Tiger population falls in Palamau Reserve

Asked why the number of tigers has dwindled, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest C R Sahay was evasive. “I do not know,” he said. The response of Chief Wildlife Warden A K Singh was almost the same.

The Reserve comprises 1,026 square kilometres of forest, part of Daltongunj South Forest Division. Set up under Project Tiger, the number of tigers was 22 in 1974.

Under the World Bank-sponsored Eco Development Project, more than Rs 150 crore was spent during 2001-04. In fact, the Prime Minister’s Office has been keeping a tab of this Reserve since 2005.

“The truth is hard to digest. But the fact is that most areas of the Reserve are under the control of the Naxalites. Smuggling of costly timber is a daily affair in the area,” said a forest officer.