Which Indian National Park Just Became a Top-Three Tiger Hotspot?

The Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) in Assam, which is more famous for its one-horned rhinoceros, has the third-highest tiger density in India, after the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand. This is based on a report on the reserve's tiger population.

The report was made available online by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday in honor of Global Tiger Day.

Tiger Count Reaches 148 in 2024

According to the report, 148 tigers were spotted in the 1,307.49 square kilometer KTR area in 2024. A total of 27 tigers were recorded in the first-ever sampling of the Biswanath Wildlife Division, which was credited with the "remarkable" increase in tiger numbers since the 2022 estimate.

In 2024, the number of tigers in the core Eastern Assam Wildlife Division increased from 104 in 2022 to 115, while the Nagaon Wildlife Division kept its tiger count at six.

KTR's Tiger Density 

A comparative figure in the paper shows that KTR contains 18.65 tigers per 100 sq. km, which is less than Bandipur's 19.83 tigers in 1,456 sq. km and Corbett's 19.56 in 1,288 sq. km.

How were the Tigers Counted?

In accordance with the guidelines established by the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, KTR authorities stated that the survey was carried out utilizing camera traps between December 2023 and April 2024.

Tiger numbers were calculated using the spatially explicit capture-recapture method, which offers a more accurate and ecologically relevant approach than traditional estimation techniques. A total of 4,011 tiger photos were obtained from 13,157 trap nights in 242 locations throughout the 103-day camera trapping survey. According to the paper, 148 adult tigers from KTR's three divisions were identified using the right-flank stripe patterns: 83 females, 55 males, and 10 individuals with an unknown gender.

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How the Tiger Population Grew?

According to officials, habitat protection and expansion were major contributors to the population growth. The Nagaon Wildlife Division's Burhachapori-Laokhowa sanctuaries have expanded by 200 square kilometers in recent years, including 12.82 square kilometers of territory free of encroachment.

"This strategic extension has greatly increased the tigers' available landscape, allowing for more opportunities for dispersal, breeding, and movement across divisions," an official stated.

A Look at Past Numbers

In 1997, the initial assessment in Kaziranga found 80 tigers. In the 2019 estimate, the number progressively rose to 121, but in 2022, it fell to 104.

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