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Big cat count increases in Assam's Orang Tiger Reserve

Naresh Mitra | TNN | May 7, 2017, 08.37PM IST

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GUWAHATI: Orang Tiger Reserve (OTR), about 150km from here, has an estimated 28 tigers in the 492.46 square km area, according to the latest big cats' count. In 2013, Orang had an estimated 24 tigers.

OTR field director Sunnydeo Choudhury said that the estimation exercise carried out between January and March this year in 78.8 square km core area of the reserve found tiger density to be 35.44 per 100 square km, which is the highest in the country as well as in the world!!!

Choudhury said although the present density figure is subjected to further evaluation, the preliminary estimation has strong indications about Orang having "highest tiger density in the country."

"Our estimation says 35.44 tigers per 100 sq km. This figure will go through special software for further evaluation. Even if there is some variation of density, it will hover close to the present figure. In this situation also Orang will have the distinction of having the highest density of tiger population in country and the world," Choudhury said.

Located on the northern banks of Brahmaputra, Orang, also known as mini-Kaziranga, has always been a thriving habitat for tigers along with rhinos. In 2016, Orang was declared fourth tiger reserve in the state with an area of 492.46 square km, including the 78.8 square km of the Orang National Park as core area of the tiger reserve.

Rise in tiger population in Orang also demands creating more space of the big cats. Tigers being territorial animal, the big cats are always on the lookout for new areas for them. In recent years there has been rise in livestock in fringe areas of Orang being killed by tigers. Last year alone 16 cattle were killed.

"The future of tiger in Orang is secure as historically it is a big cat landscape. However, increasing population may have its own disadvantages as there will be more competition for space, prey, breeding space, among others. This may result in more territorial fights. The spill-over population may be pushed out of the secure environment and move to the populated buffer area in search of easy prey like cattle," Choudhury said. Reply