Body of tiger found near Corbett
16 Dec 2007, 0322 hrs IST,Neha Shukla,TNN
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LUCKNOW: Is Corbett going the Gir way? A mutilated tiger body found
near Corbett proves that infighting in and around the park is
increasing. And, if the recent rise in infighting and death due to
the same is an indication to go by, relocation of tigers from Corbett
could be a choice coming up in near future.
Corbett is touted as one of the best tiger reserves with good number
of tigers present there. The density of tigers is pretty high in the
park. But, as has been reported in the recent past, the cases of
infighting are increasing in and around the area.
The latest incident is of Wednesday, when a torn and mutilated body
of a tiger was found in Raninangal block of Bijnore forest division,
near Corbett national park. The death, said the forest officials from
the area, was because of infighting between the two tigers.
“After we investigated the matter we got to know that it was a case
of infighting probably over a kill, in which adult tiger killed and
also ate up the hind parts of the younger one,” said Atibal Singh,
forest official from Amangarh range in whose territory the incident
took place. The postmortem report that came on Saturday and
examinations by a panel of doctors proved infighting as the cause of
the death. Amangarh range is an area adjoining Corbett national park.
In the past, the instances of infighting among tigers in the park and
in adjoining areas have been on the rise. “In Corbett the density of
tigers is increasing, consequently there is a rise in the cases of
infighting for survival,” said Singh.
The fact that is also supported by Wildlife Protection Society of
India (WPSI) an organisation that is assisting forest staff in
Corbett Park in conserving wild population there.
“The recent case as has been told by the officials is the cause of
infighting. And, in past few years there have been frequent cases
reported from the park,” said Tito Joseph from the WPSI.
Although infighting among tigers is natural as the wild animal to
prove its supremacy over females and to claim a territory as its own
tries to drive out the weaker male from the harem (the group that the
animal moves in).
The territorial infighting, as guided by wild nature, is more common
in core area but the place where the body of a tiger was found is on
the periphery of Corbett. This could be an ample indication towards
increase in infighting for survival and not just for supremacy.
“Infighting among leopards was also reported from areas adjoining
Corbett which certainly necessitates better maintenance of the best
national park. Relocation, however, is a far distant choice as of
now,” added Joseph. Although, officials and experts agree that
situation in Corbett is not as complicated as in Gir of Gujarat which
houses all the Asiatic lions in India, but timely consideration is
needed to maintain the thriving wild population. Director, Corbett
Park, despite repeated attempts could not be reached for comments.
For The Tiger
Dee
http://bigcatrescue.org
http://www.savethetigerfund.org
http://www.worldwildlife.org/tigers/
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