Tiger Census in Gorumara and Chapramari Delayed Due to Camera Shortage

RAJDEEP MONDAL, MP, 6 Feb 2026,  Jalpaiguri: The tiger census in Gorumara National Park and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary has been delayed due to a shortage of trap cameras, Forest department officials said. The census will now begin only after the completion of the ongoing survey in the Sundarbans, from where the required cameras will be brought.

Meanwhile, the tiger census in Neora Valley National Park will be conducted in late April or early May, as extreme cold conditions continue to prevail in the higher reaches of the park. Officials said sub-zero temperatures and the presence of Himalayan black bears have made it unsafe to conduct fieldwork at present.

The census, to be jointly conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the state Forest department, was initially scheduled between February 18 and 20 in Gorumara and Chapramari. Neora Valley was also slated for a survey once winter conditions eased.

The exercise will involve camera trapping, foot surveys using the polygon method, and the collection of biological evidence such as claw marks, pugmarks, and scat samples. Forest personnel underwent training for the census in early January. Habitat conditions and prey availability will also be assessed.

Despite repeated photographic evidence of tigers in Neora Valley since 2017—including camera-trap images and scat samples sent to WII—no tiger was recorded in the 2022 National Tiger Census.

DFO of Gorumara Wildlife Division, Dwija Pratim Sen, said: “Temperatures in Neora Valley are currently below zero, and black bear activity poses a serious risk. Once conditions improve, survey teams will trek up to 10,500 feet to install trap cameras and assess tiger movement, including along the tri-junction corridor adjoining Bhutan and Sikkim.”

A total of 80 trap cameras have already been installed in Neora Valley before the onset of winter. While 60 cameras are being set up in the plains of Gorumara and Chapramari, another 45 cameras—earlier expected from Jaldapara—are now being sourced from the Sundarbans. Around 200 surveyors will be deployed in Neora Valley and 250 in Gorumara and Chapramari.