The tiger is indeed burning bright in India. According to an estimate released recently on the basis of the quadrennial census coordinated by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, the tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018. This is an upward revision from April this year, when a minimum of 3,167 tigers were estimated. Ever since the inception of Project Tiger in 1973, there has been a boost in the animal’s population and India now has 75 per cent of the world’s tigers. The achievement is due to concerted efforts by wildlife bodies, forest officials, local populations around the reserves, good legal and policy framework and governmental encouragement. The maximum number of 785 tigers was reported in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka with 563, Uttarakhand with 560 and Maharashtra with 444. The increase in tiger numbers in forest reserves has been attributed to good conservation practices such as ensuring that sufficient prey is available.
India has had the longest and most sustained tiger conservation programme and it has largely been successful. However, there are some worries notably the likelihood of man-animal conflict as wildlife corridors are witnessing human interference in the form of development schemes such as the Ken Betwa river link in the Panna tiger reserve and mining projects. The amendments to the Forest Act are a matter of concern for conservationists. Human interference can also lead to imbalance in the predator-prey ratio as infrastructure projects become barriers in retaining this balance. This leads to man-animal conflict including the tendency of humans to venture into forest areas. Already some areas such as the Western Ghats and Brahmaputra flood plains have seen a decline in tiger numbers caused by habitat loss and poaching. While there is much to celebrate over the latest tiger census, it is important to realise that much more has to be done for the conservation of the majestic animal.
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