India’s tiger population is up from the last tracked figure of 1,411, when the last Census was conducted. The big cat count in the country is now up to a soothing 1,706 with the addition of 70 tigers from the Sunderbans, where the counting did not take place last time.

This is also the first time in the past decade that India’s tiger conservation programme has shown positive signs of recovery in the face of threats from poachers and pressures on natural habitat from a rapidly growing human population and environmental damage due to developmental projects.

However, accompanying the good news is the not so good news. Terming the latest tiger census a “mixed bag” at the International Tiger Conference, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh voiced concern over the sharp decline in tiger habitat, which could shrink further. “We have a mixed bag. We have reason to feel satisfied with what we have done, but threats are imminent,” he said.

The total area where tigers were found has fallen to 72,852 sq km from 93,697 sq km over a period of three years when the last Census was conducted, raising the need to preserve wildlife against the development needs of a country witnessing increase in economic growth rates.

Ramesh, who has been at loggerheads with his colleagues over several projects regarding environmental concerns said, “We can deal with the poachers, we can deal with the mafia, the real estate mafia and the mining mafia, but what is difficult to deal with is the development dynamics, as there is the need for higher and faster economic growth”.

However, choices have to be made on whether we can afford 9 per cent growth and end our forest cover, he said. He added that a way had to be found to balance imperative high growth with imperative preservation of the ecosystem.

Experts say shrinking habitats have brought tigers into conflict with poachers. Even villagers living near tiger reserves kill tigers, fearing for their safety.

Tiger corridors or the routes used by tigers to move from one reserve to another are also declining sharply as power projects, mining and roads cut into their habitats.

The conference is a follow-up to the St. Petersburg meet held last year in Russia. It will discuss the challenges, plans and priorities for implementing the Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP), which aims to double the wild tiger population by 2022. The Census has added tigers from the Sunderbans in West Bengal for the first time. Shivalik-Gangetic plains have 353 tigers, central India and eastern Ghats 601 tigers, western Ghats 534, the northeast hills and Brahmaputra flood plain 148, and the Sunderbans 70. When 70 from the Sunderbans are added to 1,636 counted from the rest of India, the number of tigers living in the wild rises up to 1,706. Hi-tech methods, including hidden cameras and DNA tests were used to count the big cats in 17 states where tigers live in the wild. India is home to the world’s largest population of big cats. There are about 3,000 wild tigers in the world, of which more than half now live in India.

Wildlife experts are sceptical

Latest tiger figures is a heartening sign of conservation efforts for the endangered species in the country, engaged in tough battle against the danger of poaching. However, experts also attribute increase in number to new areas being included in the survey and better counting methods.

Well known tiger conservationist Valmik Thapar says that through this Census the government has made a “huge, genuine and scientific” effort but the states seem not to be doing enough at their end. “The Central government can give orders to sanction money but it is the job of the state governments to implement new measures and protect the tiger population, which they have not done,” Thapar said.

Calling the new Census figures as “neither great nor terrible,” he said “we have to look at the small-printed lines to find better ways to conserve the tiger. They have counted about 70 tigers in the Sunderbans. My question to West Bengal is that we were told there are about 270 tigers in Sunderbans. What happened to the rest”.

Tiger population

n Population estimate of tigers at 1,706, up by 295 if Sunderbans figures are added, and 225 if the last count of, 1411 is considered when Sunderbans region was left out.

n Area occupied by tigers down to 72,852 sq km in 2010 from 93,697 sq km in 2006

n Shivalik-Gangetic plains: 353, up by 56

n Central and Eastern Ghats: 601

n Western Ghats: 534, up by 132

n Brahmaputra flood plain, North-east hills: 148, up by 48

n Tiger poulation estimate in Sunderbans: 70