Aurangabad, Aug 25:
The estimation of the number of animals in the wildlife population is conducted in May, but it was not done for the past two years due to the Corona pandemic. Next year, the process will be implemented by the traditional estimation method, the sources said.
The exact number of wild animals, especially Tigers and Leopards, has not been known in the past two years. The Wildlife department conducts the estimation of the animals population. Moreover, wild animals entering the human locality in search of food and water has increased considerably. Leopard has been spotted in Ellora, Khuldabad, and the areas adjacent to the forest.
Human interference in the forest has increased, posing a threat to wild animals. The large-scale poaching and destruction of forest wealth are proving a danger to the animals. Hence, they move the human localities in search of food and water. These animals need to be estimated to protect them. The population estimation was done in 2014 and 2018. However, it was not done in the past two years. Hence, it will be done in May next year, informed divisional forest officer, wildlife, Aurangabad, V N Satpute.
312 tigers estimated in 2018
The estimation of the population of Tigers will be held in the 22 states in the country. In 2006, the number of tigers in Maharashtra was 103, 169 in 2010, 190 in 2014, and 312 in 2018, the sources said.