Rishikesh, Feb 3 (PTI) The compilation of data for the tiger census in Uttarakhand's Ramnagar Forest Division, adjoining the Corbett Tiger Reserve, is in its final stages, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Digant Nayak said.
The collected data is being compiled into a database, which will be sent to the Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand, he said.
In the 2022 tiger census, 67 tigers were recorded in the Ramnagar Forest Division -- the highest number reported in any forest division outside a designated tiger reserve in the country, he added.
The latest census figures will be released soon, and the tiger population is expected to show a significant increase, he claimed.
The census covered all five ranges of the Ramnagar Forest Division -- Kosi, Kota, Dechhouri, Kaladhungi, and Fatehpur -- where tiger movement was reported at 165 locations, Nayak said.
A grid-based survey was conducted by laying transit lines, and 330 camera traps were installed at identified locations, he said.
The census also involved collecting tiger prey base data and excrement samples, which serve as direct scientific evidence of tiger presence, he added.
The two-month exercise was carried out by 120 personnel of the Ramnagar Forest Division, he said.
Nayak said he initiated this annual census independently to strengthen tiger conservation efforts. PTI COR ALM ALM OZ OZ