PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Ramnagar
The roar of tigers is echoing louder than ever in the forests spread across nearly 44,000 hectares under the Ramnagar Forest Division adjoining the Corbett Tiger Reserve. A joint tiger estimation exercise conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Forest department has recorded the presence of 93 tigers in the division. In the previous count conducted four years ago, the number stood at 67, marking an increase of 26 tigers.
The Forest officials attribute this rising count to improved protection measures, effective management and an abundant prey base. They cite several massive tigers being captured in camera traps installed in these areas, including the Kosi Range.
Sounding satisfied with this encouraging trend, the divisional forest officer, Dhruv Singh Martolia said that the tiger estimation for 2025-26 had been carried out using camera traps with the support of the Forest staff. “The report has now been submitted to the Forest department, confirming the presence of 93 tigers in the division,” he said, adding that the official report prepared under the directions of the National Tiger Conservation Authority is still awaited and the final figure is expected to rise further.
The Forest officials claimed that the forests provide an ideal habitat for big cats due to the abundance of prey species such as deer and wild boar. They also mentioned the healthy signs of growth of elephant population with herds of over 25 elephants recently being spotted in the division.
The DFO further said that the international body, Global Tiger Forum has granted the ‘CATS’ recognition to Ramnagar Forest Division for fulfilling several standards related to tiger conservation. “Only a few forest divisions in Uttarakhand have received this recognition,” he said and added that the forest staff conduct regular patrols and also use drone technology to ensure the safety of wildlife.
Signs of increasing tiger population have emerged in the Terai West Forest Division, too. Continuous tiger movement has been recorded in the Phato and Hathidagar tourism zones, where tigresses along with their cubs have been captured in camera traps. The foresters informed that the previous estimation had recorded the presence of 52 tigers in the division.
However, on the flipside of this conservation success, incidents of big cat intrusions into villages adjoining forest areas and fatal attacks are increasing, making the Forest officials to face the dual challenge of wildlife conservation and controlling human-animal conflict.
