Tiger count commences

Interestingly, the teams have sighted tigers at four places in Bandipur and BRT sanctuary forests and heard the roars of tigers at several places.

The census is being jointly taken up by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Karnataka Forest Department.

The census began at 6 am with the forest staff and a host of volunteers participating in it. The census is being carried out in all the beats of the three sanctuaries which have tiger population. Along with the tiger census, the teams will also record the ratio of the herbivorous and carnivorous animals in the forests.

Deputy Conservator of Forests K T Hanumanthappa of Bandipur Tiger Reserve said the census has started in all the beats. The volunteers have already been trained in computing details and recording the same in the format supplied by the Wildlife Institute of India.
 As per the 2006 census, there were 82 tigers in Bandipur and this time the tiger population may cross the 100 mark. Interestingly, tiger sightings have been reported at Alasurgadde Beat in Kalkere Range of Bandipur.

In BRT sanctuary, as many as 75 volunteers are assisting 86 forest personnel in this job. There are 43 camps in the entire sanctuary and each camp includes two forest personnel and two volunteers.