Of Forest officials and their guesstimation!!!!!!!!

July 10, 2009

If you guys do not have any proof or ways to find out the total count of tigers

at Palamau…and only making guesstimation that the number could have

increased…then isn't it possible that the count could have been decreased?????

Or do you have full faith and belief in the Maoists that they are the protectors

of forests and would not touch the wildlife and the forest reserves?????? It

certainly wasn't the case with the Bodos in Assam or the Maoists in Orissa where

they backed the poachers in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve!!!!!!!

Warm Regards

Radhika Singh

-have-increased-in-Palamau/articleshow/4748479.cms

Tigers could have increased in Palamau

7 Jul 2009, 1350 hrs IST, PTI

RANCHI: Maoist presence in some areas of the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand

is preventing wildlife experts from ascertaining the exact number

of felines in the park.

Experts feel the numbers could have risen from 17 in 2007 but they have limited

access to the area.

The Reserve spread over the districts of Latehar, Garwah and Lohardaga, is

divided into 30 zones of which 13 are Maoist-infested and cannot be patrolled,

Chief Conservator of Forest(Wildlife) and Biodiversity, S K Sharma, told PTI

here.

Without free access to these 13 zones, the staff can neither collect samples nor

install cameras at strategic places like waterbodies, Sharma said.

" As per the 2007 census, the Reserve had 17 tigers, but there could be more, but

we cannot verify it because we cannot place cameras in the 13 zones as Maoists

are present, " he said.

" We have tiger protection forces mainly comprising local people. The force is

divided into several groups who regularly patrol the areas. They are not armed

as it was feared that these could be snatched away by Maoists, " Sharma said.

The department was in the process of setting up a strike force comprising

ex-service men. " But it is not yet decided whether they would be given weapons

while on patrol, " he said.

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