Tiger Numbers Rise in Pilibhit Reserve, But So Do Human-Wildlife Conflicts

The tiger population in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) has risen to around 80, up from 71 recorded in the 2022 national census, according to a fresh internal survey conducted by the PTR administration in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

However, with this encouraging increase comes a growing concern, rising human-wildlife conflict, especially in areas surrounding the reserve.
PTR Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Manish Singh on Saturday said that this latest estimate does not include 30–35% of tigers that are now frequently found in farmlands around the reserve. The core forest area of the reserve, which spans 620 sq km, has reportedly reached its saturation point, pushing several tigers into human-dominated landscapes.

The internal survey was launched in November 2024 and continued through March 2025. The entire core area was divided into 316 grids of 2x2 km each, with each grid monitored using twin camera traps installed facing one another. Due to limited availability of cameras, the exercise was conducted in two phases.

“In the first phase, we covered the Mala, Mahof, and Deuria forest ranges between November and January. The second phase began in mid-February in the Baharhi and Haripur ranges, with data retrieval completed by the end of March,” said Singh.

The camera trap data was analysed over a span of four months by a team of WWF biologists led by Ashish Bista and Rohit Ravi. While the final number for PTR has been tallied, similar data from nearby Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) is still under review, according to DTR Field Director H. Rajamohan.
PTR officials say the new data will soon be officially shared with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for validation and records.

But as tiger numbers rise, so do concerns for human safety. In a troubling sign, seven villagers living near the reserve have been killed by tigers between May 14 and July 17 this year. With big cats increasingly straying into agricultural fields, officials warn that incidents of human-animal conflict could escalate if immediate mitigation measures are not taken.

Conservationists have welcomed the growing tiger population as a sign of a healthy ecosystem but stress the urgent need for buffer zones, rapid response teams, and public awareness campaigns to prevent further tragedies.

Also Read: Kaziranga’s Tiger Boom: Between Roar and Reckoning