The ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) took this decision following a three-day workshop where experts deliberated on the Best Management Practices in Tiger Conservation'. A MoEF release said the November census, titled Phase IV of the National Tiger Estimation Programme', will initiate "intensive" annual monitoring of the big cats.
Significantly, the MoEF considers Similipal, one of the prime tiger reserves in the country, as "problematic". It is categorized with Indravati, Palamau and Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam reserves. Similipal has been in news for a host of reasons, including Maoist attacks, timber smuggling and poaching.
Last year 18 elephants were reported to have been killed in the Similipal forest. The situation is no different this year with deaths of four elephants being reported by now. Worried over the deteriorating situation at Similipal, the Central government sent two expert teams in 2009 and 2010. The last committee comprising Belinda Wright and Biswajit Mohanty made a series of recommendations. Read the full report here.
Source: Rajaram Satapathy, TNN, Bhubaneswar.
