India has delivered one of the most encouraging wildlife comeback stories in recent history, successfully doubling its native tiger population in the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research.
The achievement forms part of the global Tx2 initiative, an ambitious pledge made in 2010 by tiger-range countries to double the number of wild tigers worldwide by 2022, the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac. More than a decade later, the goal has become a powerful symbol of what determined conservation efforts can accomplish.
Despite being the world’s most populous nation, India has carved out space for its most iconic big cat across more than 53,000 square miles of protected habitat. By 2018, the country’s tiger population had climbed above 3,600 accounting for roughly 75% of the world’s remaining wild tigers and nearly double earlier estimates from 2006.
The findings, published in the journal Science, are based on extensive monitoring conducted every four years across 20 states. Researchers found not only a surge in tiger numbers, but also a 30% expansion in suitable tiger habitat.
Experts say the success stems from a combination of strong government policy, improved protection measures, and community involvement. In many regions, eco-tourism has created economic opportunities while compensation programs help farmers and villagers cope with wildlife-related losses turning potential conflict into cooperation.
Interestingly, data shows that tiger attacks remain rare. Study lead author Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala noted that fatalities from tigers are far lower than many everyday risks, adding that people inside tiger reserves are more likely to be harmed in car accidents than by the animals themselves.
India’s progress mirrors other hopeful signs across Asia. Nepal has also doubled its tiger numbers, while tigers are naturally returning to forests in Thailand, China, and Myanmar. Kazakhstan is even preparing to reintroduce the species to areas where it disappeared more than a century ago. Meanwhile, camera traps in Sumatra have captured record sightings of the critically endangered Sumatran tiger.
Together, these gains paint a rare and welcome picture in global conservation: a species once teetering on the brink is steadily reclaiming its territory.
For wildlife advocates, it’s proof that when protection, science, and community effort align, nature has an extraordinary ability to bounce back stripes and all.