GPS-mapped: Giant squirrel nests at Bhimashankar

The exercise has been on for the last 20 days.

“This is for the first time we are using GPS devices to make an inventory of the squirrel nests,” said conservator forests,wildlife,M K Rao.

The officials are drawing a digital map of the nests for conservations strategies. Explaining,Rao says,“If next year we find the nest at the same place it means the area is suitable for the animal.”

On the basis of the map,wildlife officials will count nests and find the actual number of animals in each. Though the wildlife department has figures of old and new nests of the animal for 2009-10,officials say it was only a “raw estimate’’ and the animal lives in six nests a year. “In a given year,the squirrel lives in six nests. Both male and female live in these nests and ideally the number of animals in a particular location is arrived at counting the nests and dividing them by six,” said assistant conservator of wildlife,R K Adkar.

Rao said mapping the nests with GPS was more scientific. “We want to work out absolute density of the animal and prepare the GPS map is the first step. The density will give an idea of population,” he said.

For working absolute population density,Rao said the department will tie up with some research institutions. “We would have to apply different sampling techniques to arrive at the figure,” he said.

GPS mapping,officials say,will help them mark new and old nests after an inventory of nests is made. During the year,there were 3,495 and 4,292 old and new nests of wildlife species at the sanctuary.

Rao said the mapping was part of the strategy of the wildlife department to work out larger conservation measures.

“We had earlier trained 10-12 wildlife officials to draw the maps with GPS devices,” he said.