Uttarakhand becomes No. 2 in tiger population

Uttarakhand with 340 tigers is second only to Karnataka, which has 406.

This undated photo released by the Corbett Tiger Reserve shows a tiger at the reserve in Uttarakhand.

Tiger population in Uttarakhand has risen from 227 to 340 since the last census, becoming the second State in the country after Karnataka with the highest number of tigers.

“There has been an encouraging rise in tiger population in Uttarakhand. It has risen from 227 to 340 since the last census. This is all the more creditable given the fact that the hill State has just one tiger reserve,” Corbett Tiger Reserve Director Samir Sinha told PTI.

There was a time when Madhya Pradesh had the highest tiger population in the country but then it had six tiger reserves, he said.

Uttarakhand is now second only to Karnataka in terms of tiger population. Karnataka figures at the top of the list with 406 tigers, he said.

As per the latest census, Corbett Tiger Reserve has also improved its position on conservation assessment trajectory going up from good to very good, the official said.

According to the latest census released on Tuesday, the tiger population in the country is estimated to be around 2,226, a rise of over 30 per cent since the last count in 2010.