The number of big cats in the state‘s forests is believed to have increased to about 500, the highest in the country.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had earlier planned to release it on World Tiger Day on July 7.

Sources in MoEF told TNIE that Karnataka’s numbers are promising because of the conductive Western Ghats environs.

The landscape of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Goa show promise. “Conservation efforts have also improved in north Indian states like Madhya Pradesh where sightings have also been good,” they pointed out.

Source: The New Indian Express, July 12, 2019, Chennai.