Mon Dec 29 12:05:18 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a rewritten news article based on the provided text:
Summary:
The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu began its bi-annual post-monsoon wildlife monitoring exercise on December 29, 2025. The six-day survey, part of the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) Phase IV monitoring, aims to estimate carnivore and herbivore populations. 304 forest personnel in 76 teams are deployed across the reserve to document indirect signs of predators, conduct line transect surveys for herbivores, and record observations using the M-STrIPES mobile application. The collected data will be analyzed by the NTCA to estimate the populations of tigers, elephants, leopards, and other wildlife within the STR.
News Article:
Wildlife Census Underway at Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
Erode, Tamil Nadu – December 29, 2025 – Forest Department personnel have launched a comprehensive wildlife survey at the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) today. The bi-annual post-monsoon monitoring exercise, mandated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), will span six days and aims to estimate the populations of carnivores and herbivores within the reserve.
A total of 304 forest officials, organized into 76 teams, are participating in the survey across the Hasanur and Sathyamangalam Forest Divisions. The teams will spend the first three days documenting indirect signs of animals, such as pugmarks and scat. Following this, they will conduct line transect surveys, walking pre-determined routes to record direct sightings of herbivores.
“This is a crucial exercise for understanding the health and dynamics of the wildlife populations within the STR,” said a Forest Department spokesperson. “The data collected will provide valuable insights for conservation efforts.”
Data collection is being facilitated by the M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) mobile application. This allows real-time recording of observations, including the presence of co-predators, animal carcasses, and signs of habitat degradation.
The NTCA will analyze the collected data to estimate the populations of key species, including tigers, elephants, and leopards. The survey is scheduled to conclude on January 3, 2026.
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