Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The tiger census of Madhya Pradesh will be out on International Tiger Day on July 29. The forest officials are elated over the previous landscape-based survey which hinted that tigers’ population has increased substantially in Madhya Pradesh.
The officials are of the view that tiger population would be more than what was estimated on the basis of camera traps. “In camera traps, not all tigers are captured. Hence, the tiger population will be more than estimated figure,” said a Field Director of one of the Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh.
Besides tiger reserves, cubs were born in unprotected forest areas of the state. The growth in tiger population in unprotected forest areas will also be added. Thus, the officials are hopeful that Madhya Pradesh would retain India’s tiger state tag this time too. The forest officials have claimed that state may have about 600 to 700 tigers.
In the last tiger census held in 2018, Madhya Pradesh had 526 tigers, two more than Karnataka. On International Tiger Day, state government will hold a function at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre in presence of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
