Hyderabad: The fourth phase of the nationwide tiger census will begin in the third week of January, and this will be Telangana State’s first such census since its formation.
A similar census was last conducted in 2013-14 in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
This year’s census is expected to reveal statistics that show the number of tigers growing at six per cent per annum, despite difficulties in environmental sustainability. The focus in Telangana would be on Kawal and Amarabad Tiger Reserves.
For the survey, officials installed over 600 cameras in both the reserves to track the movement of the wild cat. According to senior officials of the Forest Department, the State and Central governments have allotted Rs 5 crore to Rs 8 crore under centrally sponsored schemes for tiger conservation in the State.
The officials also said 23 base camps were set up in Amarabad, which are manned by local tribes who monitor the range continuously and give required inputs to the department. The department was also taking necessary measures to improve the prey base as well.
The counting also includes carnivores and mega-herbivores (such as elephants), officials said. The tiger census is taken up in the country every four years and is coordinated by the National Tiger Conservation Agency (NTCA). The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, provides technical guidance, the official said.