‘Tiger State’ gears up for census 2026:Madhya Pradesh readies with app tracking, field drills and DNA tests for accurate count; 785 tigers recorded in 2022

Tigers appear to have found a new comfort zone in the forests around Indore. Over the past few years, the Forest Department has identified more than 30 locations across the Indore, Mhow and Manpur ranges where tiger movements have been confirmed, several even captured on camera traps and CCTV footage. With the All India Tiger Estimation 2026 approaching, forest officials are preparing for a more detailed and technology-driven assessment of the region’s big cats. The upcoming nationwide census, scheduled for January 2026, will mark the fifth phase of India’s flagship tiger population survey, conducted every four years under the guidance of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. From pugmarks to roars: training and technology integration To ensure scientific precision, a two-day training workshop was held at Ralamandal Sanctuary under the guidance of Chief Conservator of Forests PN Mishra and leadership of DFO Pradeep Mishra. Forest officers and field staff were briefed on modern tools for wildlife documentation, data collection, and use of mobile-based applications. This year’s census will use the newly developed M-STRiPES mobile application, through which field staff will upload real-time information directly from forests. The app requires inputs on 10 to 15 parameters, including pugmarks, scat, scratch marks, prey kills, roars, and visual sightings, along with geo-tagged photos and coordinates. All data will be transmitted directly to WII Dehradun, ensuring transparency and accuracy. Forest staff are being trained to collect and upload data digitally through the new app. This will help in real-time monitoring of tiger presence and reduce errors caused by manual reporting. said one of the master trainers Praveen Meena. Focus on carnivores and herbivores During the census in January, teams will traverse around 5 km per day per beat, focusing first on carnivores like tigers, leopards, hyenas and jackals for three days, followed by herbivores such as deer, chital, sambhar, hare and peafowl for another three days. The final day will cover vegetation, dung and human disturbance surveys. Biological samples like scat and fur will also be collected for forensic DNA analysis. Growing tiger presence around Indore Indore’s forests, once considered fringe habitats, are now emerging as active tiger corridors. During the 2021-22 census, pugmarks and scat were found just 40 km from the city at Nahar Jhabua, with additional signs recorded in Choral’s Umath-Beka, Kalakund, Rajpura, and Mhow’s Malendi–Manglia ranges. In April 2022, tigers were captured on CCTV roaming near Army areas of Mhow and Badgonda, and several sightings continued in the dense forests of Manpur and Mhow through 2023. Officials believe that at least one or two tigers have established new territories in these regions, possibly migrating from the Satpura–Melghat landscape through the forest corridors of western Madhya Pradesh. Focused monitoring and pre-census trials Ahead of the official enumeration, the Indore Forest Division will conduct a seven-day trial exercise in November to test census procedures and mobile app data uploading. This will also serve as a field rehearsal for new staff members participating in the tiger count for the first time. We’ve identified more than thirty active sites with confirmed tiger presence. During the census, these areas will be given special focus. The use of technology and trained manpower will ensure more accurate and verifiable results this time. said DFO Pradeep Mishra. Officials believe that the mock exercise will help learning field experience. For many forest staff, this will be their first tiger census experience. The mock exercise in November will help them practice real field situations, from identifying pugmarks to uploading data through the app. added Yohan Katara, SDO and Master Trainer, Ralamandal Sanctuary, who is supervising the coordination and field readiness exercises. Madhya Pradesh retains the ‘Tiger State’ title In the last All India Tiger Estimation 2022, Madhya Pradesh retained its crown as the ‘Tiger State of India’ with 785 tigers, ahead of Karnataka and Uttarakhand. Officials are optimistic that the 2026 census will reveal an even stronger population trend, given the visible tiger activity in new areas like Indore and its adjoining ranges.