Cameras spot `missing` tigers at Ranthambore

JAIPUR: At least three out of five tigers, that were `missing` for sometime at Ranthambore sanctuary, have been found. They were spotted at the Sawai Man Singh sanctuary, adjoining the national park.

"The trap cameras at Sawai Man Singh sanctuary have captured tigers T-13, T-43 and T-34. While T-13 was caught on the camera on August 18, the other two were caught on August 21," said U M Sahai, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

Sahai, however, refuted that the tigers were missing and choose to term it as "natural process of migration of the tigers."

However, T-43, the second Jhailkho male cub, had not been sighted for a long time and one of the tasks in the sanctuary during the recent census was to spot the tiger along with four others -- T-21 or the Chiroli male, T-27 or the Gilai Sagar female, T-29 of Berda and T-40 or the Berda male.

But the census failed to spot the tigers till officials at Ranthambore choose to use trap cameras for scanning the forests. The department has procured 17 additional cameras for the purpose.

"The tigers have not been spotted but that did not mean that they were dead. They might have strayed to some place," said an official. The state government, meanwhile, had ordered an inquiry into the missing tigers.

The hopes of the department come from its new method of tracing tigers through the trap camera method. "Now, three tigers have been traced at the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and we believe that if a proper search is done then other tigers too would be traced there," sources said.

There are 26 tigers at the reserve excluding 17 cubs that have been born recently, sources said. However the Wildlife Institute of India ( WII) in its census in 2010 has made a count of 31 tigers in the reserve.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/cameras-spot-missing-tigers-at-ranthambore/articleshow/9738576.cms

Tiger bones recovered in Tadoba

CHANDRAPUR: The staffers of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) on Wednesday discovered bones of a dead tiger in Moharli range. The search for the tiger bones was reportedly carried out on the basis of information given by NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).

Sources said that TATR staffers searched for the bones in Moharli range on Tuesday evening, but failed to trace them by nightfall. The search was taken up afresh on Wednesday morning and soon they traced the place, some 2 km from Karva village, where bones were lying. Sources said a total of 70 pieces of bones of tiger have been recovered from the spot. The bones appeared to be that of an old tiger and might be lying there since quite some time. ACF, TATR, Ajay Pillariseth supervised the formalities of inquest and seizing the bones in the jungle.

Sources said that TATR staffers searched for the bones in Moharli range on Tuesday evening, but failed to trace them by nightfall. The search was taken up afresh on Wednesday morning and soon they traced the place, some 2 km from Karva village, where bones were lying. Sources said a total of 70 pieces of bones of tiger have been recovered from the spot. The bones appeared to be that of an old tiger and might be lying there since quite some time. ACF, TATR, Ajay Pillariseth supervised the formalities of inquest and seizing the bones in the jungle.


Prima facie, foresters are treating it as a case of natural death, but other angles have not been ruled out so far. It is also learnt that foresters have recovered a few nails of the tiger from the place, but it is still not clear whether any teeth or piece of skin has been recovered. They are mulling DNA and forensic tests of the bones to confirm the cause of death, sources said. CCF and field director, TATR, could not be reached for comment.

Prima facie, foresters are treating it as a case of natural death, but other angles have not been ruled out so far. It is also learnt that foresters have recovered a few nails of the tiger from the place, but it is still not clear whether any teeth or piece of skin has been recovered. They are mulling DNA and forensic tests of the bones to confirm the cause of death, sources said. CCF and field director, TATR, could not be reached for comment.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-25/nagpur/29926710_1_tiger-bones-ccf-and-field-director-tatr

Manas link Buxa’s boon & bane Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN

KOLKATA: Buxa's bane - low tiger density - may prove to be its boon as foresters hunt for a suitable home for tiger cubs that have been abandoned or orphaned. "Apart from Kaziranga, the northeast doesn't have a healthy tiger density in any of its reserves. The same is the case with Buxa. So, these could be preferred sites for the reintroduction," said Y V Jhala of the Wildlife Institute of India, adding the exercise was inspired by the ongoing Caspian tiger reintroduction campaign (to repopulate Iran and Russian jungles).

So far, only Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have reported abandoned cubs. S B Mondal, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), said the Centre was welcome to reintroduce tigers in Buxa. Though a recent study based on fecal DNA analysis by Guwahati-based NGO Aaranyak projected the number of tigers in Buxa at 15, there have been no sightings to back the claim. Based on scat and pugmark analyses, forest officials believe tigers do frequent the park, but never settle down due to pressure from 37 villages within the park. Buxa has excellent connectivity with the larger tiger landscape at Manas Reserve in Assam and Bhutan's Royal Manas National Park, which causes big cats to disperse. Manas has seven to 10 Tigers while Royal Manas has a cat count of around 15.

However, not all wildlife experts are upbeat about the idea to reintroduce tiger cubs into the wild. "You must have infrastructure before carrying out such things. Nobody patrols or even visits low-density tiger reserves and not even the project tiger director. So how can you introduce a young or sub-adult tiger there? Inter-state tiger transfer is another hurdle," said Valmik Thapar.

Rajasthan tiger reserves get thumbs up

Jaipur: Amid the official reports of half a dozen missing tigers and relocation of tigers in Sariska failing to produce any tiger cub, the ministry of environment and forest in its latest report on effectiveness of tiger reserve management has given satisfactory rating to the tiger reserves in Rajasthan.

From June 2010 to July 2011, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in partnership with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) undertook an independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of all 39 tiger reserves in the country in which the management of Ranthambhore tiger reserve has been categorised as good. Sariska has earned satisfactory remarks which have recently lost all the tigers but in the same category Panna tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh has been categorised as very good.

The MEE is the assessment of how well protected areas, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, community reserves and tiger reserves are being managed and their effectiveness in conserving the flora and fauna.

"India has not only independently assessed the effectiveness of 28 tiger reserves in 2005-2006, but has taken this process forward, by extending this evaluation in 2010-11 to all 39 tiger reserves. The outcomes of this assessment are encouraging and despite all odds, our park managers and frontline staff are putting up valiant efforts to conserve our natural heritage," Jayanthi Natarajan, Union minister for environment and forest said in the forward of the report released last week.

But the next assessment of the tiger management in the country is going to be more hi- tech.

The NTCA in collaboration with WII and Zoological Society of London (ZSL) has developed a 'Monitoring System for Tigers- Intensive Patrolling and Ecological Status' (MST-IPES) for managers to assess the status of protection, ecological and biotic pressures and when adaptive management is necessary.

http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/RAJ-JPR-rajasthan-tiger-reserves-get-thumbs-up-2380891.html