International Tiger Day: Tiger population increases in Similipal, declines in Odisha

The population of tigers in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) has increased but in Odisha, it has declined, as per the report released by the central government on the occasion of International Tiger Day today. 

According to the report, in 2018, the STR had only eight tigers. The census that was carried out in the year 2021-22 has pegged the big cat’s number in the reserve at 16. Though it is a piece of good news for animal lovers, the flip side of it is that the overall population of this predator has declined in Odisha. 

In the state, the number of tigers has been declining. In 2006, Odisha had 45 tigers, but in 2010, it came down to 32. In 2018, it further came down to 28. This year, it has declined to 20. 

Similarly, if the population of tigers in the country is taken into consideration, it has increased. It has increased from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,167 in 2022. 

It is also pertinent to mention here that Madhya Pradesh has 785 tigers, which is the highest in India, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (544). 

Similarly, Corbett Tiger Reserve has maximum of 260 tigers, followed by Bandipur (150), Nagarhole (141), Bandhavgarh and Dudhwa (135 each),  Mudumalai (114), Kanha (105), Kaziranga (104), Sundarbans (100), Toaboda (97), Sathyamangalam (85) and Pench (77).