KALAIBOR

DERGAON, July 27

From Surajit Khound
PULIBAGAN (NAGAON), July 24

Suddenly, across the spectrum of print and electronic media, the Indian tiger is making its presence felt. From dwindling numbers to reintroduction of the species in Sariska, the audience is being fed on information about what oft has been called the king of the jungle. It might be an instance of efforts coming in too late, but nevertheless it underlines the motive to save one of the keystone species from extinction. The status of the tiger in Indian protected area is a matter of concern, not only is the population on a decline, but their habitat and their prey-base are also being threatened.

The flood and erosion by the Brahmaputra has posed a major threat to the northern part of the Kaziranga National Park (KNP). About 40 sq km of the 430 sq km area of the Park has been affected. According to satellite survey, about 37.40 sq km have been gobbled up by the mighty river. The Arimona forest beat office was set up in 1951 in Kohora range. The office conducts the patrolling of the forest personnel. A luxurious guest house was also constructed near the beat office.

Indian safari seems to have come of age, with Taj Hotels, ITC and Leisure Hotels scouting for properties to promote high-end tours Ravi Teja Sharma NEW DELHI THE wildlife lodges segment has caught the fancy of hospitality companies. While Taj Safaris, a JV between Taj Hotels and CC Africa, has opened two luxury wildlife resorts in Madhya Pradesh, Leisure Hotels, which has a large presence in Uttarakhand, is now entering the wildlife lodges segment with a lodge to boot in Madhya Pradesh.

DERGAON

Hinting that there could be a

In yet another incident of suspected poaching at Kaziranga National Park, the carcass of a full-grown rhinoceros was recovered near a water body at Agaratoli range this morning. The horn of the rhino, which is suspected to have died three to four days back, was missing.

A Tata Tea-owned garden faces legal action by Kaziranga National Park authorities after the Forensic Science Laboratory here confirmed the presence of pesticide in the carcass of a cattle "used as a bait' to kill a tiger at Hatikhuli tea estate in January. The director of the forensic laboratory, R.P. Gohain, today confirmed that pesticide residues were found on the cattle carcass that resulted in the death of a tiger cub in the Rongagora division of the tea estate, owned by the Tata Tea's North India Plantation Operations.