RANCHI: For the first time in Jharkhand, volunteers from different universities studying botany and zoology will be deployed for the tiger census in the state.

According to forest officials, besides creating a young workforce, this move will help raise awareness about comprehensive tiger estimation and conservation. This is also the first time tiger census activities will be conducted outside the Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), covering forest ranges in Ranchi, Dumka and Hazaribagh.

The Field Director and Deputy Director of PTR have been appointed as nodal agencies for the tiger census in Jharkhand. Forest personnel across the state have also been trained for the exercise, and the training process is still underway. Tiger censuses are conducted every four years, and the next data will be released on July 29, 2026. The last census was released in 2023.

According to PTR Deputy Director Prajesh Kant Jena, volunteers will undergo a skill test before being deployed. “In the first phase, PTR will recruit 20 botany and zoology students from Nilamber Pitamber University as volunteers for the tiger count. Only those who clear the skill test will be included,” he said. This is the first time volunteers are being involved in the count, he added.

Jena said the aim is to involve more people in the campaign to build awareness about wildlife conservation.