Roaring success for tigers in India

Authors of the study say their research gives hope for helping other endangered species around the world recover

India now has the largest numbers of tigers anywhere in the world, according to new research.

Over 75% of the world's striped big cats now live there.

This is according to a new study published in the journal Science, and comes after big efforts in India to boost their numbers.

The endangered animals now inhabit an area of 138,200 sq km (53,360 sq miles - roughly half the size of the UK.

It's been made possible by trying to keep the big cats safe from poaching, protecting their habitat, avoiding human-wildlife conflict, and by helping local communities manage living near the wild cats.

What does endangered mean?

A baby tiger cub born in an Indonesian zoo in 2017

Tigers are classed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on what's known as their red list.

An endangered animal is one that's at very high risk of extinction in the wild.

If an animal becomes extinct, it means there are none of them left alive anywhere in the world.

Extinction is permanent - if it happens, it cannot be undone.

Why are tigers endangered?

The animal charity WWF says that each tiger's stripes are unique to them, so every tiger has their own set of stripes

Tigers face a lot of issues in their natural habitats.

One is from poachers, who are people that hunt them and sell their fur and other parts.

Also, as an area gets more populated by humans, the forests used by tigers are cut down to build more roads, buildings and houses.

Also as humans are nervous of having tigers living nearby, they are sometimes killed to keep humans and livestock safe.

Conflicts such as wars have a negative impact on tigers as well.

But India's tiger recovery shows how conservation can protect big cats, boost biodiversity, and support communities - offering key lessons for the world, the researchers believe.

How were the tiger numbers boosted?

Tigers have been good for tourism in India

Since 2006, India has measured tiger habitats, every four years across 20 states, monitoring where the big cats are living and the quality of that habitat.

Over the course of the study, the size of their habitat has increased by 30%.

Researchers were pleased because while tigers did very well in areas with not very many people, they also managed to adapt in areas where lots of humans lived.

One thing the researchers said helped was creating spaces just for tigers in these highly-populated areas.

The author of the study, Dr Jhala, said the people living in these areas were a large part of the reason they were able to revive tiger numbers.

"Without community support and participation and community benefits, conservation is not possible in our country," he said.

The study found the increase in tiger numbers has benefited the local human communities too, as tourism has grown in those areas as a result.