CHENNAI: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), in a report, has said the recent deaths of tigers, including of tiger cubs in Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, were not alarming in the context of current population size growth and dispersal dynamics in the landscape. However, the report noted that information on tiger movement is inadequate and more detailed monitoring is necessary.
The biodiversity-rich areas of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Nilgiris forest division were recently in the news as 10 tigers had died within 40 days, raising several concerns including of poaching. This prompted the NTCA to send a team to the area to conduct a detailed field appraisal and submit a report. A team consisting of NS Murali, Inspector General of Forests (IGF), K Ramesh, scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Kirupasankar, regional deputy director, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Doki Adhimallaiah, wildlife inspector from WCCB Chennai undertook the appraisal.
Their report, a copy of which is with TNIE, concluded: “Deaths of these tigers are not alarming in the context of current population size, growth and dispersal dynamics in the landscape but unnatural causes such as poisoning and previous incidents of poaching are indicator of what may be expected in the landscape and accordingly, the management should gear up for preventive actions.”
As per official data, there were 76 tigers in TN in 2006. The number rose to 306, according to the 2022 estimation. At the same time, the number of tigers in MTR increased from 51 in 2006 to 114 in 2022. As part of recommendations made in the report, Murali said: “Given increasing population growth of tiger in the landscape and the complex land-uses, specifically in the Nilgiris forest division where information on tiger movement is inadequate, it is important to put in place detailed monitoring involving M-STtIPES modules and intensive camera-trapping of the region. All-year around Continuous Camera Monitoring System (CCMS) using one-sided camera traps or use of other advanced GSM or local network-based technology would be required to obtain movement of tigers on a weekly basis and to track any possible threats due to retaliatory killing and/or poaching.”
“There is a need to establish an informant network in the region, with involvement of local NGOs, including the ones who are raising concerns of potential poaching risk. It is important to investigate further on the recent tiger sightings across the human dominated area...,” the report said.
The report said the death of two tigers was clearly a case of poisoning, a retaliatory killing. The forest department acted and arrested the accused.
“However, this needs to be taken with caution as this region i.e. Emerald Forest of Avalanche, Ooty has previous records of poachers operating here. Information from the agency reveals that a gang of notorious poachers from north India are settled in the landscape and speak the local language.”
The other eight tiger deaths were attributed to natural causes, including infighting, abandonment by mother. In the case of mortality of four cubs, in Chinna-Coonoor area of Nilgiri forest division, the report said: “In the wild, at the age of two-three months, cubs start to feed on the kill made by the mother... if the mother is inexperienced, prolonged prey hunt and other unknown causes can make the mother to desert the cubs. These four cubs were perhaps left unattended by the mother for a longer duration and hence died because of starvation, dehydration,” the report said.
Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy said the forest department has taken a number of steps to identify the mothers of tiger cubs.
“Camera traps were set-up in 68 locations. Six teams are conducting searches. The monitoring teams got 15 tiger images from camera traps in the Chinna-Coonoor area, of which four were female tigers and their scat samples were collected and sent for DNA analysis to identify the probable mothers of the cubs.”