• Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Census over, fingers crossed over exact number

BCR by BCR
February 7, 2010
in News World
0 0
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Census over, fingers crossed over exact number

TNN, 7 February 2010, 06:57am IST

NAGPUR: The first phase of the six-day exercise undertaken by the forest department to monitor tigers, co-predators, prey and their habitat concluded in protected and non-protected tiger-bearing areas of the state on February 3. The exercise was conducted with revised and refined line transect methodology. The figures are likely to be declared after six months.

In Maharashtra, the exercise was conducted in over 6,000 beats in protected (PAs) as well as non-protected areas (NPAs), including tiger-bearing patches of Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM) in Chandrapur and Gondia districts. Over 200 volunteers actively participated in the exercise in Melghat, Pench and Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserves and PAs like Bor, Nagzira and Navegaon. Barring Nagzira and Navegaon, where the exercise was conducted from January 27 to February 1, in other areas it was held between January 29 and February 3.

In the first phase (Jan 29-31), field staff obtained data on the presence and intensity of use of a beat by tigers and other carnivores like leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears and jackals. Each search covered around 12-15 km distance, having the best potential for tiger presence. For each transect, beginning and end point co-ordinates (latitude & longitude) was recorded by a global positioning system (GPS).

Since tigers and leopards have a tendency of using dirt roads, trails, footpaths, river beds and nullahs, these landscapes in the beat were searched intensively. The search for tiger and leopard signs included pugmark trails, scat, scrape and scent marks, rake marks on tree trunks, roaring and actual sighting.

In the second phase (Feb 1-3), sampling for ungulate (relating for animals with hooves) encounter rates was done by the field staff and volunteers while walking along fixed line transects of 2 km in a beat. Here, data on vegetation, terrain, forest type, direct sightings of animals, habitat category and human disturbance too was recorded.

The volunteers also helped the field staff sample vegetation along the transects. Signs of wood-cutting, presence of humans, trails, livestock herbs, grasses, litter and bare ground was also recorded. Sampling for faecal pellets of animals with hooves was also done to know their abundance.

Although there were many who applied for the exercise, only a few turned up. At many places, only 50% of those registered actually participated. In TATR, conservator & field director SP Thakre said that 107 volunteers had applied but only 58 participated.

“Our staff was ready for the entire exercise sans volunteers too. The TATR is teeming with evidence of tigers and there was great enthusiasm among wildlife buffs. We traced evidence in almost every beat. There were even direct sightings in Kolsa and Tadoba ranges,” Thakre told TOI.

In Tadoba, field staff found evidence of tiger scat having eaten a leopard. “Six nails suspected to be of a leopard have been found in the scat, which was one-month-old, near Pandharpaoni. The samples will have to be analysed,” he said.

In Nagzira (152 sq km) there was good response from volunteers. MM Kulkarni, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) for Gondia Wildlife Division, informed of the 24 who registered, 20 took part. Evidence was traced in almost all the beats. There was direct sighting of a bear.

CS Reddy, RFO of Bor Sanctuary, said tiger evidence was found in 8 beats. “We also found evidence of panther,” he said.

In Pench too, there was evidence of fair number of tigers in various beats.

GK Vashisht, ACF for Pench Tiger Reserve, informed that all forested beats in tiger landscapes (tiger reserves, PAs, reserve and protected forests, revenue forests) will be sampled once in four years. However, all source populations of tigers in reserves and PAs will be sampled with this protocol twice in a year in summer and winter. The data will be compiled at the circle level before being sent to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

In Kolsa, volunteers like Dinesh Visavadia and Nishant Adhiya and others who came from Junagadh in Gujarat enjoyed the exercise. “We travelled 1200 kms to know about tigers,” remarked Visavadia.

The new system was introduced by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, on the recommendations of Tiger Task Force (TTF) set up after the Sariska debacle. The earlier method of taking pug-marks, introduced in the 70s, was directly related to the number of particular animals. It was withdrawn after 2007.

As per the official estimation of tigers and panthers in 2007, there are 148 tigers and 292 panthers in the 42 protected areas (PAs) in the state. However, as per the last circle-wise estimation, which is conducted once in four years and was last held in 2005, the state has a record of 268 tigers and 717 leopards. Amid poaching pressures, it’s too early to guess what will be the population of carnivores this time.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Census-over-fingers-crossed-over-exact-number/articleshow/5544063.cms

http://bigcatrescue.org


Tags: News World
Previous Post

Orang Asli fights off tiger with rock

Next Post

Many trails, few tails

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

News World

Enrichment Program @ BIG CAT RESCUE!

May 7, 2022
114
Zanesville Massacre 18 tigers 17 lions 3 cougars gunned down  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty
News World

Zanesville Massacre 18 tigers 17 lions 3 cougars gunned down

October 20, 2021
10.3k
Vanessa Hudgens Shame  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

September 12, 2021
6.1k
Snow Leopard  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty
News @ BCR

Save Snow Leopards

April 17, 2021
6.2k
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
2.7k
Next Post

Many trails, few tails

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • Insitu2021 January 17, 2023
  • Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue. January 13, 2023
  • Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue. January 13, 2023

Recent Comments

  • Deb Quimby on Koda Lioness
  • heather elliott on Sapphire
  • Jason Jenkins on Tiger Facts
  • Claire Pritchett on Koda Lioness
  • Deb Quimby on Jinx

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

More from Big Cats

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Insitu2021

January 17, 2023
Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue.  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty

Smell my beans! Priya tiger at Big Cat Rescue.

January 13, 2023
Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue.  Census over, fingers crossed over exact number jeg empty

Want! Kekoa and Makani rehab bobcats at Big Cat Rescue.

January 13, 2023

© Copyright 2023 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • About BCR
  • Videos
  • Big Cat Facts
  • Cub Facts
  • Our Cat Stories
  • Sanctuary Cats
  • Shop and Save Cats
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Abuse Issues
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2023 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist