Tiger census in North Bengal this year

SILIGURI: Tiger census in North Bengal forests and sanctuaries has been scheduled in phases from November 20, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Wild Life), North, S Patel said on Monday.

The intensive census, however, would exclude Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) as census was conducted there last year, Patel said.

In the first phase from November 20 to 25, the census would take place at Neora Valley national park in Kalimpong while it will be conducted at Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Dooars and other areas in December, he said.

Stating that the training of enumerators in this regard was conducted at Murti under Wildlife-II division, Patel said that it was decided to photograph the big cats in sensitive forest areas.

He said though some cameras were damaged by wild elephants during tiger census in Buxa Tiger Project last year, still the decision to use camera for the coming census was taken considering the fact that number of elephants in the hills, particularly in Kalimpong sub-division, was less.