A team of scientists from the University of Oxford, Indian Statistical Institute, and Wildlife conservation society has found out that the increase in Tiger populations may not be true.
As per the scientists, the index calibration method which was used to calculate the population may fetch inaccurate results.
Earlier, India’s National Tiger Survey was carried out in January, and it suggested a 30% overall rise in Tiger population within four years. As per the survey, the number of tigers in 2010 was 1706, while the number in 2014 is a whopping 2226.
The scientist’s team advice conservation practitioners to guard against these errors. As per them, the pitfalls in the index calibration method may drastically affect even the best conservation efforts.
Index Calibration method often determines animal numbers in relatively smaller areas using reliable, expensive methods like camera trapping. After obtaining the calibrated index, researchers will extrapolate actual animal numbers over larger regions.
The approach of calculating animal counts using the Index calibration method is quite popular in many countries. Animal conservation agencies use this method to find the population of animals at a regional level and national level.
The numbers will be then passed on to national agencies, and they used to spend millions to conserve the animal species.
The findings are published in the Journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution. This new finding is expected to enhance the conservation efforts on the Tiger population in the country.
It will help ecologists and conservationists to carry out the protective measures of rare and elusive animals in a more effective manner.