Bigcats News

[Apollo]

Camera trap survey back in sanctuaries

A year after their pilot camera trap survey shot the big cat in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, a team from the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, led by their trustee-founder Ullas Karanth, will string up this 'refined protocol' once again this May, for another spot of tracking the tiger.

Principal chief conservator of forests Richard D'Souza told TOI, "Karanth's team will be conducting camera traps this May in the sanctuaries and park of Goa to track the movement of the tiger."

The team, during its February-June 2013 survey, had listed 45 spots in Goa's sanctuaries to lay camera traps and line transects. The state's protected areas of Cotigao, Neturlim, Molem national park, Bondla and Mhadei form a contiguous corridor with tiger areas in Karnataka. CWS's extensive study that started last year will conclude in 2017.

"The camera trap method helps in monitoring tiger populations and in finding out how many tigers there are, how their numbers are changing, how many survive from year to year, and how many new tigers are entering the population. This method is important to know whether efforts to save them are succeeding or failing," said forest officials.

DNF Carvalho, conservator of forests, wildlife division, said, "During our recently-conducted wildlife census (of the state forest department), the presence of tigers was proven through scat and pugmarks. In Collem, a leopard with two cubs was sighted along with other carnivores and herbivores. After compiling all our findings, a report will be sent to Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun."

CWS's preliminary surveys last year showed immense potential of Goa's forests to maintain a healthy population of large felids (cats) in the region, besides supporting other large fauna.

In April 2013, tiger's presence was established in Mhadei wildlife sanctuary with photo captures and other indirect evidences such as scat, tracks, and scrape marks, first by Goa forest department followed by CWS. Further, direct sighting as well as photographs were obtained for leopards, bears, wild dogs, gaurs, sambar, chital, wild boar and muntjac (barking deer) at all the sanctuaries.

From April 21 to 26, this year, the forest department conducted a wild animal census to assess the existence of tigers in Goa's wildlife sanctuaries.

The census has assessed wild animals and their habitats as well as studied whether there is proper fodder available for herbivorous animals. WII, Dehradun, has already trained forest officials on the methodology to be adopted for carrying out the census.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/...344004.cms
 

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