Nameri Tiger Reserve Tiger Count Rises Four-Fold to 12
Why in the news
Assam announced on 3 July 2026 that Nameri’s tiger numbers had quadrupled in about three years. The estimate comes from the state forest department and was checked by the Wildlife Institute of India.
Key facts
- Location: Sonitpur district, Assam.
- Tigers: 3 (2022) to 12 (end-2025), a four-fold rise.
- The announcement was made by Assam’s Forest and Environment Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah on 3 July 2026.
- Sonai-Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Nameri’s satellite core, has tigers again after local extinction in the early 2000s.
- Nameri is one of four tiger reserves in Assam; it borders the 1,276.95 sq km Pakke Tiger Reserve of Arunachal Pradesh.
About Nameri Tiger Reserve
- Sanctuary status in 1985, national park in 1998, tiger reserve notified 1 March 2000.
- Core: Nameri National Park, 200 sq km.
- Lifeline river: Jia Bhoreli (Kameng), a Brahmaputra tributary; the other river is Bor-Dikorai.
- Habitat: tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forest, riverine grassland and cane brakes.
- Part of the Sonitpur Elephant Reserve.
- Notable bird: the endangered white-winged wood duck.
- Ecotourism: river rafting, mahseer angling and birdwatching.
| Assam tiger reserve | Districts | Distinguishing point |
|---|---|---|
| Kaziranga | Golaghat, Nagaon | World Heritage Site; rhinos; high tiger density |
| Manas | Baksa, Chirang, Barpeta | World Heritage Site; Bhutan border; Project Tiger reserve since 1973 |
| Nameri | Sonitpur | Declared 2000; borders Pakke |
| Orang | Darrang, Sonitpur | Declared 2016; smallest core (about 79 sq km) |
Institutions involved
- Wildlife Institute of India: set up 1982 at Chandrabani, Dehradun, under MoEFCC; validates tiger estimates and, with NTCA and states, runs the four-yearly All India Tiger Estimation.
- NTCA: established 2005, statutory backing under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (amended 2006); chaired by the Union Environment Minister.
- Project Tiger: launched 1 April 1973 by Indira Gandhi at Jim Corbett; the first nine reserves were Corbett, Manas, Ranthambore, Palamau, Kanha, Simlipal, Bandipur, Melghat and Sundarbans.
Bengal tiger status
- Scientific name Panthera tigris tigris; national animal of India.
- IUCN: Endangered; CITES: Appendix I; WPA 1972: Schedule I.
Exam angle
- Assam’s first tiger reserve: Manas; second: Nameri.
- AITE frequency: every four years, by NTCA and WII.
- Nodal ministry for WII and NTCA: Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- Nearest railway station to Nameri: Balipara; nearest town and airport: Tezpur.