Lok Sabha Question No. 80 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Increase in Tiger Population
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 80

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Increase in Tiger Population

## 80 SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

## SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

Will the MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether tiger population in the country has shown a remarkable growth during the last few years;
- (b) if so, the total number of tigers increased during the last three years, State wise;
- (c) whether increased population of tigers in the country has given rise to incidents of human tiger conflicts and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  measures  to  prevent  human  tiger  conflicts  in  the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether due to the increase in number of tigers, the cases of tiger poaching is also on rise in the country; and
- (f) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  number  of  tigers  killed  during  the  last  three  years,  Statewise?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) & (b) The tiger population has increased as per the All India Tiger Estimation done in 2022, with  an  estimated  number  of  3682  (range  3167-3925)  as  compared  to  the  2018 estimation of 2967 (range 2603-3346) and 2014 estimation of 2226 (range 1945-2491). The tiger population is increasing at a rate of 6% per annum in India when consistently sampled  areas  are  compared.    The  details  of  tiger  estimation  pertaining  to  tiger landscapes  in  the  country,  for  the  years  2006,  2010,  2014,  2018  and  2022  is  at Annexure-I.
- (c) & (d) The  Government  of  India,  through  the  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority,  has advocated a three pronged strategy to manage human-wildlife negative interactions as follows:-
- (i) Material and logistical support: Funding support through the ongoing Centrally Sponsored  Scheme  of  Project  Tiger,  is  provided  to  tiger  reserves  for  acquiring capacity in terms of infrastructure and material, to deal with tigers dispersing out of source areas.  These are solicited by tiger reserves through an Annual Plan of Operation (APO)  every  year  which stems out from an overarching Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP), mandated under Section 38 V  of the Wildlife (Protection)  Act,  1972. Inter  alia, activities  such  as  payment  of  ex-gratia  and compensation,  periodic  awareness  campaigns  to  sensitize,  guide  and  advise  the general  populace  on  man-animal  conflict,  dissemination  of  information  through

various forms of media, procurement of immobilization equipment, drugs, training and  capacity  building  of  forest  staff  to  deal  with  conflict  events  are  generally solicited.

- (ii) Restricting habitat interventions :  Based on the carrying capacity of tigers in a tiger reserve, habitat interventions are restricted through an overarching TCP.  In case  tiger  numbers  are  at  carrying  capacity  levels,  it  is  advised  that  habitat interventions should be limited so that there is no excessive spill over of wildlife including tigers thereby minimizing man-animal conflict.  Further, in buffer areas around tiger reserves,  habitat  interventions  are  restricted  such  that  they  are  suboptimal vis-à-vis the core/critical tiger habitat areas, judicious enough to facilitate dispersal to other rich habitat areas only.
- (iii) Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs): The National Tiger Conservation Authority  has  issued  following  three  SOPs  to  deal  with  human-animal  conflict, which are available in public domain:

i.  To  deal  with  emergency  arising  due  to  straying  of  tigers  in  human dominated landscapes

- ii. To deal with tiger depredation on livestock
- iii. For active management towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level.

The three  SOPs inter alia include the issue of managing  dispersing tigers, managing  livestock  kills  so  as  to  reduce  conflict  as  well  as  relocating  tigers  from source areas to areas where density of tiger is low, so that conflict in rich source areas does not occur.

Also  as  per  Tiger  Conservation  Plans  need  based  and  site-specific  management interventions are undertaken by the tiger reserves for improving the quality of wildlife habitat  and  funding  support  for  these  activities  is  provided  under  the  Project  Tiger Component of the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats.

- (e) & (f) As  reported  by  States,  the  details  of  tigers  lost  due  to  confirmed  unnatural  causes (poaching, seizures and unnatural not poaching) during last three years and current year are at Annexure-II .

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## Annexure-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 80 ON INCREASE IN TIGER POPULATION DUE FOR REPLY ON 25.11.2024

Details of tiger estimation pertaining to tiger landscapes in the country, for the years 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 (As per All India Tiger Estimation Reports)

| State                                                                | Tiger Population                                                     | Tiger Population                                                     | Tiger Population                                                     | Tiger Population                                                     | Tiger Population                                                     |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                      | 2006                                                                 | 2010                                                                 | 2014                                                                 | 2018                                                                 | 2022                                                                 |
| Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            | Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex                            |
| Uttarakhand                                                          | 178                                                                  | 227                                                                  | 340                                                                  | 442                                                                  | 560                                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                        | 109                                                                  | 118                                                                  | 117                                                                  | 173                                                                  | 205                                                                  |
| Bihar                                                                | 10                                                                   | 8                                                                    | 28                                                                   | 31                                                                   | 54                                                                   |
| Shivalik Gangetic                                                    | 297                                                                  | 353                                                                  | 485                                                                  | 646                                                                  | 819                                                                  |
| Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex | Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                       | 95                                                                   | 72                                                                   | 68                                                                   | 48                                                                   | 63                                                                   |
| Telangana                                                            | -                                                                    | -                                                                    | -                                                                    | 26                                                                   | 21                                                                   |
| Chhattisgarh                                                         | 26                                                                   | 26                                                                   | 46                                                                   | 19                                                                   | 17                                                                   |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                       | 300                                                                  | 257                                                                  | 308                                                                  | 526                                                                  | 785                                                                  |
| Maharashtra                                                          | 103                                                                  | 169                                                                  | 190                                                                  | 312                                                                  | 444                                                                  |
| Odisha                                                               | 45                                                                   | 32                                                                   | 28                                                                   | 28                                                                   | 20                                                                   |
| Rajasthan                                                            | 32                                                                   | 36                                                                   | 45                                                                   | 69                                                                   | 88                                                                   |
| Jharkhand                                                            | -                                                                    | 10                                                                   | 3                                                                    | 5                                                                    | 1                                                                    |
| Central India                                                        | 601                                                                  | 601                                                                  | 688                                                                  | 1033                                                                 | 1439                                                                 |
| Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      | Western Ghats Landscape Complex                                      |
| Karnataka                                                            | 290                                                                  | 300                                                                  | 406                                                                  | 524                                                                  | 563                                                                  |
| Kerala                                                               | 46                                                                   | 71                                                                   | 136                                                                  | 190                                                                  | 213                                                                  |
| Tamil Nadu                                                           | 76                                                                   | 163                                                                  | 229                                                                  | 264                                                                  | 306                                                                  |
| Goa                                                                  | -                                                                    | -                                                                    | 5                                                                    | 3                                                                    | 5                                                                    |
| Western Ghats                                                        | 412                                                                  | 534                                                                  | 776                                                                  | 981                                                                  | 1087                                                                 |
| North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     | North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains                     |
| Assam                                                                | 70                                                                   | 143                                                                  | 167                                                                  | 190                                                                  | 229                                                                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                    | 14                                                                   | -                                                                    | 28                                                                   | 29                                                                   | 9                                                                    |
| Mizoram                                                              | 6                                                                    | 5                                                                    | 3                                                                    | 0                                                                    | 0                                                                    |
| Nagaland                                                             | -                                                                    | -                                                                    | -                                                                    | 0                                                                    | 0                                                                    |
| Northern West Bengal                                                 | 10                                                                   | -                                                                    | 3                                                                    | 0                                                                    | 2                                                                    |
| North East Hills, and Brahmaputra                                    | 100                                                                  | 148                                                                  | 201                                                                  | 219                                                                  | 236                                                                  |
| Sunderbans                                                           | -                                                                    | 70                                                                   | 76                                                                   | 88                                                                   | 101                                                                  |
| TOTAL                                                                | 1411                                                                 | 1706                                                                 | 2226                                                                 | 2967                                                                 | 3682                                                                 |

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## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (e)  &  (f)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 80 ON INCREASE IN TIGER POPULATION DUE FOR REPLY ON 25.11.2024

## Details of tiger lost due to confirmed unnatural causes (poaching, seizures and unnatural not poaching) during last three years and current, State-wise

| State             | 2021   | 2021   | 2021   | 2022   | 2022   | 2022   | 2023   | 2023   | 2023   | 2024 (as on 20.11.2024)   | 2024 (as on 20.11.2024)   | 2024 (as on 20.11.2024)   |
|-------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| State             | P      | S      | UNP    | P      | S      | UNP    | P      | S      | UNP    | P                         | S                         | UNP                       |
| Andhra Pradesh    | -      | -      | 1      | 2      | -      | -      | 1      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Arunachal Pradesh | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Assam             | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | 2      | -      | 3      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Bihar             | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | 1      | 1      | 1      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Chhattisgarh      | -      | -      | 2      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Delhi             | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Goa               | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Gujarat           | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Haryana           | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Jharkhand         | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Karnataka         | -      | -      | 1      | 3      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Kerala            | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | 3      | 1      | -      | 1      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 3      | -      | 1      | 5      | 1      | 1      | 5      | -      | 3      | 1                         | -                         | -                         |
| Maharashtra       | 5      | -      | 2      | 2      | -      | 2      | 1      | -      | 3      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Nagaland          | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Odisha            | -      | -      | -      | -      | 1      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Rajasthan         | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Tamil Nadu        | -      | -      | 1      | -      | -      | 1      | 2      | -      | 1      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Telangana         | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Uttar Pradesh     | -      | 1      | 2      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Uttarakhand       | -      | -      | 1      | -      | -      | 1      | 1      | -      | 1      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| West Bengal       | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -                         | -                         | -                         |
| Total             | 8      | 1      | 11     | 12     | 2      | 11     | 12     | 4      | 9      | 1                         | 0                         | 0                         |

P - Poaching S - Seizure UNP - Unnatural not poaching

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