As per the latest census what is the approximate tiger population in India?

Submitted by aurora on

Photo of seized tiger pelts. 1411. The lower limit of tigers is 1165 and the upper limit is 1657

The Project Tiger Directorate, now the National Tiger Conservation Authority, initiated refinement of the ongoing process of tiger estimation using pugmarks (footprints) in 2002. This was a collaborative initiative with the Wildlife Institute of India and 17 Tiger States.Poaching, loss of quality habitat and prey are the main reasons for the decimation.Estimation could not be done in the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh since the area is inaccessible owing to Naxalite engineered problems. The census suggests that four landscapes -- Nagarjunasagar Srisailam, Ranthambhore-Kuno, Indravati-Northern Andhra, and Bandhavgarh-Sanjay-Palamau -- are in need of inputs.An earlier survey in 2002 had estimated the number of tigers in India at 3,700 -- with the population of those in protected sanctuaries estimated at 1,500.

Our national animal: Will it be extinct over the next few decades?

A Royal Bengal Tiger lies in its cage Tiger Poaching in India is a big contributor to the decreasing population. This picture shows details of an instance where the poachers were nabbed.

Conservationists have long complained that many Indian forestry posts lie vacant, while the staff that do exist have little in the way of funds, making them no match for poachers.Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicines, although international trade has been banned since 1993.

The Government of India has taken several steps to strengthen tiger conservation in the country, through implementation of the urgent recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. This, interalia, includes enhancement of village relocation package from Rs. 1 lakh per family to Rs. 10 lakhs, central assistance for protection and deployment of Tiger Protection Force involving local people and ex-army personnel,rehabilitation/resettlement of denotified tribes/communities involved in traditional hunting and strengthening corridor connectivity.

Is anything being done by anybody to address the issue?

Project Tiger Scheme has been under implementation since 1973 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government of India.The main objective of Project Tiger is to ensure a viable population of tiger in India for scientific , economic , aesthetic , cultural and ecological values and to preserve for all time, areas of biological importance as a natural heritage for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people. Main objectives under the scheme include wildlife management, protection measures and site specific ecodevelopment to reduce the dependency of local communities on tiger reserve resources.

Initially, the Project started with 9 tiger reserves, covering an area of 16,339 sq.km., with a population of 268 tigers. At present there are 27 tiger reserves covering an area of 37761 sq.km., with a population of 1498 tigers. This amounts to almost 1.14% of the total geographical area of the country. The selection of reserves was guided by representation of ecotypical wilderness areas across the biogeographic range of tiger distribution in the country. Project Tiger is undisputedly a custodian of major gene pool. It is also a repository of some of the most valuable ecosystem and habitats for wildlife. For more info on project tiger, visit the site: http://projecttiger.nic.in/index.asp