Sariska reserve to have GPS system soon

TNN | Feb 17, 2012, 01.49AM IST JAIPUR: Tracking of tigers through radio collars at Sariska Tiger Reserve will soon become passe as the wildlife department plans to monitor the activities of tigers and other animals through global positioning system (GPS). Apart from the tigers, activities of forest guards and officials could also be monitored, too, by this system. Satellite and digital cameras would be installed in and around the reserve under the new plan. Also, every forest guard will have to prepare reports of animals and their activities and submit them daily, sources said. All such data relating to the tigers, their numbers and births of cubs would be made available online, sources added. "The data will then be sent to the range officers, who would then forward it to the district forest officer (DFO) who would finally send it to the Indian Wildlife Institute, Dehradun, to make it online," an officer said. The census of the animals would be done through four different methodologies and forest guards and officials would be able to keep a tab on poaching, etc. "Death of animals would be recorded properly," said a source. Additionally, transit line cameras would also be installed in the reserve. "Every transit line census of the big cats would be done on 5, 15 and 25 of every month," an officer said. "Earlier, it was difficult to know whether or not any guard or ranger was inside the reserve but with the GPS system their activities and movements could be tracked, for discipline purposes," RS Shekawat, field director of the reserve, said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/11918906.cms