Panther count increases
ENCOURAGING RESULTS are likely to emerge from the census of carnivores currently on at Kheoni Sanctuary, which is part of the ongoing Statewide exercise, as there were indications that the number of panthers had increased.
ENCOURAGING RESULTS are likely to emerge from the census of carnivores currently on at Kheoni Sanctuary, which is part of the ongoing Statewide exercise, as there were indications that the number of panthers had increased.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Conservator Wildlife R K Gupta said that during the first three days of census at Kheoni Sanctuary there was direct evidence of sighting of three panthers by staff and one panther’s voice was heard. Among the three panthers seen, one was chasing a barking deer, another was sighted eating a monkey and one panther (a female) was seen with two cubs.
Besides this there was indirect evidence of presence of five other panthers, which includes pugmarks and scat. Along with this, scat of hyena was also collected at many places. There is also good news for lovers of wildlife, as a tiger
too has also been sighted during the past few months, in transit between Kheoni Sanctuary and Siyaghat forest area by staff and villagers.
One strange feature of this year’s census at Kheoni was sighting of jackal and wolf face-to-face by the staff, revealed the Conservator. Gupta added that the counting would be finalised by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun.
He said that the staff was only collecting evidence of wild animals in prescribed proforma, which would be submitted to Wildlife Institute of India.
