Tigers in sanctuaries to get ID cards

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11-10-2009, 08:50 PM
Mrudul Godbole

Tigers in sanctuaries to get ID cards

Archana Jyoti

New Delhi, Oct 8 (PTI) Big cats housed in various sanctuaries across the country will soon have their own 'identity cards' specifying their profile, a step that will enable authorities keep track of their movement and help in tiger conservation.

"We have issued an advisory to all the 17-tiger range states to keep an ID card specifying the details of each tiger in their sanctuaries," Rajesh Gopal, member secretary National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), said.

The identity card will be have a photograph of the tiger and its skin print, a unique characteristic of each predator, kill data and camera trap as well radio collar records with regular updatate of its behaviour.

"Maintaining an ID of each tiger will help the officials particularly forest guards keep a track on the predator in their jurisdiction. The idea is to strengthen tiger conservation at the ground level," Gopal explained.

Link - http://www.ptinews.com/news/320128_T...o-get-ID-cards
11-10-2009, 08:55 PM
Bibhav Behera

That seems like a good idea to track. However the beauty of the animal, untouched and completely wild will be lost. Seeing a tiger in the wild has its own sweet beauty.. a collar would demean its beauty... But given the dwindling chances of the tiger, it seems like a last resort...
11-10-2009, 10:31 PM
Sabyasachi Patra

I can't believe this. Radio collar all the tigers in the wild? I hope this is not the intention.

Tracking tigers is fine. However, radio collaring them is absolutely a muddle headed idea. Keeping photographic records, information of kills etc can be done by the field force. It is necessary that the field force becomes active and act as the front line warriors in saving the tiger, which they were supposed to do.

Radio collaring, is an intrusive technique and should be avoided. If Radio collaring tigers would have done the job, the Panna would not have lost all its tigers.

A few researchers will have some extra jobs in their hands in radio collaring. However, radio collaring is not the solution. Making the field force active is the answer. Along with speedy prosecution of poachers, relocation of villages from the Tiger reserves.

The tigers are not animals in a zoo. They too have a right to live a dignified life. The journalist has used the word "housed". It is like saying the criminals housed in so and so prison. Perhaps the assumption is that we are the masters of the universe and can incarcerate any body or any species at our own will. Tigers were born free and should remain free.

Sabyasachi
12-10-2009, 11:52 AM
Ranbir Mahapatra

My first reaction was that of absolute incredulity!

I had this vision of a tiger with grotesque radio collar around its neck and a plastic ID card with mugshot of the tiger pasted on it. What macabre sense of humor is that??

But on a more sober note, radio collaring does have its advantage. With recent advances in miniaturization of technology, I am wondering if more unintrusive radio beacon can be used to track the tigers.

Sabyasachi raised a pertinent question of us being the masters of the universe. Though as a species we are rather miniscule and insignificant in the larger scheme of life, man does exert considerable control on his surrounding. Like it or not, human is a dominant species today.

Hence, the important question is: what are the implication of the choices that we make.
16-10-2009, 02:33 PM
Tiger Ramesh

Radio collaring

Not ON. We have an excellent track record of killing tigers after a collaring exercise. Karnataka is a good example where many tigers have been killed in the past due to immature handling.

Tigers have to be free. They cannot be radio collared. Its sad to see a tiger with a collar. I saw many in Ranthambore and they look like tame goats.

We also do not have sufficient data on long term effects created in animals by Radio signals in such proximity. We should stop collaring Tigers and elephants. We have read enough about Cell phone signals affecting the human brain.

Convincing the authorities on stopping the radio collaring of animals could be difficult because such exercises provide for the livelihood of many scientists and organisations and therefore will face stiff resistance :)
16-10-2009, 03:30 PM
Ranbir Mahapatra

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiger Ramesh

Not ON. We have an excellent track record of killing tigers after a collaring exercise. Karnataka is a good example where many tigers have been killed in the past due to immature handling.

Broadly I do agree with your sentiments.

Could you pls expand on your instance - "killing tigers after a collaring exercise"...Does it mean that the radio signal is intercepted by poachers to track down tigers?

Or you were referring to the ineptitude of researchers while they tranquilize the tiger and put the collar.
16-10-2009, 06:11 PM
Siddhartha Gogoi

Hi,

I hope NTCA considers to rethink on this matter, radio collaring might be useful but there are other very effective and useful methods to keep a track of the Tigers. Camera Trap is one of the most effective method in estimating population of Tigers and this method has proved very instrumental time and again. And every tourist that visits Parks where tiger sightings are frequent like Tadoba, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Corbett and some others can play a very big role by submitting their tiger photographs to the Department thereby helping to identify different individuals and maintain a database. For example before a Safari begins the Tourists should be briefed about their role in conservation by submitting a copy of any photographs that they take of the Tigers. The Guide should make a note of the Beat, Date and Time of the Photo taken of a Tiger thereby collecting as many photographs as possible of different individuals which will help in estimating the population of Tigers to quite an extent. And identifying two individuals from two different photographs is no magic and can be easily done closely following their stripe patterns. And setting up Camera Traps is also not difficult with good knowledge about the terrain and the habitat. Hope India does not go the Zimbabwe way where the Authorities dehorned the Rhino's to save them from poaching. And hope America and the whole world lobbies to stop China from using animal products for traditional medicines.

Regards,
Sidd
17-10-2009, 04:20 PM
Tiger Ramesh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranbir Mahapatra

Broadly I do agree with your sentiments.

Could you pls expand on your instance - "killing tigers after a collaring exercise"...Does it mean that the radio signal is intercepted by poachers to track down tigers?

Or you were referring to the ineptitude of researchers while they tranquilize the tiger and put the collar.

Hi - I meant the collective ineptitude of researchers/scientists/veterinary doctors/forest department. Lack of practical knowledge, lack of co-ordination, lack of proper understanding, lack of accountibility etc is the reason. Many tigers have died in Nagarhole and Bandipur after they were tranquilised/radio collared and released into the wild. Many were found dead few days later.

The most recent example, a tigress captured in Kabini (Nagarhole) was tranquilised and subsequently released in Bhadra, was found dead (i have earlier posted a message in this section).
17-10-2009, 04:35 PM
Tiger Ramesh

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siddhartha Gogoi

Hi,

I hope NTCA considers to rethink on this matter, radio collaring might be useful but there are other very effective and useful methods to keep a track of the Tigers. Camera Trap is one of the most effective method in estimating population of Tigers and this method has proved very instrumental time and again. And every tourist that visits Parks where tiger sightings are frequent like Tadoba, Ranthambore, Bandhavgarh, Kanha, Corbett and some others can play a very big role by submitting their tiger photographs to the Department thereby helping to identify different individuals and maintain a database. For example before a Safari begins the Tourists should be briefed about their role in conservation by submitting a copy of any photographs that they take of the Tigers. The Guide should make a note of the Beat, Date and Time of the Photo taken of a Tiger thereby collecting as many photographs as possible of different individuals which will help in estimating the population of Tigers to quite an extent. And identifying two individuals from two different photographs is no magic and can be easily done closely following their stripe patterns. And setting up Camera Traps is also not difficult with good knowledge about the terrain and the habitat. Hope India does not go the Zimbabwe way where the Authorities dehorned the Rhino's to save them from poaching. And hope America and the whole world lobbies to stop China from using animal products for traditional medicines.

Regards,
Sidd

Good idea. The tourists get to shoot many pictures. The naturalist/driver accompanying them know the local area well. There should be a standard process that should make it mandatory for the tourists to share the photo along with details of location, time, date etc. Dr Rajesh Gopal should focus on evolving a national policy on eco-tourism that is uniform and common to all states (at least to Project Tiger areas). On a national basis we are not leveraging eco-tourism for conservation.