Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Forest Department has planned to conduct tiger census every year. This year, the exercise will begin from October 15. A detailed report on the big cat population will be compiled by the end of January, forest department said.
For the tiger headcount, the forest department has started imparting training to 20 master trainers at Chandaka Godibari in Bhubaneswar. The camp is being attended by divisional forest officers, Odisha’s chief wildlife warden SK Popli informed.
Popli informed that this year, ACF, DFO, Rangers and Guards in eight circles will be trained. Three wildlife scientists from Indian Wildlife Institute are imparting training. Pug-mark survey will be carried out from October 15 to 31. About 1,000 camera traps will be installed in eight circles between November 1 and January 15.
Sample of faeces will be collected for DNA sampling. The PCCF (Wildlife) said that the exact number of tigers will be reported to the Central Government by January 31. Similarly, high-performance cameras will be installed in Satkosia protected forest and Similipal Sanctuary. Besides, tracking of tiger footprints, movement of tigers by satellite and analysis of DNA samples from tiger excrement, hair will be done to figure out the exact number.
The survey will also be carried out at Kuldiha, Hadgarh, Keonjhar forests which are coming under Similipal region.
Camera traps will also be deployed in Debrigarh, Sunabeda, Udanti forest near Chhattisgarh border, Lamtaput in Koraput, Gunpur area. The forest department has 800 cameras for tiger counting. The department has planned to increase it by 2000 .
The tiger census will be conducted in three phases. Thirteen assistant conservators, 21 rangers, 290 forest guards, 380 assistants will be employed.
According to the previous tiger census report, Odisha had 400 leopard and 20 Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT) in the state.
