[00:00.00]A recent study says India has doubled its tiger population in 12 years.
[00:09.52]Researchers 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.
[00:27.85]The National Tiger Conservation Authority said the number of tigers grew from an estimated 1,706 in 2010 to around 3,682 in 2022.
[00:48.59]Those numbers mean India is home to about 75 percent of the total tiger population.
[00:59.59]The research shows that a reduction in conflict between humans and wildlife also played a part in the population growth.
[01:12.73]The study credited efforts to improve economic conditions for communities near tiger habitats.
[01:23.54]The researchers said the growth in the tiger population also led to improvements in local economies through increased ecotourism.
[01:38.00]The study appears in the publication Science.
[01:42.85]It said India's success demonstrates that wildlife protection can help both biodiversity and nearby communities.
[01:54.46]"The common belief is that human densities preclude an increase in tiger populations," said Yadvendradev Jhala.
[02:07.31]Jhala is a scientist at Bengaluru-based Indian National Academy of Sciences and was the study's lead writer.
[02:19.06]"What the research shows is that it's not the human density, but the attitude of people, which matters more."
[02:29.74]Wildlife conservationists and ecologists welcomed the study.
[02:36.67]But they said making the source data available to a larger group of scientists would aid tigers and other wildlife in India.
[02:49.31]The study was based on data collected by Indian government-supported organizations.
[02:56.63]Arjun Gopalaswamy is an ecologist who knows how to measure wildlife populations.
[03:05.51]He said that estimates from India's official tiger observation program have been undependable.
[03:14.76]He said some of the numbers in the study are much higher than past estimates of tiger populations from the same datasets.
[03:26.66]But 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.
[03:44.69]The study said tigers disappeared in some areas.
[03:50.18]These 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.
[04:09.15]"Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country," said Jhala.
[04:22.75]That means local people need to see good results from their efforts to save tigers.
[04:30.72]Tigers are spread across about 138,200 square kilometers of India.
[04:40.96]But just 25 percent of the area is rich in tiger prey and is protected.
[04:49.71]Another 45 percent of tiger habitat is shared with about 60 million people, the study said.
[05:00.15]Jhala said strong wildlife protection legislation is the "backbone" of tiger conservation in India.
[05:10.51]"Habitat is not a constraint, it's the quality of the habitat which is a constraint," he said.
[05:19.68]Wildlife biologist Ravi Chellam, who did not take part in the study, praised the tiger conservation efforts as promising.
[05:32.09]But, he said, such efforts need to be extended to other wild animals to better care for the whole ecosystem in India.
[05:45.11]Chellam said several kinds of Indian wildlife are "on the edge," and need more attention.
[05:54.94]I'm Caty Weaver.
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Words in This Story
habitat -n. the place or environment where a plant or animal naturally or normally exists
prey -n. an animal hunted or killed by another animal for food
ecotourism -n. people who travel to and visit a place to see its natural beauty and wildlife
biodiversity -n. biological variety in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals
preclude -v. to make impossible by necessary consequence
attitude -n. the visible behavior that shows how a person thinks or feels about something or someone
conservationist -n. a person who works to preserve animals, plants and natural resources for future generations
range -n. the area where a plant or animal naturally lives and can be found
constraint -n. the state of being restricted
participation - n. the action or state of taking part in something
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