We have a responsibility toward the other life-forms of our planet whose continued existence is threatened by the thoughtless behavior of our own human species. Nothing is more important to human beings than an ecologically functioning, life sustaining biosphere on the earth. It’s not just about saving wildlife. It’s about saving our world. It’s about saving ourselves.
Conservation is the preservation of all life forms on earth, and that, above all else, is worth fighting for. Why Conservation? Because we have forgotten how to press our fingers to the tilting planet's jugular and measure her pulse. We have forgotten symbiosis, that she is our mother.
Art Born of Environmental Ethic – A distinct proposed out of the need to make a distinction between the creation of images for the sake of photography, and the creation of images to serve the purpose of conserving nature by showcasing both the beauty of our planet and its vanishing spirit.
Hearts rebuilt from hope resurrect dreams killed by hate. 16th of May, the day when the mighty and fearless Ustad, the most celebrated tiger of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve was in a tragic turn of events pulled out of his territory and shifted to a zoo. Ustad, used to roaming over 5,000 hectares for the past nine years of his life, was placed in an enclosure that was a little under a hectare in area in Sajjangarh. Ustad/ T24 - has changed the complete scenario of how wildlife conservation in India was perceived and has been handled so far. Ustad may never return home or see the wild again, destined perhaps to the fate decided by a few, but the fight goes on to free him, to bring him back home. The cause and plight of Ustad caused uproar and outrage that has never been witnessed earlier. It was the need of time to provide a platform for the voice of the wildlife lovers who were ruled both by the heart and the head. Over a period of time the cause led to spread awareness, motivate people to do their bit and to understand the importance of conserving each and every species (big or small) - CLaW was formed.
No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same. One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone. The CLaW reachout events have had several hues. Some were organised and conducted to support and lend a helping hand to the guardians of the forest and their families; some to raise awareness to conservation or voice opinions and some to enrich the members. The objective was to involve as many people as possible into this family and doing our bit to show them ’we care’.
Monsoon months are especially hard for the villagers, who depend on tourism for their livelihood, more so if the sanctuary is a small one. Recently this was brought to the attention of CLaW team by one of the members of Wild Watch Foundation, Mr. Deepak Chaddha, who is also a founder member of CLaW. It was decided that a small token of help should be extended to these people without whom our wildlife Sanctuaries would not exist. Accordingly CLaW and a few willing wildlifers decided to take the initiative of food grain distribution to the guides and Van Mazoor or daily wage workers of forest who are the integral part of the Anti Poaching cell of Koka.
As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own path.Koka wildlife sanctuary is a relatively new park with an decent population of tigers, leopards, sloth bears and various other species. The area also has some natural water bodies and supports dispersing populations from Nagzira and New Nagzira. In spite of the rich flora and fauna, this sanctuary is yet to get the popularity it deserves from photographers and conservationists.
CLaW took an initiative to find out more about Koka.
A Candle Light Vigil was organised by CLaW – Conservation, Lens and Wildlife on the 3rd of April, 2016 at RBI Square, Nagpur to protest the inhumane killing of Baghin Nala Tigress and her two 7 month old cubs, by poisoning in the core area of Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhy Pradesh. The event was held to express the angst and condemn this senseless loss of life and also to demand speedy investigation and justice for the innocent souls.
A two day photography workshop was conducted under the aegis of CLaW on 19th & 20th March 2016, by renowned wildlife photographer Mr Saravanan Sundaram covering basic and advanced level training. The event organised by CLaW (at no charge to the participants), received an overwhelming response by the shutterbugs and wildlife lovers of Nagpur and adjoining places. More than 140 avid wildlife enthusiasts , far exceeding the originally catered for strength, participated with great enthusiasm in the event.
Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary located near Pandharkawda in Yavatmal District of Maharashtra is one such wildlife sanctuary. It is currently in news for its regular tiger sightings and beautiful terrain, that is any visitors delight, but whoever has visited the park will agree that a lot needs to be done for the betterment of this sanctuary.
In one such small gesture, CLaW conducted a camp, covering the following :
- Free medical health checkup for guides , guards , van mazoors , drivers
- Free medicine distribution
- First aid kits for both gates
- First aid training and demo
- Distribution of 400 large ORS packets to help guards and field staff see the harsh summers through
- Laminated Dos and Donts cards for tourists visiting the park.
The event, done under #CLaWReachOut initiative, was organised and conducted at the interpretation centre of Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary on 16th May' 16.
A few days back we made a post on this gentleman Mr. Firozkhan Pathan, under our #CLaWHeroes story, about how he has dedicated his life to rescuing, treating and looking after birds fro his area.
Being from a humble background, he manages all of this with his limited resources. The monthly expense towards food for these birds run into Rs. 10000/- plus.
Under CLaWReachOut, a few friends decided to help him out in his noble endeavour and contributed towards expenses that could see through a couple of months.
The complacent view that the tiger will continue to be "rare" or "threatened" into the foreseeable future is no longer tenable. Today, tigers in the wild face the black abyss of annihilation. The tiger's enemies are well-known: Loss of habitat exacerbated by exploding human populations, poverty—which induces poaching of prey animals—and looming over all, the dark threat of the brutal Chinese black market for tiger parts, and not to forget botched conservation strategies that for decades have failed the tiger. Many reserves exist as islands of fragile habitat in a vast sea of humanity and an unwelcome revelation of the new census is that nearly a third of India's tigers live outside tiger reserves, a situation that is dangerous for both human and animal. The dramatic rise in the tiger deaths has cast aspersions on conservation efforts for the wild cats. If we don’t stop this now, very soon we will be a Tiger Nation without Tigers. This is an attempt to keep a track of the tigers we are losing. A sad but brutal reality of the present scenario.
S. No. | Date Reported | Location | Male/ Female | Age |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2nd Jan | Deolapar | Male | 4 |
2 | 2nd Jan | Pench MP | Male | 5 |
3 | 4th Jan | Kishanpur, Dudhwa | Male | 1 |
4 | 3rd Jan | South Kheri, UP | - | - |
5 | 2nd Jan | Dhopguri Anidol Village, Udalgiri Dist, Near Orang Natl Park, Assam | Female | - |
6 | 9th Jan | Chourai Range, Chhindwara Div, Near Pench Tiger Reserve | Female | 3 |
7 | 21st Jan | Kandhar, Ranthambore | Female | 12/13 |
8 | 20th Jan | Anechowkur, Nagarhole | Male | 9 |
9 | 20th Jan | Muthanga Range, Kadukakuni, Wayanad wildlife Sanctuary | Male | 7 |
10 | 21st Jan | Kachavinahalli, Hunsur division, Nagarhole | Female | 12 |
11 | 1st Feb | Gumtara Range, Pench MP | Male | |
12 | 4th Feb | Chichpally, Chandrapur buffer | Male | 18 months |
13 | 11t Feb | Kodaikanal, Palani hills, close to Anaimalai hills, near Indira Gandhi WLS | Male | 10 |
14 | 21st Feb | Valmiki Tiger Reserve, | Male | - |
15 | 22nd Feb | Ghunghuti, Umaria Dist, NH78, 100km from Bhandara | Female | unknown |
16 | 26th Feb | nilambur Forest, Kerala | Male | 14-15 |
17 | 29th Feb | Medziphema, Nagaland | Female | unknown |
18 | 26th Feb | Bijrani, Sanwalde beat, Corbett | Male | 8 |
19 | 7th Mar | Tanda Forest Range, Terai Central Division, Dist Nainital | Male | 5-6 months |
20 | 14th Mar | Mukutban (FDCM), Pandharkawda | Female | 8 |
21 | 15th Mar | Peimundhu, South Nilgiris Forest Div | Male | 10 |
22 | 10th Mar | Simaiya Bhagpur, Kanha | Male | 13 (one paper said its around 4/5 yr old. Check ref in next sheet |
23 | 10-Mar | Valmiki Tiger Reserve, West Champaran Dit | Female | unknwon |
24 | 19th Mar | Devarsholo, Gudalur Forest Area, Nr Ooty, TN | Male | 7 |
25 | 27th Mar | Hediyala range, Bandipur | Male | 10 |
26 | 28th Mar | Baghinaala, Pench MP | Female | 12 |
27 | 28th Mar | Baghinaala, Pench MP | cub | 8 months |
28 | 28th Mar | Baghinaala, Pench MP | cub | 8 months |
29 | 29th Mar | Khwada village, Sultanpur forest, Kota Range | female | |
30 | 2nd April | Samrock Forest, Nr. Kilkotagiri, Nilgiris | Female | 8-9 years |
31 | 2nd April | Kalahalla Range, Nagarhole | Male | 9 years |
32 | 4th April | Bichhua Village, Gumtara, Range, Chhindwara, Pench MP | Male | - |
33 | 5th April | Chikmagalur Territorial Division , Karnataka | ||
34 | 8th April | Ghurila, Kanha (Pench Baghinaala Cub) | cub | 8 months |
35 | 8th April | Boundary of Sindewahi territorial forest n Tadoba buffer | Female | 5 years |
36 | 10th April | Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve | Male | 10 years |
37 | 16th April | Jonkpani beat, Suphkar Range, Kanha | Male | 12 |
38 | 18th April | Parsatola Beat, Nr Mukki Range, Kanha | Female | 8 |
39 | 18th April | Parsatola Beat, Nr Mukki Range, Kanha | cub | 5 months |
40 | 18th April | Parsatola Beat, Nr Mukki Range, Kanha | cub | 5 months |
41 | 26th April | Sindewahi Range, Dongargaon, Near TATR | Male | 12yrs (few reports say 5yrs) |
42 | 26th April | Mukki Range, Kanha | cub | 3-4 months |
43 | 26th April | Nagarhole Tiger Reserve | female | 8 years |
44 | 26th April | Anini, Arunachal Pradesh | ||
45 | 4th May | Doni forest, Mul (Buffer) , TATR | Male | 2 years |
46 | 7th May | Haridwar- Najibabad Highway, Near Rajaji National Park | Male | 5 years |
47 | 8th May | Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve | Female | 15-16 |
48 | 19th May | Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve | Male | 13 years |
49 | 21st May | Kanha National Park | Female Cub | 13-14 onths |
50 | 24th May | Chikkaldhara, Melghat Tiger Reserve | Male | Age not yet confirmed |
51 | 25th May | Gundre Range, Bandipur | Male | 9 years |
52 | 28th May | Chikkaldhara Range, Melghat Tiger Reserve | Female | 8 |
53 | 4th June | Kottadai, Hasanur, Sathyamangalam, TN | ||
54 | 11th June | Panna Tiger Reserve | Female | 11 |
55 | 16th June | Soopkhar Range, Kanha Tiger Reserve | Female | 7-9 yrs |
56 | 16th June | Khitauli, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve | Male Cub | 4-5 months |
57 | 19th June | Kurichiyat Range, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary | Female | 8 years |
58 | 23rd June | Achenkovil, Kerala | ||
59 | 25th June | Taleda Range, RTR | Female | 11 |
60 | 6th Jul | Teda Village, (buffer) Corbett National Park | Male | 6-7 years |
61 | 8th Jul | Chorgaon, Tadoba Buffer | Male | Old tiger (worn out canines) |
62 | 12th Jul | Range Dhela Near Jhirna, Corbett | Male | 8 years |
63 | 14th Jul | Valparai | Female | 6 years |
64 | 16th Jul | Satosha beat, karmajhiri Range, Pench MP | Male | 3-4 years |
65 | 18th Jul | Lakhimpur Kheri, Near Dudhwa | Female | 11 years |
66 | 27th Jul | Orang, Assam | - | - |
67 | 1st Aug | Agoratoli Range, Kaziranga | Male | - |
68 | 3rd Aug | Coffee estate in Nittur, 90 KM from Madikeri, Virajpet, away from Nagarhole | Male | 8 years |
69,70 | 1st - 9th Aug | Nagarhole Tiger Reserve | 2 Cubs | 10 months |
71 | 8th Aug | Rukhad, Pench MP | Male | 3 years |
72 | 10th Aug | DB Kubbe Range, Nagarhole | Female | 2 years |
73 | 10th Aug | Padmapur Beat, Brahmapuri Div | Male | 3 years |
74 | 14th Aug | Maddur Range, Bandipur Tiger Reserve | Male | 10 years |
75 | 18th Aug | Ranthambore | Female | 19 years |
Today, photography is undergoing a sea change. Advances in technology and changes in lifestyle mean that more and more people hold in their hands the ability to capture beautiful, expressive imagery. The CLaW contest is a great opportunity to champion new forms of image making, adapting to and embracing these exciting changes in the way people express their passions and beliefs through imagery. The goal is to foster a growing, global community of photographers creating images that stand apart through their creativity, their ability to move people and their capacity for communication. We thank our sponsors for their constant support to make these contests at CLaW a huge success.
This forum brings together people not only with a passion for the image and an active commitment to bettering their art but also provide a platform where they can acknowledge each other, be stimulated by diverse points of view, thrive through competition, and make the culture of the image more familiar. CLaW through its weekly contest has tried to bring to the forefront the awareness and need for the conservation of the lesser known species of the wild. It is a constant endeavour to protect the ecological balance whose framework is bestowed on each species.
We believe in the power of the image to tell stories that can't be told any other way. The hall of fame is a compilation of hand- picked images from the submissions based on documentation strength, rarity, feel, popularity and inspiring ones towards nature and wildlife. Here each picture is nature in a frame which showcases the phenomenal vision of the photographers and focuses on raising awareness on the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
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There are two paths of which one may choose in the walk of life; one we are born with, and the one we consciously blaze.
The cause of Ustaad set ablaze a path which brought together people from all around who believed in preserving what they so dearly love ‘Mother Earth’.
He was the genesis for what ClaW stands for today.
CLaW –Conservation, Lenses and Wildlife - a holistic forum, where we would like members to paint on a really broad canvas.
We invite members to share their unique experiences of the natural world – not just the flora and fauna, but their habitat too!
Our endeavour is to help nature to claw back from the brink to which she has been pushed.
At CLaW we encourage sharing of photographs, interesting observations, conservation issues - anything that can add to the knowledge and understanding of our wonderful natural heritage, and can raise awareness towards conserving and safeguarding it for the present, and for the future.
With the launch of CLaW website, we wish to thank our members, our supporters, sponsors and friends who have been part of CLaW origination.
Businessman, Photographer and Wild wanderer
Photographer,
Wildlife & Nature Enthusiast
Businessman, Wildlife Photographer, Wildlife Conservationist
Sales Profressional,
Wildlife Enthusiast,
Photographer
Doctor, Writer,
Wildlife Enthusiast,
Animal rights activist
Businessman, Photographer and Wild wanderer
Wildlife Enthusiast
Software Professional,
Cricket Lover,
Wildlife Enthusiast
Self Employed/Real Estate Consultant,
Nature & Wildlife Enthusiast
Wildlife Photographer
Businessman,
Photographer,
Nature & Wildlife Enthusiast
Wildlife Enthusiast
Builder, Biker,
Software Professional,
Wildlife Enthusiast
Sowtware Professional,
Photographer
Wildlife Enthusiast
Doctor,
Wildlife & Nature lover,
Animal activist
Procurement Specialist,
Photographer,
Nature and Wildlife Enthusiast
Spread the love for Nature and wildlife
Support the various causes towards conservation to one's ability
Actively engage in commenting, encouraging and in providing constructive feedbacks to the images and posts
Share information about concern areas, injured animals, poaching, etc
Share thoughts and opinions related to conservation
Share your amazing images to spread the love for Nature and Wildlife (likes are irrespective)
Bring in awareness of the less visited parks
Take part in CLaW contests for recognition amongst the members
Appreciate the work of fellow photographers
On selective contests choose to donate the outcome of the prize for #CLaWReachOut
Report injured animals, traps and snares to forest officials, with images
Sponsor CLaW Contests from time-to-time
Raise awareness of the the nearby National Parks, species that it holds, wildlife safety related concerns, injured animals, poaching, etc
Sponsor CLaW Contests from time-to-time
Raise awareness of the the nearby National Parks, species that it holds, wildlife safety related concerns, injured animals, poaching, etc
Share the favourite images to inspire members
Sponsor/Conduct workshops for the members on their expertise
Create meaningful content to spread love for nature and wildlife
Be recognized for their work by CLaW Members.
Spread the love for Nature and wildlife
Support the various causes towards conservation to one's ability
Actively engage in commenting, encouraging and in providing constructive feedbacks to the images and posts
Share thoughts and opinions related to conservation
Sponsor CLaW Contests/Events from time-to-time
Sponsor CLaW Contests/Events from time-to-time
Sponsor CLaW Contests/Events from time-to-time
Use CLaW Photographer's images for their calendar and marketing materials