Status of tigers in Pilibhit forest division
Estimating the density of tigers in an area provides crucial information to conserve and manage tigers, its prey base and habitat. The population and density of tigers in Pilibhit forest division was estimated in a systematic scientific framework using the camera trapping technique. Thirty best sites were selected as camera trap stations on the basis of occurrence of tiger signs. A total of 174 photographs were captured in 1200 trap days over 40 occasions with 76.7% tiger photo capture success rate per trap station. Eleven individual adult tigers were identified on the basis of unique strip patterns. Considering the biodiversity rich habitat of Pilibhit Forest Division, including breeding tigers, and its connectivity to other critical forest blocks in this landscape, recommend enhancing the protection and status of this reserve forest and declaring it as a tiger reserve at the earliest.