VOA · Science & Technology
Intermediate · B1–B2learner speed5:562025-02-03public domain
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01A recent study says India has doubled its tiger population in 12 years.
02Researchers 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.
03The National Tiger Conservation Authority said the number of tigers grew from an estimated 1,706 in 2010 to around 3,682 in 2022.
04Those numbers mean India is home to about 75% of the total tiger population.
05The research shows that a reduction in conflict between humans and wildlife also played a part in the population growth.
06The study credited efforts to improve economic conditions for communities near tiger habitats.
07The researchers said the growth in the tiger population also led to improvements in local economies through increased ecotourism.
08The study appears in the publication Science.
09It said India's success demonstrates that wildlife protection can help both biodiversity and nearby communities.
10The common belief is that human densities preclude an increase in tiger populations, said Yadvendradev Jala.
11Jala is a scientist at Bengaluru-based Indian National Academy of Sciences and was the study's lead writer.
12What 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 data sets.
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.
22Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country, said Jalla.
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% of the area is rich in tiger prey and is protected.
26Another 45% of tiger habitat is shared with about 60 million people, the study said.
27Jalla said strong wildlife protection legislation is the backbone of tiger conservation in India.
28Habitat is not a constraint.
29It's the quality of the habitat, which is a constraint, he said.
30Wildlife biologist Ravi Chalam, who did not take part in the study, praised the tiger conservation efforts as promising.
31But he said such efforts need to be extended to other wild animals, to better care for the whole ecosystem in India.
32Chalam said several kinds of Indian wildlife are on the edge and need more attention.
33I'm Katie Weaver.
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