COIMBATORE : With the work on tiger census all set to begin from Monday, wild life biologists and forest deofficials issued a set of Dos and Donts for the enumeration at Attakatti on Sunday.
As per the advisory, participants have been advised not to wear clothes with attractive colours as they would disturb the wild animals. The participants have also been told to be present on all six days during which the exercise would be conducted.
As many as 82 teams comprising 250 volunteers, NGOs and forest staff would be engaged in the exercise spread over six forest ranges in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) covering over 958 square kilometres. The teams would primarily be involved in counting the tigers and their prey base apart from enumerating leopards and sloth bears.
According to sources, three members consisting of two volunteers and a forest staff would be part of each team. To begin with, the first three days would be devoted towards spotting carnivores’ signs like pug marks and tiger scat. During the course of the remaining three days, human disturbances such as cattle grazing wood cutting and graze cutting, survey of vegetation and line transects would be done. As part of the vegetation survey, the types of plants, trees, weeds and shrubs grown in the forest about 15 meters radial distance would be assessed. The members also would survey one meter radial distance of graze and herb cover.
Also, pellets at a distance of 20 meter length and two metre width would be surveyed. This year, for the first time Hornbills will also be enumerated.