Increase in tiger population raises risk of poaching

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsThe increased tiger population in the three states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the last census is seen as the result of better conservation efforts. But now, some of the tiger reserves and sanctuaries in these regions are facing increased threat from the poacher gangs, which were until now very much active in other parts of the country.After the recent arrest of a poaching gang near the BRT Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the arrest of an Odisha native from Muthanga in Kerala for allegedly entering the forest region without permission, officials now suspect that hardcore tiger poachers and gangs are shifting their focus to the southern part of the country, especially around the tri-junction which includes the tiger reserves of Bandipur and Nagarhole in Karnataka, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.According to official data, the tiger population along this region is around 400. Though it is not a tiger reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary comes second to Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve in housing the highest number of big cats in South India with 70 tigers and 10 cubs.Moreover, as per the data available in the tigernet, the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), six tiger deaths were reported from Karnataka and one each from Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in the year 2012. Though NTCA has attributed only a single case of tiger death to poaching at Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka in February, officials suspect that the cause of many other deaths was also poaching. The cause of the tiger death in Wayanad on August 6 is yet to come out. Raising more concerns, body parts of 10 tigers have been seized from across the country so far in 2012, and among these three are from Karnataka and two from Tamil Nadu.“With the increase in the number of tigers in this part of the region, the threat from the poachers has also become high and will remain so. Though there are no specific alerts, from our part we have intensified the patrolling including the foot-patrolling inside the Wayanad Sanctuary after the recent arrests,” said K K Sunilkumar, warden, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.Besides, official database shows that the tiger mortality in India in 2012 (From January to August) is 47. In the previous year, 54 tiger deaths were reported from India and the number of the seizure of tiger body parts was nine.first published:August 20, 2012, 12:05 ISTlast updated:August 20, 2012, 12:05 IST
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The increased tiger population in the three states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the last census is seen as the result of better conservation efforts. But now, some of the tiger reserves and sanctuaries in these regions are facing increased threat from the poacher gangs, which were until now very much active in other parts of the country.

After the recent arrest of a poaching gang near the BRT Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the arrest of an Odisha native from Muthanga in Kerala for allegedly entering the forest region without permission, officials now suspect that hardcore tiger poachers and gangs are shifting their focus to the southern part of the country, especially around the tri-junction which includes the tiger reserves of Bandipur and Nagarhole in Karnataka, Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala.

According to official data, the tiger population along this region is around 400. Though it is not a tiger reserve, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary comes second to Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve in housing the highest number of big cats in South India with 70 tigers and 10 cubs.

Moreover, as per the data available in the tigernet, the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), six tiger deaths were reported from Karnataka and one each from Tamil Nadu and Wayanad in the year 2012. Though NTCA has attributed only a single case of tiger death to poaching at Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka in February, officials suspect that the cause of many other deaths was also poaching.

The cause of the tiger death in Wayanad on August 6 is yet to come out. Raising more concerns, body parts of 10 tigers have been seized from across the country so far in 2012, and among these three are from Karnataka and two from Tamil Nadu.

“With the increase in the number of tigers in this part of the region, the threat from the poachers has also become high and will remain so. Though there are no specific alerts, from our part we have intensified the patrolling including the foot-patrolling inside the Wayanad Sanctuary after the recent arrests,” said K K Sunilkumar, warden, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

Besides, official database shows that the tiger mortality in India in 2012 (From January to August) is 47. In the previous year, 54 tiger deaths were reported from India and the number of the seizure of tiger body parts was nine.