Ranchi, April 18: State wildlife officials today completely discounted the missing tiger population at Ranthambore as ?a mere panic situation? and stressed that there was no cause for concern at the Betla Project Tiger reserve at Palamau.

?The last tiger census was carried out in 2001-2002. Since the census is carried out every four years, the next count would be undertaken according to the schedule later this year,? said Jharkhand chief wildlife warden U.R. Biswas.

The census is carried out based on the sightings and pug marks, he said. However, the number may differ, as the department does not have the exact data.

The forest department officials said in addition to the four-yearly census undertaken all over the country, the state government has been carrying out a physical count of its wildlife every year.

Statistics show that in 2002, the number of tigers in the state was pegged between 36 to 40. All tigers in Jharkhand belong to the Royal Bengal category. A state census carried out in 2003 showed that the total figure remained more or less unchanged from 2002 status, between 35 and 40.

Wildlife officials said apart from the tigers located in the Betla areas, two other tigers have also been spotted in the Saranda forests in Singhbhum and in the Hazaribagh forest area.

Sources, however, said the total wildlife population has sharply nose-dived during 1997 to 2003.

In 1997, the total wild cat population, including leopards, cheetahs and tigers stood at 140. Cheetals, which were counted at 20,186 in 1997, stood reduced at 16,384, while the sambhar population, which in 1997 stood at 3,415, fell to 3,052 in 2003. Even the langoors seem to be fast disappearing falling from 76,561 to 44,920, sources said.

However, the state?s annual count of its wildlife population has often been hampered due to rebel threat.

Sources said the entire Betla reserve forest encompasses around 1,026 square kms and dense forest cover coupled with the rocky terrain provide an ideal spot for the extremists.

They added that during the 2003 census, an important block falling under the command zone of the Betla forest reserve in Palamau district had been left untouched fearing rebel attack.

A senior forest official said the 2003 census had to be abandoned midway as persons concerned refused to enter these dreaded parts.