Yaks in Sikkim are not only struggling against impact of climate change, but also being threatened by big cats.
After many Yaks were found burried under snow at high altitude ,struggling against impact of Climate Change leading to snowfall till the end of March,now the Yaks are threatened by Big Cats. A Tiger attacked a yak three days back in Kyongsala wild life sanctuary .Wild Life Institute of India will be analysing the matter for State Forest ,Wild Life Wing soon.
Sikkim anticipates conserving Tigers and securing their habitats across the Himalayas.Wildlife authorites regard the eco system as improved one but it is still not known how tigers have been moving in such inaccessible area.
DFO Dechen Bhutia today informed that they have been following camera trap technologies to know wildlife existence in Sikkim,particularly tigers.The increasing Forest cover has provided safe habitat to these big Cats.A project,assisted by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Sikkim Biodiversity and Forest Management is going on.The studies are focusing on Red Panda,Musk Deer,Rhododendron and the Wild Life population estimation.Since 2018 November till February 2019 tigers were trapped in camera 3 times in Pangolakha Wild Life Sanctuary( East Sikkim) and once in Kyongsala.
Bhuvan Pradhan CCF ,considers sighting tigers at high altitude as strengthened bio –diversity of the region.They claim to be addressing all the challenges.
The Forest authorities have prepared a route map of movement of tigers also.The Tiger corridor is
contiguous to Bhutan and Sikkim . The Wild Life authorities want more surveys along probable route Pangkhola –Kyongnsala –Tamzey-Toong –Naga- RF Torsa Lake –Khedum- Lema Qusay and Meruk reserve Forest.
The cameras installed by the Camera trap team in Kyongsala Wildlife sanctuary, for Musk Deer captured Royal Bengal Tiger in February 2019.The Tiger captured in Cameras at Ghothey was found moving at an altitude of 11,715 ft at night,.when the atmospheric temperature was as low as -3 degree centigrade.The highest altitude record of any Tiger at such a height in Sikkim was at Ghotey.
