Written by PPL Newsroom• October 9, 2026• 5:42 am• Nature & Wildlife

Karnataka’s tiger estimate may have crossed 700, up from 563 in 2022

A state-level count, still to be finalised, finds tigers in forest divisions that had none earlier. Officials say this brings new conflict challenges.

Karnataka’s tiger population may now exceed 700, according to a state-level estimate that is close to completion. Chief Wildlife Warden Kumar Pushkar said this on 8 October at the close of the 72nd Wildlife Week, as reported by Deccan Herald. The figure is provisional. It points to a sizeable rise from the 563 tigers recorded in the last national census, and to new questions about how people and big cats share space.

What the numbers say

Pushkar explained that this exercise is separate from the national census. The state’s tiger cell ran it, whereas the All India Tiger Estimation is conducted every four years by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The 2022 national estimate put Karnataka at 563 tigers, second only to Madhya Pradesh’s 785.

For the state exercise, officials divided Karnataka into 51 divisions and finished the estimation in all but one. Back in 2023, officials had put the number at around 650. The final figure is due soon. “We should be able to finalise the numbers within a week,” Pushkar said.

The state’s long-run trend is upward. Karnataka’s count grew from 290 in 2006 to 563 in 2022, driven largely by the Bandipur-Nagarahole complex, which extends into Tamil Nadu. The 2018 national estimate was 524.

Tigers in new places

Pushkar said the spread of tigers is part of the story. In his words, “Many of the divisions which did not have tigers earlier are now seeing their presence.” He added that this also poses a challenge. He told Deccan Herald that cattle kills are the major problem, because such conflicts directly shape how people feel about big cats.

Earlier assessments pointed the same way. After the 2022 survey, a report said the Nagarahole-Bandipur cluster was nearing saturation in tiger density, while the northern Kali-Belagavi area and the Bhadra-Bhadravathi-Kudremukh region had room for more tigers. The same report named unplanned linear infrastructure and mining as the main threats to recovery in the Kali landscape.

What this means for India

Karnataka was already India’s second-largest tiger state in the 2022 census. A rise towards 700 would strengthen that position, though the national census is the official benchmark and its next report is expected in 2027. The state’s experience shows that success brings new tasks: compensating livestock losses, keeping forest corridors connected and managing tigers that move beyond reserves. Other tiger states can watch how Karnataka handles these as numbers grow.

What happens next

The state estimate sits within the sixth national cycle. The quadrennial exercise began about four months before January 2026 and is due to end with a published estimation report in early 2027. Then Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said the work would run in three phases and would also assess the carrying capacity of the areas surveyed. That capacity assessment should show how many tigers each landscape can support alongside its prey and neighbouring communities.

The state’s own analysis aims to give policymakers up-to-date data. Once the final number is released, the department’s response to conflict will show whether the recovery can hold outside the protected core.