Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, said there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of tigers in the country since 2010. In Lok Sabha, on Wednesday, he said, the estimated number of tigers in the country has gone up to 2,226 (range 1,945-2,491) as compared to 1,706 in 2010 (range 1,520-1,909 tigers). The statement from the minister came while he was replying to a question by Prathap Simha, BJP MP from Mysuru.

He further informed the Lok Sabha that, “The assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators and their prey 2014 using the refined methodology has shown a countrywide 30 percent increase in tiger numbers“.

In the first scientific census in 2006, Tiger’s population was dwindled to a low of 1,411 because of widespread poaching, shrinking habitats from deforestation, prey depletion and poor management of India’s 47 tiger reserves.

“While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. It is a great news. Never before such an exercise has been taken in that massive scale where we have unique photographs of 80% of the India’s tiger”, said Javadekar.

According to the 2014 tiger census, Karnataka (408) has the highest number of tigers in the age group of 1.5 years and more, which is followed by Uttarakhand (340), Madhya Pradesh (308), Tamil Nadu (229), Maharashtra (190), Assam (167). Kerala (136) and Uttar Pradesh (117).