Kerala’s tiger population has increased to 213 in 2022, from 190 in 2018, according to an estimate released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
While Periyar and Parambikulam Tiger Reserves that fall under the Western Ghats landscape have recorded significant population growths, the former was also adjudged the best managed tiger reserve in the country for the second time on the trot by topping the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of tiger reserves.
According to the ‘Status of Tigers: Co-Predators and Prey in India 2022’ report released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on the occasion of the Global Tiger Day on July 29, Periyar Tiger Reserve has recorded a tiger count of 31 with a standard error (SE) of 0.2. The number of tigers found to utilise the reserve is pegged at 43 (SE 4.5).