Key Highlights
- Kaziranga boasts the world’s third‑highest tiger density at 18.65 tigers per 100 km².
- Recorded population surged to 148 in 2024, a marked rise from 104 in 2022.
- The latest survey employed a precise capture‑recapture technique with camera traps.
- Habitat expansion added 200 km², removing 12.82 km² of encroachment‑free land.
- Strengthened anti‑poaching legislation has facilitated freer movement and breeding.
Detailed Insights
The 2024 census documented 148 lions within the 1,307.49 km² expanse of Kaziranga. This figure outpaces the 121 recorded in 2019 and the 104 of the previous census in 2022, while the 1997 count stood at 80. The most recent probe, carried out from December 2023 through April 2024, relied on 103 days of camera trapping, generating 13,157 trap nights and capturing 4,011 photographs across 242 sites.
Researchers applied a sophisticated capture‑recapture model, meticulously matching the unique stripe patterns on each tiger’s right flank. The gender breakdown revealed 83 females, 55 males, and 10 individuals whose sex could not be determined. The survey also highlighted the inaugural enumeration of 27 tigers in the Biswanath Wildlife Division.
Two decisive forces behind the upward trend are: a generous land addition of 200 km² within the reserve boundary (including the former Burhachapori‑Laokhowa sanctuaries) and reinforced protective measures that have curbed encroachment and poaching, thereby enabling natural mating and successful breeding cycles.
Key Concepts
- Tiger Density – the number of tigers per standard area, often expressed per 100 km².
- Capture‑Recapture Method – a statistical technique that estimates population size by marking and re‑capturing individuals.
- Habitat Expansion – the addition of protected land to a reserve area to reduce human disturbance.
- Camera Trap Survey – deployment of motion‑activated cameras to record wildlife presence.
- Stripe Pattern Identification – forensic matching of distinct stripe arrangements for individual recognition.