New royal Bengal tiger pictures have been clicked by trap cameras installed at the Neora Valley National Park in Kalimpong at an elevation of over 10,000 feet in November this year.

The photos have prompted officials of the state forest department to write to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), seeking funds for the conservation of the big cat and the protection of the habitat.

“The photos have proved again the presence of tigers in Neora Valley. We are writing to NTCA for funds so that the park, which is a virgin forest, can be conserved and protected in a better way,” said Dwijapratim Sen, the divisional forest officer of the Gorumara wildlife division, under which the park is located.

In January 2017, Anmol Chhetri, a cab driver, clicked the picture of a tiger while driving between Pedong and Lava. At that time, experts opined that a tiger was seen in north Bengal after at least five decades.

The sighting made foresters act and they took the task to fit trap cameras in different locations of the park on the upper reaches of Kalimpong district.

Between 2018 and 2022, 22 photos of tigers were clicked in trap cameras in the park area from different angles. In 2019, a team from the Zoological Survey of India that had been to the park for a study could also find a photo of a tiger clicked by a trap camera that they had installed.

A photo of the royal Bengal tiger clicked by the trap camera at night at Rachela Danda, in Neora Valley National Park of Kalimpong, in November. Pictures courtesy: Gorumara Wildlife Division, Bengal forest Department

“In their research paper, they mentioned tigers in the park. Also, from the state’s side, other proofs like tiger scat and scratch marks in trees were sent to the Centre. However, in the tiger estimation that was published last year, there was no mention of Neora Valley National Park in the report that elaborated on tiger habitats across the country. It is unfortunate,” said a source in the state forest department.

This time, photos were clicked in Rachela Danda, an area in the park located at an elevation of 10,509 feet. The park, which shares borders with Toorsa Strict Forest Reserve of Bhutan and Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary in Sikkim, is also known as a habitat of some other rare wildlife species like clouded leopard and Himalayan red panda.

“Earlier, we'd sent photos to the Wildlife Institute of India for analysis for an estimation of tigers at the park to be done. So far, no report reached us. Hence, we are not going for any analysis this time and directly sending all details to the NTCA. The NTCA and the Union ministry of environment and forests should recognise the park as a tiger habitat. After recent ones, 24 tiger pictures have been clicked by trap cameras in the park,” said a senior forester.