Ooty: As many as 400 camera traps are being fixed in the buffer zone limits of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) for post-monsoon animal population estimation and related habitat evaluation studies.
Mr. V. Selvan, forest range officer in the MTR buffer zone, said that as of now in the Sigur reserve forest area in the MTR buffer zone, works are underway to fix camera traps in 88 places.
Likewise, camera traps will be placed in the Singara and Thengumarahada jungles of the buffer zone of the MTR. In total, 400 camera traps in 200 select spots in the woods will be set up over a sprawling 367 sq. km area of the MTR buffer zone limits comprising Segur, Singara and Thengumarahada jungles, he noted.
He added that as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority norms, tiger reserves have to conduct a post-monsoon period survey to assess population of wild animals, their movement and health of the jungles, hence the present studies.
“The animal population estimation studies using camera traps will be done for 25 days. This will help obtain data on the movement of animals, especially tigers and other carnivores, and the wealth of the prey base for the tiger and other in respective transect zones. This will give comprehensive data on the population and movement of tigers and also other animals in the MTR in thepost-monsoon period to assess the behaviour and movement of tigers during that period,” he explained.
