Second phase of tiger census to have camera-trapping

The second phase of the tiger enumeration exercise will commence in the first week of January and entail camera-trapping of tigers and leopards in Bandipur.

The first phase of the census concluded on Monday with the volunteers dispersing after six days of data collection pertaining to carnivores, herbivores, and the surrounding vegetations at Bandipur, Nagarahole, BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra, Anshi-Dandeli, and other reserve forests.

Conservator of Forests and director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, H.C. Kantharaj, told The Hindu that the second phase would involve tiger specialists from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the Forest Department.

In all, 130 cameras would be placed at key and vantage points identified by trackers based on the movement of tigers in Bandipur alone. The objective is to get a photo identity of the big cats and the software developed by the authorities would help ascertain specific features based on the stripes of each of the animals and help eliminate duplication. Mr. Kantharaj said the first batch of the cameras had arrived and the department was awaiting the dispatch of the second batch of nearly 60 cameras which would help them cover about 50 per cent of tiger reserve landscape spread over 874 sq. km.

“The cameras will be in place for 45 days and once completed they will be fixed at other places so as to cover the entire tiger landscape area Each camera will have an 8 GB memory card and can store anywhere between 500 to 800 images. We will can either replace the memory card or carry our laptops, download the images, and reload the camera after formatting the memory card,” Mr. Kantharaj said.

D. Rajkumar of Wildlife Conservation Society said the camera would not only help identify the carnivore density but also help ascertain prey density of an area. He said the cameras would have infrared sensor. “It will be triggered off when the light beam is broken by the animal movement and the data so captured will be superior as the stripes and other patterns can be matched with the available database. It is also least intrusive and the animals are not disturbed,” Mr. Rajkumar said.

He pointed out that camera trapping was a reliable and a scientific method and helped ascertain the presence of Melanistic Leopard in Wayanad though it had not been sighted earlier. “As tigers are territorial, the camera trap method will be useful to ascertain as to how many tigers are living in any given area apart from helping the scientists in estimating the prey density and habitat evaluation,” Mr. Rajkumar said.

The data collected by volunteers in the first phase and the camera trapping results will be extrapolated by scientists to arrive at an estimation on the number of tigers which will be a close approximation. The last such survey and estimation was done in 2009 and the results were declared in 2010 as per which the number of tigers in Bandipur was estimated to be between 85 and 110 and on an average harboured one tiger for every 8 sq. km. The prey density in the national park is reckoned to be high to support tigers, leopards, dholes – the three flag-ship species of carnivores in Indian forests.

Mr. Kantharaj said the same protocol would be followed in other national parks such as Nagarahole, BRT Wildlife Sanctuary, Bhadra, Anshi-Dandeli.

The habitat evaluation would help identify if there were any areas bereft of tigers or other carnivores which could help ascertain the reason for it. A fallout would be intervention measures to improve wildlife habitat so that the spill-over animals could reclaim the forests.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/second-phase-of-tiger-census-to-have-cameratrapping/article5494366.ece

Karnataka eyes Dudhsagar's waters again

The Karnataka government on Friday informed the the Mhadei water disputes tribunal team of its desire to revive projects to dam and divert Dudhsagar's tributaries to the River Kali basin to enhance the power generation, potable and irrigation potential of the Supa dam.

They claimed that the dam, built in 1987 across Kalinadi in Joida taluk of Uttara Kannada district, has been at full capacity for only the first two years, thus affecting the state. The dam has two electricity generators of 50 megawatt capacity each, a gross storage capacity of 4,178 Mcum and a live storage of 4,115.25 Mcum.

The tribunal was told of plans to divert Pasal, Diggi, Niranjol, Katla and Palna, by building five dams, to divert 5.27 tmc ft of water into the basin. Officials claimed that since the diverted water is meager it will not impact the River Dudhsagar.

The Goa team headed by additional chief engineer Premanand Kamat and WRD advisor Chetan Pandit objected to Karnataka's plans.

Karnataka had sent a detailed project report (DPR) over the same in November 1985 to the Centre. It was returned in October 1987.

Katla and Palna are two important perennial feeders of the Dudhsagar waterfalls that flow into the River Khandepar, joining River Mandovi (Mhadei) at Bimbal in Ponda. Both originate in the Anshi-Dandeli tiger reserve of Karnataka. River Khandepar provides water to Goa's Opa water treatment plant that supplies 140 MLD drinking water daily to Ponda and Tiswadi talukas.

Tribunal members once again raised questions of environmental and other clearances for the projects. Officials said work had not started yet and would only after clearances are received.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-21/goa/45443878_1_mhadei-supa-dam-opa-water-treatment-plant

Tiger census gets under way in Karnataka

Final results expected in about eight months

The six-day tiger enumeration that got under way in the State as part of the nationwide exercise on Wednesday, is reckoned to be the world’s largest endeavour to count or estimate tigers in the wild.

More than 1,000 volunteers had registered for the State-wide tiger enumeration which will cover not only the notified Project Tiger reserves in the State but also other reserve forests and wildlife sanctuaries. Vinay Luthra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), told The Hindu that an area of nearly 40,000 sq. km was being covered. “We are also assessing the status of prey density, co-predators and habitat status,” he added. The final results are expected to take between 6 and 8 months, Mr. Luthra said.

Karnataka has around 300 to 320 tigers as per the 2010 census and the bulk of it was in the tiger reserves of Bandipur (Mysore-Chamarajanagar districts), Nagarahole (Mysore-Kodagu) Bhadra (Chikamagalur), BRT Wildlife Sanctuary (Chamarajanagar), and Anshi-Dandeli (Uttara Kannada). However, there are indications of spill over population groups inhabiting areas outside the tiger reserves and the enumeration exercise would throw more light on it, according to H.C. Kantharaj, director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

The total tiger population range was in excess of 500 in the entire Western Ghat landscape complex spread over Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

The protocol for tiger enumeration has been devised by wildlife scientists and vetted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and is being followed uniformly across the country. The procedure entails collecting field data at the beat level in the first phase followed by habitat analysis using satellite data and camera trapping methods in the subsequent phases. The data will be audited by wildlife scientists and experts.

“The methodology is simple and robust and the estimation will be based on studies of systematically distributed sampling units or beats throughout the tiger landscape. While the volunteers will seek signs of carnivores on the first three days by way of direct sighting and indirect evidence like scats or pellets and tracking pug marks, the focus will be on herbivore survey and vegetation for the remaining three days to give a holistic picture of the entire landscape,” Mr. Kantharaj said.

Volunteers will walk along the transect line and cover 15 km spread over three days and record carnivore signs. While 232 volunteers would collect samples in Bandipur, 106 would do it in Nagarahole. R. Gokul, Conservator of Forests, said this was a total census of carnivore, herbivore and vegetation which would give a holistic picture of the entire food chain in which tiger held the apex place.

The territorial forest area which are not under project tiger, are larger and is being covered across the State as any spill over animal population may have inhabited these ranges or their numbers diminished and the ongoing enumeration exercise will give a better picture of animal dispersal. The 2010 census pegged the tiger population across the country between 1,571 at the lower end and 1,875 at the higher end.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/tiger-census-gets-under-way-in-state/article5475106.ece

1,576 families to be moved out to make room for tigers

As per NTCA directive, tiger reserves in state will be cleared of all human habitation over the next five years

Alongside the quadrennial tiger census spanning eight days that took off on a grand note on Monday, the four major tiger reserves (excluding Bandipur Tiger Reserve) are bracing up for a massive rehabilitation programme: A whopping 1,576 families will move out of the tiger zones. 

The move is billed as the largest such programme after the one in Bagalkot for the Upper Krishna Project at Alamatti. Local people supported by their representatives have refused to move out of the forest in the past. Now, the government has directed the forest department to rehabilitate all the families and has earmarked Rs 35 crore for the purpose. The whole exercise will cost over Rs 161 crore (see box). 

The 'Rehabilitation of families living inside Tiger Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries' will take wing from the current financial year. The programme has been set a deadline of five years. Families that voluntarily move out of Nagarahole, Bhadra, Dandeli-Anshi and Kudremukh reserves will be paid compensation as per the guidelines laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). "For those willing to rehabilitate voluntarily from these protected areas, the government has consented to give a compensation package as directed by the NTCA at a cost of Rs 35 crore," the order said. 

As per the detailed assessment made by the forest department, more than 6,000 people need to be rehabilitated under the programme. All villagers inside Bandipur Tiger Reserve have already been rehabilitated, but the government could not continue the same in the remaining four reserves following intense protest all these years. But the government has no option now but to follow the directives from the Union government. In Nagarahole National Park area alone, falling in the backyard of chief minister Siddaramaiah's home district of Mysore, 818 families have to move. 

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/1576-families-to-be-moved-out-to-make-room-for-tigers/articleshow/27660966.cms

Tiger census begins. Karnataka confident of burning bright

The All India Tiger Census, which is conducted once in four years, will be held in Karnataka from Monday. Officials of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve are expecting to return with top honours when the census ends on December 20. About 350 people from all over the state will take part in the census, which is the biggest in the country, according to forest officials.

As a first step, the enumerators will be trained by the forest officials for two days at Bandipur, Biligiriranga Tiger Reserve, Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, Chamarajanagar, Dandeli–Anshi Tiger Reserve, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagarhole National Park, Kudremukh National Park and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.

According to director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, SK Kantaraju, the entire country will undertake the exercise from Monday, the first two days of which will be set aside for logistics training. 

According to the census of 2009, there were 1,740 tigers in the wild in the country and Karnataka topped the charts with 400 tigers. “We expect it to be more this year and the final number might reach 1,800 when the census concludes. But again, we do not know the nature’s ways,” Kantaraju said.

This time an additional wildlife sanctuary has come into being in Malai Mahadeshwara Hills, which is a part of Chamarajanagar district. District forest officer Javed Mumtaz said of the total of 400 tigers in Karnataka, Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary alone has over 100 tigers.

“If the enumeration goes as planned, I am sure Karnataka would top the list in the number of tigers in the country,” he said.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link below:

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report-tiger-census-begins-karnataka-confident-of-burning-bright-1936002

Black panther makes surprise appearance in Dandeli

A rare sighting of a black panther was reported from Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve Safari on December 2 by a group of naturalists, including B B Mallesh, director of the reserve.

According to Mallesh, he was in the forest along with wildlife photographers Praveen Siddannavar, Mohan Thomas and Vijayan Thomas when they sighted the panther around 6pm.

Black panthers are commonly found in dense evergreen forests and low light forests. "Sighting a black panther is quite rare. Black panthers look like leopards, but without dots. They're listed as a threatened species by the IUCN," he said.

Very shy by nature, black panthers move during the nights and hunt small mammals like the chital, barking deer, mouse deer, hare and birds. They have sharp eyesight and sense of hearing. Poaching, loss of natural habitat, environmental degradation and construction of dams and roads are the primary reasons for them ending up as a critically threatened species.

Mallesh said very rarely are black panthers seen in the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve. The area is very dense and spread over 1303 sqkm, and home to tigers, leopards, elephants, gaurs and other herbivores.

The DCF said the reserve has a good number of black panthers distributed mainly in the evergreen forests of Anshi, Diggi, Kumbarwada, Castlerock, Kuveshi and in the dense forests of Gund, Pansoli, Ulvi, Kulgi and Nagazari valley of Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve. But they're very rarely spotted.

An edited version of this article can be read from the link elow:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-12-10/bangalore/45033566_1_black-panthers-mice-deer-forests

Man-animal Conflict Likely to Rise in High Density Areas, Says Karanth

The tiger which killed three people in the Bandipur-Nagarhole region has finally been caught. This region has been considered a success story in the conservation of tigers across the world. But experts now feel that some conflict may definitely arise in such high density areas.

The Bandipur-Nagarhole region has been identified as a prime habitat for tigers. At present, it supports more than 150 animals. According to wildlife experts, tigers are territorial animals. Young or too old animals without territories are pushed to edges through intra-specific aggression. In some sense, the conflicts are a consequence of the past conservation successes. Noted international authority on tigers and director for Science-Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society, K Ullas Karanth said: “The current tiger population is high. We need to protect other areas such as Kaveri, MM Hills, Kudremukh and Anshi Dandeli to hold more tigers. However, in the long run, some conflict on the edges of high density areas is inevitable. Long-term planning, establishment of professionally trained animal damage control units at strategic locations, creating a cadre of trained officials, biologists and veterinarians are needed.” According to Karanth, the three recent attacks near Bandipur were clearly of a single tiger which has been persistently hunting human beings. “This is possibly due to some disability or being forced to the edges by other tigers,” he said.

Wildlife Conservationist D V Girish said: “There are two possibilities for these attacks; a conflict situation or an old, incapacitated animal finding new areas as it has been pushed by others. With villages abounding here, humans become easy prey for such tigers.”

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Vinay Luthra, who took charge on Thursday, was in Bandipur to oversee the operations. He said reserves may have a population of old and infirm tigers. It is difficult to ascertain when they turn killers. “Although it was a tough task we had enough people to tackle the situation. Four teams had been combing the area which is a large habitat.”

To a question if the area has been affected by man-animal conflict because it is surrounded by nearly 300 villages with people on the periphery of the reserve involved in farming, Karanth said: “We have squeezed wildlife into the last few patches such as Bandipur-Nagarahole and other major tiger reserves. In the last 150 years, the tigers’ range has shrunk by 93 per cent across Asia. Wildlife protected areas form less than four per cent of India’s land area.”

An edited version of this article can be be read from the link below:

http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/Man-animal-Conflict-Likely-to-Rise-in-High-Density-Areas-Says-Karanth/2013/12/06/article1930894.ece