India tiger census 2026
The India tiger census 2026 will mark the sixth cycle of the world’s largest wildlife survey. The All India Tiger Estimation began in 2006 and has since counted tigers every four years. This next report, due in 2026, will cover 58 reserves and mark two decades of monitoring. The 2022 census put India’s tiger population at 3,682 — about 70 percent of the global total.
But numbers alone hide a darker truth. Rising tiger counts are paired with increasing poaching incidents and growing threats from zoonotic diseases. In Madhya Pradesh, a tiger was recently found dead with its paws cut off, while officials admitted five to six tigers and leopards died in just one month. Research warns of tuberculosis, rabies, Nipah virus, and canine distemper creeping into wild populations.
Counting tigers is one thing. Protecting them from bullets and pathogens is another. For deeper analysis, see our cornerstone on conservation practices.
Based on Tribune India, India.
Photo via Tribune India.
