Karnataka has the second highest number of tigers in the country with 563 of these big cats after Madhya Pradesh which has 785, as per the Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India 2022.
The report was released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to mark International Tiger Day on Saturday, and the figures indicate that there has been a steady increase in the tiger numbers in the State since the first All-India Tiger Estimation started in 2006.
The total number of tigers in the entire country has been pegged at 3,682 and in a range of 3,167 and 3,925. In the 2018 status report, Karnataka had 524 tigers while Madhya Pradesh had 526 tigers but in the interim Karnataka’s tiger numbers has increased marginally by 37 tigers while Madhya Pradesh’s tiger population has gone up by 259.
Though a section of the activists has faulted the Forest Department in the State for the marginal increase in the numbers, the decline in the population trends were reflected in the NTCA’s Status of Tiger 2022 which was released in the special programme held in Mysuru to mark 50 years of Project Tiger in April this year.
Not just numbers
However, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Kumar Pushkar told The Hindu that the media was focusing only on numbers and not seeing the larger trend of population increase. “Our resources in terms of trained manpower have increased, the detections are increasing and we are covering more areas while protection has also helped increase the numbers,’’ said Mr. Pushkar. Karnataka had 290 tigers in 2006, 300 in 2010, 406 in 2014, and 524 in the 2018 enumeration exercise.
Meanwhile, another official said tiger cubs had not been taken into account and since there numbers were high, the overall tiger population of Karnataka would be higher.
The Karnataka Forest Department had released its own survey report based on the same exercise a few days ago as per which the minimum estimated tiger population was pegged at 435.
Mr. Pushkar said the number was the minimum estimates based on camera trap images. “The figure of 563 tigers released by NTCA was based on the population range estimated by NTCA after taking into account both direct counts, indirect evidence, prey base, nature of terrain all of which was analysed by scientists using various statistical models,” said Mr. Pushkar.
Bandipur on top again
Within Karnataka, Bandipur — which was edged out by Nagarahole as the reserve with the highest number of tigers in Karnataka as per the Forest Department report released a few days ago — has regained its top slot if one goes by the NTCA report. It also has the second highest number of tigers for any reserve in the country after Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
The minimum number of tigers in Bandipur was pegged at 140 in the State report but in the NTCA report, the tiger population within the tiger reserve has been pegged at 150, while it is 141 for Nagarahole. The number of tigers utilising the Bandipur reserve — including those migrating from adjoining forests — has been pegged at 191, while it is 185 for Nagarahole.
The other reserves with tiger population include Bhadra (28), BRT (37), and Kali which has 14 tigers as per the NTCA report.
