New Delhi, July 29 (The Quint/newsin.asia): In 2006, when the survey was first conducted, India had only 1,411 tigers and since then the population has increased at six per cent per annum, the survey said.
The numbers rose to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in 2014, with India accounting for most of the 3,500 tigers scattered around the world.
India is now ascertained to be home to at least 70 percent of the world’s tigers.
Madhya Pradesh topped the list of states with 526 tigers, and Karnataka followed closely with 534 animals.
Indian States with the most number of tigers:
- Madhya Pradesh – 526
- Karnataka – 524
- Uttarakhand -442
- Maharashtra – 312
- Tamil Nadu – 262
- Kerala – 190
- Assam – 190
Chhattisgarh recorded the maximum decline, with the current numbers at 19 as opposed to 46 in the 2014 census. Odisha too recorded a decline in the number of tigers with 45 tigers in 2006 and only 28 tigers in 2018.
In the last five years, the number of protected areas (for tigers) increased from 692 to over 860 and community reserves from 43 to over 100.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while releasing the report, said that the country has emerged as of the biggest and safest habitats for tigers in the world.
“It was decided in 2010 that the target (year) of doubling tiger population would be 2022. We’ve completed the target four years early. The speed and dedication with which various stakeholders have worked for this is remarkable,” Narendra Modi said.
The goal to double the tiger count was set for 2022, as a part of a 2010 agreement between Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russian Federation, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The most famous Indian tiger is the Royal Bengal Tiger, featured above, details of which are as follows:
Scientific Name: Panthera tigris tigris
Adopted in: 1972
Found in: India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka
Habitat: Grasslands, forests, mangrove vegetation
Eating Habits: Carnivorous
Average weight: Male – 220 Kg; Female – 140 Kg
Average Length: Male – upto 3 m; Female – upto 2.6 m
Average Lifespan: 8-10 years in wild
Average Speed: 60km/h
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN Red List)
