PIX: Camera traps capture tiger in Namdapha Reserve

A modern census technique used by Guwahati based bio-diversity conservation and research organisation Aaranyak has produced evidence of the presence of tigers in Namdapha reserve in Arunachal Pradesh.

The study was carried out in collaboration with the Arunachal forest department under the directorate of the Namdapha Tiger reserve.

This is the first time that a tiger has been captured in a camera trap since attempts made as early as 1996 by Bangalore based Wildlife Conservation Society. Another study carried out in 2006 by another Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation did not yield any tiger pictures in the park.

Aaranyak was invited by the Namdapha Tiger reserve authority in January 2012 to conduct a camera trapping exercise using the standard protocol set by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India.

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This major exercise began on February 3 and ended on March 29, and covered about 300 sq km of the western side of the park, which is most the suitable tiger inhabitation in the area, according to Dr Firoz Ahmed, senior biologist of Aaranyak.

As many as four base camps were established at Happy Valley, Hornbill, Farmbase and Deban to place and monitor the 80 cameras that were placed in the park. Three jumbos were also pressed into service to port loads of supplies and resources for subsistence in the forest.

The team not only worked in harsh environmental condition, but also faced resistance from the hunters in the park. On two occasions the field teams were shot at by hunters from the bushes in deep woods. Principal Chief Conservator of the Forests (Wildlife and Biodiversity) of Arunachal Pradesh, J L Singh was himself present when a group of poachers shot at the entourage.

Singh was visiting the park on foot to monitor the camera trapping exercise from March 10 to 14 when the incident took place on March 12 at Bulbulia area. On another occasion, a camera trapping team was assaulted and their equipments and data robbed, and camps vandalised at Farm Base by a group of 12 armed people. On February 28, another four rounds were fired by suspected poachers at a team consisting of Protection Force of the Tiger Reserve and members of Aaranyak.

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Even though as many as 25 cameras were stolen by poachers and hunters, the team could manage to get photographs of an adult male tiger that was captured on March 20 from two cameras inside the park.

Namdapha, one of India's major biosphere reserves and a national park, came under Project Tiger in 1983 and is spread over 1,985 sq km with a core area of 1,808 sq km. It is the only reserve in India that is home to four of the large cats. 

The achievement is significant in view of apprehension that Namdapha had been made devoid of tigers by poachers. The National Tiger Conservation Authority of India financially supported Namdapha Tiger Reserve while Aaranyak's Tiger Research and Conservation Initiative was supported by Panthera, USA.

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Other than a tiger the camera trapping exercise also recorded over 30 species of mammals and few species of birds. These include (Sambar, Barking Deer, Serow, Elephant, Gaur (Indian Bison), Wild Boar, Hog Badger, Binturong, Khaleej Pheasant, Marbled Cat, Himalayan Black Bear, Common Leopard, Large Indian Civet, Small Indian Civet, Common Palm Civet, Yellow Throated Marten, Crestless Porcupine, Crested Porcupine, Brush Tailed Porcupine, Spotted Linsang, Asiatic Wild dog, Clouded Leopard, Malayan Sun Bear, Red Goral, Crab eating Mongoose, Rat Bandicoot, Capped Langur, Stumped tail macaque, Assamese Macaque, Bat, Fish owl, Peacock Pheasant, Leopard Cat, Asiatic Golden cat.