Karwar, May 21 -- Theft of trap cameras installed for tiger census operations in the forest regions of Ankola has emerged as a major concern for the Forest Department, disrupting wildlife monitoring activities and causing the loss of costly equipment and valuable ecological data.

Forest officials said the cameras had been installed across different parts of the dense forest to scientifically monitor tiger movement, habitat patterns and population under the nationwide tiger estimation exercise currently underway.

The tiger census programme is considered a crucial part of forest conservation efforts undertaken by both the state and central governments. Camera trap technology is widely used to record the movement of tigers and other wild a...