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https://glenwoodguardian.com/ktaka-may-s...406/10809/
K‘taka may surpass its own tiger count of 406

September 27, 2018

BENGALURU: Even as India awaits results of the latest , foresters and from Karnataka are hopeful that the state will continue to lead the nation in the number of big cats. 
They say the recent claims by Madhya Pradesh government that the central Indian state would overtake Karnataka would be proved wrong once the census results are out in a few months.

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That states are competing to lead in the national tiger count is a healthy sign, but none should jump the gun. They should wait for the final numbers to be released. Karnataka forest officials are optimistic about the state’s numbers improving, and that would indeed be reason to rejoice. However, the Centre and states must ensure conservation efforts are intensified and localised measures are taken to increase the big cat count. Authorities should ensure development works don’t come in the way of wildlife. Karnataka, for instance, should continue with the ban on night traffic in Bandipur Tiger Reserve if it helps the wildlife cause.

A senior forest official from Karnataka told TOI: “Geographical mapping of tigers, which is conducted every four years and held during January this year, has given us many positive indications. In most tiger reserves, the census teams made many direct sightings and even in forest patches where there were few sightings earlier, volunteers reported good signs about their direct presence. In fact, going by the census experience, Karnataka may be surpassing its own count of 406 recorded in the 2014 census.” As per last census figures, Uttarakhand stands second with 340 tigers, followed by Madhya Pradesh (308) and Tamil Nadu (229).

Asked about the MP government’s claim that the state would regain the ‘Tiger State’ title, which it had lost to Karnataka in 2011, Karnataka foresters said the results will clear the air. “We got to know that there is a good jump in the number of tigers in MP. But it is most unlikely that the state would beat Karnataka numbers,” he added.

Foresters say the All India Tiger Assessment 2018 is expected to give more accurate results as this was the first tiger census where volunteers and foresters used a digital app to record their observations. The app, MSTrIPES, is an integrated programme for GPS-aided spatial patrolling and ecological assessment of tiger reserves.

Pranav BK, a wildlife enthusiast, who has participated in wildlife censuses in the past, said, “One has to wait for the results to get the real picture. Mere sighting of tigers in a reserve doesn’t mean the estimation will go up. Data collected during the census undergoes vigorous analysis through statistical methods, after which the figures are announced,” he added.

As per preliminary census data announced by the Centre, tiger population has gone up across forest patches of the country.

In Karnataka, the tiger estimation exercise was conducted in five reserves — Bandipur, Nagarhole, Bhadra, Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) and Kali, and at several wildlife sanctuaries Reply