COIMBATORE: Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) officials will begin phase IV of tiger census in Pollachi forest division from today. According to forest department sources, the census would be conducted as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines in Ulandy, Pollachi, Valparai, and Manambally forest ranges in the Pollachi division through camera traps.
A total of 245 grids (each covering a space of two square kilometres), sprawling 958 square km in the four ranges, would be covered.
Each grid would have a pair of camera traps, sources said and added that the exercise would be carried out for 25 days. In addition to the camera traps, indirect signs (pug marks and scratch marks) would also be collected from and near all grids.
ATR Deputy Director S Arokiyaraj Xavier said that the exact numbers of tiger population will be ascertained by analysing the patterns of stripes as each tiger has a unique stripe. As many as 500 staff would be engaged for the exercise, he added.
Assistant Conservator of Forest (Pollachi forest division) S Selvam said that they have asked the officials of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, which is located close to the ATR, to carry out the census from the same day (October 2) considering the movement of the animal. Ahead of the exercise, a training programme was conducted on Thursday for all the staff at Attakatti training centre. After completing the exercise in Pollachi forest division, the fourth phase of census will begin in Tirupur core and buffer areas (Tirupur forest division) after a period of 50 days.
All India census in 2018
A total of 332 camera traps were placed in ATR (when Kodaikanal forest area was not included in the Tirupur forest division). The census result was released in 2020. It revealed the presence of 23 individual tigers across ATR.
Anamalai tiger reserve area is spread across 1558.59 square km has two forest divisions (Pollachi and Tirupur) under it. A total of 958.59 square km falls under its core area, while the rest 600 sq km is in Tirupur division's core and buffer area.