Fourth All India Tiger Estimation

The fourth All India tiger Estimation was done in 2018, the results of which were published in July 2020. The estimation was done by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in 18 tiger range states in 50 tiger reserves.

Findings of the Report

• Increase in Tiger numbers: The total count of tigers has risen to 2,967 from 2,226 in 2014 - an increase of 741 individuals (aged more than one year), or 33%, in four years. India constitutes 70% of the Tiger population of the world.
• The biggest increase in Tiger numbers has been in Madhya Pradesh – an increase of 218 individuals, from 308 in 2014 to 526 in 2018. All states except Chattisgarh and Mizoram saw an increase in Tiger population.
• In Maharashtra, the number of tigers has increased from 190 to 312, and in Karnataka, from 406 to 524. Uttarakhand has gained over 100 tigers.
• State with largest number of tigers: Madhya Pradesh witnessed the highest number of tigers at 526, followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442).

Status in Tiger Reserves

• Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of tigers.
• No tigers were spotted at three tiger reserves - Buxa in West Bengal, Palamu in Jharkhand and Dampa in Mizoram.
• Tiger populations at Nameri (Assam) and Pakke (Arunachal Pradesh) have shown a decline.

Reasons for increase in Tiger Population

• Improved Conservation Efforts:
  • The number of tiger reserves has increased from 28 in 2006 to 50 in 2018, extending protection to larger numbers of tigers over the years. 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.
  • Healthy increases in core area populations eventually lead to migrations to areas outside the core, which is why tigers have been found in newer areas.
• Increased Vigilance and Protection:
  • Due to increased vigilance, the incidents of poaching have declined. There has been no organised poaching by traditional gangs in Central Indian landscapes since 2013.
• Use of Technology and Digital Techniques:
  • Estimation exercises have become increasingly more accurate over the years. Use of M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for tigers - intensive protection and ecological status), that uses GPS to geotag photo-evidences, and survey information has improved the accuracy.