I really don’t know whether he drinks, but if he does, then must be a cocktail rather than a scotch or brandy. The Environment Minister Mr. Jairam Ramesh. who failed to introduce GM crops seems to have turned his attention to reintroducing Cheetah in India.
And he is not alone – the British seem to have caught a similar fever and want to reintroduce something, (anything?, everything?) from brown bears to lynx to otters and what not.
Of other Europeans, I know of only one man obsessed with reintroduction – Silvio and his hair.
The main problem with reintroduction of Cheetahs in India is their impact on humans and livestock. The minister says “cheetah are likely to present the lowest level of conflict with human interests, as they are not a threat to human life and are most unlikely to predate large livestock”. But animal-human conflict is well and truly underway in India, not in remote ‘forest reserves’ or ‘wildlife sanctuaries’ like the ones contemplated but right in the cities.
The southern suburbs of the metropolitan city of Chennai (yea, my hometown) has become a crocodile breeding ground. Baby crocs are carried out of the Vandalur Zoological Park by monsoon floods or by birds hunting for food and find sanctuary in nearby ponds and lakes. When they grow up – Croc attack.
Leopards have been sighted in the pilgrim site of Tirupati hills and a 3 year girl was attacked this week and if you think such cases are an aberration, just Google ‘leopard attack India’.
Watch a leopard being killed & admire the speed and grace of the animal – no wonder Jim Corbett called them ‘the most graceful and the most beautiful animal in our Indian jungles. Nor are his attractions limited to outward appearances, for pound for pound, his strength is second to none, and in courage he lacks nothing”.
YouTube video changed to private instead of public share - link broken (October 2012)
To get back to the point, the Minister, like the cocktail Martini of Bond which uses Vodka instead of Gin, has gone for North African Cheetah instead of the Asian Cheetahs. I don’t know whether to be shaken or stirred.
And he is not alone – the British seem to have caught a similar fever and want to reintroduce something, (anything?, everything?) from brown bears to lynx to otters and what not.
Of other Europeans, I know of only one man obsessed with reintroduction – Silvio and his hair.
The southern suburbs of the metropolitan city of Chennai (yea, my hometown) has become a crocodile breeding ground. Baby crocs are carried out of the Vandalur Zoological Park by monsoon floods or by birds hunting for food and find sanctuary in nearby ponds and lakes. When they grow up – Croc attack.
Leopards have been sighted in the pilgrim site of Tirupati hills and a 3 year girl was attacked this week and if you think such cases are an aberration, just Google ‘leopard attack India’.
Watch a leopard being killed & admire the speed and grace of the animal – no wonder Jim Corbett called them ‘the most graceful and the most beautiful animal in our Indian jungles. Nor are his attractions limited to outward appearances, for pound for pound, his strength is second to none, and in courage he lacks nothing”.
YouTube video changed to private instead of public share - link broken (October 2012)
To get back to the point, the Minister, like the cocktail Martini of Bond which uses Vodka instead of Gin, has gone for North African Cheetah instead of the Asian Cheetahs. I don’t know whether to be shaken or stirred.
