Kumily (Kerala): The third phase of camera trapping under the All-India Tiger Estimation 2025–26 has commenced in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. This is a crucial stage in accurately assessing the national tiger population. The intensive camera-trapping exercise has begun in areas identified as having tiger presence during the first phase, which involved an eight-day field survey.

The reserve has been divided into 470 grids of two square kilometres each for systematic monitoring. Of these, 353 grids fall under the Periyar East Division and 117 under the West Division. Two cameras have been installed in each grid — a total of 940 camera traps — to capture stripe patterns on tigers’ bodies, enabling precise individual identification.

The camera-trapping exercise will continue for 30 consecutive days, from Wednesday until March 27. Prior to this, frontline staff and officials were given special training on February 10. Officers will inspect the grids every four days to ensure the cameras are functioning properly and that data collection remains uninterrupted.

Once the survey is completed, the data will be analysed and submitted to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The exercise is being supervised by Kerala’s nodal officer for the All-India Tiger Estimation and Kottayam Field Director, P P Pramod.