Tiger estimation begins in Similipal

Baripada: The Forest department authorities in Odisha on Saturday launched the All-India Tiger Estimation-2026 at Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district, officials said. The exercise aims to make assessment of the tiger population in the reserve as per protocol. The estimation will be carried out in two phases, said Samrat Gowda, Deputy Director of Similipal Tiger Reserve.

He said the first phase will include a three-day carnivore and mega-herbivore sign survey, followed by a four-day line transects survey and a one-day count of vultures and other bird species. Phase-I of the exercise began on Saturday in the Similipal South Division, with 103 trained survey teams deployed for the task, Gowda said. The estimation will continue till November 22.

The next phase will include an extensive camera trapping exercise across 1,321 grids of the tiger reserve. Nearly 1,500 camera traps will be deployed in two cycles of 25 days each, starting December 1, he added.

This comprehensive assessment aims to provide an updated and accurate count of the tiger population within the reserve, which is the only habitat in the world known for its unique black tigers. The previous 2022 estimation report recorded 24 adult tigers and eight cubs in the reserve.

Similipal National Park, the second-largest biosphere in Asia, spreads over an area of 2,750 sq km.