Tiger census: 295 tigers added, population estimated at 1706

New Delhi: According to the second all-India tiger population estimation study, carried out in the designated 39 tiger reserves across the country, there has been an increase of 295 tigers in India. The population is estimated at 1706, up from 1411 when they were counted last.

The tiger census 2011 was released at the International Tiger Conference hosted by Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh.

Highlights of Tiger census 2010-11:
• Population estimate of tigers at 1706, up by 295
• Tiger estimate in Shivalik-Gangetic plains: 353, up by 56
• Tiger population estimate in Central and Eastern Ghats: 601
• Tiger population estimate in Western Ghats: 534, up by 132
• Estimate in Brahmaputra flood plains, North-east hills: 148, up by 48
• Tiger population estimate in Sunderbans: 70


The conference is a follow-up to the St. Petersburg meet held last year in Russia. It will discuss challenges, plans and priorities for implementing the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), which aims to double the wild tiger population by 2022.

It is being organised in collaboration with the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), an inter-governmental body that also has membership of the national and international NGOs and the World Bank's Global Tiger Initiative (GTI).

Besides the census report, a film on India's 30 years since the launch of Project Tiger will be released at the conference.

The last census had shown a sharp fall in tiger population, at 1,411 tigers in the wild. India was home to about 3,000 tigers around two decades ago. (With Inputs from IANS)


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