BHUBANESWAR: Eight tigers were captured by camera traps at Similipal, Odisha’s oldest and biggest tiger reserve (TR). The tiger density in the habitat is 1.02 per 100 square km, as per the detailed report of the 2018 all India tiger estimates released by the Centre on Tuesday.
Sources familiar with the census details say that during statistical analysis, number of individual tigers camera trapped could be higher. Compared to 2014 estimates, the number of unique tigers captured in camera traps is stated to be a little higher in 2018.
The report released by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on the eve of Global Tigers Day stated that eight adult tigers including seven female and only one male, were identified at the Similipal TR.
The survey used 141 camera points in a model space of 847 sq km. Higher tiger density was observed in Upper Barahakamuda and Jenabil ranges having contiguous forest patches with grasslands and rugged terrain. Sambar was found to be the most abundant ungulate with a density of 11.24 per km.
The report observed that Similipal has potential to sustain higher tiger density and the consistently low number over the years calls for active management intervention to retain its genetically unique population.
“The tiger population, if increased, can then act as a source population to neighboring forest divisions of Keonjhar and Kuldiha,” it said adding that given the current small size of population, supplementation from Bandhavgarh tiger reserve must be considered to evade any extinction events.
The report found a lone tigress in Satkosia TR and another in Debrigarh Sanctuary (which is outside of TR and considered dead now). No tigers were captured in the camera trap sampling carried out in Keonjhar Wildlife Division, Khalasuni Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary and forest divisions of Sundargarh, Sunabeda, Rourkela, Bamra, Bargarh and Kalahandi. A total of 28 species of ungulates, carnivores, domestic animals, omnivores and galliformes were photo captured in the Tiger Reserve. Barking deer and giant squirrel were the most common species, while golden jackal, sloth bear and smooth-coated otter were rarest.
“Poaching is one of the biggest threats to the tiger reserve,” the report pointed out and called for ‘urgent and inclusive mitigation measures’ to ensure the perpetuity of the tiger population. From around 45 with a rough estimation of 37 to 53 in 2006, the number big cats in the State came down to 28 (estimated to be between 24 and 32) in 2014. The number continues to remain same over the last six years.