Kaziranga National Park
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Tigers
`Increase Due To Healthy Prey Base’
Estimates show that there are 104 tigers in the Kaziranga National Park and Burachapori, about 250 km from here. In 2014, there were 83 tigers in Kaziranga.
While 95 adult tigers were found in Kaziranga National Park, two adult tigers and their cubs were found in Burachapori. Both the parks are located within the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, sprawling over an area of 860 sq km.
With 104 tigers, the big cat density in Kaziranga has be en found to be 21tigers per 100 sq km. Kaziranga field director Satyendra Singh said, “In 2014, the maximum range for the tiger population in Kaziranga was 116. This time, the maximum range is 117. Though there is no significant rise in population, it is stable. It indicates that the tiger habi tat is intact and healthy .“
“The thriving tiger population points to the fact that there is a healthy prey base for the big cats. In fact, there is a possibility that there are more tigers than the estimates. We are planning to make our next estimate more comprehensive,“ said Singh. Environment activist Rohit Choudhury said it is important to protect the corridors used by tigers to help the population grow. “Unless the corridors, especially between Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong, are protected, it will be a big challenge for tiger conservation. We are concerned about rampant mining activities and encroachment along the corridors in the Karbi Anglong area,“ said Choudhury.
Assam has four tiger reserves -Kaziranga, Manas, Orang and Nameri. Orang has 28 tigers and the highest tiger density in the country with 35.44 tigers per 100 sq km. In Manas, which is also a World Heritage Site, 30 tigers were found in last month's estimate. Nameri is yet to come out with its latest tiger estimate.
