TIRUNELVELI : Twelve tigers were spotted through camera trap at Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) during the first phase of census, which ended on January 28. Of the tigers spotted during the eight-day census within an area of 400 square kilometres, six were male, Deputy Director of KMTR, R. Kanchana told The Hindu on Saturday. The tiger population at KMTR is estimated to be around 20.
The seven ranges and 30 administrative beats of KMTR encompassing a core area of 895 square kilometres and forested buffer of 236.64 square km includes part of the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary and part of Nellai Wildlife Sanctuary. The estimation of tiger, co-predators and its prey in KMTR was carried out every year following the standardised eight-day protocol prescribed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, which includes collection of field data at beat level. Every year, the phase - I exercise used to be carried out only in the core area of KMTR but this year it was done both in the core area and the forested buffer from January 23 to 28. The exercise involved 160 frontline staff and 90 volunteers from village forest committees, colleges, research institutions, NGOs and naturalists. Fifty two camped in remote locations inside the forests.
