Visakhapatnam: India registered a tiger population growth of 33.29 per cent in the fourth version of the quadrennial tiger census conducted in 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday released the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018. The tiger population in the country has grown from 1,400 in 2014 to 2,977 in 2019.
However, Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh do not reflect a similar healthy rise in the tiger population, but show only a marginal rise of nine per cent, which is an increase of six tigers in the population. Both the states managed to get a positive rating for the first time.
The ‘Tiger Status Report 2018’ that was released on the occasion of International Tiger Day on Monday showed that Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh have a marginal increase in their tiger population while the rest of the country has seen a rapid growth. The report says that Andhra Pradesh has about 48 tigers and Telangana state has about 26.
Tiger reserves in TS, AP promoted
Both the states have 74 tigers now. In the earlier census in 2014, the total tigers in united AP was 68.
After a decrease in the number of tigers in the last three quadrennial tiger censuses, there is a positive signature of tigers in the states. In 2006, there were about 95 tigers and then the number was down to 72. This is the first time that the Telugu states have registered a rise in population.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority gets the credit for the rise in the number of tigers across the country. India now has 2,967 tigers; in 2014 the total number of tigers was 2,226. In the last four censuses, the number has been rapidly increasing. In 2006 the total number of tigers was 1,411 and in 2010 it grew to 1,706.
AP CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy tweeted: “Glad to witness the significant growth of wild tiger population in both Telugu states. In AP the number stands at 48. On the occasion of International Tiger Day let us escalate our efforts to conserve and create a propitious ecosystem for our National animal.”
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Telangana, P.K. Jha said, “We are happy that we have got a positive note on tiger population. This will be continued further and the state will witness a much better increase by the next census.”
