News: Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network- Panaji (VA)

Panaji, Apr 17:  The forest department has found some pug marks during their sample survey which was conducted prior to the actual wildlife census.

 “We found certain pugmarks in the wildlife which can be that of tiger, leopard, panther or even wild cat. We need to have qualitative analysis of these marks before confirming the animal,” said Dr Gautam Talukdar, an expert from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
 
The findings attains significance as the exhaustive exercise beginning from April 26 to May 4 is also keeping a special eye on existence and movement of tigers in state’s wildlife sanctuaries and government owned forest areas.
 
WII officials conducted three-day long training for the officials who will spearhead the massive exercise involving 330 personnel including forest officers and volunteers.
 
The census will be divided in three phases beginning from collection of samples followed by analysis and finally camera trapping.
 
“The cameras with ultraviolet rays censor would be installed in wildlife which will click photograph of any animal or creature that crosses the rays,” a senior forest department officer said.
 
In the first phase too, the survey of carnivorous animals would be conducted initially followed by herbivorous ones. The census will also analyze the habitat disturbance and its quality in the forest and wildlife sanctuaries.
 
“The disturbance of habitat can be due to cutting of trees, human intervention, cattle grazing and weeds,” Talukdar informed. He said that census, overall, would collect basic information which will be analyzed on various scientific methods available.
 
Earlier, Goa has conducted animal census in 1997, 2002, and 2006.