Increase in Tiger Population – IndiaAnalysis:
- Population Growth:
- Tiger population in India has risen to 3,682 in 2022 from 2,967 in 2018 and 2,226 in 2014.
- Consistent sampling indicates an annual growth rate of ~6%.
- Indicates success of conservation efforts under Project Tiger and NTCA interventions.
- Landscape-wise Trends (2022):
- Shivalik-Gangetic Plain: 819 tigers (Uttarakhand – 560, UP – 205, Bihar – 54)
- Central India & Eastern Ghats: 1,439 (MP – 785, Maharashtra – 444, others – 210)
- Western Ghats: 1,087 (Karnataka – 563, Kerala – 213, Tamil Nadu – 306, Goa – 5)
- North Eastern Hills & Brahmaputra Plains: 236 (Assam – 229, Arunachal – 9)
- Sunderbans: 101
- Observation:
Highest densities in Central India and Western Ghats; North-East and Sunderbans show lower numbers. - Human-Wildlife Conflict Management:
- NTCA follows a three-pronged strategy:
i. Material & Logistical Support: Fund allocation for infrastructure, compensation, awareness campaigns, and forest staff training.
ii. Restricting Habitat Interventions: Habitat interventions limited based on carrying capacity to prevent tiger spillover; buffer zones managed judiciously.
iii. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Emergency response for straying tigers, livestock depredation management, relocation from high-density areas.
- Tiger Mortality Due to Unnatural Causes (2021–2024):
- Poaching (P): Declining, zero in 2024
- Seizures (S): Minimal, zero in 2024
- Unnatural Not Poaching (UNP): Conflict deaths reduced, zero in 2024
Indicates effective enforcement and conflict management.
- Policy and Conservation Implications:
- Success attributed to Project Tiger, NTCA SOPs, habitat management, and community awareness.
- Emphasis on site-specific and need-based interventions under Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.
- Shows India’s growing capability in species-specific conservation and reducing human-tiger conflicts.
Static Data (2022 All India Tiger Estimation):
| Year | Population |
|---|
| 2006 | 1,411 |
| 2010 | 1,706 |
| 2014 | 2,226 |
| 2018 | 2,967 |
| 2022 | 3,682 |
Updated - 22 Nov 2025 ; 05:52 PM | News Source: PIB