About 40 Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cemeras would be installed for the annual tiger census in Indravati Tiger Reserve, a popular wildlife destination in Chhattisgarh, officials said on Friday.
The wildlife officials had installed CCTV cameras in several places last time. While some cameras were destroyed by anti-social elements, few had managed to survive. The data captured in the camera had indicated the presence of the tigers in the reserve. To get a clear picture and to count the exact number tigers in the reserve park this year authorities have decided to install the cameras in all the places where the tigers move. The cameras would also be placed near the streams where the tigers possibly come to drink water.
Named after the Indravati river, the tiger reserve forms the catchment area of the perennial Indravati river as well as streams and rivulets that lace the rolling terrain of the region. The region also supports a high population of many wildlife animals including sloth bear, striped hyena, dhole, nilgai, and the famous gaur as well as reptiles like the crocodile, different verity of lizards and snakes. It is also a well known wild buffalo habitat. Although the park used to be a tourist paradise several years ago, the tourists were showing little interest in recent years due to increasing Maoist activities in the region.
Pug marks of some tigers were found in the tiger reserve area and officials are set to carry out the census work for their accuracy after the assembly election was over. Chief wildlife warden V.Rama Rao said the CCTV cameras would be installed after the election and the officials would be able to get a clear picture on the exact number of tigers present in the park within two months.