Chikkamagaluru: Effective protection measures and a healthy prey density has seen the number of tigers in the Bhadra Tiger Reserve rise from 19 in 2015-16 to the present 33.
“We matched thousands of photographs taken by cameras installed in the protected areas of the sanctuary with our database before concluding that there are now 33 tigers in Bhadra,” said sanctuary director, H C Kantharaju
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he revealed that the cameras had lately captured images of four cubs, pushing up the numbers of the tigers in the sanctuary.
“Although 33 tigers does not sound like a great figure, it is significant for Bhadra,” he added.
The Bhadra sanctuary, which is spread over 492 sq kms in Chikkamagaluru district, has in recent years installed cameras to keep track of the big cats in its forests. With more locations covered by them, more tigers have been sighted, according to Mr Kantharaju, who now plans to install cameras to trap tigers outside the protected area as well.
The cameras are placed in pairs facing one another in locations where tiger pug marks have been spotted and along patrol routes to capture the presence of the animals in the region.
They have been installed as recently as 2014-15 by Bhadra officials to analyse the stripe patterns of the big cats and do a count of their numbers in the reserve.
The tiger count in Bhadra was done by the Centre for Wildlife Studies, a non-profit trust, until 2013-14.
