Telangana’s First Ever Tiger Census To Be Held In January

For the first time after the formation of the Telangana state, the forest department is planning a Tiger census. The last such count was in 2013, when the state was undivided. According to the forest department officials, the census would be taken up for five days in the third or fourth week of January.

Human and wildlife conflict, climate change, poaching and illegal wildlife trade are among the major reasons that have pushed the feline into the endangered category -- facing risk of extinction in the wild -- over the years.

At the last count, there were 17 tigers in the Telangana state. The tiger census is taken up in the country every four years and is coordinated by the National Tiger Conservation Agency (NTCA). The Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun provides technical guidance. The counting exercise also includes carnivorous animals and mega-herbivores (a large herbivore such as an elephant).