The tiger population in Assam’s Nameri Tiger Reserve has risen from three in 2022 to 12 by 2025.
Assam forest and environment minister Jayanta Mallabaruah on Friday described the surge as a “remarkable conservation success”.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Mallabaruah hailed conservation efforts under the guidance of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma “as doing wonders”.
“From just 3 tigers in 2022 to 12 by the end of 2025, Nameri Tiger Reserve has scripted a remarkable conservation success, validated by the Wildlife Institute of India. Adding to this achievement, the return of 2 tigers to Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, the satellite core of Nameri Tiger Reserve after decades of absence marks another historic milestone for wildlife conservation in Assam,” the forest minister posted.
The Nameri Tiger Reserve, a 344-sqkm protected area located in Sonitpur district, shares a contiguous interstate boundary with the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh and is one of the four tiger reserves in Assam. The other three include Kaziranga, Manas and Orang tiger reserves.
The overall tiger population in Assam, according to official surveys, has seen a three-fold rise, increasing from 70 in 2006 to 227 by 2022. The rise in tiger population was also steady in the interim — 143 in 2010, 167 in 2014 and 190 in 2018. Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve led the tally with 148 adult tigers recorded in 2024, up from 104 in 2022.