Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Sunday inaugurated a national workshop on “Tiger Re-introduction: Opportunities & Challenges” in Rajasthan’s Alwar, highlighting that conserving tigers also safeguards forests, watersheds and the rich biodiversity that depends on them.
The workshop, organised by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in collaboration with the Rajasthan government, marked 18 years of tiger reintroduction in the Sariska Tiger Reserve. It brought together Chief Wildlife Wardens, field directors and wildlife experts from across the country to discuss science-based strategies for tiger reintroduction and active management.
Calling the Sariska tiger reintroduction programme a landmark in global wildlife conservation, Yadav said it remains the world’s first successful scientific reintroduction of tigers into a landscape where the species had become locally extinct. From having no tigers in 2005, Sariska now supports 56 big cats, making it a global model for species restoration through scientific management, community participation and sustained conservation efforts, he said.
The minister noted that India has expanded its network of tiger reserves from 46 to 58 over the past decade and successfully met the St. Petersburg Declaration target of doubling its wild tiger population by 2022.
Yadav stressed that community participation has been central to the success of tiger reintroduction in Sariska and Panna, while the absence of local support hindered similar efforts in Odisha’s Satkosia Tiger Reserve. He added that Project Cheetah has also benefited significantly from the active involvement of local communities.
He emphasised that conservation efforts should balance wildlife protection with the welfare of people living around protected areas. In landscapes where tiger and elephant habitats overlap, he said, maintaining ecological connectivity should remain a priority.
“Our priority is to ensure that our tigers are protected, our forests remain green and healthy and local communities continue to prosper,” Yadav said, adding that conservation should be guided by both scientific principles and human values.
During the event, the minister released three publications — the Road Map on Active Management of Tigers in India, the Booklet on Reintroduction and Recovery of Tigers in India, and the Annual Report of Project Cheetah covering the period from September 2024 to December 2025.
The roadmap outlines strategies for managing tiger populations by identifying source and sink habitats, while the booklet documents India’s experience in restoring tiger populations in Sariska and Panna. The Project Cheetah report details progress on cheetah translocations, habitat management, veterinary care, community engagement and future priorities.
The workshop featured technical sessions on habitat restoration, prey augmentation, wildlife translocation, landscape connectivity, monitoring protocols and active management strategies. Participants also discussed preparedness plans for tiger-deficient reserves, while dedicated sessions focused on Project Cheetah and the role of prey augmentation through translocation of species such as gaur and barasingha.
The recommendations emerging from the workshop are expected to shape future conservation planning for tiger-deficient landscapes through science-based reintroduction, habitat restoration, prey base augmentation and closer coordination among the NTCA, state forest departments and scientific institutions.
