BENGALURU: With a tigress found dead in Bandipur on Saturday, the number of tiger deaths/seizures in Karnataka this year has once again touched 17. Last year too, the state had witnessed the deaths of 17 big cats, of which a few had died due to poaching and poisoning. This year, however, not a single case of mortality has been due to these reasons.
While Nagarhole witnessed nine deaths, Bandipur saw four, while Bhadra three and Shettihalli one. As per the official database of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Tigernet, the directory of tiger and other wildlife mortality, 15 tigers died in the state while a tiger skin was seized in HD Kote in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. However, NTCA has failed to record the death of an aged tiger found dead inside Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary in Shivamogga district on April 19.
While 13 tigers inside protected areas (PA), three died outside it. Further, seven males and four females have died while the identity of five is yet to be established. This year, the tiger deaths began on a horrible note with January witnessing the death of six tigers in Bandipur and Nagarhole.
The reasons for two or more tiger deaths in the early part of the year was due to botched up ‘capture and relocation’ operations. The rest of the deaths were either due to infighting for territory, overpopulation, lack of space or natural causes like ill health and old age problems. As per NTCA, out of 15 deaths, three died due to natural causes, one died due to infighting, one died later after been rescued from a snare in Nagarhole while details are still awaited from the state Forest Department in the rest of the cases.
BANDIPUR-NAGARHOLE SUCCESS STORY
Housing a rich prey base, both Nagarhole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves, which are known globally for their conservation success stories, are now home to more than 220 animals. The tiger population is at high densities of 10-15 tigers per 100sqkm.
Because of high rates of reproduction, based on an abundant prey base, this population naturally has high mortality and dispersal related losses of nearly 20 per cent per year.With rigid protection measures in place, both have tiger population beyond their carrying capacities and so there is no space for dispersal, officials said.