No Sharing!

Recently read a long and detailed article discussing the strife caused at the thought of relocating some of Gujarat's Asiatic lions.

Basically, what I gathered was this:

The entire Gujarati government was sick the day of kindergarten when the teacher talked about sharing. Also, rationality. Or maybe they just never went to kindergarten.

They simply refuse to legitimately consider the fact that there are too many lions for their reserve. In a rare success story, the lions have been taken off the "Critically Endangered" list after a resurge in the population from 30 individuals to now around 400. It's an amazing comeback. But now, they're running out of space. Humans are now coming into contact with them more frequently, and this is one time I can really sympathize with these people getting killed.

Because for once, they're not doing something terribly stupid. They're not super educated, and they don't really know how to handle facing one of these lions. And they're not lashing out against these lions, either - they respect and revere them. It's admirable, how the rural people of Gujarat have dealt with the issue of these lions.

However, the government's efforts to keep an iron grip on their lions is much less than admirable. It's a tourist draw, I get that. But it'll still be a tourist draw. It will be one of two places, rather than one of one. And chances are, people will return to the park that has a reputation versus the one that is only newly established i.e. they will come to Gujarat to see the lions. Calm down.

I think the most important thing to remember here is that they really shouldn't be some original attraction. Not at all. These are animals that supposedly once roamed across Europe and Asia. These are reputedly of the same lineage as lions who were used in Roman colosseums for sport. Why is it suddenly a great horror when  we want to save what's left of this great sub-species?

I can see why they're not rushing to hand the lions over to other states, that don't necessarily have the best track records. I wouldn't trust an infamous burglar with my most prized jewels. But that's an issue that needs to handled regardless of where the lions go - there should be proof that they will be safe, and that the people living around them won't go doing stupid things. But in the end, the fact of the matter is that if something like that Canine Something Nasty disease, or even something much less lethal, come wandering into the park, then you've got a 99% chance of losing all your lions.

And honestly, that would kind of suck.

India Rushes Into Action

See what I did there? I know, I know, good joke. India...taking action...quickly... hahahaha!

But seriously. Really guys, it'd be great if you didn't take your time EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. something happens.

On another note, I have to say I'm ashamed to be human half the time. This is one of those times.

So, picture a poor leopard, starving (since people are killing all his food sources...oh, you know, because SAMBAR are now a threatened species...), is wandering around hoping to find something to eat. Stumbles into a village, probably in his habitat, and finds some dudes. I assume they try to do something to him, since the dudes attack said leopard. He returns the favor, injures the dudes, and runs away, thinking that wasn't the best place to be.

So, said dudes run back to their village to whine about their boo-boos, and the entire village decides to hunt down the leopard. Mhm, you heard me right. Fourty villagers decide to hunt the leopard down, armed with a bunch of clubs, instead of calling someone who can tranquilize and relocate aforementioned poor starving leopard.

And they find him (of course they find him, the poor leopard can't travel that fast ya know) and what do they decide to do? No, not scare it off or something more humane. No, they decide to BEAT HIM TO DEATH.

WHAT THE??? I'm not one to swear (no really), but it seems rather apt in this situation. Who's the vicious animal this time? Not the poor starving leopard, I can assure you. It just makes me so mad. Why do this? I thought we disowned the practice of stoning several centuries ago? We live in the age of technology. That means, I don't know, there are better ways to take care of those darn pesky endangered species. Ya know, other than beating them to death. Ughh. People.

We speak of education being an issue. I guarantee that half that angry mob had handphones (they're part of the 4% that lives with handphones but without running water). The information is there, people just don't want to acknowledge it, to use it. It's not to their advantage, it gives them too much responsibility. Wisdom is a heavy burden I guess.

Maybe the best part of it all is the fact that Indian Wildlife Department is "running an investigation" on the whole thing. Leopards are a fully protected species by law, so shouldn't the forty people in the angry mob be convicted?

Oh sorry, laws are selective where they come from. We can choose when they're applied.

PS This is one situation of 356 reported leopard killings in India in the last year. Meaning about 1500 leopards actually died last year.

Hallways in the Rainforest

Panthera is crazy.


Tiger Corridors from Panthera Cats on Vimeo.

If they honestly believe that their dream of a 'tiger corridor' will ever be fully realized... they'll be dreaming for a loooong time. I believe that's what we call a coma?

That aside, I think it's great that they're trying to do this. It really does take some guts to go out lobbying for wildlife in countries ranging from India to Burma to Indonesia. These are countries so focused on following in the footsteps of great countries like Britain and the USA economically, and are really uninterested in anything that doesn't involve getting handphones and cable tv to their entire populations. Note that Britain ran out of its own forests in about the 1700's, if not before then. The need for resources is what triggered the whole 'colonialism' thing. So if we all follow the wonderful examples given to us by our European powers, what are the Asians going to colonize for their resources? Antarctica? Mars, perhaps? You tell me.

I mean, Panthera really is making progress. Just r e a a a a l l y....reaaallly....r e aaaaa l y s l o o o o o o o o o o o o o w w w l l y y y. Of all places, they managed to secure a whole valley in Burma! Again with these military regimes caring about the environment.

I don't get it.

In a way, though, I do. I had this conversation once with somebody, and they pointed out that in a place where the people are controlled so much, things like poaching and logging are much easier to monitor. I'm not saying we should all revert to communism, but it might help if we plan on doing anything about nature. Oh, that's right, I forgot. We don't have any plans of doing anything about conserving nature.

And lastly...how are the tigers going to know it's a corridor? I get the feeling a "tigers this way please" sign isn't going to work on them. I believe this is a concept that will be interesting to see play out. Between the tigers going the wrong way and the people throwing fits, I don't know which will prove worse to watch.

Highways, Highways, Highwaaaays!

World leaders may not agree on matters of diplomacy and fair governance, but they can agree on one thing. The world needs more highways! Whether it's Crazy Castro or Slippery Singh, they've all come to the same consensus. If you have nothing, this is aimed at you, for your benefit. We're gonna build highways through some of the world's most iconic places!

For what, you might ask? Money, of course. AKA development, for those of you still working out what the politically correct are really saying. 

You may not have plumbing, or a clean place to sleep. But rest assured, at this very moment your government is working on getting you your very own handphone. You might even get a car if you're lucky. 

A place to live is not included in this one-time only deal.

Sign up now! All that it will cost is just some old nature reserves that no one cares about anyways.

...Alright. Cheesy advertisement aside, I'm not kidding. We all know our governments are just the bee's knees, but really. 

Tanzania is currently in the process of trying to build a major highways through the Serengeti. Smart economic move, right? Wrong. About 30% of the Tanzanian economy is generated from tourism directly related to the Serengeti. Just to 'connect' the other side of the country, to which there is a road just a wee bit south of there. Go to http://www.savetheserengeti.org/ for more info. Note that I am encouraging you to do it outta good will, not because I'm just advertising and such. 

Next. Cuba. Not much to know about this one internet wise, because of the whole communist though-shalt-not-pass thing. So I mean there's very little to know. Just the usual, mining and oil-drilling companies are trying to sink their teeth into Cuban resources, conveniently placed right near one of the last strongholds for Cuban Crocodiles. And naturally, we need a four-lane highway to make that crap easier for them poor corporations. 

What might seem more relevant to this blog is the Indian catastrophe. Among other ludicrous plans for the country, they've decided that a 4-lane highway bordering one of the best know NP's was in order. They plan to change this muddy lane that is commonly accessed by some of the 30 tigers that are part of Corbett National Park into a lively industrial highway. Because their consumerism-based economy will start going back downhill if they don't keep the cash flowing. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=200250880021416&set=p.200250880021416&type=1&ref=nf As the caption finishes, "We need no external enemies. India has effective plans to destroy itself."