What is Tiger Conservation (Project Tiger & All India Tiger Estimation)?
Historical Background
Key Points
9 points- 1.
Project Tiger is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- 2.
Aims to foster an exclusive tiger agenda in the core areas of Tiger Reserves, ensuring a viable population of tigers for scientific, economic, aesthetic, cultural, and ecological values.
- 3.
Provides financial and technical assistance to Tiger Reserves for protection, habitat improvement, and anti-poaching measures.
- 4.
Administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- 5.
The All India Tiger Estimation is conducted every four years, using a methodology that includes camera trapping, sign surveys, and M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers – Intensive Protection and Ecological Status).
- 6.
The fifth cycle (2022) estimated India's tiger population at 3,167, with a potential range of 3,682, accounting for 75% of the world's wild tiger population.
- 7.
Focus on corridor connectivity between reserves and management of tigers outside tiger reserves to ensure genetic diversity and dispersal.
- 8.
Involves local communities in conservation efforts through ecotourism and livelihood support programs.
- 9.
International collaboration under initiatives like Global Tiger Forum and Tx2 goal doubling tiger population by 2022.
Visual Insights
Evolution of Tiger Conservation in India
Timeline showing the key milestones in tiger conservation efforts in India, from Project Tiger to the latest All India Tiger Estimation.
India's tiger conservation efforts have evolved significantly since the launch of Project Tiger in 1973, with periodic estimations and policy updates to ensure the long-term survival of the species.
- 1973Project Tiger launched with 9 tiger reserves
- 2006First All India Tiger Estimation conducted
- 2010Global Tiger Forum established
- 2016Third cycle of All India Tiger Estimation
- 2019Guru Ghasidas National Park notified as a tiger reserve
- 2022Fifth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation: 3,167 tigers
- 2023Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 comes into force
- 2025Sixth cycle of All India Tiger Estimation launched; Focus on 'Management of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves'
Tiger Conservation: Key Components
Mind map illustrating the key components and interconnected aspects of tiger conservation in India.
Tiger Conservation
- ●Project Tiger
- ●All India Tiger Estimation
- ●Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation
- ●Legal Framework
Recent Developments
5 developmentsLaunch of the sixth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation (tiger census) by the Union Environment Minister.
Introduction of a new project: 'Management of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves' to address tiger populations in non-protected areas.
Emphasis on a science-based approach to wildlife conservation and enhanced international collaboration.
Focus on addressing human-wildlife conflict as a key challenge to tiger conservation.
Expansion of tiger reserves and notification of new ones (e.g., Guru Ghasidas National Park as 53rd Tiger Reserve).