Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Forest department is moving ahead with budget allocation for Wildlife Institute of India (WII) to carry out a snake counting exercise in Madhya Pradesh. The WII team is expected to arrive after October to begin work inside tiger reserves.
A senior forest officer said WII has submitted cost estimates, and the department is contemplating sanctioning the budget. The census would be the first attempt to systematically count snakes and study their diversity in the state.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had expressed interest in the project, aiming to understand overall snake population, identify species and explore whether King Cobras historically inhabited some areas.
Eastern districts like Shahdol and Mandla are under special focus for potential relocation to control burgeoning snake populations. Wildlife experts are eager to see the methodology WII adopts, with forest officials noting the census will be conducted in a random sampling manner.
Counting serpents
WII to conduct snake census in Madhya Pradesh tiger reserves
Budget allocation under consideration by forest department
Focus on population, species diversity, and possible King Cobra habitats
Project expected to use random sampling method for counting
