NEW DELHI: First, the good news. India’s tiger population has gone up by 24% since 2018 to at least 3,167. The average population is estimated at 3,682. In fact, the country has about 75% of the world’s tiger headcount, which is a testimony to robust national conservation efforts.
According to an analysis by the Wildlife Institute of India, based on both camera-trapped and non-camera-trapped tiger presence areas — the upper and lower limits of the tiger population are estimated at 3,925 and 3,167, with the average count of 3,682, reflecting an annual growth rate of 6.1%. In the 2018 census, the average tiger population was 2,967.
Now, the worrying trend. The Status of Tiger 2022 report released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on Saturday captures the uneven growth of its population. For example, tigers remained extinct in Mizoram and Nagaland and are on the verge of extinction in Jharkhand. Their population in Mizoram and Nagaland stayed at zero, while in Jharkhand, it declined from five in 2018 to one. Chhattisgarh (19 to 17), Odisha (28 to 20), Arunachal Pradesh (29 to 9) and Telangana (26 to 21), too, witnessed a population dip.
The report underlined that mining activities in protected zones have negatively impacted the tiger habitat. Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are going through intensive mining activities.
Moreover, approximately 35% of the tiger reserves urgently require enhanced protection measures, habitat restoration, ungulate (animal) augmentation and subsequent tiger reintroduction.
The report suggested that strengthening the security of the protected area and intensifying anti-poaching measures are the need of the hour to conserve tigers. It also sought targeted monitoring and conservation in localised areas like the Western Ghats.
On the flip side, the Central, Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains witnessed a significant increase in tiger population, particularly in MP, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. India has 53 tiger reserves spread across 75,796 sq km. There is tiger abundance in Corbett (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135), Mudumalai (114), Kanha (105), Kaziranga (104), Sundarbans (100), Tadoba (97), Sathyamangalam (85) and Pench-MP (77).