Over 1.5 lakh pictures taken for tiger estimation exercise in UP’s four reserves

Around 1,800 camera traps captured over 1.5 lakh images across Uttar Pradesh's four tiger reserves during the 2026 tiger estimation exercise. Scientists at the Wildlife Institute of India will analyse the data, while Dudhwa expects continued growth in tiger numbers

Lakhimpur Kheri: Around 1,800 cameras have captured over 1.5 lakh images from Uttar Pradesh’s four tiger reserves as part of the 2026 tiger estimation exercise, officials said on Wednesday.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) Field Director and Chief Conservator of Forests H Rajamohan, who is also the nodal officer the exercise, said the camera-trapping exercise for the latest census was carried out between November 2025 and April 2026 across all tiger reserves and adjoining areas of the state.

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“Around 1,800 cameras were deployed for capturing images and over 1,50,000 images were retrieved from the cameras last month,” he told PTI.

“The retrieved images were sent to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, where scientists would analyse the images for the next few months to ascertain the number of tigers across all tiger reserves,” he added.

On International Tiger Day, he expressed confidence that the reserve would continue to witness growth in tiger numbers in the 2026 quadrennial estimation.

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) has recorded a 64 per cent increase in its tiger population between 2018 and 2022 All India Tiger Estimation.

The tiger population within the reserve increased from 82 in 2018 to 135 in 2022, he said. Including the surrounding landscape, the count rose from 107 to 153, marking an increase of about 43 per cent.

“The use of traditional and modern technologies, community cooperation and better habitat management have contributed to the rise in tiger numbers,” Rajamohan said.

Highlighting the importance of tiger conservation, Rajamohan said, “Tiger being the apex predator plays a vital role in ecology and environment.” “If tigers are safe, entire environment would remain safe; and this is a thing, each and every individual should understand,” he added.

He said Dudhwa has adopted a multi-pronged conservation strategy that combines modern technologies such as thermal drones, AI-enabled cameras and the M-STrIPES monitoring system with traditional patrolling and combing operations.

“While modern technological equipments including thermal drones, AI-enabled cameras, M-STrIPES besides traditional methods of combing, patrolling and monitoring are used to safeguard the wild animals, local community support in tiger and other wild animal conservation is ensured through regular communication, awareness programmes and workshops among them,” he said.

To mark World Tiger Day, the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve concluded a 24-hour continuous Long Route Patrolling (LRP) exercise on Tuesday.

Deputy Director Jagdish R said the round-the-clock operation, which began on Monday, covered more than 11,000 sq km of the reserve.

Officials ranging from sub-divisional officers and range officers to foresters, guards and watchers participated in the exercise using elephants, four-wheelers, two-wheelers, tractors and boats to reach all parts of the reserve.

He said more than 1,400 km of the patrolling was carried out entirely on foot.

“The basic motive behind the drive was to demonstrate the forest department’s alertness, strict discipline and dedication to tiger conservation,” Jagdish R said.