The most recent census statistics, which PM Narendra Modi revealed, showed that India's big-cat population increased by 200 in four years to hit 3,167, making up 75% of the world's tiger population. This news reverberated across the conservation ecosystem.
PM Modi attributed the success to all parties involved, claiming that India's "protective nature" is ingrained in its culture. According to him, a nation that makes up just 2.4% of the planet's land today contributes around 8% of the known biodiversity in the world. This heritage of conservation is represented in that nation.
The updated data till 2022 is officially cited as a “minimum” count, which denotes the number of tigers with photographic documentation. “The actual estimation number could be much higher,” a senior NTCA official said. The damper was population growth slackening from 25% in the previous survey to less than 10% now.
“At a time when the wildlife population across the world has remained stagnant or is decreasing, conservationists are surprised about the increasing trend in India. We don't believe in a conflict between ecology and economy. Instead, we give importance to co-existence," Modi said in Mysuru.