Gujarat Returns to India’s Tiger Landscape

NTCA Restores Gujarat’s Tiger Status

Gujarat Returns to India’s Tiger Landscape: Gujarat has officially regained its status as a tiger-bearing state after a gap of 33 years, marking a significant moment in India’s wildlife conservation efforts. The declaration was made by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) after verified scientific evidence confirmed sustained tiger presence.

This decision places Gujarat back on India’s official tiger map under Project Tiger, reinforcing the country’s long-term conservation framework. Gujarat will now be included in national-level monitoring and protection mechanisms.

Static GK fact: NTCA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, established in 2006 following the amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Why Gujarat Lost Tiger Status Earlier

Gujarat last appeared in the national tiger census in 1989, based mainly on pugmark evidence. However, the absence of photographic or physical proof weakened the credibility of those records.

In the 1992 tiger census, Gujarat was excluded due to the lack of confirmed sightings. This exclusion effectively removed the state from India’s formal tiger estimation framework.

A lone tiger sighted in 2019 survived for only about 15 days, failing to establish a breeding or stable territory. As a result, Gujarat remained outside official tiger-bearing states for over three decades.

Ratanmahal Sanctuary Emerges as the Turning Point

The breakthrough came from the Ratanmahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Dahod district, located along the Gujarat–Madhya Pradesh border. A nearly four-year-old tiger entered the sanctuary in mid-February 2025.

Unlike earlier transient movements, this tiger maintained a stable presence for nearly ten months. Multiple camera-trap images and CCTV footage confirmed consistent territorial behaviour.

Based on this sustained evidence, the NTCA issued formal directions to initiate tiger conservation measures in the sanctuary. This scientific validation paved the way for Gujarat’s reinstatement.

Static GK fact: Ratanmahal Sanctuary is known primarily for its sloth bear population and forms part of the Vindhyan hill ecosystem.

Inclusion in All India Tiger Estimation 2026

Gujarat will now participate in the All India Tiger Estimation 2026, one of the world’s largest wildlife population surveys. The exercise recently commenced in Indore.

For the first time since 1989, Gujarat will undergo a dedicated camera-trap survey along its inter-state forest corridors. This ensures accurate population assessment and ecological mapping.

As the tiger has not yet been radio-collared, officials plan to radio-tag the animal during the census, enabling scientific tracking across state boundaries.

Static GK Tip: The All India Tiger Estimation is conducted once every four years and forms the basis of India’s tiger population data.

Technology Driven Tiger Monitoring

A key feature of Gujarat’s inclusion is the adoption of Stripe Pattern Recognition Software under AITE. This AI-based tool identifies individual tigers through stripe patterns, eliminating duplication.

Once trained, Gujarat forest officials will be able to monitor tiger movements in real time. This strengthens cross-state coordination and landscape-level conservation planning.

The move reflects India’s growing reliance on technology-driven wildlife governance, integrating camera traps, artificial intelligence, and centralized data systems.

Conservation Implications for Gujarat

Gujarat’s return as a tiger-bearing state strengthens India’s western tiger landscape. It also opens the possibility of proposing Ratanmahal as a future Tiger Reserve, subject to ecological viability.

The development enhances Gujarat’s conservation profile and underscores the success of evidence-based wildlife management.

Static GK fact: India hosts over 70% of the world’s wild tiger population, making tiger conservation a national ecological priority.

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Gujarat Returns to India’s Tiger Landscape: