Wildlife census in Gudalur forest to begin today

Wildlife census exercise is to begin in the Gudalur forest division in the Nilgiris from Friday.

Forest Department officials said training was completed for forest staff and volunteers in Gudalur on Thurday, with more than 75 employees and volunteers expected to take part in the two-day exercise. The teams are to record wildlife spotted across the division, and compare the numbers with data from previous years.

Officials said that the census would also help identify elephant herds and the population trends of the herds that were resident in the Gudalur region.

The census is being conducted with the assistance of the Government Arts College in Udhagamandalam and the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, said Gudalur DFO Sumesh Soman.