HYDERABAD: The sighting of two tigers added much joy to the ongoing tiger census in Telangana state. While one tiger was seen in the East Farhabad beat by volunteers at 9.46 am, the other was by a RTC bus full of passengers at Kagaznagar who were shocked and waited patiently for the animal to cross the road.
The census would resume again on Saturday after a two-day break. Data from the sign survey, the first three days of data along the carnival trails, would be compiled by senior forest officials.
Though the survey had been progressing exceedingly well with the direct sighting of a panther in Rayavaram beat and sighting of sloth bears as well, some volunteers were disgruntled.
A volunteer who visited the Madhimadugu range said, “There is no proper information about how many kits should be given to each beat which includes food and water. There is no senior official in a few beats who takes the lead role in collecting pug marks and there is only one official jeep which means that sometimes we report at 9 am as against 6 am when the survey is supposed to start.”
The volunteer also stated that he and his friend got lost in the forest one day because there were less forest watchers and locals as promised.
Wildlife PCCF D.R. Manoranjan Bhanja said, “Even during training, we had volunteers from various walks of life, including many IT employees who thought it would be fun to venture into the forests. We saw a huge dropout rate after the training process. This is the first time the survey is being conducted. So, there are a few glitches. However, we are trying our best to ensure that it is a learning experience for every volunteer.”
Tiger census puts spotlight on plants
The ongoing tiger census in Telangana has helped categorise plants as well, says forest officials. The increase of wildlife and carnivorous animals has been attributed to the growth in the forest in the state. With the recording of vegetation to begin, volunteers and officials have already noticed the benefits of the Haritha Haram.
A Shankaran OSD, wildlife, said, “We will be collecting the vegetation data and also note down the human disturbance. It will be a three-day programme. The Haritha Haram will ensure more vegetation.” However, officials also said that the variety in vegetation has become limited to the fruit-bearing trees and the fast-growing species. “The drive has definitely given rise to more green cover. We see more neem and mango trees. It has become more of a calculated growth. This is done to keep wild monkeys at bay from human habitats,” said a senior official. Same varieties of trees were used in all the three phases.
Along with the recording of the vegetation, prey animals will also be numbered, based on sighting and other identification marks like droppings. Hare, spotted deers and rabbits fall in this category. The recording of plants is being held to ensure that there is enough fodder in the forest along with the green cover to curb illegal timber smuggling.
