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Tigers of the High Himalayas
Tigers of the High Himalayas
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Tigers of the High Himalayas
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Uttarakhand plans 'High Altitude Tiger Project!'
Tigress clicked at Askot Sanctuary in 2018.  *This image is copyright of its original author After getting a firm testimony to the presence of tigers in Uttarakhand up to 14 thousand feet, now the state is preparing to shape the 'High Altitude Tiger Project'. There are mainly tigers in the 13 forest divisions of the state including the Carbet Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. Under this, forest divisions not included under those, will be recognised for the presence of tigers. Global Tiger Forum (GTF) and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a global organization working for tiger conservation, are preparing this draft. Then, in its new habitats of higher Himalayan areas, steps will be taken to protect the tiger.  *This image is copyright of its original author During the last four years tigers have been reported to leave the plains & foothills for the higher reaches, with presence of tigers being confirmed at Askot Sanctuary (12500 feet) of Pithoragarh & Madhameshwar (14000 feet) of Kedarnath Sanctuary under Rudraprayag district, by the installed in camera traps. Apart from this, tigers have been captured near Khatling Glacier (12,000 feet) in camera traps. Counting of tigers in the higher reaches of Himachal range, will start now from March 2019. By February, the preliminary report of all the areas of the state, where the presence of tigers has been found, will be prepared. This work will be under 'High Altitude Tiger Project' run by NTCA and GTF. Sources: https://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/dehra...95263.html https://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/dehra...98702.html 
Conserving Bhutan’s Mountain Tigers
Wildlife Project · Geylegphug, BT Today, fewer than 3,200 tigers exist in the wild, spread across 13 countries in Asia and the Russian Far East. Your donation is urgently needed to help the Bhutan Foundation support this crucial mountain tiger conservation work. Help save this amazing animal! You can donate to the project here ---> https://projectsforgood.com/projects/409/story  *This image is copyright of its original author The Bhutan Foundation : https://projectsforgood.com/members/539/...foundation Project Story:  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The Kingdom of Bhutan is a small mountain nation in the Himalayas bordered by China to the North and India to the South. Bhutan is unique in that its tiger habitat is contiguous across the whole country and extends from lowland subtropical jungles all the way to subalpine forests. The highest altitude for tiger in the world was recorded in Wangchuck Centennial National Park at 4,400 meters (14,436 feet) above sea level. Bhutan is also the only place on the planet where tigers and snow leopards are found in the same landscape. About The Project The tiger is an apex predator and an umbrella species: ensuring their survival allows many species they need and live with to flourish in its large shared habitat. However, killing for profit or in retaliation, destruction of habitat for industries or subsistence, and a thriving illicit global trade have drastically reduced tiger populations across its range. Today, fewer than 3,200 tigers exist in the wild, spread across 13 countries in Asia and the Russian Far East. Establishing Baseline Information on Key Species A population baseline for Bhutan’s mountain tigers is an important metric to help measure conservation success. It also allows conservationists to understand the spatial layout of important tiger habitat in order to better guide their protection. In addition, understanding tiger biology is critical to implementing effective conservation interventions. This project is a long-term initiative to build a sound knowledge base and research to guide tiger conservation.
Bhutan’s Protected Areas & Biodiversity Corridors  *This image is copyright of its original author Over the last five years, we have supported Bhutanese biologists at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environmental Research (UWICER) in carrying out tiger surveys in Royal Manas National Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Parks to contribute to Bhutan’s national tiger survey efforts.
Conservation policies and management using sound science is the only way we can ensure that resources are focused on the right interventions in the right areas.
Results from these surveys will now be used to understand tiger movements, ecology, identify key corridors, monitor their status, and mitigate human-tiger interaction. According to the National Tiger Survey of Bhutan report released by the government, Bhutan has an estimated 103 adult tigers.
They placed 120 self-triggered camera traps in the Black Mountains. The field teams also discovered evidence of rampant musk deer poaching in the remote alpine meadow–subalpine ecotone that are rarely visited by officials. Such undertakings also present excellent opportunities for training and inspiring young field personnel through active mentoring.
 *This image is copyright of its original author With a thriving population of tigers inhabiting unfragmented landscapes across Bhutan, it is now crucial for conservationists to understand tiger movement to ensure that key habitat requirements are protected for posterity. This requires accommodation of development activities within such landscapes in a way that is not detrimental to the long-term survival of this endangered cat.
In order to collect this vital information, the National Tiger Center has initiated a tiger radio-telemetry study in Royal Manas National Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park in partnership with the park management authorities.
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The Confirmed Historic range of the modern Tiger in Eurasia. This project is supported by the National Tiger Center, UWICER, JSWNP, the Bhutan Foundation, University of Montana, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the National Geographic Society.  *This image is copyright of its original author The team leader and head of the National Tiger Center, Dr. Tshering Tempa, said in the past, studies on the subject were carried out on a short-term basis most of the time. “This is a comprehensive research and took us a minimum of four years,” he said about the tiger surveys. “We’re determined to understand tigers and other cats in these biologically diverse and as yet unexplored forests of our country.”
Dr. Tshering Tempa, whose team also collared the tiger, said Manas was an extremely rich and productive ecosystem, which explained the high density of cats and associated species. “Also, Bhutan’s stringent conservation laws have played a role in keeping this magnificent place that sustains some of the last tigers on the planet alive,” he said.
Our Partners
The Bhutan Foundation works with the world’s leading wildlife conservation organizations who support the Mountain Tiger Conservation Project. This project is mainly implemented by the
 *This image is copyright of its original author More About the Organization  *This image is copyright of its original author You Can Also Check Out A Ted Talk From The Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Togbay, Who Discusses Bhutan Being the World's First Carbon Negative Nation Here! Help us continue our efforts to save this amazing species!
How you can help…Donate to Project...  *This image is copyright of its original author Share this Project...
For first time, Sikkim traps a royal Bengal tiger on camera
By Rajeev Ravidas in Gangtok| Published 8.01.19, 1:53 AM | Updated 8.01.19, 9:19 AM | a min read  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author The picture of the royal Bengal tiger captured by a camera trap at the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary. The big cat was caught near Goru Jurey at an altitude of 9,583ft. Source: Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary The Sikkim forest department has for the first time captured on camera a royal Bengal tiger roaming the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East district. Quote:The big cat was caught on camera near Goru Jurey at an altitude of 9,583ft at 6:23pm and again at 7pm on December 6. “The visual capture of the royal Bengal tiger roaming the forests of Sikkim calls for celebration. The presence of tigers in Sikkim forests is an indication of a healthy eco-system flourishing in our state,” said Dechen Lachungpa, the divisional forest officer of East wildlife division. The forester said there had been oral narratives of tigers freely roaming the forests of Sikkim until the late 1980s, but the first ever picture of the animal could be the concrete base on which a detailed study on migration of tigers to the Himalayan state could be undertaken. The tiger was captured on camera traps laid by the field forest officers of the North Pangolakha wildlife range in the East wildlife division. Quote:“The foresters led by range officer Roshan Tamang spent days positioning camera traps at strategic locations inside the Pangolakha sanctuary and they deserve credit for the visual capture. The cameras were laid with funds provided by the JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)-assisted Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project,” said Lachungpa.Quoting from her conversation with a retired forest officer with vast knowledge of the Sikkim forests, the DFO said till the late Eighties, tigers were known to migrate to high-altitude forests in Sikkim from neighbouring Neora Valley National Park in Kalimpong district of Bengal. Quote:“At that time, wildlife expert N.D Jayal had remarked that migration of tigers to forests at altitudes of 10,000ft was unusual and attributed it to the big cat developing a taste for yaks,” she said. A tiger had been spotted on the fringes of the Neora Valley park in January 2017. A driver on his way from Pedong to Lava had spotted the tiger near the national park and photographed it. https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/no...id/1681158
Bhutan’s tiger population shows steady increase
 *This image is copyright of its original author The number of tigers is slowly growing in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. New tiger photographs and pugmarks have emerged from different parts of the country, indicating an overall increase in their numbers. The Royal Manas National Park, one of Bhutan’s oldest parks located in south central Bhutan, saw its tiger population double from 10 to 22 tigers, between 2010 and 2016. A total of 90 camera stations, each with two cameras were installed across 1,300 square kilometers in Manas. According to latest data analysis, the number had increased to 28 tigers in the park by 2018, based on the same camera that had been used for earlier surveys.  *This image is copyright of its original author Deputy chief forestry officer of the Royal Manas national park, Sithup Lhendup said that while it is difficult to ascertain whether the number of tigers has increased due to migration or new birth. However, from what has been observed so far, it is safe to say that around 50% is due to migration and the remaining half are new births. His team is carrying out an analysis on age structure and population dynamics which will give a clearer idea of how many tigers have migrated into Bhutan. According to the World Wildlife Fund Bhutan, 12 transboundary tigers have been recorded in the Transboundary Manas Conservation Area in 2015 by cooperation with India, an increase from just four tigers in 2011, according to the latest report on tigers of Transboundary Manas Area. Bhutan conducted its national tiger survey in 2014-15, which estimated 103 tigers. With the latest increase in their population, Bhutan is well poised to contribute to the global ambition of doubling tiger population by 2022. Bhutan’s 12th five year plan and the Bhutan for Life Initiative have set an ambitious target to increase tiger population by 20% in the next five years. Another big initiative for the conservation of tigers in Bhutan was the establishment of the National Tiger Center. According to Tshering Tempa, program director of the National Tiger Center said, there are already at least 103 tigers in the country, but Bhutan’s forest could support between 200 to 250 tigers. Sources: https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/2019/03/...in-bhutan/ https://nenow.in/neighbour/bhutans-tiger...years.html
Bit old, bit still stands true...
Wildlife Experts Doubt Bhutan’s Claim On Tiger Routes Wildlife experts in the North East had disagreed with Bhutan’s claim that tigers from that country could move frequently to Kaziranga National Park and Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. A national tiger survey was conducted in between 2013 and 2015, pegging their tiger numbers between 103-110. The report ‘National Tiger Survey of Bhutan 2014 - 2015’ had inferred that on a regional scale, Bhutan serves as an important tiger source area with the potential to generate populations. The report said that tigers from Bhutan could move towards the Manas tiger reserve in Assam through the Royal Manas National Park and the Zhemgang division; the Kaziranga National Park in Assam and the Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh through the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary, the Jhomotshangkha wildlife sanctuary and the Samdrup Jongkhar division. Other areas from where a tiger in the neighbouring country are known to move to within India are the Buxa tiger reserve in West Bengal and the Kanchenjunga conservation area in Sikkim & recently Neora Valley. "Given our understanding of the landscape, it is a distant possibility that tigers could move from Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan to Kaziranga and Namdapha," Anupam Sarmah, head of Assam Landscape, WWF-India North Bank Landscape Project But another expert at the Department of Environmental Science in Gauhati University said, “Going by the geographical characteristics of the North East, it is a very remote possibility that tigers could move from the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan to Kaziranga and Namdapha.” He said the tigers could come once in a lifetime but moving frequently looks difficult. Wildlife biologist Firoz Ahmed, who was involved in a number of tiger camera-trapping studies, said although a tiger can travel long distances in search of potential habitat, given the least cost pathway theory, a tiger from Kaziranga has more potential to move to Nameri-Pakke across fordable Brahmaputra, than from Bhutan. “It is not that easy for the movement of a tiger from one landscape to another. Many hurdles such as human settlements, land-use change and habitat change come in the way of such movement,” adding that future study using GPS collars may throw more light on a tiger’s travel routes. Sources: https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/wildl...outes/amp/ https://m.telegraphindia.com/india/wildl...id/1480612 
If I remember correctly, Kaziranga Tigers were genetically most similar to indochinese Tigers. I believe they have a very distinct genetic code, I'd have to search around to find the study.
But that being said, I wonder if the Tigers from Bhutan share the same genetics or if they don't, its obviously safe to assume not many make it to Kaziranga fom there. (04-29-2019, 03:50 PM)Pckts Wrote: If I remember correctly, Kaziranga Tigers were genetically most similar to indochinese Tigers. I believe they have a very distinct genetic code, I'd have to search around to find the study. They have genetic similarities with Indochinese tigers. That is normal given that they live in the transitional zone between Bengals & Indochinese ones on Arakan hill of Myanmar to the southeast. Bhutan tigers have more proximity to Dooars & Manas tigers, who on turn would exchange genes with lower Assam. I was pretty taken aback by it... Bhutan tigers are often recorded coming to Sikkim & Neora Valley. It's well-connected to Manas & Arunachal too. 
They overlap, but thus far, no interaction has been recorded between the tiger and snow leopard. That's the position we're at right now. (This is from an old article btw)
""We've realized that Bhutan is now officially the only country in the world to have tigers at such high altitudes and also the only country where the habitat of the snow leopard and the tiger are overlapping," said Tiger Sangay of the Nature Conservation Division. Sources say that pugmarks and pictures can be seen between 3,700 to 4,300 meters in the latest study." I doubt we will record interaction soon, both are rare and elusive meaning even seeing one is lucky let alone two, and the snow leopard will avoid the tiger and its preferred habitat niches at all costs. It's possible sure, but unlikely we will get anything of substance in years. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2008/...09-02.html  (06-30-2017, 12:34 AM)Sully Wrote: Mod Edit (30th Dec, 2018): Another photographic confirmation of high-altitude tiger presence, this time in the west!  *This image is copyright of its original author A tiger was caught on camera in the Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, of Rudraprayag District, on May 26 at 2:38 am in a valley (approximately 11,154 ft) above mean sea level. The area falls under Kedarnath Wildlife Division. Uttrakhand Protected Areas & Reserve Forests Map (some areas to the north aren't necessarily forest cover):  *This image is copyright of its original author In 2016,a tiger was spotted at 3274m (approximately 10,741 ft) in Askot WLS in Uttarakhand (detailed post earlier in the thread).
More Bhutan tigers,
 *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
If anyone is interested in Bhutan tigers, I will give title of PDF. You can find it easily in Google search. The title is counting the tigers in Bhutan (national tiger survey report 2014-2015).
(07-27-2019, 11:23 PM)Ashutosh Wrote: Royal Bengal tiger was captured on camera at the Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in East district by the Sikkim Forest Department, in Sikkim. (06-17-2019, 04:03 AM)Sully Wrote: They overlap, but thus far, no interaction has been recorded between the tiger and snow leopard. That's the position we're at right now. (This is from an old article btw)  *This image is copyright of its original author The previous tiger click there, was in 9500ft Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary at Sikkim adjoining Bhutan's Jigme Kesar Nature Reserve just across the border, when a snow leopard was captured on the same tracks... this winter.  *This image is copyright of its original author Followed by another at 11, 715 ft in Kyongnosla Wildlife Sanctuary in May.  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Now another click in Gamthangpu above Lachen in North Sikkim, at an altitude of 3,600 metres above sea level.  *This image is copyright of its original author The World Wildlife Fund had set up camera traps as part of its special high altitude tiger project under the National Tiger Conservation Authority. A similar project for Tiger Conservation has been initiated by the WWF in West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Before these Neora Valley in North Bengal, just south of Pangolakha had several tigers photographed in 2017-18 winter.  *This image is copyright of its original author All these have always been males. Most likely Bhutan's surplus transients probing into Indian forests for territory.
Sikkim tigers. Source: WWF-India
The state forest principal chief conservator said, "Based on these photographs, it is established that there is presence of at least two different individual tigers in the area. One of these animals, a male, was photographed at an elevation of 3,600 m which is one of the highest altitudes that tigers have been recorded at in India thus far. In recent weeks, tigers have been photo-captured in camera traps in two different locations in the remote forests of North district of Sikkim.”  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author
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