Chorla Ghats- the new land of the tiger.
The Chorla Ghats area, a part of the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary in North Goa can now truly be christened as “the land of the tiger” as a confirmed kill of a female domestic buffalo by an adult male tiger has been reported from the region besides numerous sightings reported by locals, vehicle drivers and researchers.
Confirmation of the presence of a male tiger came to light after villagers from Chorla and surrounding areas reported sightings and images of pugmarks were being collected by members of the Mhadei Bachao Abhiyaan since Jan 2009 from various locations in the Chorla Ghats, in the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary area as well as the reserved forest area of adjoining Karnataka state.
On 4th Feb 2009, a female buffalo belonging to Mr. Gharo Fale was brought down by a tiger in the area near the Dhangar vadda in the wee hours of the morning and dragged in the undergrowth. Nirmal Kulkarni and his team documented the same and informed the Dy. Conservator, Wildlife who promptly dispatched a team to ascertain the facts.
Part of the carcass was eaten and Wildlife officials have confirmed that the kill was done by a tiger as evidence by way bite marks at the neck, typical of a tiger kill were observed. Pugmarks were also found in the vicinity of the kill and Glass tracings and photographic documentation was carried out of the same in a scientific manner by the Range Forest Officer, Wildlife Campal.
The presence of a large male in the area since last many months authenticates the repeated claims of researchers that the Mhadei region harbors resident tigers and not transit tigers like previously thought to be as the present individuals seen in the area have been active throughout the year. Transit tigers on the other hand visit the forests of Goa in the summer months of April and May from adjoining Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Anshi national park. Anshi has recently been declared as a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
Tiger sightings have been on the rise for a long time now and these have been reported to various agencies including the Goa and Karnataka Forest Departments as well as environmentalists like Mr. Rajendra Kerkar, Secretary of the Mhadei Bacaho Abhiyan, who has been relentlessly campaigning for better protection for this mega biodiversity region of the Mhadei valley.
While another female tigress with a cub has been reported from the area known as ‘Zambhlikade’ and if the lone tiger sightings from the Chigule area in Karnataka are to be added, brings the number of individuals to 3 adults and 1 cub, the highest density in this region from such a small area.
It is important now that the Mhadei Wildlife sanctuary gets its due recognition from the State as well as the Central Government as an important large mammal corridor and large cat habitat. The Karnataka Government needs to reconsider its decision to submerge large tracts of prime tiger habitat by implementing the Mahdei diversion scheme and declare the proposed Bhimgad Wildlife sanctuary as a sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act.
While wildlife researchers and nature enthusiasts are upbeat with the sightings and vital secondary evidences obtained in the last two months, wildlife officials are monitoring the situation and collecting evidence of the movement of these individuals with the assistance of locals and wildlife researchers active in the area.
The Mhadei Bachao Abhiyaan plans to write to the Tiger Conservation Authority to bring to its notice the need to conserve the Mhadei region as a whole for the conservation of our national animal and its habitat.