MSTrIPES App to Power Tiger Census in Anamalai Tiger Reserve

Forest staff involved in wildlife enumeration will use the advanced Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status (MSTrIPES) app during the upcoming tiger and wildlife census in Anamalai Tiger Reserve. The digital upgrade is expected to improve accuracy, speed, and data integration under the All India Tiger Estimation Survey 2026.

Digital Shift in Wildlife Enumeration

Earlier, forest personnel documented animal signs manually and later uploaded the information to the app. Under the updated system, staff have now been trained to directly feed all census-related data into the MSTrIPES app using GPS-enabled devices. This includes details on tigers, megaherbivores, arboreal species, vegetation, and the distance covered along transect lines. Officials said the app allows real-time data entry, making the process efficient and less error-prone.

Survey Schedule and Coverage

The census will begin with a training session, followed by systematic data collection and compilation. Large carnivore and megaherbivore sign surveys will be conducted between January 8 and 10, while prey estimation surveys are scheduled from January 11 to 13. The overall exercise will conclude on January 14. More than 340 forest staff from eight forest ranges will participate in the survey across 115 transect lines.

About Anamalai Tiger Reserve

The Anamalai Tiger Reserve spans 1,108 square kilometres, comprising 958.5 sq km of core area and 150.48 sq km of buffer zone, across Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts of Tamil Nadu. Apart from indirect signs of tigers and leopards, such as pugmarks and scratch marks, the census will also enumerate arboreal animals like the bonnet macaque and Indian giant squirrel, along with pellet assessments.

Imporatnt Facts for Exams

• MSTrIPES stands for Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status.
• All India Tiger Estimation is conducted once every four years.
• Anamalai Tiger Reserve is located in Tamil Nadu.
• The survey includes carnivores, prey species, and vegetation assessment.

Rising Tiger Numbers in the Landscape

According to forest department sources, the 2022 census identified around 25 tigers in Anamalai Tiger Reserve, with an additional seven to eight individuals shared with the adjacent Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. Overall, 57–58 tigers were recorded across both reserves. Officials are optimistic that the current survey may show an increase in Anamalai, citing recent evidence of tiger presence in the Kolumam buffer range and sightings of newborn cubs in the Ulanthy forest range.