Tamil Nadu's Forest Department will commence the first phase of the All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2026 on January 5, continuing through February. This quadrennial exercise, conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, assesses tigers, co-predators, and prey populations across diverse habitats. The initiative involves sign surveys, camera trapping, and genetic sampling. Tamil Nadu, with five tiger reserves, aims to update its tiger population figures, which previously rose from 264 in 2018 to 306 in 2022.