Saving Big Cats
About Stragglers, Injured and old Tigers & Leopards
Stragglers are those animals that have been veined out from their mother and roam around in search of new territory to be established and these stragglers cannot run inside the forest where already established Tigers have marked their territory
Old Tigers and Leopards
With worn out teeth and canines, their joints become tough and movement slowed down, when old they are thrown out of their territory by younger and more powerful ones, thus old age makes it difficult in stalking and successfully hunting wild preys. They also come out of the forest, hence cannot penetrate through the forest and place their territory in already established territories by other Tigers.
Tigers and Leopards
These big cats are highly territorial and cannot tolerate other males in their turf, when challenged fight becomes a fiery engagement, only one becomes the winner and the other is vanquished, usually those who survive with injuries and subside to move away their way to reach outside the forest into human landscape. Invited by numerous easy to catch livestock and in good numbers, thus inviting conflicts with humans
Tracking Big Cats
Keeping track of straying animals through camera traps at place of incidence of livestock lifting by carnivores determines activity of the carnivore, and then comes the important part of identification of the individual animal that has to be targeted. Following NTCA – SOP with the forest department and combing operation to drive the animal into the forest at first, and if needed capture and relocate or translocate the animal. WCF acclaims 28 Tiger captures and 24 Leopards to its credit.
WCF findings of Tiger deaths in Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves ordeals to map natural and unnatural deaths in Tiger landscape and also foul play. WCF moves forward to bring justice to wildlife. When stray Tigers and Leopards enter into human landscape, creating an atmosphere of tension with people aggrieved by these incidences, WCF intervenes to solve these problems with mitigative measures. Cattle carcass poisoning as revenge killing by villagers who have lost their cattle to Tigers and Leopards, sometimes they kill their cubs and young ones too.
WCF works in the border villages of Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves whenever there are incidences of Tiger and Leopard straying out of the forest.
