India's tigers in crisis, less than half estimated - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

India's tigers in crisis, less than half estimated
Fri Aug 3, 2007 7:04AM EDT

NEW DELHI, Aug 3 (Reuters) - India's tigers are facing their
severest crisis with only between 1,300 and 1,500 left in the
wild, less than half the population of endangered big cats
previously estimated, conservationists said on Friday.

The estimates are based on a tiger census by the government-
run Wildlife Institute of India, due to be made public later this
year.

It is based on a new counting method and contradicts the
previous figure of 3,642 reported by the 2001 and 2002 census.

"These are estimates done with what the government considers
... a robust scientific process and is a benchmark," Valmik
Thapar, a renowned natural historian and tiger expert, told a
WWF meeting called to discuss the tiger's plight.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSDEL90093