Government Flags 25 of 58 Tiger Reserves Needing Priority Intervention

The government has identified 25 tiger reserves across India as "potential recipient sites," places that can ecologically support tigers but currently show absent, critically low, or declining populations. The findings, flagged by Project Tiger officials and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, call for targeted, science-backed recovery efforts rather than rushed translocations. The warning comes as India's total tiger reserve count stands at 58, spread across roughly 84,487 sq km.

Key Findings of Tiger Reserve Review

1. Five reserves, Satkosia (Odisha), Kawal (Telangana), Dampa and Kamlang (Northeast), and Buxa (West Bengal), currently hold zero tigers. 
2. Project Tiger head Sanjay Kumar pointed to the failed Satkosia translocation as a lesson the country cannot afford to repeat, stressing that local communities must be consulted and brought on board before any reintroduction attempt.
3. On the positive side, 13 reserves, including Bandipur, Kanha, Ranthambore, and Jim Corbett, remain strong source populations. 
4. Jim Corbett alone houses around 260 tigers, among the highest densities anywhere in India. 

Challenges Faced by Low-Tiger Reserves in India

The problems aren't uniform, but a few patterns keep showing up.

1. Low prey density tops the list, flagged across nearly every struggling reserve. Fragmented corridors cut off reserves like Ranipur, Achanakmar, Kali, and Mukundara Hills from dispersing tigers that would otherwise repopulate them naturally.
2. In the Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand belt, left-wing extremism disrupted protection work for years, worsening habitat degradation and encroachment in Indravati, Udanti-Sitanadi, Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla, and Palamau. 
3. The Northeast presents a different challenge altogether: Dampa, Kamlang, and Namdapha face naturally thin prey bases, difficult terrain, and a history of hunting pressure.

All 58 Tiger Reserves in India: State and Area-wise list

India has 58 tiger reserves in India under the protection of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.