Holocene year 2 issue 7

Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

World after 5th Extinction

Dwaipayan Ghosh

".... far more pleasure is got from pressing the button of a camera than is ever got from pressing the trigger of a rifle....in one case the leopard can be watched for hours, and there is no more graceful and interesting animal in the jungle to watch....... in the other case a fleeting glimpse.... the acquisition of the trophy which soon loses both its beauty and its interest" - Jim Corbett, in the Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag Part Four : Pug mark of the Big Male Though the night wasn’t entirely sleepless, but I woke up to the break of false dawn. If an earlyriser and living in eastern region, one must be familiar with the false dawn. It’s a transient light which precedes the rising of the sun by about an hour. When Makrand offered me the morning tea, I was all set with my cameras.

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Natwar was also ready with the Jeep Wrangler and as soon as I came to him, he started heading towards the village Pola. When we reached Pola, it was the true dawn and some people were already there in front of a cave with binoculars. They weren’t tourists or tour guides as I presumed and Natwar validated that. They were village folks looking for a male leopard that crossed the village a few hours ago. “Do they work for local Forest Authority?” I asked Natwar and at my agony, the answer was negative. Then why were they there, I wondered. Some unpleasant thoughts struck.

Are they associated with poachers? I was inquisitive but didn’t find it wise to ask Natwar to ascertain anything at that time, as the local people were talking to Natwar in a very friendly manner.

Every year, hundreds of leopards are poached in India for its skin, claws and other body parts and trafficked to other parts of the World for multi trade, to make luxurious fashion accessories and for many other uses. I fail to understand why we want to see these wonderful animal dead. To me, it’s much more natural_destination@yahoo.com Website:www.exploringnature.org.in

Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

fashionable and refreshing to watch a wild leopard roaming around in its natural habitat.

It gives me such an elation that I forget all my anxieties. To see a leopard living in wild is more useful a therapy, for me, than a traditional Chinese medicine made up of its bone, teeth or claws. Not many people in India or even in abroad might like to think like that. My heart ached to think about mankind’s arrogance to deny fundamental laws of nature and to think human race can conquer all other species! I was aroused by one of the natives who asked me to come along with him in Rajasthani accent. After walking some yards, he pointed with the stick in his hand what could probably be leopard pugmarks. I could locate one prominent pug-mark and the size of the pugmark was clearly indicating that it was of a huge male.

The male visited nearby Pola village last night and attempted a cattle killing which went in vain. Then it killed a stray dog in a street of the village and came towards this direction carrying the carcass. “You must feel petrified living with wild leopards around and suffer unrecoverable loss of your livestock”, I tried to console the villagers as I presumed their anger. But there were more elements of surprise waiting for me.

“They live on our livestock and stray dogs and they have every right to live. “We all are children of the nature”, one of them replied.

“Yes, sometimes we suffer losses of livestock, but if we report the loss to the local Forest Authority, we get enough compensation on proof”, he explained and others were nodding in agreement. They weren’t complaining about the animal that is responsible for the most human killing across the country for centuries. I went to Sundarbans, where I saw people worshiping tigers as “Dakshin ray”. But that was clearly due to the fear of its man eating nature. Here the story was totally different and I found a respect towards the most elusive cat of the world. There was no fear factor but an eagerness for co-habitation.……

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Featured Topic: Panthers of Pali (Part Four)

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Editors’ Desk: The World Wildlife Day

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Story Room: In the Land of Laos

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Cohabitation: Amazing Wildlife of Laos

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Theme Poster: Parijani

to be continued 2|Page

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Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

fact, we are already seeing the positive impacts on conservation issues made by some young conservation leaders around the world. If they can help make a change, you can too!

Editors’ Desk: World Wildlife Day On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March, the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as UN World Wildlife Day, to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar.

World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wideranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

Wildlife has an intrinsic value and contributes to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of sustainable development and human well-being. For these reasons, all member States, the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, non-governmental organizations and individuals, are invited to observe and to get involved in this global celebration of wildlife. Local communities can play a positive role in helping to curb illegal wildlife trade.

Governments, law makers, enforcement officers, customs officials and park rangers across every region are scaling up their efforts to protect wildlife. It is also up to every citizen, young and old, to protect wildlife and their habitats. We all have a role to play. Our collective conservation actions can be the difference between a species surviving or disappearing.

It’s time for us all to listen to the young voices.

World Wildlife Day was celebrated in 2017 under the theme “Listen to the Young Voices.”

Given that almost one quarter of the world’s population is aged between 10 and 24, vigorous efforts need to be made to encourage young people, as the future leaders and decision makers of the world, to act at both local and global levels to protect endangered wildlife.

The engagement and empowerment of youth is high on the agenda of the United Nations and this objective is being achieved through the youth programmes of various UN system organizations as well as the dedicated UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth.

In September 2016, Parties to CITES gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP17) and adopted the very first CITES resolution on ‘Youth Engagement’ – calling for greater engagement and empowerment of youth in conservation issues.

World Wildlife Day 2017 encourages youth around the world to rally together to address ongoing major threats to wildlife including habitat change, over-exploitation or illicit trafficking. Youth are the agents of change. In 3|Page

Themes 2017: The 2017 theme is "Listen to the young voices" 2016: The 2016 theme is "The future of wildlife is in our hands", with a sub-theme "The future of elephants is in our hands".

2015: The 2015 theme is "It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime".

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Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

would be accomplished. Laos is surrounded by thickly forested landscapes; natural greeneries prevent environmental pollution, less commercial farming and several unmanned hills are found there.

When I began to explore my neighbouring areas, I was fascinated with the impressive numbers of butterfly and other insects. During nightfall, I frequently heard the call Geckooo…Geckoooo…..

ABOUT LAOS PEOPLE & CULTURE: Story Room: In the Land of Laos

Narrated by Anwesha Ghatak Based on the travel accounts of

People of Laos are truly amiable. The legacy of French influence is conspicuous in the architecture of colonial villas. Locals here relish life, living for today, not fretting about destiny.

Almost all ethnic or "lowland" Lao (Lao Loum and Lao Lom) are followers of “Theravada Buddhism”; however, they constitute only 4050% of the population. The remainder of the population belongs to at least 48 distinct ethnic minority groups. Most of these ethnic groups (30%) are practitioners of “Laotian folk religion”, with beliefs that vary greatly among groups.

But one passion unites the people of Laos, their cheer for Beer!

Sankar Singha

Laos – officially the “Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)”, is a tiny landlocked country, solely in South-East Asia, surrounded

by Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. Formerly a French colony, presently under communist rule, my stay there, from May 2016 to January 2017, was primarily for professional reasons. But as far as human curiosity traverses, my meandering through the streets of Laos heralded that; mysteries of a new land and its people are to be unfurled in front of me.

My stay in a small town, named Pak Lay, in Xayaboury province, just in the bank of great Mekong river was simple yet riveting. As an outlandish, I embrace the struggle and challenges of living away from home, making the unfamiliar cosy.

When I was on my way to Laos, it was very exciting, as I had the list of species with me, which I had chances to have an acquaintance with. The diversity of animal and plant species is very rich in Laos. But after reaching there and spending few days, it was very depressing that I rarely observed any wild animal, not even birds. It was disheartening to find the ignorance of natives towards their own flora and fauna as my colleagues reluctantly discouraged me that there was nothing to be found here.

Through initial demoralizing moments, I had credence that if I could forage, my mission 4|Page

They are also integrated by a rich cultural heritage of art and architecture amalgamated with religions, which forms the cornerstones of traditions in the nation. In Laos, the majority of cultures follow matrilineal and matrilocal customs till present day. This includes not only the indigenous people but also the main Lao ethnicity, among which the youngest daughter traditionally inherits the land and cares for the parents in their old ages.

Despite rapid economic growth, Laos remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.

But I had never come across any beggar or a homeless wandering off. Societal discrepancies between rich and poor in Laos are minimal.

Laotian Governance deters rigid class distinctions and no longer entitles hereditary elitism. Amidst cordiality of the natives, language is a great barrier for direct communications.

FOOD HABITS:

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Laotians are omnivores, they consume almost anything edible. Laotians know their herbs very well and they savour fiery salads, “sticky” rice with spicy dipping sauces, grilled meats, fish and poultry. Although there’s no dearth of livestock, wildlife is widely consumed in Laos.

Like other forest-dependent tribes, rural Lao have long relied on hunting, to supplement their rice-dominated diet with protein.

GEOGRAPHY: ABOUT THE WILD LIFE: There are 21 NBCA (National Bio-diversity conservation areas) in the country. As per record, more than 45 species of mammals (including Asiatic Elephant, Indochinese Tiger, Javan Rhinoceros, Asiatic Black Bear, Sun Bear, 7 species of Gibbon, Leopard cat, Marbled cat), 740 species of avifauna, more than 50 species of reptiles thrive in the country. But the well-being and conservation of this abundant medley of living beings cry out for help!

Laos opens up its economy to export-driven industries, ostensibly to improve quality of life, the very resources upon which rural people depend, are at risk. The cost may be far higher than most imagine. Every year in Laos, numerous wild birds, mammals, and reptiles are eliminated to supply multi-billion dollar markets in China, the United States, and Europe. A major source of demand is traditional Chinese medicine, which is based on the belief that, the parts of certain animals have curative properties. And also a great number of wildlife is taken for local and domestic markets.

Affluence, rather than poverty, is the strongest driver of the international wildlife trade.

THE CONCERNS: 1. DEFORESTATION: Deforestation is a baleful threat. As per United Nations (UN) and other monitoring agencies, in 1950s, forests covered 70 percent of the land area in Laos. By 1992, according to government estimates, forest coverage had decreased by nearly one-third, to just 47 percent of total land area. The lawmakers of the county took some initiatives for reforestation. But the real scenario is that, every year, 15000-16000 forest cover is lost, while reforestation rate is around 2000 hectares. Although, nowadays, the nation’s administration has set a target to achieve 70% forest coverage within 2020.

2. ILLETARACY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF WILD LIFE: The people of Laos have almost zero knowledge about the importance of wildlife.

Once I met a forest official and at my amazement, he welcomed me with local Beer and roasted wild boar. It was distasteful to find that forest officials equally engaged in hunting.

3. WILD LIFE POACHING: Long an isolated land with abundant forests and biodiversity, Laos is rapidly developing as China and other Asian nations to exploit its natural resources. One of the prime casualties has been the wildlife, now being rapidly depleted by a thriving blackmarket trade. Twenty five years ago there were hundreds of tigers in Laos. Today there are probably fewer than 50. Their decline is a symptom of a broader trend that is, consuming wildlife around the planet—the rise of marketdriven hunting and cross-border trade in wildlife products. By most measures, Laos ranks as a low-income country, yet its people are equipped with means to nourish themselves thanks to munificent Mother Nature. But as 5|Page

4. CAPTIVITY OF THE BORN-FREE: Frequently I had the painful sight of wild birds put in cage, by greedy, ignorant people, without jurisdiction of the government.

Common folks have no sense of the blunders they’re committing and the ramifications. On one unfortunate day, an Asiatic Black Bear caught my immediate attention; incarcerated, the helpless bear was clueless about human

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cruelty, against nature and her creations.

Tragically some of the ill-fated wild animals end up on the dishes, satiating human gluttony.

4. LESS NO OF NGO: Few NGOs are at work in the country to safeguard the natural environment, but they are inadequate in numbers and labour relentlessly to make an impact.

HOPE FLOATS: There are rays of hope that, in recent times,the authorities reinforced stringent actions to protect the treasures of the wilderness.

Handfuls of Eco-tourism organizations are engaging locals to build a win-win situation; they’ve a long way to proceed.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Lao PDR Program is focusing its efforts on protecting one of the world’s most important areas for biodiversity, the Greater Northern Annamites (GNA). WCS is committed to working in the GNA of Lao PDR because it is home to unique wild habitats and endemic species, supports the livelihoods of several million people, and is increasingly threatened by human-induced processes.

The Greater Annamites has the highest concentration of endemic species for a continental area in the world and is ranked as one of the world’s 200 most important bio-regions. The area also has some of Southeast Asia’s most charismatic species. The GNA as a whole contains 134 mammal species and over 500 species of birds, including tiger and Asian elephant. Protecting a contiguous area from north to south of the Greater Annamites, which includes a natural elevation gradient, is extremely important for the survival of the area’s flora and fauna, as species seek out climate refuge.

The Nakai Nam Theun National Protected Area is home to numerous rare, endemic and highly threatened species, which have in recent years come under threat from habitat loss and unsustainable hunting.

Through researchfocused activities, French-registered NGO “Project Anoulak”, initiated in 2011, seeks to ramp up conservation projects that protect the wildlife and preserve endangered species in the area. “Anoulak” in Laotian dialect, signifies “conservation”.

MY QUEST IN THE LAND OF LAOS: In Laos, most of my time was spent at Pak Lay – a small town in Xayaboury Province. My dwelling was just beside the bank of great river Mekong. Due to busy work schedules, I was unable to move here and there, my territory was confined. At times it saddened me, but human wanderlust expands till the horizon. I never gave up hope to perceive the unseen and started to explore surrounding areas. There was a foot hill in the bank of river Mekong. The 6|Page

town was small-scale, rest of the area was largely unpopulated, except for a few cattle farming. Almost every Sunday I was hiking in nearby hills, all by myself. My inquisition passed with ‘flying colours’ after I witnessed some pretty creatures of nature – butterflies, symbols of glorious natural metamorphosis.

The count and the types of those beautiful bugs were really massive. During that period, I sighted 150 species of butterflies (some of them are unidentified till date), alongside 5 species of birds, 2 species of Geckos (including Tokay Gecko), 3 species of Moths ( including Atlas Moth), 2 species of Lizards, 1 species of Bat (unidentified), 2 species of Frogs (1 unidentified).

For wildlife enthusiasts, the greater Mekong Region is really a hotspot and every year significant numbers of new species are discovered in the zone. Still a wide area awaits human intervention. The main concern is lack of endeavours for the welfare of the wideranging taxonomies.

To me, mankind is bifurcated as the ‘despoiler’ and the ‘restorer’. Our rapacity should be held accountable for any eradication and we should stand guard to “stop one and stop them all”.

Here a lot of people enjoy angling in nearby fishing ponds and there is an official decree to replace a fish with a fingerling.

It’s not too late, but if we just sit and pray and do nothing – our future generation will not pardon us. Let us all march towards the path of “Bodhi” (Wisdom) and “Dharma” (Principle).........

“Buddham Smaranam Gacchami”......

“Dharmam Smaranam Gacchami”........

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Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

Cohabitation: Amazing Wildlife

unidentified till date), alongside 5 species of birds, 2 species of Geckos (including Tokay Gecko), 3 species of Moths ( including Atlas Moth), 2 species of Lizards, 1 species of Bat (unidentified), 2 species of Frogs (1 unidentified).

of Laos Compiled by : .

Sankar Singha In Laos, from May 2016 to January, 2017, most of my time was spent at Pak Lay – a small town in Xayaboury Province. My dwelling was just beside the bank of great river Mekong. Due to busy work schedules, I was unable to move here and there, my territory was confined. At times it saddened me, but human wanderlust expands till the horizon. I never gave up hope to perceive the unseen and started to explore surrounding areas. There was a foot hill in the bank of river Mekong. The town was smallscale, rest of the area was largely unpopulated, except for a few cattle farming. Almost every Sunday I was hiking in nearby hills, all by myself. My inquisition passed with ‘flying colours’ after I witnessed some pretty creatures of nature – butterflies, symbols of glorious natural metamorphosis. The count and the types of those beautiful bugs were really massive. During that period, I sighted 150 species of butterflies (some of them are

For Team Exploring Nature Editors’ Desk: Dwaipayan Ghosh Arnab Basu Review: Anwesha Ghatak Title & Logo Design: Arijit Das Majumder Saikat Chakraborty Newsletter Design: Dwaipayan Ghosh Arnab Basu

The list of butterflies identified by me is given below, in subsequent issues of Holocene, few more species of butterfly and other spotted and identified species will be published.

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BUTTERFLY FAMILY : NYPHALIDAE

Greay Pansy(Junonia atlites )

Yellow Pansy(Junonia hierta)

Blue Pansy(Junonia orithya)

Lime Pansy(Junonialemonias)

Bamboo Tree Brown(Lethe europa)

Blue Spotted Crow(Euploea midamus)

Blue Tiger(Tirumal limniace)

Brown King Crow(Euploea klugii)

Common Bush Brown(Mycalesis perseus)

Chocolate Pansy(Junonia iphita)

Clipper(Parthenos sylvia)

Common Evening Brown(Melanitis leda)

Common Leopard(Phalanta phalanta)

Common Yeoman(Cirrochroa tyche)

Rustic(Cupa erymanthis)

Danaid Eggfly(Female )(Hypolimnas misippus)

Great Eggfly(Hypolimnas bolina)

Common Palmfly(Elymnias hypermnestra)

Common Five Ring(Ypthima baldus)

Glassy Tiger(Parantica aglea)

Leopard Lacewing(Cethosia cyane)

Common Archduke(Lexias pardalis)

Palid Nawab(Charaxes arja)

Plain Tiger(Danaus chrysippus)

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Year – 2/Issue – 7/ March - April’17

Theme Poster

:: Parijani – Sketch by Ajay Kumar Debnath ::

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Exploring Nature has launched its first project on Biodiversity Exploration, contact us at n a t u r a l _ d e s t i n a t i o n @ y a h o o . c o m , if interested to participate :

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