Bigcats News

[Apollo]

Tiger Carcass Found in ATR Coffee Estate

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

The carcass of a five-year-old tiger was found at a coffee plantation in Varattuparai estate under Valparai forest division in Anamalai tiger reserve (ATR) on Monday afternoon.Estate security personnel spotted the carcass and informed the forest officials around 2.30 pm. On information, field director of ATR, Rajiv K Srivastava, district forest officer, Velusamy, and Valparai forest ranger, Krishnasamy, reached the spot.   Though, the exact cause of death was not established, photos of the carcass, released by the forest department, showed meat in the mouth of the animal. Preliminary investigations suggested that the tiger could have died due to internal injuries sustained while eating a porcupine. Officials said  quills of porcupine were found in the vicinity. However, the officials said the reason behind the death would be ascertained once the autopsy was conducted. The post mortem was delayed due to the absence of a permanent veterinary doctor in ATR. As the forest veterinary doctor N S Manokaran was in Coimbatore and it would have taken around three hours for him to reach Valparai, the autopsy was postponed to Tuesday morning, the source added.Watchers and guards had camped at the place for the night to thwart any bid to poach the animal.  Sources said the carcass would be burnt after the autopsy, which would be performed in front of members of Nature conservation foundation (NCF). 

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/t...115393.ece
 

 

---

More tigers found in Sunderbans

The camera-trap exercise in the South 24-Parganas forest division, a continuation of the project which was started in the Sunderbans in 2012, has found the presence of new tigers that didn't appear before the cameras when the exercise was conducted two years back.

While talking to TOI, divisional forest officer of the South 24-Parganas forest division Lipika Roy said that two new individuals, both adult tigers, appeared before the camera trap stations laid in the Ramganga range of the forest division. "So far, the exercise has been completed in Ramganga only and we will implement the project in Raidighi and Matla ranges too. By the end of this year, we can give the minimum number of tigers in the entire South 24-Parganas forest division," she said.

However, the wildlifers are already an elated lot as the study so far points that these tigers have appeared for the first time before the cameras. "After matching the stripe pattern of these big cats with the images taken in 2012, we found that these tigers never appeared before any of the cameras laid in the Raidighi, Ramganga and Matla ranges of the forest division last time," said a forester, adding that completion of the same exercise in Raidighi will reveal whether the big cats are frequenting this area also.

Meanwhile, the camera trap exercise in the Ramganga range has found the presence of a minimum 5 tigers this year, including the two new individuals. This area had thrown up a figure of minimum 8 tigers last year with a density of 5.24 tigers per 100 square kilometres. The exercise is being conducted jointly by the forest department and the officials of WWF-India'a Sunderbans chapter.

Sources said that the entire forest under the Ramganga range was divided into 4 square kilometres grid to locate tiger pugmarks and scat. "Later, 30 heat motion sensitive cameras were laid there covering an area of more than 120 square kilometres. Several images were captured during the exercise carried out in January, of which 5 turned out to be that of separate individuals," said sources, adding that tiger presence was found in the forests of Dhulibashani and Chulkathi. The entire Ramganga range is spread over more than 500 square kilometres area.

On being asked about the dip in the number of tigers photo captured in this range this year, a forester said that in 2012 the exercise was conducted covering an area of almost 184 square kilometres, compared to 120 this year. "Besides, we can't expect each and every tiger in the forest to appear before the camera trap stations," he said. A minimum 22 tigers were found in the entire South 24-Parganas forest division in 2012.

The state had, last year, notified more than 550 square kilometres in this part of the mangroves as West Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary, the largest sanctuary in the mangroves, covering the forests of Dhulibashani and Chulkathi.

Wildlife Protection Society of India's (WPSI) executive director Belinda Wright termed this an exceptional indication. "Tigers are great wanderers. Big cats coming in new areas and settling there is nothing unusual. So, this is a good news. But to find out whether the population is stable, one needs more scientific details and the department should carry on with the exercise over a longer period," she said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/...267183.cms
 

  Reply