June 12: Tigers are a rarity and spiders are dime a dozen. That has not prevented some forest officials from preferring the latter at the expense of the former. The Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger reserve (Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary) has been witnessing a steep fall in the number of big tigers or the panthera tigris. However, the magnificent animal's official protectors are not too bothered about this and are perfectly happy discovering new kinds of spiders and herbs. Such zoological and botanical adventures do have their place in their scheme of things, but not at the cost of abandoning the tiger to its fate. The Nagarjunasagar sanctuary is one of the largest tiger reserves for the country and needs focused attention. Officials deputed for its upkeep have many tasks to fulfil. They have to develop tiger conservation techniques, trace reasons for the decrease in the number of tigers, increase prey based population of big cats and preserve water bodies. But leaving many of these tasks aside, the forest researchers are enthusiastically spotting various species of arthropods and plants to earn a name for themselves. Even research work on tigers has been put on the back burner and collaborative works with foreign agencies have also been given up. Wildlife experts have been demanding the forest department to revamp the Centre for Biodiversity Ecological Research in Sundipenta near Srisailam with tiger ecology and conservation as main task. But forest officials don't have time for all this. They are busy studying tarantulas, spiders and herbs. The tiger reserve spreads over five districts