Tiger seen in higher hills of Kumoan
Tiger seen in higher hills of Kumoan
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Dec 12
Wildlife experts have expressed surprise over the spotting of a tiger in the cold climatic region of Kumoan which is not the natural habitat of tigers.
” A tiger is reportedly seen at Shaukiyathal region of Jageshwar hills that is situated at height of 6000 feet and has a temperature of nearly below 1 degree Celsius these days,” said Deepak Singh, District Forest Officer, (DFO), Almora. The tiger has natural habitat in the warm places and cannot live in the cold regions.
According to local residents, they saw a tiger near Shaukiyathal area where the road was being cut during the Prime Minister’s visit at Jageshwar, two months ago.
“When we were strolling at Shaukiyathal on a Sunday afternoon, we saw a tiger,” said Mohit Bhatt, a local resident.
According to DFO, the tiger seems to have reached the hills through river of a local river from Tanakpur. “It seems that the tiger might be in need to make his own area and due to high numbers of tigers in Sharda forest region, it might have reached the hilly region,” said the DFO.
Some residents of Ranikhet have also confirmed that tigers sometimes used to reach Jhoola Devi temple of Ranikhet from Ramnagar Mohan region of Corbett Tiger Research (CTR). “But the tigers never make hill region as their habitat as it has to clash with leopards as carnivores for control of their own habitat of the hill region,” said Shekhar, a resident of Ranikhet.
