Population of India's Iconic Tigers Up More Than 30 Percent

The population of India's iconic tigers is up more than 30 percent in just four years, giving conservationists a rare piece of good news for once.

India's Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar announced this week that a 2014 census found 2,226 tigers in India last year, a huge jump compared with 1,706 tigers in 2010. That means India is now home to 70 percent of the world's tigers.

"While the tiger population is falling in the world, it is rising in India. It is great news," Javadekar said, according to the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Specifically, the state of Karnataka has the highest number of tigers at 408. Uttarakhand follows close behind at 340 tigers, meanwhile Madhya Pradesh has 308, Tamil Nadu has 229, Maharashtra has 190 and the Sundarbans in Bengal has 76 tigers.

The minister credits this "huge success" to improved management practices in the country's more than 40 tiger reserves. The government is also currently working to reduce human encounters with these big cats, because as farmers develop forest land tigers are being forced to abandon their protective areas in search for food and water.

This increase couldn't come at a more crucial time. In 2008, tigers in India had reached an all-time low of 1,411, raising fears that the species would soon disappear altogether.

And while the recent rise is heartwarming, tigers are still far from being out of harm's way.

Just a century ago, there were around 100,000 tigers roaming throughout the world. Now, a total of 3,000 to 4,500 exist in the wild, according to Defenders of Wildlife. Their numbers took a significant toll due to severe habitat loss and rampant poaching.

The illegal tiger farm trade values these exotic animals for their pelts, bones, and even their meat which is used for luxurious "visual feasts."

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