endangered animals In India, the number of wild tigers continues to increase
The number of tigers in India has increased from 2967 in 2018 to 3167 in 2022
© picture alliance / Bildagentur-online/Blitzer-McPho | Online photo agency/Blitzer-McPhoto
The number of endangered big cats in India has increased dramatically in recent years. But there are also challenges, like conflicts with people and loss of habitat.
In India, the number of wild tigers has steadily increased. There were 3,167 tigers in the country last year, up from 2,967 in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Mysuru in Karnataka state.
India has by far the most endangered animals in the world, and their numbers are regularly determined using camera traps. “India is a country where conservation is part of the culture,” Modi said. “That’s why there are so many unique achievements in wildlife conservation.”
Tiger countries – besides India, this also includes Russia, China and several countries in South and Southeast Asia – have agreed to protect the animals. In 2010, in St. Petersburg, they set themselves the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022, the Chinese “year of the tiger”. According to official figures, there were 1,706 in India in 2010. WWF tiger expert Markus Raddey said: “India has failed to double that number, but the development of India is an unprecedented achievement.
More tigers also means more conflict with humans
In predominantly Hindu India, tigers also have religious significance, and the government also recognizes the importance of tigers for wildlife tourism. Tiger hunting was banned in the 1970s and prey is hunted less in the country than in other countries due to a strong vegetarian tradition. The government is also taking steps to defuse conflict. For example, people who lose relatives or livestock to tigers are compensated.
Because more tigers can also mean more conflict with humans. With the deforestation of forests, human settlements are sometimes very close to predators. According to the WWF, the tiger’s global range has shrunk by 95% over the past 100 years. This can cause tigers to kill people or their livestock – and people then kill tigers partly out of revenge.
WWF stresses that protecting tigers only works with the acceptance of local residents. Poaching is also a problem for tigers: people sometimes hunt big cats illegally – in part because tiger parts are popular in Chinese medicine. But tigers’ prey is also in their sights, which can lead to food shortages.
