As many as 306 tigers were recorded in Tamil Nadu in the nation-wide census by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for the year 2022. This figure is an increase from the 264 big cats found in the 2018 survey.
The NTCA report also showed a population of 3,682 tigers across India, a jump from a mere 1,411 in 2006.
According to the NTCA’s ‘Management Effectiveness Evaluation’ (MEE) report released in April, Tamil Nadu’s Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Mudumalai Tiger Reserve were among the top 12 tiger reserves ranked ‘excellent’ out of the 51 in the country. As per the report, only the Western Ghats region showed a decline in tiger numbers with the “major population being stable”. As of 2018, the tiger population was estimated at 981 tigers in the region and the number dropped to 824 in 2022.
However, experts say once the population rises, it is normal to wane and plateau. “It is high time we move away from just numbers. We have a healthy population now,” said Jose Louies, Chief of Enforcement, Wildlife Trust of India. “The focus should be on building connecting corridors along tiger movement areas to handle human-wildlife conflict,” he added.
The MEE report noted that the region faces several conservation issues due to human activities, including habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, human-wildlife conflict, and invasive species.
On Thursday, a day before International Tiger Day, seven people were arrested in connection with the death of a five-year-old male tiger in the Bhavanisagar Forest Range on July 25. The big cat reportedly got caught in a snare laid out for a deer. “Snares are a major problem. Not inside the tiger reserves, but on the fringe areas,” said Mr. Louies.
Srinivas R. Reddy, Chief Wildlife Warden, said following the tiger’s death, the team at Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve has been informed to intensify surveillance and check for snares.
