Forest staff at Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu, will use the MSTrIPES mobile application for the upcoming All India Tiger Estimation Survey 2026. This marks a full digital transition in wildlife enumeration, aimed at improving accuracy, speed, GPS-based validation, and real-time data integration.
MSTrIPES,will be used for the All India Tiger Estimation Survey 2026 at Anamalai Tiger Reserve, enabling real-time GPS-based digital enumeration of tigers, prey and habitat.
Digital Shift in Wildlife Enumeration
- Earlier: animal signs were recorded manually and uploaded later.
- Now: forest staff directly enter data in real time into the MSTrIPES app using GPS-enabled devices.
- Data captured includes:
- Tigers and other large carnivores
- Megaherbivores
- Arboreal species
- Vegetation details
- Distance covered along transect lines
- Benefits: reduced human error, faster compilation, centralised analysis.
Rising Tiger Numbers in the Landscape
- Tiger census 2022:
- ~25 tigers within Anamalai Tiger Reserve
- 7–8 shared with adjacent Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
- 57–58 tigers across the combined landscape
- Recent evidence:
- Tiger presence in Kolumam buffer range
- Newborn cub sightings in Ulanthy forest range
- Officials expect higher numbers in the 2026 estimation.
About MSTrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection & Ecological Status)
Institutional Background
- Launched: 2010
- By: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) with Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- Purpose: Scientific monitoring, protection, and management of tiger habitats.
Two Core Components
- Analytical & Desktop Platform
- Centralised database
- GIS & statistical analysis
- Management decision support
- Mobile-Based Field Application
- Android-based
- Used by frontline forest staff
- Real-time GPS tracking and data upload
Technologies Used
- GPS – patrol routes & locations
- GPRS – data transmission
- Remote Sensing – habitat analysis
- GIS – spatial mapping
- Statistical tools – trend & risk assessment
How MSTrIPES Works on Ground
Role of Forest Guards
- Patrol assigned beats (smallest forest administrative unit)
- Record:
- GPS patrol tracks
- Wildlife sightings
- Signs of threats (poaching, encroachment)
- Upload data for central analysis
What is a Beat?
- Smallest unit of forest administration in India
- Originated during British forest administration
- Usually managed by one forest guard
Why MSTrIPES Matters for Tiger Census
- Ensures scientific population estimation
- Integrates protection + monitoring + census
- Improves accountability of patrol staff
- Enables:
- Identification of poaching hotspots
- Tracking animal movement patterns
- Monitoring habitat degradation
- Strengthens India’s position as a global leader in tiger conservation
About Anamalai Tiger Reserve
- Location: Coimbatore & Tiruppur districts, Tamil Nadu
- Area: 1,108 sq km
- Core: 958.5 sq km
- Buffer: 150.48 sq km
- Geography:
- In Anamalai Hills, south of Palakkad Gap
- Part of Southern Western Ghats
- Neighbouring PAs:
- Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (east)
- Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Eravikulam National Park
- Indigenous communities:
- Kadar, Muduvar, Malasar, Malai Malasar, Eravalar, Pulayar
- Vegetation:
- Wet evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist & dry deciduous, thorn, shola forests
- Montane grasslands, savannah, marshy grasslands
- Key fauna:
- Tiger, Asiatic elephant, leopard, sambar, spotted deer, barking deer, jungle cat
India’s Tiger Conservation Framework
- Project Tiger launched in 1973
- NTCA provides statutory backing under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- Shift from manual patrols → technology-driven monitoring like MSTrIPES
- All India Tiger Estimation conducted once every 4 years