Ranchi, Aug. 10: The state forest department has finally adopted a foolproof method to count the number of tigers in Jharkhand.

It has collected 45 samples of droppings and sent it over to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, for tests.

The forest department was due to carry out a census this year. The last census, which was carried out in 2007, confirmed that the tiger count at the Palamau Tiger Reserve had come down to 17 tigers from 45 in 2005.

However, at the time traditional methods like tracing pug marks and setting camera traps were used to compile the information. It is for the first time that faeces will be analysed to check on the tiger population.

The Hyderabad-based laboratory has already confirmed that all the 45 samples sent from the state were that of tigers. Now they will perform tests to identify the number of unique samples.

A scat, or faeces, test reveals the DNA sequence which are then matched individually to eliminate the common ones. This helps in arriving at the exact number of tigers the scat samples had been collected from.

Concerned over the fall in the tiger population, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had sought reports from the state forest department to make future plans for conservation of the big cats.

While talking to The Telegraph, chief conservator of forest (wildlife) and biodiversity S.K. Sharma said that they were regularly sending samples to the Hyderabad centre so that a confirmed report on the number of tigers in Palamau could be obtained.

“Officers have even ascertained the number of male and female tigers at the reserve after subsequent scat tests,” Sharma pointed out. “This newly adopted technique for the tiger census is the best method to zero in on their population in the state. Tracing pug marks and setting camera traps were not very accurate,” said Sharma.

Hyderabad will be soon sending the state a final report on the tiger count. “We are in continuous touch with the centre. We will get to know before the report is submitted to the NTCA,” he said.

Earlier, the state forest department had also proposed to adopt the Sariska Model to increase the tiger population in the state. The model involves keeping male and female tigers in enclosures to increase chances of breeding.

The scat test was first implemented in June this year at Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan after forest authorities there faced difficulty in tracing the number tigers in the region. After its success, the forest departments of other states were asked to implement it.