"Earlier this year, we carried out a density estimation survey by using the line transect method, which has been jointly developed by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)," said a forest official.
Some of the forests that were covered in the survey were Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary and Karnala Bird Sanctuary.
S A Thorat, chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Mumbai, said, that his department would soon submit the data to WII, Dehradun. "We are in the process of finalising the data. The annual census has been cancelled as we had carried out a six-day survey using the line transect method in January," he explained.
The line transect method, believed to be more scientific and accurate, is used in tiger reserves and national parks across the country.
Read the full report by Simit Bhagat here.
