Country's Tiger Count Now 1,706

The new tiger census, unveiled by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at Vigyan Bhavan, has put the number of tigers in the country at 1,706 excluding the Indravati Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh, which has "a large number of tigers", according to the state's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Ram Prakash.

Unlike the 2008 census, this figure includes tigers from the Sunderbans and the Buxa Tiger Reserve in West Bengal and the Palamu Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand.

Wildlife conservationist Valmiki Thapar, who is a member of the Wildlife Institute of India, said, "Figures from the Sunderbans have been included in this census. Read the full report here.

Source: by Bipin Kumar Singh, Mid Day, Mumbai.