The animal census report received by the Agriculture Ministry is flawed, the ‘Mawbima’ newspaper reports, citing a senior Agriculture Ministry official.

According to the official, certain district-level data appears incorrect and therefore the reports would need to be remade.

Therefore, plans are underway to hold a fresh sample survey on Macaques, Langur monkeys, Grizzled Giant squirrels and Peacocks, the official had said.

A district-level sample survey will be conducted followed by an analysis of the data.

Data from the previous nationwide census will be compared with new findings to produce an accurate report, though no deadline has been set for submitting the final report with recommendations.

The census was conducted on the directive of a committee tasked with mitigating crop damage by wild animals. The Agriculture Ministry’s role is limited to compiling management recommendations based on the data.

It will also take time to engage with stakeholders, collect survey data, review university studies, and consider views from both animal rights activists and farmers to ensure a comprehensive final report, the official had pointed out.

Noting there is a public misconception claiming that the Ministry will release a report on the census, the official had further stated that disclosing the reported numbers of relevant animal populations is not a requirement.

(Source : Mawbima)