Karnataka conducive for growth of tigers: K Ullas Karanth

Published: Wednesday, Nov 23, 2011, 14:18 IST By DNA Correspondent | Place: Bangalore | Agency: DNA Karnataka is conducive for the growth of tigers, said K Ullas Karanth, director (India), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), who conducted a research on ‘25 years on tiger population’. The study was conducted, in association with Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) and WCS. Wildlife filmmaker Shekar Dattatri, member of CWS Sanjay Gubbi, and wildlife enthusiast Niren Jain were recognised for their outstanding work in tiger studies. Karanth said: “WCS-India has grown from a single tiger research project in Nagarahole in 1986 to a programme that encompasses major conservation strategies pursued by WCS globally.” Highlighting the achievements, he said: “We conducted the first-ever radio telemetry study in India in 1990 in Nagarahole to understand the tiger ecology and behaviour. Beginning 1991, we pioneered camera trap method to obtain the first reliable estimates of tiger density in 15 reserves across the country. These field surveys assessed predator-prey relationships involving co-predators like leopards and wild dogs, which helped ascertain the role of prey depletion in driving tiger declines across their range.” On the increasing man-animal conflict in Karnataka, Dr George Schaller emeritus, scientist, WCS, USA, said:“Tigers don’t attack human beings unless they are short of food. This is the case in Karnataka as well as everywhere else. http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_karnataka-conducive-for-growth-of-tigers-k-ullas-karanth_1616363