News Link: Tigress Missing From Rajaji Reserve-NTCA Seeks Report From Uttarakhand Government – By MK (Editor)
Uttarakhand forest department started a search operation to find the tigress and deployed four teams on elephants to search for her.
Days after a tigress was reported missing from Rajaji Tiger Reserve, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on Wednesday sought a factual report from the Uttarakhand forest department in this regard.
On Tuesday, Delhi-based NGO, Centre for Wildlife and Environmental Litigation (CWEL) Foundation, had written to the NTCA about the missing tigress.
Bhanu Bansal, founder of CWEL Foundation made a statement. He said “Not being able to keep track of the national animal in such a manner is not an ideal situation. It clearly shows the red tape attitude of Rajaji administration. It is the duty of the officials to protect and conserve the wildlife in their jurisdiction. We have sought urgent intervention by NTCA in this regard and hope that the forest department will be able to find the missing tigress.”
The tigress, between 18 and 20 years of age, went missing from the western part of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. She has not been sighted or camera-trapped in almost two months.
Officials from Rajaji Tiger Reserve on Wednesday said they had found signs of the tigress in one of the ranges. They were working to confirm if it was the same animal.The size of the pug marks matches with the dimensions of the tigress’ paws from earlier records. To confirm her presence, they are installing camera traps in the whole area to get an image of the animal.
Rajaji Tiger Reserve has only two tigresses in the western part.
Five tigers from Corbett are to be translocated to increase the population soon. The area from where the tigress has gone missing is important because of the translocation process.
During the last tiger estimation, the reserve had 34 resident tigers. Including 32 in its eastern part, that has a 150 sq km area. Other two in the western part, which covers 570 sq km.
A busy traffic corridor divides the eastern and the western part of the reserve. That makes it difficult for the tigers to migrate between the two parts.
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News Link: Tigress Missing From Rajaji Reserve-NTCA Seeks Report From Uttarakhand Government – By MK (Editor)
