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Tiger fails to roar in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

The population of tigers has dwindled in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in the last four years. Compared to the 72 tigers found in unified Andhra Pradesh in the 2010 tiger census, the 2014 count pegged the number of big cats at only 68 in the two states. However, the country wide tiger population has shown a significant jump from 1,706 in 2010 to 2,226 in 2014, indicating a 30 per cent rise.

The results of the latest tiger census conducted in early 2014 were released by Union environment and forests minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi on Tuesday. The 2014 census results continue to reflect the decline of the tiger in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh since 2006 when 95 tigers were recorded in the unified state. According to the 'Status of Tigers in India, 2014' released by Javadekar, the number of tigers has increased in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

The minister, who released the report at a conference of Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves, said the rising numbers were a result of the conservation efforts including creation of the Special Tiger Protection Force, efforts to control poaching and initiatives to minimize human-animal conflicts. In all, the census operation involved surveys in 3,78,118 sq. km of forests and the staff involved in the census installed camera traps in 9,735 locations along forest trails normally used by the tigers.

Of the 68 tigers found in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, 65, or 99 per cent of them, were found only in one area, the Nagarjuanasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, which prior to bifurcation of the state, was the largest tiger reserve in India spread over 3,568 sq km. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the reserve has been divided into two, the Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana spread over 2,166 sq km and the rest becoming the Srisailam (Rajiv Gandhi) Tiger Reserve in residuary Andhra Pradesh.

Field director of the Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Rahul Pandey, told from New Delhi that the reserve has recorded 48 tigers as per the latest census. He also said the reserve received a positive evaluation and was classified as 'good' in terms of conservation and tiger protection measures. With 48 tigers recorded in the AP part of the reserve, the Amrabad Tiger Reserve has 17 big cats and three tigers have been found in the Kawal Tiger Reserve in Adilabad district.

Some of the wildlife reserves in Telangana, such as Pakal and Eturunagaram in Warangal and Kinnerasani in Khammam that have been traditional homes of the tiger have no record of the presence of the animal anymore.

Incidentally, the Telangana government on Tuesday appointed directors for the two tiger reserves with the Indian Forest Service officers Vinay Kumar going to Kawal Tiger Reserve as director and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta posted as director of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve.

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