Jaipur: A 24-hour wildlife census will be carried out across forest areas under the Jaipur wildlife division starting Friday evening, coinciding with Vaishakh Purnima. The exercise will begin at 5pm on May 1 and continue till 5pm on May 2, officials said.Vijay Pal Singh, deputy conservator of forests (Wildlife), Zoo Jaipur, said the census aims to generate an accurate estimate of the wildlife population in the Jaipur forest region, enabling better scientific planning for conservation and management.The census will follow the waterhole method, which relies on the natural tendency of animals to visit water sources, especially during full moon nights, making observation easier and more reliable.A total of 59 water points have been identified for the exercise. These include nine locations in Nahargarh Biological Park, 19 in Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary and 31 points spread across territorial forest ranges.The enumeration will be conducted by trained forest staff along with selected volunteers, who will record sightings of all wildlife species visiting the water points during the 24-hour period.“The primary objective is to assess the current wildlife population with precision so that conservation strategies can be strengthened on scientific lines,” Singh said.To ensure accuracy, machans have been set up near all identified water sources, and camera traps have also been installed for scientific monitoring. “The full moon period improves visibility, and with camera traps in place, we expect to capture reliable data on species including tiger and leopard,” Singh added.The forest department has appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary movement in forest areas during the census period and cooperate in wildlife conservation efforts.
