17 May 2019, 11:49 am
The Highest Elevation Record Of Tiger In Sikkim
This article has been preserved from The Voice Of Sikkim historical news collection and reflects information available at the time of its original publication.
The Highest Elevation Record Of Tiger In Sikkim
17 May, Gangtok (Press Conf) : JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity and Forest Management project (SBFP) under the forest, Environment & Wildlife Management Deptt, Govt of Sikkim which commenced during 2010 has four operational components viz. Biodiversity, Ecotourism, Joint Forest Management and Organizational Strengthening.
The flag species study focusing on three flagship species namely Red Panda, Musk deer and Rhododendron niveum and the Wildlife Population estimation in and around the wildlife protected areas of the State are being undertaken in the Blodiversitv Conservation component of the project.
These studies includes engagement of researchers, capacity building, linkages/tie up with National organizations, funding. etc Subsequently as a part Of the Musk deer study as part Of flag species, camera traps were installed in the Kyongnosla Alpine Sanctuary which has yielded yet another record for the state.
Royal Bengal tiger was captured in one of the cameras, on the night of February 5th 2019 at 09:20:36 pm at Ek Ghothey at an altitude Of 11,715 ft. (3571 masl) with a recorded atmospheric temperature of -3?C.
This is the highest elevation record of tiger In the state, Earlier records spoke of tigers at an altitude Of 10,000 ft in the state, So far the elevation of 11,909 ft. is the highest camera trapped photographic evidence of tiger presence In the Indian part of the Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh.
In the same area where the tiger was camera trapped, other fauna like Red Panda, Musk deer, Red fox, Wild yak, Blood pheasant and Himalayan monal were also captured which means that there is good prey base in the habitat. The camera traps were installed by a team led by Mr. Neemesh Chamling, Survey Expert of Biodiversity Conservation and Mr Jeewan Kumar Rai, Mr. Kalu Singh Ra. and Mr. Passang Sherpa who are field staffs of Kyongnosla Wildlife Sanctuary. Since many decades, the Department has been gathering information about the movements of tigers in East & North Sikkim.
The Department had earlier recorded evidences from Lachung, Torsa Lake, Phyangsi, Kyongnosla with the first photographic evidence from cameras installed in the pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary.
The wide usage of camera trap technologies as part of the Population Estimation Study under JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity and Forest Management project (SBFP) in Sikkim has provided a great insight into wildlife presence particularly of tiger movement in the conservation policies of the state which has malntalned contiguous forest cover across the landscape has provided protection to these big cats. More surveys are required along the probable route i.e. Pangolakha-Kyongnosla-Tamtey-Toong-Naga RF-Torsa lake-Khedum - Lema-Qusay and Meruk RF. The state offers one of the best hopes for conserving tigers and securing their habitats across the Himalayas.