Tiger census to begin from Jan 21

Atmakur: Ahead of the forth coming week-long tiger census scheduled to begin on January 21, the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) field director Saravanan on Wednesday conducted training programme for the enumeration officials.

In the AP circle encompassing both the Telugu states, Saravanan said that once in four years tiger census should be conducted from January 21 to 28.  The training programme was held at eco-tourism project in Byrlooti range of the Atmakuru forest division. 

Forest section officers, forest beat officers and assistant beat officers from Atmakur, Byrlooti, Velugodu and Srisailam range took part in the training programme. 

During the eight-day census, the first three days would be spent observing and identifying herbivorous and carnivorous species. The next five days would be spent identifying tigers on the basis of footprints and excreta. 

Of the 2,266 tigers in the country, the NSTR is home to 78 tigers. Pechchervu in the Atmakur forest division is famous in the country as the natural tiger habitat for reproduction.

By M Sathya Peter