Two more tiger cubs spotted in Orang

PULLOCK DUTTA

Guwahati, July 18: “Just 1,411 left”. The campaign line to save the big cat now has to change, with two Royal Bengal tiger cubs being born in Orang National Park over the past two months. “The cubs were probably born in May and were spotted near Kachumari anti-poaching camp of the park only a couple of days back,” divisional forest officer of Orang S. Daila toldThe Telegraph today. He said the pregnant tiger was spotted in March. Fourteen tigers were detected in this smallest national park in the state during a census conducted last year. Daila said the cubs were first spotted by villagers in Hazarbigha about a week back when they were playing with their mother. “But we were not sure since we cannot believe everything the villagers say. We were confirmed when our rangers spotted the two cubs along with their mother near Kachumari camp,” he said. The divisional forest officer said the park authorities were constantly monitoring the movement of the two cubs — one male and the other female — and they both looked healthy. Daila added that there was no previous official record of birth of Royal Bengal tiger cubs in the park. “We will be maintaining a proper record of these cubs and constantly monitor their movement,” he said. Spread over 78.80 square km on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Orang National Park is a rich wild habitat with several species of wild animals. However, it is surrounded by human habitation, adding to the biotic pressure (the tendency of a community to extend its range in common parlance) on the park. The park has witnessed the death of 15 tigers since 2005. While six of them were killed because of poisoning, the rest died in infighting. The last incident of poisoning took place on August 18 when an adult male tiger was found ill. The tiger later died at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation near Kaziranga where it was shifted for treatment. Daila said apart from these two cubs, the park has also witnessed the birth of at least 10 rhino calves in the past few months. “This is a positive development,” he said. Sixty-four rhinos were detected at Orang during the census conducted last year http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100719/jsp/northeast/story_12698491.jsp