DALTONGANJ: In the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), the number of elephants has increased 10 times since 1974 whereas the number of tigers has gone down.
In 1974, when the PTR was set up here, there were as many as 32 elephants and 22 tigers. With the passage of time, the number of elephants went up to as many as 225 while tiger count came down to six only.
Wildlife experts opine that the tigers are more exposed to poisoning and poaching than elephants. Field director (Project Tiger) P Updahaya recently said that there were still many zones in the PTR where the tigers have not been counted and there could be a possibility of finding more tigers in the reserve.
However, according to the steering committee member of Project Elephant, D S Srivastava, "PTR is now more or less home to elephants without tusks basically female though some male elephants also do not have tusks.
Elephants in PTR are also exposed to life hazards like train tracks, over-head high-tension electric wires.
However, contrary to popular belief, elephants of the reserve never move out and go on rampage in Garhwa and other neighbouring areas. Srivastava said, "PTR's elephants do not move out but herds from Chhatisgarh stray into parts of Garhwa district. PTR's elephants do only intra-migration that is within the ambit of the reserve."
Explaining the intra-migration of the elephants, he said, "Elephants of Betla National Park move out from here to their summer resort Baresar and Kujrum within the reserve where there are perennial water bodies."
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