The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Tigers eluding enumeration

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Tigers eluding enumeration

S. Harpal Singh

JANNARAM (ADILABAD DT.): Does the disappearance of more than half the 19 tigers in the Kawwal wild life sanctuary, as was revealed in the just concluded 2008 tiger census, become a cause for concern.

“No,” according to forest officials, who ruled out poaching as reason for the number coming down to nine from 19 in 2005. They have proffered a theory that the big cats are shunning regular sites used for the purpose of enumeration fearing wild dogs that are rapidly multiplying in numbers.

“Over the last two years, we have been observing the number of wild dogs in the forests near Oogimamilla, Chindethula, Dongapalli, Bheemunigandi and Maisammagandi increase greatly. Simultaneously, sighting of tigers at these places has decreased obviously because the latter fear attack by the fierce wild dogs,” observes Jannaram Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) A. Kishan.

The other probable reasons for the tigers ‘escaping’ enumeration are deaths due to old age and the animals avoiding the specially laid out trails to get the pug marks. “Often, the tigers may step on rocks or stones near water holes or saucer wells and springs cutting out chances of getting pug marks on the pug impression pads (PIP) that are strategically laid out,” says the DFO. Between 1997 and 2003, the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) detected nine cases of killings of tigers in Adilabad district.

In five of the cases, skins were seized while one each was found to have been electrocuted and poisoned. Two were reported to have been killed by poachers. Biotic interference and increasing competition for water have already been identified as prime factors for wild animals going scarce.

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