Bengaluru: The state forest department is looking forward to rope in more coroporates which can do their bit for the conservation of forests and biodiversity, with the focus on restoration of corridors for wildlife, especially elephants and tigers.
The department stated that Karnataka can boast itself as a tiger state with the tiger population of 406 and the elephant population of 6,000. At a function to release a scientific journal on Wednesday, the department patted itself on the back for its efforts.
Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment B. Ramanath Rai launched the journal – “Tiger Monitoring at Rajiv Gandhi National Park – 2015 (Nagarhole Tiger Reserve)” – in the presence of forest department officials and representatives of a corporate company, CSS Corp, which has donated 800 camera traps worth over Rs 2 crore to various tiger reserves in the state over the last three years.
The journal reveals that 72 individual adult tigers were documented through the camera-trapping method at Nagarhole, which is one of the highest density tiger reserves in the country.
It is for the first time in the country that camera traps were deployed by a corporate firm that are now being effectively used by the forest department to conduct scientific tiger censuses, analysing animal behaviour patterns, habits, habitats, wildlife corridors, detecting people movement in the forest and identifying miscreant activity in the protected areas.
“Tiger is at the apex of the ecosystem and a healthy tiger population reflects a healthy forest ecosystem,” said Tiger Ramesh, CEO of CSS Corp.
“Tigers play a pivotal role in the health of the ecosystem. The role of coroporate players working in tandem with the forest department in conserving and monitoring must be appreciated and I hope more corporates come forward to involve themselves in conservation practices, including restoration of wildlife corridors to help balance our fragile ecosystem,” said Mr Vinay Luthra, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Additional chief secretary, Forest Ecology & Environment Department, Mahendra Jain, along with Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden Ravi Ralph and Chief Conservator of Forest R. Gokhul were also present.
