NEWS – A special survey by the Uttarakhand Forest Department in Ramnagar division (adjacent to Corbett Tiger Reserve) has recorded a rise in tiger numbers from 67 in 2022 to 96 in 2025.

HIGHLIGHTS

Key Findings

• Survey conducted with WWF-India using 1,059 camera trap images.
• Ramnagar is a buffer zone of Corbett Tiger Reserve.
• Increase linked to Forest Landscape Restoration efforts over the last 3 years.

Tigers in India

• India has 3,167 tigers (2022 report) – over 70% of global population.
• Protected under Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
• Listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List.

Importance of Tiger Conservation

• Tigers are umbrella species: their protection ensures conservation of forests, prey species, and overall biodiversity.
• Prevents ecological imbalance.

Project Tiger & NTCA

• Launched in 1973 to conserve tigers and their habitats.
• National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) supervises implementation and conducts the All India Tiger Estimation every 4 years.
• Currently, 58 tiger reserves, latest being Madhav National Park (MP).

Corbett Tiger Reserve

• India’s first National Park (1936), renamed after Jim Corbett.
• Spread over 1,288 sq km in Uttarakhand.
• Rich in flora (Sal forests, grasslands) and fauna (tigers, elephants, leopards, gharials).

Challenges Ahead

• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Between 2020–24, 382 people killed by tigers; Ramnagar alone saw 13 deaths since 2022.
• Dispersal of tigers: Nearly 30% live outside reserves, raising risk of livestock depredation and conflict.
• Funding gaps: Non-reserve divisions with high tiger numbers receive fewer resources compared to official tiger reserves.