By IndiaSpend Team:
The tiger population in India has been in the spotlight for various reasons. On World Environment Day, we looked at the trend of the tiger population. And the tiger population has increased from 1,411 in 2006-07 to 1,706 in 2010, resulting in a 20% increase, according to latest data released by the Ministry of Statistics.
In terms of states, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra have the highest number of tigers as of 2010. Tamil Nadu has been the biggest gainer with 76 tigers from 2006 to 163 tigers in 2010, resulting in a 114% jump.
Assam followed closely with an increase in the numbers with Maharashtra rounding off the top 3 gainers.
Among the worst performing states were Odisha and Andhra Pradesh with a decline of 28% and 24%, respectively. These states, along with Bihar, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh, were the states where the tiger population actually reduced.
One of the main reasons why Odisha seems to have lesser tigers may be because the Government could not protect the tigers in Sunabeda sanctuary due to Maoist violence in the area. Poaching is also a major reason for the dwindling population of tigers, especially in MP and Bihar.
This article was originally published by IndiaSpend.
