Almost two and half years after the Sariska shock,  official corroboration has finally come – tiger population in premiere reserves of Central India has declined by almost 60 per cent.

After two years of extensive research, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun has released its estimate for tiger population in the forests of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattishgarh. Compared to the tiger census of 2001-02, the numbers have declined drastically.

While Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan accounted for 1,006 tigers in 2001-02, the four states together now house 417 tigers.

Since the estimate is based on a statistical model with little error, the WII scientists gave a range, according to which the number of adult tigers in these states can vary from 341 to 529.

The big cat count has dwindled in parks like Melghat, Panna, Kanha and Bandavgarh. Though the tiger count has not changed much in Ranthambhore, the animals are in for a trouble as the Rajasthan forest has become an isolated territory restricting the tigers’ movement.

According to the last census, Madhya Pradesh had 710 tigers whereas Maharashtra and Rajasthan had respectively 238 and 58 tigers.

However, the new estimate shows while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattishgarh jointly account for 290 tigers, Maharashtra has 95 tigers. Tourist-friendly Rajasthan has only 32 big cats in Ranthambhore as there are no tigers left in Sariska.

No data can be collected from Indravati in Chhattishgarh as the forest remains out of bounds for the scientists and forest officials due to naxalite activities.

The estimates for the southern states are likely by the end of the year as data from Bhadra and Madhumalai forests will be collected only after the rain, Qamar Qureshi, one of the WII investigators told Deccan Herald. The team has completed data collection from Nagerhole-Bandipur forest. The scientists, however, caution on comparing the current estimate with the last census as the methodologies for the two exercises are entirely different. The present one, claim WII scientist Dr Y V Jhala, is more robust and scientific. On the contrary the last census was based only on pug-mark records and historical trends. Though the central Indian forests give a dismal picture, Corbett national park in Uttranchal is a success story. Scientists have photographed 108 tigers in this park.