World tiger population increases for first time after a century of decline

New Delhi: The world's tiger population has for the first time increased over the past five years after nearly a century of decline, two international wildlife agencies said on Monday. The announcement came on the eve of a global tiger conservation conference to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum said the increase in the number of wild tigers from about 3,200 in 2010 to the current best estimate of 3,890 could be attributed to rises in tiger populations in India, Nepal, Russia and Bhutan and enhanced protection measures for the species.

"This is a pivotal step in the recovery of one of the world's most endangered and iconic species," Ginette Hemley, senior vice-president of wildlife conservation at WWF said in a statement. Governments, local communities and non-government organisations are working together "to reverse the trend in the century-long decline of tigers, but much more work and investment is needed to reach our goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022," she said. In 2010, the governments of all tiger habitat countries had pledged to try and double the tiger population by 2022. Over 700 wildlife officials and conservation scientists from these countries are expected to attend the three-day conference that Modi will inaugurate tomorrow. India's environment ministry had in January 2015 documented a tiger count of 2,226 for 2014, a 30 per cent increase over the count of 1,706 four years earlier. The country's tiger conservation efforts have been centred on creating a core protected zone virtually devoid of any human activity - allowing prey and tigers to grow in number naturally. The WWF has said tracking tiger populations and understanding the threats they face is "absolutely vital" in efforts to protect the species. The loss of habitat and prey are primary threats to tigers in many parts of the world, including India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified tigers as an "endangered" species, threatened by habitat loss and poaching. Statistics from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, indicate that a minimum of 1,590 tigers were seized by law-enforcement officials between January 2000 and April 2014, feeding a multi-billion dollar illegal wildlife trade. "Though we've seen real gains in some countries, the outlook isn't as clear in Southeast Asia where poaching and rampant deforestation continue to negatively impact tiger numbers," the WWF said. The delegates at the conference are expected to discuss landscape conservation, anti-poaching strategies, new tools to monitor tiger populations and methods to mobilise resources to support conservation efforts, said B.S. Bonal, additional director general in charge of India's tiger conservation programme. Indian conservation scientists who have been involved in counting tigers believe that accelerated efforts by the Centre and states to move forest-dwellers out of core areas has contributed to the country's rise in tiger population. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam are the other tiger habitat countries whose delegates are set to participate in the conference.