Empower Foundation escalates to IUCN to intervene in the Lion Translocation Issue

August 10 : Happy World Lions Day !!! (Aug 10) 

The Times of India, The Hindustan Times and The MiD-Day covers….Mumbai NGO “Empower Foundation's escalation to IUCN (The International Union for Conservation of Nature) to intervene in the Lion Translocation Issue” Citing :

(1) 29 Serious Violations of IUCN Guidelines covering areas like Core Reason, Habitat, Climatic requirements, Animal Welfare, Social Feasibility, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Assessment, Exit Strategy etc.
(2) 12 Adverse Conditions in proposed translocation site at Kuno Palpur, MP. Which could lead to a failed translocation.
(3) Serious Animal Right Issue of translocating a pride of Lions to Kuno and every 3 to 5 years moving the Male Lion from the Wild to captivity in Zoo and by replacing a new Wild Male Lion from Gir !

Happy Lions Day and Week to all the Wildlife Lovers and look forward for some more active enthusiasts joining this movement. Pls call Black Pearl on (Chandigarh/Delhi +91 76962 08033) or Jalpesh Mehta (Mumbai+91 98194 38900) or Amit Kanungu (Kolkata/Nagpur+91 96747 52050) or Nupur Kothari (Mumbai+91 98330 01800)

Team Save our Lions
[Website] :  www.saveourlions.blogspot.com
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[E]saveourlions@gmail.com/empowerfoundation@gmail.com

NGO seeks global body’s intervention to stop translocation

Hindustan Times (Bhopal), Ssarkar@hindustantimes.com, 10 Aug 2013

There has been no successful lion translocation in the past in the country 

Jalpesh Meha

Founder chairperson, Empower Foundation

Sravani Sarkar 

On eve of the World Lions Day (August 10), a Mumbai-based NGO has sought intervention of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) - the oldest global environment network - on the issue of the translocation of Asiatic Lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh. 

The NGO - Empower Foundation - has been opposing the translocation of lions - saying that the conditions are adverse in the proposed site of Kuno Palpur and that serious animal rights’ issues are involved with the entire process. The organization is rather insisting on increasing habitat availability for lions through restoration, connectivity, corridor establishment, habitat protection and natural movement of lions.

Now, the NGO has also said that the translocation would amount to serious violations of IUCN guidelines on 29 counts and has urged the IUCN authorities to appoint an international expert/team of experts to intervene in the matter and guide the authorities in two states.

The founder chairperson of the Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta has written to the IUCN authorities including the chairman of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) Reintroduction Specialist Group Dr Frederic Launay seeking this intervention. In the letter to the authorities, the NGO has given details of all the 29 guidelines violation and the 12 adverse conditions in Kuno Palpur (based on NGO’s own study) to draw attention of the international body.

The translocation issue is hanging fire between two states - Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh since more than a decade. Recently, the Supreme Court mandated translocation of Lions to MP, but Gujarat government filed a review petition pointing out that the decision was one-sided and highlighting the poaching culture of MP (50% of world’s tigers over the last decade were poached in MP).

“We have been working on this issue since a while and in a situation where there has been no successful lion translocation in the past in the country and concerned persons having no expertise on Lions, we thought it apt to seek the intervention of IUCN,” Mehta said while talking to HT.

He added that the Empower foundation was not against translocation, but concerned with the end result. “We simply want to save lions from being pushed to extinction,” he said.

IUCN help sought to oppose translocation

Hindustan Times, Sravani Sarkar, August 10, 2013

NGO opposes movement of Gir beasts to MP claiming adverse conditions

BHOPAL: On eve of the World Lions Day ( August 10), a Mumbai-based NGO has sought intervention of International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) - the oldest global environment network - on the issue of the translocation of Asiatic Lions from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur in Madhya Pradesh. 

The NGO - Empower Foundation - has been opposing the translocation of lions - saying that the conditions are adverse in the proposed site of Kuno Palpur and that serious animal rights’ issues are involved with the entire process. The organization is rather insisting on increasing habitat availability for lions through restoration, connectivity, corridor establishment, habitat protection and natural movement of lions. 

Now, the NGO has also said that the translocation would amount to serious violations of IUCN guidelines on 29 counts and has urged the IUCN authorities to appoint an international expert/team of experts to intervene in the matter and guide the authorities in two states. 

The founder chairperson of the Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta has written to the IUCN authorities including the chairman of the Species Survival Commission ( SSC) Reintroduction Specialist Group Dr Frederic Launay seeking this intervention. In the letter to the authorities, the NGO has given details of all the 29 guidelines violation and the 12 adverse conditions in Kuno Palpur (based on NGO’s own study) to draw attention of the international body. 

The translocation issue is hanging fire between two states - Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh since more than a decade. Recently, the Supreme Court mandated translocation of Lions to MP, but Gujarat government filed a review petition pointing out that the decision was one-sided and highlighting the poaching culture of MP (50% of world’s tigers over the last decade were poached in MP).

“We have been working on this issue since a while and in a situation where there has been no successful Lion translocation in the past in the country and concerned persons having no expertise on Lions, we thought it apt to seek the intervention of IUCN,” Mehta said while talking to HT. He added that the Empower foundation was not against translocation, but concerned with the end result. “We want to save lions from being pushed to extinction,” he said. 

'Don't relocate Gir lions'

MID-DAY:  August 11, 2013, Mumbai, Ranjeet Jadhav

On the occasion of World Lions Day, city NGO writes to international conservation body to put pressure and prevent relocation of Gir lions to Madhya Pradesh

Many aspects need to be considered while thinking of relocating animals. Mumbai-based NGO, Empower Foundation, has written a letter to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) for intervention in the Lion Translocation issue between two states, citing 29 guideline violations, on the eve of World Lions Day.

The NGO feels that translocation of lions from Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh should not be done, as not only it will have a negative impact on the population of lions but chances of poaching will also increase.

Appoint an expert 

Speaking to SUNDAY MiD DAY, Founder chairman of NGO Empower Foundation, Jalpesh Mehta, said, “We are not against translocation, but how, where and the end result is our concern. We have urged IUCN to appoint an international lion expert or a team to save the lions from being pushed into death beds (see box).”

Against judgment
 
In June this year, the team analysed 10 global failures of translocations and submitted a report citing 12 adverse conditions of the proposed translocation site in Kuno Palpur, which would be fatal for the lions. 

“Translocation is a serious animal rights issue.  The Supreme Court judgment dated April 15, 2013 states the proposal of translocating a pride of Lions to Kuno, and every three to five years, moving the male lion from the wild to captivity in zoo. This is a sheer violation of Wildlife rights and is a cause for grave concern,” added Mehta. Empower Foundation is also involved in various other activities to conserve the Asiatic Lions and build awareness on the issue.

Born free and living free
The list of issues raised by Empower Foundation include:

Poaching hub: MP is a major poaching ground, as it has lost 453 tigers out of 710 in a decade with 257 tigers remaining according to the 2011 Census.
 
Location: Situated on the border of MP, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, poaching, infiltration and allied crime probablilty is very high
 
Water: Kuno-Palpur forest has very less water sources unlike the Gir region
 
Temperatures: The minimum temperature is 2°C, while the maximum 49°C. This is fatal for lions

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2013/aug/110813-mumbai-dont-relocate-gir-lions.htm