Mating season for tigers begin

KOZHIKODE: Come December, the tigers are back in news in Wayanad. It is to be recalled that every year during the winter season starting from November, the tigers used to come out of the secret green hideaways as it is their mating season. Countless tiger spotting were reported from various parts of Wayanad.

Experts say that for three months from November tiger will not be the invisible animal which prowl far off human movement. Thanks to the mating season of tigers during which the male tiger would roam around to meet the female.

Wayanad Wildlife Warden Dhanesh Kumar told DC that due to the mating season the tiger spotting is much high in the jungles. "The animals would be roaming restlessly in the jungle till they locate and ideal mate. It will also attack whatever crisscross the path including cattle", he added.

The other day passengers travelling to the hill shrine of Tirunelli had a rare luck of viewing tigers many times. "The season also witness bitter battle between the males to prove dominance on the female", says Dr Arun Zachariya, noted veterinarian. "We are unable to identify the male female ratio as it is tough to differentiate between them", he added. Mr Zachariya also revealed that there are about 73 tigers in the Nilgiri biosphere consisting Bandipur, Nagarholle (both in Karnataka), Muthumalai (Tamil Nadu) and Wayanad (Kerala) wildlife sanctuaries as per the 2013 wildlife census.

However hearing news that there are increased tiger spotting wildlife enthusiasts are a jubilant lot taking the jungle roads to have a look at the animal with the best vanishing skill.

“I have been a regular in the route and it is for the first time I chanced up on viewing tiger four times in a day, said KT Vimal, a  native of Kozhikode. "Recently we found a KSRTC bus stopped wayside in Tirunelli temple road to allow passengers to have a look at the animal which slowly moved off", he said. "We were told by elderly tribal men that it is unsafe to enter the jungle as the animals would be bit more ferocious in the season", he added.

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