Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka spar over latest tiger population data

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had on Saturday released the tiger census data for 2022 which has stirred up a row with Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre raising questions over Madhya Pradesh topping the chart of list of tiger population, according to a report in The Times of India.

The minister expressed ‘surprise’ over the tiger count of Madhya Pradesh, which has now triggered a debate between the two states.

As per the tiger census data, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number (785) of tigers in the country with a 50 per cent increase in the last four years, followed by Karnataka (563), Uttarakhand (560), and Maharashtra (444). The tiger population in Madhya Pradesh was 526 in 2018 while in Karnataka it was 524 in 2018.

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Opining that instead of commenting Karnataka should introspect on its tiger figures, an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer hailing from Madhya Pradesh said that the analysis was done by an independent agency, Wildlife Institute of India.

“Karnataka should answer why their reported tiger death rate is only a fourth of what is reported from MP. Even then, they have only grown 7 per cent in four years. The state should focus on staying ahead of Uttarakhand. There is no competition with MP," he told the publication.

The officer further emphasised that the agency conducted a fair and accurate study and that the numbers reveal that there were underestimations in previous figures. Other MP officials argue that the higher numbers were achieved by deploying more camera traps and covering a wider area.

It is believed that a detailed discussion may take place with wildlife experts and authorities from both states to go over the issue and acknowledge the concerns raised by both parties.

The latest government data, released on Saturday, revealed that the number of tigers in India has increased from 2,967 in 2018 to 3,682 in 2022.