Monitoring of tigers using camera traps as part of the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2021-22 kicked off in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) and Coimbatore forest division.
The camera traps were installed in 294 grid lines in the four forest ranges of the ATR namely Pollachi, Ulandy, Valparai and Manombolly forest ranges of Pollachi division of ATR.
Each grid line has two cameras which will record the movement of animals for 25 days from Thursday. Field Director of ATR S. Ramasubramanian will oversee the exercise which will follow the protocols of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The images captured by the camera traps will be handed over to the NTCA.
The exercise will be held in seven forest ranges in Coimbatore namely Sirumugai, Mettupalayam, Karamadai, Periyanaickenpalayam, Coimbatore, Boluvampatty and Madukkarai. The installation of camera traps started on Saturday.
A senior official said that Coimbatore forest division was included for the exercise as it is a tiger-bearing division which is linked to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).
MTR Field Director D. Venkatesh provided 220 cameras which will be kept in 110 places in the seven forest ranges for the exercise.
District Forest Officer T.K. Ashok Kumar and Assistant Conservator of Forests M. Senthil Kumar will oversee the exercise which will be held for 40 to 45 days. Biologist Palanisamy from MTR gave training to the staff ahead of the exercise.
Sirumugai and Mettupalayam forest ranges in Coimbatore division are linked to the Nilgiris eastern slope and tiger presence have been recorded in the two ranges. Boluvampatty forest range which lies in the Siruvani hills having connectivity to Kerala is the third forest range in Coimbatore division were tiger presence was confirmed.
