Bhubaneswar: To make Odisha forests a heaven for tigers, the State Government has decided to conduct tiger census every year, said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden Susanta Nanda while briefing Media persons here today.
The State Government has conducted all Odisha Tiger Estimation for the first time during 2023-24 in 47 forest divisions from October 15, 2023 to February 10, 2024. The survey report shows that the State has 30 tigers and eight cubs, he said.
Out of 30 Royal Bengal Tigers, 27 were found in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR). In total, 13 adult tigers – seven females and six males – were found to be pseudo-melanistic in Similipal, the PCCF Shri Nanda said.
In the last one year, two big cats had also reportedly died in Similipal. While a melanistic tiger died in March last year, an adult Royal Bengal Tiger was found dead on February 9, 2024.
Besides the STR, Keonjhar territorial and Keonjhar wildlife, Paralakhemundi territorial, and Hirakud wildlife have one tiger each.
The presence of three unique adult male tigers camera-trapped in the Hirakud Wildlife Davison, Paralakhemundi Territorial Division, Keonjhar Territorial and Keonjhar Wildlife Division looks promising and provides hope for a better future for tigers in these habitats.
Stating that the survey report shows that tiger population is reviving in the state, Nanda said, “The state government has already asked the forest department and the wildlife wing to conduct a yearly census and to keep a tab on the tiger population so that we can manage our strategies. The next census report will be released next year,” he said.
The Forest Department is going to procure more trap cameras to monitor movements of tigers at the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
Earlier, the tigers were moving within the core area in the STR. But, now, the wild animals are roaming outside the core area. So, more number of trap cameras needed to monitor their movement and behavior even in the rainy season, he informed.
The PCCF further said that the population of melanistic tigers (of black tiger) is increasing in the STR which is due to inbreeding.
“Though it is not a sign of any threat, but to increase the genetic diversity there, we have written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to introduce some female tigers brought from other locations,” he said.
For the last time, in 2018, one tiger was located in Satkosia tiger reserve. But during the latest survey, no tiger was located within the Satkosia area, PCCF Wildlife Shri Nanda said.
He informed that the NTCA has the plan to reintroduce tigers in Satkosia but it has one condition that all habitations should be relocated from the forest area to avoid man-tiger conflict.”
The NTCA’s all-India tiger estimation report for 2022 had put the tiger number at 20, of which 16 were in Similipal alone. In 2018, the all India tiger estimation survey had found 28 tigers in the State.