India's tiger population jumps more than 30 per cent

Numbers rise to nearly 3,000 from previous census four years ago

India's wild tiger population has risen to nearly 3,000, according to a report released on July 29, 2019 to mark International Tiger Day. AP Photo

India's wild tiger population has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past four years, according to a new census released Monday, raising hopes for the survival of the endangered species.

The census found 2,967 tigers in the wild across the country, up from 2,226 four years ago in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed as a "historic achievement".

"We reaffirm our commitment towards protecting the tiger," Mr Modi said in Delhi as he released the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018.

"Some 15 years ago, there was serious concern about the decline in the population of tigers. It was a big challenge for us but with determination, we have achieved our goals."

The surveys are conducted every four years, with the latest census spanning 15 months and using 26,000 camera traps that took almost 350,000 images across known tiger habitats, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said at the census release.

Images that showed the big cats were analysed using computer programmes to identify each creature. Wildlife and forestry officials also scoured 380,000 square kilometres of terrain.

In 1900, more than 100,000 tigers were estimated to roam the planet. But that fell to a record low of 3,200 globally in 2010.

That year, India and 12 other countries with tiger populations signed an agreement to double their big cat numbers by 2022.

Population numbers in India have risen steadily since falling to its lowest-recorded figure of 1,411 in 2006.

But they are yet to return to the figures recorded in 2002 when some 3,700 tigers were estimated to be alive in the country.

It is believed about 40,000 tigers lived in India at the time of independence from Britain in 1947.

Wildlife experts lauded the government effort and said the rise in numbers heralded a new chapter in the conservation of the big cats in India.

"The scale and magnitude of the assessment is unparalleled globally," Global Tiger Forum secretary general Rajesh Gopal said.

Authorities across Asia are waging a major battle against poachers, who often sell tiger body parts to the lucrative traditional Chinese medicine market, as well as other man-made problems such as habitat loss.

New Delhi has sought to improve its management of the tiger, reserving 50 habitats – from Himalayan foothills in the north-east to regions in west and central India – exclusively for the animals.

But at the same time, the country's growing population has increasingly encroached into the territory of the wild animals, pushing them into frequent conflict with humans.

More than 60 tigers have died or been killed so far this year across India, according to government figures.

Last week, a tigress was beaten to death by a mob a day after it mauled one person to death and injured eight others.

Another tigress, and her two cubs, died last month after villagers poisoned the carcass of a cow it had hunted a day earlier.

About 30 people were killed by tigers in India last year, according to the government.