Fresh tiger census likely next summer in Odisha

Optimistic that it has more Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT) than estimated by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Odisha government on Friday said it might go for fresh tiger census next summer.

The NCTA's recent tiger census report said that there are only 28 RBTs in Odisha, the same number as in the 2014 census.

Odisha Wildlife warden Ajay Kumar Mohapatra said that the state forest officials have spotted Royal Bengal Tigers at Hemagiri in Sundergarh district and in Rayagada district, areas which were not included in the sampling estimation process of the NCTA.

"We expect more number of RBTs in Odisha than the figure given by the central agency. The state government may go for a fresh tiger census using both pug mark and camera trap methods," Mohapatra said adding it may be done next summer as was done in 2016.

Justifying his claim on the probable existence of more than 28 RBTs in the state, he said "The central agency has done a sample basis estimation. We have tigers in many places. There are inaccessible places in Similipal and Sunabeda sanctuaries where trap camera could not be fitted to locate the tigers."