Sahyadri draws volunteers for tiger census, Tara tigress enthrals tourists

Kolhapur: The transfer of tigresses from Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve and the presence of resident tigers has put the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) from western Maharastra on the big cat map of the country.For the first time, 75 volunteers from across the country came to STR for the first phase of the All-India Tiger Estimation 2026 (AITE-26) conducted between Jan 11-17. AITE, conducted every four years, is a comprehensive and scientifically based wildlife census. It is conducted under the guidance of National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India. AITE is not only limited to counting tigers, but also assesses co-predators like leopard, jackal, etc.A few of these volunteers sighted Chanda tigress in the core zone of STR, while others could trace the pug marks of the male resident tigers in the reserve. Mayur Mundada, a volunteer, said it was a thrilling and memorable experience. "It was 4 am. We were welcomed by the loud growl of a tiger. One volunteer sighted Chanda tigress. We carried out a line transect survey and sign survey, and came to know how direct and indirect records of herbivores and carnivorous animals are done, how scat samples and pug marks are traced," Mundada said. STR field director Tushar Chavan said, "We received nearly 400 applications for volunteering. We had not seen such a huge response earlier. Applications came from Maharashtra and other states. This estimation is crucial for the STR. The migratory tiger presence here changed in the past few years. Five tigers became resident and this is expected to reflect officially in the upcoming estimation for the first time."Tara Tigress sighted by tourists on Zolambi Safari routeA tourist at Chandoli National Park in STR, Amit Mane, saw tigress 'Tara', code-named STR-T5, on the Zolambi forest route on Jan 20. The tigress was seen marking her territory and gave a 10-minute sighting to the tourist in the wildlife safari vehicle.