Animals such as tigers, lions, and elephants are keystone and flagship species whose preservation benefits the entire ecosystems.
As of 10 August 2022, India is home to 53 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,796.8 sq. km area in 18 States, with about 75 per cent of the wild tiger population at the global level.
India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018, four years before the targeted year 2022.
In addition, 17 Tiger Reserves in the country have CA|TS international accreditation, and two have received International Tx2 Award.
Lion
Similarly, the population of Asiatic Lions has shown a steady increase, with a population of 674 individuals (2020), 28.87 per cent (one of the highest growth rates so far) higher than the 523 lions in 2015.
Leopard
India now (2020) has 12,852 leopards compared to the previous estimate of 7910 conducted in 2014.
More than a 60 per cent increase in population has been recorded.
Asian Elephants
The current population estimates indicate about 50,000 – 60,000 Asian elephants worldwide.
More than 60 per cent of the population is in India.
Indian Elephant has also been listed in Appendix I of the Convention of the Migratory species in the Conference of Parties of CMS 13 at Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, in February 2020.
