Tiger numbers reach 3,167, local extinction a concern

India’s 2022 tiger census shows an increase in the number of tigers to 3,167, a rise of 6.74% from 2,967 in 2018. However, the Status of Tigers report indicates that most tiger reserves in India are like “tiny islands of conservation” and unsustainable land use outside the protected zones could lead to localised extinctions in some parts of central India. The Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, showed a significant decline in numbers, from 981 in 2018 to 824 in 2022, while the Sundarbans is threatened by the effects of climate change and the rise of sea levels.