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Tiger reserves, the NTCA, population estimation methods and the challenges ahead
In the early 1970s, India's tigers were in crisis. Hunting, habitat loss and poaching had reduced their numbers to fewer than 2,000 by some counts. In response, the Government of India launched Project Tiger on April 1, 1973, at Jim Corbett National Park in present-day Uttarakhand. More than five decades later, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most significant conservation programmes.
This article is published during India's Wildlife Week (October 2–8).
Tiger reserves are managed in two zones:
In 2006, an amendment to the Wildlife (Protection) Act created the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), giving Project Tiger a statutory basis. The NTCA oversees reserves, funds conservation, sets management standards and conducts tiger estimation with the Wildlife Institute of India.
India had 58 tiger reserves by 2025, covering a significant share of the country's forest area.
The All India Tiger Estimation takes place every four years (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). It combines:
The 2018 estimation entered the Guinness World Records as the largest camera-trap wildlife survey.
| Year | Estimated tigers (average) |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,411 |
| 2010 | 1,706 |
| 2014 | 2,226 |
| 2018 | 2,967 |
| 2022 | 3,682 |
In 2022, camera traps directly counted at least 3,167 individual tigers. India's population represents roughly 75% of the world's wild tigers.
As populations grow, tigers disperse outside reserves into farmland and villages, causing livestock losses and occasional human deaths. Compensation, early-warning systems and community engagement are critical.
Roads, railways, mines and canals fragment forests. Wildlife corridors and underpasses, such as those on highways in central India, help tigers move between populations and maintain genetic diversity.
Demand for tiger parts in illegal wildlife trade remains a threat.
While central and southern India's populations have grown, some reserves in the Northeast and parts of eastern India have few or no tigers.
Voluntary relocation of villages from core areas must respect the rights of forest-dwelling communities under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Protecting tigers protects entire ecosystems: forests that store carbon, rivers that supply water and countless other species. This is why the tiger is often called an umbrella species.
On April 1, 1973, at Jim Corbett National Park.
The 2022 estimation put the average at about 3,682. The next national estimate will update this figure.
Madhya Pradesh, with 785 in 2022.
July 29 each year.
Project Tiger shows that sustained political commitment, science-based monitoring and protected habitats can reverse wildlife decline. Its next challenge is ensuring tigers and people can coexist as the big cats reclaim more of their former range.
