As per the findings of the recent all India estimation of tiger using the refined methodology, the total country-level population of tiger is 1411 (mid value); the lower and upper limits being 1165 and 1657 respectively. The new findings, which are based on statistical methods and not comparable with the earlier estimates based on pugmark counts, indicate a poor status of tiger population outside tiger reserves and protected areas in the 17 tiger States. The tiger population, by and large, in tiger reserves and protected areas of such States are viable, while requiring ongoing conservation efforts. As informed by the State, the population of lion is 359+10, which has increased over the years. As a part of the recent all India tiger estimation, only the spatial occupancy of leopard within the 17 tiger States has been ascertained. The population of tiger, and spatial occupancy of leopard in tiger States are at Annexure-I. The reasons for the present status of tiger and other wild animals, in general, are at Annexure-II.

Details relating to killing of tiger, lion and leopard during the last three years and the current year, as reported by States, are at Annexure-III.

So far, 131 persons have been arrested / apprehended in various States as per the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. The steps taken by the Government to protect tiger and other wild animals are at Annexure-IV.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Shri S. Regupathy in a reply to a question by Shri Prabhunath Singh, Shri Shailendra Kumar and Smt. Maneka Gandhi in Lok Sabha.

ANNEXURE-I

Forest occupancy of leopard in tiger States, and population of tiger as estimated by the refined methodology

State


Leopard (km2)


Tiger Numbers

No.


Lower limit


Upper limit

Shivalik-Gangetic Plain Landscape Complex

Uttarakhand


3683


178


161


195

Uttar Pradesh


2936


109


91


127

Bihar


552


10


7


13

Shivalik-Gangetic (Total)


7171


297


259


335

Central Indian Landscape Complex and Eastern Ghats Landscape Complex

Andhra Pradesh


37609


95


84


107

Chattisgarh


14939


26


23


28

Madhya Pradesh


34736


300


236


364

Maharashtra


4982


103


76


131

Orissa


25516


45


37


53

Rajasthan


-


32


30


35

Jharkhand**


131


Not Assessed

Central Indian (Total)


117913


601


486


718

Western Ghats Landscape Complex

Karnataka


20506


290


241


339

Kerala


8363


46


39


53

Tamil Nadu


14484


76


56


95

Western Ghats (Total)


43353


412


336


487

North East Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains

Assam*


1500


70


60


80

Arunachal Pradesh*


670




14


12


18

Mizoram*


2324


6


4


8

Northern West Bengal*


1135


10


8


12

North East Hills, and Brahmaputra (Total)


5629


100


84


118

Sunderbans


-


Not Assessed

Total Tiger Population


1411


1165


1657



* Population estimates are based on possible density of tiger occupied landscape in the area, not assessed by double sampling.

** Data was not amenable to population estimation of tiger. However, available information about the landscape indicates low densities of tiger in the area ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 per 100 km2.



Annexure-II

1. Mortality of wild animals due to poaching.

2. Degradation of forest status outside Protected Areas / Tiger Reserves owing to human pressure, livestock pressure, and ecologically unsustainable land uses

3. Fragmentation leading to loss of gene flow from source populations.

4. Mortality of wild animals due to man-animal conflicts.

5. Loss of reproduction owing to disturbance on account of heavily used infrastructure like highways, etc.

6. Lack of adequate protection in outside areas.

7. Loss of forest quality in terms of prey biomass to support large carnivores like tiger and leopard.

8. Insurgency / law and order problems in some tiger reserves / protected areas / forest areas.

ANNEXURE-III

Details relating to killing of tiger, lion and leopard during the last three years and the current year, as reported by tiger range States and Gujarat (only for lions)



Sl. No.


TIGER


LEOPARD (within and outside tiger reserves)


LION

2005


2006


2007


2008


2005


2006


2007


2008


2005-06


2006-07


2007-08


2008-09

1.


17


14


30


10


14


17


08


08


35


35


52


Not reported



Annexure-IV



Steps taken by the Government of India to protect tiger and other wild animals



Legal steps



Amendment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 for providing enabling provisions for constitution of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau. The punishment in cases of offence within a tiger reserve has been enhanced. The Act also provides for forfeiture of any equipment, vehicle or weapon that has been used for committing any wild life offence.



Administrative steps



2. Strengthening of antipoaching activities, including special strategy for monsoon patrolling, by providing funding support to Tiger Reserve States, as proposed by them, for deployment of antipoaching squads involving ex-army personnel / home guards, apart from workforce comprising of local people, in addition to strengthening of communication / wireless facilities.



3. 100% Central Assistance provided to 17 Tiger Reserves as an additionality for deployment of Tiger Protection Force, comprising of ex-army personnel and local workforce.



4. Constitution of the National Tiger Conservation Authority with effect from 4.09.2006, for strengthening tiger conservation by, interalia, ensuring normative standards in tiger reserve management, preparation of reserve specific tiger conservation plan, laying down annual / audit report before Parliament, constituting State level Steering Committees under the Chairmanship of Chief Ministers and establishment of Tiger Conservation Foundation.



5. Constitution of a multidisciplinary Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau) with effect from 6.6.2007 comprising of officers from Police, Forest, Customs and other enforcement agencies to effectively control illegal trade in wildlife.



6. Approval accorded for declaring eight new Tiger Reserves.



7. The revised Project Tiger guidelines have been issued to States for strengthening tiger conservation, which apart from ongoing activities, interalia, include funding support to States for enhanced village relocation/rehabilitation package for people living in core or critical tiger habitats (from Rs. 1 lakh/family to Rs. 10 lakhs/family), rehabilitation/resettlement of communities involved in traditional hunting, mainstreaming livelihood and wildlife concerns in forests outside tiger reserves and fostering corridor conservation through restorative strategy to arrest habitat fragmentation.



8. A scientific methodology for estimating tiger (including copredators, prey animals and assessment of habitat status) has been evolved and mainstreamed. The findings of this estimation/assessment are bench marks for future tiger conservation strategy.



9. Around 31111 sq.km. of critical/core tiger habitat identified in 17 States.



10. Memorandum of Understanding developed for better/concerted implementation of conservation inputs through tiger reserve States.



Financial steps



11. Financial and technical help is provided to the States under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz. Project Tiger and Development of National Parks and Sanctuaries for enhancing the capacity and infrastructure of the States for providing effective protection to wild animals.



International Cooperation



12. India has a Memorandum of Understanding with Nepal on controlling trans-boundary illegal trade in wildlife and conservation, apart from a protocol on tiger conservation with China.



13. A Global Tiger Forum of Tiger Range Countries has been created for addressing international issues related to tiger conservation.



14. During the 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties to CITES, which was held from 3rd to 15th June, 2007 at The Hague, India introduced a resolution along with China, Nepal and the Russian Federation, with directions to Parties with operations breeding tigers on a commercial scale, for restricting such captive populations to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers. The resolution was adopted as a decision with minor amendments. Further, India made an intervention appealing to China to phase out tiger farming, and eliminate stockpiles of Asian big cats body parts and derivatives. The importance of continuing the ban on trade of body parts of tigers was emphasized.

Reintroduction of Tigers in Sariska Tiger Reserve

15. A male tiger and a tigress have been reintroduced in the Sariska Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan), based on a recovery strategy suggested by the Wildlife Institute of India. The tigers are being closely monitored by radio telemetry.



Creation of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF)

16. The policy initiatives announced by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech of 29.2.2008, interalia, contains action points relating to tiger protection. A one time grant of Rs. 50.00 crore has been provided to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for raising, arming and deploying a Special Tiger Protection Force. Action has been taken for the needful in this regard