Tiger Population in India shows 30.5 percent increase in 2014

A tiger under captivity in a zoo in Mangalore, Karnataka.

As per the latest estimates released by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the number of tigers found in the wild, in India increased from 1706 in 2010 to 2226 in 2014. The new figures shows that there is a 30.5 percent increase in the tiger population compared to the last estimate. The results of the survey show that states like Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala marked an increase in the tiger population.

According to the press release issued by Press Information Bureau, the figures were released by Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in the inaugural address at the two day meeting of the Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves. According to the minister conservation efforts related to Special Tiger Protection Force, Special Programme for Orphan Tiger cubs, efforts to control poaching and initiatives to minimize Human-Animal conflict and encroachment have resulted in the growth of tiger population in the country. 

The figures are derived from a comprehensive survey of 18 Tiger States, covering an area of 3,78,118 sq.kms of Forest Area. The double sampling procedure used in the survey, using camera traps made a total of 1540 unique Tiger Photo captures. 

“The third round of independent Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves has shown an overall improvement in the score of 43 Tiger Reserves from 65% in 2010-11 to 69 in 2014”, says the release. Moreover, the forest cover assessment also indicates improvement. “The assessment of Forest Cover Change in Tiger Landscape of Shivalik-Gangetic Plain has indicated an improvement of forest cover in core areas of Tiger Reserves”, says the release.