PANJIM: In what could further strengthen environmentalists’ claims that Goa’s protected areas are rich tiger habitats, for the first time Forest Department’s camera has caught the presence of the tiger in the Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park. Till now the State has seen the presence of the tiger only in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
A statement issued by the department says that the tiger was recorded on May 14. “As a part of scientific management of the only National Park it was decided to record presence of mammalian diversity of Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park, field staff were sensitied for carrying out observation and recording indirect evidences of wildlife during their routine field visit based on this strategic camera trapping were carried out,” the official said.
“The camera trapping has recorded the presence of Tiger in Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park for the first time on May 14,” he said.
The department said that the striped-tiger presence in the area indicates that the level of protection, quality of wildlife habitat and wildlife management practices in National Park are of high levels.
The park is spread across 240 square kilometres of area. The department mentioned that the staff at the park have been trying to record the presence of the big cat for a year, and finally the efforts were successful. The team of forest officers was led by Range Forest Officer Paresh Porob.
The officer said that the department has procured more camera traps to strengthen the field staff so as to record the rich natural heritage of Goa’s forests. “Intensive camera trapping is also being carried out in other parts of the National Park as well wildlife sanctuary area,” he added.
Till now, Mhadei has been the home for tigers. During various survey and camper trap method adopted by the department, it came across presence of five tigers in the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
The All India Tiger Estimate Survey, conducted in May 2018, confirmed the presence of the big cat in Mhadei wildlife sanctuary.
The tiger presence in Goa was first found in 2002 when the animal census conducted by the State Forest department authenticated the wild cat presence in Mhadei area.
