Tiger buzz in Saranda forest Pug mark test on in UP

KUMUD JENAMANI & A.S.R.P. MUKESH Jamshedpur/Ranchi, Dec. 3: Tiger triumph for reclaimed red den Saranda? Yes, if pug marks and hair found in the core area can prove the majestic animal’s resident status. No, if one maverick big cat has strayed into the sprawling forests of West Singhbhum from neighbouring Odisha’s Simlipal reserve. Speculation on whether Jharkhand’s striped population has taken a leap has been rife ever since Project Tiger authorities in Betla, Palamau, confirmed early this week that the pug marks found beside the carcass of a bison at Ghatkuri in the Gua range of Saranda earlier this month were indeed that of a tiger. However, actual sightings or pictures and DNA verification are necessary to confirm whether the tiger count has gone up in the state. Chief wildlife conservator of forests A.K. Gupta admitted they had no visual evidence in Saranda so far, but added that presence of the big cat could not be ruled out. Divisional forest officer (DFO), Saranda, K.K. Tiwary said four distinct tiger paw prints were found in the first week of November. “We first spotted a mauled bison, which suggested a predator attack. Next, we found clear pug marks and collected them using a tracing paper and plaster of Paris. And, finally, on a patch of flattened grass, we found feline hair. It appears, the tiger lazed around after a lavish meal,” he explained. Tiwary maintained that big cats were generally found in forests where prey was available in plenty. Saranda, which sprawls over 850sqkm, boasts vast swathes of grasslands and has a large herbivore population. According to the last census, there are some 1,000 cheetals, 300 sambars and 25 bison in its forests. S.E.H. Kazmi, the director of the Palamau reserve, confirmed that pug marks had been found in Saranda. “The DFO had sent us prints and hair found in the forest. We examined them and confirmed that they were of a big cat.” Kazmi, however, said the animal might have strayed into Saranda from adjoining Odisha. “Tigers are solitary creatures with high territorial awareness. They can have a territory of 20sqkm to 100sqkm. Whether this big cat is a Saranda denizen needs to be ascertained,” he added. Chief wildlife conservator Gupta sounded more sceptical. “To our knowledge, the tiger may have migrated from Simlipal in Odisha. Besides, after the pug marks were found no other animal was mauled,” he reasoned. But wildlife activist and member of state steering committee on Project Tiger D.S. Srivastava claimed that Saranda was a grand tiger territory some two decades ago. If the big cat count hasn’t been kept in the past years that is only because the forest department has manpower crunch, he said. “Against 72 posts of forest guards in four ranges, there are only four in action,” Srivastava, who was among the first to have spotted a pug mark in Saranda this September, said. He added that hair collected from the Gua range had been sent to Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India for verification. “Circumstantial evidence compel us to believe that there are tigers in Saranda. We need an official seal.” Echoing Tiwary, he asserted that the West Singhbhum forest was home to barking deer, antelope and wild boars. “These are prime tiger preys. If these animals are there, their predator has to be nearby.” Currently, only the Palamau Tiger Reserve has 10 striped inmates, the first-ever camera proof having come in early June this year. http://telegraphindia.com/1111204/jsp/frontpage/story_14836087.jsp