Wednesday, September 29, 2010
15 tigers in Buxa Tiger Reserve
Guwahati, Sept 28 (PTI) The Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal currently has a minimum of fifteen tigers, as per a study by a wildlife body. "Of them, nine are female, three male and the gender of the rest cannot be ascertained", the head of 'Wildlife Genetics Laboratory of Aaranyak', Udayan Borthakur told PTI here today. He said the researchers used DNA based analysis techniques for the first time in the country to estimate population by using faecal (scat) samples of tigers in the Buxa Tiger Reserve.''Faecal samples collected by BTR authority were handed over to us and we used genetic markers to identify tiger scats from other sympatric carnivores such as leopard'', said Borthakur who runs the society for biodiversity conservation in the North East.A set of highly polymorphic microsatellite markers to identify individual tiger and sex chromosome linked markers to identify gender of the tiger scat samples were used and stringent laboratory conditions for assessing and minimizing error were maintained, he said. DNA-based techniques of identification of individual tigers might be considered as a practical and low cost option for population estimation and long term monitoring of this species in the protected areas of the country, Borthakur said.From geographical point of view, Buxa Tiger Reserve is contiguous with the Manas Tiger Reserve of Assam and Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
Tiger number doubles in Kalakkad, pictures show
Sept. 28: More tigers are on the prowl the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli district.
In what comes as a fillip to the ‘Save the Tiger’ campaign, the number of the big striped cats in the reserve is said to have doubled. Tiger reserve field director and chief conservator of forests H. Mallesappa said there are 13 big cats in the reserve as of date compared to six in 2006. This has been confirmed scientifically through camera traps, he added.
Wildlife sources said the census showed that there were three males, seven females and three cubs in the reserve at present. KMTR also supports about 60 panthers, two dozen elephants and more than 100 varieties of migratory birds.
The other flagship species that are found in KMTR include the giant squirrel and the lion-tailed macaque. The reserve forest also supports a healthy herbivore population comprising Indian gaur and spotted deer, wildlife sources added.
“The state forest department is currently using camera traps in all the three tiger reserves after the Centre allocated several crores of rupees for a holistic census,” said chief conservator of forests (wildlife) V.N. Singh, adding that the scientific results are encouraging.
Top wildlife officials and field directors of Project Tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu, however, admitted that an authenticated report would be available only after the scientific studies and camera trap images are released by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/tiger-number-doubles-kalakkad-pictures-show-237
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