Hoping For The Luck Of Daniel: Indian Bandits Could Face The Lions' Den

TERRADAILY

Go get 'em

by Sutapa Mukherjee
Lucknow, India (AFP) Aug 24, 2005
Robbers in India's Uttar Pradesh state had better be hoping for the luck of Daniel. A pride of lions is to be unleashed in a bandit-infested part of the state in what is reminiscent of the Biblical tale in which Daniel was thrown into a den of lions. He survived unscathed, and credited God.

But environmentalists fear the lions might be the ones needing divine help in the face of sharp-shooting bandits blamed by police for 4,000 abductions and 180 murders in the region over the last five years.

"We have already contacted zoos within the country for the lions," Uttar Pradesh chief wildlife warden Mohammed Hasan told AFP in the state capital of Lucknow.

The lions would be part of a safari park. Hasan said he has asked the Indian government and Supreme Court for permission to establish the park in the crime-prone district of Itawah, a gateway to the desolate Chambal ravines where the bandits make their lairs.

"We have chalked out an area of 150 hectares (371 acres) and have plans to begin with five lions: two males and three females," said Hasan.

Itawah police chief Daljit Singh Choudhary gave a roar of approval.

"The setting up of a lion safari will lessen the activity of the dacoits (bandits) in the ravines," he said.

"Once the safari is set up, the place will be lit up and there will be constant movement in the area both by tourists and officials. As a result it can no longer remain a hideout for dacoits," he argued.

The chambal ravines have been a haven for outlaws for centuries. A previous attempt to establish such a sanctuary in the region of Chandraprabha, in eastern Uttar Pradesh, initially appeared to succeed. The lion population grew from three to 11 animals, but then the cats disappeared, presumably shot or poisoned.

Conservationists were aghast at the latest plans.

"It is the most absurd, the most ridiculous plan we have ever come across because the lions will be used for target practice by Chambal's not-so-nice residents," said Belinda Wright, founder of the privately-run Wildlife Protection Society of India.

"It will be a waste of money... It will never take off," she said.

"Forget chasing away dacoits. The dacoits will kill these cats," agreed Qamar Qureshi, a scientist with The Wildlife Institute of India.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

TERRADAILY

Intrusion Endangers Tsunami-Hit Andaman's Stone Age Aborigines

Port Blair, India (AFP) Aug 20, 2005
Intrusion into reserved forests by Indian settlers is posing a threat to reclusive Stone Age aborigines who survived the tsunamis that hit the Andaman island chain last December, environmentalists say.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.