The month long camera trapping exercise for getting comprehensive report on tiger and its prey base animals in Namdapha Tiger Reserve ended on March 29 with encouraging result despite inclement weather and manmade hurdles of various magnitudes. Gauhati based NGO Aaranyak carried out the exercise with the help of Namdapha authority who provided logistic support. Altogether 14 persons from Aaranyak were engaged under the guidance of Conservation Biologist & Coordinator Dr. Feroz Ahmed, PhD with the help of 130 Namdapha staff which includes officers, frontal staff; protection squads, contingency staff and local porters. In Toto, 80 cameras were installed in various locations identified to be potential tiger habitats spread over less than 25% of the total geographical area of the reserve which amounts to 1985 sq km. There were 4 camps set inside the reserve with base camps at Deban, 24 kms from Miao. During the course of camera trapping exercise, the armed poachers tried everything within the parameters of their reach to ensure that the exercise was foiled. They not only stolen 20 cameras but resorted to firing at the team on two occasions at Bulbulia and Kadboi areas. Even PCCF J.L Singh who visited the reserve to encourage the team was not spared. They also destroyed base camps and physically assaulted one member of Aaranyak at Farm base. But despite all odds, the camera trapping exercise was completed and the captured pictures revealed existence of tigers and its prey. Namdapha Tiger Reserve is known worldwide for co-existence of four species of big cats that includes Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Leopard and Snow Leopard. The trapping could capture the pictures of Tiger; Snow Leopard; Common Leopard; Leopard Cat; Asiatic Golden Cat; Marbled Cat; Sambar; Barking Deer; Serow; Elephant; Gaur (Indian Bison); Wild Boar; Hog Badger; Binturong; Kaleez Pheasant; Himalayan Black Bear; Large Indian Civet; Small Indian Civet; Common Palm Civet; Yellow Throated Marten; Crested Porcupine; Crestless Porcupine: Brush Tailed Porcupine; Spotted Linsang; Asiatic Wild Dog; Malayan Sun Bear; Red Goral; Crab Eating Mongoose; Rat Bandicoot; Capped Langur; Stumped Tail Macaque; Assamese Macaque; Bat; Fish Owl and Peacock Pheasant.
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Till recently, there were speculations about the presence of tigers in Namdapha Tiger Reserve but the results of the month long camera trapping exercise is testimony to the fact that despite so many enemies big cat family members still co-exist.
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MIAO:The team also noticed pug marks of tigers and collected 13 scat samples suspected to be of tiger origin from various locations and has been sent for analysis to Genetic Laboratory of Aaranyak, Gauhati.
NTCA funded Rs. 15.0 lakhs for Camera Trapping Exercise out of which Rs. 2.50 lakh was paid to Aaranyak and the remaining amount was spent for procurement of stationeries, camp equipments, rations and payment of wages to porters. Aaranyak has submitted another Invoice of Rs. 4, 62, 200/- being cost of 20 cameras that were stolen by poachers.
Till recently, there were speculations about the presence of tigers in Namdapha Tiger Reserve but the results of the month long camera trapping exercise is testimony to the fact that despite so many enemies big cat family members still co-exist. The result is encouraging and should be sufficient for the NTCA and state government to awake and take steps to protect the big cats from the clutches of poachers who are following them with the help of modern techniques of capture. If urgent steps are not taken, the extinct of these cats cannot be ruled out.
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