Note:  A jump in population of some of the species including the Nilgiri Langur, which was considered endangered, is noticed in the 1997 census. This is partly owing to under-estimation in the previous censuses. (Over-estimation in 1997 too cannot be ruled out). The 1997 figure for Tiger excludes  a marginal population in the Agasthyamala area. The increase in deer population could be related to reduction in population of carnivores.

Note on wildlife population in India (updated in April 2003 and 2005):

            The population of leopards, lions and rhinos in the country has increased while that of elephants and tigers declined as per lastest wildlife census reports.  The leopard population increased from 6828 in 1993 to 7273 in 1997. 
            Rhinos have increased from 1496 in 1993 to 1817 in 1999. The number of lions has gone up from 304 in 1995 to 322-332 in 2001.  The elephant population has marginally declined from 29010 in 1997 to 28274 in 2001. (But according to another set of figures presented to the Parliament in 2005, the elephant population increased from 25, 877 in 1997 to 26,413 in 2002.) The number of tigers  has come down from 3836 in 1997 to 3642 in 2001-02.  The tiger population has declined from 3836 in 1997 to 3646 in 2001-02.

          Maximum number of 710 tigers are found in Madhya Pradesh  followed by 401 in Karnataka, 354 in Assam, 349 in West Bengal,  284 in Uttar Pradesh, 238 in Maharashtra, 227 in Chattisgarh and 192 in Andhra Pradesh.  Karnataka   tops in elephant population  with 6088 followed by Kerala with (5737), Assam (5312), Tamil Nadu (2971),  Arunachal Pradesh (2102), Uttar Pradesh (1984), Meghalaya (1840) and Orissa (1827). The undivided Madhya Pradesh accounted for the highest number of 1851 leopards followed by  the undivided Uttar Pradesh with 1412, Gujarat  (832), Himachal Pradesh (821), Karnataka (620), Rajasthan (474),  Orissa (422), and Assam (246).  Lions are concentrated only in Gujarat.  Assam accounts for the major chunk of 1684 rhinos followed by West Bengal (120) and UP (30). 

During 1999 -2002, poaching of 404 leopards, 181  elephants, 129 tigers, 51 rhinos and 3 lions was reported.  Maximum poaching of 47 tigers was reported from Uttar Pradesh followed by Maharashtra (27), Madhya Pradesh (17), West Bengal (15) and Andhra Pradesh (7).  Elephant poaching was maximum in Karnataka (55 cases) followed by Orissa (29), West Bengal (25), Tamil Nadu (23), Kerala (14) and Uttaranchal (8).  Uttar Pradesh has reported the maximum of 250 cases of poaching of leopards followed by Tamil Nadu (28), Madhya Pradesh (26), Himachal Pradesh (24), Maharashtra (14), Uttaranchal (12),  Rajasthan (9) and Punjab (8).  Assam has accounted for 48 of the 51 cases of poaching of rhinos with West Bengal reporting the rest.

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