One of the 16 sambars brought down to tiger reserve Palamu from Bhagwan Birsa Zoo in Ormanjhi has died of snakebite. Its death was most instantaneous.
Confirming this death of a sambar by snakebite field director MP Singh said, “We fear cobra must have bitten this sambar as the victim died instantly. Had it been any russel viper the sambar could have survived for few hours. But its instantaneous death makes us believe cobra was there and it bit this sambar.” The biting marks were most evident said other sources.
Sources said these 16 were brought from zoo amidst great noises over their translocation from zoo to wildlife in PTR. Sources said the PCCF wildlife and other senior officials just put their feet down and got 16 shifted into PTR but unluckily one sambar died due to snakebite.
MP Singh maintained that PTR and zoo officials both maintained standard operational procedure in the shifting of 16 sambhars from zoo to PTR.
PTR officials are too concerned to raise the prey base. There is a sharp fall in the number of prey base.
The 15 surviving sambars will not be presented on a plate to the carnivore at all. They will live, grow and multiply in the enclosure in the 15 hectare enclosure built in the south division.
Jharkhand High Court Ranchi in its order on a writ petition filed by one civil society activist Vikas Mahto has asked the PTR management to raise the prey base.
Raising prey base some five years back was too difficult a proposition but with advanced and stepped up security arrangement raising prey base is now a feasibility said sources.
As many as 97 patrolling groups are set up here in PTR. In months to come their number will be raised to 125. Further there has been more and effective people’s participation in the PTR through EDCs ( eco development committee).