Tiger population increases in Sathyamangalam forest

Erode (TN),Sept29 (PTI) The tiger population has almost doubled in the Sathyamangalam forest range here within a year as per a census in the region,a forest official said today. In 2007 there were only eight Tigers in the Sathyamangalam forest. It declined to seven in 2008 and increased to ten in 2009. Now as per the census going on in the area there are about 18 Tigers in the forest, District Forest Officer N Ramasubramaniam told PTI. This is due to the strict vigil maintained by the forest department against poaching and proper facilities for the animals care like adequate water, he said. "Exhaustive study in ascertaining tiger population in the entire Sathyamangalam forest division is going on�, he said. He said a fresh census would be taken soon on elephants.There were 866 elephants in 2009, compared to 815 in 2007. There were 672 Gaur in the forest in 2009 as against 630 in 2007. "There are 2348 spotted deer, 1068 black bucks (kasturi Maan), 304 Sambar deer and 77 Barking deer.Government plans to start a black Buck Sanctuary in the Bhavanisagar area," he said. The leopard population too has seen a rise with 27 inhabiting the forest now against 19 in 2007. "But the wild boar population is decreasing sharply due to climatic conditions.No one is hunting the variety." Compared to 2402 wild boars 2009, there were only 843 in 2009. There forest also has 43 sloth bears and 15 striped hyenas. A separate vigilance squad has been formed to prevent poaching in the forest. He also said over the past few days some Tigers from Karnataka have been migrating to Tamilnadu forests,especially Sathyamangalam.

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