Tigers face extinction threat in Panna Park

Panna, MP, Oct 7 (UNI) Not a single tigress or cub has been spotted in Panna National Tiger Park in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh since a long time causing great concern, official sources said today.

''Sprawled over an expanse of 543 sq km, the park may have some tigers. However, no tigress or cub can be spotted. A scheme has been chalked out to bring two tigress from Bandhavgarh or Kanha National Park,'' Park Manager L K Choudhary said.

He said Principal Chief Forest Conservator (Wildlife) P B Gangopadhyay has written to the Union Deputy Inspector General of Forests (Wildlife) Anmol Kumar about the situation and stressed on the need for bringing tigers from other national parks.

The letter stated that no clear indications in the decrease of tigers had been observed but scarcity of tigress and cubs was being felt.

Wildlife sources said the tiger census 2006 put the number of tigers at 20. However, there was no idea about the present population.

Former MP Lokendra Singh said the park had a population of 500 tigers about 50 years back. However, this number was not more than 2-3 tigers at present.

UNI XC-KV PS 1745