<p>"I don't know what we are going to see. We are just receiving the data from states. I seriously hope there's good news about it when the results come out in the first week of November," Ramesh said at a symposium on the "Future of Bengal Tiger" held here.<br />However, he added, "I have no indication to say that there is an increase in tiger population as of yet."<br /><br />According to latest census conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), there are only 1,411 big cats left in the 39 tiger reserves situated across the country.<br /><br />In the last seven months this year, at least 20 tigers have died in and outside various reserves in the country against 66 deaths reported last year, most of which were due to poaching.<br /><br />Maintaining that he was hoping the number to be on the higher side than the present one, Ramesh lauded the "right leadership and structured administration" provided by the state governments.<br /><br />The extensive exercise of tiger counting, which started last year, is based on scientific approach and is expected to be more accurate.<br /><br />"Almost 60 per cent of the wild tigers in the world are in India. And this has been possible because of sustained efforts put under Project Tigers for conservation of the big cats," Ramesh said.<br /><br />The minister said soon revenue generated from tourism would be used for development of tiger reserves so that local communities can benefit.<br /><br />"This will happen soon as per provisions of Tiger Conservation Fund which the tiger-range states are supposed to set up. This would benefit local communities who in turn would be encouraged to develop a stake in protection of the tiger reserves," Ramesh said.</p>
<p>"I don't know what we are going to see. We are just receiving the data from states. I seriously hope there's good news about it when the results come out in the first week of November," Ramesh said at a symposium on the "Future of Bengal Tiger" held here.<br />However, he added, "I have no indication to say that there is an increase in tiger population as of yet."<br /><br />According to latest census conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), there are only 1,411 big cats left in the 39 tiger reserves situated across the country.<br /><br />In the last seven months this year, at least 20 tigers have died in and outside various reserves in the country against 66 deaths reported last year, most of which were due to poaching.<br /><br />Maintaining that he was hoping the number to be on the higher side than the present one, Ramesh lauded the "right leadership and structured administration" provided by the state governments.<br /><br />The extensive exercise of tiger counting, which started last year, is based on scientific approach and is expected to be more accurate.<br /><br />"Almost 60 per cent of the wild tigers in the world are in India. And this has been possible because of sustained efforts put under Project Tigers for conservation of the big cats," Ramesh said.<br /><br />The minister said soon revenue generated from tourism would be used for development of tiger reserves so that local communities can benefit.<br /><br />"This will happen soon as per provisions of Tiger Conservation Fund which the tiger-range states are supposed to set up. This would benefit local communities who in turn would be encouraged to develop a stake in protection of the tiger reserves," Ramesh said.</p>