Global News Post: Arunachal Pradesh

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</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">ITANAGAR (NNN-BERNAMA) -- The black-necked crane, a rare bird species found at high altitudes, has been spotted for the first time at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Zemithang</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> in Arunachal Pradesh by the Indian chapter of the World Wildlife Fund. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">So far, there were only reports of the bird’s sighting in the valley in Tawang district, located at an altitude of 2000 metres above sea level near the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region> border, but there was no photographic evidence. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">According to Press Trust of India (PTI) on Friday, bird-watchers are thrilled at the prospect of seeing the rare bird which is believed to be an embodiment of the sixth Dalai Lama by Tibetan Buddhists and is revered by the Monpas.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">After eluding scientific documentation for years, the WWF (<st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>) has come out with photographic records of seven black-necked cranes in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Zemithang</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> so far this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The senior coordinator of WWF-India's Western Arunachal Landscape Programme, Pijush Kumar Dutta, said that the cranes were spotted by Lham Tsering of Pangchen Lumpo Muchat Community Conserved Area (CCA) and Kokti of Pangchen Lakhar, the only two community conserved areas in the state. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">One of the seven birds is only a year-old and took the first flight to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> from the breeding site in the wetlands of the Tibetan plateau. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Though there were reports of black-necked cranes spending winter in Zemithang, there was no 'authentic' first-hand documentation. Last year, we photographed the arrival of black-necked cranes at Zemithang," Dutta said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The birds are found in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Bhutan</st1:country-region> and breed in high-altitude wetlands of the Tibetan plateau of China and eastern Ladakh in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region> at an elevation ranging from 2,950 to 4,900 meters above mean sea level. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During winter, the birds flock to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Tibet</st1:country-region>, <st1:state w:st="on">Yunnan</st1:state> and <st1:state w:st="on">Guizhou</st1:state> in <st1:country-region w:st="on">China</st1:country-region> and Phobjika and Bomdaling valleys in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bhutan</st1:place></st1:country-region> and in Arunachal Pradesh's Sangte and Zemithang valleys. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The global population of black-necked crane is estimated to be 11,000 and is included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ‘vulnerable’ category. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"The Ministry of Environment and Forest, WWF-India, Bombay Natural History Society and the Indian Bird Conservation Network last year adopted a slew of measures for conservation of the species in <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bhutan</st1:place></st1:country-region>," Dutta said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Monpas don't hunt any wild species and black-necked cranes are very safe in Zemithang. Now, we are helping the community to promote eco-tourism in the area under our CCA programme," said Dutta. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">As Zemithang is out of bounds for foreign tourists and trekking is not allowed, Dutta said talks are on at the government level to promote bird-watching tours in the area.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"Through community initiative, a home-stay facility for tourists has also come up at Zemithang and youths have been trained as guides.If the government allows tourism, it will be a big incentive for the Monpas," said Dutta. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">There was concern among conservationists at the reports of reduced sighting of the birds in the valley. Only three arrivals were recorded there during 2010.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The rare bird, locally known as Dhung Dhung Karma, is the only high altitude crane amongst the 15 species found in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">During breeding season, it is confined to high altitude wetlands and marshes in Quinghai-Tibetan Plateau and from eastern Ladakh to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Sichuan</st1:place></st1:state> province. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The winter population of the crane is found in the lower altitudes of Quinghai, on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau and in north-eastern <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bhutan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Zemithang and <st1:placename w:st="on">Sangty</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype> in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh are the only two winter habitats for the avian species in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The villagers with the support of WWF-India have been actively working forconservation of rare wildlife found in the area, including Red Panda, HimalayanBlack Bear, Musk Dear, and Leopard. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">"These birds, listed as 'threatened' by Birdlife International, are also benefiting the villagers economically as they have set up camp sites and home stays facilities in Lumpo and Muchat villages for tourists with the help of WWF-India," Dutta said. -- NNN-BERNAMA<o:p></o:p></span></div></div>

India: Rare Black-Necked Crane Spotted In Arunachal's Zemithang Valley

ITANAGAR (NNN-BERNAMA) -- The black-necked crane, a rare bird species found at high altitudes, has been spotted for the first time at Zemi...

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Dozens of people are missing or feared dead after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into a river in northeast <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">India</place></country-region>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Authorities say at least 29 people were rescued after the footbridge collapsed Saturday over the <placename w:st="on">Kemeng</placename> <placetype w:st="on">River</placetype> in <place w:st="on"><placename w:st="on">Arunachal</placename> <placename w:st="on">Pradesh</placename> <placetype w:st="on">State</placetype></place>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">At least two bodies have been recovered, while dozens more remain missing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">Police and paramilitary soldiers are continuing efforts to locate the dead and missing. ---VOA News</span></div></div>

Dozens Feared Dead in India Bridge Collapse

Dozens of people are missing or feared dead after a pedestrian bridge collapsed into a river in northeast India . Authorities say at least 2...