Tiger reserves of India

The tiger reserves in India were set up as a part of Project Tiger initiated in 1973 and are
administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of Government of India. As of March
2024, there are 55 protected areas that have been designated as tiger reserves. As of 2023, there
were 3,682 wild tigers in India, which is almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.

Goal

As per the section 38 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the state governments are responsible
preparing a Tiger Conservation Plan which includes planning and management of notified areas and
maintaining the requisite competent staff to ensure the protection of the tiger reserve and providing
inputs for maintaining a viable population of tigers, co-predators and prey animals.[1][2]

Tiger population

State wise tiger population (2018)

In 2006, it was estimated that there were 1,411 tigers living in the wild, the lowest ever recorded.[3]
The 2010 National Tiger Assessment estimated the total population of wild tigers in India at 1,706.
As per Ministry of Environment and Forests, the wild tiger population in India stood at 2,226 in 2014
with an increase of 30.5% since the 2010 estimate.[4]

In 2018, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, there were an estimated 2,967 wild
tigers in existence in India. The wild tiger population increased to 3,682 as of 2022.[5] As India is
home to majority of the global wild tiger population, the increase in population of tigers in India
played a major role in driving up global populations as well; the number of wild tigers globally rose
from 3,159 in 2010 to 3,890 in 2016 according to World Wildlife Fund and Global Tiger Forum.[6]
Tiger reserves

Tiger reserves were set up as a part of Project Tiger initiated in 1973 and are administered by the
National Tiger Conservation Authority of Government of India. Tiger reserves consist of a core area
which includes part(s) of protected areas such as a national park or a wildlife sanctuary and a
buffer zone which is a mix of forested and non-forested land. Project tiger is aimed at performing
the necessary activities to ensure viability of tiger population in the core area and to promote a
balance between the existence of people and animals in the buffer zones.[7]

In 1973, nine protected areas were initially designated as tiger reserves. By the late 1980s, the initial
nine reserves covering an area of 9,115 km2 (3,519 sq mi) had been increased to 15 reserves
covering an area of 24,700 km2 (9,500 sq mi). More than 1100 tigers were estimated to inhabit the
reserves by 1984.[8] By 1997, 23 tiger reserves encompassed an area of 33,000 km2
(13,000 sq mi).[9] As of March 2024, there are 55 protected areas that have been designated as tiger
reserves.[1]
List of tiger reserves[10][11]

Tiger Core Buffer Total

Last
No. Name Inclusion State population area area area
Notified [5] 2 2
(2023) (km ) (km ) (km2)

1 Bandipur 1973–74 2007 Karnataka 150 872.24 584.06 1,456.3

2 Corbett 1973–74 2010 Uttarakhand 260 821.99 466.32 1,288.31

Madhya
3 Kanha 1973–74 2007 105 917.43 1,134.36 2,051.79
Pradesh

4 Manas 1973–74 2008 Assam 58 526.22 2,310.88 2,837.10

5 Melghat 1973–74 2007 Maharashtra 57 1,500.49 1,268.03 2,768.52

6 Palamau 1973–74 2012 Jharkhand 1 414.08 715.85 1,129.93

7 Ranthambore 1973–74 2007 Rajasthan 57 1,113.36 297.92 1,411.29

8 Similipal 1973–74 2007 Odisha 16 1,194.75 1,555.25 2,750

9 Sunderbans 1973–74 2007 West Bengal 100 1,699.62 885.27 2,584.89

10 Periyar 1978–79 2007 Kerala 30 881 44 925

11 Sariska 1978–79 2007 Rajasthan 19 881.11 332.23 1,213.34

12 Buxa 1982–83 2009 West Bengal 1 390.58 367.32 757.90

13 Indravati 1982–83 2009 Chhattisgarh 1 1,258.37 1,540.70 2,799.07

Arunachal
14 Namdapha 1982–83 1987 1 1,807.82 245.00 2,052.82
Pradesh

Nagarjunsagar- Andhra
15 1982–83 2007 58 2,595.72 700.59 3,296.31
Srisailam Pradesh

Uttar
16 Dudhwa 1987–88 2010 135 1,093.79 1,107.98 2,201.77
Pradesh

Kalakad-
17 1988–89 2007 Tamil Nadu 5 895.00 706.54 1,601.54
Mundanthurai

18 Valmiki 1989–90 2012 Bihar 54 598.45 300.93 899.38

Madhya
19 Pench 1992–93 2007 77 411.33 768.30 1,179.63
Pradesh

20 Tadoba-Andhari 1993–94 2007 Maharashtra 97 625.82 1,101.77 1,727.59

Madhya
21 Bandhavgarh 1993–94 2007 135 716.9 820.03 1,536.93
Pradesh

Madhya
22 Panna 1994–95 2007 55 576.13 1,021.97 1,598.10
Pradesh
 Tiger Core Buffer Total
Last
No. Name Inclusion State population area area area
Notified [5] 2 2
(2023) (km ) (km ) (km2)

23 Dampa 1994–95 2007 Mizoram 0 500 488 988

24 Bhadra 1998–99 2007 Karnataka 28 492.46 571.83 1,064.29

25 Pench (MH) 1998–99 2007 Maharashtra 48 257.26 483.96 741.22

Arunachal
26 Pakke 1999–2000 2012 6 683.45 515 1,198.45
Pradesh

27 Nameri 1999–2000 2000 Assam 3 320 144 464

Madhya
28 Satpura 1999–2000 2007 50 1,339.26 794.04 2,133.31
Pradesh

29 Anamalai 2008–09 2007 Tamil Nadu 16 958.59 521.28 1,479.87

30 Udanti–Sitanadi 2008–09 2009 Chhattisgarh 1 851.09 991.45 1,842.54

31 Satkosia 2008–09 2007 Odisha 0 523.61 440.26 963.87

32 Kaziranga 2008–09 2007 Assam 104 625.58 548 1,173.58

33 Achanakmar 2008–09 2009 Chhattisgarh 5 626.19 287.82 914.02

34 Kali 2008–09 2007 Karnataka 17 814.88 282.63 1,097.51

Madhya
35 Sanjay Dhubri 2008–09 2011 16 812.57 861.93 1,674.5
Pradesh

36 Mudumalai 2008–09 2007 Tamil Nadu 114 321.00 367.59 688.59

37 Nagarhole 2008–09 2007 Karnataka 141 643.35 562.41 1,205.76

38 Parambikulam 2008–09 2009 Kerala 31 390.89 252.77 643.66

39 Sahyadri 2009–10 2012 Maharashtra 0 612.00 565.45 1,165.57

Biligiri
40 Ranganatha 2010–11 2007 Karnataka 37 359.10 215.72 574.82
Temple

41 Kawal 2012–13 2012 Telangana 0 892.23 1,123.21 2,015.44

42 Sathyamangalam 2013–14 2013 Tamil Nadu 85 793.49 614.91 1,408.40

43 Mukandra Hills 2013–14 2013 Rajasthan 1 417.17 342.82 759.99

Nawegaon–
44 2013–14 2015 Maharashtra 11 653.67 1,241.27 1,894.94
Nagzira

45 Amrabad 2014 2015 Telangana 12 2,166.37 445.02 2,611.39

Uttar
46 Pilibhit 2014 2014 63 602.79 127.45 730.25
Pradesh
 Tiger Core Buffer Total
Last
No. Name Inclusion State population area area area
Notified [5] 2 2
(2023) (km ) (km ) (km2)

47 Bor 2014 2012 Maharashtra 9 138.12 678.15 816.27

48 Rajaji 2015 2015 Uttarakhand 54 819.54 255.63 1,075.17

49 Orang 2016 2016 Assam 16 79.28 413.18 492.46

Arunachal
50 Kamlang 2016 2017 0 671 112 783
Pradesh

Srivilliputhur–
51 2021 2021 Tamil Nadu 12 641.86 374.7 1,016.57
Megamalai

Ramgarh
52 2022 2022 Rajasthan 1 481.91 1,019.99 1,501.90
Vishdhari

Uttar
53 Ranipur 2022 2022 NA 230.31 299.05 529.36
Pradesh

Veerangana Madhya
54 2023 2023 NA 1,414 925.12 2,339.12
Durgavati Pradesh

55 Dholpur-Karauli 2023 2023 Rajasthan NA 599.64 0 599.64

Amangarh Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh is a buffer zone of Jim Corbett National Park and may
not be regarded as a separate tiger reserve. It has a buffer zone of 80.6 km2 (31.1 sq mi) but no
core area of critical tiger habitat.[12][13]

References

1. Tiger reserves (https://ntca.gov.in/tiger-reserves/#tiger-reserves-2) (Report). National Tiger

Conservation Authority. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

2. "Project Tiger" (http://projecttiger.nic.in/COMPENDIUM%20OF%20GUIDELINES.pdf) (PDF).

Government of India. Retrieved 22 January 2016.

3. "India's tiger population sees 33% increase" (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-4914

8174) . BBC. 2019.

4. "Tiger Estimate in India" (http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/tiger-brochure.pd

f) (PDF). Public Information Brochure. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India. 28 March 2011. p. 9. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
 5. Qureshi, Q.; Jhala, Y. V.; Yadav, S. P. & Mallick, A. (2023). Status of tigers, co-predators and prey
in India 2022 (https://wii.gov.in/images//images/documents/publications/statu_tiger_copreda
tors-2022.pdf) (PDF) (Report). New Delhi, Dehradun: National Tiger Conservation Authority &
Wildlife Institute of India.

6. "2967 – What the new global Tiger number means" (http://tigers.panda.org/news/what-the-ne

w-global-tiger-number-means/) . WWF. 2016.

7. "Project Tiger" (https://ntca.gov.in/about-us/#project-tiger) . National Tiger Conservation

Authority. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

8. Panwar, H. S. (1987). "Project Tiger: The reserves, the tigers, and their future" (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=YdC-wfyZwZEC&pg=PA110) . In Tilson, R. L.; Sel, U. S. (eds.). Tigers of the
world: the biology, biopolitics, management, and conservation of an endangered species. Park
Ridge, N.J.: Minnesota Zoological Garden, IUCN/SSC Captive Breeding Group, IUCN/SSC Cat
Specialist Group. pp. 110–117. ISBN 978-0-815-51133-5.

9. Thapar, V. (1999). "The tragedy of the Indian tiger: starting from scratch". In Seidensticker, J.;
Christie, S.; Jackson, P. (eds.). Riding the Tiger. Tiger Conservation in human-dominated
landscapes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 296–306. ISBN 0-521-64057-1.

10. "Tiger Reserves of India" (https://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/trd_8222.aspx) . Ministry of

Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

11. MEE summary report (https://ntca.gov.in/assets/uploads/Reports/MEE/MEE_summary_report

_2023.pdf) (PDF) (Report). National Tiger Conservation Authority. Retrieved 1 April 2024.

12. "Tiger Reserves" (https://wii.gov.in/nwdc_tigerreserves) . Wildlife Institute of India. Retrieved

9 January 2021.

13. "Tiger Reserves" (https://ntca.gov.in/tiger-reserves/#tiger-reserves-2) . National Tiger

Conservation Authority. Retrieved 19 January 2021.