File photo of a tiger sighted along the Masinagudy-Theppakadu stretch of
the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. Photo: Special Arrangement
This December 19, 2014 photo shows officials inspecting the body of a
tiger found dead in Annikatty Village near Mudumalai in Niligiris
district of Tamil Nadu.
From 76 tigers in 2006, the number of big cats shot up to 229 in 2014, says the report on the Status of Tigers in India - 2014.
In a big pat on the back for conservation efforts in Tamil Nadu, the
population of tigers has tripled in the State in just eight years, finds
the latest official count of the big cats.
From 76 tigers in 2006, the number of big cats shot up to 229 in 2014,
says the report on the Status of Tigers in India - 2014 by the National
Tiger Conservation Authority. The 2010 survey recorded 163 tigers.
The forest complex of Mudumalai, Bandipur, Nagarhole and Wayanad Tiger
Reserves has “the world's single largest tiger population” now estimated
at over 570 tigers, says the report. With the addition of
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in 2013, Tamil Nadu has four Tiger
Reserves, including Mudumalai, Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and
Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
For the survey, researchers and volunteers sampled 7033 km of forest
trails and analysed images of tigers from 578 camera traps.
Western Ghats Landscape Complex
The trend in Tamil Nadu’s tiger reserves is consistent with other tiger
habitats in the Western Ghats, which together have seen the biggest
growth in tiger numbers compared to other tiger-occupied landscapes in
the country. The four States that make up the Western Ghats Landscape
Complex saw a jump in tiger numbers from 402 tigers in 2006 to 776 in
2014.
Tiger expert Ullas Karanth, Director, Centre for Wildlife Studies
attributed the growing numbers to the improved forest protection in this
region in the last decade. “Apart from the contiguity, the prey base and protection measures in
this landscape will ensure the tigers will live here for many, many
years,” says K. Sankar, Senior Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India
(WII), Dehra Dun.
The connectivity of this landscape with Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve,
through Moyar gorge, is pushing the number of tigers up in this newly
formed tiger reserve. Tigers must have inhabited the Sathyamangalam
forests for long but not many dared to go inside when forest brigand
Veerappan was alive. With easy access now, more tigers are being
sighted, say activists.
Tiger deaths
The rising number of big cats also raises the apprehension on their
survival outside the protected habitat. In 2014, Tamil Nadu topped tiger
deaths in the country. “The sub-adult tigers move out to carve out new territories for
themselves and could resort to cattle lifting making them vulnerable to
poisoning and poaching. There is a need for continuous monitoring of
tigers outside protected areas,” says Mr. Sankar. The finer details of
the analysis on the tigers and their habitat will be known by March, he
adds.
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