Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will begin DNA profiling of remaining tigers in 34 tiger reserves from April this year. The profiling will help in understanding the origin of tiger parts during criminal offences.
In the first phase of project ‘Panthera tigris genome: Implications in forensics and conservation’, 14 tiger reserves were studied-Kanha, Pench, Panna, Palamau, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Corbett, Rajaji, Dudhwa, Pakke, Kaziranga, Sunderban, Sariska and Buxa. In the second phase, remaining tiger population from southern, eastern and northeast India would be studied for two years.
“The first phase was done in 2012 in which we did DNA profiling of tigers in 14 reserves. We plan to cover remaining 34 tiger reserves in the second phase so that our database could help in identifying the origin of tiger parts seized during offences across the world,” Dr SP Goyal, scientist and co-investigator of the project at WII told Hindustan Times.
The project will incur Rs 19.16 lakhs, - Rs 9.58 lakh each for two years- 2016-17 and 2017-18. The project is initiated, managed and undertaken by the institute. “It is very important for proper conservation planning, to find which sex and population of tiger is more vulnerable to poaching. Thus, requires identifying geographic origin of various tiger poaching cases which will be significant to plan better measures in controlling poaching,” said the proposal urging its need.
The first phase study reveals that Northern, Western and Central India has major source of tiger population ‘which can assure effective and viable tiger conservation if problem of poaching is addressed’ states the report. In addition, 36 tiger seizure samples were also studied during the phase in which majority was of the skin and bone samples. In all the analyzed 36 cases, 70 % are male and 30% are females.
Reserves to be covered in Phase 1
Kanha, Pench, Panna, Palamau, Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Corbett, Rajaji, Dudhwa, Pakke, Kaziranga, Sunderban, Sariska and Buxa.
Reserves to be covered in Phase 2
Bandipur, Manas, Melghat, Simlipal, Periyar, Indravati, Namdapha, Kalakad-Mundanthurai, Valmiki, Tadoba-Andhari, Dampa, Bhadra, Nameri, Satpura, Anamalai, Udanti-Sitanadi, Satkosia, Achanakmar, Dandeli-Anshi, Sanjay-Dubri, Mudumalai, Nagarhole, Parambikulam, Sahyadri, Biligiri Ranganatha, Kawal, Sathyamangalam, Mukandra Hills, Nawegaon-Nagzira, Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam, Amrabad, Pilibhit, Bor.