services.

To celebrate the launch of the 2nd Hyderabad clinic, Crown Vet will be hosting an open house event on Sunday 16th July 2023. Pet owners and animal enthusiasts are invited to visit the clinic, meet the team of experienced veterinarians, and learn more about the comprehensive services available.

Crown Vet’s expansion into Hyderabad reaffirms its commitment to raising the standards of veterinary medicine in India. With their vision for the future, the company aims to create a positive impact on the lives of pets and their families by providing exceptional care, advanced medical facilities, and a nurturing environment.

To make the opening of the new clinic even more exciting, Crown Vet is offering a special promotion. Register now and get 50% off on grooming and memberships on the launch date.

For more information about Crown Vet and its services, please visit www.crown.vet or contact the clinic directly at +91 +91 83569 65099 or email hitechcity@crown.vet

About Crown Vet: Crown Vet is a leading chain of first-point-of-care 24×7 veterinary hospitals in India. With a focus on providing exceptional pet care, Crown Vet offers a comprehensive range of services, including emergency care, consultations, surgeries, diagnostics, and pharmacy facilities. The company is dedicated to revolutionizing the field of veterinary medicine in India and improving the lives of pets and their owners.

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Canberra, May 3 (IANS) The body of a man who went missing in Australia's Queensland state while fishing with his friends, was found inside a crocodile, a media report said on Wednesday.

The 65-year-old victim, Kevin Darmody, was last seen at Kennedy's Bend -- a well-known saltwater crocodile habitat in a remote part of northern Queensland -- on April 30, said the BBC report.

After a two-day search of the area, the police on Monday euthanised two large crocodiles, which measured 4.1m and 2.8m in length, were shot dead in an area about 1.5 km from where Darmody was last seen

Human remains were found inside only one of the reptiles, but wildlife officers believe both were involved in the incident.

Although the body is yet be formally identified, the police have said that it was a "tragic ending" to the search for Darmody, who was an experienced fisherman.

Crocodiles are common in Australia's tropical north, but attacks are rare, the BBC reported.

Darmody's death is the 13th fatal attack in Queensland since record-keeping began in 1985.

Bengaluru, April 8 (IANS) Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched �Project Tiger on April 1, 1973, at Bandipur to protect the big cats and promote their conservation in India. Since then, the project has helped in increasing their population and strengthening conservation efforts.

Fifty years later, all eyes are on Bandipur Project Tiger Reserve again, not only because Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming there to inaugurate the celebrations to mark 50 years of Project Tiger, but bacause the reserve is recognized as the prime tiger habitat in the world today.

According to official statistics, the number of tigers when Project Tiger began in 1973 was 12. Due to rampant poaching and no protection, the big cat was pushed to the brink of extinction. As per the statistics by the National Tiger Conservation Authority the number of tigers has now been recorded at 126. The Authority has mentioned the number under the title "Status of Tigers Co-predators and Prey in India for 2018". However, the number of tigers in the park is pegged at 173 today.

Modi will release the latest statistics of tiger estimation (2022) at the "Commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger" programme, which will be held in Mysuru on April 9.

The Bandipur National Park was formed by including most of the forest area of the then Venugopala Wildlife Park established by the government of India on February 19, 1941. The area was enlarged in 1985 extending over 874.20 square kms and was named the Bandipur National Park.

This reserve was brought under Project Tiger in 1973. Subsequently some adjacent reserve forest areas were added to the reserve extending it to 880.02 square kms. The present area under the Bandipur Tiger Reserve is 912.04 square kms.

In 2007-08, an area of 39.80 square kms attached to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation plantation area was handed over to this division. During 2010-11 the Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary was also handed over to the wildlife division.

In old Mysore State, a forest department was established on January 11, 1864 and an army officer Major Hunter was appointed Conservator of Forests. The state's rulers realizing the significance of the preservation of wildlife, passed the Mysore Game and Fish Preservation Act in 1901.

The Mysore Gazetteer recorded that tiger blocks were identified and restrictions were imposed on shooting them.

The Bandipur Tiger Reserve along with the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu including the Wayanad forest region in Kerala is home to the highest number of tigers in the country (724) and the largest Asian Elephant population.

The Bandipur Tiger Reserve has become a popular destination for wildlife enthusiasts and nature lovers from across the world because of its rich biodiversity. Anti-poaching patrols, habitat management and community based conservation programmes have yielded good results.

The authorities are dealing with the challenge of encroachment in buffer zones by the local communities. The development has resulted in man-animal conflict.

Environmentalist Dr A.N. Yallappa Reddy, talking to IANS, stated that Karnataka even today remains the leading state in preservation measures. The tiger population here is the highest in the country. The politicians and earlier the maharajas here paid attention to conservation, he added.

Karnataka was the first state to implement Project Tiger. Because of the Mysuru rulers, the state was the first in the country to declare Bandipur Sanctuary to protect tigers and elephants, he said.

Late former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs was also concerned about wildlife, nature, forests and tree protection. He implemented the guidelines of Project Tiger and abolished the "Pre-Paid license" scheme which allowed people to go into the forests by paying Rs 2 or Rs 3 for a pass. Hundreds of bullock carts entered the forests and people stayed there for one or two days, he explained.

Yallappa Reddy said that when he was deputy conservator of forests in Hunsur, he took Devaraj Urs to see the plunder of the forests. "He banned the practice. Simultaneously Project Tiger was implemented," he stated.

Surat - A five-year-old girl was bitten on the shoulder by two stray dogs in Althan village, Surat, prompting immediate medical treatment. The incident marks a concerning increase in dog attacks in the area, with two children having died from such attacks in the last 40 days.

Locals managed to rescue the young girl, Mehak Rathore, from the dogs as she was playing near her home. The child sustained a serious leg injury, but was quickly transported for medical treatment following the intervention of nearby residents.

Mehak's mother, Aartiben Rathod, recounted the attack, stating that her daughter had been playing outside when the dogs suddenly approached and bit her. Over 10 stray dogs are known to inhabit the area, causing ongoing concern for the community.

Public outrage is growing in response to the increase in dog attacks on children, with many questioning the effectiveness of the Surat Municipal Corporation's efforts to manage the stray dog population. Despite significant spending on vaccination and sterilization programs, locals feel that insufficient action is being taken to address the issue.

In recent incidents, a young girl from Khajod was bitten by dogs and later died in a civil hospital, while other children have been attacked in Varachha and Wade Darwaza areas. The death of a five-year-old boy, Sohil, who was attacked by a group of dogs in Bhestan, has only heightened concerns.

The recent surge in dog attacks has cast doubt on the efficiency of the Surat Municipal Corporation, raising questions about the administration's ability to effectively address the growing problem.

Surat  – A horse was euthanized and buried on the orders of the District Magistrate after testing positive for glanders disease during a sampling operation conducted by the Animal Husbandry Department in the Laldarwaja area of Surat. This follows the earlier euthanasia of six horses that were also found to be infected with the disease.

Glanders, a highly contagious and fatal disease, was first detected in February when six horses belonging to the same owner tested positive. Recognizing the severity of the situation, the Surat Collector ordered the euthanasia and subsequent burial of the infected horses at a municipal dumping site.

Since the initial outbreak, the Animal Husbandry Department of Surat District Panchayat has been closely monitoring the situation, taking blood samples from horses in Laldarwaja and surrounding areas. Although another horse was found to be infected and subsequently euthanized, the department breathed a sigh of relief as samples from 148 other horses tested negative for glanders. Despite this, officials will continue to investigate and monitor the situation to prevent further spread of the disease.

Phnom Penh- In a first this year, a rare Mekong River Irrawaddy dolphin has been found dead after being entangled in fishermen's illegal gillnets in Cambodia, the Fisheries Administration said on Monday.

The 2.38-metre-long male dolphin, 160 kg in weight and aged about 20, was found dead on Sunday morning in Stung Treng province, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

"The joint research team of Fisheries Administration and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) primarily assessed that the cause of the death was gillnets since there were tears on its stomach, and gillnet marks on its tail base and pelvic fins," the statement said.

It was the first dolphin found dead in 2023, it added.

WWF-Cambodia country director Seng Teak said this tragic incident occurred amid the implementation of stricter protection measures in line with a government sub-decree announced in February on the Mekong dolphin management zones.

"The illegal fishing activities and the use of illegal fishing gears in dolphin conservation areas remain a challenge although protection measures have been remarkably stepped up in the last few months," he told Xinhua on Monday.

As dolphins share habitats with other mega fish species and broodstock, their protection is in favour of people's livelihoods, food sources and food security, Teak said, urging authorities to further strengthen regulation and management concerning dolphin hunting and local fish markets and depots.

"A complete ban on all illegal fishing activities including gillnets, long-line hooks and electro fishing in the dolphin areas would help safeguard this critically endangered species from extinction," he added.

"More efforts are needed to stop the illegal dolphin trade."

The Irrawaddy dolphins have been listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species since 2004.

The Fisheries Administration said there are about 90 Irrawaddy dolphins living in the Cambodian portion of the Mekong River in the Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.

The government last month issued a sub-decree on the creation of the dolphin conservation and protection zones covering a 120-km-long stretch of the Mekong River in the two provinces.

"Fishing must be prohibited from the dolphin conservation and protection zones," the sub-decree said.

(IANS)

Patna, Bihar - A horrifying case of animal abuse has come to light in the Faisal Colony of Phulwarisharif, Patna, after a man was caught on CCTV camera allegedly raping a stray dog on March 8, the day of Holi. The video of this heart-wrenching incident has gone viral on social media, prompting a local voluntary organization to file a complaint with the Phulwarisharif police station.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Manish Kumar confirmed that a complaint has been received and that the case is being investigated. The suspect may face charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Animal Act.

This is not an isolated incident; last month, a man from the Indrapuri area of the national capital was arrested and jailed for a similar crime involving a stray dog. The accused in that case was found to be addicted to drugs.

These alarming cases highlight a disturbing trend of increasing violence against animals, often perpetrated by individuals seeking to fulfill their own desires. As more incidents like these are exposed through video evidence, it raises serious concerns about the extent of cruelty inflicted on innocent creatures and the need for greater action to prevent such abuse.

An international team of virus experts suggests that the Covid-19 pandemic may have originated from raccoon dogs at the Wuhan market in China. The origins of Covid-19 have been a topic of political and scientific debate for over two years, with some arguing that the virus jumped from bats to humans, while others believe it leaked from a laboratory.

The unpublished study, led by experts from the Universities of Arizona, Utah, and Sydney, and the Scripps Research Institute, is based on genetic data obtained from swabs taken in and around the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in January 2020. Although Chinese authorities shut down the market and removed the animals, researchers were able to collect samples by swabbing walls, floors, metal cages, and carts used to transport animal cages.

The results revealed that a significant amount of genetic material matched that of raccoon dogs, which are related to foxes and known to transmit the coronavirus. However, the researchers emphasize that the presence of genetic material from the virus and the animal does not definitively prove that a raccoon dog was infected or that it transmitted the virus to humans. Other animals could have passed the virus to people, or an infected person could have spread it to a raccoon dog.

Despite these uncertainties, the study establishes that raccoon dogs left genetic signatures in the same location as the virus, consistent with a scenario in which the virus spilled into humans from a wild animal. While the researchers could not confirm the presence of an infected animal at the market, they believe that given the unavailability of animal samples, the genetic material is as close as they can get to determining the virus's origin.

Tourists are flocking to Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu after the documentary short film "The Elephant Whisperers" won an Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards.

The film revolves around the two elephants, Raghu and Ammu, and their mahouts, Bomman and Bellie. The camp, which was set up in 1917 for timber loggers, currently houses 28 elephants that were captured while they were wild tuskers causing problems for local villagers.

These elephants are trained to become "kumki" elephants that help in the capture of wild elephants.

Tourists, both local and foreign, are visiting the camp to meet the elephants and their mahouts and learn about their bonding.

The Ahmedabad Airport recently witnessed a major security breach when a dog was seen running on the runway. The authorities had to deploy four teams to remove the dog from the runway. The incident has raised serious questions about the security measures implemented at the airport.

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Airport in Ahmedabad receives both domestic and international flights, and has faced similar incidents of animal and bird intrusions in the past. Monkeys, stray cattle, and birds have been reported to have caused disruptions and even resulted in flight schedule changes. However, this incident with the dog has sparked public outrage, and the authorities have been criticized for their negligence towards ensuring the safety of passengers and planes.

As per media report, this incedent has also affected the travel plans of seven passengers who missed their flight to the US via Mumbai. They have accused the airport staff of misguiding them, leading them to a different terminal and causing them to miss their flight.

The incident has highlighted the need for stricter safety and security measures at airports to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.