4 months ago
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The tiger census got underway successful Karnataka connected Monday (January 5, 2025) crossed each wood areas of the State including the Kali, Bhadra, Nagarahole, Bandipur and B.R.T. Tiger reserves.
Karnataka has the second highest fig of tigers successful the state aft Madhya Pradesh. Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the census is portion of the nationwide tiger estimation workout which is conducted erstwhile each 4 years.
The 2026 census is the sixth specified workout with earlier the enumeration conducted successful 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. In the erstwhile census it was estimated that Karnataka had astir 563 tigers.
The census volition beryllium carried retired successful each patrol beats of the 38 wood divisions crossed each wood scope successful the State for which grooming was fixed to frontline unit of the each 13 wood circles and the 5 tiger reserves betwixt October and December past year.
Census successful 2 phases
During the archetypal signifier of the enumeration for 3 days, starting connected January 5, teams comprising 3 members volition patrol 5 km regular successful wood areas crossed the state. They volition cod details of pugmarks, scats and nonstop sightings of tigers, leopards and different carnivores and besides elephants.
During the 2nd phase, from January 15 to 17, the estimation volition beryllium conducted successful 14 wood divisions, during which teams volition determination done forests to cod information connected nonstop sightings of herbivores specified arsenic deer, sambar, chaotic buffalo and gaur.
“This volition assistance find wherever camera traps should beryllium installed,” Mr. Khandre said.
Project Tiger Director Ramesh Kumar who has been nominated arsenic the nodal serviceman to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) volition oversee this year’s census.
“He (Ramesh Kumar) has been instructed to database the fig of tigers and different carnivores successful each area, measure the colonisation of herbivores successful each division, recognize however galore tigers each wood supports and however overmuch prey is disposable for them, and thereby place the forest’s carrying capacity,” the curate said..
Camera trap surveys
Using the information collected successful the archetypal 2 phases, camera traps volition beryllium installed astatine suitable locations successful the 3rd phase.
“There are 2,230 camera traps successful the 5 tiger reserves and camera trap surveys person already begun successful each 5 tiger reserves. Of these Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has 600 camera traps, Bandipur Tiger Reserve 550, B.R.T. Tiger Reserve 300, Bhadra Tiger Reserve 330, and Kali Tiger Reserve 450 camera traps,” helium added.
He besides said that steps person besides been taken to instal camera traps extracurricular tiger reserves.
Nearby tiger reserves that person completed camera trap surveys volition supply cameras for this purpose. “It is observed that tigers are progressively venturing retired of forests into quality habitations and it appears that the tiger colonisation successful the State has accrued this time. We volition get to cognize the nonstop numbers done this census,” helium added.
