Dehradun : While this small mountain state may literally have been a graveyard for tigers during last year with about 19 felines having been killed, there is reason for wildlife lovers to celebrate. The good news in the beginning of the New Year is that tiger numbers may be increasing in the Uttarakhand.
Credence to this lies in the fact that pictures of the carnivore were captured in the CCTVs that had been installed in the Rajaji Park, where the felines were hardly visible over the years, though there were leopards that had been seen on the prowl. Wildlife experts at the Wildlife Institute of India feel that the number of tigers may have actually increased in the Corbett National Park, because of which some of the animals may have migrated to the Rajaji Park.
Experts at the Institute said that some 60 odd CCTVs had been placed at strategic places in the Chilla and Gohari ranges of the Rajaji Park.
The reason was that over the last decade or so though pug marks of tigers had been visible in the Park area, but there were no sights or traces of even uneaten kills to ascertain that the carnivores had made the forests their home.
They said that with the pictures of the animals captured in the CCTVs, there were reasons to believe that a couple or even two tiger couples may have moved to Rajai from the adjoining Corbett National Park.
This has obviously happened as the tiger population in Corbett has gone up and some of the felines have mover our to get more territory, as basically the cats are territorial animals, they confided.
Experts of the Institute said that so far the CCTVs had only been out up at the Chilla and Gohari ranges of the Rajaji Park, but after seeing the visuals of the tigers on the CCTVs, they were now intending to install some more CCTVs in the Motichur, Kansro and Ramgarh ranges of the Park, as there was all possibility that some more felines may have shifted to these also, as they are all part of one huge forest block.
They said that following the results got from the CCTVs that would be installed in these three ranges the future course of action would be decided.
“If there are visuals of the felines sighted on these CCTVs, there will be reasons to believe that the number of tigers have gone up more than marginally forcing the felines to seek new territories, and then will be installing more CCTVs in the other ranges of the park, which include, Dhaulkhand (east), Dhaulkhand (west) and Chillawalliâ€, they added.
A journalist with over 40 years of experience, Jagdish Bhatt was Editor, Hill Post (Uttarakhand).
Jagdish had worked with India’s leading English dailies, which include Times of India, Indian Express, Pioneer and several other reputed publications. A highly acclaimed journalist, he was a recipient of many awards
Jagdish Bhatt, aged 72, breathed his last on 28th August 2021 at his Dehradun residence.
In the absence of any centralised scientific grid/holistic policies, such reports shall keep on pouring in as the year passes.How can one deduce that with a couple of visuals caught by the CCTVs in just two Ranges in Rajaji Park,the tiger population has increased & that the increased population is looking for fresh territories ?I only hope that the wild life experts adopt more meaningful , professional & scientific approach to save the flora & fauna with particular reference to felines in Corbett & Rajaji Parks in 2012 & NOT base their opinions just on speculations!Uttarakhand must dedicate 2012 to save the felines & take all measures possible to save our precious wild life.