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Tiger Population Growth in India: Science Study Findings

1 February 20251 min read
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGYTiger PopulationGrowth in India:Science StudyFindings1 February 2025safalsetu.com

Why in the news

A paper in Science explained how India grew its tiger numbers while wildlife worldwide (down 73%) is shrinking.

Key facts

  • Land-sharing plus land-sparing, guided by science, drove the recovery.
  • Corridors and sustainable land use let tigers spread into multi-use forests.
  • Government data of July 2024: India holds 70% of the world’s wild tigers.
YearTigers
20061,411
20101,706
20182,967

Legal and social factors

  • Laws helped: Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, National Tiger Conservation Authority.
  • Better socio-economic conditions and lower forest dependence meant more recolonisation.
  • Poverty and armed conflict (Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand) saw declines.

Concerns

  • Political instability and habitat degradation keep vast suitable habitat empty.

Exam angle

  • Lead researcher: Yadvendradev Jhala; journal: Science.
  • Related terms: land-sharing, land-sparing, NTCA.

Test yourself

1. According to the Science study on India's tigers, what share of breeding tiger populations is supported by protected areas with no human habitation?

The study says such protected areas sustain 85% of breeding populations.

2. Which pair of approaches did the study credit for India's tiger recovery?

Recovery came from a balance of land-sharing and land-sparing strategies.

3. The Science study cited tiger declines in areas of poverty or armed conflict, including which two states?

Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were named as conflict-hit areas with declines.

This topic is part of Daily Current Affairs 1 February 2025 (17 topics).

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