[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by vinay.pillai

Dr. Ghosh,
I will be in Kanha during the last week April for 4 days and would like to visit Pench & Tadoba (if possible). Hope thats a good time to be in these places.

Vinay,
Take out at least 2 days for Tadoba and 2 days out for Pench. Which means you will be visiting each park four times, tiger sighting apart from other wildlife is guaranteed if you go by this time frame.
Tadoba is closed on Tuesdays and Pench on Mondays, remember this.
This is the time for wildlife sighting, The water holes are 90% dry and what will be the plight of the animals there in peak summer, is really a sad commentary.

Originally Posted by SPARKled

Summer is always a good time to visit these tigers reserves. As water holes dry up and the shrub and bushes too disappear quite a bit. So animal sightings definitely increase especially around larger water holes.

Sparkled,
Tadoba and Pench are unique in regards to wildlife sighting, most of the year you can, but your chances turn to near definite from Feb- May.
Regards,

[JackSparrow]

Here is the latest official report on tigers.
Less than 1411 tigers left as 11 more die in 2010

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by JackSparrow

Here is the latest official report on tigers.
Less than 1411 tigers left as 11 more die in 2010

Jack,
There were no two opinions about the numbers being less than 1411, the numbers were below 1411 in 2008-9 itself.
The total numbers have not yet been released, lets be optimistic and wait.

[sabynag]

Two more tiger cubs were poisoned to death at Ranthambore a few days back. So we may be well below 1400 right now.

Most of the recent deaths in Corbett, Ranthambore and Kanha were due to man-animal conflict - basically villagers poisoning the tigers to protect their livestock. This indicates that it is the habitat destruction (including food) that is possibly the primary factor now for tiger deaths and not poaching.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by sabynag

Two more tiger cubs were poisoned to death at Ranthambore a few days back. So we may be well below 1400 right now.

Most of the recent deaths in Corbett, Ranthambore and Kanha were due to man-animal conflict - basically villagers poisoning the tigers to protect their livestock. This indicates that it is the habitat destruction (including food) that is possibly the primary factor now for tiger deaths and not poaching.

Sabynag,
Habitat loss, man-animal conflict, diminishing prey base and then poaching attribute to the rapid decline of tigers in India. All factors are directly related to humans encroaching on tiger land or forests.

[sabynag]

We can't stop it, we can only watch it helplessly. India's population explosion is pushing city limits into villages, villages into forest buffers and buffers into core forests.

Tigers can't vote - even if they could, they are such a minority that their voice would have made no difference. We have ever decreasing tiger count, yet in almost all forests, the officials maintain that the tiger density is increasing and hence territorial fight deaths and man-animal conflicts. Tiger density is "tiger count / area" - if density is increasing with ever decreasing count, then what is happening to the denominator - anyone asking that question ??

[vinay.pillai]

I have one question here:
Recently in Jan-feb, there was tiger census in Nagarhole forest. Did the census happened across all forests & reserves in India or only Nagarhole.
This week there was a news on census happening/happened in Sundarban.

How will they come to total number of tigers in India. I heard & read that different techniques like DNA sampling, pugmark techniques & hidden camera technique are getting used for the census.

If I am going off topic please delete/ignore the post but just become curios as there are lot of discussion going on across different forum, media regarding this number of 1411.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by sabynag

what is happening to the denominator - anyone asking that question ??

Sabynag,
The made to believe complex equations very well summed up.

Originally Posted by vinay.pillai

I have one question here:
Recently in Jan-feb, there was tiger census in Nagarhole forest. Did the census happened across all forests & reserves in India or only Nagarhole.
This week there was a news on census happening/happened in Sundarban.

How will they come to total number of tigers in India. I heard & read that different techniques like DNA sampling, pugmark techniques & hidden camera technique are getting used for the census.

If I am going off topic please delete/ignore the post but just become curios as there are lot of discussion going on across different forum, media regarding this number of 1411.

Vinay,
The Jan 2010 census was carried out by the central authority, namely NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority). This was carried out in all reserves and parks of India simultaneously.

All parks and reserves were to supply NTCA only with Raw Data.
Which means the NTCA would arrive at the numbers after processing the, All India... collection of DNA samples, camera trap photographs, pug marks, scat samples etc.

Since the Reserves and National Parks differ in status and allotment of funds. Reserves are more state controlled and the maximum the center can do for mismanaged reserves is stop funds. Whereas the center has more control over National Parks.

Since decades exaggeration and fudging of tiger numbers for various reasons by the respective states has resulted in the Sariska and Panna situation.

The NTCA wanted to cap the above irregularities by conducting what it believes to be a fool proof method, which it is not!
But it is definitely a step forward.

One example of how much a state has jurisdiction over its reserve or forests is attached below.

Regards,

Indian Express. Sept 12, 09.

[abheekg]

Coming back to the topic, I will be in Tadoba from 11th to 15th march.
All patients have been prescribed aspirin and given appointments after 15th and leave has been applied for and sanctioned by the hospital.

The intention of my visit is to systematically explore tadoba which I have never done till now. I will be taking a total 10 drives inside the jungle. I will be accompanied by Mr Varun Thakkar (wildcat-3) and Mr Prasenjeet Yadav (wildcat-4) , wildlife photographers of Nagpur and members of Wildcats.

I will be conducting the Workshop on Wildlife Photography on the 13th and 14th the details of which has been already posted before.

The reason I post this here : There will be places for 4 people in my Gypsy.
I invite anyone of you who may be having leaves / planning to be there around this time to join me (at absolutey no cost other than cost of travelling to and fro tadoba) from 11th to 15th. This offer is on first come first serve basis and the first 4 people who pm me or reply on this thread will get preference.

The objective of this trip will be to explore each and every part of TATR (thats Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve) and an offshoot intention to see the growing population of Tigers. A very remote but at the same time a very probable possibility is to encounter wild animals in the buffer area in the night.Mr Varun Thakkar is THE authority on Tadoba and he has chalked out a very simple plan for me for this trip to help maximise tiger sightings. I will try to share this with all of you in the days to come.

regards,
Dr. Abheek Ghosh

P.s : In case anybody joins me and stays overnight, he/she will have to share our tent which we will put up in some strategic locations in the buffer or stay put overnight in the Gypsy which has been decked up for this purpose if the need arises.

[vinay.pillai]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

Vinay,
The Jan 2010 census was carried out by the central authority, namely NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority). This was carried out in all reserves and parks of India simultaneously.

All parks and reserves were to supply NTCA only with Raw Data.
Which means the NTCA would arrive at the numbers after processing the, All India... collection of DNA samples, camera trap photographs, pug marks, scat samples etc.

Since the Reserves and National Parks differ in status and allotment of funds. Reserves are more state controlled and the maximum the center can do for mismanaged reserves is stop funds. Whereas the center has more control over National Parks.

Since decades exaggeration and fudging of tiger numbers for various reasons by the respective states has resulted in the Sariska and Panna situation.

The NTCA wanted to cap the above irregularities by conducting what it believes to be a fool proof method, which it is not!
But it is definitely a step forward.

One example of how much a state has jurisdiction over its reserve or forests is attached below.

Regards,

Fazal Sir,
Thanks a lot for detailed explanation. It really helpful. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the census number. Hope number of death of Tigers will be overdone by number of new born cubs.

Originally Posted by abheekg

Coming back to the topic, I will be in Tadoba from 11th to 15th march.
All patients have been prescribed aspirin and given appointments after 15th and leave has been applied for and sanctioned by the hospital.

The intention of my visit is to systematically explore tadoba which I have never done till now. I will be taking a total 10 drives inside the jungle. I will be accompanied by Mr Varun Thakkar (wildcat-3) and Mr Prasenjeet Yadav (wildcat-4) , wildlife photographers of Nagpur and members of Wildcats.

I will be conducting the Workshop on Wildlife Photography on the 13th and 14th the details of which has been already posted before.

The reason I post this here : There will be places for 4 people in my Gypsy.
I invite anyone of you who may be having leaves / planning to be there around this time to join me (at absolutey no cost other than cost of travelling to and fro tadoba) from 11th to 15th. This offer is on first come first serve basis and the first 4 people who pm me or reply on this thread will get preference.

The objective of this trip will be to explore each and every part of TATR (thats Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve) and an offshoot intention to see the growing population of Tigers. A very remote but at the same time a very probable possibility is to encounter wild animals in the buffer area in the night.Mr Varun Thakkar is THE authority on Tadoba and he has chalked out a very simple plan for me for this trip to help maximise tiger sightings. I will try to share this with all of you in the days to come.

regards,
Dr. Abheek Ghosh

P.s : In case anybody joins me and stays overnight, he/she will have to share our tent which we will put up in some strategic locations in the buffer or stay put overnight in the Gypsy which has been decked up for this purpose if the need arises.

Dr. Ghosh,
Your offer is too tempting. Unluckily I am too far to even think about reaching Nagpur by tomorrow. By the time I saw your post, B'lore-Ngp flight has left. Well, I will wait for your next offer in future.
But Thanks for giving options to team-bhp members.

[sabynag]

I heard that after the new safari rules (fixed routes, no reversing, limited elephant ride) imposed at Bandhavgarh, the sighting frequency took a dip. Is that true ? A just saw a web posting that someone took 12 safari drives at Bandhavgarh early this month and saw no tiger at all.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by sabynag

I heard that after the new safari rules (fixed routes, no reversing, limited elephant ride) imposed at Bandhavgarh, the sighting frequency took a dip. Is that true ? A just saw a web posting that someone took 12 safari drives at Bandhavgarh early this month and saw no tiger at all.

No idea about this, but at Tadoba, Mr. Max Ali from Hyderabad captured 9 tigers (including family of 5 in pic. posted on this thread by Abheekg) and 3 panthers on his camera in a period of 3 days.
Magnificent that tiger and panthers in this volume are being sighted at Tadoba today.

[Ananthang]

A bit Off-topic. Sorry about my ignorance..

Like we see Tigers in forests, do we also get to see Lions in our forests. I heard that there may be some lions around Gir, but does other Forests contain Lions. Is it is healthy population?

Also want to share a very disturbing news I read in TOI yesterday, that about 70 Lions died in Gir in the last two years. It also said, except 2 all are Natural deaths and also total count as per last census was amounting to 325 odd lions. Time for all State Govts to starting acting along with NGOs and Wildlife enthusiasts and local people.

Thanks.

[fazalaliadil]

Originally Posted by Ananthang

A bit Off-topic. Sorry about my ignorance..

Like we see Tigers in forests, do we also get to see Lions in our forests. I heard that there may be some lions around Gir, but does other Forests contain Lions. Is it is healthy population?

Also want to share a very disturbing news I read in TOI yesterday, that about 70 Lions died in Gir in the last two years. It also said, except 2 all are Natural deaths and also total count as per last census was amounting to 325 odd lions. Time for all State Govts to starting acting along with NGOs and Wildlife enthusiasts and local people.
Thanks.

Ananthang,
The Asiatic lion now lives only in Gir forest, no other forest in India or anywhere else has free roaming Asiatic Lions.
Unfortunately this is the very disturbing part that most big cats are not dying their natural death, but every other reason at a very alarming pace.

[fazalaliadil]

Hi all,
Dr. ABheek Ghosh is in Tadoba and has been fortunate to sight 8 tigers in 3 days, watch this thread for a TIGER TREAT as he will be posting soon.
Regards,