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Angul: The Angul Forest Division has begun extensive preparations for the upcoming tiger census, scheduled to take place from November 1 to 7, officials said. This year’s enumeration will be conducted using advanced digital methods, with training programmes underway for forest staff across the division. According to sources, the census will be carried out across six forest ranges under the division, beginning with the Jarapada range. Forest guards, section officers, and squad members are being trained on various aspects of the process, including the use of mobile applications to record tiger movement, habitat types, and the presence of herbivores. Officials said the training also covers how to install trap cameras at appropriate locations and heights for optimal image capture, as well as how to safely collect and preserve samples of pugmarks and other field evidence. DFO Nitish Kumar said all data collected during the census will be compiled to estimate tiger populations and identify species distribution across forest areas. “Since the Angul division does not host Royal Bengal Tigers, the focus will be on enumerating leopards, hyenas, and other rare species,” he said. Forester Basanta Gadnayak added that the training also includes lessons on conducting surveys along transit lines. OUAT student Omprakash Mohapatra, who is participating in the programme as part of his final-year coursework, said, “We are learning both theoretical and practical aspects of wildlife enumeration as part of our field training at the Jarapada range.” Forest officials said the use of technology and trained manpower is expected to make this year’s census more accurate and comprehensive than previous exercises.
