On the 20^th of January, the National Tiger Conservation Authority released official figures showing that the tiger population in India has increased nearly one-third during the last three years. The number of tigers in India rose from 1,706 in 2011 to 2,226 at the end of 2014. Around 70% of the world’s wild tigers live in India, where in recent decades their habitat has been damaged by development and illegal poaching.

Efforts to protect tigers and their habitats from external pressures were thought to have failed when in 2006, the number of wild tigers in India dwindled to 1,411 animals. Prakash Javadekar, who is India’s minister of environment, has said that these latest figures are a huge success story and have demonstrated that the government’s current conservation strategy is a huge success.

“That is why we want to create more tiger reserves. This is a proof of India’s biodiversity and how we care for mitigating climate change. This is India’s steps in the right direction, which the world will applaud,” Javadekar said. India is one of the world’s largest producers of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, yet is still one of the world’s poorest countries.

Despite its precarious situation, the government has repeatedly confirmed that it will focus on economic growth rather than its responsibility to reduce its emissions. Belinda Wright, who is part of the Wildlife Protection Society of India has attributed the population growth to better monitoring and patrolling of the tigers and their habitat over the last three years.

“There still remains the habitat destruction and encroachment. Hopefully the new figures will increase the pressure on the government to tread carefully when it is a matter of development in tiger habitats,” Wright said. The census, which was conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, involved over 10,000 camera traps. Almost 80% of the tigers who had been photographed were individually identified. Most of India’s wild tigers live in over 50 wildlife reserves that were set up during the 1970s. Outside of these reserves, the natural habitats of tigers have almost totally disappeared.

FSA Connection

1. In the article, the word “encroachment” means what?
2. What is the connotation of the word “strenuous” in the story?
3. The author seems to offer what main idea?
4. Select the best two sentences from the story that supports the idea that India is more focused on growing its economy, rather than maintains its environment.
5. In the article, the author provides quotes which two people.