CAMERA TRAPS HAVE HELPED RAISE IMAGE OF SIMILIPAL -- in recent context

Visitors to Similipal, in spite of its designation as Tiger Reserve in 1973, have always remained sceptical about the presence of tiger in this 'very-rich forest' of Odisha.  Perhaps that seclusion which Similipal provided to Similipal enabled tiger to survive even today as the single largest population in the state.

Thick ground vegetation have rarely rewarded a glimpse of tiger in Similipal. Visitors and some wildlife enthusiasts are loud about their frustrations but the truth is they were (are) not oriented to the science of wildlife signs on the ground.

The truth is--, a tiger is territorial-- its male, female and cub have different dimensions of pugs; when they move they will after all walk on the ground; if the ground is suitable they will leave their pugmarks; and if we have the correct orientation we will observe the pugmarks and only the pugmarks to tell about the composition and spatial distribution of tiger population!

Back in 1975 I didn't have a refined orientation about tiger pug-tracking when I started my crocodile work from river Mahanadi at Satkosia Gorge surrounded by the forests later designated as gharial sanctuary and then Tiger Reserve. Even I had a laugh when Dr H R Bustard showed me a cartoon published in Science Today sometime in 1975/76 where a tiger cub was saying to its mother something like this-- 'I have fooled the enumerators by walking 3 times up and down the road, and they think I have siblings!'.

In 1979 I was a part of the large cat census work in Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary. The field data and evidences in the form of tracing sheets and plaster casts were carried by Mr B. P Das, the Wildlife Warden to Mr Saroj Raj Choudhury - the Field Director of Similipal and the 'guru' of pugmark tracking.

Pugmark tracking was first used in 1972 to determine tiger population in the country. The entire process was designed and coordinated by Mr S R Choudhury who was then Senior Research Officer at Wildlife Division of Forest Research Institute- Dehradun. 

During my stay in Similipal from 1987 the method got refined over many respects. WWF-India head quarters in New Delhi took notice of the work in Similipal and published the pugmark tracking guideline and pocketbook in 1999 and 2000. Before publication these work were reviewed with inputs of a number of "field scientists" from India and neighbouring countries. After the publications were released they were widely followed within India and in the neighbouring countries whose reports are still available.

People who were not oriented to the science of wildlife forensic signs continued to ask for photographic evidences of tiger. Their demand grew more when my study report of 1994-99 got published as research papers and a WWF-booklet to highlight occurrence of colour aberration in tiger over a range of at least 14 body colours including melanistic tigers of Similipal. 

During my wildlife studies in the USA in 1982 I got details about colleague Howard Hunt in Atlanta Zoo, USA (1970-80s) who used trip-cameras to detect predators visiting alligator nests in Georgia Swamps. Back in India in early part of 2000s interests were growing to use camera traps for tiger studies after initiations made by Mr Ullas Karanth in Nagarhole from mid-1990s. By the year 2005 industries were growing around camera trap, software and training of human resource to get and interpret photographic evidences. As the country that held 60-70% of world tiger population administration in India finally got inclined to use these modern development. As national bodies NTCA and WII could make it reach every state. But Similipal officers earlier this month quoted Mr Karanth saying that in Namdapha the staff see pugmarks but were unable to get photographs in camera trap! There is a long way to improve this science and go ahead.

In Odisha state after 12 years (2004-2016) of circumstantial neglect, pugmark tracking still says more about composition and spatial distribution of tiger/leopard population in any forest. 

However, one thing for sure, camera traps have lifted the image of Similipal as photos are now there of some of the tigers in colour range and location ranges. 

Let's not be complacent. Believe me, there are a few more tigers than our eyes or the cameras meet in the forest! We have to simply make the ground soft, keep walking, bent down at places, search the pugmarks, kneel down on the roads and bring these evidences as traces or plaster casts from field to analysis room. Yes, last word, please no goading to hurry up analysis in order to make an administrative announcement. 

Key: Tiger census, camera trap, pugmark tracking, Similipal

'WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES' MEANING FOR NON-WILDLIFE EMPLOYERS

12 October, Friday

Today morning I saw a mail from Raza, who feels depressed with his recent experience at the interview held for selection for a job. The personal traits reflected of Raza in his writings on wildlife convince me that he must be a good and methodical student of engineering too. In spite of doing well in the written examination, Raza didn't get the first job he applied for. The reason for his ‘rejection was his passion towards wildlife and forest conservation’. The people interviewing him for HR were ‘candid enough to let him know that his passion for wildlife and forest conservation, his booklet on Cheetah and other writings from him just didn't work for the employers as they believed that these attributes would eventually pull the employee away from their company once they hired him and they--- (the internationally known computer-related business consultancy services provider)--- couldn't take that risk’. The mail and the feelings contained in it were a bit shock for me, but I don’t see it is the end. I sent sharp a consolation and encouraging letter to Raza hoping that he will be back to his normal.

Let me go back by a decade. From Similipal we used to conduct Nature Camps for various target groups of students, teachers and NGO-personalities. We also conducted Orientation Programmes for local drivers who drove tourists to the Tiger Reserve. I was at the centre of at least two down-to-earth training programmes for Tourist Guides.  The objectives were to generate supporters for wildlife conservation in every sphere of social profile surrounding the Tiger Reserve. For graduate and post-graduate students I always give a very rosy picture about usefulness of wildlife experiences, and  say that ‘wildlife-related experiences’ or ‘wildlife-related interests’ may not give them a full-fledged job in the wildlife sector but it could help them to get to their other chosen field. For the last 10-11years I have often narrated a story to many students.

It is about a bright student of Physics from Maharaja Purna Chandra College. The college is situated in Baripada, the District Headquarters of Mayurbhanj. One of the cherished attractions of the district is forests of Similipal. Young Partha was very enthusiastic about wildlife and forest conservation, and used to come to see me in my office when he was preparing for various competitive examinations. It was perhaps the year 1992. He was selected by us for an 8-days long forest stay as one of the 25 non-official members for tiger census. He was allotted one of the two Census Units at Bhanjabasa.

For many reasons Bhanjabasa was our southern-most census unit in Similipal. It is a Forester (Section) Headquarter and reachable by van or jeep. I had my first King Cobra experience of Similipal there. The area extending up to Putulidiha, Ghaghra and Nekdanacha etc. always gave good tiger experiences. It has enriched my own research on tiger and also the understanding about the pressure mounted by people from periphery down the Similipal hills. Later, all these helped me to write the Biosphere Management Plan.

After leaving the census groups at Bhanjabasa, I came to Upper Barha Kamuda from where I was coordinating the census units in southern and south-central part of Similipal. One day I marked Partha had brought a voluminous book which he was reading as a preparation for Bank Probationary Officer. He used to read it in the night and in early morning before setting out to the field. He was good in field work--- full of questions and full of interpretations.

Field work and the analyses for Tiger census were over. Months passed by. In the meantime Partha got through the written examination for Probationary Officer in State Bank of India, and was called for an interview. Before leaving for the interview he came to me. I answered some more of his questions and encouraged him, as usual. To my disappointment, on return from the interview Partha was depressed, as is Raza today. He told me that at the interview the discussions dominated around tiger census, Similipal and wildlife conservation. But ultimately he was told that he will not fit for a banking job. Better he tries and joins the Indian Forest Service. I too felt sorry for him and about my own confidence about the chosen field.

After a few days, Partha came to me with a packet of sweets to celebrate. Reason---, he has been finally selected for the job of PO in SBI. He joined the training, then the regular job. For some time he remained in regular touch with me over the phone. He got married. His efficiency took him to serve in one of the Branches of his Bank in the USA. Now he is back in Orissa, and I locate him through a group that is active about wildlife matters in Orissa.

MORALE of the two stories: all employers may not be equally nature-oriented. Some may be more instrument-oriented.

SCIENTIFIC TRANSPARENCY AND MANAGEMENT: FROM EXPERIENCE OF TIGER CENSUS

03 April 2011

A few days back the result of monitoring tiger was released in New Delhi. Developed on the foothold of a concerted and sustained criticism since 1990s of the previous results and the 33-years old method of census of tiger, the new method and the results, nonetheless, generated a lot of discussions and objections during 2008, when the product of the process started in 2005 were released for managers to use, and field staff to understand.

While the issues were not settled and managers were adopting their own approaches to answer public forums, the new result of 2011 showed an increase in adult population by 295 tigers. That is a matter which appears to cheer about. This, however, also continues to raise new questions, and aspects about deficiencies in the new method, its faithful and complete implementation in the field, a similar level of analysis, and the acceptability of the results to the field staff and managers. As expected, the results have engendered another spree of discussion in the local media, in print as well as in electronics.

I have started to realise that apparently the transparency of a scientific method needs to be given a back-seat in certain cases. The details about a population, the details about their spatial occupancy may cause managerial hurdles that spring up from poachers, or some unwarranted inconveniences which are difficult to overcome for smooth management.

Hence, the gross densities in place of absolute numbers with population composion, a landscape in place of finer aspects of spatial occupancy and movement areas, etc may take over as new norms of acceptable preferences.

This then leaves me to ponder, should a scientist with his innumerable collaborators in the field spend years of hazardous hard field work and irreparable sacrifices in pursuing scientific truth and in developing a technique that reveals so much details of the ground situation that it is fit only to be shelved back to obscurity!