Tiger Census to include survey of carnivores & herbivores

Kolkata: For the first time this year, the All India Coordinated Tiger Census will also include the survey of the carnivores and mega herbivores in the forests.

The exercise that will be held in December- January in Bengal will not only study the tiger population but also Leopard, Indian Gaur (popularly known as Bison), Rhinoceros and Elephant.

"The exercise known as All India Coordinated Tiger Census that is done by our department with coordination of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) every three years will have a larger database with carnivore (other than tiger) and mega herbivore coming under its aegis this year. The census will be held during winter. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will do the data analysis after the census," state Chief Wildlife Warden, Debal Roy said.

The Sunderbans, famous for its Royal Bengal Tiger, and all the forests in North Bengal like Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), Gorumara National Park, Jaldapara National Park, and Chapramari National Park will be covered during the exercise.

In the last census, the tiger count in Bengal was found to have increased to 88 from 76 in 2014.

Last time, when the exercise was held in late 2018 and early 2019 the presence of big cats was not found in BTR.

Though the camera trap laid by the Forest department had captured the presence of tiger on more than one occasion.

Photographs of tiger have also been captured from Neora Valley- the only virgin forest in the state situated at Kalimpong.

The 2018 census has been the most technologically intensive wildlife enumeration exercise ever undertaken in the country. Android phone applications of M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status)— a software introduced in 2010 by the NTCA was used extensively.

The software enables data collection and analysis both. The application logs earlier findings in an area, authenticates the findings through geo tagging of photos, and this results in more accurate assessment of tiger numbers.

"The best of technology will be used for carrying out the census this winter too so that it is authentic and scientific," a senior NTCA official said.