GUWAHATI: Assam has recorded a major wildlife conservation milestone, with the tiger population in Nameri Tiger Reserve increasing fourfold over the past three years, according to the latest Phase-IV All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) monitoring.
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Sharing the achievement on Friday, July 3, Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said the tiger count in Nameri Tiger Reserve has risen from just 3 individual tigers in AITE 2022 to 12 tigers in the Phase-IV 2024-25 assessment, with the findings validated by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
The latest assessment recorded 9 individual tigers during the 2023-24 Phase-IV monitoring, followed by a further increase to 12 tigers in the 2024-25 cycle, reflecting sustained conservation efforts and scientific monitoring in the reserve.
Adding to the achievement, two tigers have also been recorded in Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, the satellite core of Nameri Tiger Reserve, after decades of absence. Forest officials said the species had become locally extinct in the sanctuary in the early 2000s, making their return another significant milestone for wildlife conservation in Assam.
The increase in tiger numbers has been attributed to scientific monitoring, habitat protection, and long-term conservation measures implemented across the Nameri–Sonai Rupai landscape.