Other States - Orissa   

State differs with Centre on tiger census

BHUBANESWAR: Close on the heels of Wildlife Institute of India revealing that Orissa has only 45 tigers, the State Government is contemplating to lodge official protest with the Centre casting doubts over the way tiger census was carried out in the State.

Speaking to The Hindu from New Delhi, state’s Chief Wildlife Warden Bijay Ketan Patnaik said the Forest Department had already disputed the method of conducting census.

“Though WII was earlier informed about the faulty census (camera trapping), which is not proper in Similipal area, they came out with such a report,” Mr. Patnaik said on Tuesday.

“Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India”, which was released by WII in New Delhi, says Orissa has 45 tigers with a probability of 37 lowest and 53 highest numbers of tigers.

However, Orissa Government has long been maintaining that it has 102 tigers alone in Similipal Sanctuary. As per its 2004 census, there are 192 tigers (57 males, 75 females and 60 cubs) in the State.

All the top brass of Forest Department including state’s forest secretary and principal chief conservator of forest was in New Delhi and their presence coincided with the release of the report.

The revelation has put the Forest Department in an uncomfortable situation.

“The census could have fully covered at least four important terrains of the State. They seem to have arrived at a conclusion by taking census of only Similipal sanctuary, which has already been disputed,” Mr. Patnaik said.

The report says the State has a total mapable tiger occupancy reported in 9,144 square kilometer.

Tigers were distributed in four larger occupied units, three smaller units and sporadic occurrences largely in Southern and Central part of the State.

“Similipal Landscape comprising of 3,824 sq. km patch of forest has recorded tiger presence in two units having a total tiger occupancy of 2,297 sq. km with an estimated tiger population of 20 (17-34) tigers,” the report claims.

Moreover, Sunabeda-Udanti-Indravati landscape is part of a contiguous forest patch of 34,000 sq. km having a tiger occupancy in Orissa of 570 sq. km of about 9 (7-11) tigers, it says.

It recommends due to Similipal’s large size and good habitat it can potentially sustain a viable population for long-term conservation.

The area needs to be rectified by better protection, and enhancement of prey populations through reduction of anthropogenic pressures.

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