The number of tigers in India has more than doubled in a little more than a decade, a conservation success that is due in part to communities learning to live alongside the animals, new research finds.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority estimates that between 2010 and 2022 the tiger population grew from 1,706 to 3,682. A new study, published in Science, explores how tigers made a comeback in India, finding the big cats are thriving not only on protected lands but also near some human communities.
While tigers were gone from poorer areas with a history of hunting and poaching and from areas affected by violent conflict, they could be found near some more prosperous communities. In these areas poaching was rare. Farmers used barns and enclosures to protect their cattle from tigers, and when they lost a cow to a tiger attack, they were compensated by the government. Some communities even got a boost from tourists coming to see the tigers.
Study coauthor Ninad Mungi, of Aarhus University in Denmark, said the success in India could prove instructive for Europe, where wolves are now making a comeback, sparking a backlash from farmers. Said Mungi, “India’s experience proves that large predators can survive in a modern world — if we are willing to think creatively and find a balance between protection and coexistence.”
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