(IN): NDTV Tiger Campaign Are tigers safe in Kaziranga?

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Are tigers safe in Kaziranga?

<http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/are-tigers-safe-in-kaziranga-21089.php#>

Kishalay

Bhattacharjee<http://www.ndtv.com/news/search/results.php?cfeed=tw%3BSU%3Ahttp%3\

A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%3BLC%3A%23003399%3BVC%3A%23008000%3BDC%3A%23999999%3BTB%3A0%\

3BPBG%3A1%3BGP%3A0%3B%3BRBG%3A%23DCDCDC & hl=en & q=Kishalay%20Bhattacharjee & site=nd\

tv.com>,

Wednesday April 28, 2010, Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga World Heritage site may be one of the successful

rhino<http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/are-tigers-safe-in-kaziranga-21089.php#>con\

servation

stories and has the highest density of tigers in the country today but there

seems to be enough reason to raise an alarm with poachers residing just

outside the Park and unabated mining activity blocking animal corridors.

Recently Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh spoke about

tigerconservation<http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/are-tigers-safe-in-kaziranga-21\

089.php#>

..

 

" Kaziranga was never associated with tigers till December 2007 when it was

declared it as a Project Tiger Area. The numbers that seem to come from

camera trap seems to suggest tiger population of anywhere between 75-100 in

a total area of about 860 sq kms which is probably the highest density per

sq kms in the country, " said Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh.

 

Ramesh added: " Kaziranga now claims to have the highest density of tigers in

the country which is good as well bad news. It makes the Park very

vulnerable with an already existing poaching network. "

 

Fourteen rhinos have been killed in this Park in the last one year.

 

" It's too simplistic to say that they will go for one particular animal and

not touch tigers. Last year we lost 10 tigers and this year we have lost 2, "

said Dr Rajesh Gopal Member Secretary, NTCA.

 

Animals particularly the rhino often stray from the Kaziranga National Park

cross these channels of the Brahmaputra and come on the embankment but

what's worrying is the significant number of poachers and country made

weapons that are present in these villages.

 

" In many areas there is a determined effort to finish off the tiger

population. It is not coincidental, it's not an accident, there is a

deliberate conspiracy, there is a conjoining of real estate mafia, mining

mafia, " said Jairam.

 

Such is the state of affairs, at the Panbari reserve forest adjoining the

Kaziranga and an important animal corridor, there are 123 stone quarries on

this fringe and some of them have been given license by the Kaziranga Park

authorities.

 

Kaziranga has a unique eco system and the tiger may be much safer here but

with the park situated right on the international smuggling route, the

pressure on

wildlife<http://www.ndtv.com/news/india/are-tigers-safe-in-kaziranga-21089.php#>

will

always be there.

 

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