David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

January 9 : Assam forest and environment minister Rockybul Hussain has announced that, according to a census completed in December, the Royal Bengal tiger population in Assam has increased to 143 in 2011.

Camera trapping – supported by DSWF – was used to count the tigers in the national parks with Kaziranga   revealing a population of 118 tigers.  The number of tigers in Orang has also increased in the last six years and both Manas and Nameri saw an increase in tiger numbers.

The state forest minister added that the elephant population in the state was also increased from 5246 in 2002 to 5620 in 2011. According to the last river dolphin census in the state, there are 258 river dolphins.

"Add the critically endangered one-horned Indian rhino to this list of rare mammals and there can be no doubt about how important it is to preserve the wild habitats of Assam ," says CEO of DSWF , Melanie Shepherd.

DSWF has been supporting anti-poaching, education and wildlife crime programmes in Assam since 1994 and has been part of the continuing success of the conservation work there.

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