Thursday, June 26, 2008

Zee Exclusive

http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=450719&sid=ZNS
LAWS FOR THE SOCIETY TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHTS NOT TO PUT THEM BEHIND BARS.....NARESH KADYAN

KIND ATTENTION :- ZOO DIRECTOR
Sir,
Kindly refer to our talks today on mobile about adoption of the Rani bear along with the appointment of Ram Singh as caretaker to Rani bear in your Zoo premises. As per your directions, I have visited zoo website to adopt the Rani bear -http://www.nandankanan.org/adopt-an-animal.asp, but this is not yet for adoption. International Organization for Animal Protection - www.oipa.org is an Italy based NGO since 1981 & duly affiliated with the UN, DPI - undersigned is the representative in India.
OIPA INDIA proposed to adopt the Rani bear with the condition that Ram Singh Munda will be the best caretaker to this animal & we are ready to bear the pay of Munda as per Collector's rates, so that Zoo need not worry about his pay as I know this is not possible for you.
Early disposal of this proposal shall be appreciated.
Regards,
Naresh Kadyan,
Rep. of OIPA in INDIA.

Mobile No's:-
+91-09813010595,

+91-09313312099,
+91-11-47548444.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=d62b7386-b956-460c-b357-
2e6d6e673c10&&Headline=Separation+difficult+to+bear

Ramsingh Munda and his daughter Gulki were reunited with their pet sloth bear Rani after a gap of ten days at the Nandankanan zoo on Friday. But the joyous reunion was short-lived as the duo, after spending nearly 30 minutes with Rani in the zoo enclosure, had to bid her goodbye with tears welling up in their eyes.

The bear too, followed Munda, but her passage to freedom was blocked by zoo officials, who had no option but to follow the rules. Rani groaned, but it fell on deaf ears.

After emerging out of Rani’s enclosure, Munda volunteered to serve in the zoo so that he would look after Rani and other animals. But he was curtly told that the law does not permit it. SN Mahapatra, deputy director of Nandankanan Zoo said, “We have legal restrictions to provide a job to Ramsingh in the zoo. We cannot employ him as of now. The higher authorities can decide on that”.

An emotional Munda after meeting Rani said, “It was like meeting my own daughter. I was very sad to see Rani caged. She was very happy with me. I observed that she was not even taking proper food”.

Jeevan Das, secretary of the Orissa chapter of the People for Animals who facilitated the meeting between Munda and Rani said, “Munda should be employed in the zoo. All the cases filed against him should be withdrawn. I thank the HT for highlighting the issue”.

On June 17, Munda was arrested by officials of the forest department for keeping a bear at home in violation of the wildlife laws. Though the bear escaped when Munda was nabbed, it was subsequently captured and brought to Nanankanan zoo. Munda got bail and was released from jail on June 23.

Munda is a resident of Rutisila village under Ghatagaon block of Keonjhar district, nearly 150-km away from the state capital.

The 18-month-old sloth bear was an integral part of Munda’s family

Bear Has Brief Reunion With Human Family










http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bear_
has_brief_reunion_with_family/articleshow/3173779.cms

MERCY PETITION FOR MUNDA :-

-http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/mercy-petition-for-munda---
oipa-india
ANOTHER PETITION:-
-http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/reunite-an-indian-family-release-man-for
-caring-for-a-bear-cub-and-bring-his-daughter-back
Munda is out on bail & Rani with the Zoo - not happy over there nor taking food. As per law of the land WILD LIFE PROTECTION ACT, 1972 bear is scheduled one animal & no one can keep as a pet here in India. If you want to help Munda then please help him legally because I am very much sure that he will be behind bar for minimum three years up to seven years as maximum with a fine up to twenty five thousand rupees. No doubt poacher - Kalenders killed the mother bear to snatch a bear cub, the same be used as a performing animals after putting rope in nose but PFA HARYANA has controlled the dancing bear problem in India but there is a great demand of the organs of the bear in Chinese medicines, in this Munda Rani case I do not smell any mischievous action at the part of Munda but law is law. As per law he should informed the local Police or Wildlife authorities when he found the orphan bear cub , which he never did. In my opinion Munda will be in trouble again.

OIPA INDIA ready to adopt the case - legal battle to fight in favor of Munda, PFA HARYANA offered the job to him as a care taker to animals here in Haryana & we have requested to the Zoo authorities to shift the Rani for treatment, care & shelter to our duly recognized animal shelter cum rescue center for wild animals.
Please send us your views to forward to the Govt. of India to with draw the case against Munda - india@oipa.org or kadyan.ipfa@gmail.com
-OIPA INDIA
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080628/jsp/nation/story_9473520.jsp

Bhubaneswar, June 27: “They released my father, but kept Rani in the jail.” Those were five-year-old Gulki’s first words seeing Rani, the sloth bear she was brought up with, at a cage in Nandankanan zoo today.

Neither the bad road conditions nor the incessant rain could stop the father-daughter duo — Ramsingh Munda was arrested for keeping Rani captive for two years — to travel 225km from their Keonjhar home to visit one of their family members.

Ramsingh had found the bear cub about a couple of years ago on one of his visits to a nearby forest. The bear cub, then about three days old, followed the tribal man his home. “After my wife’s death, my daughter had developed an unusual bond with the bear,” said Ramsingh.

Ever since, the trio lived like a family and would be occasionally spotted riding happily on a bicycle. The zoo officials, however, sent Ramsingh to Keonjhar jail on June 16 and confiscated the bear stating action was taken under the wildlife laws.

The news of Rani being caged invited flak from all quarters, including wildlife activists. Ramsingh said that when wildlife officials had approached him he tried to return the bear to the forest but it found its way home. “We strongly condemn the manner in which the forest department officials arrested the poor and illiterate man, who was not aware of the rules,” Jiban Ballav Das, secretary of People for Animals, said adding that Ramsingh never tortured the animal.

“She is no less than a daughter to me and I was eagerly waiting for a chance to meet Rani again,” said Ramsingh today. The zoo officials also allowed Ramsingh to feed Rani home-made products. Nandankanan zoo director Ajit Patnaik said Rani was doing well in the zoo.

Ramchandra Rana, the president of Orissa State Consolidation Non-Gazetted Employees’ Co-ordination Committee, asked the government to appoint Ramsingh a caretaker of Rani in Nadankanan.


Man Jailed for Caring for Orphaned Bear

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

VIDEO LINK :-

-http://videos.oneindia.in/watch/5751/family-orissa-shelters-lost-bear.html

REHABILITATION OF MUNDA:-
-http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/448754
-http://www.odishatoday.com/Feature/Sloth_bear_refuses_to_eat_in_Nandankanan_30062008-8451243562879.html
-http://www.odishatoday.com/orissa/Maneka_Gandhi_PFA_to_help_tribal_man_Ramsingh_Munda_685324879124-260608.html
-http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080625/jsp/nation/story_9458189.jsp

-Maneka Gandhi Says 'Bear Saviour' a Criminal - Naresh Kadyan











http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=450719&sid=ZNS

Three bear the brunt for loving wildlife


-http://www.ibnlive.com/news/maneka-gandhi-says-bear-saviour-a-criminal/67640-11.html
http://in.news.yahoo.com/hindustantimes/20080618/r_t_ht_nl_general/tnl-this-pet-bear-refuses-to-return-to-f-7244580.html

This pet bear refuses to return to forest

Wed, Jun 18 01:00 AM

Forest officials in Orissa are trailing Ramesh Munda for keeping a wild animal at home and to evade any legal action against him, Munda is desperate to release his pet sloth bear in the forest. But each time Munda has tried to release sloth bear Rani, she returns to him.

The forest department has made up its mind to rescue Rani and later shift her to the Nandankanan zoological park. But Munda believes that Rani can lead a better life in the forests and he is thus keen to release him in the woods.

But Rani has so far foiled Munda's plans. Bimal Acharya, assistant conservator of forests of Keonjhar division told Hindustan Times: "The person in possession of the bear is not staying anymore at his home.

He is moving with the bear. Three officials of our department are tracking Munda.

So far the bear may not have harmed anyone. But it's a wild animal and it certainly poses danger to people residing in the locality.

" Munda is a resident of Rutisila village under Ghatagaon block of Keonjhar district, nearly 150-km away from the state capital Bhubaneswar. Wildlife activists have now started taking a lenient view.

They have also urged the forest officials not to initiate any legal action against Munda as he may not be aware of wildlife rules. Jeevan Das, secretary of Orissa chapter of People for Animals told Hindustan Times: "The bear has to be rescued.

Otherwise, someone may start keeping a pet tiger or a peacock. The law of the land has to be respected.

However, we don't want the man to be arrested as he is not aware of the laws governing wildlife." The forest department, however, remains non-commital on whether legal action would be completely dropped against Munda.

"Let's rescue the sloth bear first and then we will examine other aspects," a senior forest official said. According to Munda, when Rani was barely two-month-old, he discovered her in the forest where he had gone to get firewood.

"I did not bring her to my home, but she followed me on her own," Munda had said. And since then the bond has developed so much that Rani is now an integral part of Munda's family.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080610/jsp/nation/story_9387099.jsp

PFA pleads to rescue bear from captivity
- Tribal village, owner not safe for Rani, experts claim

Cuttack, June 9: Activists of People for Animals (PFA) in Orissa have been seeking immediate rescue of a sloth bear being bred in captivity by a tribal man in Ghatagaon.

Eighteen-month-old Rani with her shaggy black coat and a hint of a smile is now under the care of Ramesh Munda at Rutisila village.

Activists fear that the bear would be initiated into the trade of exhibitions and shows and have insisted that wildlife officers rescued her before its too late.

“Also, keeping sloth bears in captivity is a violation of animal protection law,” said animal rights activist J.B. Das, also a secretary of PFA.

The protection of sloth bear in India is covered under the Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a bear specialist group, has identified sloth bears as the most vulnerable of all species and threatened with extinction.

“The tribal owner is apparently initiating Rani into the show trade by taking her around in his cycle and exhibiting her in villages and fairs,” Das, who is also the secretary of People for Animal (PFA) in Orissa, told The Telegraph today.

A sloth bear (which is what Rani is) is listed in the Appendix-I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) as a species that cannot be traded commercially.

PFA has urged the wildlife authorities to rescue Rani before she becomes a victim to malnutrition and stress.

“We wrote to the chief wildlife warden two weeks ago, but no tangible steps were taken,” the activist rued.

Sources said chief wildlife warden B.K. Patnaik had issued directions to the Keonjhar wildlife division for necessary action. Keonjhar’s assistant forest conservator had since then reported that Ramesh Munda is “absconding”.

PFA, however, has a different story. “When I visited the area to check on Rani, Ramesh Munda conceded that the wildlife officers came and returned after seeing Rani,” Das claimed.

The sloth bear is found in forest areas of Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Loss of habitat and illegal poaching for the animal trade had taken a heavy toll on the species. Their estimated population in the wild has declined to 10,000.