Tiger presence recorded at Goa national park

Presence of a tiger at the Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park in south Goa has been confirmed for the first time by Forest department.

The movement of a tiger was recorded through camera trapping method on May 14, a senior official said Saturday.

Forest officials have been trying to record the presence of the elusive big cat since the last one year.

"As a part of scientific management of the National Park, it was decided to record presence of mammalian diversity of Bhagwan Mahaveer National Park. Field staff were sensitised for carrying out observation and recording indirect evidences of wildlife during there routine field visit, based on which the strategic camera trapping was conducted," he told PTI.

He said, "the presence of a tiger was recorded for the first time on May 14.

According to the official, the presence of the striped tiger indicates that the level of protection, the quality of wildlife habitat and wildlife management practices in the National Park, which is spread across 240 sq kms, are foolproof.

Range Forest Officer Paresh Porob said the department has procured more camera traps to strengthen field staff, so as to record the rich natural heritage of forests in Goa, which has six wildlife sanctuaries and a national park, most of them located along the Western Ghat region.

"The intensive camera trapping is also being carried out in other parts of the national park as well the wildlife sanctuary area, he added.