Northeast Desk, 11th January: The authorities of Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh, in collaboration with an NGO, have initiated a survey to evaluate the habitat preferences and occupancy patterns of Asiatic black bears. This marks the first such exercise to assess the status of bears released in the reserve forest after rehabilitation at the Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation (CBRC).
Established jointly by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in 2002, CBRC aims to rehabilitate displaced bear cubs back into the wild, with support from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
The CBRC has successfully rescued and rehabilitated 50 bear cubs in Pakke Tiger Reserve since its inception in 2002. The ongoing survey, supported by the Wildlife Trust of India, involves three preliminary sign surveys and camera trapping.
Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve Divisional Forest Officer Satyaprakash Singh emphasized that the success of CBRC would be measured through this survey. The 20-member team engaged in the exercise has conducted preliminary sign surveys in the reserve forest in November and December last year and the first week of January this year at Rilloh, Nyargoka, and Delang ranges, including the helipad ground route.
The final survey, coupled with camera trapping, commenced on Tuesday and will continue until March. The first survey, conducted in Rilloh, involved hands-on training, sign surveys, and camera trapping, representing a pioneering effort in studying bears in the range, as highlighted by Dr. Panjit Basumatary, WTI manager and head of CBRC.