PM Narendra Modi on Monday lauded conservationists for 30 perc ent increase in tiger population in India. On the other hand, tigers have totally vanished from Mizoram.
The tiger population in India has grown from 1,400 in 2014 to 2,977 in 2019, according to the report released by Modi.
“With around 3,000 tigers, India has emerged as of one of the biggest and safest habitats in the world,” Modi said lauding everyone involved in India’s tiger conservation initiative.
Dampa Tiger Reserve was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1994. It is situated in the western part of Mizoram, bordering Bangladesh.
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Unfortunately, as per the report released by the PM, no tiger population was recorded in Dampa Tiger Reserve. In 1994, the wild habitat had recorded four tigers.
While almost all the states in India recorded an increase in tiger population, it is surprising as to how tigers have vanished from Mizoram.
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Aaranyak, a society for biodiversity conservation and WWF India had analyzed samples in March 2012 in Dampa Tiger Reserve.
Using DNA fingerprinting technique, the Aaranyak had announced the genetic evidence of tiger presence in the reserve.
The study by Aaranyak had reported that out of 27 samples collected, 9 were of tigers in Dampa Tiger Reserve.
If there were 9 tigers in 2012 in Dampa Tiger Reserve, where did they vanish in 2019?
The Tiger Census Report of 2019 will definitely portray the Mizoram Forest Department in poor light.
The Mizoram Forest Department was recently caught sleeping over a bizarre episode in connection with an elephant death.
A 47-year-old captive elephant, Laxmi died near the Kanhmun Forest Range in Mamit district of west Mizoram.
And in a most bizarre occurrence, the body of the dead elephant was sliced, and the meat was consumed by the villagers.
The Project Tiger officials are yet to make any statement on the vanishing of tigers from the Dampa Tiger Reserve.
Will the Mizoram Forest Department officials be brave enough to make any statement on the controversy of vanishing tigers?
Were the tigers poached in Dampa Tiger Reserve?