Camera traps with GPS to track animals

The forest department will use camera traps with GPS (Global positioning system) to track the movements of the forest animals in the district especially Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) as part of Tiger and other forest animals’ census that will begin soon.

The forest officials are using camera traps with GPS systems as most of the forest animals keep on changing their habitations in the reserve. These are quite different from recorded cameras officials clarified, following the reports that poachers are on prowl in KTR and setting up live electric wires targeting the forest animals. 

Forest officials are using these cameras for the first time to assess the accurate number of forest animals including tiger and panthers being claimed by the forest officials. Six teams comprising five members each will conduct census in four forest ranges. The teams will comprise FSO, FBO, ABO, watcher and resource person.

Training was conducted to the total 30 forest staff to be involved in the forest animal’s census at Jannaram recently under the leadership of KTR director Sanjay Guptha.

During the training, Sanjay Guptha asked the forest staff to get the accurate figures of the forest animals by using cameras trap with GPS and they can take effective measure to protect the forest animals if their movements are tracked regularly.

The top officials monitor the movements of the forest animals and also poachers to be recorded from the centralized system. Forest staff is fixing nearly 40 camera taps with GPS in additional to the general camera traps to the trees at various locations in Kawal Tiger Reserve.