A two-day training session was recently conducted at Ralamandal Sanctuary, led by Chief Conservator of Forests P.N. Mishra and DFO Pradeep Mishra, where forest officers were trained in wildlife documentation, geo-tagging, and use of the M-STRiPES mobile application. The app will allow frontline staff to record tiger evidence — including pugmarks, scat, prey kills, roars, and sightings — directly from the field, transmitting data in real time to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
“Forest staff are being trained to upload data digitally through the new app, ensuring transparency and reducing manual errors,” said master trainer Praveen Meena.
The January 2026 census will involve seven days of intensive fieldwork, beginning with three days dedicated to carnivore tracking, followed by three days for herbivore surveys and one day for vegetation and disturbance mapping. Biological samples collected during the exercise will undergo forensic DNA testing to confirm tiger presence.
Officials noted a growing tiger presence in and around Indore, Mhow, and Manpur, where more than 30 active tiger sites have been identified through camera traps and CCTV footage. “We’ve confirmed tiger activity in several new zones, which will receive focused monitoring,” said DFO Pradeep Mishra.
Madhya Pradesh, which retained its lead over Karnataka and Uttarakhand in the 2022 estimation, hopes the upcoming survey will reaffirm its position as the country’s premier tiger habitat, reflecting both conservation success and improved monitoring capacity.
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