Recent figures released by India and Bhutan show that the number of tigers in the wild is increasing.
In India there were 3 682 tigers in the wild, according to the country’s environment ministry. This reflected an annual increase of six percent.
In Bhutan there were 131 tigers, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the last time the country had conducted a census of its tiger population, in 2015.
The growth in the number of tigers in the region is a great environmental success. In the 1970s the number of wild tigers in India had fallen to below 2 000.
‘India’s exemplary efforts in tiger conservation and the increase in tiger numbers is not just a statistic but a testament to the determination and commitment of the nation,’ said the Indian environment minister, Bhupender Yadav.
Despite these successes, tigers are still endangered. It is estimated that the wild tiger population has declined by about 95% over the past century.