NEW DELHI - India's population of wild tigers, which wildlife experts have long warned is on the decline, is dramatically lower than previously believed, according to preliminary results of an exhaustive study of tiger habitats released Wednesday.

The study, conducted over the past two years by the government-run Wildlife Institute of India, found that the tiger population in some states may be nearly 65 percent less than experts had thought.

Full results of the study are not expected until late this year, but conservationists said the early results indicated the most recent tiger census — which found about 3,500 tigers — was far too optimistic.

In 2001, the U.S. National Geographic Society estimated that 5,000 to 7,000 Bengal — or Indian — tigers existed in the wild, about half in India.

However, conservationists believe official estimates of tigers in the wild are grossly exaggerated and the true figure may be closer to 2,000 — or as little as several hundred.

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This makes me sad.

'2006'
Despite efforts to protect the tigers, there has been a sharp decline in the number of big cats in Chhattisgarh. The number of tigers has gone down by 39 in last one year, leaving only 200 big cats in the state.

The annual report of the forest department presented in the state assembly stated that the number of tigers in the forests of Chhattisgarh has gone down to 200 from 239 counted last year.


oh no

poachers

Thats a big span on the estimate of tigers in the wild being endangered. It's sad when you read of the animals that are becoming extinct.

Poaching, loss of habitat whatever the tiger loses and we lose.

I have to agree with everyone on this! We are destroying the very things we depend on to keep our earth alive! And the cause,Greed, ignorance,selfishness,short sighted egos,In one word humans,in two words, STUPID humans! It,s so very sad!

I don't use the word hate often but I truly hate poachers. I can't express it how much I hate them. I also strongly dislike the people that purchase tiger parts for arcane superstitious or religious reasons. Yet another reason to lead humanity out of the dark.

The largest land predator in the world. =/ So sad...

Here, Here!

it sucks that I have to sit back while it all happens.

the best i can do is donate. does anyone here do so?

soon the only place you will find tigers are in zoo's and privet breeding mills. same thing will happen to the poler bear soon if we don't pull are heads out are @$$es. humanity will pay dearly for its greed one day if this kind of stuff doesn't stop. sadly it wont be the ones who caused it but it will be are children and there children who will suffer greatly for are foolish greed and selfishness.

And i don,t imagine the next few generations will have too many kind things to say about us,considering the big mess we are leaving them to deal with!

This is the saddest thing. They are such beautiful creatures and to think that they are on the path to extinction!

What is wrong with people...

Actually polar bear populations are very well right now. They are an apex predator which means their populations would not be huge to begin with. That is part of the problem seen in the Hudson Bay population. Protection, tourism, and human food sources promoted a larger populations of the largest land carnivores. In recent years there has been large pushes to remove all and any of the bears from human dependence. This caused a major problem as now there were more bears competing for the same food sources. This cause the population decline since the late 80s.

Remember, if you think about animal life like a pyramid apex predators go at the tip. This means their populations should naturally be the smallest, If they get to an equal size or larger than any of the bases below that support them you get population crashes. There are also other factors that effect population size, polar bears are long lived which adds to the fact that naturally their populations will be smaller.

dang it it i really wanted to see one in real life before i die