2021 census begins; marked increase in Old Mysuru region ‘Tiger Talk’ held in Mysuru Zoo to mark World Tiger Day 

Mysore/Mysuru: If Madhya Pradesh has bagged the number one position in the now released extended report of the 2018 tiger headcount (‘Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India’) with 526 felines, Karnataka stands second with 524 big cats. 

The lion’s share in Karnataka has been taken by Bandipur Tiger Reserve with 173 tigers and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve with 164 felines. The 2018 census showed that there are 2,967 tigers in India. 

The extended report of the 2018 tiger headcount that has been released now says there are 173 tigers in Bandipur and 164 in Nagarahole, a remarkable increase from the 2018 census that showed 127 tigers in Nagarahole and 126 in Bandipur. 446 big cats have been spotted in the Old Mysuru region while 363 big cats were tracked in 2018. 

Incidentally, today is World Tiger Day and India has 70 percent of the world’s tiger population spread across its 51 Tiger Reserves. The big cat census is conducted once in four years and the 2021 census has already begun at Nagarahole and later it will be conducted at Bandipur, the report of which is expected in the next two years. 

It is estimated that the tiger population has increased in Bandipur and Nagarahole along with the tiger population in the other reserves in the Old Mysuru region like Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Tiger Reserve (BRT) and Male Mahadeshwara Hills Tiger Reserve. 

In the extended report of the 2018 census,  BRT has 86 tigers and the MM Hills Tiger Reserve has 23 big cats. In 2018, 55-65 felines were spotted at BRT while 23 big cats were spotted in 2018.  

PM’s message 

As part of the International Tiger Day today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to ensuring conservation efforts, safe habitats for its tigers, and nurturing tiger-friendly ecosystems. 

Greeting wildlife lovers on this day, Prime Minister Modi posted a series of tweets from his official handle on the microblogging website, where he highlighted how India has led tiger conservation efforts over the past years and achieved significant milestones in this area.

“On International Tiger Day, greetings to wildlife lovers, especially those who are passionate about tiger conservation,” the Prime Minister wrote in a tweet. “Home to over 70 percent of the tiger population globally, we reiterate our commitment to ensuring safe habitats for our tigers and nurturing tiger-friendly eco-systems.”

Tiger talk

This morning, the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) celebrated Tiger Day with ‘Tiger Talk’. Resource persons Dr. Saket Badola, Country Head TRAFFIC and Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, Senior Scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation and Holematthi Nature Foundation shared their experience about tiger conservation. 

In their virtual presentations, the resource persons noted that India has made a marked comeback in its tiger conservation efforts, from nearing endangerment to now being home to 70 percent of the world’s  tiger population. 

“We have come a long way from the hunting practices followed in the British Raj. Tiger conservation strategy is unique and the Forest Department and the National Tiger Conservation Authority attach special importance towards involving local communities in conservation efforts,” they noted.