BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government’s own tiger estimate has put the big cat count at 30 in the state of which 27 have been camera-trapped. The Similipal tiger reserve (STR)’s share in the tiger population stands at 27. It also holds 13 melanistic tigers, said the latest report.
The All Odisha Tiger Estimation (AOTE) 2023-24 report which was released on Monday revealed there are also eight tiger cubs in STR.
The number produced by the Wildlife Wing of Forest and Environment department is several notches higher than the All India Tiger Estimate (AITE) 2022 which had pegged the figure at 20 last year. The AITE is conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
“Tiger abundance has increased in Odisha from the previous estimate of AITE 2022 released by the NTAC. STR, which currently harbours 27 unique adult individuals, has witnessed an increase from 16 tigers captured through camera traps in 2021-2022,” the state report stated.
Out of the 27 adult big cats camera-trapped during the exercise, 14 are females and 13 are males. Of them, 24 were enumerated in STR while Keonjhar (territorial and wildlife combined), Paralakhemundi territorial and Hirakud wildlife divisions have one each.
With 24 adult tigers, Similipal holds the largest share of the state’s tiger population. The TR also is home to all the adult female tigers in the state. Similarly, all the seven cubs of less than one year have also been photo-captured in STR.
Evidence of another three adult tigers has also been found in Similipal though they have not been camera trapped, the report stated. Similarly, Similipal’s 13 are the only population of the melanistic tigers in the state as well as the world.
Apart from Similipal, Hirakud and Paralakhemundi divisions also hold one adult male tiger each.
Odisha has 30 tigers, 27 in STR
“Another adult male tiger was found to utilise the greater Similipal tiger landscape,” the report stated.
“The growth has resulted from strict management actions and scientific conservation practices. The images of eight unique tiger cubs during AOTE indicate a recovering population in Similipal landscape,” the report stated.
The presence of three adult male tigers camera-trapped in Hirakud, Paralakhemundi and Keonjhar looks promising and provides hope for a better future for the big cats in these habitats, the report said.
Like the All India estimate, the state enumeration didn’t find any big cat in Satkosia tiger reserve, but underlined there is excellent potential for tiger recovery in both Satkosia and Sunabeda habitats.