The Forest Department has started preparations for the All India Tiger Estimation 2025-26, which will begin on December 1.
The sixth tiger census will be conducted across the country to find out the current population and distribution of tigers. The enumeration will take place in three phases from December to April 2026.
The first phase will be conducted for eight days in 37 forest divisions in the state, including the Periyar and Parambikulam tiger reserves. During this phase, field workers will traverse 673 designated blocks and record evidence of tigers and other carnivores, herbivores and habitat quality using the M-StrIPES (Tiger Monitoring System – Intensive Conservation and Ecological Status) mobile application.
The second phase will involve the analysis of data collected during the initial field work, while the third phase of camera capture will be implemented in the Periyar and Parambikulam reserves and adjacent forests. Camera traps will be deployed on 1,860 grids covering an area of 2 square kilometers. each to capture images and other scientific data necessary for individual tiger identification and accurate population estimation. Field data collection and camera imaging activities will continue until March 2026.
All the data collected will be collated and analyzed by the Periyar and Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundations, after which the final report will be submitted to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) by April 2026.
The previous national tiger census was conducted in 2022 and recorded 3,682 tigers across India, including 213 tigers in Kerala.
Published – 05 Nov 2025 20:58 IST
