Rajasthan to count its disappearing tigers

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A crucial census of tigers will be undertaken in Rajasthan from May

2 - 18, and tiger reserves and national parks will remain closed for

tourists. To the shock of animal lovers , at least one wildlife

reserve has lost its entire population of the big cats to the

poachers.

In the Sariska tiger reserve and the Ranthambore national park ,

census would first taken up on the basis of the water hole

monitoring technique May 2 & 3. Under this technique , the ponds in

the jungles would be kept under surveillance.

From May 4-18, the census would be conducted with the help of

pugmark tracking. Besides this, certain other methods would be

incorporated for counting tigers. The Rajasthan govt has faced

severe criticism from all political and non-political quarters on

the dwindling tiger population from Sariska and Ranthambore.

A report produced in March 2005 by the Wildlife Institute of India

confirmed that there were indeed no tigers left in Sariska even

though an official census conducted in 2004 had indicated that

between 16-17 tigers lived there.

Enquiries revealed the poachers killed all the tigers at Sariska.

Other animals namely leopards had also been targeted. Poaching

activity appeared to be linked to a well established network of

tiger part traders.

Even the Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) castigated the

govt for failing to save tigers. " There was a complete failure in

the control of poaching & encroachment on forest lands, " the CAG

noted , in its latest report.