Study Finds India's Tiger Population Doubled in 12 Years
2025-02-06
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1A recent study says India has doubled its tiger population in 12 years.
2Researchers said the gain came from efforts to protect the big cats from hunters, and to protect against the loss of tiger habitat and prey, among other things.
3The National Tiger Conservation Authority said the number of tigers grew from an estimated 1,706 in 2010 to around 3,682 in 2022.
4Those numbers mean India is home to about 75 percent of the total tiger population.
5The research shows that a reduction in conflict between humans and wildlife also played a part in the population growth.
6The study credited efforts to improve economic conditions for communities near tiger habitats.
7The researchers said the growth in the tiger population also led to improvements in local economies through increased ecotourism.
8The study appears in the publication Science.
9It said India's success demonstrates that wildlife protection can help both biodiversity and nearby communities.
10"The common belief is that human densities preclude an increase in tiger populations," said Yadvendradev Jhala.
11Jhala is a scientist at Bengaluru-based Indian National Academy of Sciences and was the study's lead writer.
12"What the research shows is that it's not the human density, but the attitude of people, which matters more."
13Wildlife conservationists and ecologists welcomed the study.
14But they said making the source data available to a larger group of scientists would aid tigers and other wildlife in India.
15The study was based on data collected by Indian government-supported organizations.
16Arjun Gopalaswamy is an ecologist who knows how to measure wildlife populations.
17He said that estimates from India's official tiger observation program have been undependable.
18He said some of the numbers in the study are much higher than past estimates of tiger populations from the same datasets.
19But he added that the study's findings seem to have corrected a data problem noted repeatedly by scientists since 2011 related to tiger population size and their range.
20The study said tigers disappeared in some areas.
21These included habitats that were not near national parks or other protected areas, and areas of increased development, increased human use of forest resources and areas with armed conflict.
22"Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country," said Jhala.
23That means local people need to see good results from their efforts to save tigers.
24Tigers are spread across about 138,200 square kilometers of India.
25But just 25 percent of the area is rich in tiger prey and is protected.
26Another 45 percent of tiger habitat is shared with about 60 million people, the study said.
27Jhala said strong wildlife protection legislation is the "backbone" of tiger conservation in India.
28"Habitat is not a constraint, it's the quality of the habitat which is a constraint," he said.
29Wildlife biologist Ravi Chellam, who did not take part in the study, praised the tiger conservation efforts as promising.
30But, he said, such efforts need to be extended to other wild animals to better care for the whole ecosystem in India.
31Chellam said several kinds of Indian wildlife are "on the edge," and need more attention.
32I'm Caty Weaver.
1A recent study says India has doubled its tiger population in 12 years. 2Researchers said the gain came from efforts to protect the big cats from hunters, and to protect against the loss of tiger habitat and prey, among other things. 3The National Tiger Conservation Authority said the number of tigers grew from an estimated 1,706 in 2010 to around 3,682 in 2022. Those numbers mean India is home to about 75 percent of the total tiger population. 4The research shows that a reduction in conflict between humans and wildlife also played a part in the population growth. The study credited efforts to improve economic conditions for communities near tiger habitats. The researchers said the growth in the tiger population also led to improvements in local economies through increased ecotourism. 5The study appears in the publication Science. It said India's success demonstrates that wildlife protection can help both biodiversity and nearby communities. 6"The common belief is that human densities preclude an increase in tiger populations," said Yadvendradev Jhala. Jhala is a scientist at Bengaluru-based Indian National Academy of Sciences and was the study's lead writer. "What the research shows is that it's not the human density, but the attitude of people, which matters more." 7Wildlife conservationists and ecologists welcomed the study. But they said making the source data available to a larger group of scientists would aid tigers and other wildlife in India. The study was based on data collected by Indian government-supported organizations. 8Arjun Gopalaswamy is an ecologist who knows how to measure wildlife populations. He said that estimates from India's official tiger observation program have been undependable. He said some of the numbers in the study are much higher than past estimates of tiger populations from the same datasets. But he added that the study's findings seem to have corrected a data problem noted repeatedly by scientists since 2011 related to tiger population size and their range. 9The study said tigers disappeared in some areas. These included habitats that were not near national parks or other protected areas, and areas of increased development, increased human use of forest resources and areas with armed conflict. 10"Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country," said Jhala. 11That means local people need to see good results from their efforts to save tigers. 12Tigers are spread across about 138,200 square kilometers of India. But just 25 percent of the area is rich in tiger prey and is protected. Another 45 percent of tiger habitat is shared with about 60 million people, the study said. 13Jhala said strong wildlife protection legislation is the "backbone" of tiger conservation in India. "Habitat is not a constraint, it's the quality of the habitat which is a constraint," he said. 14Wildlife biologist Ravi Chellam, who did not take part in the study, praised the tiger conservation efforts as promising. But, he said, such efforts need to be extended to other wild animals to better care for the whole ecosystem in India. 15Chellam said several kinds of Indian wildlife are "on the edge," and need more attention. 16I'm Caty Weaver. 17The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English. 18______________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20habitat -n. the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally exists 21prey -n. an animal hunted or killed by another animal for food 22ecotourism -n. people who travel to and visit a place to see its natural beauty and wildlife 23biodiversity -n. biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals 24preclude -v. to make impossible by necessary consequence 25attitude -n. the visible behavior that shows how a person thinks or feels about something or someone 26conservationist -n. a person who works to preserve animals, plants and natural resources for future generations 27range -n. the area where a plant or animal naturally lives and can be found 28constraint -n. the state of being restricted 29participation - n. the action or state of taking part in something