Overview
Project Tiger began in 1973 to arrest tiger decline and protect habitat. Over five decades it created reserves, strengthened protection and joined communities to conservation.
Numbers & trends
India now hosts the world’s largest wild tiger population. Monitoring has improved through camera traps, satellite data and field patrol systems.
Corridors & connectivity
Protecting corridors is essential: mapped landscapes link tiger populations across the country and reduce isolation.
Major threats
Poaching, habitat loss, prey depletion and conflict remain urgent challenges despite population gains.
Success stories
Several reserves and landscapes show clear recovery — where targeted protection, anti-poaching and community incentives worked together.
What you can do
From responsible tourism to supporting community projects and citizen science — many small acts help long-term conservation.
Where tigers live — broad landscapes
Tiger populations are distributed across the Himalayan foothills, Central India–Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, and the north-east. Protected reserves, buffer zones and corridors together support viable populations.
Corridor map (overview)
Science & monitoring
Camera traps, genetics, and spatial modelling now guide reserve management and population estimates.
Communities & livelihoods
Conservation succeeds where local livelihoods and incentives align with protection goals.
Responsible tourism
Low-impact visits, licensed guides, and revenue sharing strengthen local conservation incentives.
Short reading
Tiger recovery is a mix of science, protection and local action. Continued success depends on connected habitats, law enforcement, fair livelihoods, and long-term monitoring.
Overview
Project Tiger launched in 1973. Its focus: dedicated reserves, stricter protection, prey recovery and joined-up plans that balance people and wildlife. Over decades, reserves and strengthened field protection have helped many populations recover while ongoing work continues in corridors and community engagement.
Numbers & trends
National tiger estimates are derived from camera-trap surveys, landscape models and field data. Estimates have shown a significant increase over the 2010–2022 period due to stronger protection and monitoring, though numbers vary with methodology and new surveys continue to refine figures.
Corridors & connectivity
Connected landscapes are essential. National mapping identified dozens of key corridors linking reserves. Maintaining forest patches, seasonal stepping-stones and legal protection for corridors reduces isolation and improves long-term viability.
Major threats
Poaching, prey decline, habitat loss and fragmentation, poorly planned infrastructure, and human-wildlife conflict remain primary threats. Addressing these requires law enforcement, community livelihoods, habitat restoration and careful planning.
Success stories
Examples around the country show how strict protection, community incentives, anti-poaching patrols, and science-based monitoring can restore local populations. These landscapes provide models for careful expansion and recovery elsewhere.
What you can do
Support verified conservation groups, choose responsible tourism operators, report illegal activities, participate in local awareness, and back community-led livelihood programs that reduce conflict.
Science & monitoring
Modern monitoring combines camera traps, genetics and satellite data. Field apps and patrol systems support protection, while scientists model population trends and connectivity to guide action.
Communities & livelihoods
Success depends on aligning conservation with local needs: employment, revenue sharing from tourism, and schemes that reduce livestock loss and provide alternatives to forest dependence.
Responsible tourism
Low-impact visits, regulated jeep numbers, trained local guides and timed entry reduce pressure on key reserves and channel benefits to local people.
Join bird counts
Citizen science and local surveys contribute to habitat health monitoring, which indirectly supports tiger conservation by tracking prey and wetland/water health in tiger landscapes.
Support conservation
Donate time or funds to vetted NGOs, join local tree-planting and restoration projects, and amplify conservation campaigns that protect corridors and reduce human-wildlife conflict.
Report issues
Report poaching, encroachment or pollution to local forest authorities, the National Tiger Conservation Authority channels, or trusted NGOs working in the landscape.