Biswabrata Goswami
KOLKATA, 28 NOV: In the silent, tidal heart of the Sundarbans—where mangrove shadows shift with the incoming tide and the rustle of the Royal Bengal Tiger often remains unheard to the human ear—the Forest Department on Thursday launched one of its most extensive wildlife monitoring exercises. The formal work for the 2025 tiger census commenced with officials installing a sprawling network of more than 1,400 trap cameras across the world’s largest mangrove delta.
Senior forest officials confirmed that 1,484 all-weather, night-vision cameras are being positioned in canal-adjacent forest stretches, creeks, and interior blocks of the STR (Sundarbans Tiger Reserve) and the adjoining South 24 Parganas Forest Division. The effort is aimed at capturing high-resolution tiger images for scientific analysis to be carried out later in Dehradun—an essential step in determining the region’s latest tiger count.
To facilitate the census, the Sundarbans—usually bustling with winter tourists—will remain completely closed to visitors on December 11 and 12. Boat safaris, launches, cruises and all forms of ecological tourism have been suspended on these days, and even online booking portals will be temporarily disabled, STR authorities said.
“This time, the deployment is deeper and more extensive. Our priority is to secure precise scientific data on tiger movement and habitat use,” a senior STR official noted. Camera installation has already begun in Matla, Raidighi, Ramganga, Sajnekhali and several other forest ranges. Once fully deployed, the cameras will track tiger activity continuously over 4,100 sq. km of mangrove terrain—an area where dense foliage, shifting waterlines and tidal creeks often make direct observation nearly impossible.
Alongside tiger sightings, the month-long census will also document the status of prey species—an essential indicator of forest health. “We are assessing whether the habitat continues to provide adequate food for the tiger population,” an STR official said. Herbivores such as spotted deer, wild boar and other species will be mapped using the same camera grid. The department has also developed a dedicated app to streamline and analyse the massive volume of image data expected from the field.
The last census conducted in 2022, results of which were made public in late 2024, recorded 101 tigers in the Sundarbans—of which 80 were inside the core STR and 21 in the adjoining South 24 Parganas division. The figures reflected a rise from 88 tigers in 2018, signalling a cautiously positive trend in the region’s tiger population.
Conducted once every four years, the full-scale census is supplemented by annual surveys and micro-level observations. This year’s operation, officials say, will help refine long-term conservation strategies for one of the world’s most unique and fragile tiger habitats—where rising sea levels, erosion and climate pressures constantly reshape the landscape.
As the cameras blink to life deep inside the mangroves, the Sundarbans prepares for another attempt to understand its most elusive and iconic resident—one frame at a time.
