Indian tiger population on the rise: Numbers up by one-third

There are nearly 3,000 tigers in India, which is one-third more than the population four years ago

The tiger population in India is on the rise!

According to the most recent count, there are almost 3,000 wild tigers living in India today, meaning the population has increased by one-third over a four-year period.

India's prime minister Narendra Modi has released a report showing that the total number of tigers in the country has gone from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018.

He said that India is "now one of the biggest and most secure habitats of the tiger".

A census is carried out every four years to estimate the number of these big cats in the country.

The process is an extremely time-consuming one, with scientists and forest officials covering over 190,000 miles in search of evidence of the tiger population.

According to the Wildlife Protection Act, tigers are an endangered species. This law was introduced back in 1972, making it illegal to capture or kill wild animals.

This has had positive effect and, since 2006, tiger numbers in India have been on the rise.