PM to release tiger census on April 9, Karnataka may top list
The 13 countries with tigers are India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, China, Malaysia, Russia, Nepal and Myanmar.
Published: 26th March 2023 07:46 AM | Last Updated: 26th March 2023 07:55 AM | A+A A-
For representational purpose
BENGALURU: The much-awaited all-India tiger census report will be released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mysuru on April 9, as the occasion marks 50 years of Project Tiger.
Modi also mentioned this at a public rally in Davanagere on Saturday, where he informed that he would be coming to Karnataka again in the first week of April to release the tiger census report. He added that Karnataka has been doing well in supporting the tiger population.
“The PM will be visiting Mysuru in April to release the tiger census figures and participate in the international tiger conference,” National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member Secretary S P Yadav told The New Sunday Express.
Another NTCA official said that Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are competing for the title of housing the most tigers in the country.
“There has been an upward trend in tiger numbers over the last five cycles. Areas that had no tigers are also showing a good presence, more so in Karnataka. There would be around 550-600 tigers in the state,” said the official.
According to the 2018 census report, India had 2,967 tigers, of which Karnataka ranked second with 524, and Madhya Pradesh topped the list with 526 tigers. The Western Ghats housed a healthy tiger population, with 981 of the big cats, while Central India and the Eastern Ghats were home to 1,033 tigers
Project Tiger was launched by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1973, with an aim to protect tigers, whose numbers were drastically declining due to hunting and poaching. It was then accorded the highest status in the Wildlife Protection Act, of 1972, being listed under Schedule-1.
“Now with Project Tiger completing 50 years, it will be celebrated with 12 other countries with tiger populations in Karnataka,” said a forest official. The 13 countries with tigers are India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, China, Malaysia, Russia, Nepal and Myanmar.
