With 100 tigers, Sunderbans ranks 31 among 51 tiger reserves in the country

The Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, currently spanning 2585 sq km, is set to expand to approximately 3600 sq km, surpassing the Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh. This integration aims to enhance tiger management through increased staff training, monitoring, and financial support. Wildlife experts emphasize the importance of holistic management for tiger habitats, particularly in light of climate change impacts. Despite positive efforts in combating poaching and tiger-human conflicts, the Sundarbans’ overall ranking in tiger reserves has been declining over the past two decades. However, recent tiger census reports indicate a rise in tiger numbers from 88 to 100 between 2018 and 2022.

Annual tiger census in West Bengal’s Sunderbans to begin

Bengal tigers, the most numerous among tiger subspecies, represent approximately half of the world’s wild tiger population. Despite being revered symbols of India and Bangladesh, Bengal tigers face endangerment. Sundarbans National Park, situated in West Bengal, India, hosts the largest population of Bengal tigers, occupying around 1,330 square kilometers (328,680 acres) of the densely forested Ganges River delta. As human populations grow, conflicts between humans and Bengal tigers escalate. Factors such as development and hunting have diminished the tiger’s natural prey—buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals within the Sundarbans.