Six-day tiger census in KMTR to commence on January 19; visitors will not be allowed to enter forest till Jan 24

Visitors will not be allowed to enter the Kalakkad – Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve for six days between January 19 and 24 as the national tiger census is to commence in the sanctuary on Monday (January 19) after the personnel to be involved in this extensive exercise will undergo training on Sunday (January 18).

According to Deputy Director of KMTR’s Ambasamudram Division, Srikant, the 6-day tiger census, led by National Tiger Conservation Authority, is scheduled to be conducted across the country after 2021 with the cooperation of State Forest Departments, during which efforts will be made to find out the near-exact number of tiger population in the sanctuaries and the adjacent forests. Apart from collecting scat, pug marks etc. to find-out the tiger population, the traditional direct sighting method will also be followed to ascertain the tiger population in the Indian forests and the big cats’ movements. Moreover, cameras will be fitted during this exercise.

As a precursor, the forest personnel serving in the seven forest ranges of KMTR will undergo a refresher-cum-training programme on January 18 and enter the areas assigned to them on January 19 to remain inside the forest till the end of the census on January 24.

In Ambasamudram Division, each 2 Km of the sanctuary will be divided into a ‘census area’, where a pair of cameras will be fitted to photograph the movement of tiger. Apps are to be used during this census by the enumerators, who will be trained in entering the census data during the training to be organised on Sunday.

Since tiger being a highly ‘shy animal’, human movement within the forest will badly affect the accuracy of the census and hence visitors will not be allowed to enter the KMTR between January 19 and 24. The forest check-posts at Papanasam, Manimuthar, Kalakkad and Thirukkurungudi will remain closed during these days. Hence, visitors will not be able to go to Agasthiyar Waterfalls, Sorimuthu Ayyanar Temple, Papanasam dam, Manimuthar waterfalls, Kalakkad Thalaiyanai and Thirukkurungudi Nambi Temple.

Visitors will be allowed to visit these places after the end of tiger census on January 24, Mr. Srikant said.