Forest dept,WTI to study more tiger conflict areas

The state Forest department along with the Wildlife Trust of India will now study the tiger conflict areas across the state.

The state Forest department along with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) will now study the tiger conflict areas across the state.

Earlier,the study was only being undertaken in Dudhwa Forest Reserve. But now the Forest department and WTI have decided to extend it to seven other forest divisions where the big cat movement has been reported. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between us and the state Forest department in October last year, said Anil Kumar Singh,co-ordinator of WTI.

As per the MoU,we had to conduct the study in the Dudhwa Forest Reserve only. But now,we have decided to extend it to seven other forest divisions where frequent tiger movement has been reported, added Singh.

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The study will now be undertaken in tiger conflict areas of Katerniaghat Forest Reserve,Kishanpur Sanctuary,Pilibhit,Lakhimpur Kheri north and south,Shahjahapur and Sitapur.

As part of the study,the ecology of the tiger habitat,density of the tiger population,its prey status,corridors,socio-economic status of man-animal conflict areas and tiger dispersal pattern will be studied.

We have taken these parameters as it will help us in assessing the reason behind the conflict incidents. It will also help us in developing a plan to deal with the man-animal conflict problem,which we will put forth before the state Forest department to tackle the problem, said Singh.

With several man-animal conflict incidents taking place in sugarcane fields,we will study the reason behind the movement of tigers in sugarcane areas as well, added Singh.

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The study will continue for a minimum period of two years. We are working out the modalities of the project like the cost of the study, he said.

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