India has 75 pc of world's tiger population: NTCA

By Amit Kumar

New Delhi [India], April 12 : India has almost 75 per cent of the world's tiger population, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said on Wednesday.

According to the latest tiger census data released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the tiger population in India has increased significantly compared to the previous census figures of 1,411 in 2006, reaching 3,167 in 2022.

"India has 75 per cent of the world's tiger population," SP Yadav, the Member Secretary of NTCA, told .

"From 1972 to 2002, there was no proper tiger tracking system and it was based on footprints or pugmarks, so that was not perfect. Sometimes there was an underestimation and sometimes there was an overestimation in the tiger census," Yadav mentioned.

"First time in the year 2006, a scientific methodology in which camera trapping was used for tiger estimation and it was calculated on a scientific basis with its scientific method. Tiger estimation was started in a modern way by taking photographs through camera traps. In 2006, when the first proper tiger census was done, then the number of tigers in the country was 1411. In 2022 the total number of tigers is 3,167 which indicates healthy growth of the tiger population. It is a matter of great pride that India has the largest tiger population globally," Yadav elaborated.

"If we talk about the tiger population in the world, it is around 4000-4500 while alone in India tiger population is 3,167. Almost 75 per cent of the global tiger population," Yadav stated.

Notably, the latest census report said that tiger populations have also declined in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, even though tigers have been spotted for the first time in Himachal Pradesh and in new areas in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

"If you look at the tiger population dynamics, it is always changing. Where there is a good habitat, where it is good grass, land, and water facilities, the tiger makes its habitat automatically. Due to left-wing extremism, there is no proper management in Chhattisgarh, Odisha or Jharkhand because of which there is also a shortage of tigers," Yadav elaborated.

"Naturally, monitoring is not done properly in areas where the employees of the Wildlife Department are not able to reach. There is a risk of security also," he added.

"Tiger has been successfully re-introduced in Sariska in 2005 and Panna in 2008, so wherever the number of this tiger is high, we will translocate the tiger to the place where its density is less," stated Yadav.

Highlighting India's efforts in this domain, Yadav said, "Cambodia wants the Tiger to be reintroduced and India has successfully reintroduced tigers in Sariska, and Panna. So they want cooperation from India and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Cambodian Government has been signed. We are ready to provide technical support and all kinds of support to Cambodia to rebuild the tiger population there."

"India is closely working with the government of Cambodia for translocating a few tigers where tigers have become extinct. The countries signed a memorandum of understanding in November 2022 for the reintroduction of tigers," Yadav added.