Mumbai: India’s commitment to wildlife conservation received a significant boost with Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav announcing that the number of tiger reserves has risen from 46 in 2014 to 58 in 2025.
Speaking at the Global Tiger Day celebrations at the National Zoological Park in New Delhi on Tuesday, Yadav highlighted the importance of ecological balance, raising conservation awareness among children, and nurturing a sense of gratitude towards nature. However, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), 667 tigers died since 2021 — 341 of them, or 51 per cent, outside tiger reserves.
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Year-wise figures show 129 tiger deaths in 2021, 122 in 2022, 182 in 2023, 126 in 2024, and 108 so far in 2025. In 2023, Maharashtra recorded 34 tiger deaths outside reserves, followed by 13 in Madhya Pradesh, 11 each in Kerala and Uttarakhand, and six in Karnataka. In 2024, Madhya Pradesh logged 24 such deaths, while Maharashtra reported 16. So far this year, Maharashtra has seen 20 tiger deaths outside reserves, Madhya Pradesh 13, Kerala eight, and Karnataka seven.
NTCA data also shows that between 2012 and 2024, 1,519 tigers died—634 of them, or 42 per cent, outside protected reserves. To tackle the rising human-tiger conflict, the government will soon launch the Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) project, covering 80 forest divisions across 17 states. In a major success, Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve now ranks third globally in tiger density, with 18 tigers per 100 sq km.
In a global push, 24 countries have joined the India-led International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to protect seven big cat species. Twelve countries, including Armenia, Ethiopia, and Cambodia, are formal members. Yadav urged citizens to join the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign by planting trees in their mother’s name. He also launched the ‘Plastic-Free Tiger Reserves’ initiative to eliminate single-use plastics in protected areas. The event also marked the inauguration of forest nurseries in the Aravallis and the release of four key NTCA publications chronicling India’s conservation journey
