Tiger population shot up by 30 per cent during the last four years, according to the latest tiger census report that gave a thumbs-up to India’s efforts for conservation of the big cat. The report said the number of the big cat has increased from 1,706 in 2010 to 2,226 in 2014. The big cat population had dipped to an alarming low of 1,411 in 2006, but since then the number is on rise. India now possesses about 70 per cent of the world’s tigers.
Karnataka, having Bandipur and Nagarhole reserves, has the highest number of tigers at 408 big cats. This is followed by 340 in Uttarakhand, where Corbett Tiger reserve hosts the majority of them. With its six tiger reserves, Madhya Pradesh has 308 tigers, while Tamil Nadu has 229 big cats. There are 190 tigers in Maharashtra, 167 in Assam, 136 in Kerala, and 117 in Uttar Pradesh.
“While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. It is great news,” said Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar while releasing the census report calling it a major “success story.” “We have unique photographs of 80 per cent of tigers,” he added.
Javadekar asked forest officials to take steps to curb man-tiger conflicts and pointed out that human deaths have shown a decrease in the recent past. The Minister claimed that crackdowns against poachers have helped in tiger conservation, and said his Ministry has started a special programme for taking care of orphan cubs and their reintroduction in the wild.
The Minister gave away the best practices award to the park officials. Panna Tiger Reserve in MP bagged the best reserve award. Annamalai in Tamil Nadu was given award for best communication, and Melghat in Maharashtra got the honours for smooth village relocation from tiger reserve. Periyar in Kerala was awarded for involving local communities in tiger conservation.
The country has five landscapes — Shivalik-Gangetic Plains, Central India & Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North-Eastern India, and Sunderbans — where the tiger census that started in early 2013 took place. According to officials, a total of 3,78,118 sqkm of forest area in 18 tiger States were surveyed.