The state’s chief conservator of forests (wildlife), S.K. Sharma, who is also in charge of the Palamau reserve, too blames the dwindling tiger population on Naxalites, poaching, deforestation and encroachment. “All these forces together have worked against tiger conservation,” he said.

Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, says it isn’t a happy situation in Palamau but the reserve does have at least 24 tigers. “The problem is that Naxalites have made that area completely out of bounds for forest guards and conservators. As a result, a credible count of tigers is not possible as of now. Based on other sources of information, we are fairly sure of about 23-24 tigers,” he said.

Incidentally, there have been no tiger sightings in the reserve for the last couple of years, but the census carried out by the forest department last year had pegged the tiger count at 33, down from 49 in 1993. The highest population recorded was 55--in 1992. In 1974, a year after it was declared a tiger reserve, the number stood at 22.

“Palamau is an area of concern. We are seriously looking into it. But any conservation effort can succeed only after the Naxalite threat is removed,” Rajesh Gopal said.

The latest census report, which was released in February this year, had put the total number of tigers in the country between 1,165 and 1,657. The report says Palamau is a good tiger habitat but needs to be rid of insurgency.

“The reserve forms a crucial link through forests of Chhattisgarh up to Sanjay National Park in Madhya Pradesh. The forest patch in Palamau is spread across 12,580 sq km and has the potential to harbour a good tiger population. But the major problem in managing this tiger population is insurgency,” says the report. “If this problem is resolved...this could serve as a good source for population of tigers,” it says.