The mapping of core and buffer zones for the creation of a tiger reserve in Sathyamangalam forest has reached the final stage and a revised proposal is likely to be submitted to the State Government in a few weeks.

The previous proposal submitted by the Forest Department did not include a buffer zone in the 1.41 lakh hectares in Sathyamangalam forest that have been earmarked for the tiger reserve and missed a few vital aspects. “Creation of a buffer zone is very important for carrying out various development activities. So we have carried out the mapping exercise once again and completed the task recently.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday contended before the Supreme Court that the Centre’s guidelines for regulating tourism in tiger reserves should be modified to meet local conditions, rather than imposing a blanket ban on tourist activities in tiger reserves across the country.

Appearing for the state, former additional solicitor-general Vivek Tankha contended that the government has no problem in implementing the guidelines in spirit but not possible to follow it in letter.

Suspense over the exact number of tigers in India continued in the Supreme Court Wednesday when the Centre and other parties in a case relating to eco-tourism guidelines for the tiger reserves assu

Itanagar: The Arunachal Pradesh government will soon recruit 112 personnel for a company of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) for more effective protection to the big cats, Chief Minister Nabam Tuki said today.

“The company will be deployed in Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district and all the expenditures – both recurring and non-recurring – for raising the company will be borne by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),” Tuki informed the assembly during discussion on The Arunachal Pradesh Forest and Special Tiger Protection Forces Bill 2012.

Parks Were To Be Opened On Mon, Forest Dept Move Comes In View Of SC Postponing Decision

Jaipur: Tourism in the Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves will have to wait a while longer. The Supreme Court on Thursday postponed to October 3 its decision on the ban on tourism in the core areas of tiger reserves. Consequently, the state forest department also notified on its official website for tiger safari reservation that the park, which was supposed to open on October 1, will remain closed till October 3.

JAIPUR: As the Ranthambore National Park (RNP) gears up to open in two days time, the impasse over the Supreme Court verdict has forced tour operators to keep alternate arrangements in place.

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government today introduced a bill in the Assembly seeking to protect the big cats.

The move aimed at protection of endangered animals was taken three days after a Royal Bengal tigress was hacked to pieces inside Itanagar Zoo. Chief minister Nabam Tuki , also in-charge of Environment and Forest, introduced ‘The Arunachal Pradesh Forest and Special Tiger Protection Forces Bill 2012’, during first day of the three-day session.

PANJIM: Giving up its initial reluctance to include Goa region of Western Ghat in the World Heritage Site of UNESCO, Forest Department has finally admitted that Goa along with contiguous forests of Karnataka and Maharashtra, is one of the best potential tiger habitat in this bio-diversity hotspot.

It has been alleged that various governments were dragging their feet on declaration of Western Ghat region as sanctuary for ‘tiger reserve’ since it would lead to the closure of at least 40 mining leases, 20 of which are active.