Tiger counting to go hi-tech this year
LAKHIMPUR KHERI: The tiger census at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) will go hi-tech this year, ruling out erroneous data-filling due to human error.
“Tiger census this year is likely to commence from midOctober or early November and will be totally paperless in order to ensure accuracy and to save time,” said Sanjay Kumar Pathak, field director, DTR.
“For the first time, the estimation of wild elephant and leopards population in Dudhwa will also be carried out simultaneously with the tiger population estimation,” he said, adding, “Exercises for the upcoming tiger population estimation including training of trainers followed by training of field staff has begun.”
Earlier, the tiger census work required heavy paper work in which field staff manually filled up a number of formats to be scrutinised and compiled later. Sometimes, this led to erroneous data-filling due to human error.
“This year, the census work will be on a digital platform totally, in which NTCA-developed M-STRiPES assisted ecological mobile app will be used to fill up data on the spot,” Pathak said, adding, GPS locations of wild animals will recorded by the mobile app automatically.”
Also, owing to digital monitoring by the patrolling app M-STRiPES, the field staff will have to visit all areas which would result in accurate estimation of the wild population, he said. Located on the India-Nepal border, DTR comprises Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Bahraich district.
With its enriched flora, fauna and ecology, DTR attracts wild populations of tigers, leopards, swamp deer, hog deer, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boars, tuskers, one-horned rhinos besides other aquatic and avian animals. Even tuskers from neighbouring Nepal have preferred to stay here.