Telangana Launches Biggest Prey Augmentation For Carnivores In Amrabad Reserve
According to Elusing Meru, Chief Wildlife Warden, the facility has been created in a 35-hectare plot in the Maddimadugu range of the reserve.
HYDERABAD: The wildlife department is all set to launch its biggest effort till date for prey augmentation in the state for carnivores, with plans to shift the first batch of spotted deer to the new prey augmentation centre in the Amrabad tiger reserve.
According to Elusing Meru, Chief Wildlife Warden, the facility has been created in a 35-hectare plot in the Maddimadugu range of the reserve. “We have created four percolation tanks for water for the deer that will be shifted from the excess population in the Nehru Zoological Park and the Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park.”
“We also installed solar powered pump sets near Krishna river which is just about 1.5 km from the new enclosure to supply water for better growth of the grasslands in the prey augmentation centre,” Meru said.
The need for prey augmentation in the tiger reserve arose because some ranges, as in Maddimadugu and those that fall in the Nalgonda district into which the reserve spreads, have very poor prey species numbers. “The first batch of the deer are likely to be released in the next fortnight, and more such transfers will follow,” he said.
The plan is to allow the deer to breed and grow in numbers, After their health status is found to be good, they will be released in parts of the tiger reserve where prey animals are fewer. “The prey availability in the safari zone in the Farhabad range is good, due to which sightings of the big cats are getting more frequent. The goal is to ensure there is enough prey available for the tigers and leopards in all parts of the reserve,” he said.
Meru said that plans were also being drawn up to carve out a portion of the 35-hectare centre as a rescue, rehabilitation centre for big cats and other carnivores captured in conflict situations with humans.
The creation of the facility has been assisted by funding through CSR activities by the Powergrid Corporation of India.
“We are also going to hold a training session for Amrabad staff in tranquilising animals in conflict situations. The goal is to have four such teams in all in the state, with one each in Amrabad, and in Kawal tiger reserve, in addition to the one already in place in Nehru Zoological Park. One will be located in Warangal,” he said.
- National Tiger Conservation Authority in its recent ‘Status of ungulates in tiger habitats of India’ report, pointed out that Amrabad was among tiger reserves with fewer prey species per sq km of forest area;
- New prey augmentation centre is 35-hectares
- To have deer shifted from NZP, Mahavir Harina Vanasthali
- Once the numbers grow, deer to be released in reserve areas where prey species numbers are low
- Facility has a double-gate system to ensure no accidental escape of animals.
- Enclosure has been fully fenced along its perimeter and is covered with a green netting.
- A watch tower-cum-base camp has been built at an elevated hilltop from where the enclosure can be monitored.
- Plans to develop part of the new centre as a rescue facility to big cats captured in conflict situation before their release into the wild.