India is now home to the largest population of tigers in the world, with India also having the highest human density. The NCBS study had observed the increase in the population of tigers by 30% over the last two decades. The lead author of the NCBS (National Centre of Biological Sciences) study, Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala told BBC that “we think that human densities are detrimental to conservation of large carnivores. But more than density, it is the attitude of people that matters.” As an example, he spoke of Malaysia’s low density and economic prosperity having tiger populations that have not made it.

The co-existence of the people with the tigers is different through India and heavily relies on multiple factors. “At present, tigers co-exist with over 66 million people, proving that human-wildlife co-existence is possible” stated by NCBS news. There is equilibrium of biodiversity in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, and Karnataka. However in states where there is a background of once being well known for hunting and poaching, for example, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and other regions in North-east India, the population of tigers remains absent, or are extinct.

Vikramsinh Jhala spoke of development being a “double-edged sword.” As the states attempting and maintaining economic prosperity through the sustainable use of the ecosystems of that region are beneficial to the tigers and their density recovery, but it also incites a change in land-use, which is detrimental to the habitation of the tigers.

"Tiger recovery is thus constrained at opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, by intensive urbanisation and poverty," researchers said.

"Hence, adopting an inclusive and sustainable rural prosperity in place of an intensive land-use change–driven economy can be conducive for tiger recovery, aligning with India's modern environmentalism and sustainability."

India holds roughly 75% of the total population of tigers in the world, estimated by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The journal Science stated that this rate of success at conservation and recovery of India’s tiger population offers positive influence and directions for other tiger-range countries, as these efforts prove beneficial to both the biodiversity of the regions as well as the communities that reside and partake in that region.

The wildlife protection legislation strictly enforced and implemented in India makes up the “backbone” of the conservation of tigers in India. Vikramsinh Jhala went on to say, “Habitat is not a constraint, it’s the quality of the habitat which is a constraint”.

According to the study, the legislative framework contributed vastly to India’s tiger recovery, which includes the Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act and the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The study had focused on the socio-ecological factors that have allowed for this transformation and recovery to this extent even despite high population densities and political instability.

“Beyond ecological factors, economic prosperity and cultural values have influenced tiger persistence, recovery and colonisation. Regions with lower dependence on forest resources and better socio-economic conditions have witnessed higher tiger re-colonisation rates. Conversely, areas with high poverty, and armed conflict such as in Naxal-affected parts of Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand—have experienced tiger decline,” the study stated.

Future plans?

Although this achievement is steady, the study offered recommendations for future prevalence of this progress and feat, by improving response measures and systems, strengthening preventive measures for poaching and hunting, and to expand ecosystems for the survival of the tigers, and area of habitation.

In the words of Vikramsinh Jhala, once again, 

"As the world grapples with biodiversity loss and climate change, India’s tiger story serves as a powerful reminder that protecting apex predators is not just about saving one species - it is about securing the intricate web of life that sustains our planet. By prioritizing conservation, sustainable socioeconomics, and a culture of peace and coexistence, we can pave the way for maintaining a biodiverse Anthropocene". 

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