No issues: State wing to count tiger heads

BHUBANESWAR: If the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has its way, Orissa will have nothing to complain about the population estimates of  big cats in the two tiger reserves which have been raging controversies in the past.Orissa and a number of states had protested the tiger census results released by NTCA and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) earlier this year.However, the apex body, NTCA, is strongly mulling delegation of most of the census responsibilities, including camera trap, to the Wildlife Wing of the State, sources said.Starting from signs survey to installation of cameras and arriving at estimates using the software and enumeration methodology will be done at the State’s end.The WII’s role, reliable sources said, will be confined to making available research scholars, methodology, training and software solutions. “The State Wildlife Wing will have to be self-sufficient since the monitoring and analysis are going to be an annual affair,” the sources added.The 2010 enumeration by NTCA-WII had put the tiger estimate in Orissa at 32 - Similipal having 23 and Satkosia with eight. The previous census in 2006 had pegged the total number in the State at 45. The State Government had differences with the NTCA-WII over the methodology as habitat analysis using GPS systems, carnivore and herbivore pattern and prey base among other indicators were used as baseline information and fed to a software which churns out a number.For 2010 results, the State was neither consulted during the analysis stage nor did the NTCA-WII make use of camera trap method. This time around, the tiger reserves will have to carry out the sign surveys. Each beat will have transects where the guards will report signs, basing on which tiger-occupied territories and non-occupied territories will be arrived at. Accordingly, camera traps will be installed.The field staff have been trained in camera trap methodology and, if necessary, re-orientation could be done, sources said.Since all these exercises will have to be carried by the field directors of the tiger reserves, there will be less scope for any confusion and local knowledge will come in handy. Besides, States will have the liberty of summoning services of experts.Chief Wildlife Warden Janardan Sharma, however, said the minutes of NTAC’s meeting with the field directors are expected shortly. “Once available, we will be in a position to spell out how to go about it,” he said.