Tigers in focus as Madhya Pradesh begins wildlife census

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T.R. Sharma, additional principal chief conservator of forests, said all field staff, right down to forest guard level, would be engaged in the data collection process for six days.

The last census was held in January 2006 and the report released in 2008 had put the average population of tigers in the state at 300 while the total number of the big cats in the country were put at 1,411.

"What has led to the fear that Madhya Pradesh may lose 'tiger state' status is the number of poaching incidents and accidental deaths of tigers that have come to light in the last few years," an official said.

Madhya Pradesh was leading other states till the last census, while Karnataka followed closely with a total of 290 tigers.

"However, according to official figures, Madhya Pradesh has lost 18 tigers in 2009 and this may go against it," said the official.

The wildlife census was to be held in January but was delayed due to the panchayat elections.

"We hope for encouraging results from the head count of the big cats," said R.S. Negi, state principal chief conservator of forests.

The census work is being held as per a new methodology called 'line transect technique', adopted in 2006.

The new module, experts claimed, has been updated to lend more credibility to the census. While the use of high-tech camera trapping would verify the presence of tigers and its counting by 10 different standards would enable officials to get the exact number of tigers. Cameras were used partially in the last census.

The first three days would be for carnivore search and the next three for herbivore search. Proformas prepared by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have been given to the field staff.

The data would be sent to the WII that would determine high density tiger areas and set up camera traps for actual physical verification of tigers.

In the carnivore search, forest staff will cover every beat in the state and record the presence of seven species of carnivores, including tiger, panther, wild dog, hyena, wolf, jackal and sloth bear based on seven signs - namely pugmarks, scats, direct sighting, urination, call, scratch/scrap and kill.

In the next three days, the forest staff will record sightings of herbivores. On the way back, they will record details of habitat.