PANJIM: Once again, tigers have been spotted at the protected areas of Mhadei and Mollem. During the ongoing tiger census, forest officials have confirmed presence of tigers in the State’s wild with big cat photos being captured through camera traps. However, to ensure that there are no glitches or duplication in the estimation and to ascertain whether the animal is transit, the forest department has sent data to Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for authentication.
The Tiger Census 2022, which had kicked off in April, has been extended by a month. The camera trap wildlife survey will continue till May end. Almost 100 camera traps are placed in different parts including wildlife sanctuaries and national park.
Camera traps are outdoor photographic devices fitted with motion sensors that start recording when an animal passes by.
Sources said tigers are spotted in forests of Mollem, Mhadei and Surla. “We cannot ascertain the numbers as we need to get it confirmed from WII, whether same tiger is captured twice or these are two or three different tigers. We sent the data to WII for authentication. WII will also help us to know whether these are transit animals or resident of Goa,” said sources. “We don’t want any glitches or duplication in the tiger estimation. Once WII clarifies, we will be in position to declare the total tiger count in the State,” said sources.
The Mhadei and Mollem are contiguous to the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi Dandeli Tiger Reserve. The contiguous forests of Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra and the reserve forests and wildlife sanctuary of Radhanagari in Karnataka, Chandoli national park and the reserve forests of Purna and Dodamarg in Maharashtra have been named as Tiger Conservation Units (TCU).
