Of the 200 tigers added to the 2,967 estimated in 2018, taking the count to 3,167 as per the latest Status of Tiger Report, 128 are from the Central India Landscape (CIL). This makes it clear that Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh (MP) have played a big role in increasing the tiger numbers in the country.
This means, Central India has largest Population of tigers in the world, said Bilal Habib, Wildlife Institute of India scientist. As per the 2018 estimates, there were 1,033 tigers in Central India and the Eastern Ghats Landscape, which comprises in Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha andRajasthan. However, the latest report estimates 1,161 tigers, an increase of 128.
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) officials say the addition to the national figure of 3,167 tigers must be from Maharashtra and MP and Shivalik Landscape, which have done well.
Tiger signs were detected in 1,049 grids and 1,161 unique tigers were photo-captured. As per the distribution of tigers in Central India and Eastern Ghats Landscape, the big cats have occupied several territorial areas of MP and Maharashtra that were not occupied in 2018, the report states.