MOTHER NATURE Mother Nature September 2017 | Page 30

Mother Nature Aug /Sep 2017
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Global Tiger Day
The seventh annual Global Tiger Day was celebrated in various ways around the world. Local events have been
organized in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India as well as non-tiger-range countries such as England and the United
States.
The international tiger day is celebrated on July 29. The day was first observed in 2010 and has been observed for the
past 7 years with an aim to create awareness for tiger conservation. The day is also known as World Tiger Day. The
world tiger day was formed at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit in the year 2010 in Russia to protect tigers from
going extinct. Back then, it was also declared that the aim will be to double global Tiger population by 2022.
Big cats found in corridor area of Sirpur forest
Tiger Reserve in Telangana
 One female and two sub-adult tigers were found inhabiting
in corridor area in Sirpur (T) forest ranges for the past two
months. Besides, the movement a cub was also recorded
in Nilwai forests. This has rekindled hopes of forest officials
who are making a slew of measures to provide better shelter
to the carnivore in the facility.
The 600-hectare-long corridor spread over Bejjur, basin of
Pranahita and Indravati National Park of Chattishgarh often
sees migration of tigers from Tadoba Tiger Reserve of
Maharashtra.
A tiger belonging to neighbouring State had delivered three
cubs. It, along with two cubs, is now dwelling in this The Story of JAI
vegetation of Kaghaznagar. One of the cub had moved to Jai has been missing since April 18 from Umred
Nilwai Forest Range.
Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) of
Jannaram was once a safe habitat of the carnivores
following the availability of prey and drinking water.
By
Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra
Officials said the electronic collar on the 250-kg Jai, who
was named after Amitabh Bachchan’s character in the
all-time hit ‘Sholay’, stopped transmitting his location on
providing connectivity, tigers can easily enter KTR. A slew of April 18.
interventions are required to be made. Fragmentation in Jai shot to fame after a 150-km trek four years ago,
forest cover such as agriculture fields and developmental which took him through crowded areas of Vidharbha,
activities are hindering the entry of big cats into the reserve.
As per protocol of the National Tiger Conservation Authority
(NTCA), the census for enumerating both carnivores and
herbivore inhabiting in KTR was begun in seven forest
ranges on November 1. It was carried out using scientific
methods involving camera traps set all over the core zone of
the reserve. Its core zone spreads over 893 sq km and buffer
before returning to Umred, after which he became quite
a star attraction, drawing tourists by droves to the
sanctuary. If it was indeed Jai who was spotted in Tamsi,
this could be his biggest trek yet, because the area is
more than 250 km from Umred.
Now, with two Range Officers in Adilabad reporting that
zone over 1,120 sq km covering certain forests of the four they have seen a tiger, which they believe is Jai, crossing
districts. Penganga river near Tamsi village, Forest officials from
As many as 95 leopards, 32 wolves, 175 wild dogs, 640 Maharashtra have come down to verify whether Jai
spotted deer, 249 wild cats, 32 foxes, 1,270 blue bulls, 2,012 could be in Telangana’s forests abutting those of their
wild pigs, 82 mongooses, 307 sambar deer, 1,089 rabbits State.
and 146 Indian bison were recorded in CCTV traps set in Officials have also not ruled out the possibility of Jai
different forest ranges fall under this reserve. falling prey to poachers. Is Jai in Telangana?