BHUBANESWAR: A tiger census report released by the Odisha govt has pegged the big cat count at 30, 10 more than the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had estimated in its July 29, 2023, report.
The NTCA report was based on the 2021-22 census. But unhappy with the report, the wildlife wing of the state forest department carried out its own survey from October 15, 2023 to February 10 this year.
Based on the survey, Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the world’s only landscape to have melanistic tigers, recorded 27 big cats. Seven of them are normal coloured females and four males and seven melanistic females and six males. All of them were captured in camera traps. These apart, three were not captured on camera but the wildlife wing is said to have got evidence.
The remaining three belong to Hirakud wildlife division (Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary), Paralakhemundi territorial division and Keonjhar territorial and wildlife division.
“All over Odisha we have 14 females and 13 males with sex of three not known. In Similipal alone, we have 14 females and 10 male tigers. This means barring Similipal, the three other habitats have all male tigers. To increase genetic diversity of Similipal, we will try to introduce tigers from other reserves,” said Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife.
Months after ex-servicemen were inducted into the Special Tiger Protection Force at Similipal Tiger Reserve, the wildlife wing of the forest department on Monday decided to create a similar strike force comprising former defence personnel to check poaching in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
The force, comprising 30 ex-Army personnel, will be deployed at vantage points in the core areas. The department has mapped the vulnerable areas that have in the past recorded poaching cases. “We need to check poaching in Satkosia to improve prey density and revive habitat that can sustain tigers and other carnivores,” Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), said. “We will deploy the ex-servicemen in Satkosia division, especially towards Narasinghpur area, and some personnel will also be stationed at some places in Mahanadi wildlife division,” Nanda added.
Forest officers said it will take at least five years to revive the habitat with renewed measures. Satkosia, which was accorded tiger reserve status in 2007, has no tiger now in its 963 sqkm habitat. In 2018, a tiger and tigress were brought to the reserve from two different sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to boost the big cat population. While the tiger came under attack from poachers, the tigress (Sundari) was sent back to Kanha tiger reserve.
The Satkosia reserve comprises two divisions – Satkosia wildlife sanctuary and Mahanadi wildlife sanctuary – with both sanctuaries being separated by a 21km-long gorge. The ex-servicemen will be able to move between the two divisions in boats, officials said.
The ex-servicemen’s recruitment has been done through the director general of resettlement (DGR). “The ex-servicemen know guerrilla and jungle warfare. The DGR has empanelled organisations which handle the deployment of ex-servicemen,” officials said. In Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, which is located on the outskirts of the city, 10 ex-service personnel have joined duty recently to patrol the forest in core areas and places that are close to human habitation.
The NTCA report was based on the 2021-22 census. But unhappy with the report, the wildlife wing of the state forest department carried out its own survey from October 15, 2023 to February 10 this year.
Based on the survey, Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), the world’s only landscape to have melanistic tigers, recorded 27 big cats. Seven of them are normal coloured females and four males and seven melanistic females and six males. All of them were captured in camera traps. These apart, three were not captured on camera but the wildlife wing is said to have got evidence.
The remaining three belong to Hirakud wildlife division (Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary), Paralakhemundi territorial division and Keonjhar territorial and wildlife division.
“All over Odisha we have 14 females and 13 males with sex of three not known. In Similipal alone, we have 14 females and 10 male tigers. This means barring Similipal, the three other habitats have all male tigers. To increase genetic diversity of Similipal, we will try to introduce tigers from other reserves,” said Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife.
Months after ex-servicemen were inducted into the Special Tiger Protection Force at Similipal Tiger Reserve, the wildlife wing of the forest department on Monday decided to create a similar strike force comprising former defence personnel to check poaching in Satkosia Tiger Reserve.
The force, comprising 30 ex-Army personnel, will be deployed at vantage points in the core areas. The department has mapped the vulnerable areas that have in the past recorded poaching cases. “We need to check poaching in Satkosia to improve prey density and revive habitat that can sustain tigers and other carnivores,” Susanta Nanda, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), said. “We will deploy the ex-servicemen in Satkosia division, especially towards Narasinghpur area, and some personnel will also be stationed at some places in Mahanadi wildlife division,” Nanda added.
Forest officers said it will take at least five years to revive the habitat with renewed measures. Satkosia, which was accorded tiger reserve status in 2007, has no tiger now in its 963 sqkm habitat. In 2018, a tiger and tigress were brought to the reserve from two different sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh to boost the big cat population. While the tiger came under attack from poachers, the tigress (Sundari) was sent back to Kanha tiger reserve.
The Satkosia reserve comprises two divisions – Satkosia wildlife sanctuary and Mahanadi wildlife sanctuary – with both sanctuaries being separated by a 21km-long gorge. The ex-servicemen will be able to move between the two divisions in boats, officials said.
The ex-servicemen’s recruitment has been done through the director general of resettlement (DGR). “The ex-servicemen know guerrilla and jungle warfare. The DGR has empanelled organisations which handle the deployment of ex-servicemen,” officials said. In Chandaka wildlife sanctuary, which is located on the outskirts of the city, 10 ex-service personnel have joined duty recently to patrol the forest in core areas and places that are close to human habitation.