Telangana's Tiger Census Plagued by Funding and Manpower Woes

As of October 31st, 2025, Telangana's upcoming wildlife enumeration as part of the All India Tiger Estimation-2026 (Tiger Census) is facing major obstacles due to a resource crunch. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which has been financing the quadrennial Tiger Census since 2006 as part of 'Project Tiger', has informed the department that no funding will be provided this time.

Instead, the department has been asked to use the funds of the Tiger Conservation Foundation, a statutory body constituted for each tiger reserve. However, unlike other tiger reserves in the country, Telangana's Foundations have hardly any money, making it effectively zero funding for the census.

Manpower is another significant challenge. With only 60% of the required Forest Beat Officers in place, it will be a herculean task for the department to carry out the census. Telangana has a minimum of 3,000 beats to be covered, and each beat requires a minimum of two to three persons, including at least one from the department. With the beat officers' strength down to less than 2,000, the department is wholly dependent on recruiting volunteers from NGOs to complete the exercise.

Despite these obstacles, the department is determined to conduct the Tiger Census to the best of its abilities. Preparations are underway, including training programs for the volunteers and setting up camera traps to capture reliable data. The actual census is expected to be conducted sometime in December-January, based on the climate.