Roaring success: India’s tiger count surges by 60%

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 20

There’s good news for tiger lovers. The population of the  big cat has increased in India from 1,411 in 2006 to 2,226 in 2014 — an increase of over 60 per cent. The figure accounts for 70 per cent of the world’s entire population of tigers.
Unveiling the latest tiger census from a countrywide assessment, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar attributed this “success” to combined efforts of all those who had been involved in the conservation exercise — government, officers, forest guards, community participation and scientific approach.
As per the report, tiger population increased in several states, including Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Karnataka, with 406 tigers, heads the list. Registering 50 per cent increase since the last count, Uttarakhand follows with 340 tigers. MP, which was on top, is number three with 308 tigers, followed by UP with 117.
A total of 1,540 tigers were photographed and matched with their unique stripe patterns. In all, 3,78,118 sq km of forest area in 18 tiger states was surveyed with 1,540 unique tiger photo captures.
Officials say the assessment was carried out with the help of refined methodology of double sampling using camera traps. In 2006, the mid-value of such snap shot assessment using the same methodology was 1,411, in 2010 it was 1,706 and in 2014 it stands at 2,226. In all, the figure for estimated population in 2014 was taken between 1,945 and 2,491 (2,226) and between 1,520 and 1909 (1706) in 2010.
Clearly, the measures—creation of Special Tiger Protection Force, Special Programme for Orphan Tiger cubs, efforts to control poaching and initiatives to minimise human-animal conflict and encroachment— have borne results.
Experts say threats from poachers, international smuggling networks and loss of habitat remain but stepped up scientific surveillance proved fruitful.