Tiger population rises in Odisha; 32 big cats recorded in Similipal’s internal census

Odisha has reported an increase in its tiger population, with the Similipal Tiger Reserve documenting 32 individual tigers in its latest internal assessment, compared to 27 recorded last year, according to the Forest Department.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Prem Kumar Jha stated that these numbers come from routine internal assessments conducted periodically between national estimates. He said that camera traps installed across different zones have identified unique stripe patterns belonging to 32 tigers. He also confirmed the presence of nine cubs, detected during a camera-trap survey conducted two months ago.

Growth Ahead Of National Census Report

“Irrespective of the annual census figures, we also conduct an internal census every one or two months. We have set up camera traps and have recorded 32 unique tigers as per the triggered data so far,” PCCF Jha said.

He added that the nationwide tiger estimation report under the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will be published in June next year, and the internal figures will be subject to further validation once the central audit is complete.

Similipal Currently Under Multi-Stage Tiger Census

The rise in tiger numbers coincides with fieldwork for the 2025 NTCA tiger census, which began on November 16 in Similipal.

The exercise is being carried out in two phases and involves mapping prey density, tracking tiger movement, and deploying extensive camera-trap grids.

In the first phase, 103 trained forest personnel have been stationed across 103 beat locations in southern Similipal, areas identified as active tiger corridors. Teams are documenting pugmarks, scrapes, scats and other indirect signs, and recording all observations using NTCA-linked mobile applications.

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Carnivore Count With 1,500 Cameras

The second phase of the census, scheduled from December 1, will assess the numbers of carnivores, including tigers, leopards and small cats.

Around 1,500 camera traps will be deployed to capture movement patterns, territorial activity and individual identification marks. The camera deployment will continue for several weeks to ensure full coverage across core and buffer zones. Forest officials will examine the footage to match stripe patterns and confirm each tiger’s presence through geo-tagged evidence.

The Forest Department has not released final validated figures yet, and the internal numbers will be reviewed against NTCA’s nationwide report expected in June.