50 years of Project Tiger: Population of Tiger grows to 3,167 in 2022– For the 5th consecutive year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the “tiger census survey” unfolding that the numbers of tigers once again increase in the nation and now the population stands at 3,167 in the year 2022. At a programme marking the 50 years of “project tiger”, PM Modi launches “International Big Cats Alliance” in Mysore, Karnataka. The programme will focus on protection and conservation of world’s 7 major big cats– tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, pumas, jaguars and cheetahs.
Before launching the conference, the Prime Minister visited the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and Theppakadu Elephant camp in the Mudumalai tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu). The animal’s population in the country has increased by 200 or 6.7 per cent in the past four years.
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50 years of Project Tiger: Key Points
- The 2018 Tiger Census, released in July 2019, had established the presence of 2,967 tigers in India.
- While the tiger numbers in the country stood at 1,411 in 2006, it increased to 1,706 in 2010 and 2,226 in the 2014 cycle of evaluations.
- Addressing the 3-day international conference, PM Narendra Modi said that 75 per cent of the world’s tiger population can now be found in India and tiger reserves in the country span 75,000 square kilometres
- He said that with only 2.4 per cent of global land area, India contributes to 8% of wildlife diversity. India is the largest tiger range country in the world. With nearly 30,000 elephants, we are the largest Asiatic Elephant range in the world and also India has the world’s largest population of one-horned Rhinoceros.
- The Prime Minister further mentioned that the population of lions, leopards, elephants and single-horned rhinos has also increased with India having the largest number of Asiatic elephants and single-horned rhinos in the world, and being the only country where the Asiatic lion is found. 50 years of Project Tiger.
Additional Information for Competitive Exams
- Project tiger is a tiger conservation initiative launched on 1 April 1973 during the tenure of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
- It was first initiated in the year 1973 in Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand.
- Project Tiger was administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority which was launched in December 2005 for reorganized management of tiger reserve in India.
- Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Telangana is the largest tiger reserve in India.
- Bor Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra is the smallest tiger reserve in India.
- The state with the highest population of tigers is Madhya Pradesh followed by Karnataka & Uttarakhand.
- According to the 5th cycle of “Management Effectiveness Evaluation” (MEE), the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala is the best-maintained of all tiger reserves in the country. It was followed by the Satpura Tiger Reserve in M.P and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. 50 years of Project Tiger.