44 tigers sighted in TATR core, buffer

Nagpur: Forget wildlife sightings, the very experience of day-night dwelling on the machan was itself a thrilling experience for the participants, who want the ‘Nisarga Anubhav’ to continue in the future too.
The exercise, which was well organized after a gap of two years due to Covid restrictions, was well received in Navegaon-Nagzira, Tadoba-Andhari, Pench, and Melghat tiger reserves, particularly in the buffer zones.
Barring one unfortunate incident in NNTR, where three persons were injured after a machan collapse, the overall exercise passed off peacefully. According to sources, two participants, Satyendra Sahu (Raipur) and P Sanjay Thampi (Bengaluru) were allotted a wooden machan in compartment number 15 near Pitezari gate.
Around 10.30pm on Monday, after one of the wooden poles cracked, Sahu fell from 12-15 feet. He was followed by Thampi and later, the van majoor accompanying them. All the three were injured. As the other two fell on Sahu, he was the worst hit.
The NNTR officials, who had made arrangements for doctors and an ambulance, administered first aid and also shifted the trio to a government hospital in Sakoli from where Sahu, who is feared to have suffered fractures, preferred to go home to Raipur, while the other two also returned and thanked officials for their help.
On expected lines, as per the official data compiled from the core and buffer zone of TATR, 44 tigers were sighted, including 23 in the core area (counting was done by the staff) and 21 in the buffer zone. Besides, 4 leopards in core and 7 in buffer were recorded. There were overall 98 machans in TATR (40 in buffer and 48 in core).
Overall, 4,918 wild animals were recorded by participants and most of them included spotted dear (1,209), wild boars (1,269), sambars (942), Indian gaurs (325), and wild dogs (36) among other animals. As per the data, more animal density was recorded in the core as compared to the buffer area.
TATR field director Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar said, “In the last two years the exercise was not done to this extent. Hence, we cannot comment on the comparison. The detailed data will be made available in a few days.”
Deputy director (core) Nandkishore Kale added, “This exercise is not a waterhole census. It doesn’t have any scientific or management significance and we don’t use this data anywhere. So the numbers are not relevant for animal estimation.”
Deputy director (buffer) G Guruprasad said, “We charged Rs 4,500 for pick up and drop and guide fee. The ‘Nisarga Anubhav’ was a regular tourism feature for us and all the 40 machans were booked with 80 people.”
In Melghat too, where there were over 460 machans spread in Akola, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Washim and Amravati districts, the response was overwhelming. According to volunteers, there was a sighting of tigers from at least a dozen machans.
In Pench Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone in Paoni and Nagalwadi all the 35 machans were occupied but there were no reports of any tiger sightings. “Yet, we enjoyed the experience. The hospitality of the management was good and such events should be regularly conducted to sensitize people,” said Milind Tapas, a participant.