India got its latest tiger census result on International Tiger Day 2019, It was a much-awaited Tiger Census report as it was getting delayed since January this year. Finally on 29 July 2019, PM Narendra Modi has announced the result of Tiger Census 2018 to disclose the Tiger Population in India. The result has disclosed 2967 number of Bengal Tigers left in India.
TIGER CENSUS RESULT (2018)
On 29th July 2019, International Tiger Day, PM Narendra Modi has declared the result of Tiger Census 2018. India is now officially one of the biggest and safest habitats of Royal Bengal Tiger.
The Total population of Royal Bengal Tiger in India is 2967 as per the Tiger Census 2018, which is more than double of 2006.
The top Tiger States of India (by Tiger population)
Following the result of Tiger Census 2018, Madhya Pradesh became the Tiger state of India with 526 Tigers whereas Karnataka, who was holding the Tiger State salutation since 2010 slipped to the second position with 524 Royal Bengal Tiger population and Uttrakhand is third with 442 Tigers Population.
Information on Tiger landscapes in India
Since the Tigers are present in the wide expanse of India, It was necessary to distribute the geographical limits and hence The tiger habitats were divided into 5 landscapes.
- Shivalik Gangetic Plains
- Central India and the Eastern Ghats
- Western Ghats
- North Eastern Hills and Brahmaputra Flood Plains
- Sunderbans
All of these 5 Tiger Landscapes were analyzed separately to get the most accurate tiger population spread across India and various techniques were used to achieve the results.
Facts and Information from The Tiger Census 2018 Result
- More than 3,81,000 sq km of forest area was surveyed
- Forest rangers have done a survey of more than 5,00,000 km on Foot
- There were 26,838 Camara Trap that was deployed in 141 locations
- Approximately 3.5 Cr wildlife photographs were captured by these camera traps.
- 2,461 Individual Tigers camera trapped
- 2,591 Tigers estimated through capture-mark-recapture
- The total population of Tiger is 2,967 estimated during the 2018 Tiger Counting.
Check our detail post on Bengal Tiger about the exhaustive information and facts about Royal Bengal Tiger
Tiger Census Facts [Infographics]
Tiger Population in India
India is now home to almost 3000 Tigers, 2967 to be specific. It was more than the double from the 2006 Census which was the first tiger counting survey of India. There are 5 Tiger Landscapes in India, 50 Tiger Reserves and 21 states in India with Tigers present in the wild.
Tiger Landscape wise Tiger Population in India (Comparision chart)
| Landscape | 2006 Census |
2010 Census |
2014 Census |
2018 Census |
| Shivalik Gangetic | 297 | 353 | 485 | 646 |
| Central India and the Eastern Ghats | 601 | 601 | 688 | 1,033 |
| Western Ghats | 402 | 534 | 776 | 981 |
| North East Hills & Bramhaputra Plains |
100 | 148 | 201 | 219 |
| Sunderbans | NA | 70 | 76 | 88 |
| Total Tiger Population in India | 1,411 | 1,706 | 2,226 | 2,967 |
Statewise Tiger Population in India (Comparision chart)
State 2006
Census2010
Census2014
Census2018
CensusBihar 10 8 28 31 Uttrakhand 178 227 340 442 Uttar Pradesh 109 118 117 173 Andhra Pradesh 95 72 68 48 Telangana – – – 26 Chhattisgarh 26 26 46 19 Jharkhand – 10 3 5 Madhya Pradesh 300 257 308 526 Maharashtra 103 168 190 312 Odisha 45 32 28 28 Rajasthan 32 36 45 69 Goa – – 5 3 Karnataka 290 300 406 524 Kerala 46 71 136 190 Tamil Nadu 76 163 229 264 Arunachal
Pradesh14 – 28 29 Assam 70 143 167 190 Mizoram 6 5 3 0 Nagaland – – – – Northen WB 10 – 3 0 Sunderbans – 70 76 88
States with maximum Tiger Population Growth or Increase (since 2006)
| State | Tiger Population | Increase in Tiger Population |
| Kerala | 190 | 313 % |
| Tamil Nadu | 264 | 247 % |
| Bihar | 10 | 210 % |
States with a maximum tiger population decrease (since 2006)
| State | Tiger Population | Decrease in Tiger Population |
| Mizoram | 0 | 100 % |
| Odisha | 28 | 38 % |
| Chhattisgarh | 19 | 27 % |
Tiger Population Trend in India
| Census Year | Tiger Population |
| 2006 | 1411 |
| 2010 | 1706 |
| 2014 | 2226 |
| 2018 | 2967 |
Tiger Population facts from the latest census report
- Total Population of Royal Bengal Tiger in India is 2,967
- There are 4 States (M.P., Karnataka, Uttrakhand & Maharashtra) with more than 300 Tigers
- There are 4 States (Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, U.P.) with more than 150 Tigers.
- Total 8 States with more than 100% Increase in Tiger Population as compared to 2006.
- Madhya Pradesh has become the Tiger State of India.
- Buxa, Dampa and Palamau Tiger Reserves do not have a single Tigers now.
- No Tigers were found in Mizoram state.
- Pench National Park in Madhya Pradesh and Periyar National Park in Kerala are the top-rated Tiger Reserves in India.
Tiger Census 2018, Everything about the tiger population in India
Every 4 years the National Tiger Conservation Authority conducts a tiger census across India to figure out the Royal Bengal Tiger population in India. So 2018 is the year for Tiger Census in India again.
As the fourth all-India Tiger census goes digital with an Android app and almost 1.5 Times camera trap then in 2014 let’s hope to reach near 3000 marks As compared to 2226 tigers back in the year 2014.
How they do Tiger Census or How to Count Tigers in the forest?
So far the tiger census was conducted using the doubling sample technique in which the first phase includes sending the forest official, guards and forest rangers to collect raw data based on pugmarks, scat, and leftover pray.
While the 2nd phase includes the data and images from camera traps. Once both the data is in place, the data is then used to identify tigers individually
Use of technology and digital techniques in recent Tiger Census 2018
With the new Digital Tiger census technique the doubling sample technique will remain the same. Along with it, an Android application is been introduced to make the tier count more accurate.
It will be the first time since 2006, The forest officials are making use of so much technology. Back in 2006 During the first census, there were only 1411 tigers counted adding another 295 to make the count to 1706 Tigers in 2010 and 2226 Tigers in 2014.
However, there was 560 Tiger death have been reported between 2012 & 2017 Out of which 308 were a natural death, 123 were the poaching cases, 90 were the case of seizures, And 39 death was the part of road and train mishaps.
2018 tiger census in India is also more important because we will be having a most accurate count of tigers in the wild as this will be the first time Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal are the part of India’s Tiger census to jointly estimate the number of big cats In the region of shared borders areas.
Some important facts from Tiger Census 2014
- India is the home to almost 70% of the world’s tiger population.
- A total of 2226 tigers were estimated as per 2014 tiger counting report
- Karnataka becomes the state with the most number of tigers in India. The total tiger count in Karnataka was 408 as per the report.
Recent updates of Tiger Census 2018 (2019)
- Karnataka may surpass its own tiger count of 406 from the 2014 census.
- Season II of tiger counting will start in Sunderbans post-monsoon.
- Royal Bengal Tigers have been spotted in a new location in Odisha, Hemagiri forest Sundargarh, Munigada in Rayagada district and Debrigad Wildlife Sanctuary in Hirakud is the new location where Royal Bengal Tiger has been spotted during 2018 Census
- Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is another high altitude home to Royal Bengal Tiger. Camera Trap has revealed that this highest range in the eastern Himalayas has a promising tiger count.
- Madhya Pradesh may get back their status of “Tiger State” as sources have reported the presence of over 400 Royal Bengal Tiger in the state.
- The result of the latest Tiger Census may get delayed and expected to be disclosed in April – May 2019.
- Whereas we are looking to cross 3000 tiger marks in the latest Census.
- There is a piece of shocking news from one of the oldest tiger reserves of the country. Palamau Tiger Reserve, which is one of the Nine Tiger Reserve declared in 1973 has not seen evidence of the Big Cat presence in the reserve since 2016.
- Bhadra Tiger Reserve tiger population rise from 6 in the year 2000 to 40 in 2018.
- Result of Tiger census 2018 may get further delayed and can be out around June 2019 after the formation of the new government.” officials said”
- Tiger Census 2018 result may get declared on 27 July 2019 by PM Narendra Modi, as per the Ministry of Environment and Forest
- Finally, the much-awaited RESULT of TIGER CENSUS 2018 is out and with the tiger population almost double than the 2006 Tiger Census, India is the safest place for these Big Cats to live.
State-wise Tiger Population in India (as per 2014 Census)
There are 18 states who host these beautiful big cats in India. Below is the state-wise tiger population in India as per 2018 Tiger Census Results
| States | Tiger Population 2018 |
| Uttarakhand | 442 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 173 |
| Bihar | 31 |
| Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) | 74 |
| Chhattisgarh | 19 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 526 |
| Maharashtra | 312 |
| Odisha | 28 |
| Rajasthan | 69 |
| Jharkhand | 5 |
| Karnataka | 524 |
| Kerala | 190 |
| Tamil Nadu | 264 |
| Goa | 3 |
| Assam | 190 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 48 |
| West Bengal | 88 |
How many Tiger Reserves are there in India?
There are 50 Tiger Reserves in India. The oldest tiger reserve is Corbett Tiger Reserve which was declared in the year 1973 under ‘Project Tiger‘, Whereas Kamlang Tiger Reserve is the newest Tiger Reserve of India declared in the year 2018.
Download the complete list of Tiger Reserve in India PDF format
Which state has the maximum number of Tiger Reserves in India?
Madhya Pradesh is the state with the maximum number of Tiger Reserves in India. There are 6 tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh.
- Pench Tiger Reserve
- Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
- Kanha Tiger Reserve
- Satpura Tiger Reserve
- Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve
- Panna Tiger Reserve
