As per the protocol of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Tiger, co-predator, elephant and prey estimation is conducted every 4 years in all the Tiger habitat areas of all the states of the country as part of the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE). And as a part of annual monitoring of Tigers and prey in the Tiger reserves of the country, NTCA has advised to conduct the Phase IV monitoring surveys are conducted every year in all the Tiger reserves. Karnataka being one of the pioneer states for Tiger conservation, has meticulously followed the field protocols and conducted the surveys in the state since 2015. The current Phase IV monitoring surveys were conducted during November 2023 to February 2024 in all the 5 tiger reserves of the state, Nagarahole, Bandipur, Bhadra, Biligiri Ranganathaswamy temple (BRT) and Kali (Dandeli-Anshi) tiger reserves.
The field surveys mainly include:
- Camera trap survey used for Tiger and co-predator’s population estimation
- Line transect survey used for Prey population estimation
Karnataka forest department through its Karnataka Wildlife Technical cell, Aranya bhavan, Bengaluru analyzed and has come up with Annual report on Status of Tigers, prey and other mammals, Karnataka – 2024. A total effort of 2160 camera trap locations were installed in the Tiger reserves which provided around 61 lac images of all the wildlife species. Tiger images are further segregated using an AI based software and then processed to identify individual tigers based on the unique stripe patterns on both sides (flanks) of each Tiger.
Comparison of Tiger Population (2014-2024)
Future Outlook
The upcoming All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) – 2026 is expected to provide a clearer understanding of tigers that have established themselves in other protected areas after dispersing from the Tiger Reserves.
