GUWAHATI: Tiger population in the Northeast and Brahmaputra plains has declined.

This was revealed in a government report, which was released by PM Narendra Modi on Sunday (April 09).

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PM Modi released the latest tiger numbers at an event in Mysuru to mark the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.

The number of “distinctive tigers” in the Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra plains has recorded a fall.

According to the latest government report, the number of tigers in the Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra plains is 194.

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The estimated population of tigers in the Northeast Hills and Brahmaputra plains in 2018 was 219.

Tiger numbers in the Northeast and the Brahmaputra plains have dwindled due to habitat loss, fragmentation and poaching over the years.

The report, however, said the tiger population in the region is ‘secure’.

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“The tiger population of Northeast is genetically unique and is small in size, thus requiring intensive conservation efforts,” the report said.

It added: “The region is currently facing several threats such as habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict, which necessitate increased conservation efforts.”

Along with the Northeast, the data showed a “decrease in tiger occupancy throughout the Western Ghats”.

The area recorded 824 “unique tigers” in 2022 as compared to 981 in 2018, “indicating a decline in some regions”.

The Western Ghats is a continuous range of hills that runs parallel to the Arabian Sea coast for about 1600 km, covering an area of about 1,40,000 square kilometres.

It spans six states and covers 12 tiger reserves, 20 national parks, and 68 wildlife sanctuaries.

However, according to data, tiger population in India increased from 2967 in 2018 to 3167 in 2022.

The report said aligning the aspirations of large-scale economic development while safeguarding forests and wildlife and mitigating human-tiger conflict is one of the major challenges.