LAGATAR 24 NETWORK
Daltonganj, July 30: Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Jharkhand has a reason to console itself that its tiger status is one digit better than what it is in Telangana and Mizoram.
The Kawal tiger reserve in Telangana has reported zero tigers in the status of tigers co predators and prey in the India 2022 census.
Similarly, the Dampa tiger reserve in Mizoram is a zero tiger reserve as per the 2022 census.
On the other hand, PTR has reported one tiger in the census of 2022.
Chief conservator of forest and field director of the PTR Kumar Ashutosh has confirmed the report of one tiger in the tiger reserve.
Prajesh Kanta Jena said the declaration of one tiger here in this reserve is based on the genetic analysis of the scat sent from here to the Wild Life Institute of India Dehradun.
Looking back on the glorious past of this tiger reserve which had 22 tigers in the first year of its inception in 1974 to 62 in 1984 and then a landslide leading to zero tigers in 2018, 2019 etc, the announcement of one tiger here as per 2022 census is no heart-warming as no one knows how to reclaim the density of tigers here, said sources.
The single tiger so declared here neither resurfaces to be caught on camera nor does it go for kill nor does it leave any footprint called in wildlife lingo pug marks.
Putting a brave face the PTR on July 29 held International Tiger Day knowing no tiger was originally around but the children who took part in the programme held to mark the day saw film and clippings on it, much to their delight.
