Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) The Sundarbans, Bengal’s mangrove forest and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, will be closed for tourists on December 11 and 12 as the Forest Department will undertake the tiger census.

According to official directives issued by the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR), all forms of tourism, including boat rides, launches and cruises, will be completely suspended during these two days.

Even online bookings for the forest will remain closed as the department will focus on collecting precise scientific data on the tiger population.

“A total of 1,484 camera traps will be installed across various zones of the Sundarbans, covering approximately 4,100 square kilometres. The cameras will monitor the activities of big cats and their prey for over a month, after which the data will be analysed to determine the actual tiger population. We want the tiger count to be carried out with complete scientific accuracy. That’s the decision to suspend tourism has been taken,” said a STR official.

In addition to monitoring the tigers, the census will also include a survey of prey species such as deer, wild boar and goats, in a bid to assess whether the ecological balance is being maintained.

For the first time, a dedicated mobile application will be used by field officers and forest workers to send photographs and real-time updates directly to a central database, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in the process.

The 2022 tiger census, released in late 2024, recorded 101 tigers in the Sundarbans, an increase from 88 tigers in 2018. Of these, 80 were within the core Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and 21 in the adjoining South 24 Parganas division.

The tiger census in the Sundarbans is usually conducted once every four years, though smaller surveys and area-based observations occur annually.

The work of installing the cameras will begin on November 26. For this purpose, forest workers have already been trained, and detailed instructions have been given on which parts to install and how to install the cameras. About 250 workers will be deployed in different areas for the entire campaign.

–IANS

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