2,967. Take a good look at this figure, as you will see it splashed across the world over the next few days. It is the estimated number of tigers in India as of today. It is a massive jump of 33% from 2,226 tigers counted in the year 2014. While people will remember ‘2,967’, let us take a moment to acknowledge other impressive statistics that led to this – countless forest staff monitored 30,000 beats on foot across 18 Indian states; forest staff along with other surveyors walked 520,000 km. as part of the monitoring survey; over 25,000 camera traps were installed across six tiger landscapes to monitor 380,000 sq. km. that resulted in over 350,000 images of India’s wildlife.
Photo: Anish Andheria
The tiger estimation report, 2018, is perhaps the most anticipated wildlife news to emerge from the country. The All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE), the world’s largest wildlife survey effort of its kind, is a mammoth task that is undertaken once every four years. This year, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) under the aegis of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) along with the state Forest Departments, volunteers and NGOs upped the game with the aim of increasing accuracy and precision by employing intelligent scientific monitoring protocols as well as the latest technological developments in animal abundance estimation. For example, use of MSTrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers Intensive Protection and Ecological Status), an android-based wildlife monitoring GIS database system for collection of data, geo-tagging of sightings and signs, and intelligence gathering gave the estimation exercise an added edge.
Like in the past three population assessments conducted in 2006, 2010 and 2014, this year too, the estimation exercise was carried out in four phases. Several states such as Nagaland, Manipur and Gujarat have also been included in the survey and several forest blocks outside of Protected Areas (PAs) have been camera trapped for more accurate estimation. As in 2014, the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) is happy to have contributed to the estimation process by engaging in large carnivore monitoring in the states of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh through camera trapping more than 5,000 sq. km. in the forest blocks outside PAs. WCT also conducted training programmes for frontline forest staff in the two states in the use of MSTrIPES for effective patrolling and monitoring.
The increase in tiger numbers is a positive step towards sustaining this charismatic species in India. It speaks volumes about the effort put in by the forest departments; the exemplary tolerance shown by the local communities towards wildlife (despite the human-wildlife conflicts that do occur from time to time), and efforts put in by various NGOs. The numbers, naturally, also reflect the improved efforts that went into the estimation exercise.
While tiger populations are falling in the rest of its global range, India has emerged as a world leader in accomplishing in-situ conservation despite a burgeoning human population. India should now set out on a path to increasingly work towards improving protection and revival of tiger habitats through landscape-scale conservation efforts.
Related Links
- Human Wildlife Interface Management
- Reinforcing Forest Protection
- One Health
- Conservation Strategy
- Connectivity Conservation
- Law Enforcement – The Weak Link in Big Cat Protection
- Tiger Matters – A Documentary on our 360 Degree Approach to Conservation
- A Preventive Healthcare Safari for Conservation