With habitat improvement projects, increased green cover, and a larger prey base, forest areas in Telangana bordering Maharashtra have recently rolled out the red carpet for tigers.
According to Telangana Forest Department officials, there are increased instances of tigers moving into the state in recent years from Maharashtra even as there has also been a rise in the population of the big cats in the state.
The spillover population of tigers from Tipeshwar and Tadoba (reserves) in Maharashtra, according to officials, is one of the factors for tigers migrating into wildlife areas of the state, specifically Kagaznagar Forest division in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district.
According to the officials, some of them have made Telangana forests their home.
Officials have said the state is developing a lot of grasslands, which is increasing herbivore populations, as well as tiger and leopard populations.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) team that evaluated the Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) and Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Telangana last month praised the good work being done in the KTR corridor area, such as habitat improvement works such as the development of water sources and grasslands and stated that it gives the impression that Telangana state has laid a red carpet for migrating Tigers from Maharashtra, forest officials pointed out.
The Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) corridor in the state has a notified route connecting Kawal to other Maharashtra tiger reserves.
“There has been a rise in the number of tigers moving into the corridor area. So this has a well forested area and a good prey base like spotted deer and sambar and other animals and is suitable as a tiger habitat. And then we have spillover population of tigers from Tipeshwar and Tadoba where their population is increasing and the excess population is now slowly moving towards Kagaznagar in search of territory,” a senior Forest Department official was quoted as saying.
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“We try to provide all suitable habitats for the migrating tigers like grasslands, water bodies, and then prey animals and also protection. We will try to give as much support as possible with the idea that they should become residents here,” the official added.
Around eight tigers are moving in the corridor area, which is slightly high this year when compared to previous years, the official said adding they come and some stay back and some may tend to go back and then they make an appearance again.
“In the last five to six years we have seen that the tigresses have given birth in our area,” he said. The official said that the movement of tigers is also reported from new areas–Eturnagaram, Kinnerasani, Pakala and neighboring areas,
When asked about the tiger population in Telangana, officials stated that numbers are improving and that they are hopeful that it will exceed 26. (which is the last count of tiger population).
When tigers disperse from the source area and establish a new territory, in the process sometimes there are situations where there is a conflict between man and animals.
Tigers are constantly on the move in search of territory, and during this time they come across some habitation, cultivated areas, cattle movement, and people, and occasional incidents of cattle killing and human attacks are reported.
“We also try to improve the prey base by relocating the animals from areas where they are in excess like national parks and zoo parks. So we translocate them and release them in the areas where tigers are moving,” the official said. A team of trackers also monitor movement of tigers and if they are found moving near a habitation then local people are alerted to be careful.
Forest encroachment remains a major issue, according to the official.
The process of rehabilitation of villages from the core of tiger reserves has begun and the government is confident of taking up more villages for relocation in the two Tiger Reserves, which will increase the availability of inviolate areas for wild animals.
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