Lok Sabha Question No. 173 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-15
Subject: Tiger Reserves
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE, PINAKI MISRA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 173 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2017

## Tiger Reserves

## 173. DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: SHRI PINAKI MISRA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of tiger reserves in the country along with details of their area in percentage as compared to the total physical area of the country;
- (b) whether the Government has made any census of the tigers population in the country and if so, the details thereof along with their present population, reserve/State/UT-wise;
- (c) the total increase in the tigers population in the last five years since the beginning of 2012-13;
- (d) whether reportedly an average of 11 tigers died every month in the country and the count is increasing day by day and if so, the details of the deaths of the tigers during last five years and the current year, reserve-wise; and
- (e) whether the Government has made any study to find out the causes of deaths of the tigers in the country and if so, the details thereof and the action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE

CHANGE

## (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) India has 50 tiger reserves currently, having an area of 72749.02 sq.km. in 18 tiger range States, which is 2.21% of country's geographical area.
- (b) & (c) As  per  the  assessment  of  the  Status  of  Tigers,  Co-predators  and  Prey,  2014  using  the refined  methodology,  the  tiger  number  has  shown  30%  increase  countrywide  with  an estimated  number  of  2226  (range  1945-2491)  as  compared  to  2010  estimation  of  1706 (range 1520-1909 tigers). The country level tiger estimation using the refined methodology is done once in four years.  The details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country for the years 2010 and 2014 are at Annexure-I .
- (d) It is not a fact that an average of 11 tigers died every month in the country and the count is increasing day by day.  Details of the death of tigers during last five years and the current year,  reserve-wise,  as  reported  by  States,  is  at Annexure-II. Details  of  death  of  tigers outside tiger reserves during last five years and the current year, State-wise, as reported by States is at Annexure-III.
- (e) Cause of death is analysed on a case to case basis and cause is attributed after following a robust and exhaustive procedure which entails assessing reports as per Standard Operating Procedure  of  the  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority,  forensic  analysis,  pathology reports besides post mortem reports.  Action if the death is not found natural is taken as per relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (b)  &  (c)  OF  THE  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 173 ON TIGER RESERVES DUE FOR REPLY ON 15.12.2017

## Details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country, for the years 2010 and 2014

|                                                                      | Tiger Population   | Tiger Population   |                              |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------|--------------------|------------------------------|
| State                                                                | 2010               | 2014               | Increase / Decrease / Stable |
| Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            |                    |                    |                              |
| Uttarakhand                                                          | 227 (199-256)      | 340                | Increase                     |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                        | 118 (113-124)      | 117                | Stable                       |
| Bihar                                                                | 8 (-)              | 28                 | Increase                     |
| Shivalik Gangetic                                                    | 353 (320-388)      | 485 (427-543)      | Increase                     |
| Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex |                    |                    |                              |
| Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana)                                 | 72 (65-79)         | 68                 | Stable                       |
| Chhattisgarh                                                         | 26 (24-27)         | 46                 | Increase                     |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                       | 257 (213-301)      | 308                | Increase                     |
| Maharashtra                                                          | 169 (155-183)      | 190                | Increase                     |
| Odisha                                                               | 32 (20-44)         | 28                 | Stable                       |
| Rajasthan                                                            | 36 (35-37)         | 45                 | Increase                     |
| Jharkhand                                                            | 10 (6-14)          | 3+                 | Decrease*                    |
| Central India                                                        | 601 (518-685)      | 688 (596-780)      | Increase                     |
| Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      |                    |                    |                              |
| Karnataka                                                            | 300 (280-320)      | 406                | Increase                     |
| Kerala                                                               | 71 (67-75)         | 136                | Increase                     |
| Tamil Nadu                                                           | 163 (153-173)      | 229                | Increase                     |
| Goa                                                                  | -                  | 5                  | Increase                     |
| Western Ghats                                                        | 534 (500-568)      | 776 (685-861)      | Increase                     |
| North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     |                    |                    |                              |
| Assam                                                                | 143 (113-173)      | 167                | Increase                     |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                    | -                  | 28 ♣               | Increase                     |
| Mizoram                                                              | 5                  | 3+                 | Stable                       |
| North West Bengal                                                    | -                  | 3                  | **                           |
| North East Hills, and Brahmaputra                                    | 148 (118-178)      | 201 (174-212)      | Increase                     |
| Sunderbans                                                           | 70 (64-90)         | 76 (92-96)         | Stable                       |
| TOTAL                                                                | 1706 (1520-1909)   | 2226 (1945-2491)   | Increase                     |

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 173 ON TIGER RESERVES DUE FOR REPLY ON 15.12.2017

## Details of the death of tigers inside tiger reserves during last five years and the current year, reserve-wise, as reported by States

| State          | Tiger Reserve Name          |   2012 | 2013   |   2014 | 2015   | 2016   |   2017 (as on 11.12.2017) |
|----------------|-----------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------------------------|
| Andhra Pradesh | Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam    |      0 | 0      |      1 | 0      | 0      |                         0 |
| Assam          | Kaziranga                   |      4 | 6      |      3 | 4      | 1      |                         5 |
| Assam          | Manas                       |      0 | 0      |      1 | 0      | 1      |                         1 |
| Assam          | Orang                       |      0 | 0      |      0 | 0      | 2      |                         1 |
| Assam          | Nameri                      |      0 | 0      |      0 | 0      | 0      |                         2 |
| Bihar          | Valmiki                     |      1 | 0      |      3 | 2      | 4      |                         0 |
| Karnataka      | Nagarhole                   |      2 | 5      |      1 | 5      | 10     |                         9 |
|                | Bandipur                    |      5 | 5      |      4 | 6      | 4      |                         3 |
|                | Billigiri Ranganatha Temple |      1 | 1      |      1 | 4      | 0      |                         0 |
|                | Bhadra                      |      0 | 0      |      0 | 0      | 0      |                         3 |
| Kerala         | Periyar                     |      1 | 0      |      0 | 5      | 0      |                         0 |
|                | Parambikulam                |      0 | 0      |      1 | 0      | 0      |                         1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Kanha                       |      3 | 2      |      5 | 3      | 11     |                         2 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bandhavgarh                 |      3 | 5      |      7 | 1      | 6      |                         4 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Panna Pench                 |      1 | 1      |      1 | 1      | 1      |                         0 |
| Madhya Pradesh |                             |      0 | 1      |      1 | 1      | 8      |                         2 |
| Madhya Pradesh | Sanjay-Dubri                |      0 | 0      |      0 | 1      | 0      |                         1 |
| Maharashtra    | Tadoba-Andhari              |      3 | 0      |      3 | 3      | 4 2    |                         3 |
|                | Melghat                     |      1 | 3      |      1 | 0      |        |                         1 |
|                | Pench                       |      1 | 0      |      0 |        |        |                         5 |
|                | Bor                         |      0 |        |      0 | 0 0    | 1      |                         0 |
|                | Nawegaon-Nagzira            |      0 | 0 0    |      0 | 0      | 1 1    |                         0 |
| Odisha         | Similipal                   |      1 | 1      |      0 | 1      | 0      |                         1 |
| Rajasthan      | Ranthambhore                |      1 | 1      |      0 | 1      | 3      |                         1 |
| Tamil Nadu     | Anamalai                    |      2 | 0      |      2 | 0      | 1      |                         0 |
|                | Mudumalai                   |      2 | 0      |      6 | 2      | 2      |                         1 |
|                | Kalakad-Mundanthurai        |      0 | 0      |      0 | 1      | 0      |                         0 |

| Uttar Pradesh   | Dudhwa                                     |   1 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   2 |   2 |
|-----------------|--------------------------------------------|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
| Uttar Pradesh   | Pilibhit                                   |   0 |   0 |   1 |   3 |   1 |   2 |
| Uttar Pradesh   | Amangarh (Buffer of Corbett Tiger Reserve) |   0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   0 |   1 |
| Uttarakhand     | Corbett                                    |   4 |   4 |   1 |   3 |   4 |   7 |
| West Bengal     | Sundarbans                                 |   2 |   1 |   0 |   3 |   0 |   0 |
|                 |                                            |  39 |  36 |  45 |  53 |  71 |  60 |

***

## ANNEXURE-III

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (d) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 173 ON TIGER RESERVES DUE FOR REPLY ON 15.12.2017

## Details of death of tigers outside tiger reserves during last five years and the current year, State-wise, as reported by States

| S. No.   | State             |   2012 |   2013 |   2014 |   2015 |   2016 |   2017 (as on 11.12.2017) |
|----------|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh    |      0 |      0 |      1 |      0 |      0 |                         0 |
| 2        | Arunachal Pradesh |      1 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |                         0 |
| 3        | Assam             |      2 |      2 |      2 |      1 |      3 |                         5 |
| 4        | Bihar             |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |                         0 |
| 5        | Chhattisgarh      |      1 |      0 |      2 |      1 |      2 |                         2 |
| 6        | Delhi             |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      2 |                         0 |
|          | Haryana           |      1 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |                         0 |
| 7        | Jharkhand         |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |                         0 |
| 8        | Karnataka         |      6 |      4 |      1 |      0 |      3 |                         1 |
| 9        | Kerala            |      4 |      6 |      3 |      1 |      5 |                         1 |
| 10       | Madhya Pradesh    |      7 |      1 |      2 |      7 |      6 |                        12 |
| 11       | Maharashtra       |      9 |      8 |      6 |      9 |      8 |                        11 |
| 12       | Mizoram           |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |                         0 |
| 13       | Nagaland          |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |                         0 |
| 14       | Odisha            |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |                         0 |
| 15       | Rajasthan         |      0 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |                         0 |
| 16       | Tamil Nadu        |      3 |      2 |      7 |      1 |      4 |                         1 |
| 17       | Telangana         |      0 |      0 |      1 |      0 |      2 |                         0 |
| 18       | Uttar Pradesh     |      5 |      1 |      1 |      1 |      1 |                         3 |
| 19       | Uttarakhand       |      9 |      8 |      7 |      7 |     10 |                         9 |
| 20       | West Bengal       |      1 |      0 |      0 |      0 |      1 |                         0 |
|          |                   |     49 |     32 |     33 |     28 |     51 |                        45 |

***