Through an extensive camera trap network, officials at Nagarahole National Park now have a catalogue of the stripes on 72 tigers — allowing them to monitor their movements on the long term.
The journal of the Phase IV monitoring of tigers of the park, launched here on Wednesday and touted to be the first of its kind in the country, has used 400 camera traps placed around the 1,200-sq. km park. In a span of two months, over 637 photos of tigers were taken. The cameras had been donated to the park by the IT firm, CSS Corp.
Using software, 72 individual tigers were spotted and given an identification number. “Statistical analysis showed that the park has a density of around 8.6 tigers per 100 sq. km, one of the highest in the country, while an estimated 93 tigers reside in the park,” R. Gokul, former director of the park who had initiated the trapping exercise, said.
This is in line with the Tiger Census 2014, which estimated the population of the endangered species between 90 and 113.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (head of Forest Force) Vinay Luthra said the exercise would prove crucial to decision-taking within the park. “The monitoring system can find out habits and habitats of the tiger, while showing its territory size, tiger corridors. Effects of man-animal conflict on tiger migration can also be found,” he said.
More tiger sanctuariesThe number of tigers in the State remains encouraging, and calls from activists and researchers for declaration of more tiger reserves have been on the rise. For instance, the presence of at least 14 tigers in the 2,000-sq. km Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary has seen the National Tiger Conservation Authority give in-principal approval for their declaration of the tiger reserve.
Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B. Ramanath Rai said the process for notification was under way, particularly as there was support from forest-dwellers as well as local representatives. “There will be little issues here. However, at Kudremukh National Park (which has already received approval from the Centre for Project Tiger), it is difficult to declare it due to local opposition and spreading of misinformation against the project,” he said.
Nagarahole National Park
Core tiger area: 643.35 sq. km
Total area: 1,205.76 sq. km
Number of tigers
2010 census: Around 80
2014 census: 101 tigers
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Camera trapping exercise
Uses 400 cameras donated by CSS Corp
Traps placed in 167 locations over 60 days
637 photographs of tigers were obtained
Analysis shows 72 distinct individual tigers
Statistical analysis estimate around 93 tigers in the reserve
Tiger density: 8.6 tigers per 100 sq. km
