India is currently home to nearly 3,000 tigers marking a 33% jump in their numbers from the last count four years ago.
KRC TIMES Desk
According to the fourth round of the tiger census, there were 2,967 tigers in India in 2018 as against 2,226 in 2014. An increase of 741 tigers in the last four years was evident because of the conservation initiatives taken by the Centre and State government.
Compared to 2006 when the scientific method of tiger counting began, the numbers doubled from 1,411 in 2006 to 2,967 in 2018.
The tiger census report was released by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in his residence on Monday on the occasion of World Tiger Day.
Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 with Uttarakhand at third position with 442 tigers. Though Karnataka lost its pole position as India’s number one tiger state.
This, however, was expected by wildlife scientists who felt that the tiger population at Bandipur-Nagarhole had reached a saturation point with little scope for further expansion.
Even though Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in their tiger numbers. Odisha remained constant. All other States witnessed a positive trend.
Viewed at the landscape level, all five landscapes – Shivalik and Gangetic plains, Central India, Western Ghats, North East, and Brahmaputra plains and Sunderbans hewed an increase with the Central Indian landscape recording the highest increment.
The entire Western Ghats has 981 tigers with Tamil Nadu (264) and Kerala (190) contributing significantly. In fact, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu showed the highest increment in management since last cycle for which the park has also been awarded.
The 33% rise in tiger numbers is the highest ever recorded between cycles which stood at 21% between 2006 and 2010 and 30% between 2010 and 2014. The rise in tiger numbers was in conformity with the average annual growth rate of tigers since, 2006.
The doubling of tiger number was achieved much before the target deadline on 2022 as it was fixed in 2010, Tiger Summit at St Petersburg.
India currently accounts for more than 75% of the global population of adult free-ranging tigers.
