The Odisha government will employ 900 cameras during its week-long annual tiger census beginning Friday.
Both direct and indirect methods will be used to ascertain the status of the big cats in the State.
“The week-long census that coincides with the national tiger census will be carried out in all forest divisions. Field officials of all the divisions have been trained for the programme. About 900 cameras have been placed at strategic points from where capturing footage of the big cats would be easier,” Forest and Environment secretary Suresh Mohapatra told reporters here on Thursday.
After completion of the week-long census operation, the data will be shared with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.
Unlike earlier, the State government has brought the entire Similipal Tiger Reserve, which houses the State’s largest tiger population, under the scope of the census. Of the State’s total population of 40 tigers, 29 are stated to be in Similipal.
The State forest department officials are hoping for a rise in the tiger population count this year.
Earlier on January 19, a dolphin census was conducted across six coastal divisions of the State. The Forest and Environment Department's wildlife wing pegged the number of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in the Chilika Lake at 114. The dolphin population in the State has now gone up to 469 compared with 450 in 2015. A total of 307 dolphins have been sighted in the Bhitarakanika National Park. Of these, 108 were Indo-Pacific dolphins and 62 were Indian humpbacks.
