| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | 2026 All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) |
| Significance | World's largest and most sophisticated wildlife survey |
| Global Importance | India is home to over 75% of the global wild tiger population |
| Scope of Survey | Evaluates tiger count, prey density, forest quality, habitat pressure, and human-wildlife interaction |
| Previous Count (2022) | Recorded 3,682 tigers |
| Survey Area | Over 400,000 sq km across 20+ states |
| Personnel | More than 60,000 forest staff involved |
| Phase 1: On-Ground Tracking | Forest guards patrol transects, covering 15 km over three days |
| Data Collected | Indirect signs of tigers (pugmarks, scat), prey sightings, vegetation density, human presence |
| Phase 2: Satellite Integration | Remote sensing by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) |
| Techniques | Satellite imaging to study forest cover, terrain, water sources, and encroachment |
| Phase 3: Camera Traps | Deployment of 40,000 camera traps across a grid-based system |
| AI Integration | AI-based identification of tigers using unique stripe patterns |
| Example | Karnataka identified 563 tigers in 2022 using this method |
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