Tigress confirmed as native of Mhadei-Goa
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PANAJI:
The forest department notched another conclusive find on the big cat's
trail after an expert ruled that the tigress captured on camera recently
in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary is a native of the state.
Photographic evidence gathered using the camera trap technology at the site of a wild boar kill on April 18, and a few days later was dispatched to noted scientist Kota Ullas Karanth for comparison.
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The conservation zoologist informed the Goa government that the photos of the tigress did not match with any of the 600 tigers in his database.
The differences in stripe patterns has set apart the tigress from the other big cats of Karnataka and other states in the Western Ghats.
Principal chief conservator of forests Richard D'Souza told TOI, "As the stripes of the tigress found in Goa do not match those of tigers from other states this is indeed a tigress from the forests of Mhadei."
This more corroborative camera trap-evidence along with the earlier circumstantial findings like scats in various parts of the state is expected to swing the tide in favour of a tiger reserve proposal in Mhadei's protected area. But the proposal may have to wait for the completion of the four-year study by Karanth.
Paresh Porob, range forest officer at the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, had selected camera-trap points on cues such as presence of earlier tiger scats, scrapes, scent deposits, tracks and intersections of trails.
Reacting to the photographic evidence, Prerna Bindra, member of the National Wildlife Board of India, told TOI, "Goa is known for the presence of tigers since it is part of the Western Ghats forests. Besides the tigress captured on camera, the movement of another tigress with two cubs has been revealed through pugmarks and sightings by locals. I will request the state as well as central governments to take needful steps for the protection of the big cat in the area."
Bittu Sahgal, initiator of Kids for Tigers told TOI from Mumbai, "As the presence of the tiger in Goa has been confirmed scientifically the government has to do something about it. The presence of a tigress in Goa is the real pride of the state's beautiful jungles."
Photographic evidence gathered using the camera trap technology at the site of a wild boar kill on April 18, and a few days later was dispatched to noted scientist Kota Ullas Karanth for comparison.
View Larger Map
The conservation zoologist informed the Goa government that the photos of the tigress did not match with any of the 600 tigers in his database.
The differences in stripe patterns has set apart the tigress from the other big cats of Karnataka and other states in the Western Ghats.
Principal chief conservator of forests Richard D'Souza told TOI, "As the stripes of the tigress found in Goa do not match those of tigers from other states this is indeed a tigress from the forests of Mhadei."
This more corroborative camera trap-evidence along with the earlier circumstantial findings like scats in various parts of the state is expected to swing the tide in favour of a tiger reserve proposal in Mhadei's protected area. But the proposal may have to wait for the completion of the four-year study by Karanth.
Paresh Porob, range forest officer at the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, had selected camera-trap points on cues such as presence of earlier tiger scats, scrapes, scent deposits, tracks and intersections of trails.
Reacting to the photographic evidence, Prerna Bindra, member of the National Wildlife Board of India, told TOI, "Goa is known for the presence of tigers since it is part of the Western Ghats forests. Besides the tigress captured on camera, the movement of another tigress with two cubs has been revealed through pugmarks and sightings by locals. I will request the state as well as central governments to take needful steps for the protection of the big cat in the area."
Bittu Sahgal, initiator of Kids for Tigers told TOI from Mumbai, "As the presence of the tiger in Goa has been confirmed scientifically the government has to do something about it. The presence of a tigress in Goa is the real pride of the state's beautiful jungles."
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