Bengaluru:
In terms of the tiger population in India, Karnataka holds the number one place. And now, national tiger census report in 2014 suggests that the tiger roar in the state’s lush forests has grown as it now has more than 406 big cats.
The Wildlife Institute of India released a census report which omitted protected areas like Male Mahadeshwara (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary , traditionally not known for tigers.
A scientific analysis of 1,933 sqkm was done using camera-trapping and it was found that there is a healthy tiger population in the two protected areas with the discovery of 12 tigers at MM Hills and two at Cauvery.
"These areas have the potential to double their tiger count within five years, as a lot of them are young," said wildlife biologist Sanjay Gubbi, key author of the study conducted by Nature Conservation Foundation.
The report has been released by minister for cooperation and sugar HS Mahadeva Prasad, who is also minister in charge of Chamarajanagar district.
"With the report in hand, we will review the proposal to declare the region as a new tiger reserve. If the declaration doesn't pose a threat to local communities, we have no problem. However, a final decision has to be taken by the department concerned, in consultation with the Centre," Prasad said.
"The camera-trapping exercise was very encouraging. Apart from the tigers, even cubs were photographed. The Greater BRT tiger landscape (BRT-MM Hills-Cauvery-Bannerghatta-Sathyamangalam-North Cauvery) has the potential to accommodate 150 tigers, if measures are taken," said Gubbi.
