Odisha Government Starts Own Tiger Census in Similipal

Baripada: The Odisha government has started its own tiger census in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in the Mayurbhanj district.

This scientific enumeration of the wild cats in the tiger reserve starts on Wednesday and will end on November 24. The final results of this tiger census will be released in January 2024.

This tiger census is being taken up in Satakosia, Kaptipada and Bisoi under the Baripada subdivision, Rairangpur and Karanjia sub-division.

This tiger census will be in three phases. The first phase till Oct 20 will be a sign survey. It will be followed by a line-transect survey in the second phase from October 25 to October 28.

The third phase of the census will be camera trapping from November 1 till November 25. Around 400-500 trap cameras will monitor the movement patterns of the tigers during the process.

Around 700 forest department employees will take part in this tiger census.

As per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Odisha had 45 tigers in 2006 and the number declined to 28 in 2018.

As per the Odisha government there were 40 tigers in the State in 2016.