Tiger safari may start at Mukundra after monsoon Tiger relocations improve flora, fauna
JAIPUR: The Rajasthan forest department is planning to introduce tiger safari at the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) after monsoon, officials said.
Additional principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden Arindam Tomar said the department is considering starting tiger safari at MHTR after monsoon following approvals from the s t at e government and t he National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
He said the department also plans to relocate more tigers to MHTR after approval from NTCA.
“A proposal for the same will be submitted to NTCA.”
Tomar said, “MHTR has a variety of wildlife -- black bucks, chinkaras, tigers, bears, wolves and so on. A detailed road map to start safari will be prepared for approval.”
A f orest off i ci al said t he department will implement the NTCA guideline for maintaining 20% of the reserve as core area. Routes will be identified, and tourism and traffic will be managed to ensure that the wildlife is not affected.
“The routes (entry and exit) at the MHTR need to be notified by the state government. A comprehensive project report will be submitted to the state forest department in a month or two,” official said on anonymity. KOTA: After relocation of tigers, human interference in the Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR) has come down, which has helped improve flora and fauna in the reserve, wildlife experts said.
Tigress T-91 was caught in forests of Ramgarh-vishdhari wildlife sanctuary of Bundi and relocated to MHTR on April 3 last year – the first relocation to the reserve. Later a tiger and a tigress were relocated, and one more tiger reached MHTR on its own.
“Prior to tiger relocation, MHTR was marked by grazing of cattle, sheep migration, loping and human interference. Security was beefed up in the reserve after big cat relocations,” said Urvashi Sharma, a wildlife researcher and former wildlife biologist at MHTR.
“There has been a complete check on grazing, loping and sheep migration at MHTR after tiger relocations. Human interference has decreased as check posts have been created at MHTR and security staff have been deployed.”
LPG gas connections to villagers living in and around the reserve have also checked human movements in the reserve looking for firewood, she said. “Due to the check on grazing, loping, sheep migration and human interference, flora has witnessed an increase up to 50% at MHTR.”
Sharma said, “Report on improvement in fauna has been sent to the National Tiger Conservation Authority which can reveal the figures, but certainly there has been an increase in the number of ani mals i n t he reserve.” The population of blue bulls, a prey base of tigers, has particularly improved at MHTR, she said.
Abdul Haneef Zaidi of Hadoti Naturalist Society, who visited MHTR recently, said there has been a check on illegal mining which has reduced disturbance in and pressure on the reserve. “Since grazing has been checked, vegetation and plants have flourished that support wildlife at MHTR.”
Confirming positive impact of tiger relocations to MHTR, assistant conservator of forest Deepak Chaudhary said increase in protection level and presence of tigers have created a sense of fear in trespassers and less human movements has led to an increase in vegetation. “Tiger presence in wildlife zones improves the overall health of such zones.”