Kaziranga Ranks Third Globally in Tiger Density

Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in Assam, famous for its one-horned rhinoceros, has now made headlines for another reason – it has the third-highest tiger density in the world. This was revealed in a new report on the status of tigers, released on Global Tiger Day (July 29, 2025) by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Tiger Numbers are Growing in Kaziranga

The report says that 148 tigers were recorded across the 1,307.49 sq. km reserve in 2024. This is a big jump compared to previous years.

• In 1997: 80 tigers
• In 2019: 121 tigers
• In 2022: 104 tigers
• In 2024: 148 tigers

A major reason for this increase is the first-ever survey in the Biswanath Wildlife Division, which recorded 27 tigers. The Eastern Assam Wildlife Division saw its tiger count grow from 104 in 2022 to 115 in 2024, while the Nagaon Wildlife Division maintained its six tigers.

Kaziranga’s Tiger Density

Kaziranga now has 18.65 tigers per 100 sq. km, making it the highest after:

• Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka: 19.83 tigers per 100 sq. km
• Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand: 19.56 tigers per 100 sq. km

How the Survey was Done?

The survey was conducted between December 2023 and April 2024 using camera traps.

• 103 days of trapping
• 13,157 trap nights
• 4,011 tiger photos from 242 locations

Scientists used the specially explicit capture-recapture method, which is more accurate than older methods. They identified tigers by studying the unique stripe patterns on their right sides. The count included 83 females, 55 males and 10 tigers of unknown gender.

Why Tiger Numbers are Rising?

Officials say two main factors have helped tigers in Kaziranga:

• Habitat Expansion: An extra 200 sq. km was added to the reserve, including 12.82 sq. km of encroachment-free land. This included parts of the Burhachapori-Laokhowa sanctuaries.
• Better Protection: Stronger laws and actions against encroachment and poaching have helped tigers move freely, find mates and breed successfully.

Pride for Assam

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Assam is not just protecting tigers but reclaiming their kingdom. With the third-highest tiger density in the world. Assam is proving to be a global leader in tiger conservation.