Around 130 camera traps are being installed at the Manampalli and Valparai ranges of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) for an animal census and to monitor the movement of animals.
According to officials, this is part of a campaign that began in March. Around 330 camera traps were earlier installed in the Udumalpet and Pollachi ranges and used to track the patterns of wildlife movement, their food habits and the quality of forest vegetation. The camera traps will be kept operational for a period of 20 days. They are activated by motion and heat emitted by animals.
The camera trap has a range of seven metres and is equipped with a V-shaped flashlight, which will activate once the animal enters its central focus point. According to the last census, tiger population has almost doubled at the ATR from 13 in 2010 to 23 now.
