(IN): 9 tiger deaths in Kaziranga in 3 months

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/9_tiger_deaths_in_Kaziranga_in_3_months\

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9 tiger deaths in Kaziranga in 3 months

6 Feb 2009, 0450 hrs IST, Naresh Mitra, TNN

GUWAHATI: If the disappearance of tigers from Sariska National Park was

shocking, this news is absolutely chilling. Authorities at Kaziranga National

Park have admitted to the deaths of nine big cats in the past three months,

the biggest casualty ever in a national park over such a brief period.

Wildlife<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/9_tiger_deaths_in_Kaziranga_in\

_3_months/articleshow/4084317.cms#>

experts

fear the numbers are much higher and suspect forest officers at Kaziranga

are deliberately quoting a lower figure to avert a full-blown

investigation.

 

Speaking to TOI, Kaziranga National Park director S N Buragohain claimed the

reason behind the deaths ranged from poisoning by villagers to infighting

among tigers and old age. Experts, however, rubbished the argument and said

several deaths had occurred due to poaching at the park.

 

" Rhino poachers are behind the killings. I have credible information that

the poachers have confessed to killing at least four tigers in the recent

past. The real figure must be higher, " said P K Sen, former director of

Project Tiger.

 

The National Tiger

Conservation<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/9_tiger_deaths_in_Kazirang\

a_in_3_months/articleshow/4084317.cms#>

Authority

had sounded an alert a few days ago but the authorities at Kaziranga turned

a deaf ear. " The Park authorities should immediately pull up socks and

report the deaths to the Centre, " Sen said.

 

A decomposed tiger carcass was found at Agoratoli range on December 21 and

bones of a male tiger were recovered on January 10. On January 21, the body

of a tigress was detected at the Park.

 

The Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) 2008 country-wide

status of tigers pegged the figure in Assam at 70. Though forest officers

here had refuted the study and claimed there were 86 tigers at Kaziranga

alone, the claims have now come under a cloud. There has been no official

census at Kaziranga since 2000 when the 86 headcount was reported. But

forest authorities continue to quote the figure to buttress their claim that

the 863 sq km reserve has a healthy cat density.

 

Buragohain, however, insisted that poaching was not the sole reason behind

the deaths. " Since tigers are highly territorial animals, there are frequent

incidents of infighting. With their habitat shrinking, the big cats often

stray into neighbouring villages in search of food. Regular cases of

cattle-lifting makes the endangered animal vulnerable to retaliatory

killings by humans, " he said.

 

 

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