Tiger count in U'khand goes up to 242, 2nd highest in India

Pic Courtesy: PTI

Dehradun: The count of tigers in Uttarakhand has gone up to 242 with an increase of 63 big cats this year, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said.

Also 11 cubs were found in the two tiger reserves, he had said on July 26 releasing the latest figures for the year 2016 -17.

Uttarakhand has two tiger reserves - the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Chief minister Rawat congratulated the forest department for the great work being done for the conservation of tigers and added that in terms of area and tiger population ratio, Uttarakhand is the number one state behind Karnataka which has 400 big cats.

According to the data, at least 208 tigers have been identified in Corbett Tiger Reserve, up from last year's 163. Also six cubs were identified there.

At least 34 tigers have been identified in Rajaji Tiger Reserve in 2016-17, up from previous year's 16, he said, adding five cubs were also found there.

Around 535 cameras were installed in Corbett Tiger Reserve, while 562 cameras were put at strategic locations in core areas of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in collaboration with the Indian Wildlife Institute and World Nature Fund (WWF).