TS forests roll out red carpet to tigers

PNS | HYDERABAD

With habitat improvement works, increased green cover and prey base, forest areas of Telangana bordering Maharashtra are rolling out the red carpet to tigers in recent times.
According to Telangana Forest Department officials, there are increased instances of tigers moving into the state in recent years from Maharashtra even as there has also been a rise in the population of the big cats in the state.

The officials cite, besides better green cover and prey bases, spillover population of tigers from Tipeshwar and Tadoba (reserves) in Maharashtra among the factors for migration of the tigers into wildlife areas of the state and Kagaznagar Forest division in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district in particular.

The officials further said a few of them are also making Telangana forests their home.
The officials said they are developing a lot of grasslands due to which herbivore population is growing and there has been an increase in tiger and leopard population also in the state.

A team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which took up evaluation of the Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) and Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Telangana last month had appreciated the good work being taken up in the KTR corridor area like habitat improvement works including development of water sources and grasslands and said it gives an impression that Telangana state has laid a red carpet for migrating Tigers from Maharashtra, forest officials pointed out.

Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) corridor in the state has a notified way connecting Kawal to other tiger reserves in Maharashtra.”There has been a rise in the number of tigers moving into the corridor area. So this has a good forested area and good prey base like spotted deer and sambar and other animals and is suitable as a tiger habitat.

And then we have spillover population of tigers from Tipeshwar and Tadoba where their population is increasing and the excess population is now slowly moving towards Kagaznagar in search of territory,” a senior Forest Department official told PTI.

“We try to provide all suitable habitats for the migrating tigers like grasslands, water bodies, and then prey animals and also protection. We will try to give as much support as possible with the idea that they should become residents here,” the official explained.

Around eight tigers are moving in the corridor area, which is slightly high this year when compared to previous years, the official said adding they come and some stay back and some may tend to go back and then they make an appearance again.