Vidarbha: Wildlife enthusiasts gear up for 'Waterhole Census'

Wildlife enthusiasts from across the country have thronged Vidarbha region to witness the 'Waterhole Census' of animals in forests and tiger reserves tomorrow when a full moon will light up the night sky
The visitors will be watching the waterhole census in Pench National Park, Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park and Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary in the Vidarbha region.
Waterhole census (Machan) is an annual exercise to count the herbivores, carnivores and omnivores when they visit the waterholes. Maximum footfalls of wild animals are captured on the full moon night. Therefore, it is considered a good time for conducting the census.

Forest authorities have selected 321 wildlife buffs, of the total 400 entries, to experience the annual waterhole exercise at the Pench National Park, officials said today.
From the 'Bamboo Machan' (a temporary tree house), at least two persons can watch for the entire night or minimum of 20-24 hours the wild animals coming near the water bodies.
Machans (platform erected in a tree for watching animals in wildlife reserves) are also provided with a forest guard and women guard for women participants and couples.

Wildlife enthusiast Dr Avinash Banait, who has been witnessing the waterhole census along with his family for last many years at the Pench National Park, said though it is difficult and painful to sit on the machan, it is nevertheless a wonderful experience.

"You can see a tiger moving around your machan," said Banait.
Another enthusiast, Raju Naidu, a CA, is going to Tadoba National Park to watch the census along with co-travellers from Jammu and Kashmir, Chennai, Punjab, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Conservator of Forest and Field Director of Pench Tiger Reserve, M S Reddy will supervise the census at Pench National Park.