Tigers of South India & Western Ghats

[Rishi]

Survival of tigers at risk in Goa’s forests, says report
Rajendra P Kerkar | TNN | Updated: Jul 29, 2020, 09:12 IST

File photo of a tiger on a camera trap in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.

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KERI: In January this year poisoned carcasses  of a tiger family were found in & around the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. This triggered a national uproar. Debates on how safe the big cat was in the state’s protected forests followed.
A February 2020 report submitted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Bengaluru had highlighted the apathy of the state’s forest department in safeguarding the tiger.

“It was observed that there were no proper protection mechanisms in place within the sanctuary, like a network of well-connected anti-poaching camps at strategic locations manned by forest guard/watchers 24x7, which is a very common feature of well managed protected tiger reserves,” the report had stated.
There are only four camps at Codal, Nagargao, Valpoi and Caranzol for a sanctuary spread over an area of more than 200 km², the report stated.

However, nearly 6 months later, nothing much has been done by the forest department to rectify shortcomings in the system.
Additional principal chief conservator of forests, Santosh Kumar told TOI that his department is still in the process of establishing anti-poaching camps and watch towers in the sanctuary. “We have already taken steps for creating critical tiger breeding habitat inviolate areas. Systematic patrolling for safeguarding tigers, their prey and habitat has been initiated. In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, our staff is making necessary arrangements for providing infrastructure required for efficient management of the tiger habitats,” he said.

The report, submitted by a team headed by Rajendra Garawad, additional inspector general of forests with the Bengaluru authority, had laid stress on the importance of an organised anti-poaching camp network and regular patrolling. “It is highly possible that tigers, their prey base and other flora, fauna might be subjected to varying degrees of poaching pressure, but there is no way to know unless a good protection and information network is put in place,” the report had stated.

*This image is copyright of its original author

Goa's forest being a narrow strip along the outer regions of Western Ghats, function as a buffer area for the tiger populations in Karnataka. Reply