Kolkata, 11 Feb: As part of a countrywide exercise, the census of the big cats in Buxa tiger reserve in north Bengal would begin by the end of this month and continue till April, Mr RP Saini, field director of the reserve, said today.

V.S. Palaniappan

Pollachi: The officials of the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Pollachi are embarking on elaborate arrangements for the conduct of the Tiger as well as Wildlife Census from February 20 to 25.

RASHME SEHGAL

Is the fate of one more tiger reserve in jeopardy? The National Highways Authority of India's (NHAI) decision to slice the Pench tiger reserve in two by building a fourlane highway (N.H. 7) through it could well mean the death knell for the 30 tigers living in this reserve.

BHUBANESWAR: Its wildlife habitats facing growing pressure, the State Government plans to go in for GIS mapping of the protected areas along with a strengthened anti-poaching setup and identification of the boundaries.

The plan covers all the wildlife sanctuaries but Similipal and Satkosia will receive special attention being the two identified Project Tiger areas in the State.

With China gearing up to mark 2010 as Year of the Golden Tiger when the demand for the animal parts and derivatives are expected to shoot up, forest reserves which are home to the big cats in India have been put on high alert against possible poaching.

The most contentious issue between the Centre and the state on tiger conservation

A team of experts from Conservation International, Washington DC, USA, recently visited the project site of Dolphin Foundation (DF) in Manas Tiger Reserve to take stock of the initiatives taken for promoting alternative sustainable livelihoods for the poor forest-dependent communities living in the fringe areas of Manas, a press release said.

The Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary will be declared Parambikulam Tiger Reserve soon, Kerala Forest Minister Benoy Viswam has said Earlier, the Minister had said that the sanctuary would be declared a tiger reserve before the close of the current fiscal. Parambikulam would be the second tiger reserve in Kerala, the other being the Periyar Tiger Reserve, which came into existence in 1978.