London: A diminishing gene pool is posing a grave threat to Indian tigers.

Maharashtra’s Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), a successful model for tiger conservation, is facing a new problem in the shape of tourists. Camera-toting holidaymakers are shelling out big bucks to local tourist guides to go deep into the core area of the national park for “exclusive” pictures of the big cat.

Wildlife officials posted at the resort say guides ferry tourists in Gypsies deep into the reserve in order to spot a tiger. Once the animal is sighted, these shutter-happy tourists surround it to get close-up shots.

JAIPUR: Death is the word doing the rounds in Ranthambore as far as tigress T-17's sudden, mysterious disappearance is concerned. It is nearly a month since the tigress, also called Sundari, went missing from the reserve leaving its three one-year-old cubs literally in the lurch.

However, it is yet to be conclusively proved whether she had died as her body could not be traced even by the 110 strong force of foresters deployed to trace her. The fact that numerous camera traps in the reserve have not been able to locate her also makes chances of her being alive slim.

Amid raging controversy whether to release or to house the wild tiger that strayed into Nandankanan zoo on April 30, a technical committee is likely to seal the fate of the tiger on Wednesday after a detailed discussion.

The committee comprises chief wildlife warden, zoo officials, a member nominated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), veterinarians, sarpanch of the area and the villagers living in the sanctuary adjoining area.

Camera-trapping helps big cat census, conservation

The Forest department is all set to implement the camera-trapping method of keeping a track of tigers in the Yelandur range of the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve. The method is already in place, with 30 cameras keeping an eye on the movement of tigers, other animals and poachers in the Kollegal range of the tiger reserve. There are a total of six ranges in the BRT tiger reserve. The camera-trapping method is seen as a fool-proof mechanism in the tiger census.

Ullas Karanth of Wildlife Society of India said that the final report on the existence of tigers in Goa's forests with all results may be submitted after monsoon.

The state forest department on Wednesday began tiger census at the Satkosia tiger reserve in Angul district.

Attempt to retain it as a captive animal opposed

Biswajit Mohanty, Secretary of Wildlife Society of Orissa, on Wednesday demanded immediate release of the wild tiger that walked into the Nandankanan Zoological Park here recently.

The Orissa forest department is holding on to a wild tiger that strayed inside Nandankanan Zoo over a week ago, saying they don't know its original habitat and therefore cannot release it.

Sources in the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), however, said Nandankanan authorities planned to use the tiger for breeding inside the zoo, which was illegal. NTCA has asked Chief Wildlife Warden J D Sharma to immediately release the tiger.

The Union environment and forests ministry has asked the Goa government to send proposals to set up a tiger reserve at the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary, Parliament was told on Monday.