4 months ago
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The Phase-I tract workout of the All-India Tiger Estimation-2026 (AITE-26) began successful Karnataka arsenic portion of the sixth rhythm of the nationwide tiger census, connected January 5.
A property enactment issued by the Forest Department said AITE is conducted erstwhile each 4 years to measure the presumption of the tiger colonisation successful the country. Five cycles person already been conducted successful 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.
Ramesh Kumar P., Chief Conservator of Forests (Project Tiger), Mysuru, the State Nodal Officer for AITE-26 successful Karnataka, stated successful a property merchandise that arsenic per the latest estimation successful 2022, India has 3,682 tigers, accounting for nearly 70% of the world’s chaotic tiger population. Karnataka presently has 563 tigers, the second-highest successful the state aft Madhya Pradesh.
The Phase-I workout volition beryllium conducted across 54 wood divisions in Karnataka and comprises 2 components — a Carnivore Sign Survey and a Line Transect Survey — utilizing the M-STrIPES ecological mobile application.
The carnivore motion survey volition beryllium conducted successful 2 blocks from January 5 to 7 and January 15 to 17, during which wood unit will collect precise fresh and fresh scat samples of carnivores specified arsenic tigers and leopards, and astatine slightest 5 herbivore dung and pellets successful zip fastener bags provided by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for DNA analysis. A full of 2,700 zip fastener bags person been provided to the State by the WII, the merchandise said.
The Line Transect Survey, aimed astatine estimating herbivore populations done nonstop sightings, volition beryllium conducted successful 5 blocks in the 54 wood divisions between January 9 and February 5. Ungulates specified arsenic spotted deer, sambar, Indian gaur, and chaotic pig volition beryllium recorded utilizing scope finders and see-through compasses.
A full of 9,276 wood staff have been deployed for the Phase-I exercise.
Phase-II of the tiger estimation volition beryllium carried retired astatine WII, Dehradun, utilizing distant sensing and Geographic Information System techniques, portion Phase-III volition involve camera trap surveys. Karnataka has 2,230 camera traps in five tiger reserves and these volition beryllium shared among the forest divisions. The survey is nether mode successful each 5 tiger reserves, the merchandise stated.
