Amrabad, Kawal reserves face staff crunch; volunteers to aid tiger census effort
HYDERABAD: The Telangana forest department is preparing to invite volunteers to assist in Phase-I of the sixth All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) exercise scheduled for the third week of November. The initiative comes amid a staff shortage, particularly at the Amrabad and Kawal tiger reserves.
A senior department official said mechanisms were being developed to allow citizens to sign up for the six-day survey, offering participants a chance to explore forests, observe wildlife and contribute to tiger conservation. “All selected volunteers will be trained on what to do and how to do it during the walks,” the official said.
Walks to cover 5 km carnivore and 2 km transect routes
Phase-I involves 5 km carnivore walks and 2 km transect walks where survey teams will record signs of tigers, leopards and prey species such as deer. The exercise will extend beyond tiger reserves to all forest divisions, including seven wildlife sanctuaries — Eturnagaram, Pakhal, Pranahita, Sivaram, Pocharam, Kinnerasani and Manjira.
1,800 vacancies across forest department
The department currently faces about 1,800 vacancies, with Amrabad and Kawal reserves accounting for 42% of unfilled posts. In April, Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav wrote to chief minister A Revanth Reddy urging that the posts be filled urgently in view of the upcoming tiger estimation.
A meeting has been scheduled for October 31 with NGOs working in wildlife and nature conservation to finalise the volunteer process.
