Lakhimpur: In a good news for wildlife
enthusiasts concerned over dwindling big cat population in the
country, at least 15 tiger cubs have been sighted in the
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
Not only that, the survival rate of the cubs has also
increased, they said.
"At least 15 tiger cubs have been sighted at various
spots of the park," Shailesh Prasad, field director of the
Dudhwa reserve in Kheri district, said.
He said a tigress with three cubs was sighted in
Madraicha while Chhota Palia, Chaltua, Kakraha, Puraina and
Jhadi Tal areas of the national park and Sadar beat of
Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary (KWS) were reported to have
tigresses with two cubs respectively.
He also said, "a tigress with one cub was reported to be
staying in Trans-Gerua area of KWS."
"All the cubs were hale and hearty, which indicated a
sustained growth of tiger family in Dudhwa despite several
odds," he added.
However, if the arrival of new members in the tiger
families has rejuvenated the wildlife lovers, this has also
left them seriously concerned as Dudhwa with an area of nearly
1400 sq kms is nearly saturated with tiger population.
"The population of tigers in Dudhwa is at its optimum at
present and if buffer area was not well-managed in the coming
days, further growth would encourage man-animal conflict,"
Prasad said.
With a view to give extension to tiger habitat, a
proposal to incorporate north Kheri forest division of the
district into the reserve had been already submitted to
National Tiger Conservation Authority.
Already, the cane fields around Dudhwa and on the fringes
of north and south Kheri forest division areas have started
attracting big cats, and the arrival of new members in the big
cat families may accelerate the pace, said a wildlife expert.
Eminent wildlife expert and convener of Terai Nature
Conservation Society (TNCS) Vijay Pratap Singh, who has been
assigned by the WWF to carry out a survey work on tigers
living outside the reserve forest areas, shared the concerns
of park officials.
"It is high time to ensure intensive monitoring of
tigers, which have strayed into cane fields in search of safe
hideouts and to accommodate themselves in the buffer areas,"
he said.
Singh said over three dozen tigers were reported to have
been visiting the areas outside the reserve forest.
"Among these included areas in close proximity of Gola,
Dhaurehra, Mohammadi, Sumernagar area in Sampurnanagar,
Majhgain, Pallia, north and south Nighasan, Mailani ranges of
north and south Kheri forest divisions," he said.
"Intensive monitoring of tigers outside the reserve
forest areas and well-managed buffer zone were the immediate
points of attention to avert man-animal conflict," Singh said.
Bureau Report
