The assessment of the status of tigers, co predators and prey in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) as part of a national survey will conclude on Monday. It is for the first time that an elaborate estimation of the tiger population, their co-predators, and habitat are being simultaneously conducted using specially developed software data analysis.
In PTR, the process of estimation and analysis of the data is done solely by the trained staff using electronic equipment, PTR deputy director Sanjayankumar said on Sunday.
It is to compile the complete data and it will be published in 2014, the third of the survey edition of tigers in the country.
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In the first phase, the data and other details will be physically collected. The second phase will involve the geographical mapping of the area of habitat. In the final phase, the camera trapping will be collected.
The estimation will be done dividing the entire area into different blocks, with each block having three officials helped by forest watchers.
The survey is being conducted in the States of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu together.
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The elaborate survey of other animals would help in formulating long term plan for tiger conservation and analysing the reserve-wise problems including those conditions favourable or not for their natural survival.
An official of the PTR said that mere increase in the number of territorial animals does not mean a congenial atmosphere for their survival. But favourable factors including habitat features for prey density and their grazing area needed to be considered.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority is supervising the survey.
The estimation would be done by dividing the forest area into 20 sq km blocks and there are 696 blocks in the entire State.