Tiger population rises in State

WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2012 00:10 SHRAWAN MAWAI | SEHORE HITS: 76 Good news for tiger lovers pour in from the Budhni forests of the Sehore district where pug marks of a tiger were registered by the Forest department. With this the number of tigers in the district have rose to three, as a tiger has already made Kathotia forests of the district its home since long and information about movement of another tiger is noted in the Dugaria forests of the range. According to the information, two days back pug marks of animal were seen near the Talpura pond in the Budhni forest range, the forest officials on seeing the pug marks speculated that they could be of tiger, mould of these pug marks was taken and after deep study of the same the department came to an conclusion that the pug marks are of a tiger. Ranger, Budhni forest range BP Singh while talking to The Pioneer said, “We got the information about the tiger movement in the area, during the rainy season this tiger was seen in the forests behind the tractor training centre, now it has moved in the area of Talpura area of the forest.” Singh further said that now the movement of this tiger is in and around Talpura, teams have been constituted to monitor its movement and they are keeping a watch on the movement of the tiger. Now the number of tigers have rose to two in the Budhni forest range, as the reports of movement of a tiger in the Dugaria forests are also pouring in since last few months, he added. He said the movement of the tiger seen in the Dugaria forests is limited to that area only. Reports of tiger sighting have poured in on earlier occasions also from the Budhni forest range, but the Forest department never before confirmed the news. Now, when the Forest department has confirmed the presence of tiger in the range, wildlife activists have expressed concern over the security of striped feline as the Sehore Forest administration has over the past few months earned notoriety for being hand in gloves with the poachers, especially after the death of two tigers in a period of less than couple of months. Wildlife activist Ajay Dube said, “It is welcome news that the tiger family is increasing in the State, but we are concerned over the security of these new find felines as they have been located in the Sehore forest range where two tigers were killed by the poachers this year.” Dube further said, “We are concerned that the reports of tiger movement were pouring in since long but the Forest department has neither bothered to confirm them earlier nor has taken steps till now for their security.” Notably, Kathotia forest of the Sehore district is infamous for tiger poaching and due to that on earlier occasions tigers were shifted from this forest. The Forest department would conduct the tiger census in December; it would be after many years that the official census of the striped feline would be held in the district. It was in the year 2004 when the last official census was held in the district. http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhopal/103948-tiger-population-rises-in-state.html