List of Tiger Reserves in India 2024, Map, Names, Schemes

In the 2022 tiger census, India’s tiger population surged to 3,682 from 2,967 in 2018, marking a significant increase. According to the Wildlife Institute of India, the upper limit of the tiger population stands at 3,925, with an average of 3,682 tigers, indicating a notable 6.1% annual growth rate.

Moreover, the census revealed several key findings:

• Tiger occupancy expanded from 1,758 cells of 100 km2 in 2018 to 1,792 in 2022.
• A total of 3,080 unique tigers were photographed in 2022, compared to 2,461 in 2018.
• Five states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, boast more than 300 tigers each.
• Additionally, eight states house more than 200 tigers.

However, the census also highlighted concerning trends, notably the decline in tiger occupancy in the Western Ghats, particularly affecting the Wayanad landscape and the Biligiriranga Hills.

Tiger Reserves in India 2024

Tiger Reserves in India: Project Tiger, which is run by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, is in charge of 54 of India’s tiger reserves (NTCA). 80% of the tigers in the world reside in India. There were 1,411 tigers in 2006; by 2010, there were 1,706; by 2014, there were 2,226; and by 2018, there were 2967.

According to subsection (1) of section 38V of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972, “The state government shall notify an area as a Tiger Reserve on the suggestion of the tiger conservation authority.” The recommendation is required to be accepted by the state. A tiger reserve’s limits may not be changed without the National Board for Wild Life’s approval and the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s suggestion. Unless it is in the public interest and with the consent of the National Board for Wild Life and the National Tiger Conservation Authority, no State Government may de-notify a tiger reserve.

Critical tiger habitats (CTH) are designated under the Wild Life Protection Act (WLPA), which is also known as the core of tiger reserves. According to the law, these regions must be preserved inviolate for the conservation of tigers without compromising the rights of the Scheduled Tribes or other forest inhabitants. The state government notifies CTH after consulting with the committee of experts it formed specifically for the purpose.

National Tiger Conservation Authority

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. It was established in 2005 to conserve tigers and their habitat in India. The NTCA is responsible for:

• Formulating and implementing the National Tiger Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (NTCS&AP)
• Overseeing the management of tiger reserves
• Researching tigers and their habitat
• Raising awareness about tiger conservation

54th Tiger Reserve Veerangana Durgavati

‘Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve’ is a new protected area for big cats in Madhya Pradesh, the state with the most tigers in the nation. The Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve, the seventh in Madhya Pradesh and the 54th in India has been established by the state government. When compared to the 2018 census, which counted 526 big cats, MP had 785, maintaining its “tiger state” designation.

The seventh tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh is now the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve. The core area of the tiger reserve is approximately 1,414 square kilometres, while the buffer zone is approximately 925.12 square kilometres, according to the official.

List of Tiger Reserves in India

Here’s the List of Tiger Reserves in India with states and the total area covered:

India’s Tiger Reserves Significance

Ever since the turn of the 20th century, the number of tigers has been declining. According to a report, tigers have lost 93% of their former range. According to, India is home to over 70% of the world’s tigers. Indian culture places a high value on tigers. As the top predator in an ecosystem, tigers are essential to preserving its diversity and health. Tiger habitat conservation and protection benefits a variety of ecosystem services, including the preservation of rivers and other water supplies, the reduction of soil erosion, and the enhancement of ecological services like pollination and water table retention, among others.

Tiger Reserves of India Threats

One of the biggest obstacles to tiger conservation is still poaching. Because the tiger has such high market value, professional poachers, local hunters, trappers, pirates, and peasants all hunt them. Tigers and other species have been compelled to tighten their belts and migrate to cooler places as a result of climate change and global warming, which has increased average global temperatures.

Natural calamities like extensive forest fires pose a serious hazard. Concern has been raised about human encroachment on tiger habitats for farming, expanding infrastructure, and grazing cattle. Tiger habitats are seriously threatened by the growth of transportation infrastructure, including roads and railroads.

Tiger Reserves of India Map

53rd Tiger Reserve in India

Chhattisgarh’s request to designate the combined lands of the Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary and the Guru Ghasidas National Park as a Tiger Reserve was approved by the NTCA’s Technical Committee in October 2021. Following the terms of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, the NTCA has authorized the application. Guru Ghasidas NP and Tamor Pingla WLS, which together total 1,440 and 608 square kilometres, respectively. 2011 saw the addition of the Tamor Pingla Wildlife Sanctuary to the Sarguja Jashpur Elephant Reserve.

The Guru Ghasidas National Park was a section of the Sanjay National Park in Madhya Pradesh before it was divided. As the last known habitat of the Asiatic cheetah in India, Guru Ghasidas National Park is notable. The new tiger reserve gives the tigers a passageway to travel between Bandhavgarh and Palamau (Jharkhand) (Madhya Pradesh). A plan also exists to turn Bhoramdeo WLS into a Tiger Reserve. Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh and Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh are linked by Bhoramdeo.

Tiger Reserves in India Conservation Plan

According to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972’s section 38. v.(3) For the proper management of each area referred to in subsection (1), the State Government shall develop a Tiger Conservation Plan, including a staff development and deployment plan. This will ensure: 

• Protection of the Tiger Reserve and provision of habitat inputs specific to the tiger reserve for maintaining a viable population of tigers, co-predators, and prey animals..
• Ecologically friendly land uses that provide dispersing habitat and corridors in tiger reserves and areas connecting one Protected Area (PA) with another PA or tiger reserve.
• The forestry needs of tiger protection are not incompatible with the activities of conventional forest divisions or divisions next to tiger reserves.
• Of the 50 tiger reserves, the TCPs of the following 35 have received NTCA approval, while the other reserves are undergoing preparation or review.

Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF)

Tiger conservation is a shared duty between the federal government and the states that call for coordinated, creative, and time-bound efforts. Along with updating the ongoing Project Tiger Scheme with increased funding to support the tiger States, the Government of India has launched a number of ground-breaking efforts in this area. At this level, appropriate institutional adjustments have also been made.

According to section 38X of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, the State Government must create a Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF) for tiger reserves located within the State in order to facilitate and support the management of tiger reserves for the conservation of tigers and associated biodiversity as well as for taking eco-development initiatives through community involvement in the development process.

The Foundation’s goal is to assist and support the management of tiger reserves for the conservation of tigers and biodiversity, through multi-stakeholder participation by approved management plans, and to support related initiatives in neighbouring landscapes by national and state laws.

Schemes for Tiger Reserves in India

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