Experts are of the opinion that "lesser known" tiger habitats should be given utmost protection for the long-term conservation of big cats in the region.
The report, 'The status of tigers in India 2014', released on Tuesday in New Delhi, stated that, in Assam, the tiger count has increased to 167 in 2014 from 143 in 2010.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the tiger population has doubled to 28 in 2014 from 14 in 2006.
In Mizoram, the report said, the tiger count has dipped from five in 2010 to three in 2014.
On the whole, the data said the count of big cats has gone up from 148 in 2010 to 201 in 2014. The areas taken into account included hills, the Brahmaputra plains and also contiguous tiger habitats in the northern parts of West Bengal.
Former member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and wildlife biologist, Aaranyak, M Firoz Ahmed, said more conservation efforts should be extended to potential habitats in the region, like the Namdapha Tiger Reserve, the Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh and Karbi Anglong in Assam.
"Tiger habitats like Kaziranga and other reserves in the region are already getting the necessary attention. The time has come to shift focus on lesser known habitats for long-term tiger conservation. If these lesser known habitats are included in serious conservation efforts, our tiger population will increase manifold," Ahmed observed.
Sources said many of the areas which are potential habitats are being threatened by poaching and encroachment. Namdapha's biggest conservation threat is poaching.
"The hills of Karbi Anglong and its adjoining areas are equally important habitats. But they face the threat of militancy and law and order problems," another conservationist pointed out.
The report also mentioned Kaziranga as having the maximum number of tigers in the region. "The number of tigers in the Karbi Hills (Assam), Dibang Valley and Namdapha Tiger Reserve (Arunachal Pradesh) are encouraging," the report added.
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