3,600 tigers in India

Lucknow, Nov 9 (UNI) There are an estimated 3,600 tigers in Indian forests, of which almost 273 beasts inhabitate Uttar Pradesh.

According to a 2005 tiger census, 273 Royal Bengal Tigers were living in 9 forest reserves in UP.

The world-famous Dudhwa National Park in Lakhimpur Kheri district of UP boasts of the maximum number of 77 tigers in the state.

Tiger Conservation Committee chief and UP principal secretary forest V N Garg said here today, the tiger population had ebbed to 2,000 in 1973 due to indiscriminate hunting, shrinking natural habitat and other bio-diversity factors.

Tiger Conservation Committee was formed for the conservation of tigers and better management of its natural habitats.

''To tide over the situation, Project Tiger was initiated in the country in 1973 for the conservation of the magnificient beast,'' he informed.

Of the 77 tigers in Dudhwa, there were 43 males, 24 females and 10 cubs.

Similarly, Katarniaghat Reserve (Bahraich district) has 58 tigers, Suhelwa Reserve (Balrampur and Shravasti) 37, Pilibhit Range 35, Kishanpur Reserve (Lakhimpur Kheri) 29, Sohagibarwa (Maharajganj) 11, Bijnore Range 10, Najibabad 10 and Ranipur Reserve (Chitrakoot) 6.

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