The tiger population in Madhya Pradesh has bounced back in a major way with 89 more being counted since the last census in 2014, taking the number of Big Cats in the State up to 397 across its six reserves.

The increase assumes significance considering that Madhya Pradesh had lost its ‘Tiger State’ tag to Karnataka in 2011. Given the present increase in numbers the former is trailing behind the latter by a narrow margin of nine tigers. The official figure of tigers in Karnataka stands at 406, as per the last census.

Senior officials of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department hoped that the State would soon regain its coveted status of having the highest number of tigers in the country.

According to BS Bonal, Member Secretary National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the success story of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department can be attributed to its sound habitat management. The authorities have been able to relocate many villages from the reserve areas, thereby creating inviolate space within.

This has not only made space for tigers, reducing biotic pressures within the habitat, but also helped in increasing the population of herbivores or the prey species. For instance, in Satpura Tiger Reserve alone, nearly five villages were shifted. The anti-poaching camps have also been strengthened along with increased patrolling by frontline staffs.

“Better estimation and monitoring of the tiger reserves is largely responsible for this increase in the tiger population”, said Dr DipankarGhose, Director, Species Landscape Programme, World Wildlife Fund - India.

“The forest management has put up robust monitoring mechanisms, which include putting camera traps regularly, following dispersal of tigers from sourced population through radio collaring. This way, they have been able to look after the tiger population even outside the protected areas, he said.

The State has been a pioneer in wildlife corridor management which has helped in safe movement of tigers and their prey. It is the first State in the country to come up with a draft corridor management plan. At present, there are four corridors in the State viz. Kanha-Pench, Satpura-Pench, Kanha-Achanakmar and Satpura-Melghat, which connect with the two adjoining States of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

However, protection is the key to healthy populaion of tigers, said Ghose. Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has from time to time imparted latest training on monitoring and patrolling to its frontline staff.