Tiger population increases in Sathyamangalam forest

PTI
The tiger population in Sathyamangalam forest has increased from 10 to 18 in the past two years, Conservator of Forests, Erode District, has said.

D Arun, the Conservator of Forests, said on Sunday that the recent census had shown an increase of eight tigers in the range in comparison with the 2009 figures.

Addressing a meeting organised by the Living with Nature Movement, Mr. Arun said strict vigil in the forest areas in the district had led to the increase in wildlife population.

He said the district has two forest divisions with vast forest cover: Sathyamangalam and Erode. As per the recent census, Sathyamangalam is home to 785 elephants, 564 Gaur, 212 Sambar variety deer, 309 spotted deer, 377 Black Buck deer, 127 wild boar, 19 panther and 18 tigers, he said.

Similarly, Erode forest division has 70 elephants, 20 bison, 645 spotted deer, 208 sambar variety deer and 20 panthers, he said.

Sufficient water and food were available for the wild animals inside the forest, but sometime due to migration, some elephants were entering private lands, causing damage to the crops, he said. In order to prevent such incidents, digging of trenches has already commenced in the forest areas, he added.

Goa not keen on responding to MoEF letter on tiger sanctuary

PTI | 04:08 PM,Aug 08,2011
Panaji, Aug 8 (PTI) Even though the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had asked the Goa government to submit a proposal to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a Tiger Reserve, the coastal state might not respond to it as it is not sure whether there are tigers in the sanctuary. State Forest Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues today hinted at it when he told reporters that the state government might not respond to the MOEF letter. "Why should we reply? We have not been asked to reply?" he questioned. The minister also said that the state government is not sure whether there are tigers existing in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. When the minister was told that the existence of tigers in the sanctuary was noticed during animal census, Rodrigues said, "It is the wildlife institute's and not my job to know whether there are tigers (in the sanctuary)." The Congress minister said that declaration of sanctuary as a tiger reserve would turn out to be "unpopular" as local people are opposing it. "We will have to take everyone into confidence," he said. In June, the MoEF had written to Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat asking him to submit a proposal for setting up a tiger reserve.