Rudrapur, May 17 -- The Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) administration will conduct a three-day census of Hog deer starting May 22, as part of a focused initiative to investigate the declining population of the species in the region, officials said on Friday. The exercise aims to assess current numbers and understand ecological or environmental factors contributing to the decrease in population, said Saket Badola, Director, CTR. "Our staff and wildlife experts have observed a notable decline in the Hog deer population in recent years. The upcoming count will help us determine the reasons behind it, enabling us to launch targeted conservation and restoration efforts," Badola said. Hog deer typically inhabit waterlogged grasslands. However, CTR's effort will go beyond enumeration to also examine habitat preferences and patterns that may be affecting the species' distribution. Hog deer are a crucial part of the wildlife food chain. HTC...