'Excellent news': Top US diplomat hails India's doubling of wild tiger population

"Excellent news," US Under Secretary of State Sarah Rogers said as India's wild tiger population has more than doubled over the past 15 years, marking one of the most significant wildlife conservation successes in recent decades.

Rogers was reacting to reports that India's wild tiger population has risen from 1,411 in 2006 to around 3,682, according to the latest All India Tiger Estimation. The achievement means India is now home to nearly 70 to 75 per cent of the world's wild tigers.

The remarkable recovery is the result of decades of conservation efforts under Project Tiger, which was launched in 1973 to protect the country's national animal from extinction. Conservation experts have described the increase as one of the greatest wildlife comebacks in modern history.

India's conservation model

India's tiger revival has been driven by a combination of stronger anti-poaching measures, scientific monitoring, habitat protection and greater community participation.

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The country now has 58 tiger reserves spread across 18 states, covering more than 84,000 square kilometres. Over the years, authorities have expanded protected habitats while improving surveillance and enforcement against wildlife crime.

Local communities have also played an important role through eco-tourism initiatives, compensation schemes for human-wildlife conflict and participation in conservation programmes.

Government highlights progress

Days before Rogers' remarks, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav inaugurated the National Workshop on "Tiger Re-introduction: Opportunities & Challenges" in Alwar, Rajasthan.

Speaking at the event, the minister said the number of tiger reserves has increased from 46 to 58 over the past decade. He also noted that India has successfully achieved the target set under the 2010 St. Petersburg Declaration of doubling its wild tiger population by 2022.

Yadav said the successful reintroduction of tigers in the Panna and Sariska Tiger Reserves demonstrated the importance of local community participation in conservation efforts.

The minister said the government's objective extends beyond protecting tigers to ensuring that no species becomes extinct. He stressed that conservation efforts should focus on the recovery and re-establishment of threatened wildlife while being guided by both scientific principles and human values.

India's success in restoring its tiger population is increasingly being seen as a global conservation model, demonstrating how sustained policy support, scientific management and community participation can help revive endangered species on a large scale.