Md. Yasir Shaan

For the first time in a century, the global wild tiger population has increased, giving hope to conservation efforts after many decades of seeing numbers dwindling.
According to figures provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are now a minimum of 3,890 tigers in the wild, representing a substantial increase since 2010, when estimates put the global population at as few as 3,200. “For the first time after decades of constant decline, tiger numbers are on the rise,” said director general of WWF International, Marco Lambertini. “This offers us great hope and shows that we can save species and their habitats when governments, local communities, and conservationists work together.” The WWF attributes the higher tally which has been compiled from a number of national tiger surveys to a range of factors, including enhanced protections of the animals and improved surveying techniques. The overall increase is primarily due to larger tiger populations in India, Russia, Nepal, and Bhutan.
The majority of the animals are in India, followed by Russia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Bhutan all play host to smaller numbers, as do China, Myanmar, Lao, and Vietnam. The above nations are all members of the Global Tiger Forum (GTF), which in 2010 saw world leaders joining an international effort called the Tiger Initiative Tx2 to double wild tiger numbers by 2022.
While the boost in tiger populations since 2010 means we’re headed in the right direction, those involved say it still won’t be easy to double the numbers in such a short space of time. In the meantime, short of donating to conservation efforts like the WWF, one of the best ways to fight poaching efforts in places like Southeast Asia is to make sure you don’t inadvertently support the illegal wildlife trade if you travel there.