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TigerTime supported park has highest density of tigers in India

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Kaziranga National Park has the highest density and the third highest population of tigers in India, a recently released report of a study undertaken in 2014 has revealed.

The tiger density in Kaziranga is 12.72 per 100 square km, followed by the Jim Corbett National Park (11) in Uttarakhand and Bandipur National Park (10.28) in Karnataka , says a detailed report, Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India, brought out by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

The park, which was declared a tiger reserve in 2007, has an area of 860 square km. This is the first time that a central report has said that Kaziranga has the highest density of tigers. In 2010, DSWF funded wildlife NGO  Aaranyak said the reserve had the highest density of tigers after covering the central and western areas of the park.

As for tiger estimation, Kaziranga has 103 big cats, preceded only by Corbett (215) and Bandipur (120), says the report. The range of tiger population in Kaziranga is between 91 and 115, it adds.

Kaziranga field director M.K. Yadava  said, “It is certainly good news. The authorities take it with pride that the reserve has the highest density of tigers.”

He said studies undertaken by the park authorities had revealed that the carrying capacity of tigers is 141 (plus-minus 5). Carrying capacity is how many animals can be supported in a certain environment on the resources present.

Kaziranga authorities have submitted a draft tiger conservation plan to the Centre, which has asked for some more details before it can clear it, Yadava said. The plan lists 10 disasters like earthquakes, bio hazards, erosion and consequences of building dams on the Brahmaputra , which may strike Kaziranga and threaten its conservation value.

Yadava said the park authorities had carried out a camera trap exercise on their own last year. “We are expecting 120 tigers. The final results should be out soon,” he added.

Kaziranga gets flooded every year by the Brahmaputra and the Karbi hills on its south act as an important refuge. The report says, “It is crucial to manage traffic on the highway passing through Kaziranga by modern technology so that infrastructure and urban sprawl do not form a barrier for this important movement of wildlife into Karbi Anglong “.

“This is great news for Kaziranga  and is indicative of the rich biodiversity and health of the reserve,” says TigerTime Manager, Vicky Flynn. “For the last 22 years TigerTime’s parent charity, DSWF, has funded anti-poaching and community outreach projects to help protect the precious wildlife and biodiversity of this unique eco-system. So this latest news is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in protecting Kaziranga and our supporters generosity.”

News source: Indian Telegraph

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