Post-monsoon wildlife census begins in Pollachi Division of Anamalai Tiger Reserve

Pollachi Division of ATR conducts post-monsoon wildlife census using M-STrIPES app, covering four forest ranges with 62 transect lines.

The Pollachi Division of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) began its post-monsoon wildlife census on Sunday.

The exercise will cover areas across four forest ranges namely Pollachi, Ulandy, Valparai and Manambolly.

According to ATR authorities, there are 32 forest beats in the four ranges with 62 transect lines designated for wildlife estimation.

Ahead of the field survey, an orientation programme for Forest Department staff and volunteers was conducted on Saturday at the Advance Wildlife Management Training Centre in Attakatti. The enumerators will use M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tiger-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) ‘Ecological app’ to record their findings during the census.

The staff will be engaged in carnivore and mega herbivore sign surveys for three days from December 8 to 10. The staff assigned for each forest beat will cover a minimum of five km and record scat, dung, pug marks, scratch marks and other signs of carnivores like tiger, leopard and dhole and mega herbivores such as elephant and gaur, said ATR officials.

The team will survey the prey base and vegetation through the transect lines in all forest beats from December 11 to 13.

The data collected during the survey will be submitted to the office of the Deputy Director of Pollachi Division on December 14, for further submission to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, officials said.