Foresters fail to trace tigers, but got monitoring elephants anaemic 24-10-2012
BHOPAL: While the
forest department virtually has failed to trap tigers moving in the jungles of
Kathotia and Kerwa, but the elephants brought here to monitor the movement of the
wild cats got anaemic and one of them dead.
Conservator of forest
L Krishnamurthy said the movement of tigers had been reported in the jungle of
Kerwa and Ratapani. Although there was no confirmation about their number,
since they remain on move, but the presence of tiger, tigress and cubs had been
reported by the field staff.
He said the movement
of tigers had been reported for past several months. The department intends to radio
collar them to observe their behaviour and later to release them. The
assignment has been undertaken with the permission of authorities.
To monitor these
tigers the elephants were brought here from Satpura and other areas. However,
one of the elephant died while another was ill.
Sources said the
blood report of the elephants indicated that the elephants were anaemic as
their haemoglobin level was found less than normal.
However
Krishnamurty clarified that all the elephants involved in searching and
monitoring of tigers in Karwa and Ratapani were not anaemic. Their haemoglobin
content has been tested and found normal.
He said in the
test report the haemoglobin was found between 10-11 which was within the normal
range for elephants (7.5-14.5). The
elephants were being looked after by their mahouts along with expert wildlife
doctor, trackers and experienced field staff, he added.
Meanwhile
sources said the department had sought permission from NTCA to shift tiger and
the authority asked them to shift the tiger by October 27. But the failure of the
department to nab any of the tigers has ruined their plans.
The department is desperate to catch a tiger at
the earliest. Meanwhile the shifting of tigers has been opposed by some
wildlife organisations. |