All India Tiger Estimation 2022

All India Tiger Estimation 2022

News: A detailed report on All India Tiger Estimation was released on the occasion of International Tiger Day (July 29).

About Tigers (Panthera Tigris)
• IUCN – Endangered
• WPA – Schedule I
• Cites – Appendix I

Key Highlights:
• According to the Wildlife Institute of India’s (WII) 5th quadrennial tiger census, India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022. The numbers in the report, revised from 3167 earlier, reflect a laudable annual growth rate of 6.1% per annum.
• The largest tiger population of 785 is in Madhya Pradesh, followed by Karnataka (563) and Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444). The tiger abundance within the Tiger Reserve is highest in Corbett (260), followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh (135), Dudhwa (135).
• Central India and the Shivalik Hills and Gangetic Plains witnessed a notable increase in tiger population, while the Western Ghats experienced localized declines, necessitating targeted monitoring and conservation efforts.
• Some states, including Mizoram, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Goa, Chhattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh, have reported disturbing trends with small tiger populations.

What are the initiatives taken to conserve Tigers in India?
• Launching Project Tiger in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitats.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) in selected tiger reserves for protecting tigers in landscapes vulnerable for poaching.
• The NTCA provides technical and financial support to tiger reserves for voluntary relocation of villages and rehabilitation of affected people.
• The NTCA conducts the Management Effective Evaluation of Tiger Reserves of India to assess the performance and gaps of tiger reserves.
• Involving local communities in conservation efforts. The NTCA promotes the participation of local people in eco-development activities, awareness campaigns, and livelihood generation programmes.
• Pursuing the tiger conservation agenda with other Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) at international level through bilateral agreements, capacity building, and co-operation initiatives.
• India has also established the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) to further safeguard these great cats.

Way Forward
• Tigers play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature and biodiversity. However, they face many threats from habitat loss, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. Therefore, it is essential to protect tigers and their habitats for the benefit of both wildlife and humans