THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, December 22: There is no report of sighting of any vulture in the weeklong drive for All India Tiger Estimation being conducted here in the jungles and the sole tiger reserve in the Palamu region.
Deputy Director of the North Division of the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), P K Jena, who is the regional nodal officer of the All India Tiger Estimation here in Palamu region, when asked about the sighting of the vulture during this week-long drive, said, “There is no sighting of any vulture so far. The job is still on.”
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“The final data is yet to be compiled. De briefing is to be done. A final report is to be sent to the tiger cell,” added the PTR officer.
Jena asked the Jharkhand Story Network correspondent as to how such a definitive status of the vultures has been mentioned, quoting him when the process of the drive is far from completion.
“Be accurate. Such a definitive status of vulture can’t be jumped like this at this stage, and that too misquoting me,” reminded Jena in a very terse tone.
Estimation for carnivores and big herbivores
Asked in the same vein about finding a sign survey of the much talked and publicised Pangolin in this drive, to which Jena said, “This estimation was for the carnivores and big herbivores. Pangolin does not fit the bill.”
“Further, Pangolin is a nocturnal wildlife where as our drive was a day affair,” added Jena, adding further, “Even if some sign survey of Pangolin was discovered, it’s just possible it wouldn’t find a mention of it since carnivores and big herbivores were to be checked.”
Last month, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and Medininagar Forest Division, led by its DFO Satyam Kumar, later joined by the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) had unearthed an interstate illicit trade network of the scales of pangolin and double snake venom for mood swing in rave parties of the rich and affluent.
Presence of predators prompts caution
Some noticeable incidents happened during this week-long drive. Happily, there is no report of any bee or insect attack on the All India Tiger Estimation teams. It had happened in the last estimation.
Forest guard Mithilesh Thakur when contacted narrated how one wolf took away a goat when its grazer was busy collecting dead and dry firewood to beat the biting winter. The wolf had injured one other goat too.
This incident occurred at Medhari Protected Forest under the Mahuadanr Range of PTR. The victim grazer would be paid compensation under the provisions of the compensation scheme launched by the state government.
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Mithilesh Thakur said, “Mahuadanr Range abounds in wolves, leopards and bears. We were very vigilant about them in our drive.”
“As the drive was to start early morning for a week and bears too are fond of early morning venture out, hence we rearranged our timing so as not to confront the bears unnecessarily”, reiterated Thakur.
Paramjeet Tiwary, another veteran PTR forester incharge said, “Leopard attacked goats at village Chetma under the Bareysarn Range of PTR. The goat owner Rajesh Birjiya could note it when he counted them on their getting back home. Two goats were found missing.”
Tiwary further said, “Rajesh went out searching for his two goats when he found some little residue left behind at some distance away from where Rajesh lives with his goats.”
Leopard had finished his goats as hyenas eat greedily and nastily. It’s hyena that steals the kill of the leopard.
A hyena was found with 3 cubs in the Mahuadanr Range of the PTR, informed Mithilesh Thakur.
