In the ongoing tiger census, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department will be using DNA profiling to study the striped big cats roaming not just its four tiger reserves but anywhere in the State’s forest landscape.
The forest staff will be looking to collect the tiger scat in the tiger reserves and 15 forest divisions that will be later analysed with the help of wildlife forensics division. “Unlike other methods, DNA profiling will help to create accurate and reliable data of an individual tiger,” said Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Project Tiger, Tamil Nadu.
DNA profiling is part of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Phase IV advanced protocol involving scientists.
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“The TN Forest Department has been doing the DNA profiling in bits and pieces in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Kalakkadu Mundanthurai Reserve for the past few years. This is the first time, it will be used throughout the State,” says a senior forest official.
Individual tiger’s genetic profile will reveal its movement, dispersion and at a later stage even the lineage could be ascertained, the officer states. “It is tough job. It involves cutting edge technology. But it is fascinating,” he adds.
Unlike previous census, tiger data and prey base will be entered in the mobile-based app named M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tiger-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status or M-STrIPES).
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“M-STrIPES is expected to reduce human induced errors during census. Volunteers who are involved in the census are trained to use it. It will also reduce time taken for calculation of collected data,” he said.
Camera traps
The focus of this census will be to analyse trend in tiger population in the wild such as female: male ratio, habitat, prey base, quality of habitat and vegetation.
Currently, volunteers are engaged in transect counting and installation of camera will be completed by December end in tiger reserves in Tamil Nadu. The tiger census will go on till March-April 2018.