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Big cats, mostly females nurturing cubs, the disabled and the old or the juveniles seeking a territory, take temporary refuge in sugarcane belts on the boundary of tiger reserves in UP — Dudhwa and Pilibhit. Sugarcane belts are unique to the Terai region and the tigers found in these belts are often referred to as sugarcane tigers. Forest officers, however, beg to differ.
RL Singh, who has been associated with Project Tiger for over 20 years, says, “These are simply tigers out of the forest and may stay in the dense cane belts for months, but it’s not a different breed.”
He, however, did not deny that sugarcane farmlands house a considerable population of tigers.
“These tigers work as chowkidars for cane crop, and farmers like that, he says. Tigers enter sugarcane fields chasing wild boars and hog deer, and eat the herbivores that destroy the crop. That’s the symbiotic relationship with cane growers.
In forest, while there is a constant competition from other tigers over prey (which is ever declining) and territory, cattle from human settlements come as easy food to tigers on the outskirts of cane fields. But, these belts are never permanent shelter for tigers. “Tigresses with cubs prefer cane fields as cover but also move back to the woods,” says former director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Sanjay Pathak.
Pathak installed cameras close to sugarcane fields during the census. “Though it could not be done as planned, two ‘strays’ were seen moving back to the forest,” says Pathak.
“How will tigers know where the boundary of forest ends and sugarcane fields start?” said conservationist Kaushlendra Singh. The 16ft to 20ft height of the sugarcane crop makes it a perfect cover for tigers.
But, it is never without any threat that a tiger strays out of the forest and finds habitat in the sugarcane belts. Encounters between tigers and men are common when the crop is cut. Conservationists want the exact number of tigers in cane fields to be found to reduce human-tiger conflict
RL Singh, who has been associated with Project Tiger for over 20 years, says, “These are simply tigers out of the forest and may stay in the dense cane belts for months, but it’s not a different breed.”
He, however, did not deny that sugarcane farmlands house a considerable population of tigers.
“These tigers work as chowkidars for cane crop, and farmers like that, he says. Tigers enter sugarcane fields chasing wild boars and hog deer, and eat the herbivores that destroy the crop. That’s the symbiotic relationship with cane growers.
In forest, while there is a constant competition from other tigers over prey (which is ever declining) and territory, cattle from human settlements come as easy food to tigers on the outskirts of cane fields. But, these belts are never permanent shelter for tigers. “Tigresses with cubs prefer cane fields as cover but also move back to the woods,” says former director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Sanjay Pathak.
Pathak installed cameras close to sugarcane fields during the census. “Though it could not be done as planned, two ‘strays’ were seen moving back to the forest,” says Pathak.
“How will tigers know where the boundary of forest ends and sugarcane fields start?” said conservationist Kaushlendra Singh. The 16ft to 20ft height of the sugarcane crop makes it a perfect cover for tigers.
But, it is never without any threat that a tiger strays out of the forest and finds habitat in the sugarcane belts. Encounters between tigers and men are common when the crop is cut. Conservationists want the exact number of tigers in cane fields to be found to reduce human-tiger conflict
#Decoding #sugarcane #tigers #India #News
