In India, the number of wild tigers has continued to increase. There were 3,167 tigers in the country last year, compared to 2,967 in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Mysuru in the state of Karnataka.
India has by far the most endangered animals in the world, and their numbers are regularly determined using camera traps. “India is a country where conservation is part of the culture,” Modi said. “That’s why there are so many unique achievements in wildlife conservation.”
The tiger countries – in addition to India, this also includes Russia, China and several countries in South and Southeast Asia – have agreed to protect the animals. In 2010, in St. Petersburg, they set themselves the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022, the Chinese “Year of the Tiger”. According to official figures, there were 1,706 in India in 2010. WWF tiger expert Markus Raddey said: “India hasn’t managed to double that number, but India’s development is an unparalleled success story.”
More tigers can also mean more conflicts with humans
In predominantly Hindu India, tigers also have religious significance, and the government also recognizes the importance of tigers to wildlife tourism. Tiger hunting was banned in the 1970s, and prey animals are hunted less in the country than in other countries because of a strong vegetarian tradition. The government is also taking measures to defuse conflicts. For example, people who lose relatives or livestock to tigers are compensated.
Because more tigers can also mean more conflicts with humans. With the deforestation of forests, human settlements are sometimes very close to the predators. According to the WWF, the global range of the tiger has shrunk by 95 percent in the past 100 years. This can lead to tigers killing people or their livestock – and people then killing tigers partly out of revenge.
The WWF emphasizes that tiger protection only works with the acceptance of local residents. Poaching is also a problem for tigers: people sometimes hunt the big cats illegally – partly because tiger parts are popular in Chinese medicine. But the tigers’ prey are also in their sights, which can lead to food shortages.
