Acting on information from people who claimed to have spotted a tiger in Ennore around two months ago, officials from the Forest Department with volunteers have unearthed a ecosystem that supports wildlife in the area, which, they say, is at a risk from the ongoing third phase of construction of the North Chennai Thermal Power Station.
“While we initially fitted three cameras in the area, over 50 camera traps were fitted later and the footage was monitored for over two weeks. Volunteers and officials too patrolled the area. We found jungle cats, civet cats, spotted deer, monitor lizards, freshwater turtles and many other species of snakes and birds,” said Forest Ranger C. Murugesan.
The large number of animals, birds and reptiles were found over an area of nearly 750 acres in the 900-odd acres, where the NCTPS is located in Ennore.
The rich fauna in the area was caught on camera traps set up over two weeks as well as spotted by numerous volunteers, who patrolled the area.
Rejecting the possibility of a tiger in the area, Mr. Murugesan said people might have spotted a jungle cat and mistaken it for a tiger cub.
