By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Expressing concern on the declining number of tigers in the State, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (APCCF) S Kumar said that the Centre has not been forthcoming with regards to carrying out a tiger census in the State despite a request from the State Government.
“We have requested the National Wildlife Institute to conduct a tiger census but we are yet to get any positive response,” Kumar said on the sidelines of the valedictory function of the Wildlife Week here on Friday.
As per a census conducted by the State Government three years back using the path-mark method instead of the conventional
camera-trap method, the tiger population in the State was fixed at 47.
“But this figure was not accepted by the Centre. It was then that we suggested the Centre to conduct a fresh survey,” Kumar said.
“The Government is presently compiling the data on the number of elephants in the State.
“We had conduct a census of the elephants in the various elephant reserves as per the directive of the Centre” Kumar said, adding that the census was conducted in West Khasi Hills, parts of Ri Bhoi and in the three districts of Garo Hills region.
“The final figures would be available in November,” he said.
“There were 186 elephants in the State as per the census conducted three years ago but the figure would be less this time since the exercise was carried out only in elephant reserves and not in the other forest reserves,” he pointed out.
He maintained that large-scale deforestation in the State has not only led to the decline of dense forests in the State, but has also been responsible for the alteration of the habitat of wild animals.
As per the State of the Environment Report 2005, the forest areas in Meghalaya have reduced from 69.06 per cent to 63.06 per cent over a period of 15 years.
The report also pointed out that there has been a significant reduction in dense forests which has also led to the alteration in the quality of habitat of wild species.
Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong, who also attended the function, said that his department was working with traditional heads to find out strategies to increase the forest cover in the State.
“We want to increase not only the area under the reserved forests, but also to plant trees in other places in consultation with traditional heads and clans,” Tynsong said.