Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Forest officials across Madhya Pradesh are undergoing training for the All India Tiger Estimation 2026, expected to begin in December or January. Senior officials have already completed their sessions, and focus has now shifted to preparing ground-level staff.
A senior officer from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve said preparations for the next national estimation exercise are well underway. “Training for Chief Conservators of Forests, Field Directors, District Forest Officers, Additional Principal Chief Conservators and Head of Forest Force has been completed. Next, master trainers will be trained, who will later instruct forest beat guards,” he said.
Computer operators will also be trained to enter data digitally, as the entire process will be paperless. The exercise will be conducted simultaneously across all tiger reserves and forest areas.
According to the Tiger Census 2022, Madhya Pradesh is home to 785 tigers, the highest in the country. With stronger conservation efforts now in place, the state aims to break its own record in the upcoming count.
Field Director of Sanjay Tiger Reserve, Amit Dubey, said the methodology will remain similar to the 2022 exercise. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has upgraded its mobile application to resolve issues faced during the previous census.
More camera traps will be installed this time, including in unexplored forest zones, to ensure better coverage of tiger movements. The training of master trainers will begin on October 28 and continue till November 5.
