Madhya Pradesh govt put on hold plan to relocate tiger to Panna sanctuary

New Delhi: Worried over safety of four new-born tiger cubs, the Madhya Pradesh government has put on hold its plan to relocate a new male big cat to Panna sanctuary.

"If we shift a male tiger as planned earlier, it might devour the hapless cubs which are less than two months old," HS Pabla, principal chief conservator (wildlife), Madhya Pradesh, toldPTI.

"Panna currently has one male and two female big cats, including the lactating one. The cubs will face survival threat if a new alien tiger is introduced...The unrelated male may even kill them if they are not their off-springs...This is a natural tendency among the predators," tiger expert K Shankar said.

The state government on its part has beefed up security with the entire area being closed for tourists to ensure safe habitat to the cubs.

Overly cautious and secretive, tigresses are often reluctant to let a stranger male go near their litter and immediately move them far from the area which they feel becomes disturbed or threatened, Shankar said.

A tigress spend nearly 70% of their time nursing its cub for the initial few days after birth. This reduces to 30% by the time the cub reaches one-month-old. Approximately half of the litters do not survive to attain the age of two, the scientist from Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India said.

For instance, Shankar said, last November an 11-month-old female cub was killed inside the Kanha National Park by an adult tiger. In another incident, a two-year-old tigress was attacked and killed by a tiger while trying to protect her cubs.

Young tigers become independent from their mothers around 17 to 24 months of age, when they first settle temporarily in marginal habitats and then take a permanent territory of their own.

Spread over 542 sq km, Panna tiger reserve, which lost all its native predators to poachers a few years back, is again witnessing a rise in their numbers after a translocated tigress gave birth to four cubs last May, indicating success of the programme.

However, while decision to shift one more male tiger has been kept in the back-burner, the state government has plans to relocate two female big cats by the end of the monsoon season as per schedule.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_madhya-pradesh-govt-put-on-hold-plan-to-relocate-tiger-to-panna-sanctuary_1408232

Sariska tigers may yet hope for company

JAIPUR: Tigers at the Sariska reserve may yet hope for company. Just when most wildlife enthusiasts had given up on the fresh bid to relocate two more tigers from the Ranthambore reserve to Sariska, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has reiterated that the relocation would definitely take place.

According to the Rajesh Gopal, director, NTCA, "The relocation would certainly take place. We are looking at a possible date somewhere around July 18."

Pessimism had crept in after an earlier date of July 4 for the relocation was not adhered to. Officials explained they were waiting for the rain. But even after a few showers there are few signs of relocating the tigers. Even people who should know had given up hope assuming that scales have tilted once again in favour of the tourism lobby which opposes removal of tiger from Ranthambore.

"We are just waiting for a few showers before the relocation takes place. Our experts are still at Ranthambore and are keeping track of the possible tigers that could be relocated. We have sent samples of these tigers to a laboratory in Bangalore and have got the results. The tigers to be relocated this time are not siblings of the ones that are already at Sariska," added Gopal.

In fact, it was this fear that had encouraged a debate halting the original relocation plans. Some wildlife enthusiasts had expressed fears that a blind shifting of tiger without a study of its DNA will encourage in-breeding among the cats resulting in weak cubs.

And though the ministry had earlier rejected such arguments and declared the Ranthambore tigers as healthy and such fears were unfounded, but eventually gave in to rising pressure halting the relocation. Since then attempts at relocation have fallen through.

This time the NTCA, to be doubly sure, is carrying out DNA test of scat samples of young tigers for their possible relocation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Sariska-tigers-may-yet-hope-for-company/articleshow/6149968.cms

'Reduce tourist vehicles to Corbett' - Jairam Ramesh

India best tiger reserve Corbett National Park has caused another face-off between Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Uttaranchal Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. For better conservation of tigers, Jairam Ramesh wants Pokhriyal to reduce the inflow of tourist vehicles into the park which has highest tiger density per square km of forest area. More than two lakh tourists visited the National Park in the past year with a daily average of 400 through four tourist gates.

The high inflow of tourists, according to Ramesh, has caused higher air and noise pollution inside the park, a probable cause for stress to tigers. The noise created by vehicular movement is said to be a reason for poor breeding of tigers.

“It had happened in Sariska,” said a senior scientist with Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, giving high tourist inflow as a possible reason for poor breeding of tigers in Sariska before they vanished in 2004.

Ramesh had also sounded a similar caution for Corbett, while asking the Chief Minister to reduce the number of vehicles allowed inside the park. Data with National Tiger Conservation Authority indicates that tourist influx inside the park has increased because of its close proximity with Delhi.

Uttaranchal government, however, contended that the tourists being allowed inside the parks were within the permissible limits and no fresh restrictions can be imposed. “Livelihood of a large number of locals is dependent on tourists... We cannot impose unrealistic restrictions just because the Centre wants it,” said Anil Baluni, deputy advisor with the state environment advisory committee.

The environment minister had earlier asked the state government to restrict construction of resorts in and around Corbett. Ramesh has opposed construction of hydel projects in the upper reaches of Ganga river basin and wants to declare the 130-km stretch of Bhagirathi river in the state as ecologically sensitive. Ministry panels have also opposed hydel projects on Gori Ganga and Mandakini rivers in the state.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Reduce-tourist-vehicles-to-Corbett/Article1-570495.aspx