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 Cubs' spotting ups optimism about Dudhwa tiger numbers


In a discovery that ushers in new hope for Dudhwa tigers, At least a dozen new tiger cubs, about two years old, have been spotted in the core area of Dudhwa tiger reserve.

The cubs have been spotted by camera traps placed in Kishenpur and Bilrayen and Sonaripur ranges of Dudhwa. Unlike earlier censuses, a separate record of cubs is being maintained this time. A clearer picture on the number of tigers and their cubs in the core area will however emerge next week after the camera trapping exercise at Dudhwa ends.

The exercise in Kishenpur is over and officials expect that tiger count at Kishenpur might be up from the 2011 tiger census. In 2011, 18 tigers were recorded in Kishenpur. This time, the count might go up to 25 tigers including adults and sub-adults (more than 2.5 years old).

At present, about 104 pairs of cameras are rolling at Bilrayen and south Sonaripur ranges of Dudhwa. After April 19, cameras will be installed at 106 more points inside the reserve.

The number of tigers is expected to go up after the entire Dudhwa gets covered. The final figures of the tiger census would be released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in July 2014.Meanwhile, camera feed downloaded so far is being studied by experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF-India).

The camera feed is downloaded every week by the forest staff. The tigers will be distinguished based on their stripe patterns.Tiger census 2011 had shown 118 tigers in Dudhwa tiger reserve which includes Dudhwa national park, Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary, Kishenpur, Pilibhit, north and south Kheri.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...149569.cms

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