Counting of tigers to begin in Terai region

BAHRAICH: The population of tigers in the Terai region will be revealed by the end of 2014. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved the plan to count tigers and preparations have begun in Uttarakhand.

Earlier, counting of tigers was done on the basis of pug marks. The forest guard would note pug marks, stool, scratch marks on trees and earth, movement and roars three to five times in every beat.

Now, counting of tigers is done through camera trapping once in four years. Cameras are installed on either side of the pathways of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary to record the presence of tigers.

Pictures of tigers passing within a five-metre range of the camera would be recorded. About 350 more cameras would be installed in Dudhwa and Katarniaghat in addition to the close to 70 there.

Divisional forest officer of Katarniaghat, Ashish Tiwari, said the streaks on the body of each tiger are different and they would be identified from photographs with the help of a software.

The counting will begin in the second week of January in Corbett and end in Rajaji National Park. The Wildlife Institute of India and NTCA would monitor the counting.

The principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife, said the department was extremely sensitive towards the security of wildlife and a strengthened spy network and thermal cameras would keep an eye on poachers.