India's tigers are moving beyond reserves—and bumping into people
India's tiger population is booming, and now almost 30% of these big cats are living outside protected forests.
This shift means more surprising encounters with people—like in Purulia, West Bengal, where a tiger recently made headlines after trekking 500km from Chhattisgarh.
It was the first time Purulia had ever spotted a wild tiger, all thanks to motion-sensor cameras.
Conservation win brings new challenges
Since 2006, India's tiger count has nearly tripled to around 3,682—about 75% of the world's wild tigers.
But with more tigers exploring farms and villages, human-tiger conflicts are on the rise.
To help out, the Wildlife Institute of India launched the "Tiger Outside Tiger Reserves" project in 2025.
The plan focuses on conserving both tigers and people, with efforts such as improving wildlife corridors and working with local Bagh Mitras (tiger friends) to keep both people and tigers safer as their worlds overlap more than ever.