JAIPUR: The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve witnessed its fourth attack on a human by a big cat in the past four months. This time, the victim was a 50-year-old forest ranger Daulat Singh Shaktawat, who was seriously injured and had to be airlifted to Jaipur for treatment.
Last Tuesday, a tiger had killed a 22-year-old man, identified as Hemraj Gujjar, at Gopalpur village. Friday's incident took place at Bhuri Pahadi village on the sanctuary's outskirts, where the tiger is said to have strayed.
According to reports, the tiger had entered the village and killed a calf around 4.30 am. Soon, over 200 forest officials reached the spot along with the police and government officials. The tiger attacked Shaktawat, who was assigned the task of tranquilising the big cat to rule out an attack on humans, when he went too close. The forest official, who is admitted at SMS Hospital in Jaipur, is stated to be stable. However, there are deep scars in his right eye. "There is no threat to his life but he has suffered injuries in his eye bone, which could be serious," said Dr RK Nejaw, head of the hospital's surgery unit.
Meanwhile, the tiger was still hiding near the same village till late Friday evening.
A huge police force, forest guards, district officials were stationed on the spot to ward off a possible attack on villagers. "We have put up floodlights in the entire area and villagers have been told to remain indoors until Saturday morning," said Sawai Madhopur collector Siddharth Mahajan. He added that over 120 cops and forest officials were keeping watch on the tiger's movements, while expert tranqulizers had been called from Jaipur so that the tiger could be moved back to the core area.
Balindu Singh Parmar, a hotelier who witnessed the incident, said, "Since the tiger was hiding in three-feet-high millet crop, it was difficult for officials to ascertain whether it had been tranquilized. When Shaktawat tried to get as close as 15 feet, the tiger leapt and attacked him." The tiger almost took the ranger's head in its mouth. There are two canine marks on Shaktawat's nose and one around his head. "Another ranger, Hukum Chand Meena, flung a bamboo stick making the tiger withdraw and hide in the fields," said Dharmendra Khandal from the NGO Tiger Watch.
The visibly tired tiger, however, attacked another person who tried to get too close. The villager from Uliyana, Babu Lal Meena, sustained minor injuries. "The tiger looked tired as villagers had been pelting stones at it from hillocks. We can't really figure out if the tiger too is injured but it may be able to escape the mob only during night," said Khandal.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Tiger-attacks-forest-official-in-Ranthambore/articleshow/6384179.cms
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Declining tiger population, encroachment at Namdhapa Park
ITANAGAR: Declining tiger population and encroachment at the Namdapha National Park, the only one in the world to have four species of big cats, in Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district, has been a major cause of concern for forest department officials here.
The number of tigers at the park, which is home to tiger (Panthera Tigris), leopard (Panthera Pardus), snow leopard (Panthera Uncia) and clouded leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa), have been declining.
According to the 2001-2002 census, there were 11 wild cats in the park, but 2006 census showed only four.
Department sources, however, claimed that the 2006 census by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was incorrect as it was done in selected areas of the tiger reserve. The next census is scheduled in October.
Besides, the decline in tiger population, the reserve experienced large scale encroachment from the mid-eighties by Lisus, a tribe originating from China, who are good tiger hunters.
"The reported decline in tiger population is mainly due to encroachment in the buffer zone of the park by 84 families of Lisu tribes from across the border," Principal chief conservator of forest (environment & forest) and head of forest force B S Sajwan said.
"Though there is no report of supply of tiger parts to China, but we can't rule out such possibilities," Sajwan said.
The Namdapha authorities adopted every possible option to evict the encroachers, but because of shortage of forest guards it could not be done
.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Declining-tiger-population-encroachment-at-Namdhapa-Park-/articleshow/6381790.cms
The number of tigers at the park, which is home to tiger (Panthera Tigris), leopard (Panthera Pardus), snow leopard (Panthera Uncia) and clouded leopard (Neofelis Nebulosa), have been declining.
According to the 2001-2002 census, there were 11 wild cats in the park, but 2006 census showed only four.
Department sources, however, claimed that the 2006 census by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was incorrect as it was done in selected areas of the tiger reserve. The next census is scheduled in October.
Besides, the decline in tiger population, the reserve experienced large scale encroachment from the mid-eighties by Lisus, a tribe originating from China, who are good tiger hunters.
"The reported decline in tiger population is mainly due to encroachment in the buffer zone of the park by 84 families of Lisu tribes from across the border," Principal chief conservator of forest (environment & forest) and head of forest force B S Sajwan said.
"Though there is no report of supply of tiger parts to China, but we can't rule out such possibilities," Sajwan said.
The Namdapha authorities adopted every possible option to evict the encroachers, but because of shortage of forest guards it could not be done
.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Declining-tiger-population-encroachment-at-Namdhapa-Park-/articleshow/6381790.cms
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