Bigcats News

[Sanju]

(01-29-2019, 06:34 PM)Lycaon Wrote: @Rishi 

Did anything come from conforming  the presence of tigers in dangs district of gujarat?

There you go man!!! @Lycaon At last Once coexisted two friends Lion and Tiger going to meet for the first time after decades or centuries of separation by humans. What a moment!!!

After 1985, tiger spotted near Tapi district, forest officials on alert

Written by Kamal Saiyed | Surat | Published: July 28, 2018 8:58:51 am

*This image is copyright of its original author

The pug mark in Koknipada village

Quote:According to Nandurbar range forest officials, two residents of Koknipada village spotted the tiger, the first since 1985, on July 22 in two separate incidents.

The rare sighting of a tiger in Koknipada village of Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, barely 30 km from Tapi district, has put forest officials of both Maharashtra and Gujarat on alert. Looking at the pug marks of the animal, while Maharashtra forest officials have confirmed that it was a tiger, grass follicles from the hillock where the tiger was spotted, have been sent to a laboratory in Hyderabad to identify the species, its age and sex.

According to Nandurbar range forest officials, two residents of Koknipada village spotted the tiger, the first since 1985, on July 22 in two separate incidents.
In the first incident, the tiger was spotted by Jaysingh Kokni, a resident of Koknipada village. On spotting the tiger, Kokni called for help. By the time his employees arrived, the tiger had fled.
After preliminary examination of the pug marks, Randive Ganesh, Assistant Conservator of Forest of Nandurbar range has said that they belong to a tiger. Ganesh and his team were able to trace the pug marks to a hillock where they spotted the tiger crouching under a rock.

Quote:Talking to The Indian Express Ganesh said, “We were just 16 m from the tiger. We were not carrying cameras or else we would have taken photos. We had to use fire crackers to drive the tiger away from human habitat.”
About the sightings in the village, Ganesh said, “We have been told that one Bhimsingh Kokni (38), of Koknipada village, on the other side of the hillock, saw the tiger. He was attacked by the animal and has sustained minor injuries. He was sent to Nandurbar civil hospital for treatment.”

He further said, “We have collected the samples of the grass follicles and taken impressions of pugmarks. The follicle samples were sent to the Centre for Cellular Molecular Biology laboratory in Hyderabad for a DNA test. We are still waiting for the report. The pugmarks were sent to Nagpur wildlife laboratory, which confirmed that it was a tiger.”
Nandurbar range Deputy Conservator of Forest S B Kewate said, “We have started patrolling the forest area in Nandurbar. We have also hired a drone camera to locate the tiger. Forest officials in Tapi, Narmada and Dangs have been put on alert as the tiger might enter their territory. Our officer Randive Ganesh and few others saw the tiger so we know for sure that it was a tiger.”

Koknipada village is around 30 km from Uchhal taluka of Tapi district, 60 km from Subir taluka in Dangs and 120 km from Narmada in Gujarat. A tiger can cover a distance of 30 km in a single journey. Therefore, it is possible for the animal to cross over to Gujarat, which is why officials in these district have been alerted.
A total of eight teams, divided in two groups with 46 officials are patrolling the area.
Forest officials believe that the tiger strayed away from Yawal sanctuary in Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, which has three tigers and tigresses, each.

Quote:“We have sought details from Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary on the number of tigers and tigresses,” ACF Ganesh said.

Tapi district divisional forest officer Anand Kumar said, “On the basis of the details given by Nandurbar forest department, we have alerted our officials in border areas to patrol the area round the clock and immediately inform higher authorities if either the pugmarks or the tiger itself are spotted. If the tiger enters our areas, our first preference would be try and prevent any kind of animal human conflict. The next step would be to protect the tiger. We are trying to generate awareness about the issue and have advised people in the villages bordering Maharashtra about the steps and precautions they should take if the animal is seen.”

According to official forest records, there have been no tigers in the forests of Gujarat since 1985.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/...t-5280395/

---

Tiger Zinda Hai! First direct sighting near Gujarat (LoL  , it means "Tiger still alive!!!")
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Jul 27, 2018, 06:03 IST

*This image is copyright of its original author

The big cat attacked Dinsingh Kokani, 38, on Wednesday

AHMEDABAD: It may not be 'wagh aayo re wagh aayo', a Gujarati proverb for cry wolf, when it comes to tiger after all. While naysayers continue to remain in denial, a tiger has been spotted about 15 km away from Gujarat's Nijhar village in Tapi district.

The big cat attacked Dinsingh Kokani, 38, on Wednesday, while it was trying to escape curious onlookers in Nandurbar's Nimgaon village. This is the first sighting here in the past 30 years, say forest officials. The big cat was last sighted in Gujarat along the Dang border in 1992.

This is the first concrete sign of tiger reclaiming its corridor between Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Deputy conservator of forests Suresh Kewate, who is in-charge of Nandurbar, says tiger pugmarks have been found around Nimgaon in Maharashtra in the past. Later, Nagpur wildlife laboratory confirmed the presence of the animal based on an analysis of the pugmarks. "The first direct sighting in three decades was recorded on July 25 following tip-offs by locals," says Kewate.

According to Kokani's nephew Akshay, Dinsingh was among the group of villagers who had gathered to see the tiger. "The animal got intimidated and attacked my uncle before disappearing into the forest. He is under treatment at Nandurbar civil hospital," he said. Divisional forest officer of Dangs Anand Kumar says Gujarat has increased surveillance along the Gujarat-Maharashtra corridor to track tiger movement.

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/65156794.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cpps

---

Tigress, 2 cubs sighted in Dang: NGO
Himanshu Kaushik | tnn | Jan 30, 2018, 06:53 IST

*This image is copyright of its original author

(Representative image)


AHMEDABAD: Even as the tiger census is scheduled to take place in Gujarat in February after a long hiatus since 1992, an NGO involved in tiger conservation — Empower Foundation — after its survey which concluded last week, reported, “there is a very fair probability of the presence of tiger or tigress along with two cubs the region of Dang in south Gujarat.”
The findings along with statement of locals has been sent to PCCF Gujarat and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Jalpesh Mehta, the chairman of the foundation said, “There has been increased sightings in the last 1.5 years with locals saying tiger sightings happen within a range of one week to four months.”

“Two years ago, there were no such sightings,” Mehta said.

*This image is copyright of its original author

The forest department, however, is sceptical of the report. G K Sinha, principal chief conservator of forests said, “We have requested NTCA to carry out the census scheduled in February. The census will be conducted following all protocols required of a tiger census and the only after that will the department get a real picture.”

Sinha added, “Three officials have already been trained for the census.”

Quote:Latest Comment
great news....time to declare a tiger reserve in dang- deepak pratap gangwar

The report by the NGO further mentioned that locals were able to identify broadly the sizes of three animals and prima facie there is no confusion whether the sightings were of leopards and not tigers. Some locals said tigers have been present in the area for ages, though even till two years ago, there were almost no sightings of the big cat.

The report submitted to PCCF and NTCA further states that the tribals are well aware of the difference between a tiger and a leopard. They have acknowledged tiger sightings for last 1-2 years and were able to show the size of the animal by their hands the report mentioned.


https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...701780.cms

---

In land of lions, tigers making a comeback? Census to cover Dang
Himanshu Kaushik | TNN | Sep 18, 2017, 06:47 IST

*This image is copyright of its original author

AHMEDABAD: The last time a tiger was spotted in Dang district's areas bordering Maharashtra was in 1989. Recently, however, scat (faeces of animals) analysis has revealed tiger presence right up to the border of Nasik district adjacent to Dang forests in Gujarat.
This discovery has made the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) include the Dang jungles (bordering Nashik) in the upcoming Tiger Census in November. It was on No vember 2 last year that foresters had found the scat of a male tiger within the forest limits in Maharashtra but which was around 2-3 km from the Dang border (in Gujarat). This indicated movement of tigers between the states.

Wildlife Institute of India (WII) scientist and eminent fi eld biologist, Y V Jhala, who is part of the 2017 tiger estimation study , says an all-India tiger estimation will be taken up in November this year.

"Tiger presence has been noted adjacent to the Dang forest in Maharashtra," he said.

"This has raised hopes that Dang can be a potential area for tiger habitat. We will ask the Gujarat forest department to carry out an extensive survey in Dang and, if they find any traces, the NTCA will install camera traps for the final November census," Jhala said. Principal chief conservator of forests, G Sinha, said Dang has a suitable climate for tigers."Dang only lacks a prey base," he said.

"The last sighting of tigers was in 1985 in Bheskhatri area in Vyara taluka.In the 1989 census, there were reports of 13 tigers and, in 1992, it was zero.Till a few decades ago, Gujarat was the only state to have all the three big cats -tigers, lions and leopards.If we get a WII proposal we will initiate a survey," Sinha said.

In 1979, following the Gujarat Tiger Census, the then Special Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, Gujarat, MA Rashid, had warned that tigers in Gujarat were struggling for survival.

In the September 1979 issue of `Cheetal'-a journal published by the Wildlife Preservation

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...726014.cms

---

Aaannndddd... More evidences @Lycaon

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy...413777.ece
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...170710.cms
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city...332055.cms Reply