A special annual survey undertaken by the forest department of Uttarakhand to estimate the number of tigers in the Ramnagar division, adjoining Corbett Tiger Reserve, has shown a sharp jump over three years, The Indian Express has learnt.
According to a report based on the survey, undertaken by the department’s Ramnagar division along with the World Wide Fund for Nature, the number of tigers grew from 67 (as per the All India Tiger Estimation in 2022) to 96 (as of July 2025). The survey report has been submitted to the department, it is learnt.
The survey used 1,059 camera trap pictures to arrive at this number. The survey, as part of phase 4 ahead of the All India Tiger Estimate, which will start in October, was undertaken by the division. Usually, it is undertaken only by tiger reserves, an official said. Ramnagar shares boundaries with Corbett and is a buffer zone.
According to the report, camera traps were placed at 181 locations across the division. These camera traps were placed within the sampling area, in 2 square km cells, which are a subset of the fixed 100 square km grids, with a deployment of at least one pair of cameras within each cell.
The pictures were later analysed through the extract-compare software, resulting in 56 tigers with both sides captured and confirmed using time stamp analysis. Along with this, 40 tigers spotted with their unique left flank have been added to the estimate. Eleven cubs (under the age of one) have not been taken into account due to their high mortality rates.
The report explains the estimate: “There were images with either the left or right flank picture missing. In order to not create a biased number, only tigers captured with both flanks and unique left flank individuals are considered.”
Sources involved in the survey said that the increase in the number is not from wandering tigers. “Tigers are territorial animals, so they have a fixed territory and do not wander in a large area. Some tigers do share the boundary between Corbett and Ramnagar; however, the number is small. Even the number of tigers in Corbett has risen from 260 to around 290,” he said. The prey density has also increased, leading to an increase in the tiger population.
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The survey was done to assess the results of the Forest Landscape Restoration implemented over the last three years. Ramnagar Division has areas where villagers are dependent on the forest for their day-to-day needs. The increase is seen as a success by the department, as it indicates a successful restoration of the landscape.
Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden, Rajan Mishra, said that the report is part of a nascent stage of tiger estimation. “We have yet to receive it, but the report is part of an annual survey of phase 4 of AITE,” he said.
The source said that though this is a manifestation of the successful implementation of the Project Tiger, officials are aware of the challenges it poses when it comes to human-wildlife conflict in the region.
The phenomenon of tigers outside tiger reserves was explained in a recent paper in the Science Journal, indicating how tigers in India occupied 30 per cent more area between 2006 and 2018, along with sharing space with about 6 crore people in 45% of tiger-occupied habitats. With nearly 30% of the country’s over 3,600 tigers outside tiger reserves, these tigers often prey on cattle and herbivores near human settlements, increasing chances of human interface and conflict. Being territorial, they also push out co-predators like leopards to areas outside forests, thus adding to the conflict risk. Data showed that 382 people were killed in conflict with tigers between 2020 and 2024. Ramnagar division has seen 13 human deaths by tiger between January 2022 and 2025.
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Former DFO of Ramnagar, Diganth Nayak, explained that the concerns outside tiger reserves are more challenging as tiger reserves like Corbett are devoid of any human habitation, reducing the chances of poaching and human-wildlife conflict. “In forest divisions outside the tiger reserves, tigers are sharing spaces with human settlements. The chances of conflict are not only higher but also the backlash faced by the department after a human-wildlife conflict is difficult to handle. Lack of resources in divisions puts the forest department on the back foot,” Nayak said.
The funding in these areas is disproportionate, as many tiger reserves in the country, while enjoying ample resources, do not have as many big cats. A Tiger Reserve receives funds from the Project Tiger, apart from tourism revenue and funding from the Tiger Conservation Foundation. However, there is a lack of funds for divisions neighbouring these reserves, even if the number of tigers is higher than in the reserves.
The current survey has also helped capture herds of elephants, wild boars and chitals. “Records of a healthy population of leopards carefully avoiding tigers in the mostly fringes of the Ramnagar forest division (were documented). Animals which are elusive to humans were also captured, such as leopard cat, yellow-throated marten, jungle cats, sloth bear and even serow,” the report states.
