The tiger population in the country has increased overall, but there has been a decrease in numbers in the Northeast region.
In 2018, the estimated tiger population in the North Eastern Hills and the Brahmaputra region was 218, but it has since decreased to 194.
Although more than half of the landscape in the region has forest cover, according to the State of Forest Report 2021, there is limited wildlife richness in very few protected areas. Even though there is habitat connectivity, many of the protected areas and forested areas are lacking in tiger populations.
According to the Summary Report on the Status of Tigers in India 2022, released today by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, better protection and augmentation of prey in protected areas such as Nameri, Buxa, Namdapha, and Kamlang could help increase the tiger population.
The landscape of the Northeastern Hills and the Brahmaputra is secure, with 194 distinctive tigers captured on camera traps, compared to an estimated 219 (SE 194-244) tigers in 2018.
However, the report states that ecological monitoring of wildlife resources and habitats is limited to a few patches in the landscape due to inaccessible terrain, a lack of trained frontline staff, and logistical challenges. It highlights the need for ecological monitoring outside protected areas to evaluate and delineate wildlife corridors to maintain the genetic diversity of megafauna in the landscape and to plan and mitigate the impact of development activities.
The report highlights that the rapid development of linear infrastructure and multiple hydro-electric projects has the potential to disrupt existing corridors and natural habitats, leading to alterations in the gene pool of the region.
It further emphasizes that the northeastern-hill populations are genetically unique and must be the top priority of conservation action in the country due to their low population size and distinctive lineage. The report recommends that conservation planning and execution are necessary to ensure ecologically viable economic development. As this landscape shares a vast border length with neighbouring countries, transboundary tiger conservation strategies will be essential in sustaining isolated populations.
“The Northeast region is home to several populations of tigers that are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching. Traditional hunting practices have left large tracts of forests virtually devoid of wildlife. To provide suitable habitats for tigers and other wildlife, several Tiger Reserves have been established in the region, including Kaziranga, Manas, Orang, Pakke, Nameri, Namdhapa, Kamlang, Dampa, and Buxa, of which only Kaziranga and Manas have substantial tiger populations. Despite the establishment of these protected areas, these tiger populations continue to face threats, and efforts are needed to address these threats. This includes strengthening protected area management, intensifying anti-poaching measures, and tackling the underlying causes of human-wildlife conflict,” the report stated.
The report emphasized the importance of addressing these issues to ensure the long-term survival of tigers in the region.
The report stated that the tiger population of North East India is genetically unique and small in size, thus requiring intensive conservation efforts. The region holds immense ecological and cultural significance, with a unique wildlife species composition and a high level of endemism, making it ecologically important. Additionally, the region’s natural beauty and the presence of several indigenous communities further enhance its significance.
The report emphasizes that the Northeast region of India is facing several threats, such as habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict, which “necessitates increased conservation efforts”. “The region is home to several tiger populations, but only Kaziranga and Manas have sizeable tiger populations,” the report stated.
The report recommends implementing more measures to address these threats, including “fortifying protected area management, intensifying anti-poaching measures, involving the local community to wean away from traditional hunting practices, and tackling the underlying reasons for human-wildlife conflict”.
According to the report, the landscape has experienced extensive changes in land-use patterns in the past, leading to a severe loss of natural habitat. However, there are several protected areas, reserve forests, sacred groves, and wetlands that “act as a refuge for endangered and endemic species”.
The landscape represents diverse habitats associated with wide altitudinal and climatic variation and has the wealthiest floral diversity in the country. The region is also an “Endemic Bird Area” and includes two crucial tiger conservation units, according to the report.
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A recent study has found that the population of tigers in Northeast India is the most distinct among Bengal tiger populations. The forested area of southern West Bengal was also sampled during the study, but this area is close to the Eastern Ghats and the central Indian landscape and is connected to the forested part of northern Odisha. The tiger-occupied habitat has increased in the landscape after recent photographic evidence of tigers from Buxa Tiger Reserve, Neora Valley National Park, and Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal. In 2023, a tiger was photo-captured in Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, and in 2021, in Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram.
“However, the recovery of the tiger population in the Northeastern hills is slow, and it needs attention for community benefits and protection,” the report added.
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