Surprise visitor at wildlife sanctuary that hasn’t had a big cat for four decades — a young male tiger

This comes astatine a clip erstwhile Chhattisgarh is making efforts to summation its falling tiger population. As reported by The Indian Express successful August, an NTCA study from 2023 showed that Chhattisgarh’s tiger colonisation had fallen to 17 successful 2022 from 46 successful 2014.

According to Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Prem Kumar, the authorities has conducted 2 surveys to find retired if Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary tin prolong a larger tiger population. Spread crossed 244.66 sq. km, this wood is already location to 44 species, including leopards, elephants, sloth bears, guars, spotted deer, and the Indian wolf.

The past clip a tiger was spotted successful these parts was implicit a decennary ago.

The section hopes that reviving the sanctuary’s tiger colonisation would assistance boost tourism successful these parts. “The survey recovered a capable prey basal — chaotic boars and chitals – and capable h2o availability to location 2 much tigers,” Kumar said.

To support the lone tiger, meanwhile, the section has taken respective measures, including mounting up 200 camera traps and conducting regular nighttime patrols to guarantee that the carnal is harmless from poachers.

“A dedicated squad is formed to assistance successful tracking and tracing the movements truthful that beforehand accusation tin beryllium shared with different staff. Night patrolling is being done connected a rotation ground to guarantee its extortion and thwart immoderate extracurricular menace (such arsenic poachers),” Baloda Bazar divisional wood serviceman Mayank Agrawal told The Indian Express.

Forest officials person besides enlisted the assistance of cattle herders from villages successful the periphery of the sanctuary.

“We held a gathering with each the cattle herders to marque them alert that the authorities would supply them with compensation successful lawsuit the tiger preys connected their cattle. They volition besides beryllium rewarded erstwhile they alert america astir poachers. Further, we are besides taking measures to guarantee poachers bash not onslaught the animal,” helium said, adding that the section precocious arrested 2 poachers and seized 2 country-made guns from them.

Chhattisgarh has presently 3 tiger reserves — Achanakmar, Udanti Sitanadi and Indravati. In August, the state’s Vishnu Deo Sai furniture cleared a connection to notify Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve arsenic the state’s 4th tiger reserve – and the 3rd largest successful the country. The authorities plans to bring retired a notification connected this soon.

Significantly, the wood section besides planned to bring 2 pistillate and 1 antheral tiger to Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (ATR) but dropped it aft the reserve saw its tiger numbers much than double, going to 12 successful 2024 from 5 successful 2022.

According to ATR Deputy Director U.R. Ganesh, this alteration is owing to 2 large factors.

“One is the summation successful tiger colonisation successful protected areas of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. The corridor connectivity enables this spill implicit tiger colonisation to relocate to ATR. Second, our changeless efforts to supply them a harmless and suitable situation fixed the initiatives being taken to undertake situation betterment activities on with patrolling, surveillance and protection,” helium said.

But determination could beryllium challenges progressive successful the wood department’s plans to revive Barnawapara’s tiger population. According to wildlife conservationist and activistic Ajay Shankar Dubey, the section has 2 main tasks – protecting the area’s prey basal and keeping the sanctuary wide of poachers and encroachments.

“Tigers are an indicator of a steadfast forest… (But) successful Chhattisgarh, determination are 2 challenges. First is taking attraction of the nutrient rhythm and for that, they request to support the weakening of prey basal arsenic tigers tin past erstwhile determination is amended grassland management. Second is extortion from hunting. So, wood officials volition person to beryllium vigilant,” helium said.