ONGOLE: The Forest Department will soon launch preparations for the All India Tiger Estimation Survey (Tiger Census)–2026 in the Nallamala–Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) region of Prakasam district.
The survey, conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), will take place between November and March, depending on the schedule set by each state’s forest department.
To finalise the action plan for the NSTR, which covers about 3,296 sq. km across the combined Prakasam, Kurnool, and Guntur districts, the department will hold a workshop on Wednesday in Dornala for forest staff. The session will clarify procedures for the Tiger Census and other wildlife estimation activities.
The Telangana Forest Department has announced its census schedule, from November 20 to 26. The nationwide Tiger Estimation Survey, first conducted in 2006, is held every four years.
The sixth round will now begin. Officials said tiger numbers in the NSTR have been steadily increasing with each census. To boost tiger conservation and maintain habitat connectivity, the NSTR zone will be extended up to the Seshachalam forest range in the combined Chittoor district.
Forest authorities have also recorded tiger movements in Kadapa and Nellore districts, prompting the creation of a tiger corridor linking Lanka Malleswara Reserve Forest in Kadapa and Penchalakona Narasimha Swamy Hill in Nellore.
“The nationwide tiger estimation will take about 10 months in four phases. During the first three phases, forest teams, along with authorised NGOs and students, will record tiger movements, pug marks, droppings, and tree markings, while installing trap cameras and collecting satellite images. In the final phase, all data will be scientifically analysed to arrive at the official figure,” an NSTR officer told TNIE.
