Udhagamandalam: An eight-day wildlife census (pre-monsoon) commenced in the buffer zone of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris on Thursday. The census would cover prey base and vegetation, besides carnivores and other animals, in Singara, Sigur and North East Slope ranges.
Kanthan, forest range officer, said, “There are 38 transect lines across the three ranges in the buffer zone and as many teams have been deployed to carry out the census.”
Only forest field workers and officials have been roped in for the survey, which usually involves volunteers as well. Range officers would monitor the census, which is mandatorily held biannually in all the tiger reserves.